TRYMBPIETM 44: Mirror, Night, Snow Peak (7)

Luo Ting and Luo Huaiyu fell silent.

The two of them looked at Chi Qingzhou with complicated expressions, unsure how to respond.

Right now, they were either injured or covered in dust—not in good shape at all.

Chi Qingzhou’s expression became even more innocent.

Luo Ting sighed, stood up, patted the dirt off his clothes, and asked in a low voice, “Zhouzhou, why did you stop me just now?”

If his friend hadn’t intervened, he would have already used the Soul-Calming Bell to forcibly suppress the walking corpse.

Luo Huaiyu glanced at Luo Ting, sneered, and asked, “Chi Qingzhou, are you trying to stop me from taking revenge?”

His voice was hoarse and dry, like it had been scorched by fire—harsher than Luo Ting’s.

Luo Ting frowned at his words. “You recognize Zhouzhou?”

Luo Huaiyu didn’t answer. He simply stared fixedly at Chi Qingzhou.

Chi Qingzhou didn’t fully understand Luo Huaiyu’s words and looked back at him, a little confused.

Wasn’t his childhood friend the one responsible for his death? How did this involve Ah Ting now?

Chi Qingzhou thought about it for a while, then gave him a bright, friendly smile and said sincerely, “All my friends are kind. There’s no one who isn’t kind. There must be some kind of misunderstanding between you two. Why don’t we sit down and talk things out?”

Luo Ting’s expression changed instantly. He scrutinized Luo Huaiyu with a critical gaze. “You’re also Zhouzhou’s friend? How come I’ve never heard of you?”

Luo Huaiyu still ignored him and only asked Chi Qingzhou, “What makes you so sure that all your friends are good people? Anyone can make a mistake in judgment.”

Chi Qingzhou replied with certainty, “Impossible. My friends are definitely all good people.”

In his shadow, the system bounced around excitedly and shouted: “I know this one! It’s because all the bad friends of the host have disappeared. So now, the only ones left are the good ones!”

Luo Huaiyu couldn’t hear the system, but seeing Chi Qingzhou’s unwavering confidence, he let out a mocking laugh.

“You’re too naive. People change.” His pitch-black pupils were filled with resentment and self-mockery. “Since you can’t prove it, why should I believe you?”

“Hey, what’s that supposed to mean?!” Luo Ting didn’t like his tone and angrily interrupted. “Zhouzhou has always been warm-hearted and kind. What gives you the right to question him?”

Did this walking corpse really think he was something special?

Thinking that Chi Qingzhou was unreliable was simply absurd!

He looked at Luo Huaiyu with even greater disdain, his face full of impatience.

Luo Huaiyu was also annoyed by his constant interruptions and turned to glance at him.

Their gazes met, and after seeing the mockery in each other’s eyes, the anger that had just settled down instantly flared up again.

Luo Huaiyu furrowed his brows and cursed in a raspy voice, “What does a pathetic fool like you, who only knows how to cover for murderers, know about trust? Give me a break. The fact that he’s friends with you already says a lot.”

Luo Ting sneered. “What the hell do you know, you unreasonable idiot? Do you even have friends? Or are you just running your mouth?”

“You—!”

Luo Huaiyu’s rage shot up, and he suddenly stood straight, moving so smoothly that he barely looked like a walking corpse anymore.

“What right do you have to judge me?!”

Luo Ting rolled his eyes dramatically. “And why wouldn’t I? What, are you some kind of protected species?”

Chi Qingzhou quickly raised his hands, gesturing for them to calm down.

“Don’t fight, don’t fight. You’re both my friends, so let’s talk things out properly. We should get along and not argue.”

He was completely lost as to why they were suddenly fighting.

What exactly happened before he arrived?

A-Ting had a gentle personality, and Luo Huaiyu didn’t seem like someone who would attack without reason—so why were they at each other’s throats?

