Chapter 32: The Supernatural Influencer Senior

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Early morning.

After packing up the ritual altar, they bundled all the various items and stuffed them into the trunk of the old Santana.

Third Uncle had gone to settle the remaining payment with the client.

Ji Yun, meanwhile, took a taxi back to school on his own.

It was Monday. He had to attend class.

...

After taking a week off, returning to school felt like coming back from another lifetime.

The events of the past few days had been so bizarre that Ji Yun sometimes felt as though he had crossed into a parallel world inhabited by ghosts and monsters.

At times, he even wondered why he should bother returning to school now that ghosts existed in the world.

But then another thought occurred to him: what else could he do if he did not attend classes?

Surely he could not spend the rest of his nineteen-year-old life following Third Uncle from nightclub to nightclub, drinking and throwing himself into a life of drunken revelry.

The odds of encountering a supernatural incident were extremely low.

He still had to carry on with his ordinary life.

Ji Yun spent the entire day in a daze.

He barely absorbed a word of what his teachers said in class.

Yet while his mind wandered, he became much more proficient with the breathing technique.

He could clearly sense a current of energy circulating inside his body whenever he practiced.

He wondered whether this was the “energy sensation” Third Uncle had mentioned.

But Third Uncle had said that it took several years to develop such a sensation, so this probably was not it.

...

After class that afternoon, Ji Yun went to the library.

For the past two days, he had been puzzling over the clue provided by the dragon-headed steam locomotive in the photograph his parents had mailed back.

He had found nothing online.

His only hope was that the library archives might contain something.

After all, Jianghua City had once been the capital of several dynasties and was a historic city.

The university library preserved many valuable records unavailable elsewhere.

After five o’clock, Ji Yun figured it was about time to leave.

The incidents of the previous two days had forced him to be cautious. He had no intention of staying in the dormitory for the next few days and planned to return to Third Uncle’s place instead.

The bus ride was short, only a few stops.

But just as Ji Yun stepped out of the library, his best friend Zhao Kai’s profile picture began flashing on his messaging app.

“Brother Yun, where are you?”

Ji Yun replied, “At the library entrance.”

“I’m at the Science and Technology Building behind you. Wait for me!”

Not long afterward, Ji Yun saw a fat man in a pair of AJ sneakers running toward him, panting heavily.

It was Zhao Kai.

With his bleary-eyed appearance, he looked as though he had just gotten out of bed.

After greeting him from a distance, Ji Yun asked, “Fatty, how come you disappeared for the whole day?”

“Catching up on sleep in the dorm.”

Zhao Kai answered without the slightest trace of shame. “I played Gold rank last night. Every single match was full of idiots who threw the game, so I had to keep playing all night.”

Ji Yun rolled his eyes. Guessing what had happened, he asked, “Which champion were you playing?”

“Yasuo, obviously.”

Ji Yun seemed to see through the truth. “Yasuo in the mid lane all night? What about when you got filled as support?”

“I played him there too.”

Between best friends, there was no need for politeness. Ji Yun said helplessly, “Have you ever considered that you might be the idiot ruining everyone’s games?”

Zhao Kai slapped his chest and immediately protested, “How could that be? I’m practically a Yasuo one-trick now.”

But the fellow clearly was not thinking about the game. Turning his head, he put on a mocking expression and pretended to look around.

“Hey, Brother Yun, where’s that beautiful ex-girlfriend of yours?”

College couples were always breaking up and getting back together.

As far as a good friend was concerned, if a pair who had broken up could still invite each other out for meals, then they were merely a young couple having a little spat.

Unfortunately, the moment he said it, Ji Yun’s expression became strange.

He asked, “You saw Shang Xiaoyu a few days ago?”

Zhao Kai had no idea why his expression was so peculiar. “No, I didn’t.”

“Then why did you say she was going around telling people I was dead?”

Thinking Ji Yun was only complaining, Zhao Kai laughed. “Everyone’s saying that. So what exactly happened between you two?”

A quarrel?

Ji Yun did not feel like explaining. Did being chased by someone who had crawled out of the earth count as a quarrel?

It now seemed that Shang Xiaoyu’s identity had been problematic from the beginning.

There had also been something suspicious about her death.

Although Granny Chen Changqing had not mentioned it before, the more Ji Yun thought about it, the more likely it seemed that Shang Xiaoyu had transferred to his high school with the Ji family’s inherited evil artifact in mind.

Without the identity of his “ex-girlfriend,” she would never have been able to obtain the Ghost Gate Coffin.

The later car accident had probably been murder as well.

And afterward, another “Shang Xiaoyu” had taken her place.

The relationships and consequences involved were far too complicated. Ji Yun could not make sense of them.

As he frowned over the matter, Zhao Kai assumed the two of them had merely been having a minor lovers’ quarrel and continued, “You really don’t know how lucky you are. If I had a girlfriend that beautiful, I... I’d even quit gaming!”

“...”

Ji Yun pursed his lips in speechless exasperation and ignored him.

