Chapter 19: Nineteen spirirts, surveillance

The biting wind at the Grave Mound seemed to pierce straight into one’s heart.  

This place was quite elevated, and when the evening wind swept through, it rustled the leaves all around, making the already eerie environment feel even more sinister.  

The night was moonless and the wind was high. 

In places where the moonlight couldn’t reach, the only light came from the flashlight in Ning Li’s hand.  

The beam of the flashlight shone straight onto the corpse that Xiao Hei was guarding.  

Seeing her approach, Xiao Hei’s flower crown shook excitedly, [Master, he looks nice.]  

Ning Li didn’t speak, keeping her distance and calmly observing.  

Along the way, she had seen countless white bones, and even a few rotting corpses whose features were unrecognizable. 

But the corpse not far ahead was different: its clothes were intact, the colors bright, with no dirt or dust, looking very clean—probably freshly dead.  

Judging from the quality and style of the clothes, the person must have been well-off in life, at least not short on money.  

Out of respect for the dead, she didn’t scrutinize the face of the corpse.  

Ning Li noticed the watch on his wrist—it was an old model from a few years ago. 

When it first launched, the price was in the seven digits, and now it’s discontinued. 

Even a secondhand one would cost six figures. 

Not to mention secondhand, even third or fourth hand, Ning Li couldn’t afford it right now.  

The watch looked almost new, its owner must have cherished it; it was at least 90% new, and if resold, could easily fetch a hundred thousand or more.  

Why did she know about this watch?  

Because Qi Sigui wore the same model. 

She had seen it in countless photos of him.  

It was a very vintage design—elegant and refined, said to have been designed by a master watchmaker.  

Ning Li looked at Xiao Hei, “Let’s go.”  

Xiao Hei tilted its flower crown, puzzled, [Master, aren’t we going to do anything about him?]  

Ning Li countered, “Why should we?”  

She could revive a bird, a fish, or a cat without a second thought.  

But she couldn’t revive a person—  

Someone who had nothing to do with her, someone she knew nothing about.  

She didn’t know who this corpse was in life, nor what kind of person he was. 

Just because she happened to stumble upon him, was she supposed to take pity and bring him back?  

How many innocent people had died at the hands of Abnormal Species? 

Could she save them all?  

And what if reviving this person brought trouble to herself?  

A person who should have been dead suddenly coming back to life—even he would find it strange.  

For no reason at all, why save him?  

Xiao Hei didn’t want to leave, [He’s rich.]  

The corpse did look rather wealthy.  

But some money could be taken, and some couldn’t. 

Some money would burn your hands.  

Ning Li had indeed been short on money before, but along the way, she’d already picked up enough windfalls. 

At least for the next half year, her family of four wouldn’t have to worry about living expenses. 

She didn’t want to take money that made her uneasy. 

Maybe if she needed money in the future, she’d come back, but for now, she wouldn’t consider it.  

After confirming Xiao Hei hadn’t messed with the corpse, Ning Li turned and walked away, “Let’s go.”  

Xiao Hei followed reluctantly.  

Ning Li knew Xiao Hei’s bad habit of picking up random things was acting up again. 

It liked all cute and pretty things—like kittens, puppies, and apparently, this person in front of them.  

But she didn’t dare gamble on human nature.  

If people found out she had the power to revive others, what would await her?  

Seeing Ning Li walk away without looking back, Xiao Hei finally slumped and followed.  

Spirit Entities might love picking things up, but at least they were obedient.  

Breakfast.  

By the time Ning Li returned to the dorm, it was already five in the morning. 

She slept for a little over two hours, then went out at 7:30 with Yuan Zi for breakfast.  

After eating, when the two of them arrived at the classroom, they found a group of people huddled together discussing something.  

Yuan Zi squeezed in without hesitation and asked, “What are you all talking about?”  

Lu Shuangshuang greeted them and explained, “Isn’t his death anniversary in a week? We’re planning to hold a small memorial for him that day. Hope he’s doing well in another world.” 

As she spoke, Lu Shuangshuang’s voice dropped.  

Lu Xiao’s Spirit Entity, Jasmine, perched on his shoulder. 

He leaned back against his desk, eyes distant, “I’ve prepared a handmade gift for him. I’ll give it to him then.”  

“I’ve prepared something too!”  

“Me too!”  

Ning Li, who hadn’t prepared anything:  

Could she skip that day?  

At eight, the bell rang. 

The Homeroom Teacher walked into the classroom right on time and began today’s Spirit Grooming lesson.  

After class, the Homeroom Teacher spoke to Ning Li about whether she wanted to transfer to the Logistics Class. 

If Ning Li could keep her grades in Cooking, Flower Arrangement, and Tea Ceremony barely passing by the end of term, she wouldn’t have to transfer. 

But if she failed two or more, she’d have no choice.  

She could also choose to transfer now if she wanted.  

But there was no rush—she still had over a month to think it over.  

As soon as the Homeroom Teacher left, the other Guides surrounded Ning Li, all talking at once, “Ning Li, you can’t transfer classes!”  

“Yeah, why transfer to Logistics? It’s all chores and no proper classes, so boring.”  

Lu Shuangshuang put her hands on her hips, “It’s just three classes, right? If you really can’t handle them, we’ll take turns tutoring you! I refuse to believe you’d fail all three!”  

Top student Lu Xiao looked thoughtful. 

He’d seen Guides who weren’t good at flower arranging and such, but never anyone like Ning Li. 

What could be the reason?  