Still full of doubt, he tried to calm them down. “We’re all friends. If there’s a misunderstanding, we should sit down and talk it out.”

Luo Ting and Luo Huaiyu exchanged a look, and their faces instantly filled with disgust.

At the same time, they both raised their voices—

“Him? Your friend?”

“I’m not your friend!”

The words had barely left their mouths when Luo Huaiyu choked on them and furiously glared at Luo Ting.

This corpse herder must have a screw loose!

What kind of lunatic was he dealing with here?!

Chi Qingzhou pressed his palms down, his tone sincere and full of conviction. “It’s okay. You will be soon.”

Luo Huaiyu: “…”

…Is this Chi Qingzhou’s brain broken too?!

His pitch-black eyes widened in disbelief. If his blood weren’t half-coagulated due to being a corpse, he would have coughed up a mouthful of it right then and there.

Even so, the death energy in his meridians began to churn wildly, nearly forcing his barely stabilized soul out of his body.

In all his twenty-plus years of life, he had never met someone with such an absurd way of thinking!

Chi Qingzhou looked at him, puzzled, and tilted his head slightly.

What’s wrong? Why was his new friend suddenly angry again?

He was so hard to understand.

Luo Huaiyu finally couldn’t take it anymore. He let out two harsh breaths, as if he were being burned alive, and suddenly tore his gaze away.

There was no point arguing with these two lunatics.

These two were impossible to reason with.

He flexed his fingers.

Moonlight was beneficial to walking corpses. After basking in it for a short while, he could already feel his fingers becoming more dexterous.

His gaze, filled with resentment, swept over Luo Ting’s face. Luo Huaiyu slowly curled his lips, gathered all the death energy in his body, and simultaneously formed hand seals with both hands while chanting an extremely obscure incantation.

In the next moment, a surge of sinister energy erupted from his body, his fingertips glowing with eerie purple-green light. Before Luo Ting could react, Luo Huaiyu lunged forward!

He deliberately avoided Chi Qingzhou’s position, spreading his corpse-poisoned fingers wide. His sharp nails aimed straight for Luo Ting’s eyes.

Luo Ting’s face changed drastically. He bent low, barely managing to dodge the attack.

Rolling across the ground, he was unable to immediately stand due to his awkward posture. Luo Huaiyu had already anticipated this, and his claws almost struck Luo Ting’s back.

Stumbling back two steps, Luo Ting felt his anger flare even higher, as if gasoline had just been poured onto it.

His gaze turned ice-cold. Without hesitation, he shook the Soul-Calming Bell in his hand.

Ding—ling—

A crisp chime echoed through the forest, and Luo Huaiyu’s movements abruptly froze. His expression turned dazed.

He shook his head, trying to regain clarity, but his body trembled violently instead, nearly collapsing.

Luo Ting scoffed under his breath.

Compared to the peachwood sword, the Soul-Calming Bell was a corpse herder’s most effective weapon. It naturally restrained walking corpses, making it the perfect tool to deal with Luo Huaiyu.

He hadn’t used it before not because he couldn’t, but simply because he didn’t want to fatally injure this grudge-filled walking corpse.

But Luo Huaiyu had tried to kill him first. There was no reason to hold back now!

Seeing Luo Huaiyu still struggling to resist, Luo Ting’s gaze sharpened. Just as he was about to ring the bell again, a cold force suddenly wrapped around his waist and wrist, freezing him in place.

He was confused for a few seconds and looked down. His long shadow wrapped around his limbs like steel cables, preventing him from moving freely.

Realizing something, he glanced sideways at Luo Huaiyu. As expected, Luo Huaiyu was in the same predicament.

Chi Qingzhou’s troubled voice sounded beside them, “Didn’t I say that everyone is friends and should get along? Why are you two fighting again?”

He sighed softly. “Sigh, you’re really leaving me no choice.”

Ah Ting choked but couldn’t get angry at Chi Qingzhou.

