Chapter 441 : A Delicious Killer (3)
That afternoon, Fan Zhuo had another relapse. The ferocity of the relapse was so intense that Ah Jing fell to the ground in shock. Just as Ah Jing was about to run out in search of a physician to save Fan Zhuo, he suddenly recovered miraculously. He comforted Ah Jing a little and the matter ended there.
The next day, after the person delivered the daily food ingredients to the kitchen, Jun Wu Xie asked Fan Jin to retrieve a few samples from among the delivery. She checked them thoroughly but did not find anything suspicious.
"The culprit is being very careful. The food that we eat everyday has not been drugged." Jun Wu Xie looked at the radish in her hand and tossed it to Fan Jin.
Fan Jin caught it and turned it over and over, inspecting the radish closely before he took a big bite out of it, crunching it in his mouth.
"It seems that the culprit wants Little Zhuo to suffer from a relapse only occasionally, and let the continuous and prolonged turmoil take its toll and eat at Little Zhuo's lifeforce till it depletes completely on its own. It's all part of his vicious plan." Fan Jin narrowed his eyes as he stared at the radish, picturing it as the culprit, and took a enormous bite out of it.
"We can only wait for the culprit to strike again." Fan Zhuo sighed, resigned.
As the three of them chatted, shouts were heard from outside in the little bamboo grove.
"Jun Xie! You despicable cad! After committing such shameless atrocities, you decided to hide here! ? Just get out of the Zephyr Academy now!"
"Jun Xie! Not even Fan Jin and Fan Zhuo can shield you. Do not think for moment that everything will just blow over! All your unscrupulous and shameless deeds have been made known and everyone in the academy knows of it!"
The incessant shouts and curses caused the faces of both the Fan brothers to darken immediately.
The three people in the room walked out.
As they came out into the little yard within the bamboo grove, they saw several Zephyr Academy disciples still shouting, standing in the yard.
Fan Zhuo stared in anger at the young intruders within his yard.
The bamboo grove was a space specially segregated by Fan Qi for Fan Zhuo's recuperation and the place was off limits to everyone. Even the teachers were not allowed access and needless to say, the place was strictly prohibited from any of the academy's disciples. Strangely, these disciples had suddenly appeared and started shouting and cursing at Jun Xie right here within the bamboo grove!
The main doors into the yard were standing wide open and it seemed these disciples had found their way in uninhibited.
"Ah Jing!" Fan Jin assessed the situation and knew how this had come about.
If someone had not opened the door from the inside, these troublemakers would not have been able to come in here!
Ah Jing came running out from the kitchen and his clean face was tinged with panic.
"Why are all these people in here! ? Have you forgotten the Headmaster's strict orders! ?" Fan Jin stared at Ah Jing in fury. Ah Jing had not been too difficult recently. Besides the fact that his face was perpetually unhappy, he had not done anything else against Fan Zhuo's wishes. But today's incident was just too much!
Ah Jing's expression was one of shock as his eyes looked at the disciples within the yard and looked at the wide open doors, before he said: "Elder Young Master, you have misunderstood. I was just sweeping the pebbled path outside when I suddenly remembered that I had left something over the fire in the kitchen. I hurried back into the kitchen and forgot to shut the doors. I do not know how these people got in here."
After saying that, Ah Jing walked towards those disciples and chased them out. Those disciples were still shouting their curses as they were being ushered out, pointedly shouting out the various vicious deeds of Jun Xie.
Jun Wu Xie watched without expression at the farce before her, and she did not miss the guilt in Ah Jing's eyes when he was explaining himself to Fan Jin.
It seemed that this person really hated her.
"Jun Xie, if you really think you are innocent, then you wouldn't be hiding yourself here like this! Be a man and get out of here!" As they were being pushed out, those disciples still did not give up and continued to shout.
Fan Jin's face turned incredibly dark at that moment.
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Chapter 442 : It's Time (1)
It was thought that staying within the bamboo grove would give them the peace that was desired. They had never thought the the other disciples would be so bold to breach the boundaries to disrupt the tranquility.
