Chapter 22: Night Encounter by the Lake - Young Noble Be Monster Slaying

**Chapter 22: Night Encounter by the Lake** Li Jue told Chu Liang a story. The story's protagonist was Si Tu Yan, an ordinary girl. She couldn't be considered beautiful, but her family was affluent, and her life was prosperous. She could have led a happy and fulfilling life. Unfortunately, two years ago, a fire broke out at Si Tu Yan's home. Though she was rescued and survived, the fire severely burned half of her face, leaving scars that would never fade. They were classmates in the Gengzi class at Southern Mountain Academy. Ever since Si Tu Yan had been disfigured, her classmates feared her appearance. Despite her attempts to cover her face with a veil and hide the left side with thick hair, it couldn't entirely conceal the scars. A few mischievous classmates often bullied her, trying to force her to leave Southern Mountain Academy. Zhang Cong would shout insults, calling her ugly... Wu Shao'an would throw paper balls at her... Chen Da, knowing she feared fire since the incident, would scare her with burning hay... Yan Xiao Hu would demand five taels of silver from her every month... Si Tu Yan thought about giving up. She didn't want to attend the academy anymore. At that moment, it was Li Jue who encouraged her. Indeed. While the other classmates either bullied her or avoided looking at her, only Li Jue genuinely treated her well. Usually silent and reserved, Li Jue seemed to share a kind of unspoken bond with Si Tu Yan, who had become more introverted after her burns. He would encourage Si Tu Yan to bravely come to the academy, help her catch up with missed lessons, and stand up for her when those bullies tormented her... Although it often resulted in him becoming a target of bullying as well. Before Si Tu Yan's accident, they had only a superficial friendship, but afterward, they became good friends. Li Jue thought he could gradually help Si Tu Yan regain her spirit in this manner. However, he didn't expect that one day, while they were reading by the lake, he unknowingly fell asleep... and upon waking, he found himself tied up by Si Tu Yan! Si Tu Yan had bound Li Jue's hands and taken out a small knife, her eyes glinting with a frightening light. She said she had fallen in love with Li Jue. If she could scar his face too, making him a "freak" like her, then they could always be together. Li Jue tried to reason with her, but she seemed hysterical, ignoring his words, only wanting to make him into the same "ugly freak"... Thankfully, Li Jue struggled desperately, finally freeing himself before her knife could reach him. He pushed Si Tu Yan away, called her a madwoman, and then turned and fled, never daring to look back. The next day, he heard the news that Si Tu Yan had drowned herself in the lake. Li Jue was bewildered. He didn't know if he had been right or wrong, why his sincere treatment of her had led to such a response, or if his calling her a madwoman had been the last straw... Seven days later, the bodies of Wu Shao'an and Zhang Cong were also discovered in the lake. Everyone at the academy speculated that it was Si Tu Yan's vengeful spirit returning for revenge, and Li Jue felt the same. It must be! It had to be her coming back for revenge on all who bullied her. But he didn't know... would he be her target for revenge too? Li Jue was terrified. ... When Chu Liang stepped out of the room, he felt a bit complicated. It was indeed a heavy story, but as a cultivator, he had his responsibilities to fulfill. Lin Bei was waiting outside. Seeing him emerge, he asked, "How was it?" "Since the deaths of Zhang Cong and Wu Shao'an, Chen Da hasn't returned to the academy and has been hiding at home... Yan Xiao Hu, on the other hand, is carrying on as usual, although he probably hasn't been able to leave the house these last two days..." "If Si Tu Yan has turned into a vengeful spirit, she would likely appear by the lake behind the academy..." "I'm going to check there; you stay here to keep an eye on Li Jue." Chu Liang briefly recounted what he had uncovered to Lin Bei and then prepared to explore the lake behind the academy. "Alright, I'll handle things here," said Lin Bei. "Be careful dealing with the vengeful spirit alone." "Don't worry. Si Tu Yan didn't have any cultivation in life; even if she is a vengeful spirit, she won't be hard to handle," Chu Liang replied. The light of his sword was