He had long known what kind of person Chi Qingzhou was and had already accepted his friend’s way of doing things. Of course, he wouldn’t argue with him over this.

He simply coaxed, “Zhouzhou, let me go. I won’t fight him anymore. I promise.”

Luo Huaiyu, still dazed and confused, didn’t even realize the situation he was in and continued struggling against Chi Qingzhou’s restraint.

Chi Qingzhou sighed again and manipulated his shadow to lift Luo Huaiyu into the air, flipping him upside down and shaking him vigorously.

“Luo Huaiyu, wake up.”

After being shaken so hard, Luo Huaiyu’s head spun, and he finally regained his senses. He felt as if his limbs were no longer his own.

He weakly protested, “Stop… stop shaking me. I’m going to throw up.”

Chi Qingzhou paused in surprise. “Huh? A walking corpse can feel nauseous?”

Wow, that’s amazing!

Ah Ting: “…”

Luo Huaiyu: “…”

Luo Huaiyu turned his head and looked at Chi Qingzhou. In his upside-down vision, the seemingly harmless young man smiled at him with an unsettling kindness.

Luo Huaiyu fell silent.

After a long moment, he finally asked in a low voice, “What exactly do you want?”

Chi Qingzhou’s tone carried a hint of reproach. “Didn’t I already say? My friends must be harmonious and kind, and they should learn to help each other. How can you fight?”

Ah Ting quickly said, “Got it, got it. I’ll be more careful in the future.”

Luo Huaiyu’s mouth twitched. “I’m not your friend.”

Chi Qingzhou looked at him with his misty peach blossom eyes, blinking innocently.

He asked in a gentle tone, “You don’t want to be my friend?”

In the forest, shadows lurked, swaying gently. Mold-like specks resembling pupils sprouted in the darkness, all focusing on Luo Huaiyu.

Luo Huaiyu fell silent again. His already hoarse voice softened.

He said calmly, “It’s not that I don’t want to. I’ve heard about you from Lu Yao, but I didn’t expect you to be friends with this corpse herder.”

Chi Qingzhou: “There must be some misunderstanding between you two.”

Ah Ting had a great temperament and often helped walking corpses fulfill their dying wishes. He was definitely not the kind of person Luo Huaiyu just accused him of being.

Pausing briefly, Chi Qingzhou grew even more curious about what had happened between Ah Ting and Luo Huaiyu before he arrived.

Luo Huaiyu remained silent, showing no intention of clearing up Chi Qingzhou’s doubts.

The sound of fallen leaves being crushed grew closer. Xing Shuangzhan, having absorbed the lingering ghostly energy and deathly aura in the area, walked back to Chi Qingzhou at an unhurried pace.

Ah Ting and Luo Huaiyu instinctively looked at Xing Shuangzhan and both had a visible change in expression.

Luo Huaiyu tensed under the pressure of Xing Shuangzhan’s presence, while Ah Ting showed an expression of pure annoyance.

This guy again.

How was Zhouzhou not tired of him yet?

Chi Qingzhou turned to Xing Shuangzhan, studying him for a moment before his eyes curved into a smile.

“Brother Su, your soul seems to have gotten a little better again?”

Xing Shuangzhan ignored Ah Ting and Luo Huaiyu’s reactions. He wrapped an arm around Chi Qingzhou’s waist, resting his forehead against his, the corners of his lips curling up.

“Mm. There’s quite a lot of ghostly energy and deathly aura leaking from the Great Tomb. I suspect its formation started having problems some time ago, which is why so much power is spilling out.”

The deathly aura affecting him was enough to stir up negative emotions in others. Many people who came into contact with even a small amount of it would become irrational.

Like Ah Ting and Luo Huaiyu suddenly breaking into a fight.

Or Xue Jinshi and Shen Wenxu arguing earlier in the day.

Chi Qingzhou understood and frowned slightly.

“What’s wrong with the Great Tomb? If the power you left inside keeps leaking, that’s not good.”

