Chapter 11: The Disguised Transfer Student and a Campus Mystery

“Hello everyone, my name is Bai Shiyu,” the girl began, her voice soft and sweet. “I hope we can all get along well.”

“Alright, alright,” the balding teacher clapped his hands, attempting to reel back the boys’ wandering attention. “Classmate Bai Shiyu is an outstanding student who earned a scholarship to our school. Everyone should strive to learn from her.”

He surveyed the classroom, his gaze finally settling on the empty seat beside Gu Qianqian.

“Classmate Bai Shiyu, you can sit next to Gu Qianqian,” the balding teacher instructed, pointing towards the vacant spot.

A sudden sense of unease washed over Gu Qianqian.

She was hardly accustomed to sitting next to someone so conspicuously eye-catching.

Holding her books, Gu Qing—in her guise as Bai Shiyu—approached with light steps, a faint, sweet fragrance wafting closer with her.

This scent was truly unique, unlike any perfume, and it inexplicably brought a sense of peace to Gu Qianqian.

It felt familiar, as though she had encountered it before, yet she couldn’t recall where.

Gu Qianqian’s thoughts swirled in confusion.

“Hello, Classmate Gu Qianqian.”

Gu Qing, still in her guise, settled into the seat beside her, offering a friendly smile.

“H-hello,” Gu Qianqian stammered, a touch of awkwardness in her voice.

The moment the dismissal bell finally rang, and the homeroom teacher stepped out, the classroom instantly erupted into a lively buzz.

A throng of boys swarmed around, vying to shower Gu Qing, in her disguise, with eager attention.

“Classmate Bai, how about I show you around the campus? Our school is really huge.”

“Classmate Bai, are you thirsty? I bought you a drink.”

…

Gu Qing felt a headache brewing from the incessant chatter of these hormone-fueled youngsters, yet a polite smile remained fixed on her face as she gracefully declined each offer.

‘His persona as a gentle, polite top student mustn’t crumble,’ he thought.

Witnessing the scene, Gu Qianqian pursed her lips.

She pulled out her earphones, put them on, and decided that out of sight was out of mind.

Her peace lasted mere seconds before a slender, pale hand reached out and removed her earphones.

Gu Qianqian froze, then turned to meet Bai Shiyu’s smiling eyes.

“Classmate,” Gu Qing said, gesturing towards the pile of snacks in Gu Qianqian’s desk, “eating too much of these isn’t good for your health.”

“Ah, I know.”

Gu Qianqian’s face flushed, and she instinctively shoved the bag of potato chips further into her drawer.

‘This person is far too nosy,’ she thought.

‘Even her dad wasn’t this nagging.’

‘No, wait, her dad *was* exactly this nagging.’

‘What was with this damned sense of familiarity!’

Though discontent seethed within Gu Qianqian, she found herself utterly unable to utter a single word of rebuttal, captivated by the other’s genuinely beautiful face.

****

It was lunchtime.

“Someone died in Teaching Block B!”

The tranquil afternoon at St. Sakura Academy was shattered.

Students who had been playfully roughhousing in the corridors instantly paled, and panic swiftly spread among them.

“Did you hear? A second-year senior student was murdered in the art room.”

“Holy crap, seriously? How could something like this happen at school?”

“They say her face was mangled; it was utterly horrific.”

Amidst the fearful whispers, the murmurs reached Gu Qing’s ears.

Just as he was about to stand, Lin Xiaolu, who was beside him, turned deathly pale and clutched at his sleeve.

“S-senior,” she stammered, “could this be the work of the Heirs of Dawn (TL Note: A mysterious organization or group whose name translates to ‘Heirs of Dawn’)?”

Gu Qing frowned, a wave of irritation washing over him at the sight of the young girl.

He shook off Lin Xiaolu’s hand and immediately rushed to the scene of the incident.

Outside Teaching Block B, yellow caution tape had already been erected, and a group of stern-faced security guards were dispersing all students attempting to approach.

“Everyone disperse! There’s nothing to see here!”

Gu Qing stood outside the teaching block, closing his eyes.

[Battle Instinct activated.]

A torrent of data flooded his mind.

He sensed a faint energy residue on the third floor of the teaching block, dissipating at an alarming rate.

This was precisely the energy emitted by the Heirs of Dawn (TL Note: A mysterious organization or group whose name translates to ‘Heirs of Dawn’) using Void Abyss Technology (TL Note: A fictional technology, ‘Xuyuan Jishu,’ likely related to void or spatial manipulation).

The clue was fleeting; he had to act immediately!

