Chapter 181: The Price of Power and a Friend’s Fading Familiarity

“Do you also feed your Gu worms with vengeful spirits like this?” I asked Bai Yue. She nodded. “More or less,” she replied, “but the amount I need is far greater than just one small specter.”

“It’s a good thing we eliminated it early,” Mo Qingyan remarked. “That vengeful spirit had been clinging to him, absorbing everything he ate. Once it fully matured into a malevolent ghost, it would have killed its host and seized his body. Eradicating it now means we’ve snuffed out the danger in its cradle.”

“If it had fully matured into a malevolent ghost, it might have provided a full meal for my Gu worms,” Bai Yue said, her tone revealing her clear displeasure that Yi Zhiqiu had taken her feeding opportunity.

After the vengeful spirit was extracted, the boy appeared utterly listless. The spirit had been clinging to him, forcing his body to move so it could continue to feed.

But the moment the spirit departed, he immediately felt as if his body had been hollowed out. However, with the resentment absorbed, new vitality surged through him.

Mo Qingyan then said, “You may get up now. Go quickly and eat something. If you can eat your fill, it means you’re fine. In the future, don’t casually touch anything ghostly again.”

“Yes, I understand.” The boy was overcome by an intense hunger. Unable to bear it any longer, he rushed out, seemingly intent on leaving the school immediately to buy food.

It was already past dismissal time. Bai Yue had long since gone home, and this boy was the last student to seek consultation. Xiao Qing breathed a sigh of relief, tidied up the club’s belongings, and looked up at Mo Qingyan.

“Sister Mo, how did I do during my first time offering supernatural consultations to our classmates?” she asked.

“Very well,” Mo Qingyan replied. “This means I can now teach you the spell I promised you last time. Additionally, Xia Yubing will also be learning with you. The exact time hasn’t been fully determined yet, but barring any unforeseen circumstances, it should be the night after tomorrow.”

“Yay!” Xiao Qing jumped up in delight upon hearing she could learn magic. However, she then heard that I would also be learning with her, and she looked at me with surprise.

“Today’s club activities conclude here. Tidy up, everyone, and head home,” Mo Qingyan announced. After we finished cleaning the clubroom, we still needed to return to our classrooms to retrieve our textbooks and schoolbags.

It was then that Xiao Qing had the chance to be alone with me. “Brother Xiao,” she began, “I had to pass many tests before Sister Mo agreed to teach me magic. Why is she willing to teach you so quickly?”

“I promised her I’d do something,” I replied. “Not only do I have to gather information on Yi Zhiqiu, but tomorrow, I also need to lure him away.”

“Hmm, for Sister Mo to so readily agree to teach you magic, those tasks must be quite dangerous, or perhaps put you in a difficult position, right? Please don’t push yourself, Brother Xiao,” Xiao Qing advised, a note of concern in her voice.

“I won’t push myself,” I assured her. “There’s no gain without effort, after all. At the very least, I’m certain there won’t be any danger.” Mo Qingyan had told me it was merely a failed怪谈, a ‘weird tale’ that had no direct harmfulness.

It was then that I noticed Xiao Qing was still standing beside me, not having returned to her own seat as I packed my bag. “Xiao Qing, what’s wrong?” I asked, puzzled. “Is there something else you want to tell me?”

“Mm, I don’t quite know how to say it, but lately, Brother Xiao, you’ve changed so much,” Xiao Qing’s tone grew somewhat subdued.

“Ah? What changes have I undergone? Oh, right, of course. After all, I’ve even changed my appearance, and my gender has become female, my voice is different too. Yes, it’s quite a big change,” I said belatedly.

“It’s not those external changes, but rather…” Xiao Qing reached out and lightly tapped my chest. “It’s a more internal transformation. Ever since you stepped into the supernatural world, Brother Xiao, you’ve been changing almost every single day.”

“You can give me spiritual artifacts, and Gu worms. Your family owns auspicious demonic items and even keeps ghosts. You’ve also gained the opportunity to learn magic at the same time as me, and your academic performance has been steadily improving recently. You don’t even need to copy my homework anymore…”

“Wait a moment, Xiao Qing!” I interjected, sensing that her emotions were a little off. “I’m just relying on many external things; it’s not the kind of change you’re thinking of!”

“Ah!?” Xiao Qing also seemed to suddenly realize her state was amiss, and she whispered, “I’m sorry, but lately, I always feel like Brother Xiao is drifting further and further away from me.”

“How could that be? No, it won’t happen,” I quickly reassured her. “Don’t I talk to you every day, and we chat on our phones? I promise I’ll never change, Xiao Qing, so please don’t worry.”

“You’re right, I’m just overthinking things,” Xiao Qing said. “Actually, when we were little, I always believed Brother Xiao would become an outstanding person. You were just held back by that terrible family environment. Seeing you break free from those shackles makes me really happy.”

“Is that so?” I said, feeling a little flustered. “I actually think I’m far from outstanding. I’ve taken nothing but shortcuts, while it’s diligent people like you, Xiao Qing, who are truly exceptional.”

I was a little sweat-drenched. I hadn’t realized Xiao Qing once held such expectations for me. Before entering the supernatural world, I was basically in a state of ‘lying flat’ and giving up, seeing no hope, and having no desire for progress or change.

After becoming Xia Yubing, I truly gained resources, especially money. However, a strong sense of crisis and a will to survive forced me to change. Yet, Xiao Qing seemed to prefer the unmotivated me from before.

“I’m sorry, Brother Xiao. Please forget what I just said. And please, be very careful,” Xiao Qing said, seemingly having returned to normal. She turned to pack her schoolbag.

I could only offer a wry smile. Lately, I’d always thought of Xiao Qing in terms of material needs, but I hadn’t considered the emotional pressure she was under. It seemed I would need to spend more time with her in the future.

Xiao Qing and I walked for a while on the way home, chatting about what kind of magic Mo Qingyan would teach us. Xiao Qing’s face lit up with an expression of longing. “I don’t know the specific name,” she said, “but it’s a spell where you can shoot bullets like a gun with just your finger! Let’s see who learns it first?”

“Shoot bullets like a gun with just a finger? That certainly sounds like a powerful spell. Now I’m even more excited,” I chuckled. “Alright, how about this: whoever learns it first gets to make one request of the other? Just like we used to do when we were kids.”

“It’s a deal! This time, I definitely won’t lose to Brother Xiao!” Xiao Qing declared, full of confidence.

Thinking back, it truly brought a wave of nostalgia. We often made impulsive bets when we were children, usually over small games or the development of animated plotlines.

Back then, with the innocence of youth, we often made demands of each other that, looking back, were quite audacious. Yet, Xiao Qing and I always honored our bets, never going back on our word. And afterward, our relationship never soured because of the wager’s demands.

Of course, we hadn’t made such bets in a very long time.

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