Xing Shuangzhan ran his fingers through the short hair at the back of Chi Qingzhou’s head and chuckled. “No rush. We’ll find a solution. For now, how about we figure out what’s going on with your two friends first?”

Chi Qingzhou paused for a moment before turning around and letting them go.

He was indeed quite curious about what had happened between them.

Xing Shuangzhan took the opportunity to gather the deathly aura clinging to both of them and drew it into Chi Qingzhou’s shadow.

With their minds suddenly clear, the two glanced at each other, realizing things might be more complicated than they had thought. Neither spoke, instead obediently following Chi Qingzhou to find a place to talk things out.

…

The moonlight was dim.

From the moment Chi Qingzhou stopped on a tree branch, the livestream’s lighting became incredibly poor. Most of the audience could barely make out the silhouettes, and the moment Xing Shuangzhan appeared, the video feed started lagging.

Besides that, the audio was cutting in and out. It was clear that Chi Qingzhou was saying a lot, but none of the key phrases were audible.

The audience quickly started complaining.

【What kind of special segment is this? Why is it lagging so badly?】

【Saying it’s like a PowerPoint slideshow would be too generous. At least PowerPoint has content. This is just a bunch of color blocks and black screens.】

【Is Chi Qingzhou saying something? This is so frustrating—I can’t hear a thing.】

【Shouldn’t the production team do something? Can’t they fix the connection already?】

【I mean, it’s understandable. This place looks like a deep mountain forest. Bad signal makes sense.】

Everyone kept urging the director to fix the broadcast. Director Hu was having a headache, completely unsure what this eerie camera would capture next.

Fortunately, he didn’t have to struggle for long. Xing Shuangzhan absorbed the last of the deathly aura affecting the equipment, and the entire livestream went black.

The audience was utterly confused by the sudden blackout, but director Hu let out a deep sigh of relief. He quickly had the tech team put up an announcement in the chat, saying that Chi Qingzhou had completed the special segment.

A flood of question marks filled the screen.

【What?】

【So what was this special segment? And how did he complete it?】

【Can the production team at least explain properly??】

【Enough with the cryptic nonsense—spill the details!】

But the director played dead, refusing to say a single word. Even when the hashtag #WhatWasTheSpecialSegmentInSceneryAlongtheWay# started trending, he remained silent, not even bothering to use the buzz for publicity.

The other guests saw the director’s attitude and knew something unusual was going on.

Recalling Chi Qingning’s earlier message, they obediently stayed in the villa’s living room, pretending to watch TV together—but in reality, just seeking safety in numbers.

Shen Wenxing curiously opened Chi Qingzhou’s livestream for a moment. His expression soon turned serious.

He continued watching as he headed back to the living room, and seeing how self-aware the others were, he quietly took out a handful of talismans and slipped them into his pocket, ready to use them at any moment.

After all, he was a cultivator. It was his responsibility to protect ordinary people.

Only Xue Jinshi was completely out of the loop.

He had no idea what was going on and just felt like everyone around him was acting weird. He rolled his eyes.

“Bunch of lunatics.”

No one paid him any attention, not even bothering to argue with him.

He pouted but didn’t stir up any trouble. Instead, he turned around and went back to his room.

The director craned his neck to check, assuming he had gone to rest, and relaxed back onto the sofa, continuing to laze around with his beer belly.

Meanwhile, upstairs, Xue Jinshi quietly observed for a while. Seeing that no one was paying attention to him, he quickly grabbed a black plastic bag and secretly slipped out of the villa.

During the day, he had been too prideful to part with a single cosmetic item, but deep down, he had already regretted it.

He had packed way too much stuff. His oversized carry-on suitcase was ridiculously heavy and a pain to lug around.

Earlier, while freshening up, he had secretly reorganized his belongings, pulling out the less important items and stuffing them into the plastic bag, waiting for the right moment to dispose of them.

