Chapter 110: Unexpected Returns and Unseen Threats

Xiao Moyuan did not delve deeper, instead reaching out to touch the necklace adorning Su Mian’s neck.

He then inquired, “Besides Qin Xuan, did anyone else approach you at school today?”

‘She certainly noticed it, but she assumed it was merely a personal physical trait.’

“And what about Hua Liang? Does he always seem cynical, yet his gaze is remarkably sharp?

“Furthermore, does his presence sometimes feel intensely strong, yet at other times it’s so vague that you might inadvertently overlook him?”

Xiao Moyuan continued his questioning.

Su Mian recalled carefully, then nodded.

Indeed, there were times when Hua Liang would be standing right there, speaking, yet her attention would unconsciously drift towards Qin Xuan or Xue Li.

Only when she snapped back to awareness would she realize he had been beside them all along.

A ‘just as I thought’ expression appeared on Xiao Moyuan’s face. He leaned back against the sofa, his tone carrying a hint of amusement.

“It seems your club president has recruited some truly extraordinary members.”

****

“Xue Li, if I’m not mistaken, is not human. She is a Yuki-onna, a snow woman.

“These yokai inhabit snow-capped mountains or extremely cold regions. They are naturally adept at controlling ice and frost, and their body temperature is far lower than that of ordinary humans.

“When their emotions fluctuate, the surrounding temperature naturally drops.”

Su Mian’s eyes widened. “A snow—a Yuki-onna? A yokai? But she looks no different from a human girl, doesn’t she?”

Xiao Moyuan interjected, “High-level yokai are quite skilled at transforming into human form.”

“Most Yuki-onna have a cool, aloof temperament and dislike conflict, but they are not to be underestimated.”

“What about Hua Liang?” Su Mian asked urgently.

“Hua Liang…”

Xiao Moyuan paused.

“He’s a bit more troublesome. He’s a Nurarihyon, a yokai skilled in transformation and manipulating human minds.”

“They enjoy mingling among people, observing humans, and delighting in mischief. Sometimes, they even play the role of ‘mediators’ or ‘information brokers.'”

“They excel at controlling their own presence—they can make themselves conspicuous or unnoticeable in others’ eyes, and even temporarily alter others’ perceptions of them.”

Su Mian was utterly dumbfounded.

A Yuki-onna?

A Nurarihyon? These yokai, who sounded like they belonged only in legends, were actually her clubmates?

And they had even gone exploring a haunted teaching building with her in the middle of the night?

“They… what are they doing here? Is it also for me?”

Her voice was somewhat dry.

“Most likely,” Xiao Moyuan affirmed.

“The surge of demonic energy when you awakened attracted more than just low-level demonic creatures and vampires like Xia.

“Some highly perceptive yokai, or those with knowledge of your bloodline, would also have been alerted.”

He analyzed, “Yuki-onna are cold in temperament but value promises and destiny. If she approached you, it’s either because you share a destined connection with her or she’s acting on someone’s behalf.”

“The Nurarihyon, however, are far more complex. They are the leaders of the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons. In the spirit world, he is the master of the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons, classifying him as a special-grade yokai.”

“I suspect it’s no coincidence that they came to N University and joined Qin Xuan’s newly formed Supernatural Research Club. Qin Xuan probably doesn’t even realize he’s recruited two ‘non-human’ members.”

“If their objective truly is you, then your identity might be truly extraordinary.”

Su Mian felt a wave of dizziness.

She had thought returning to school meant a return to normal life, yet the ‘abnormal’ presences around her were steadily increasing.

“So, are they… friends or foes?” she asked the question that concerned her most.

“It’s hard to tell for now,” Xiao Moyuan admitted truthfully.

“Yuki-onna are generally neutral to benevolent; as long as their rules aren’t violated, they typically won’t actively become enemies.

“Nurarihyon are more morally ambiguous, entirely dependent on their mood and interests. But there’s one thing—”

He looked at Su Mian, his tone serious. “Since they chose to integrate discreetly as ‘transfer students’ rather than confronting you directly, it indicates they currently have no intention of forcibly taking you away or becoming your enemy.”