Fan Zhuo stared with disapproval at Ah Jing, knowing very well what he had done.
"Ah Jing, if anything like this happens one more time, you can go back to the academy." Fan Zhuo said with a sigh. Ah Jing had been around for so long that Ah Jing had been thought to have grown up together with him. Ah Jing had put Fan Zhuo's interest before his own from young and though he was fiercely loyal, he had not been entirely bright. The fact was that Jun Xie had treated Fan Zhuo for quite a while and his condition had shown considerable visible progress. But even that had still not deterred Ah Jing from believing in the rumours in the academy, and Fan Zhuo had no choice but to issue an ultimatum.
Ah Jing stood blankly in the yard as he saw the cold stare that Fan Zhuo was giving him. Ah Jing felt as if he had been struck by lightning and he clenched his fists tightly, before he turned his stare towards Jun Xie.
Jun Wu Xie glanced at Ah Jing and pulled off a leaf from the bamboo and put it before her eyes before she turned to walk away without a word.
The Fan brothers followed Jun Xie into the hut and Fan Zhuo observed Jun Xie carefully. However, he did not notice anything different from usual and there was no anger.
"Little Xie, what did your action mean earlier?" Fan Zhuo noticed Jun Xie's earlier action when he had put a leaf before his eyes and that had made Fan Zhuo curious.
** "Can't see the forest for the trees." Jun Wu Xie poured herself some tea and sat down to sip at it slowly.
The Fan brothers exchanged a glance and they understood immediately.
Jun Xie must have known of Ah Jing's enmity towards him right from the beginning and in today's incident, Jun Xie must have thought exactly as they had. Jun Xie had not said a word but had only thrown a hint as a reply to Ah Jing's actions today.
"Cough, you shouldn't take today's incident to heart. I assure you that things like this will never happen again." Fan Jin cleared his throat self consciously as he said those words. If it had been anyone else, he would have given that person a thrashing. But Ah Jing had been unwavering in his loyalty to Fan Zhuo for many years and his fists were a little hesitant to land heavily upon Ah Jing.
Jun Wu Xie gave Fan Jin a glance but remained silent.
Guarantee that such things would never happen again?
Jun Wu Xie's mouth curled up at the corners, but there was absolutely no warmth in that.
As expected, two days later, the same farce played out once again within the bamboo grove. It was another group of disciples this time but the script had been almost the same.
Ah Jing did not even bother to appear this time and allowed the shouting and admonishments to continue unhindered.
Fan Jin was not around this time and only Fan Zhuo and Jun Wu Xie were there. Faced with those shouting disciples, Fan Zhuo was just about to go out and drive them away when Jun Wu Xie stopped him.
"Leave them be." Jun Wu Xie was perfectly calm within the room.
"You're not angry?" Fan Zhuo stared at Jun Xie's expressionless face and he totally admired Jun Xie for his impossible composure.
"I'm listening." Jun Wu Xie replied.
"Listening to what?"
"To hear what the one behind all this is up to." Jun Wu Xie was looking at the tea within her cup and her eyes were fixated on a pale green tea leaf floating in the middle upon the tea's surface. Jun Wu Xie pushed her little finger onto the floating tea leaf lightly and the tea's surface broke as it rippled towards the sides of the cup.
Fan Zhuo did not answer, not understanding what Jun Xie had meant.
"The day of the Spirit Hunt is coming up fast." Jun Wu Xie looked up, as she looked out the window, staring at the lush green grove of bamboos.
"That's right." Fan Zhuo could not fathom what Jun Xie was thinking.
"It's time." Jun Wu Xie turned her gaze back into the room. Things have come to a point. She had completed redesigning the Spirit Healing technique. And the time is ripe.
"Little Xie?" Fan Zhuo's eyes had remained on Jun Xie all this while. He suddenly felt a change come over Jun Xie and he seemed to be different from his usual self. That impenetrable calm had gradually faded from his eyes and was replaced by a terrifying chill.