And now, with everyone gathered in the living room, wasn’t this the perfect opportunity?

Xue Jinshi carefully pushed open the villa’s front door. He glanced back at the corner of the living room obscured by the entrance decorations, then smugly walked outside.

The moment he stepped out, the sudden drop in temperature in the mountain night made him shiver involuntarily, and he instinctively wanted to sneeze.

But he still remembered that he was sneaking around and didn’t want the other guests to notice anything off. He hurriedly shut the door behind him, took a few quick steps to the side, and finally let the sneeze out.

In the distance, the shadows of the trees swayed slightly, as if something was lurking within the greenery.

Xue Jinshi glanced over warily but saw nothing, so he immediately carried his plastic bag toward the place where he had changed clothes during the afternoon game.

He had chosen that spot carefully—if anyone later noticed that some of his cosmetics were missing, he could just claim he had been too exhausted after the game and forgotten to take them with him.

Hurriedly, Xue Jinshi disappeared into the night, completely unaware that in the very same greenery he had glanced at, several shadowy figures flickered past.

…

Chi Qingzhou led his two companions to the side of the path. He moved a couple of clean, large stones for them to sit on.

Just as he was about to sit down himself, Xing Shuangzhan stopped him and pulled him onto his lap instead.

Chi Qingzhou gave him a puzzled look.

Xing Shuangzhan casually explained, “The stone is cold. You’d be uncomfortable sitting on it.”

Chi Qingzhou let out a soft “Oh” and easily accepted this reasoning. He smiled at Xing Shuangzhan, two sweet dimples appearing on his cheeks.

Xing Shuangzhan wrapped his arms around his waist, burying his face in his shoulder, and let out a muffled chuckle.

Ah Ting, watching from the side, rolled his eyes dramatically.

To be honest, all of their friends found Xing Shuangzhan incredibly annoying.

Chi Qingzhou had been perfectly happy on his own, but now he had to worry about this guy all the time. Of course, they were fed up with it.

Chi Qingzhou noticed Ah Ting’s reaction but didn’t realize it was directed at Xing Shuangzhan. Unhappy, he shot Ah Ting a warning glance and once again reminded him to be kinder to their new friend.

Ah Ting: “…”

Feeling utterly helpless, he spread his hands in surrender.

Luo Huaiyu, who had understood Ah Ting’s frustration, smirked in amusement.

Xing Shuangzhan also chuckled and remarked with a serious tone, “To be a true ‘sea king,’ you must either be a master at balancing multiple relationships or someone who can violently suppress all their ‘fish’ with sheer dominance.”(

This phrase describes two types of people who can be a “Sea King” (i#E, hăiwáng) -a slang term in Chinese internet culture

referring to someone who juggles multiple romantic interests without committing to any.

能做海王的，除了優秀的端水大師，還有能暴力鎮壓所有魚的一方霸主.)

A true ruler of the sea.

Chi Qingzhou blinked at him in confusion. When he finally understood the implication, he scowled and stomped on Xing Shuangzhan’s foot several times.

Xing Shuangzhan sighed with laughter, glanced at the slightly stunned Ah Ting and Luo Huaiyu, then tightened his hold on Chi Qingzhou without saying another word.

Chi Qingzhou huffed and turned his attention back to Ah Ting and Luo Huaiyu. With a serious expression, he asked, “So when exactly did you two run into each other? How did you end up fighting?”

The two exchanged glances before Ah Ting finally spoke up.

“This… I’m not entirely sure myself.”

Ah Ting had encountered Luo Huaiyu earlier that afternoon, sometime after five, at the base of Jingming Mountain.

Luo Huaiyu was different from the usual walking corpses. He had been a cultivator in life, had done many good deeds, and had died unjustly, leaving behind a deep, lingering resentment. When he was revived, his resentment remained, making him far less vulnerable to sunlight than ordinary corpses.

