Volume 1, Chapter 133: She Has Already Left the School

Teacher Yuan hesitated for a moment before saying euphemistically, "Xuezhi's boyfriend was a student who didn't exactly listen."

To translate that into plain terms, he meant a school bully.

Chu Fangfei suddenly realized. "So, that is why you all believe Dong Xuezhi's death was her own fault?"

Because her boyfriend was a "bad student," they concluded they must have been having an illicit affair in the sports equipment room, leading to Dong Xuezhi's death from a sudden cardiac event during intercourse.

Teacher Yuan shook his head. "I don't think Xuezhi deserved it, I just feel she didn't cherish herself enough."

"So, in reality, none of you actually know the truth, do you?" Chi Xingwan asked.

Both the principal and Teacher Yuan looked blank.

"Are you implying there is more to Xuezhi's death than we know?"

"I don't know," Chi Xingwan said. "But I have seen many vengeful spirits. The fact that she has lingered in the human realm for six years without dissipating is proof enough of how deep her obsession runs."

She looked at Teacher Yuan and added, "If she truly brought this upon herself, why would she have such a powerful obsession?"

The principal speculated, "Perhaps she resented her boyfriend for running away and even distancing himself from her after the incident."

Chi Xingwan merely shook her head. "Speculating now is useless. Let's find Dong Xuezhi's soul first."

The principal and Teacher Yuan shuddered. The principal’s voice trembled as he asked, "Is it really true? Has her soul been staying in the school all this time?"

"It appears so," Chi Xingwan replied.

The principal looked as if he might faint from terror.

Tim stood up and said, "How long are we going to drag this out? We should have gone straight to that sports equipment room from the beginning."

"I'm afraid you won't find her there now," Chi Xingwan said.

"Why?" asked Michelle.

As soon as she spoke, she lowered her head. Her emotions were so tethered to the girl named Dong Xuezhi that she had asked the question subconsciously.

Of the three people from the Mi Kingdom, Chi Xingwan had the best impression of Michelle. Responding to her question, she said softly, "Try to sense the dark energy here. If a soul who died with a grievance were nearby, would the dark energy be this faint?"

A low-level spirit master might not notice, but Michelle was already a Grade A spirit master. Chi Xingwan trusted that she would realize it.

Sure enough, Michelle closed her eyes to sense it carefully, and she was able to detect the issue.

"Has she already left? Why?"

"I, too, would like to know why," Chi Xingwan said.

Why, after six years, did Dong Xuezhi suddenly appear, send a dream to Teacher Yuan, and then just as suddenly leave? Where did she go?

Tim watched the two of them exchange words, clearly acting as if they were on the same side. He glared fiercely at Michelle. "This is nothing but your conjecture. Unless I see it with my own eyes, I won't believe it."

Chi Xingwan stood up. "You are right. After all, your level is too low to sense the dilution of dark energy from this distance. Let's head to the scene and take a look. Mr. Principal, please lead the way."

"Right this way," the principal said, rising immediately to lead them, with Teacher Yuan following close behind.

Chi Xingwan and Chu Fangfei, naturally, followed without hesitation. Michelle instinctively started to follow, but after a few steps, she realized and looked back at Tim with apprehension.

Tim was furious, but with Chi Xingwan gone, who was he supposed to vent to? Finally, he stood up abruptly and followed, shoulder-checking Michelle hard as he passed her.

Michelle stumbled a few times before regaining her balance. At that moment, Maria walked up to her, saying with a look of disdain, "You lowly commoner, what right do you have to climb so high as to be with one of our nobles? If you have any sense, you will voluntarily break off your engagement with Tim."

Michelle bit her lip and lowered her head, tears in her eyes, but she quickly wiped them away and trotted to catch up with the group.

Chi Xingwan walked in front, but her consciousness remained in the office. She saw everything. She felt pity for Michelle, but this was Michelle's own choice, and no one could help her.

Upon arriving at the sports equipment room, it was more dilapidated than everyone had imagined.

The principal opened the door and said, "After the incident, rumors of it being haunted spread through the school. The students were all terrified of this room, so we eventually had to abandon it."

Once the door was open, he immediately ducked to the side, gesturing for Chi Xingwan and the others to enter first while he and Teacher Yuan stood outside.

It felt safer under the bright sun.

The sports equipment room was small; one could see the entire space from the doorway.

Dong Xuezhi was not there.

Tim was unwilling to accept this. "She must know we are looking for her, so she's hiding."

"No, she has been gone for at least three days," Chi Xingwan stated firmly.

Ignoring Tim's dissent, she turned and walked out of the room, asking the principal, "Mr. Principal, has anything happened in the school recently?"

The principal shook his head decisively. "No. After Dong Xuezhi appeared, we checked, and everything in the school was normal."

At this point, the matter seemed to have hit a dead end.

Chu Fangfei asked, "Mr. Principal, would it be possible for you to provide us with the contact information for Dong Xuezhi's family and her former boyfriend?"

"No problem," the principal said. "But it has been six years; we cannot guarantee we can still reach them."

"That's fine, let's try first."

Maria frowned and said, "Consultant Chi, forgive me for being blunt, but I don't know why you are so insistent on finding the truth. It is clear that as long as we find that female ghost and destroy her, this task is complete."

Chi Xingwan turned around, looked directly at Maria, and spoke to her seriously for the first time.

"In your view, are only humans worthy of protection, while ghosts have no right to be protected?"

"Does that even need to be asked?" Maria said as if it were obvious. "A spirit master's responsibility is to protect humans, not ghosts."

"But ghosts were also human when they were alive, and once they are reincarnated, they will be human again."

"And so what?"

Chi Xingwan stepped closer, moving right into Maria's space. "But you give them no chance. You only think about destroying them. Once their souls are scattered, where is their future?"

Maria opened her mouth, not knowing how to reply.

Michelle felt her entire body go rigid, as if the blood in her veins had frozen.

She recalled the spirits she had destroyed in the past. If they hadn't been scattered to the winds, would they have had a chance to start over?

Chi Xingwan said no more, turning instead to Chu Fangfei. "Let's go find Dong Xuezhi's parents first."

The two of them left on their own, and the three from the Mi Kingdom followed like puppets.

The principal provided the home address Dong Xuezhi had left on file while at school. Fortunately, her parents hadn't moved.

"Coming," said Mother Dong. She opened the door, and seeing five strangers standing there, she became immediately nervous.

"Who are you? Did you come to the wrong door?"

Chu Fangfei asked, "Are you Dong Xuezhi's mother?"

Mother Dong’s expression changed instantly, and she reached out to close the door. "No, you have the wrong place."