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Join the ServerMiyuki-maru stared at the man for a considerable duration.
Su Mian felt the heat on her cheeks stubbornly refusing to subside.
She lowered her head, attempting to process the immense amount of information contained within their recent conversation.
Firstly, everything Xiao Moyuan had told her last night—about Su Bai removing her necklace under Ling Chen’s spell in the early hours, about Ling Chen’s death, and about Su Bai’s fate—was unequivocally true. There was no room for doubt.
Miyuki-maru’s testimony was stark and unembellished, devoid of any emotion, like a cold, sharp blade.
Her sister, with whom she had lived for over a decade, her supposed ‘closest’ family, had indeed chosen to push her into the abyss at the critical moment.
Her heart felt as if an invisible hand had clenched it tightly, sending a dull, muffled ache through her chest.
Strangely, however, compared to the earth-shattering shock and bone-chilling betrayal she had experienced in the clubroom previously, this time there was more of a… weary acceptance.
She felt numb.
It was as if a wound had bled too much and was now beginning to scab over.
Secondly, Xiao Moyuan…
Su Mian’s fingertips lightly traced the pendant of the necklace around her neck. The warm, jade-like touch seemed to retain the lingering warmth of his spiritual power.
Miyuki-maru had stated that he had “almost been killed by that exorcist called Ling Chen” — all for her sake.
This realization stirred a complex, ineffable ripple within her heart.
So, this was what it felt like to be protected so desperately, so completely.
“Wait a moment, Miyuki-maru.”
Su Mian finally found her voice, though it still carried a hint of shyness. She tried to recall, but she had no memory of Miyuki-maru prior to their recent interactions in the club.
“That… that’s not my man.”
She lifted her flushed face, trying to process Hua Liang’s look of astonishment.
Miyuki-maru blinked her large, ice-blue eyes, her long lashes fluttering like fans. A look of genuine confusion spread across her face.
“The male exorcist who saved you last night, isn’t he your man?”
Her tone was utterly matter-of-fact, even carrying a hint of natural bewilderment, as if to say, ‘Isn’t this obvious?’—much like Su Mian had questioned Hua Liang earlier.
“But I clearly saw you receiving his primordial spiritual energy for healing.”
Miyuki-maru counted on her fingers, her points unassailable.
“Primordial spiritual energy is incredibly precious to cultivators, almost equivalent to their life essence. He gave it to you without hesitation.
He knew you were targeted by Ling Chen and almost killed Ling Chen on the spot. Although he didn’t personally strike the final blow, that killing intent was undeniable.”
Miyuki-maru tilted her head, concluding her statement:
“So you two aren’t in that kind of intimate relationship, and your contract…”
“Miyuki-maru.” Hua Liang’s voice, accompanied by a smile, chimed in just in time, cutting off Miyuki-maru’s impending description—one that might have made Su Mian wish to dig a hole and crawl into it.
He extended a hand and gently, but firmly, covered Miyuki-maru’s mouth.
The girl’s cool lips briefly pressed against his palm before she returned to her normal state. Hua Liang imperceptibly shivered.
“My apologies. My Snow Woman sometimes speaks her mind too directly, saying whatever she thinks.”
Miyuki-maru glanced at Hua Liang, her eyes signaling: ‘You… you might have said too much, especially about the contract part.’
She seemed to realize she might have revealed too much, particularly regarding the contract. She pursed her lips, a flicker of vexation in her ice-blue eyes, but it quickly gave way to clarity and frankness.
She turned to Su Mian, then suddenly leaned forward, closing the distance between them.
“Su Mian.”
Miyuki-maru’s voice was lowered, imbued with seriousness, her eyes conveying a clear message:
“Do you… truly not remember me?”
“Huh?”
Su Mian was bewildered by the sudden question. She blinked blankly, but eventually lowered her gaze obediently.
“Miyuki-maru, haven’t we only known each other for a short while? I… I haven’t forgotten you! Haven’t we been living together this whole time?”
Su Mian tried hard to recall, confirming that her memory held no impression of Miyuki-maru beyond their recent interactions in the club.
“I mean from before,” Miyuki-maru’s eyes intently gazed at Su Mian, still carrying a complex mix of incomprehension, expectation, and loss.
“A long, long time ago, we—”
“Miyuki-maru.” Hua Liang’s voice rang out again, this time with an undeniable note of prohibition.
