Body Possession

Room 404. Zhang Yuanqing lay with his hands pillowed behind his head, staring blankly at the ceiling in a daze. Blood Rose and Commandery Princess Yinyao sat upright on the chaise lounge by the window. In what had originally been the princess's spot sat the one-armed Brother Red Chicken, currently slurping down a bowl of freshly cooked moonlight fish congee. Thanks to Song Man's treatment, his wound had begun to heal, though his severed arm certainly couldn't be reattached. Yet Brother Red Chicken remained cheerful and optimistic. As someone who was practically Elder Jiangbao's foster son, getting his hands on a vial of Life Source Fluid to regenerate a severed limb was effortless. Of course, knowing Brother Red Chicken's temperament, even if the arm couldn't be restored, he would simply laugh it off with a hearty, "When walking the jianghu, how can you avoid catching a few cuts?" And then he would happily go right back to brewing chicken soup. After the battle ended, Sun Miaomiao had been bound securely and handed over to the academy authorities for supervision. With Song Man, Peony Fairy, and several other Beast Kings running around providing treatment, everyone's injuries were taken care of. The students prepared the corpses of the dean, the Tiger King, Xie Lingzhou, and Liu Yushu for burial. By the time the aftermath was settled, dusk had already fallen. Exhausted, the students dragged their weary bodies back to their dormitories to rest. Everyone believed the culprit had been captured and the academy was finally safe. On the surface, Zhang Yuanqing appeared to be spacing out, but in reality, he was communicating with his underground palace team through his earpiece. Zhang Yuanqing: "World Returns to Fire, don't worry about the armor. Sun Miaomiao is an elder's descendant. If headquarters asks, just let Elder Sun take the heat. Nobody knows it came from the underground palace anyway." World Returns to Fire: "Is Miaomiao safe over there?" Having Sun Miaomiao voluntarily confess and submit to custody served two purposes: first, to lull the real armored figure into a false sense of security, and second, to calm the students and instructors. After all, in such a tense, hostile atmosphere, the enemy could easily influence people in secret and cause the situation to spiral out of control. If that happened, when faced with maddened students and instructors, would they kill or not? Zhao Chenghuang: "Instructor Song Man is guarding her, and I've had spirit servants keep watch in secret. We must root him out tonight; otherwise, the trouble will never end." Yuanshi's earlier refusal to cooperate with the lie-detector test had likely already aroused the armored figure's suspicion, and Sun Miaomiao's use of Myriad Slaughterer had all but confirmed it. Even if the armored figure didn't leak this to headquarters, once they left the instance and reported it to Dark Night Rose, everyone would be in grave danger. At that point, the only thing they could do would be to publicly present the treasure to headquarters to clear their names. Xiahou Aotian: "Yuanshi Tianzun, who were the nine people in the cafeteria?" Zhang Yuanqing: "I asked Brother Red Chicken. The nine people present were Zhu Mingxu, Kui Yangze, Liu Yushu, Sanyang Kaitaitai, Ren Junzi, Ling Man'er, Niulanshan Little Fairy, Zhao Feiwen, and Yuan Ting." World Returns to Fire analyzed habitually: "Xie Lingzhou and Liu Yushu are dead. Zhu Mingxu and Yuan Ting can be ruled out. Of the remaining people, who is the most suspicious?" While Xiahou Aotian and Zhao Chenghuang were still pondering, Zhang Yuanqing offered his thought: "I suspect Sanyang Kaitaitai." "Why do you say that?" The teammates' voices chimed in unison through the earpiece. Zhang Yuanqing gathered his thoughts, translating his mind into speech: "Miaomiao was definitely influenced by the armored figure, which is why she lost her mind and used Myriad Slaughterer. I've 'recalled' the scene: while everyone else was fighting, only Sanyang Kaitaitai withdrew early. He had plenty of time to influence Miaomiao. "Besides, Sanyang Kaitaitai was also the one who suggested placing her under supervision. If he's the armored figure, this perfectly aligns with his goal—he will definitely make a move on Miaomiao tonight." Zhang Yuanqing paused, continuing to transmit his thoughts: "There's another reason..." Xiahou Aotian waited a few seconds without hearing an explanation, so he urged, "What reason?" "That day during the item refinement class, didn't Sanyang Kaitaitai ask three questions? Later, I learned from Instructor Mo Pan that the price of using the Magic Mirror of Destiny is that one's fate will be disrupted," Zhang Yuanqing said. "One question brings danger, two bring mortal peril, and three... it feels like