8mi Chapter 40 Gloom
Chapter 40 Gloom
Looking at this strange dinner party, Jiang Yun felt that her parents' relationship was making even the fetus anxious.
One was taciturn but always watching out of the corner of his eye; the other was burdened with worries and had a lot to say but dared not speak.
However, with Cheng Feng's divine intervention, at least an opportunity to meet was created. Moreover, judging from the color of the causal lines, the lingering feelings were clearly not over.
Just as the bubbling crab hotpot was being served and its aroma filled the air, Cheng Feng's phone suddenly rang.
He glanced at the caller ID, his expression immediately turned serious, he gestured for the two of them to "wait a moment," and walked to the side to answer the call.
"Feed? It's me. What? Jiangda University? By the lake? Are you sure?... Okay, secure the scene, I'm on my way!"
After hanging up the phone, Cheng Feng quickly returned to his seat, his expression serious. "Sorry, there's an urgent case. I have to go to Jiang University immediately. How about I give you two a ride home?"
"What happened?" Jiang asked.
"A murder has occurred at Jiangda University, near Mirror Lake. The situation... is a bit strange."
Cheng Feng hurriedly grabbed his coat and looked at Ling Jiu, "Xiao Jiu, you're at Jiang University, right? Be careful going home tonight, it's best to go with someone. Jiang Rang, could you give Xiao Jiu a ride home if you're free?"
Ling Jiu and Jiang Rang subconsciously stood up, and Jiang Rang seemingly unintentionally picked up her coat for her.
The three of them hurriedly ran out of the restaurant.
……
At the same time, in the third teaching building of Jiangcheng University, in the quiet and deserted women's restroom.
Wang Qian hugged her knees and curled up on the toilet in the innermost stall.
The pale light from above leaked through the gap in the door panel, cutting out her trembling, pale profile.
The light from the phone screen illuminated her bloodshot eyes. On the screen was the customer service chat interface provided by Xiaoku's intelligent guidance system.
Her fingers trembled as she typed rapidly:
Why? I thoroughly understood every poem according to Xiao Ku's annotations! I even memorized all the imagery and emotional threads! Why can't I read them aloud in class? Why can they recite them one after another?
Customer service responded quickly:
Everyone's comprehension, foundation, and even innate spiritual qualities differ, naturally leading to variations in the depth of understanding and application ability.
[Could it be that some of them have better spiritual connections or family backgrounds? Perhaps they can better understand the artistic conception, or afford to hire high-level teachers for guidance?]
Wang Qian fell silent.
Family background...resources...innate...
These words, like needles, pierced Wang Qian's eyes and her heart.
She recalled the glamorous classmates she had seen in class during the day.
They discussed the latest jewelry styles, and mentioned that a casual meal together usually cost around 100 yuan per person. Ninety percent of the students admitted to Jiangda University were natives of their home planet.
When school started, she actively socialized, but found that her roommates would spend 100 yuan per person just to have a meal together on the weekend, which she really couldn't afford.
When I confided in my classmates about my financial difficulties, they asked in surprise, "This is just normal spending, isn't it?"
Coming from the remote Northern Wilderness Star Region, should I have never applied to a university in such a prosperous region?
"But Lord Kedao said... that everyone is equal, and the Five Paths and Five Followers gave everyone the opportunity to rise..." she murmured to herself, her voice hoarse.
The customer service representative was silent for a few seconds, then sent a new message:
Yes, Daojun is great.
[We've detected that your recent stress levels are too high. Since we can't change the reality, we recommend our partner's "Xiaomo Decompression Assistant" mini-program, which might help you de-stress.]
Below is a link and a small note: [Click to download; first-time users will receive 10 free advanced simulations from the Little Library.]
10 advanced simulation opportunities!
Wang Qian's eyes lit up for a moment, but were then covered by a deeper grayness.
She stared at the link, her fingers hovering above the screen, trembling violently.
On what grounds?
Why are they born with things that I can never reach no matter how hard I try?
Why is it that I work tirelessly day and night, using Xiaoku to deduce things again and again, yet I can't even see their backs?
Why is it that Lin Jiu, who disappeared for two years, steals all the limelight the moment she returns, even overshadowing Senior Jiang Rang...?
A bittersweet feeling, a mixture of despair, resentment, jealousy, and intense bitterness, suddenly rushed into her nostrils, blurring her vision.