He reached out and gently placed a hand on Miyuki-maru’s shoulder.
Miyuki-maru’s words abruptly ceased.
She looked up at Hua Liang.
Hua Liang subtly shook his head at her, conveying: ‘It’s not time yet.’
A flicker of unwillingness crossed Miyuki-maru’s eyes, but she ultimately lowered her gaze obediently, still imbued with that complex mix of incomprehension, expectation, and loss.
Su Mian watched their silent exchange, her heart filled with burgeoning suspicion.
‘A long time ago? She and Miyuki-maru?’
‘How could that be?’
She had only recently awakened as a half-demon; before that, she was just an ordinary human student.
Hua Liang seemed to sense Su Mian’s confusion. He withdrew his hand, settling back into his chair with his usual carefree, cynical smile, and deftly changed the subject.
“Alright, since we’re on the topic, how about we formally reintroduce ourselves?”
He raised his chin at Su Mian, a bright smile on his face. “After all, last night was quite the life-or-death situation.”
Upon hearing this, Miyuki-maru also reined in her earlier emotional display.
She sat up straight, her hands clasped in her lap.
She looked at Su Mian, her calm demeanor now tinged with a solemn earnestness.
“Allow me to reintroduce myself. I am Miyuki-maru. Born of snow, raised by snow. I am a Snow Woman.”
‘A snow yokai, in human terms, is a Snow Woman.’
Hua Liang followed suit.
“I am Hua Liang. As for my species, in the Eastern region, I’m considered among the Hyakki Yakō. You can understand it as a gathering of various yokai, and I’m temporarily their leader.”
‘A Nurarihyon. The Master of the Hyakki Yakō.’
Even though Xiao Moyuan had personally heard them openly admit this before, Su Mian still felt a rush of astonished panic.
These two, who appeared to be her age, attending classes and club activities with her, were actually legendary figures?
And she, just half a month ago, was an ordinary mortal trying to get revenge on a love rival using a female avatar.
The world truly changed with bewildering speed.
“I…”
Su Mian took a deep breath, composing herself. Her voice returned to its usual calm as she earnestly introduced herself.
“I am Su Mian. My species… well, I’m a half-demon. Due to some unforeseen circumstances, I only awakened my demonic bloodline eighteen years after my birth.”
“So, I’m completely unfamiliar with the world of yokai, its rules, and many other things.”
She paused, a slightly embarrassed but sincere smile gracing her lips.
“However, I’m very happy to formally meet you as fellow beings.”
The word “fellow beings” made Miyuki-maru’s ice-blue eyes gleam slightly.
Hua Liang’s smile also became more genuine, no longer merely superficial amusement.
“A half-demon, huh…”
Hua Liang stroked his chin, looking at Su Mian thoughtfully.
“Coincidentally, so am I.”
“What?”
Su Mian’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Hua Liang is also a half-demon?”
“Mm-hmm.”
Hua Liang nodded, his tone casual. “My mother is human, and my father is a Nurarihyon. So, half the time, I live as a human. I’ve experienced pretty much everything a human child goes through since I was little.”
He shrugged. “So, in a way, we are ‘fellow beings’ among fellow beings.”
These words created a spontaneous sense of kinship in Su Mian’s heart.
So Hua Liang also had the experience of living in human society, of adapting.
Of oscillating or adapting between two races, two identities.
This made her feel less like a complete anomaly. At least, there were others—yokai—who could understand her situation.
“Yes,” Miyuki-maru added from the side, a hint of undetectable pride in her voice.
“I practically watched the Young Master grow up. Although he is a half-demon, he displayed extraordinary abilities and talent from a young age and was recognized by the Hyakki Yakō very early on.”
“Miyuki-maru…”
Hua Liang rubbed his forehead, a hint of helplessness in his expression.
“There’s no need to mention all that, and what do you mean ‘watched the Young Master grow up’? You make it sound like you’re ancient. You clearly look younger than me.”
Miyuki-maru blinked, her face innocent. “But we’re talking about yokai age.”
“And I’ve always been by the Young Master’s side, watching him grow from a little tyke to now. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
“Little tyke…”
Hua Liang’s mouth twitched, clearly dissatisfied with the description.
Su Mian, however, was drawn to their naturally intimate interaction.
‘Miyuki-maru, you call Hua Liang ‘Young Master’?’
‘Is it a master-subordinate relationship?’
