40. Dispelling Misfortune for Others

"Is that Li Yi's father? He's so tall."
"So strong!"
"Li Yi's dad looks really sturdy."
"Is that really his father?"
"……"
"Whose parent is that?"
Whispers brushed past his ears, but Lu Xun paid them no mind, smiling as he asked, "Xiao Yi, what grade are you in?"
The child sitting beside him, whose face was full of baby fat, still had snot hanging from his mouth. He and his father seemed cast from the same mold, though his father appeared much tidier.
The boy wiped his nose with a shiny sleeve and blurted, "Are you Li Yi's dad? How come you don’t even know what grade he’s in?"
Li Yi stood beside the desk and muttered, "Yesterday, a yuan coin disappeared from my pencil case. One side of the coin was colored black by me, and I saw he had a coin with one side colored black."
"Hey…"
The boy's father was about to glare and scold Li Yi, but seeing the imposing, tall figure sitting nearby, he swallowed his words and grinned, "Kids joke around, hope you don’t mind. May I ask your name?"
"Li Gu Meng."
"Chen Jian Yuan."
Lu Xun glanced around; no wonder Li Yi spent money to hire someone to play his father. Perhaps the rumors had wounded the child's heart, or he’d been bullied but couldn’t fight back. He didn’t want his elderly grandparents to come, afraid it would make him look weak.
The homeroom teacher, Mr. Shi, stepped onto the podium and chased away the crowd of schoolchildren gathered by the desks.

……

The children squeezed outside the window, peering into the classroom.
"Li Yi’s dad looks like a movie star!"
"……"
The classmates chattered about Li Yi’s father, and Li Yi raised his chin with pride.
This annoyed the chubby boy, who shouted, "Li Yi is lying! That man isn't his dad. His father died long ago. Yesterday, I saw him crying; he said he missed his mom and dad…"
Li Yi’s fist swung.
"You dare hit me…"
A girl nearby jumped anxiously, shouting, "Stop fighting, Zhou Zhe went to tell the teacher!"
"Ah, you bit me!"
The chubby boy, his nose bleeding, had also been bitten fiercely. He shoved Li Yi away and began to run.
Li Yi chased after him, like a mad bull—not out of vengeance, but because at first, he thought the chubby boy was friendly, might be a good friend for the new school term, so he confided his secret. He never expected it would turn into a blade stabbing him, causing this pain.
Chasing the chubby boy, Li Yi rushed into the old building, which was under renovation.

Buzz!

A faint mist surged in the old building’s corridor.

Drip.

A sticky drop of dirty water fell from the ceiling, shattering on the tiles. The floor was wet, as if freshly mopped.

The two vanished into the fog.

……

"It’s normal for kids to roughhouse."
Chen Jian Yuan, leaving the classroom, perhaps still believed his son had gotten the better of things, so he spoke magnanimously first.
As he spoke, he glanced at the tall, pale-faced man nearby.
The man’s expression was grim, his brows furrowed deeply.
Lu Xun had just sensed an abnormal chill. Raising his arm, his hairs stood on end. Without hesitation, he strode after them.
Between the old and new buildings lay a passage—the old tiles were mottled blue with floral patterns, the new ones gleaming white, the divide sharp and clear.
"Hey, why are you walking so fast?" Chen Jian Yuan puffed as he caught up.
Lu Xun squinted, watching the corridor.
Mr. Shi hurriedly asked the students where the two boys had gone.
The children pointed the way.
Yet, after searching, no one could find them.
In the end, all the parents and students of Class Two joined the search, but still no trace.
Now, Chen Jian Yuan was truly panicked.

Page 2 of 3

"The playground is clear, and the gate guard never saw any students leave," Mr. Shi said, flustered.
These are living children, not pets; they shouldn’t simply vanish. Yet now, it seemed as if they’d disappeared into thin air.
A parent hesitated, "Could it be a rift, and the kids got sucked in?"
"We’re doomed…"
"……"
"Call the police."
"The security bureau will send someone to find them."
"It's all your kid’s fault!" Chen Jian Yuan’s bottled-up emotions erupted into anger, and he swung a fist at the pale-faced man.
Lu Xun brushed him aside with a slap.
Ignoring the chubby boy's father, he grabbed a nearby mop, snapped its head off with a stomp to reveal a sharp, spear-like end, and commanded coldly, "Hand them over!"
Lu Xun used the force of River Blade’s hundred-pound strike, swinging the mop handle forward.
Thud!
Grey mist surged in the dim corridor.
Mr. Shi and the parents hurried to shield the children.
Lu Xun strode forward, stepping right through the fog.