** Translator's note: Chinese idiom was used here, read as "yī yè zhàng mù" and 一葉障目 in Chinese characters.
Literal translation says "eyes obscured by a single leaf", meaning when a person cannot see the wider picture and sees only what is foremost before their eyes. Hence I inserted "Can't see the forest for the trees" in translation.
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Chapter 443 : It's Time (2)
Jun Wu Xie stood up and proceeded to step out of the room. Fan Zhuo hurried to get up and followed after Jun Xie.
In the yard, the disciples who were shouting endlessly were further encouraged when they saw Jun Xie come out, and their curses and taunts grew in intensity.
"Go back to your doghouses and let the pack know that I will turn up on the day of the Spirit Hunt. Since you dogs want me to go so badly, I shall grant your wishes. Just don't regret it later." Jun Wu Xie said as she gave the disciples a chilling gaze. The frosty voice penetrated like a cold blade, piercing through the ruckus the disciples were making.
The disciples were shocked and suddenly terrified by Jun Wu Xie's words and they were just about to step up to rebut when they were met with the frosty eyes of Jun Wu Xie. They saw the frigid chill in those eyes and the razor sharp gaze. The chill penetrated their hearts and the disciples all cringed involuntarily, feeling all their courage seep into the ground. One of them barely managed a soft, almost inaudible mumble in his attempt to say something and they all ran away with their tails between their legs.
After those troublemakers had left, Fan Zhuo asked immediately: "Little Xie, you are intending to go for the Spirit Hunt? What did your earlier words mean?"
The Spirit Hunt was a grand event the Zephyr Academy organized every half year. On the day of the Spirit Hunt, all of the Zephyr Academy's disciples would assemble and be sent to the Battle Spirits Forest to hunt the Spirit Beasts. Hunting Spirit Beasts will gain you spirit stones and train the disciples in their actual combat experience. But the Battle Spirits Forest extended across vast expanses and even when thousands of disciples enter the forest all at once, they would be just like a grain of sand in the sea. All kinds of Spirit Beasts, from low to high grades, reside within the forest and if one was not careful, and they angered a ferocious Spirit Beast, they could easily become food for the Spirit Beast. In all the previous Spirit Hunt meets, there were always disciples who lost their lives in the Battle Spirits Forest.
Besides the disciples in the main division of the Zephyr Academy, even the branch division disciples were included in the Spirit Hunt. And the highest losses in the previous meets, had always come from the branch division.
On the day of the Spirit Hunt, those seniors who were mentoring the new disciples, were required to lead their wards throughout the whole event and this was one of the main reason why so many seniors dreaded to mentor the freshmen.
The Battle Spirits Forest was filled with danger and one could not be sure if they would get through it safely themselves and being dragged down by a weak and inexperienced freshman wasn't an entirely attractive proposition.
Jun Xie might have attained an orange spirit, but his ring spirit was.....
Fan Zhuo could not help himself but turned his gaze solemnly onto the little black cat on Jun Xie's shoulders.
Little black was really cute, but when it came to battle.....
"I've stayed here rather long, it is time I go back to the academy." Jun Wu Xie said with her eyes narrowed. So many people "yearned" for her to return, and she thought she should grant them their wish.
Fan Zhuo's face was one of panic and he hurriedly said: "Little Xie, you do not have to care about what all the others say. My brother and I know for sure you are not the kind of person they say you are. You do not have to change a single thing about yourself and you can just stay here as long as you want. Having you here has been really nice and you saved my life, making you my saviour. I know all this is the doing of Ah Jing and I will make him go back to the academy tomorrow. You..... don't go." Fan Zhuo's tone was almost pleading and his pale face was looking more tired than usual due to the anxiety.
However, Jun Wu Xie shook her head.
"My return, is not due to anyone's influence, and just my decision alone."
Ah Jing was at best only a pawn. Jun Wu Xie could not be bothered to retaliate against a mindless idiot. She had heard every word those disciples who had come to the bamboo grove shouting and cursing in the past two days. Every of those curses and scoldings had all been taunting her to get out of the bamboo grove.