“Quick, give me your GSA (TL Note: Global Supernatural Agency, a fictional organization) ID card,” Gu Qing said, turning and extending a hand to the trailing Lin Xiaolu.

“Huh?” she blurted, momentarily stunned. “But my ID card is in my backpack; I don’t have it on me…”

Her voice trailed off, her head nearly buried in her chest.

A vein throbbed on Gu Qing’s temple.

‘He truly couldn’t fathom what Qin Lan was thinking, assigning her as his assistant,’ he thought.

‘Should he just transform into Azure Star (TL Note: A superhero or transformed state, ‘Tianlan Xing,’ meaning ‘Azure Star’) and charge in?’

‘No, that wouldn’t do.’

‘That would be tantamount to revealing his infiltration to the Heirs of Dawn, merely disturbing the grass and startling the snake (TL Note: A Chinese idiom, ‘da cao jing she,’ meaning ‘to disturb the grass and startle the snake,’ i.e., to alert the enemy unnecessarily).’

‘He’d best try to locate them first.’

Gu Qing swept his gaze around; the crowd had been completely dispersed.

Moving now would ensure no students witnessed him. As for any others, he could simply use a non-disclosure agreement to silence them later.

A cold smirk played on his lips.

‘These mere security guards thought they could stop him?’

Stealthily approaching the teaching block from the side, Gu Qing crouched low, flashing beneath the caution tape before anyone could react.

“Hey! You, student! Stop!”

By the time the security guards realized what was happening, Gu Qing had already sprinted a considerable distance away.

Lin Xiaolu stood frozen in place.

“Senior… so amazing…”

Inside the teaching block, Gu Qing’s footsteps never faltered, with the security guards hot on his heels.

“You up front, stop!”

“Keep running and you’ll get a major demerit!”

He paid them no heed, his mind racing as his battle instinct mapped out the shortest route.

Third floor, art room.

Gu Qing kicked open the ajar door.

A heavy stench of blood assailed him.

The gruesome scene made even him, a man accustomed to witnessing life and death, involuntarily furrow his brow.

The girl’s body lay slumped beside an easel in an unnatural posture, her school uniform stained dark brown with dried blood. Her skin was an abnormal, pallid grey, as though all life had been drained from her. Most horrifying of all was her face, a bloody mess, her eye sockets sunken into two black abysses, silently recounting the immense suffering she endured before death.

[Analyzing scene…]

[Traces of Void Abyss energy detected, consistent with the Heirs of Dawn’s Void Abyss Technology.]

[Based on energy dissipation trajectory, target’s last known location: Fourth floor, utility room.]

The killer was still in the building!

Just as Gu Qing prepared to move, several security guards finally caught up, panting heavily as they blocked the doorway.

“G-grab her! This little brat’s gone mad,” the leading security captain gasped, pointing at Gu Qing, utterly out of breath.

Gu Qing’s eyes turned cold.

“Get lost!” he snapped.

“Hey! You dare to be insolent? Get with us, now!” The security captain was genuinely enraged this time.

Gu Qing saw no need for further words.

In the cramped corridor, his figure moved with blinding speed.

A series of muffled groans and the crisp sounds of dislocated bones echoed in quick succession.

In less than ten seconds.

The security guards, who had moments ago been so aggressive, now lay sprawled on the ground, clutching their arms or legs and howling, utterly unable to rise.

Having dealt with these nuisances, Gu Qing immediately dashed towards the fourth floor.

The utility room door was locked from the inside.

He could sense the killer’s presence just beyond the door.

Gu Qing channeled the Star Power (TL Note: Star Power, a mystical energy or inner cultivation) within him, delivering a powerful kick to the door lock.

“Bang!”

Wood splinters flew.

The door lock was violently shattered.

Yet, the instant he kicked the door, a faint spatial fluctuation emanated from within.

By the time he burst inside, the room was empty.

On the floor, a dissipating Void Abyss Teleportation Array (TL Note: Void Abyss Teleportation Array, a magical formation for instant travel) emitted its final vestiges of Void Abyss energy.

“Damn it!”

A surge of vexation washed over Gu Qing.

Just a hair’s breadth!

Had he not been delayed by those security guards, he would have undoubtedly cornered the killer inside!

At that moment, more footsteps echoed from the stairwell.

This time, an even larger group arrived, completely blocking the utility room’s doorway.

A middle-aged man, who appeared to be a school administrator, pointed a finger at Gu Qing’s nose and began to berate him.

“You’ve gone too far! Not only did you breach the caution tape, but you dared to injure school security guards!”

“Just you wait; this isn’t over. You’ll get your just deserts later!”