Chapter 86: Curses
Mu Lichuan frowned. He hadn’t expected the evil spirit inside the man to be so powerful. Even after attacking it with the soul energy it detested the most, it still managed to break free and lash out.
"Zzzz…" Some people could only hear this sound. As for why the young man was standing in such a dangerous spot, most were too busy fleeing to notice his actions—except for Shao Xiaoya, who watched with curiosity.
She didn’t understand what Mu Lichuan was doing, but the gestures he traced in the air seemed ethereal. Even in his school uniform, he gave off an otherworldly aura, as if he might vanish at any moment, leaving her heart strangely cleansed.
Once the evil spirit was expelled, the young man was quickly subdued by airport security. The violent aura had faded, leaving only confusion - as if he had no memory of what he’d done.
Evil spirits born from malevolent energy burrow into those with darkness in their hearts, driving them to commit acts of vengeance against society. This man was not innocent.
Generally, evil spirits struggled to possess those with pure hearts. But truly selfless people were rare, so when an evil spirit emerged, chaos often followed.
The airport was a scene of bloodshed, with stampedes adding to the carnage. To prevent public panic, the government suppressed all news of the incident. The injured were sent to hospitals, the unharmed sent home, and boarding passengers allowed to continue their journeys.
To many people, it felt like an eternity, but in truth, only minutes had passed. The stampede was purely a result of panic—otherwise, such a disaster would never have occurred.
"Kid, what are you doing here alone? Get out of here!" A security guard urged Mu Lichuan, who stood dangerously close to the assailant.
This was the first time such an incident had happened at their airport. Fear was natural, and subduing the man had been difficult—until, inexplicably, he became docile.
"We’re students here to pick up guests," Mu Lichuan replied flatly before turning to Shao Xiaoya.
The area around them was now empty, the crowd having fled. Shao Xiaoya, however, ran toward him, eyes shining.
"Mu Lichuan, thank you!" If she had once admired him for his looks, athleticism, and grades, she now idolized him as a genuinely kind person—perhaps even a "cultivator" from the novels she loved.
With her heart condition preventing strenuous activities, Shao Xiaoya spent most of her time reading novels or watching cartoons.
Mu Lichuan shook his head. "No need for thanks. But what about our welcoming duty? Do we still need to do it?" He wasn’t even sure where the school officials had gone.
Shao Xiaoya blinked. "Probably… Let’s wait over there." She spotted the foreign exchange students emerging.
Nodding, Mu Lichuan followed her toward the group.
Five students from Country R had arrived. Though their skin tone was similar to locals, their clothing made them stand out.
Lugging their bags, they paled at the sight of the empty airport and the bloodstains. Their country was safe, they’d never seen anything like this.
"Your country is too dangerous," one student sneered upon seeing Mu Lichuan’s school uniform.
Mu Lichuan raised an eyebrow. "If you feel unsafe, why come as exchange students?" Though he wasn’t particularly patriotic, he wouldn’t let outsiders disrespect his homeland.
As a citizen of Country C, he refused to tolerate such rudeness.
"He’s right. Besides, isn’t Country R known for its manners? Is this how you treat your hosts?" Shao Xiaoya added with a smile.
Their joint rebuttal left the exchange students scowling.
Though Country C had a long history, its economy lagged. These students had come for cultural exchange, yet they acted superior.
"Did your school only send two students to greet us?" The leader, Sato, demanded. "Is this your so-called ‘land of etiquette’?"
Mu Lichuan replied coldly, "We’re the top students in our school. Consider it an honor."
If not for his teacher’s request, he wouldn’t have come. But it was a small favor, one that might make future absences easier to excuse.
Just as Sato turned to leave, Shao Yu and others arrived, shooting Mu Lichuan a glare before launching into explanations.
The exchange students, fluent in Country C’s language, still carried an air of superiority.
Seeing his role fulfilled, Mu Lichuan shoved his hands in his pockets and prepared to leave. The rest of the "welcoming" could be handled without him.
"Why are you following me?" he asked, surprised Shao Xiaoya had joined him. Given her overprotective brother, he hadn’t expected it.
"Mu Lichuan, my birthday banquet is in three days. I sincerely invite you." Her expression was uncharacteristically earnest. "You saved my life, you’re my idol now."
While most students idolized celebrities, Shao Xiaoya admired him. Even if she didn’t understand what he’d done, she knew it was connected to that man’s sudden collapse.
"No need. It was just a coincidence." He’d have helped anyone in that situation.
Her eyes grew urgent. "My brother was rude earlier. I apologize for him. I really want to be your friend, to learn from you."
"I’m blunt, and you might not like that. But I have no ulterior motives. I just…" She bit her lip, struggling to continue.
Mu Lichuan frowned. "We live in different worlds." He had no interest in dealing with a naive girl. At least she didn’t seem romantically interested, that would’ve made him flee.
Her soul was pure, but the yin energy clinging to her was likely the root of her poor health.
"I just want a friend. Is that too much to ask? I don’t have much time left." She knew she sounded pitiful, but it was the truth. Her family’s overprotectiveness came from knowing her life was limited.
Mu Lichuan’s eyes widened. "Even with your condition, you can’t only have a few years left." Modern medicine could perform heart transplants, surely her illness wasn’t untreatable.
"The doctors say my heart is failing. There’s no cure." She had already accepted it.
Remembering his earlier attempt to examine her, but was blocked by her brother, he said, "I know some medicine. Let me check your pulse."
His real goal was to probe her with spiritual energy.
Without hesitation, she extended her hand. Her fingers were bony, her skin unnaturally pale, veins starkly visible—a clear sign of chronic illness.
Focusing his energy, he guided it toward her heart—only to be repelled by an unseen force. Shao Xiaoya gasped, her face draining of color as she clenched her teeth in pain.
"Are you okay?" Mu Lichuan hadn’t expected such a strong backlash. Now he was certain: she was cursed.
He’d never seen this type of curse before, but any attempt to break it would rebound onto the victim. The yin energy was emanating from the same source.
"M-medicine…" Gasping, she fumbled for her pills and swallowed one.
Before she could recover, Shao Yu charged over and swung at Mu Lichuan.
Dodging easily, Mu Lichuan watched as Shao Xiaoya weakly grabbed her brother’s pant leg. "Brother… you’re mistaken…" Pain stole her voice.
"Mistaken? I saw him touch you, and then you collapsed!" Shao Yu growled. "Let go. I’m teaching him a lesson!" Even knowing Mu Lichuan was dangerous, he wouldn’t tolerate his sister being hurt.
"It’s not his fault—" Before she could finish, she fainted.
No comments:
Post a Comment