And if she were to return to the academy at this time, she would have to partake in the Spirit Hunt.
Was that not what those people were after?
But.....
With her return, those people had better not regret it. Even if they do.....
It's too late!
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Chapter 444 : It's Time (3)
Jun Xie was determined to partake in the Spirit Hunt and Fan Zhuo was unable to convince him otherwise even when he dragged Fan Jin together with him to persuade Jun Xie.
Fortunately, Fan Jin will be with Jun Xie during the Spirit Hunt and Fan Zhuo had complete confidence in his brother's skills and that set his mind at ease a little.
Ah Jing was driven out from the bamboo grove that very night by Fan Zhuo. Ah Jing sobbed and wailed noisily and incessantly, which made Fan Jin so frustrated that he knocked Ah Jing out with a single strike and threw him into the Headmaster's study, dumping the problem into Fan Qi's lap.
The day of the Spirit Hunt was closing in fast and the hunt would go on for seven days. Jun Wu Xie prepared all the things that Fan Zhuo would need for his recuperation and during the time she would be away, she would leave the little black cat behind in the bamboo grove.
When the Fan brothers heard that, they immediately refused.
From what they could see, Little Black was Jun Xie's Ring Spirit and although the little cat might be of a low grade, it would nevertheless still be a form of protection for the small sized Jun Xie.
Jun Wu Xie had intended to leave the little black cat behind to identify the culprit behind Fan Zhuo's drugging. However, with herself away from the bamboo grove, Fan Zhuo would not be able put on a convincing act of a relapse anyway, Jun Wu Xie finally gave up on the idea.
A few days before the day of the Spirit Hunt, Jun Wu Xie shut herself in completely. The Snow Lotus' recovery was coming along rather nicely, and she needed the last few days to intensify the Snow Lotus' healing before it could revert back to his former glory.
The improved Spirit Healing technique nourished the Snow Lotus' spirit a little by little gradually till it finally regained its exquisite and elegant form.
"What is the actual purpose of taking part in the Spirit Hunt?" The little black cat was lying on the table, brushing at the Snow Lotus' petals with its slowing swishing tail.
It did not believe for a moment that its mistress would succumb to the taunts of a few brats in the academy.
Jun Wu Xie's palm was covered over the top of the Snow Lotus and slivers of her spirit power were coming out from her palm and enveloping the pristine white lotus flower in its entirety.
"I've been mired in the orange level for a long time." Jun Wu Xie said softly.
The little black cat's eyes lit up.
"Haha! You've already selected your unlucky target?"
In order for Jun Wu Xie to achieve a breakthrough, she needed to devour the ring spirit of others. She had been stuck in the orange level for some time now but she had not found any suitable ring spirits. When Jun Wu Xie spoke those words, the little black cat understood immediately what its mistress was driving at.
"No." Jun Wu Xie replied.
The little black cat blinked in thought. Based on what it knew of its mistress, it guessed: "You are just waiting to see who would come up to you on their own, and ask to be devoured?"
Jun Wu Xie nodded slightly. "Someone wants me to take part in the Spirit Hunt, and that would naturally mean they have made plans for me there. No matter who it is, I should be grateful to them."
She would be grateful to anyone who would deliver a ring spirit for her to achieve the breakthrough, and was extending her thanks in advance.
"Moreover, Hua Yao and the others will be taking part as well and it's high time we meet up with them." In the Cloudy Peaks the last time, the Two Headed Bone Snake and the Yin Yang Bear had sustained severe injuries and since Jun Wu Xie had learnt the Spirit Healing Technique, she had naturally thought of them.
"Would the little blooming idiot be fully recovered in the next few days?" The little black cat asked, staring at the newly revived Snow Lotus.
"Yes." Jun Wu Xie lowered her eyes, as they suddenly steeled in determination.
The time passed day by day and the day of the Spirit Hunt for the Zephyr Academy finally arrived once again.