certain death. Yet Sanyang Kaitaitai survived, and Instructor Mo Pan seemed to have forgotten all about it, never even checking in on the student who asked three questions in a row afterward. Does that seem normal to you?" Xiahou Aotian and the others caught on: Sanyang Kaitaitai had a special item that neutralized the mirror's backlash. And the backlash of a Dominator-level item clearly wasn't something a grassroots Saint could resolve. But if he was the armored figure, it made sense. "All right. We strike tonight and ambush Sanyang Kaitaitai." World Returns to Fire finally displayed the decisiveness of a Fire Specialist. Zhang Yuanqing pressed his earpiece. "Sanyang Kaitaitai's room is 612. In a bit, Zhao Chenghuang and I will use Star Shift to go directly there. Then I'll ignite a fireball in the room, and World Returns to Fire, you Fire Shift right in. Xiahou Aotian..." He thought for a moment before adding, "You'll keep watch and suppress any students who get alarmed. Of course, with the strength of the three of us launching a surprise attack, he shouldn't be able to put up much resistance." At that moment, Brother Red Chicken finished his congee and patted his belly with contented satisfaction. "That venomous woman Sun Miaomiao has already been caught. Why are you still keeping me here?" "Miaomiao isn't a venomous woman," Zhang Yuanqing retorted in annoyance. "Heh, you got a crush on her or something?" Brother Red Chicken waved a hand with his usual carefree attitude. "Venomous woman or not, doesn't matter to me. I'm heading back to the cafeteria for another bowl of congee. Want some?" "I happen to be hungry," Zhang Yuanqing nodded. *** Late at night, 11:50 PM. Room 612 was brightly lit. Sanyang Kaitaitai sat upright by the table, his expression calm yet tinged with wooden dullness. Suddenly, two dreamy beams of starlight flared within the room, coalescing into two handsome young men of distinctly different bearings—Zhang Yuanqing and Zhao Chenghuang. The moment he materialized, Zhang Yuanqing, clad in the Yin-Yang Robe, immediately raised his palm and conjured a ball of fire. The flame expanded and exploded with a boom, revealing another figure amidst the firelight. It was none other than World Returns to Fire, his features sharp and his physique well-proportioned. Seeing the three men suddenly appear, Sanyang Kaitaitai showed no surprise at all. Instead, a sinister smile spread across his face: "You're here!" *** In the faculty dormitory, Song Man, freshly showered and draped in a bathrobe, stepped out of the bathroom. Her hair was still wet, draping damply over her shoulders and back. Her bangs and sideburns hung halfway down, her cheeks pale yet flushed with a post-bath rosy tint. Though her private life was messy, she was undeniably an exquisite beauty. Song Man opened the glass cabinet storing her alcohol, retrieved a bottle of red wine and two goblets, and turned her head to look at Sun Miaomiao, who sat securely bound on the chaise lounge. "Do you drink?" Sun Miaomiao was bound by emerald-green vines. Talismans sealing spirit servants were slapped across her chest and back, and a paralyzing venom had been injected into her body. "Yes, yes!" Sun Miaomiao answered delightedly. She loved wine, but supplies in the academy were scarce, with only beer available. As a pampered heiress from a prestigious family, she couldn't stomach that bitter horse piss. Song Man poured two glasses. Instead of handing one over immediately, she gave them a gentle swirl and set them aside to breathe. She first walked over to Sun Miaomiao and pinched her thighs, shoulders, and arms, confirming they were completely limp and weak. Only then did she return to the desk, swirling her wineglass as she asked, "Have you slept with Yuanshi Tianzun?" Good thing Sun Miaomiao hadn't taken a sip, or she would have spat it out. "What... what kind of nonsense are you talking about?! Yuanshi Tianzun and I are just ordinary friends." She was still a young girl after all, not yet able to handle such topics casually. Song Man nodded in understanding. "I see. Yuanshi Tianzun is the abstinent type. No wonder my previous tactic missed the mark. Sigh, Zhao Chenghuang is quite nice too, but he's also the abstinent type. What a pity." Sun Miaomiao's eyes widened. "Did you try to seduce both of them?" Song Man took a sip of red wine and giggled. "When you see an outstanding, handsome man, doesn't your heart flutter? Yuanshi Tianzun and Zhao Chenghuang are the cream of the crop among the younger generation. They're probably still virgins, too. Bedding them would give such a sense of accomplishment. Unfortunately, both are totally abstinent." Sun Miaomiao rolled her eyes. For some reason, she was reminded of the young master of the Taiyi Sect—that sect master's scion was