“You could say that,” Miyuki-maru nodded, her expression serious. “I am the Young Master’s vassal. It is my responsibility and my vow to follow and protect him. We are one of the vanguards of the Hyakki Yakō.”
Hua Liang waved a hand, his tone relaxed as he corrected her. “Don’t make it sound so serious. Miyuki-maru is my partner, one of my most important partners.”
He looked at Miyuki-maru, his eyes filled with unmistakable gentleness and trust.
Su Mian felt a surge of envy within her heart.
This kind of relationship, tested by time, where trust was absolute and backs were entrusted to one another, was exactly what she lacked and secretly yearned for.
“Then you must have many other companions, right?” Su Mian asked.
“Yes, there are quite a few fellows at our main base in the Eastern region,” Hua Liang nodded. “But this trip to N City is just Miyuki-maru and me. After all, we’re here to investigate the situation, not to start a war. Too many people would only draw attention.”
“That’s truly wonderful…” Su Mian couldn’t help but murmur softly. “A sense of belonging, with reliable companions—it sounds so reassuring.”
Miyuki-maru’s ice-blue eyes turned to Su Mian, her voice carrying a straightforward invitation:
“We’ve also—experienced a life-or-death crisis together. According to yokai rules, that makes us companions who can entrust our lives to each other. So, Su Mian, don’t you want to join us? The Hyakki Yakō welcomes powerful companions.”
Su Mian froze.
‘Join… the Hyakki Yakō?’
Hua Liang immediately raised a finger, flicking Miyuki-maru’s smooth forehead.
“Ow!” Miyuki-maru covered her forehead, looking at Hua Liang in confusion. “My little ancestor, please don’t spout such wild ideas.”
Hua Liang looked exasperated. “Su Mian has a contractor. Are you trying to blatantly poach from an esteemed senior? Aren’t we already in enough trouble?”
Miyuki-maru puffed out her cheeks, arguing softly.
“But the contract she signed with Xiao Moyuan isn’t the kind that completely binds a master and servant. From a contractual perspective, Su Mian is free. So, what’s wrong with her joining our team as an honored guest or an ally?”
‘That kind of contract?’
‘Free?’
Su Mian keenly caught these two keywords.
Her doubts resurfaced, stronger than before.
“Miyuki-maru, Hua Liang,” she couldn’t help but speak, her gaze moving between them. “What do you mean by ‘that kind of contract’? The one I signed with Xiao Moyuan—isn’t it a master-servant contract? Why do you say I’m ‘free’?”
She had always assumed that as Xiao Moyuan’s shikigami, she was bound by the contract, essentially his property. While Xiao Moyuan had never forced or mistreated her with it, instead offering much protection and care, in her understanding, the essence of the contract was unequal.
But now, from Miyuki-maru’s words, it seemed… that wasn’t the case.
Miyuki-maru opened her mouth, seemingly intending to explain, but Hua Liang once again cut her off.
“Alright, alright, this topic ends here.”
Hua Liang’s tone was unusually firm. He smiled at Su Mian, but there was a clear note of prohibition in that smile. “Regarding the specific nature of the contract, I think… it would be more appropriate for you to ask your contractor personally.”
He paused, then added, his voice becoming more serious.
“However, I can tell you this: the exorcist’s attitude towards you last night… he truly cares for you a great deal. At the very least, he absolutely doesn’t treat you as a tool to be casually used, or as mere property.”
Miyuki-maru silently nodded beside him, her ice-blue eyes fixed on Su Mian, as if to say, ‘See? I told you your relationship isn’t ordinary.’
Su Mian looked at them, knowing that pressing further would yield no more answers.
Hua Liang clearly had his reservations and was unwilling to delve too deeply into matters between her and Xiao Moyuan.
‘Alright…’ She nodded, temporarily suppressing her doubts. ‘Hua Liang is right. I should ask Xiao Moyuan about this myself.’
Just as the atmosphere became slightly subtle, the clubroom door was pushed open.
Lu Yang and Qin Xuan walked in, one after the other.
Lu Yang was holding half an unfinished roujiamo, mumbling something indistinctly.
Qin Xuan maintained his usual composed demeanor, holding his laptop.
“Yo, you’re all still here?” Lu Yang swallowed his food, wiped his mouth. “It’s almost eight. Shouldn’t we be heading out?”
Qin Xuan glanced at his watch. “7:55. We can leave.”