Early that morning, everyone within the Zephyr Academy readied themselves for the trip as they made their way towards the Battle Spirits Forest, to undergo the trial that was conducted two times a year.
Over in the forest, some of them might start to become aware of the initial approach towards a breakthrough, while some others might suddenly lose their lives forever to the unknown Spirit Beasts that roam the forests.
Hundreds of horse carriages rumbled in an orderly convoy, rolling out through the gates of the Zephyr Academy.
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Chapter 445 : Spirit Hunt (1)
Ning Xin was in the same carriage as Yin Yan. The carriage wheels rolled on and Ning Xin stared at the scenery speeding past outside the window as she said: "Are you certain that Jun Xie is here?"
Yin Yan replied: "I'm sure. I had people watch Fan Jin closely. Although Jun Xie arrived a little later, he got on the last carriage with Fan Jin."
"Oh?" Ning Xin turned, her beautiful features tinged with intrigue. "He really turned up. Seems like you did very well, having successfully incited him to come."
Yin Yan smiled but did not reply, his heart raging in anger.
He did not forget the words those disciples had brought back and related to him from Jun Xie that day!
Jun Xie had called him a dog!
The fists hidden within his sleeves were tightly clenched and Yin Yan's eyes flashed viciously.
[He'll allow Jun Xie to be smug a few more days, and when they are in the Battle Spirits Forest, Jun Xie will find out that he will never walk out of that forest alive!]
"Although Jun Xie will be a hindrance, but Fan Jin's skills are still not to be slighted. We should get some people to test them out a little." Ning Xin warned. After a short pause, she continued: "That trash Li Zi Mu is here as well. He was rather proud of himself previously, let them take the first shot at them. He might be a piece of trash, but his ring spirit isn't too shabby. A grade five ring spirit..... Sigh, it's such a waste on useless trash like him."
"Right! I will speak to him about it. Senior Ning had not seen him for quite a while now and the kid is feeling rather anxious." Yin Yan gloated secretly but hid it well as he said those words. He had not seen eye to eye with that idiotic piece of trash all this time and after having stayed in the Spirit Healer faculty for such so long, he was still unable to even grasp the basic fundamentals of Spirit Healing. He was just absolutely useless.
Useless trash like this had long been abandoned by Ning Xin.
Ning Xin laughed coldly and said: "Useless and dumb as he is, and he wants me to see him?"
"Do not forget, along the way in our journey towards the Battle Spirits Forest, ask them not to forget to take care of Jun Xie. It will be even better if they could force Fan Jin to step forward to defend him and have Fan Jin's reputation fall even further." Ning Xin ordered maliciously.
"Yes, Senior Ning!"
.....
The Zephyr Academy's convoy had travelled throughout the day and finally stopped as dusk approached. They had come halfway on their journey to the Battle Spirits Forest and it was expected that they would need another day at least before they would reach their destination.
All the disciples came out of their carriages. Having been jolted around within the carriages for the whole day, all of them were feeling sore and were aching all over.
The bonfire had been lit and the tired disciples sat around it, holding a hot meal in their hands and sipped at hot drinks, in small groups of three and five.
After the last horse carriage pulled to a stop, two figures stepped out of the carriage and the other disciples nearby looked up at them, and all the gazes were trained onto the smaller figure between them.
"Ptui! How can such a person still ashamedly remain in the Zephyr Academy? I had not seen him for a long time and thought that he had left for good!" One of the disciples cursed in a loud whisper.
"What is he doing here? Doesn't he know the Spirit Hunt is filled with dangers?"
"Danger? You should be telling that to others! Not that guy, didn't you see who was with him? That was Fan Jin! Ranked fourth in the last Spirit Battle Tournament! Leading that useless little guy around within the Battle Spirits Forest for a few days would be child's play to him. Moreover, when you kill the Spirit Beasts, they drop spirit stones. With Fan Jin leading the charge at the front, that little one will just need to stay back and pick those stones up without moving a finger, why would he not come?"
"What does Senior Fan see in that puny kid anyway, the kid is obviously so shameless but Senior Fan is still so protective of him."