also a Beast King, driven by the urge to reproduce and indulge in his desires. Just like Song Man. "Yuan Ting said you were exiled to Qinfeng Academy because of your messy private life?" Sun Miaomiao asked, taking a sip from the glass held out to her. Song Man glanced at her. "Hang around that Yuan Ting less. Picking up his gossiping habit is no good." She fell silent for a moment, her eyes shimmering as she smiled: "When I was younger, I messed around recklessly. I thought having men get jealous and fight over me was something to be proud of. Later, a conflict broke out, and they got into an armed brawl in private—one died, and the other was critically injured. "The severely injured one was sentenced to death by headquarters, and I was banished here." Sun Miaomiao let out an "oh." She noticed that although this bewitching, loose instructor was smiling, regret and self-blame lay buried deep in her eyes. She held her tongue and refrained from criticizing. As they chatted, the wine in the glasses was soon finished. Song Man put away the goblets and smiled: "Headquarters sends a batch of supplies every month, all produced within the spirit realm. This bottle of red wine cost me half a month's salary, so I can only let you have half a glass. "You'll be leaving tomorrow morning anyway. A girl like you doesn't look like a cold-blooded killer... Oh well, none of my business." Just then, a knock sounded at the door. Song Man closed the glass cabinet, turned toward the door, and called out, "Who is it?" "It's me," a man's voice came from outside. Song Man frowned. She glanced at Sun Miaomiao, swayed her hips as she walked to the door, and with a click, turned the doorknob. Sun Miaomiao was deeper inside the bedroom and couldn't see the entryway. She could only hear the exchange between Song Man and the man: "Why are you here? I have to guard Sun Miaomiao tonight. I'm not in the mood to keep you company." "It's the final night. Doesn't Instructor want to indulge one last time?" *Instructor Song Man's lover? Which male student...* The voice sounded somewhat familiar to Sun Miaomiao, but she couldn't place who it was. After all, she rarely interacted with the male students. Except for the few in the underground palace team. "That won't do—" No sooner had Song Man spoken than her voice abruptly cut off. Sun Miaomiao heard a muffled groan, followed by the sound of someone collapsing to the floor. Her heart tightened. Immediately afterward, she saw a figure step inside. "It's you?" When Sun Miaomiao saw the visitor's face clearly, her expression changed slightly. *** Room 612. World Returns to Fire planted his foot firmly on Sanyang Kaitaitai's chest. Crimson fire blades surged from his palms, cleaving away the man's last leg. Zhao Chenghuang quietly put away his items, while Zhang Yuanqing stood aside, empty-handed. The battle had ended in an instant. A wounded Mountain God facing a pincer attack from the three of them stood virtually no chance and was subdued almost immediately. Ruthless and decisive, World Returns to Fire had chopped Sanyang Kaitaitai into a human stick. "If you aren't the armored figure, Yuanshi Tianzun will provide Life Source Fluid to heal your wounds. But I don't think that'll be necessary." World Returns to Fire pointed his flame blade at Sanyang Kaitaitai's throat. "I am certain that you are him!" Sanyang Kaitaitai's earlier greeting—"You're here!"—had confirmed his identity in World Returns to Fire's eyes. *Blazing Flame Severing-Fire Blade. Not bad at all. It's only been a few days, and he's already reached the initial mastery of that spell. Even though this guy is the disgrace of the Fire Specialists, his talent is absurdly high...* Zhang Yuanqing looked away from the flame blade toward Sanyang Kaitaitai and asked, "Anything you want to say?" Lying flat on the ground with his limbs severed, Sanyang Kaitaitai showed no pain on his face. Instead, he chuckled slyly: "You've got the wrong guy. Besides, I'm not Sanyang Kaitaitai. I'm just a wandering ghost." As he spoke, another cold, sinister laugh came from behind him: "The master's task is already accomplished." Frowning, World Returns to Fire gently flicked his toe, flipping Sanyang Kaitaitai onto his stomach. He ran the flame blade down his spine. The Qinfeng Academy uniform tore open, exposing the flesh beneath. On his back was a hideous, grotesque ghost face. Its features were blurry and slightly protruding, like a fleshy relief sculpture. Surrounding the ghost face were dark blue-green veins connected to his spine. The ghost face split into a grin and let out a chilling, wild laugh: "You're dead. Once Master retrieves that armor, everyone will die." *** Faculty dormitory. Sun Miaomiao stared in shock at the man before her. "You're the armored figure—a member of