At sunrise, there was no trace of Xiao Yunmu and Tu Shan Huaizhi behind the haystack.
On the muddy ground where they had just stood, besides the messy pair of small footprints, a string of large footprints headed straight towards the Private School.
The window of the Private School was already open.
Morning sunlight streamed in along the window ledge, falling on a human and a demon, as well as the open Shu in front of them.
Directly in front of them, Wei Yi held a Shu, pacing back and forth while reciting softly to himself.
Ever since they had been found and brought back here by Wei Yifuzi, they had been studying like this for nearly half an hour.
To be honest, both Xiao Yunmu and Tu Shan Huaizhi felt somewhat aggrieved about their earlier encounter.
First, because both of them thought they had hidden very well.
The former had squatted on the ground, covering his mouth without making a sound, while the latter had even used some new technique she’d learned to conceal her aura.
But even so, they were easily found, as if it was fate.
Second, it was because of what Wei Yi had said to them and his attitude after finding them.
They weren’t this teacher’s students, so by rights, even if they were found, nothing much should have happened.
At most, he would kindly ask who their parents were, where their home was, or if they were lost, maybe even kindly send them back home.
Besides, just judging from Tu Shan Huaizhi’s fox ears and tail, the most normal reaction would be to be frightened away.
But, not only did Wei Yifuzi not do any of these things, he even looked rather displeased, raised his hand, grabbed them by the back of their collars, and dragged them back to the Private School.
Even more, as he walked, he scolded Xiao Yunmu and Tu Shan Huaizhi, saying that as students, they had left class during lesson time, which was a serious disrespect to the teacher, and that after class they would have to copy the San Zi Jing as punishment.
As if they really were his students.
“Mm, that’s all for this lesson for now. You two review well, if there’s anything you don’t understand, note it down and ask me.”
Wei Yi spoke as he walked toward the door, but as if recalling something, suddenly stopped at the entrance.
“Right, you are not to run around again. Otherwise, don’t blame the teacher for making you copy more next time, understand? Especially you, Tu Shan Huaizhi, don’t sleep in class again next time.”
“Alright, understood.”
they replied in unison.
Only after watching the teacher disappear at the end of their sight did they both let out a long breath, exchanging a look full of disbelief.
“What’s going on? Weren’t you supposed to be a sneaky little thief learning in secret? How did you become his student?”
“I… I don’t know either, but Huaizhi-jiejie, aren’t you the same? You’re not his student, are you?”
“No, I’m really not, that’s what’s so weird…”
For a moment, both of them were at a loss, especially Tu Shan Huaizhi, who looked like she was about to cry if she had to stay at the Private School any longer.
Just that one short lesson felt like a torture in hell.
Whether it was Wei Yi’s constant reminders about her sitting posture, the brain-itching knowledge, or the pain on her palm from dozing off, it all nearly made her bolt out of the Private School right there.
“Why don’t we just leave now? Is that okay?”
She gently pressed her reddened palm, her voice trembling slightly.
“Leave now? But…”
Hearing Tu Shan Huaizhi’s suggestion, Xiao Yunmu picked up the Shu he’d just read, looking at the crooked notes he’d jotted down, and the corrections and comments Wei Yi had made for him.
He felt a bit reluctant.
This was his first time sitting inside listening to a lesson, the first time being corrected after misunderstanding, the first time he truly felt like a student of Wei Yifuzi.
But he knew all of this was false.
“Alright, let’s leave for now. Though I don’t know why Wei Yifuzi sees us as his students, it’s really not right to use these Shu without paying tuition…”
He spoke as he packed up the things on the table, jumped down from the somewhat high little chair, reached out and grabbed the girl’s right hand, his smile bright as a flower.
“Besides, I can’t let you suffer here just because I want to stay, right?”
“Ah? Mm…”
Tu Shan Huaizhi also jumped off the chair like him.
Following behind, gazing at his figure—shorter than her own—her heart felt warm.
Unconsciously, she followed him out of the Private School, onto the southern road, until they reached a small stream blocking the center of the path.
There, Yunmu finally stopped and looked back at her.
He suddenly realized a serious problem—he hadn’t even asked which way Tu Shan Huaizhi’s home was before bringing her out.
“Um, this might be a bit late to ask, but… is your home in this direction?”
“My home? If you’re asking about my home… Oh, right, where is my home…”
She murmured, her body suddenly stiffening.
In an instant, countless people and memories flashed unbidden through her mind, but she couldn’t see anything clearly—only an explosion of pain that made her tremble uncontrollably.
Her legs gave way, and she collapsed into Xiao Yunmu’s arms.
“Huaizhi-jiejie, what’s wrong!? Don’t scare me, please wake up!”
He held Tu Shan Huaizhi, shaking her, but all he got was a pained moan.