The bathroom was empty and deserted, with only the low hum of the exhaust fan.
……
……
Cheng Feng was always in a hurry when responding to police calls. After showing his identification to the campus security guard, he drove directly to Jinghu Lake at Jiangda University, which was right next to the crime scene.
The scene at Mirror Lake made even the experienced Cheng Feng tense up instantly.
A girl's body lay contorted in an extremely unnatural position on the shore. Her beautiful dress was completely torn apart, and her exposed skin was covered with crisscrossing, deep cuts that revealed the bone.
It felt as if it were being repeatedly cut by an invisible, sharp blade. What was even more chilling was that some of the internal organs had been dragged out and scattered on the cold pebbles.
"Detective Cheng, this is the surveillance footage. It's the same as the previous cases..."
A female police officer with the "Second-Level Civil Servant: Clerk" rank handed the surveillance footage to Cheng Feng, while several other officers were setting up a cordon and dispersing the crowd.
Jiang Rang and Ling Jiu instinctively avoided each other.
But this couldn't stop Jiang Yun, who possessed the "Eyes of the Butterfly Goddess," from taking a curious peek inside his mother's womb.
The surveillance footage, however, showed that from the moment the girl walked into the camera's view until she finally collapsed, there was no other person visible in the vicinity of her.
She was walking alone when suddenly her clothes were ripped cleanly, her flesh rolled back, and her internal organs were brutally pulled out. Her face filled with terror, she tried to scream, but it felt as if her neck was being strangled. Then, blood inexplicably spurted from her face.
The murderer carried out this bloody execution in an abrupt and horrifying manner, amidst the stares of the students around him.
"Still a believer in the shadow of despair, damn it." Cheng Feng whispered quickly to his colleagues who had rushed over, his face ashen.
He glanced at Ling Jiu, whose face was pale and whom Jiang Rang had instinctively shielded behind him, and lowered his voice to add to Jiang Rang, "This matter is strange, and may be related to the recent resurgence of Amika."
Among the righteous gods under Amitabha, there are divine roles related to shadow, despair, temptation, and redemption.
You need to be careful...
"Um."
Jiang Rang and Ling Jiu nodded and walked together toward the dormitory building.
Neither of them spoke, whether they were still frightened by what had just happened or had simply lost their common ground.
This won't do. Jiang Yun sighed as she looked at her parents from inside her belly. Such a good opportunity! The girl was still in shock, and it was a quiet campus path at night.
Dad, what are you doing?!
As they passed a teaching building, Jiang Yun, through the "Eye of the Butterfly God," spotted a familiar figure. He turned his eyes, and through the mother-son connection, his mother subconsciously exclaimed "Eh!"
"What's wrong?" Jiang asked.
"No, no." This sudden "Huh?" startled even Ling Jiu herself. Looking at Wang Qian's back, she subconsciously said, "Maybe she saw someone she knows."
"Hmm." Jiang Rang nodded. After walking a few more steps, he suddenly said, "Recently, there have been cultists causing trouble. After all, I am a member of the Hidden Spirits..."
"Can you teach me science?"
It seemed that his words gave Ling Jiu courage. Jiang Yun saw a "good opportunity" bubble floating above his mother's head and then suddenly spoke up.
"Um... um, it's been quite dangerous lately. You could protect me by pretending to study together. I can pay you!" She didn't know where she got the courage from, and could only explain in a flustered manner, "You, you are the most trustworthy person I can find in the Hidden Spirit Realm."
"Hmm, being both a bodyguard and a tutor... a very good idea."
Jiang Rang seemed to chuckle, or perhaps it was just an illusion; he remained as cold and aloof as ever.
"But I don't teach idiots."
"what……"
"We'll see how well you study tomorrow."
Meanwhile, Jiang Yun, still inside her mother's belly, rolled her eyes.
Indeed, he is the most trustworthy Spirit Realm cultivator, because your guard is actually a Profound Realm cultivator, which is already at the fifth level.
Moreover, you are a Dao Lord with karmic influence, so I doubt that even stronger people could harm you.
I don't believe you.
At the same time, he clearly sensed a causal thread that could be collected.
He directly used the "borrowed opportunity" method to collect it and learned the name of this cause and effect, which was:
[A persistent, unyielding struggle]
[Function: Can be used to comprehend the spiritual practices related to marriage.]