Everyone rose to their feet.
Lu Yang looked around, noticing that Qin Xuan, apart from his ever-present laptop bag, hadn’t brought any of his usual messy detection equipment. He couldn’t help but ask curiously,
“How come you didn’t bring your beloved equipment today? Like the electromagnetic detector, infrared camera, and all that?”
Qin Xuan pushed up his glasses, calmly replying,
“Based on our last experience, and last night’s… events, I believe those detection devices, which are designed for conventional physical phenomena, have limited use for what we’ll be facing. Bringing them would only be a hindrance.”
He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone present, finally settling on his own hands.
“Tonight, our best equipment will be our own eyes, our brains, and… perhaps, our newly awakened senses.”
Lu Yang paused, then nodded. “You’re right. Those scientific devices probably aren’t very effective against ghosts and monsters.”
Everyone packed their things and left the clubroom, heading towards the old teaching building.
The streetlights were already lit on the night campus.
The closer they got to the old teaching building area, the sparser the streetlights seemed to become, and the light grew dimmer.
The ancient teaching building stood silently in the depths of the night.
When they reached the small plaza in front of the old teaching building’s main entrance, Lu Yang suddenly stopped.
He frowned, squinting towards the rooftop of the teaching building, a strange expression on his face.
Lu Yang’s voice held uncertainty. “Does anyone else feel… this old teaching building looks a bit different tonight?”
Su Mian’s heart stirred. She followed his gaze.
In her demonized vision, the rooftop and upper half of the old teaching building were enveloped in a dense, ominous, swirling grey-black ‘qi’.
That was the overflowing resentment and demonic energy of malevolent spirits, far denser and more active than when she had last been there.
“What’s different?” Su Mian asked, feigning confusion.
“It’s just…” Lu Yang rubbed his eyes, then looked closely again, as if confirming he wasn’t imagining things. “The rooftop, and around the building itself… it seems to be covered in a layer of something like smoke? It’s blurry and I can’t see it clearly, but it’s definitely there!”
He turned to look at the others.
Qin Xuan calmly pushed up his glasses. He scanned the teaching building, then nodded. “Yes, I see it.”
“Not just this building. Since awakening this morning, I’ve noticed similar ‘blurry qi clusters’ appearing in certain parts of the sky and some corners of the city. Their color and density vary.”
He paused, adding, “I asked other ordinary students who weren’t involved in last night’s incident, and they explicitly stated they couldn’t see anything.”
“So, this shouldn’t be a common natural phenomenon.” Qin Xuan’s gaze swept over Su Mian, Miyuki-maru, and Hua Liang. “So, you all… can see it too?”
Su Mian was astonished.
Qin Xuan and Lu Yang, as pure humans, had actually awakened preliminary spiritual senses after experiencing last night’s illusionary realm and the impact of the supernatural event? They could vaguely perceive the existence of demonic energy with their naked eyes?
She quickly exchanged glances with Miyuki-maru and Hua Liang.
Hua Liang gave an almost imperceptible nod.
Su Mian hesitated for a moment, then decided to be partially truthful.
She nodded, her tone carrying a perfectly pitched surprise and uncertainty. “I… I think I can see a little bit too. The rooftop there, it’s like a blurry black shadow.”
Miyuki-maru and Hua Liang also nodded in confirmation.
A look of ‘just as expected’ flashed in Qin Xuan’s eyes.
He pushed up his glasses, calmly analyzing,
“It seems my deduction was correct. Last night’s experience likely awakened a special ability in us. This ‘black qi,’ based on preliminary judgment, should be directly related to the supernatural phenomena we are investigating.
We can temporarily consider it a visual representation of ‘supernatural’ itself.”
“The concentration, scope, and activity level of these ‘qi clusters’ likely correspond to the intensity, affected range, and… danger level of the supernatural phenomena.”
Su Mian’s eyes widened. Qin Xuan was simply incredible. He had analyzed so many facts close to the truth without understanding anything about it.
Even Hua Liang couldn’t help but applaud Qin Xuan. “President, you really are amazing!”
The adventure continues! If you loved this chapter, Reincarnated as a Villainous Young Master, I Will Never Give Up on Becoming a Beautiful Girl! is a must-read. Click here to start!
Read : Reincarnated as a Villainous Young Master, I Will Never Give Up on Becoming a Beautiful Girl!
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