Yuan Zi hugged Ning Li’s arm tightly, “Li, you can’t leave me and transfer classes. Don’t go, don’t go!”  

Ning Li was a bit surprised.  

She’d thought transferring was no big deal, and even if she really did move to Logistics, she could accept it. 

She hadn’t expected everyone else’s reaction to be even bigger than her own—they all wanted her to stay, and even offered to help her study.  

She didn’t think she was so charming that everyone liked her. 

This just showed that the students in the Guide Class were genuinely good people, always ready to help others, truly embodying the “Guide Spirit.”  

Though she’d only transmigrated here for three months, she felt like she was slowly finding a sense of belonging.  

She nodded slightly, “Alright, I’ll do my best not to transfer.”  

Yuan Zi corrected her, “Not do your best—you must! You mustn’t transfer!”  

Top student Lu Xiao’s teacherly enthusiasm was ignited, “Tutoring starts today!”  

Ning Li: ……………  

After finishing the day’s classes, Ning Li noticed something was off as soon as she returned to her dorm.  

Nothing in the room looked disturbed. 

Everything was just as it had been when she left that morning.  

But something still felt wrong.  

What was it?  

Right! The atmosphere was off! 

It felt as if something else had been added to the environment, giving her the illusion that she was being watched.  

The Queen’s Flower twisted its stem, looking left and right, [Master, there’s a Spirit Entity here.]  

There’s a Spirit Entity in her room?  

What kind of Spirit Entity?  

That Jellyfish?  

The Queen’s Flower, [Not the Jellyfish. It’s a Spirit Entity even more colorless and formless.]  

Colorless and formless? 

What kind of Spirit Entity could that be?  

Ning Li told the Queen’s Flower not to act rashly. 

If she were just an ordinary Guide, she wouldn’t and couldn’t have noticed another Spirit Entity in the room.  

She and Xiao Hei just acted as if nothing had happened, going about as usual. 

Xiao Hei fed the cats and dogs, while she read and basked in the moonlight.  

After a while, Ning Li realized that the colorless, formless Spirit Entity was here to monitor her.  

For what reason? 

To see if there was anything strange about her? 

Or to find out the whereabouts of that Bead?  

This was endless!  

A cold glint flashed in Ning Li’s eyes.  

Once is happenstance. 

Twice is coincidence. 

But three times? 

That’s too much.  

The previous Abnormal Species attack, the last time her room was ransacked, and now this Spirit Entity surveillance—that made three times. 

Now that her poverty problem was solved, it was time to free her hands for a counterattack.  

At the moment, the enemy was strong and she was weak. 

The Water Jellyfish Commander knew everything about her, but she knew nothing about him. 

What was his name? 

What were his weaknesses? 

Where did he live?  

She knew none of this.  

And not just her. 

Judging from the incident at the school gate, even the school leaders knew little about him—only that he was the captain of a certain escort squad. 

The squad’s name? 

No idea. 

His recent whereabouts? 

Unknown.  

Not looking good.  

But roads are made by walking, and solutions are made by thinking. 

Ning Li started thinking up plans right under the nose of the Spirit Entity monitoring her.  

Her Spirit Entity, the Necromancer, currently had two abilities. 

One: Death’s Mandate. Two: Revival Technique.  

Revival Technique was easy to understand and simple to use, with no threshold.  

But she didn’t fully understand Death’s Mandate yet.  

How could she more clearly determine whether this ability was effective against an enemy?  

Just by gut feeling?  

No, that wouldn’t work in the long run—there had to be a clearer way to distinguish. 

Last time was just luck.  

How effective was this ability against the Water Jellyfish Commander? 

She needed to fully master it.  

Ning Li began to carefully recall the first—and so far only—time she used Death’s Mandate.  

That time, it was in the Domain, and the target was Scarface.  

After Xiao Hei used the ability, in the narrow space of the first floor, she saw a tall, shadowy figure dart at Scarface like lightning. 

She’d thought it was Xiao Hei’s shadow, but now realized it wasn’t.  

She started asking Xiao Hei, “Do you know the specific process for using Death’s Mandate?”  

Xiao Hei tilted its head, flower face puzzled, [Huh?]  

Ning Li tried another approach, “How do you know if this ability works on the enemy?”  

Xiao Hei, [Can’t be sure.]  

Ning Li: ……………… 

She silently reminded herself to be patient with her Spirit Entity and continued, “So it’s just luck?”  

Xiao Hei, [Yep.] 

Xiao Hei stroked the kitten’s fluffy head with its leaf, as if it was only natural, [Depends on how strong the summoned undead is!]  

Summon?  

So that’s it!  

That’s how it works! 

She finally understood!  

Death’s Mandate was actually a summoning ability! 

She’d barely understood the skill before, using it on Scarface just by chance, knowing how but not why. 

Even she, the user, had been clueless, and Scarface had died at her hands in a daze.  

Now, she finally understood how to use it.  

After activating Death’s Mandate, Xiao Hei could summon undead! 

The strength of the undead determined whether she could defeat the enemy.  

But now a new problem arose: was the strength of the undead random, or was it tied to her own ability?  

Once her mental sea expanded and her power increased, would the summoned undead become stronger too?  

Ning Li herself leaned towards the latter.  

After using the Bead, her mental sea had expanded to the size of a small town, but she hadn’t used Death’s Mandate since.  

She didn’t know much about the Water Jellyfish Commander.  

But that was fine.  

There must be undead who knew, right?  

With so little information around her, she planned to summon nearby undead and start her investigation with them!