Dark Night Rose." The man possessed handsome, solemn features and a masculine aura akin to a young special-forces soldier—an aura unique to Swordsmen. It was none other than Ren Junzi. The corners of Ren Junzi's mouth curved upward. "Surprised? Understandable. To you, the most suspicious candidate should have been Sanyang Kaitaitai." "What Sanyang Kaitaitai? I don't know what you're talking about." Sun Miaomiao shrank toward the window, her gaze repeatedly darting outside into the bleak, misty night. "You want the treasures from the underground palace, right? That's right, they're all on me. If you kill me, everything will return to the spirit realm, and you won't get any of it. Also, what did you do to Song Man?" "I only knocked her out. Beast Kings have the ability to revive from death; killing her would waste too much time." Ren Junzi smiled. "Are you waiting for your companions? Understandable. You let yourself be captured just to fish me out. Let me guess how many companions you have: Yuanshi Tianzun is definitely one. Mm, along with Xiahou Aotian, Zhao Chenghuang, and World Returns to Fire." Sun Miaomiao's eyes widened in disbelief. "You... you knew all along?" "Only this afternoon." Ren Junzi pointed at his ear and chuckled. "As long as I confirmed you and Yuanshi Tianzun, figuring out the other companions was simple. I'm a Swordsman. Details invisible to others are as clear as day to me—like your earpieces." Sun Miaomiao's heart sank. Sure enough, Ren Junzi continued: "Your companions won't be coming. The spirit servants they stationed outside were recalled long ago." Seeing Sun Miaomiao's shock, suspicion, and confusion, Ren Junzi retrieved a golden compass from his pocket. "Under the rules, no one can resist. You must be curious how I influenced the dean and you, right?" With that, he rotated the face of the compass toward Sun Miaomiao. Sun Miaomiao focused her gaze and saw a line of words written on the dial: [Prophecy: Due to Sanyang Kaitaitai's abnormal behavior during the day, Yuanshi Tianzun suspects he is the armored figure. He decides to lead Xiahou Aotian, World Returns to Fire, and Zhao Chenghuang to attack Sanyang Kaitaitai tonight at 11:50 PM. To ensure success, they will go all out.] *What kind of item is this? Did he use this item to influence the dean and me?* Sun Miaomiao's heart plunged to the very bottom as she read the words. No wonder Ren Junzi said the spirit servants had been recalled—because they were going all out against Sanyang Kaitaitai. Possessing Insight, Ren Junzi noticed her panic and bewilderment, but offered no explanation. He glanced at the clock on the wall and remarked, "Just past midnight. Do you know why I chose this timing? Because yesterday's prophesying uses were already exhausted." He gazed at the golden compass and said, "Today's first prophecy: Sun Miaomiao chooses to hand over everything obtained from beyond the stone door to save her life." The previous prophecy was erased, and new text surfaced. Holding the golden compass in one hand, Ren Junzi lifted Sun Miaomiao's chin with the other and clicked his tongue: "Such a delicate beauty that stirs pity. Once I get the armor and seize the remaining items from Yuanshi Tianzun and the others, I'll come back to favor you." A flick of his finger sent out sword qi that sliced through the vines. He was not worried about Sun Miaomiao turning on him. Even free of the vines, she remained in a weakened state. At this distance, a Swordsman killing a Star Official was as easy as turning over a hand. Furthermore, his prophecy did not violate the five restrictions. As long as a prophecy was established, no one at the Saint stage could defy it. This was an absolute rule. The fear in Sun Miaomiao's eyes was tinged with trust, as if she firmly believed that as long as she handed over the armor and Soul Summoning Banner, Ren Junzi would spare her. She reached into the air and pulled out a black banner swirling with yin energy, a suit of blood-red full-body armor radiating murderous malice, and a limp Little Red Riding Hood. *More than just a suit of armor?* Surprise and greed flickered in Ren Junzi's eyes. Without hesitation, he reached for the three items. Suddenly, amidst his ecstasy, he noticed the carpet beside him depress slightly, as if someone had stepped on it. The greed and excitement of seeing the treasures made his reaction a beat too slow. In the next second, a crushing impact slammed into his chest. A wave of excruciating pain washed over him, and he went flying like a kite with its string cut, crashing heavily into the wall. The compass flew from his grip. *Whoosh—* A shrill howl of wind resounded in the room. With two sharp thuds, invisible wind blades followed immediately, striking his legs and splitting the wall. Fresh blood instantly stained the clean white wall crimson. Ren Junzi looked up in disbelief. At the spot where he had just been standing, a figure had appeared. Handsome, young, his brow brimming with vibrant vigor, alongside a faint trace of ruthlessness. *Yuanshi Tianzun?!