Chapter 177: The Jade Guardian Gecko and a Troubled Dreamer

“Xiao Qing, are you handling the student inquiries today?”

The previous students had just left, leaving Xiao Qing with a bit of free time. I approached her and struck up a conversation.

Compared to veterans like Jia Cheng, Xushan, and Bai Yue, Xiao Qing was undeniably green. While her fundamental knowledge was solid, she struggled when it came to analyzing the root causes of problems or devising effective solutions.

“It’s fine,” Ou Zhiqing replied. “I don’t actually need to know the origin or solution to everything. Sister Mo said we’re just a club, not real experts. If we don’t understand something, we can simply say we don’t know.”

‘That’s quite casual, isn’t it?’ I thought, just as I was about to voice my complaint.

Xiao Qing, however, extended her hand.

Resting in her palm was a snow-white gecko.

“Besides,” she added, “I have the Jade Guardian Gecko you gave me. With this, I can already solve a lot of problems.”

“Ah? The Jade Guardian Gecko has that kind of use?” I asked, surprised. According to Bai Yue, the Jade Guardian Gecko was purely for self-preservation, possessing no offensive capabilities beyond protecting its owner. Its docile nature meant it almost never retaliated against its master; even if it were to betray them for some reason, it would at most flee, never attack. It was precisely this safety that led me to give the Jade Guardian Gecko to Xiao Qing as a gift.

“Hehe, Sister Xia, just watch,” Xiao Qing said confidently. “If a student comes in with a problem later, I’ll show you.”

I could only take a seat nearby and observe. Soon after, several more students arrived. I noticed no unusual auras clinging to them, suggesting their issues were likely not significant.

Indeed, their concerns were merely their own conjectures.

Or perhaps illusions.

At most, they had accidentally glimpsed some ghosts.

But their lives were not in danger.

Xiao Qing handled them with remarkable efficiency. Though her explanations were largely textbook knowledge—telling them they were experiencing hallucinations, that it wasn’t real, to avoid dark places, and to steer clear of dangerous games.

If, based on a student’s account, she believed they might genuinely have encountered a ghost, Xiao Qing would tap a wooden fish and chant scriptures for them.

Golden Buddhist light would envelop them, and Xiao Qing would declare that the evil spirit had been absolved, and they were safe.

Of course, these students couldn’t verify the presence of spirits around them, nor could they see the spiritual light from the wooden fish. Yet, they genuinely felt a sense of inner peace and physical lightness as Ou Zhiqing chanted and tapped the wooden fish.

It seemed effective, and they left convinced.

It was admittedly a strange sight to behold such a vibrant, beautiful girl like Xiao Qing tapping a wooden fish and chanting scriptures like a monk. Moreover, she hadn’t memorized the Buddhist texts and read directly from them.

However, Xiao Qing’s voice was incredibly sweet, and when she read, she even mimicked the resonant, modulated tones of esteemed monks, making it surprisingly convincing. Furthermore, the wooden fish itself was a spiritual artifact, inherently possessing some exorcising effect.

If Xiao Qing encountered a student whose problem or solution she couldn’t quite grasp, she would honestly say, “Your situation is a bit complex, and I can’t be certain. I suggest you visit Teacher Yi Zhiqiu at the Safety Consultant Office. He should be able to resolve your troubles.”

“Eh? But didn’t your announcement say you could solve supernatural problems? And what exactly does that safety consultant do?” the student inquired, clearly not trusting the suddenly appearing safety consultant, Yi Zhiqiu.

“He is an expert, a professional more capable than us. If you truly feel your problem is serious or urgent, you can consult him,” Ou Zhiqing explained.

“Alright, I’ll consider it,” the student said, rising to leave, lost in thought.

‘You recommend them to Teacher Yi?’ I pondered, recalling the increased number of male students in Yi Zhiqiu’s office today. It seemed students were indeed seeking him out due to referrals from the Supernatural Events Department.

“Yes, Sister Mo told us to do this,” Ou Zhiqing confirmed. “When we encounter something we can’t handle, we recommend they see Yi Zhiqiu. It gives him something to do, diverts his attention, and also gains his trust.”

‘Sister Mo said that? What ulterior motive does she have now?’ I wondered. ‘And why did I vaguely sense a hint of hostility in Xiao Qing’s words? She and Yi Zhiqiu don’t seem to have any conflict, do they?’

Just as I was about to press Xiao Qing for more, a male student walked in.

His entire body was shrouded in a dark purplish aura, and his face appeared particularly haggard.

“Xiao Qing, a genuinely troubled one has arrived. If you can’t handle him, send him to Teacher Yi,” I whispered a reminder.

Xiao Qing looked at me quizzically. Aside from his haggard complexion and dark circles that had formed into eye bags, the boy didn’t seem particularly unusual. At least, she couldn’t detect anything.

However, as the boy approached and Xiao Qing extended her hand to shake his, her expression suddenly changed. She realized the gravity of the situation.

The Supernatural Events Department had adopted a handshake greeting, meaning all consulting students would first shake hands with the student at the desk as a gesture of friendliness.

This detail often struck incoming students as odd. They were all classmates, not business associates; why shake hands? Yet, each time, a member of the Supernatural Events Department would extend their hand first and say, “Hello, welcome to the Supernatural Events Department.”

The students could only comply and shake hands. After all, it was a common courtesy, and a handshake upon meeting was not strange.

This process, of course, allowed those who couldn’t ‘gaze at aura’ to perceive the state of the other party’s energy field. Naturally, neither Xiao Qing nor Xushan were as skilled as Yi Zhiqiu. If they couldn’t ascertain the situation with a single handshake, they would later suggest taking their pulse, much like Yi Zhiqiu, to further sense the aura.

However, this male student was different. The dark purplish aura surrounding him was incredibly dense. With just one touch, Xiao Qing knew he was in serious trouble.

She looked at me, recalling my ability to directly perceive auras.

“Student, you seem to be in a very poor state. Have you encountered something?” Ou Zhiqing asked.

“I haven’t encountered anything specific, but recently I’ve frequently dreamt of a female classmate confessing her love to me. If I refuse her, she dismembers me with a cleaver,” the boy said, clutching his head. “It’s getting worse and worse. Now, I even see her when I doze off in class.”

“Have you personally asked that girl about it?” Bai Shi inquired from the side.

“I did, but she always says she doesn’t know, then avoids the topic,” the boy replied. “I always feel like she knows something but isn’t telling me.”

“Is there a conflict between you two? Does she want to harm you?” Bai Shi pressed.

“No, that’s impossible. I can sense she has some feelings for me, but the her in my dreams is too terrifying, too overwhelming,” the boy said, fear evident in his voice.

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