“If they harbored ill will towards you, the necklace I gave you would react.”

“Before we clarify their intentions, as I said before, maintain your distance, but interact with them normally.”

Su Mian took a deep breath, trying to process all this information.

So, Xue Li’s concern beneath her aloofness, and the probing look in Hua Liang’s smile, now made perfect sense.

“Should I tell Qin Xuan?” she asked.

“Not for now,” Xiao Moyuan shook his head.

“Qin Xuan is a pure human; knowing too much would not benefit him. Moreover, if his spiritual sensitivity is truly exceptional, he might already suspect something himself, simply choosing not to reveal it.

“Maintaining the status quo is best for everyone.”

Su Mian nodded, her mind a chaotic mess.

She had thought only Xia was lurking in the shadows, waiting for an opportunity, but now there were two more high-level yokai classmates with unclear motives.

Her parents’ whereabouts were unknown, her sister hated her to the bone, and she herself was only a half-baked fox demon…

“Feeling overwhelmed?”

Xiao Moyuan’s voice, softer than usual, reached her ears.

Su Mian lowered her head, remaining silent.

A hand gently rested on her head, ruffling her hair.

“Don’t overthink it.”

Xiao Moyuan said, “With me here, they won’t stir up any trouble. You just need to proceed step by step, learn to control your powers, and leave everything else to me.”

His tone was calm, yet it carried an undeniable sense of power.

Su Mian looked up, meeting his deep brown eyes.

Those eyes, at this moment, held no jest or detachment, only clear earnestness and… a promise.

“Mm,” she whispered in response.

***

The next morning.

On the way to school, Su Mian gazed at the fleeting street scenes outside the car window, silently recalling Xiao Moyuan’s admonitions.

High-level yokai, the master of the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons… these terms left her both terrified and with a strange sense of unreality.

Her world, ever since her failed confession and creating a female character for revenge, had been like a domino falling, spiraling into its current bizarre and perilous state.

At the entrance of N University, Xiao Moyuan’s car stopped.

Before opening the door to get out, Su Mian glanced back at him.

In the morning light, his profile was sharp, his eyes serene.

In that instant, an impulse surged within her. She wanted to ask Xiao Moyuan if Xue Li and Hua Liang truly were after her, if her identity was indeed “extraordinary.”

Would he find it troublesome?

Would he… regret keeping her by his side?

But the words caught in her throat, unspoken.

She merely murmured, “I’m leaving,” then turned and merged into the stream of students heading to class.

***

The morning’s classes were specialized courses held in the lecture hall.

Su Mian habitually walked to her usual spot by the window and set down her backpack. The classroom gradually filled, and the familiar chatter eased her taut nerves somewhat.

However, this tranquility was shattered five minutes before the class bell rang.

Teacher Wang, the counselor, entered the classroom accompanied by two people.

A male and a female.

The girl’s long hair was tied into a neat ponytail. She wore a simple cream-colored knit sweater and jeans, her posture upright.

Her gaze calmly swept across the entire classroom, yet it paused almost imperceptibly for half a second as it passed over Su Mian’s direction, then subtly moved on.

Su Mian’s breath hitched in that instant.

Su Baixue.

How could she be here? Wasn’t she supposed to be training at the Demon Extermination Academy?

Innumerable questions exploded in her mind, but what made Su Mian’s heart clench even more was that Su Baixue was accompanied by a boy.

He appeared to be around their age, tall, dressed in a black hooded sweatshirt and cargo pants, his hands in his pockets, his posture somewhat languid.

Teacher Wang clapped his hands, signaling for silence.

“Students, I’ll take a moment of your time to introduce two new classmates.”

“These two are new transfer students to our History Department. Due to some special circumstances, they’ve joined our major. Please give them a warm welcome.”

Polite applause filled the classroom, mixed with curious whispers.

After all, mid-semester transfers were rare, especially for two individuals with such striking looks and demeanor.