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Just as Sister Hualing had said, many people went their entire lives without ever encountering anything supernatural.

Ji Yun had no intention of telling Zhao Kai the outrageous truth—that “Shang Xiaoyu” was already dead.

Zhao Kai did not ask any further questions.

He had come for another reason. Hooking an arm around Ji Yun’s shoulders, he got straight to the point.

“Forget about that. Come on, let’s go to the dinner!”

Ji Yun was baffled. “What dinner?”

Zhao Kai slapped his forehead. “Oh, right. You’ve been on leave these past few days. You wouldn’t know.”

He continued, “The supernatural society at our university was officially approved and established a couple of days ago. The president says we’re all having dinner together tonight. Hang on, I’ll add you to the group.”

Only then did Ji Yun understand.

Previously, Jianghua University had merely possessed a half-dead group for enthusiasts of supernatural folklore.

As a serious enthusiast of the paranormal, Ji Yun had joined it.

But there was nothing special about the group. Everyone only discussed stale, long-outdated ghost stories.

So he had left.

He had not expected the supernatural society to be established while he was away.

Ji Yun had once been very interested in such activities.

But after experiencing genuine supernatural incidents, these gatherings now seemed like children playing make-believe.

He could not summon the slightest interest and said, “Forget it. I’m not going.”

Zhao Kai immediately objected. His chubby arm locked around Ji Yun’s neck.

“No way. You have to come with me. When I signed up for the society, I told them we were both experienced paranormal enthusiasts. If you don’t show up, who’s going to back me up?”

As his best friend, Zhao Kai knew perfectly well that Ji Yun understood far more about folklore than the average person.

He had already boasted about it. Someone had to make good on the claim.

“...”

Ji Yun stared at him in speechless disbelief.

He finally understood. The fat guy simply wanted to go himself.

Still curious, he asked, “Since when have you been interested in the supernatural society?”

Zhao Kai gave a sly grin. “I’ve only just become interested.”

Seeing that lecherous expression, Ji Yun knew at once that Zhao Kai was not interested in the supernatural at all.

He was interested in the dinner.

More likely, he had set his sights on one of the girls.

...

Since he had to eat anyway, Ji Yun could not resist the fat man and followed him to the back gate of the college.

There was a famous food street there.

Old Liu’s Sour Soup Beef had private rooms on the second floor, making it a suitable place for group dinners.

The supernatural society had chosen it for their first gathering.

By the time Ji Yun and Zhao Kai entered the private room, more than a dozen people were already there.

Since the newly established society members barely knew one another, no one greeted Ji Yun and Zhao Kai when they entered.

But there was one person whom everyone noticed the moment they walked in.

She was unquestionably the center of attention.

Well, she really was the center of attention.

She had a light set up and was livestreaming.

Xia Li, a third-year senior from the School of Arts.

She had ranked among the top ten campus beauties in the men’s dormitory poll, had more than half a million followers online, and served as the supernatural society’s vice president.

Though she wore heavy makeup, her features and figure were naturally excellent.

Her long, beautiful legs extended beneath a short plaid skirt, while a fitted white T-shirt emblazoned with Gucci’s oversized logo outlined her striking curves.

An LV bucket bag rested beside her hand. Around her neck hung a Bvlgari ginkgo-leaf necklace, and she wore bracelets, earrings, hair clips, and countless other luxury accessories.

That outfit alone was enough to make her stand out among the university students.

“Thank you for the little star, handsome brother! This is our university’s supernatural society gathering. Join Chestnut’s VIP group, and we’ll have offline dinners together in the future too...”

“Mhm, mhm! As long as we complete tonight’s ranking challenge, I’ll choose a supernatural incident from the comments and make it the theme of my next outdoor livestream!”

“...”

Even at a dinner, Xia Li continued livestreaming.

The students’ eyes were filled with envy, but no one said anything.

This was the age of online traffic. Universities even encouraged students in art, media, broadcasting, and related majors to build their own social media accounts.

Especially those in their final years.

Having hundreds of thousands of followers before graduation was already an impressive achievement.

From the corner of his eye, Ji Yun glanced at Zhao Kai, who had grown noticeably awkward after entering the room, and immediately understood what was going on.

...

“Senior Xia Li is incredible. I heard she gained nearly a hundred thousand followers this month.”

“She deserves it. You have no idea how hard she works. Other people’s outdoor streams are all about eating and drinking, but Senior Xia’s streams involve exploring haunted buildings and sinister residences. Whenever viewers choose a location, no matter how frightening it is, she always goes. That authenticity is why she keeps gaining followers. In my opinion, she’ll break a million followers in another two months.”

“Exploring haunted buildings? I’d never dare. There have been more and more ghost stories online lately. I’m scared just listening to them...”

“Then why do you think Senior Xia is our society’s vice president? Her family has been a lineage of spirit mediums for generations. Her grandmother was a rice medium, and their family passed down ritual arts. Ordinary ghosts and monsters don’t scare her.”