dazzling, but he chose the slightly slower yet more discreet method of wind-riding flight. It should be nighttime by now, with the city under curfew, which actually made things easier for a cultivator. If it were daytime, he'd worry about alarming the citizens, but at night, he could just take off without concern. Arriving at the back of the academy, the night was deep, and no one was around. Shadows of trees lay across the ground, and the wind howled, as if many were hidden in the nighttime rustling. A perfect night for haunting. Chu Liang concealed himself among the trees, not revealing his presence, fearing he might scare off the spirit, and waited silently for midnight. However, it wasn't long before he heard the sound of wind rustling. Someone? Chu Liang extended his awareness, capturing only a fleeting silhouette not far away. It appeared to be a woman's figure. Arrived early. Chu Liang cautiously suppressed his aura and leaped forward, sword in hand. Yet when he reached where the woman's figure had been, there was no trace of her. Hmm? Even a ghost wouldn't vanish without a trace... No sinister aura lingered around. While puzzling over this, just as his feet touched the ground, he heard a noise above him. Swish— A streak of green light descended from the sky, resembling a sword light, yet more like a forceful energy! "Who goes there?" Chu Liang raised his hand, wielding his sword in defense. With a clanging clash as energies collided, the gusts swept away and shattered the fallen leaves within a few feet! Only then did he see clearly that the weapon attacking him wasn't a sword; it was a jade ruler. Its quality was undoubtedly superior to his flying sword. Though matched in cultivation, his flying sword trembled from the strike's force. With just one strike. The holder of the jade ruler flipped through the air, landing a few feet away. Chu Liang refrained from chasing, as the person's righteous aura assured him they couldn't be a ghost. It turned out to be a tall woman, clad in black fighting clothes, enhancing her graceful figure and prominently displaying her chest. Her skin was fair and luminescent under the moonlight. "Song Instructor?" "Chu Liang?" Both uttered exclamations of surprise. Surprisingly, the sudden attacker wasn't anyone else but Song Qing Yi, the female instructor from earlier in the day. However... In the day, Song Qing Yi's chest didn't seem this ample, but after half a night, it had grown considerably... rather curious. After exchanging looks, they both simultaneously asked, "You're a cultivator too?" Pausing, they again asked in unison, "What are you doing here?" Song Qing Yi blushed, then composed her face in seriousness, "Stop copying what I say!" Chu Liang could only smile slightly, gesturing with his hand invitingly. "Earlier, I suspected something was off about you. Where do you come from, cultivator?" Song Qing Yi inquired. "I am a disciple of Shushan Sect, here at Southern Mountain Academy... actually invited to protect a student within the academy," Chu Liang truthfully replied, "And you, Song Instructor?" "I am from the Jiangnan Gentlemen's Hall..." Song Qing Yi also admitted, "With the peculiar incidents at Southern Mountain Academy, it's the responsibility of Confucianism to resolve them. But to avoid alerting the culprit, I enrolled as an instructor." So that explains it. No wonder this instructor was so young. Chu Liang said, "Indeed, this matter should not fall to us from Shushan Sect, but I must honor my duty based on the request I received. Having just learned some details, I came here to investigate the lakeside. Since Song Instructor is here, you must also be aware of Si Tu Yan’s case." Song Qing Yi nodded, "Yes, I've been here these past few nights but haven't noticed any activity... Until tonight, seeing a suspicious figure and attacking you. I hope you won't mind..." "No problem," Chu Liang lightly shook his head. "Since we both aim to resolve this case, shall we share the information we've gathered?" He thought Song Qing Yi, being affiliated with the academy, might have insider details that even the student Li Jue was unaware of. Song Qing Yi didn’t object, giving a gentle nod, "What do you wish to know?" "I’d like to know..." Chu Liang curiously glanced at Song Qing Yi's chest, gesturing with his hands, "Did you wear a binder earlier, Song Instructor? Why is it that there's such a significant difference between day and night?"