Glancing at the stream behind, then at the way they came, he pressed his lips together, and carried her on his back, heading straight back toward the Private School.
He decided to seek Wei Yi’s help.
Though Tu Shan Huaizhi was small, she was still taller than Xiao Yunmu.
So, while carrying her, to keep her feet from dragging and wearing through her shoes, he had to lift her up with both hands, and bend his body even lower.
As for the path, he relied entirely on muscle memory to walk forward.
Faster, I have to go faster.
Listening to the painful moans by his ear, he couldn’t care about his own fatigue; his pace quickened instinctively.
All he could think of was one word:
“Faster.”
He didn’t know what was wrong with this little Fox Demon, but he knew if he didn’t hurry, something might happen.
He had heard his parents say before that there was a child from the east side of the village who fainted home alone, and because his parents were out farming, by the time they returned, the child had curled up in bed, sleeping forever.
So much pain, because he never saw his parents again before death.
So much pain, because he never left his home even at the end.
Faster… even faster…
Muttering to himself.
“Why are you two here?”
Suddenly he stopped; a familiar voice interrupted his footsteps.
His heart leaped for joy, and he called out loudly.
“Wei… Wei Yifuzi! Huaizhi seems unwell, can you help bring her to the village Langzhong?”
“I asked you: why are you here!?”
This time, Yunmu was stunned.
He straightened his bent back and looked at the owner of the voice—then paled with fright.
In front of him, there was no sign of Wei Yi or Wei Yifuzi—only a huge monster, oozing darkness from its body, as tall as the roof of the Private School.
The monster’s eyes were bright red, with lava-like streams flowing out and dripping down its jagged face, sizzling as they hit the ground.
“I’m asking you again, why are you here? Didn’t I say not to leave the Private School!? Answer me!”
The hoarse roar was deafening. Xiao Yunmu, only four years old, might have seen images of Fox Demons like Tu Shan Huaizhi in the Shanhai Strange Records, and learned a little about such things.
But this terrifying, neither-human-nor-ghost monster—he had never seen anything like it.
With the strange pressure emanating from it, his mind went blank.
As for opening his mouth to answer, he simply couldn’t.
He just stood there, his legs trembling, watching this so-called “Wei Yi” approach step by step.
“Little ones, there’s a saying: third time’s the charm. You’ve ignored my question three times, so I won’t ask again. But if you can’t answer the next one, don’t blame me for what happens.”
Taking two steps forward, the teacher had already arrived in front of Xiao Yunmu, lowered his eyes to gaze at the trembling child, and grinned, showing a chilling smile.
“Tell the teacher, where is the Shanhai Strange Records?”
His pupils shrank suddenly.
Xiao Yunmu, who had been hanging his head in fear, lifted it and looked up at the monster, shouting loudly.
“How do you know about that?”
“How do I know? What a question—you know, so why can’t I know?”
The monster let out a chilling laugh, then bent down, his tone much softer, “Be a good child, tell teacher, where is it? Where did you put it?”
“It’s… I put it…”
“Close your eyes… Yunmu-gege…”
As if bewitched, Yunmu almost blurted out the answer, but was suddenly interrupted by Tu Shan Huaizhi’s voice, waking up at once.
Then everything went black. The weak little Fox Demon he had been carrying somehow broke free of his hands, came in front of him, and shielded him.
“Gege… did you call me gege?”
Puzzled, he instinctively looked at her figure—and then, without warning, saw a dazzling light explode instantly.
He didn’t close his eyes, only stared blankly at her, at Tu Shan Huaizhi engulfed in light, reaching out to touch her.
“Huaizhi!”
With a cold sweat, he jolted awake, sitting up in shock, but saw nothing at all.
“Yo, you’re awake? My precious disciple.”
Somewhere unknown, in a place of towering mountains and endless ranges, a colossal figure as massive as the mountains slowly opened his blood-red eyes.
A scar, terrifying to behold, ran from the corner of his mouth all the way down to his abdomen.
He looked at a small mountain peak before him, his features twisted with a terrible expression.
Raising his hand, the towering trees were ripped out like short grass.
With a wave, the sound of wind roared like thunder.
Where his hand landed, mountains collapsed and rivers broke.
“Damn it! I was so close to asking! Damn it! I was so close to finding out where that Shanhai Strange Records is! Damn it!!! Someone come here!”
His furious roar echoed across the land, scattering clouds for miles around.
Then, before him appeared several figures, tiny compared to him, crawling on the ground.
“Master, what are your orders?”
He looked coldly down at these creatures, snorted, and with a shake, transformed into human shape.
“Bring this person back to me—alive, understand?”
With that, he took out two portraits from his robes and threw them in front of them.
“Master, both of them?”
“The first one is the one you’re looking for, there’s his scent on it, just find him. As for the other one… if you meet him, run away as fast as you can, understand?”
“Yes, Master.”