Although he was still a low-level walking corpse and had not yet become a jiangshi, his strength was no weaker than that of a jiangshi.(僵尸 is a specific type of reanimated corpse with more defined and powerful abilities (such as hopping, draining life force… than a regular walking corpse)

Sunlight made him uncomfortable, but it didn’t completely restrict his movements. As long as he avoided the noon hours, he could move freely through the mountain forests, where large patches of shade protected him.

When Ah Ting encountered him, he had already been traveling for several hours.

Ah Ting explained, “I was wandering around the area where Sheng Yihang went missing. I suddenly picked up a faint trace of energy similar to his and thought he might have returned, so I rushed over to check.”

In other words, Ah Ting wasn’t ready to give up on Sheng Yihang’s disappearance yet. Even before Chi Qingzhou could arrive in Shaoqiu City, he had already gone back to search for clues. That was how he had unexpectedly run into Luo Huaiyu.

Since Luo Huaiyu was a walking corpse and still within the range of those Ah Ting could communicate with, Ah Ting naturally asked him if he had seen Sheng Yihang.

The reason was simple—Luo Huaiyu carried traces of Sheng Yihang’s death aura, making Ah Ting suspect they had recently crossed paths.

Ah Ting had been quite puzzled at the time.

“I’ve been a corpse herder for over ten years, and I’ve never seen a case like his.”

Normally, awalking corpse would only carry its own death aura, but Luo Huaiyu’s was mixed with Sheng Yihang’s. It was no wonder Ah Ting had assumed they had encountered each other.

But Luo Huaiyu’s response was something Ah Ting hadn’t expected at all.

Chi Qingzhou blinked. “What did he say?”

Luo Huaiyu glanced at Ah Ting, then suddenly spoke.

“I told him that Sheng Yihang was the one who killed me, and I was searching for my murderer. When I sensed Sheng Yihang’s aura on him, I asked what their relationship was.”

Luo Huaiyu’s situation wasn’t much different from Ah Ting’s.

Originally, he had been planning to seek out Chi Qingzhou, but when he suddenly sensed Sheng Yihang’s aura, he hesitated for a moment before changing course toward Jingming Mountain.

He wanted revenge.

For him, nothing mattered more than vengeance.

Chi Qingzhou turned to look at him.

Luo Huaiyu’s stiff facial muscles twitched slightly, forming what could barely be considered a smile.

He hated Sheng Yihang. And not just because Sheng Yihang had killed him.

“My family was just ordinary,” Luo Huaiyu said. “We had a little money, but my parents and sister were regular people. None of my ancestors were cultivator —I was an anomaly.”

Chi Qingzhou asked, “But Ah Yao said you were a member of the Xuanxu Sect?”

Luo Huaiyu nodded. “Yeah, I was. But I was one of those rare talents they made an exception for.”

He shrugged with difficulty, his tone carrying a hint of indifference. “I was about as strong as Shen Wenxu, but he was a direct disciple of an elder, while I was just an outer disciple.”

Chi Qingzhou immediately understood.

The Xuanxu Sect was controlled by a bunch of old traditionalists. Even though it had been decades since the country was founded, they still clung to outdated ideas about bloodlines and lineage.

To them, a self-taught genius was never as valuable as one born into a family of cultivators.

Luo Ting shrugged his shoulders: “At that time, I didn’t know about his situation, so I just told him that Sheng Yihang was barely a client of mine.”

This answer didn’t seem to have any problems, right?

Chi Qingzhou felt a little confused, not understanding how they got into a fight.

Luo Huaiyu cleared his throat, a bit embarrassed, and said, “I was in a pretty bad mood back then. When he said that, I asked him, ‘Where’s Sheng Yihang?’ He told me that Sheng Yihang went missing, and maybe someone had taken him. I thought it was absurd and thought he was lying to me.”

Luo Ting also felt a bit embarrassed and said, “I thought he was lying to me too. He was a cultivator, and Sheng Yihang was just an ordinary person. How could he have killed him? I thought he was just looking for trouble, and since he wouldn’t let up… I kind of lost my cool.”