Su Baixue stepped forward, her voice clear and calm, betraying no emotion.

“Hello everyone, I’m Su Baixue. Please take care of me.”

Her self-introduction was extremely brief. Her gaze once again swept over the audience, momentarily fixing on Su Mian’s pale face, her eyes holding a complexity difficult to decipher.

It was mostly cold, even colder than when she had been at home, as if Su Mian were her enemy.

Then it was the boy’s turn.

He took two steps forward, his posture still casual, even carrying a hint of carefree amusement.

“My name is Ling Chen.”

His voice was clearer than expected. “The ‘Ling’ from ‘overwhelm,’ and the ‘Chen’ from ‘stars.’ For now… you could say I’m Su Baixue’s partner.

“Please take care of me in the days to come,” he added, his voice rising slightly on the word “partner,” imbuing it with an ambiguous meaning.

Su Mian silently repeated the name, her heart sinking even deeper.

Partner?

What kind of partner?

Was he also a demon exterminator?

Teacher Wang arranged their seats—a coincidence, or perhaps, a deliberate arrangement, placing them not far behind Su Mian, diagonally.

Su Baixue walked over and sat down expressionlessly.

Following behind her, as Ling Chen passed Su Mian, his eyes seemed to inadvertently glance at her.

Su Mian sat rigidly in her seat, her fingers cold.

Students around her were still quietly discussing the new transfer students, talking about Su Baixue’s coldness and Ling Chen’s handsomeness…

The teacher at the podium began lecturing, his voice becoming blurry and distant in Su Mian’s ears.

All her senses were focused on the two intensely present auras behind her.

Su Baixue… her sister. Although their relationship had never been intimate, they were at least family.

Now, she sat behind her, as a demon exterminator.

Did she know that the “brother” sitting diagonally in front of her had become a female yokai?

If she knew, was the cold scrutiny in her eyes already marking her as a target “to be eliminated”?

Su Mian felt a profound unease in front.

She had countless questions she wanted to ask Su Baixue.

Why had she returned to N University?

And about their parents.

And why, on the phone, had she questioned what kind of thing Su Mian was…

However, at this moment in class, these questions were difficult to ask directly, and she wasn’t prepared to face Su Baixue.

She had previously been so eager to contact her sister, but now that she saw her, she didn’t know how to speak.

Meanwhile, in the back row, Ling Chen was quietly conversing with Su Baixue.

“Baixue, the demonic energy in N University is so scattered; it looks like there’s more than one yokai.”

Su Baixue nodded. “Indeed, there’s more than one yokai.”

Ling Chen said, “I wonder where the source of that demonic energy fluctuation that erupted in N City before came from.”

“Ever since that night, N University seems to have become a city of yokai; demonic energy fills the air.”

“And you, your parents, it seems they also had an incident that night…”

“I heard you also have an older brother, who apparently attends N University. Is that right?”

“He seems to be an ordinary person?”

“Not a biological brother, right?”

“Does he know about your parents’ situation?”

At this, Su Baixue’s brows furrowed tightly.

She said with some impatience, “You’re asking too many questions.”

“Moreover, our purpose for coming to N University is to deal with that evil spirit from decades ago.”

“As for any yokai we encounter, we’ll just deal with them along the way. I want to complete the mission quickly and return; I don’t want to stay in this place any longer.”

Ling Chen chuckled, “It’s your first mission; there’s no need to be so rushed, is there?”

“Also, I remember Senior Xiao Moyuan came to N University a while ago, didn’t he?”

“Why don’t we contact him later?”

“Don’t you like him very much?”

At the mention of Xiao Moyuan, the tight furrow in Su Baixue’s brows relaxed slightly. “Mm, I’ll contact him later and ask about the situation.”

Sitting in the front row, Su Mian’s five senses had become incredibly acute after awakening her demonic form, allowing her to hear Su Baixue and Ling Chen’s conversation in the back row perfectly clearly.

At this moment, her mind was utterly blank.

‘Su Baixue likes Xiao Moyuan?’

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