* "How is this possible... You..." Horror washed over Ren Junzi's face as he slid limply down the wall. He had lost his combat capability almost instantaneously. "Severing your legs means that even if you don Night Wandering gear, don't think about escaping. Well, just to be safe, I'll take your hands too." Zhang Yuanqing swung his hands, which were clad in blue gloves. The howling wind shrieked once more. In the next moment, Ren Junzi watched both of his hands detach from his wrists. The agony made his vision go dark. "How can you be here... You couldn't possibly defy the prophecy! That's a rule!" Ren Junzi threw his head back, cold sweat the size of beans beading across his pale face. *You have rules, but I have causality!* Zhang Yuanqing sneered: "Now that I know you can influence people, of course I'd take precautions. As for why I'm here, it's naturally because I guessed you were the armored figure." Just as he said, knowing the armored figure could "influence" targets, he naturally guarded against it in advance. Zhang Yuanqing's method of preparation was to use Yata no Kagami to create a clone and then equip the clone with the Perfect Human Skin. That way, the true body's karma would be transferred to the clone. He would remain unaffected. "You guessed it was me?" Ren Junzi's expression shifted slightly. "Impossible! There's no way you could have guessed. You clearly learned the cost of using the Magic Mirror from Mo Pan, and Sanyang didn't die—that was the biggest flaw." "Oh, you knew about that too? So that's how it is..." Realization dawned on Zhang Yuanqing. "Then it all makes sense. So Mo Pan actually did look for Sanyang Kaitaitai, but you influenced him, didn't you? "You only decided to kill Sanyang Kaitaitai after learning the cost of the Magic Mirror. Sigh, the Magic Mirror was right: that guy never even got to get laid—ill-fated and short-lived. "You did this to leave yourself an escape route. In case your identity was exposed, you could pin the blame on him and push him out to draw attention. Well played. "Yet you still left behind one flaw." "What flaw?" Weak from severe blood loss, Ren Junzi was already growing dizzy, but an indignant stubbornness kept him holding on as he asked. "Xia Chaoxue was your biggest flaw," Zhang Yuanqing said. "Even though we took two wrong turns and wrongly suspected the dean and Little Moon Rabbit's group, we at least verified one thing: neither Zhu Mingxu nor Xia Chaoxue had disclosed their illicit affair. "Then how did the armored figure find out? I spent all day pondering this question until Brother Red Chicken gave me the list of who was at the cafeteria gathering that night. Only then did I realize it was you. "Zhu Mingxu seduced and took advantage of Xia Chaoxue. She was forced to accept that relationship, so she must have harbored hatred in her heart, which would inevitably show through in daily life. "Others might not have noticed the relationship between Zhu Mingxu and Xia Chaoxue, but you could have, because you're a Scout. Scouts are best at observation. You arrived with a mission from your organization, so from the very beginning, you paid close attention to the students' movements. "Meanwhile, Sanyang Kaitaitai is an Earth Monster. There was no way he could have discerned the relationship between Zhu Mingxu and Xia Chaoxue. But then I thought: wait, Sanyang Kaitaitai's suspicion was clearly higher. "Then I remembered the Magic Mirror's prophecy. That guy never even getting to get laid was actually hinting at an early demise. So I understood: he was already dead. How could a dead man be the armored figure? "That night, when you saw Zhu Mingxu return early, you noticed Xia Chaoxue wasn't in her dormitory. Later that night, when you discovered someone had entered the stone door, you immediately suspected Xia Chaoxue. Unfortunately, you killed the wrong person. "So you had to roll with the punches and stage a scene of sexual assault to mislead us. Mm, the crime scene wasn't the dormitory either, was it?" Ren Junzi fell silent for a moment, then gave a tragic laugh: "Just kill me." "No, I won't kill you," Zhang Yuanqing said coldly. "You have an item that erases spirits, don't you? If I kill you, how am I supposed to interrogate your spirit? Ren Junzi, you are the first person I'm going to possess." Ren Junzi's face drained of color, but with his limbs severed, he couldn't even commit suicide. Zhang Yuanqing executed Astral Travel, his soul leaving his physical body and hurtling straight into the center of Ren Junzi's brow.