……

Li Yi trembled, curled in a corner; the chubby boy was dragged across the floor by an unknown force.
At the end of the black mist stood a blurry figure.
He was terrified.
The figure lifted its head slightly, then broke into a run, charging forward.
Li Yi felt his heart stop in that instant. Though his mouth and nose weren’t blocked, he couldn’t breathe. His small body froze, and just as the figure dragged the chubby boy to him, raising a black hand, a large hand tore through the mist and grabbed Li Yi’s shoulder.
Li Yi shuddered, then turned and saw, exclaiming in delight, "Uncle!"
Lu Xun hoisted Li Yi under his arm, right hand clenched into a fist. A faint inner energy glowed between his fingers as he shouted, "Get out!"
He punched, the black mist swept away by the force, and the shadowy figure wavered in the wind.
"Uncle, don’t hit him," Li Yi called hurriedly.
Lu Xun’s eyes flashed, withdrawing his punch.
"Uncle, take Chen Yuan Qiang too."
Lu Xun stepped forward, grabbing the unconscious chubby boy from the floor.
"He was always quiet before; I don’t know why he went crazy today," Li Yi said, looking at the wavering black figure at the corridor’s end.
Lu Xun was stern. "He’s a ghost."
"He’s still my friend."
The shadow no longer dared approach, its red eyes fixed on Li Yi.
Lu Xun sighed, "Ah, all are pitiful souls."
He turned and led the two children out of the fog.

……

The mist billowed.
Under the shocked, anxious, and fearful gazes of parents and Mr. Shi, the sturdy, pale-faced man emerged at the threshold between new and old buildings, carrying a child in each hand.
Behind him, the mist receded like retreating tide, vanishing quickly.
Chen Jian Yuan rushed over to embrace his own child.
A splash of cold water brought the chubby boy out of his stupor.
"Thank you, thank you!"
Chen Jian Yuan bowed, his legs giving way.
Lu Xun steadied him, saying mildly, "No need. Educate your child well."
"Li Yi’s dad is really capable."
"Is Li Yi’s dad a traveler between realms?"
"Such skill!"
"No wonder we rarely see Li Yi’s parents."
"……"

Page 3 of 3

Praise flooded the air; all the parents looked at “Li Gu Meng” differently, and the schoolboys and girls now viewed Li Yi in a new light.
They used to only admire his academic ability, now their gaze was tinged with envy.
The parent-teacher meeting ended, and as everyone left, Mr. Shi called Lu Xun aside.
"Xiao Yi, wait for me over there."
Mr. Shi said sincerely, “Thank you.”
"You’re too polite, Mr. Shi."
"Thank you for saving the two children, and for coming to help."
Lu Xun was slightly surprised, then nodded.

……

Leaving the school gate, Lu Xun took out a helmet and put it on Li Yi.
"Let’s go, time to head home!"
He twisted the throttle, speeding off in a haze of gasoline fumes.
At the end of the street, the child got off the motorbike, reluctantly removing the helmet, unwilling to take a single step away.
"I’ll walk you upstairs," Lu Xun offered.
Li Yi jumped up happily.
As they walked, he suddenly asked, "Don’t you blame me?"
"Blame you for what?"
"For befriending a ghost."
"There’s nothing wrong with standing by your friends. If they’re your people, no matter if they’re demon, ghost, or human—as long as they don’t do evil, you should accept their nature and origins."
Climbing the stairs, they reached the iron door. Lu Xun smiled, "Study hard and become a…"
"Be yourself!"
Why strive to become some grand figure? It’s enough to be yourself.
Creak!
The iron door opened slowly.
A surge of ghostly energy swept out, instantly filling the hallway.
Lu Xun’s expression changed sharply.
His faint inner energy was suppressed and unusable.
He shielded Li Yi with his hand.
He was ready to switch to the Five Mountain Spirit’s head at any moment.
"Xiao Yi, you’re home?"
"Grandpa!"
A withered old man, thin as a dead tree, stepped to the door, smiling. "Your uncle’s here, and grandma went out for groceries. Will you stay for dinner?"
"No, I have urgent business."
It wasn’t just an excuse; Lu Xun’s time was precious.
He never knew when he’d be drawn into that strange world again; after “disaster relief,” he still had to investigate the masked man’s whereabouts, and the fate of his own head.
"Come by whenever you can."
"Goodbye, Dad."
"Goodbye!"
Lu Xun rushed downstairs.
He paused outside the building and looked back.
[Would you like to use the employer's gift?]
"No."
Though he vaguely felt he hadn’t fulfilled “Chen Sheng’s” wish, and couldn’t unlock all his power, this was still a chance to strengthen his head, and he needed to be careful.
The Three-Legged Cat’s head was empowered only because it received the employer’s gift and allowed the spell-cat to “step into the house.”
So he planned to return to the sundry shop, switch to the Five Mountain Spirit’s head, and use the gift there.