“Seriously? She’s that impressive?”

“...”

Listening to the society members’ conversation, Ji Yun realized that he might have underestimated Senior Xia Li.

Until a moment ago, he had assumed she was merely a pretty, whiny attention-seeker.

He had not expected her to be a spirit medium.

Could she be a supernatural?

As for being from a family of ritual practitioners, Ji Yun considered himself only half-trained at best.

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That was precisely why his instincts told him that something about her was off.

He had met supernatural beings before.

According to the gossip forums, supernatural beings who fused with evil artifacts were half human and half ghost, and most of them were mentally abnormal.

Yet the woman before him had an image that was too perfect.

Perfect in a way that seemed deliberately manufactured.

These days, there were countless attractive streamers online.

Without some special talent or a hint of provocative appeal, it was difficult to gain followers.

A beautiful paranormal streamer who was also a pure, innocent campus beauty was a niche no one else could easily imitate.

She had every chance of becoming a major internet celebrity in the future.

Just as Ji Yun was thinking this, Xia Li, who was livestreaming, suddenly covered her mouth and cried out in delighted surprise.

“Thank you for the airplane gift, handsome brother!”

There were plenty of wealthy viewers online, and it was perfectly normal for a beautiful streamer with a sweet voice to receive gifts.

But when Ji Yun heard the username “Handsome and Refined,” his expression instantly turned strange.

Wasn’t that Zhao Kai’s usual username?

He glanced sideways from the corner of his eye.

Sure enough.

He saw the fat man furtively hiding his phone beneath the table.

The words “Thank you, brother” had clearly struck him right in the heart. The satisfied smile on his fleshy lips was impossible to conceal.

Zhao Kai noticed that Ji Yun had caught him and turned his head. Their gazes met.

The fellow actually wore a shy, bashful smile.

Good grief.

Ji Yun understood immediately. The fat man had truly come for this senior.

But one airplane gift cost a thousand yuan.

For most students, that was half a month’s living expenses.

Was this guy out of his mind?

Ji Yun felt that his good friend was getting carried away. He nudged him with his elbow and whispered a warning.

“Fatty, are you planning to live on steamed buns next month?”

Zhao Kai, however, did not seem bothered. “Small problem.”

From his tone, Ji Yun remembered that Zhao Kai’s family was fairly well-off.

Although Zhao Kai was not extravagant with money, Ji Yun had never seen him short of cash.

He spent lavishly on game skins and the like.

Remembering this, Ji Yun said nothing more about the money. Instead, he looked at Senior Xia Li, who wore her trademark influencer smile, and joked, “Fatty, she’s out of your league.”

He had always felt that there was something deeply wrong with the senior’s flawless spirit-medium persona.

If she really was a supernatural being, Zhao Kai could never handle her.

If it was all fake, he was even less likely to handle her.

Zhao Kai was still immersed in the blissful aftertaste of hearing her say “Thank you, brother.” He replied, “She’s different from the others.”

Ji Yun rolled his eyes.

...

Unrequited love and heartbreak were not the end of the world.

That was youth. How could anyone live through it without a few regrets?

Ji Yun did not interfere with his best friend’s romantic prospects.

Before long, all the members of the supernatural society had arrived.

Ji Yun had never been interested in gatherings like this. He planned to eat, then slip away as soon as possible.

But at a group dinner, the socializing was the most important part.

Senior Xia Li was naturally the one everyone crowded around.

It did not matter whether she knew the others. Everyone certainly intended to get to know her.

Fatty Zhao Kai shyly introduced himself as well. When Senior Xia Li greeted him with, “Nice to meet you, junior,” he spent the next half hour basking in happiness.

Throughout the entire dinner, the fat man remained immersed in the sweetness of having spoken to his goddess for the first time.

Though it was the supernatural society’s first gathering, Xia Li’s presence ensured that the atmosphere never grew awkward.

Ji Yun had little interest and did not initiate conversation. He simply buried his head in the corner and devoured the food.

He had to admit, the sour-soup beef was delicious.

But as he ate, a woman’s voice suddenly interrupted his thoughts.

“Hello, everyone. I’m Liao Feifei from the School of Literature...”

Hearing the name, Ji Yun seemed to remember something. He raised his head.

The speaker was a short-haired girl.

Her features were ordinary. She appeared to care greatly about her looks and had carefully applied her makeup and dressed for the occasion. Overall, she was fairly attractive.

Even so, she was completely overshadowed by Senior Xia Li.

Ji Yun was not concerned with her appearance.

Instead, he had caught several key details.

Third-year student. School of Literature. Liao Feifei.

None of those details was remarkable on its own, but he had seen them together before.

They had appeared in the secret files left behind by the Fox Hunt Detective Agency after it was silenced.

The girl who had fallen to her death, Lin Kexin, had a roommate named Liao Feifei.

The files stated that she was under serious suspicion.

Her year and department matched as well.

It should not be a case of two people sharing the same name.

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