Chi Qingzhou suddenly understood.

It really was a misunderstanding.

Luo Ting had never seen an ordinary person who could kill a cultivator, so it was natural for him to think Luo Huaiyu was lying.

Luo Huaiyu sensed the death energy from Sheng Yihang on Chi Qingzhou and thought that Chi Qingzhou had still been with Sheng Yihang recently. He assumed that Chi Qingzhou was hiding Sheng Yihang’s whereabouts, but in reality, Sheng Yihang had truly been taken.

This misled them, and coupled with the negative emotions triggered by the leakage of Xing Shuangzhan’s energy, their tempers flared, and they ended up fighting.

Chi Qingzhou was shocked when he thought of this: “You two fought from past five until just now? That’s almost two hours!”

Luo Ting and Luo Huaiyu both lowered their heads, feeling even more embarrassed.

Actually, they hadn’t intended to fight to the death at first. Although it was an intense fight, they had still held back.

Eventually, though, they couldn’t control themselves and kept hitting each other’s weak spots.

Fortunately, Chi Qingzhou arrived in time; otherwise, it would have been hard to say what would have happened.

Luo Huaiyu awkwardly tugged at the corner of his mouth and quietly said, “Actually, this afternoon, I passed by Yuexi Ridge and saw a few girls watching your livestream, so I stopped and waited for you for a while. If you had arrived half an hour earlier, we might have run into each other.”

However, unfortunately, Xue Jinshi had been so proud earlier today, refusing to give up his skincare products, and ended up delaying the schedule by over forty minutes.

Luo Huaiyu: “I was in a hurry to find Sheng Yihang and get revenge, so I waited less than a quarter of an hour at Yuexi Ridge before rushing off.”

If it hadn’t been for that, he probably wouldn’t have had the chance to fight with Luo Ting.

If they hadn’t fought, the energy leakage from the Grand Tomb wouldn’t have stirred up enough force to mix the ghost and death energy with the poisonous mist from Jingming Mountain, making it impossible for Xing Shuangzhan to recover it.

Chi Qingzhou fell into a long silence.

His shadow gently swayed beneath him, and another half of his soul slowly surfaced, opening his blood-red eyes.

Xing Shuangzhan gently patted his back, speaking softly, “It’s not a big deal. The energy involved is less than a thousandth of a percent. Don’t be angry.”

Chi Qingzhou snorted through his nose and turned away, unwilling to respond.

He looked at Luo Huaiyu, then asked carefully, “You said Sheng Yihang killed you. Could you tell me more about how it happened?”

Luo Huaiyu paused, his eyes filled with hatred. After a long silence, he slowly nodded.

“I actually wanted to ask for your help.”

He had told Chi Qingzhou before that he hated Sheng Yihang, not just because Sheng Yihang had killed him.

Just like his parents were ordinary people, although Sheng Yihang’s grandfather was a cultivator, his parents were ordinary.

Sheng Yihang didn’t inherit his grandfather’s talent, so he had always envied Luo Huaiyu for being able to become a cultivator.

Luo Huaiyu knew his childhood friend’s thoughts. He had told him many times that being a cultivator didn’t make one superior, but Sheng Yihang never listened and even started to hate him.

As a result, Luo Huaiyu’s family also became the target of Sheng Yihang’s hatred.

Luo Huaiyu said, “My parents treated him well.”

Their parents had known each other for a long time. Since Sheng Yihang’s parents were always busy, Luo Huaiyu’s family often helped take care of him.

Since kindergarten, Sheng Yihang had been like the third child of their family, with his studies and life managed by Luo Huaiyu’s parents.

When Sheng Yihang caused trouble, it was Luo Huaiyu’s father who helped handle it.

When parent-teacher meetings were held, and Sheng Yihang’s parents were too busy to attend, Luo Huaiyu’s mother would go in their place.

When Sheng Yihang’s grades were poor in middle school, it was Luo Huaiyu’s father who selected his tutoring classes and supervised his homework.

In high school, when Sheng Yihang had nowhere to eat, Luo Huaiyu’s mother would invite him to eat at their home.

His younger sister was also very kind to Sheng Yihang, always bringing him food when she had something good to eat…

Such meticulous care was never acknowledged by Sheng Yihang, and Luo Huaiyu clenched his fists, trembling with anger.

“About half a year before Sheng Yihang attacked me, I suddenly couldn’t read his face anymore. His fate became blurry.”

“At that time, I thought it was because I was going to face some trouble, and maybe he’d be dragged into it. So, I tried to find a project far away from Mo Du to avoid causing him disaster.”

But he had guessed wrong.

It wasn’t that Sheng Yihang would be implicated by him, but that Sheng Yihang had finally lost control of his jealousy and was ready to attack him.

Luo Huaiyu spoke in a deep voice, “More than a month ago, he suddenly called me and said he had encountered strange occurrences. Weird things kept appearing at his house, and he was terrified.”

Luo Huaiyu thought his worries had come true and, both shocked and guilty, immediately wrapped up his work and rushed to Modu overnight.

Sheng Yihang went to the station to pick him up. As soon as he stepped out, he noticed that his friend had lost a lot of weight.

Sheng Yihang looked completely listless, as though he hadn’t slept well in a long time, and he jumped at every slight noise.

Luo Huaiyu immediately felt heartbroken.

At that moment, he decided that no matter what, he had to deal with whatever was tormenting his friend’s family.

They didn’t return to Sheng Yihang’s home, but rented a short-term apartment to prepare.

When they were about to leave, Luo Huaiyu specially told Sheng Yihang not to follow. In case that thing was too vicious, he wasn’t sure he could protect him.

Sheng Yihang hesitated for a long time before agreeing.

He went to the kitchen, poured a glass of warm water, and handed it to Luo Huaiyu, saying that Luo Huaiyu seemed tired and should drink some water and rest before going.

Luo Huaiyu didn’t know the water had been laced with something. He was moved by his friend’s consideration. However, after drinking it, he soon stopped breathing in agony.

— It turned out that the water contained a drug Sheng Yihang had stolen using his job.

The drug worked quickly, completely cutting off Luo Huaiyu’s life within seconds.

“I didn’t understand why he did that at first. It wasn’t until my soul was trapped in my body and I regained consciousness that I understood.”

Luo Huaiyu lifted his head, his black pupils glowing with blood-red light.

He sneered and raised the corner of his mouth, “He said he wasn’t going to take it anymore. He asked me, ‘Why should I become a cultivator, but not him? Why could I become a cultivator and even get into graduate school while he could only do ordinary work?'”

“He said he hated me and my family for looking down on him, for always giving him charity from a high position, and that kind of pity made him sick.”

“He said he couldn’t take it anymore. I was the first, and my parents and sister would pay for this disrespect.”

Luo Huaiyu was filled with boundless hatred, shaking the trees around them.

His voice became hoarse.

“After I came back to life, under the sun, I rushed back to Modu with all my might, hoping to protect my family.”

“But I was a step too late.”

“When I found them, they were already gone, their bodies covered in blunt force wounds.”

His pupils were slowly covered by blood-red light, and he enunciated each word, filled with bone-deep hatred.

“That bastard said that as long as I stayed in his hands, my family had to write a so-called apology letter in blood.”

“My parents and sister, to protect me, cut open those wounds, dipped their hands in their own blood, and wrote the apology for a crime they didn’t commit.”

“They filled the floor and walls of the living room with it. That bastard watched the whole time, until they bled out and died. Only then did he leave with another person.”

Luo Huaiyu’s voice softened, but was filled with determination.

“I want revenge. I want him to die without ever being able to rest in peace !”