Chapter 60. The Arrival of the Plenty of Water

That night.

While the entire Manggu Mountains were celebrating, rejoicing at the lifting of Mirror Night.

No one noticed.

Wu Xiaomi brushed past the Death God.

Even thinking back now, it still sends chills down the spine.

“Who was there?”

“Let’s ask the Former Shaman Couple, they know more.”

Nanalia dialed the shrine’s communicator.

[Liya when are you coming home for dinner~ Mom made your favorite Liu Vegetable Scrambled Eggs~~]

“Mom! Don’t talk to me like that! I’m not a child anymore!” Nanalia’s toes dug frantically into the ground. “I’m the current Witch of Fengshou Village now, and there are other people around!”

[Alright]

Back to business.

“Mom, how did you two get your Resonator? I don’t remember you having the skills of ‘Alchemy’ or ‘Creation.'”

[Wuwu~ In little Liya’s eyes, is Mom really that useless?]

“Serious talk! I’m not joking! This is a matter of life and death!”

[Fine.]

Seeing Nanalia’s serious expression, the Former Shaman Couple stopped joking.

[It was Ah Fu, the Professor.]

[She brought the Resonator.]

……

Wu Xiaomi awoke from a deep sleep.

She opened her eyes, vision gradually returning.

Faintly, it seemed she saw a pitch-black shadow standing by the bed.

It was a woman.

She stood with her back to the light, her face hidden in shadow, only a pair of faintly glowing eyes silently watching the weak Wu Xiaomi.

“Ah Fu, Professor?” Wu Xiaomi recognized the uniquely colored hair.

Bai Xiaozhi and Nanalia were both not in the room.

The lights were off, only a sliver of moonlight streaming through the window, spilling across Ah Fu’s back.

Making it impossible to see her expression.

Wu Xiaomi tried hard to sit up, but her neck ached as if she’d slept wrong, her muscles barely able to support the weight of her head.

She couldn’t get up.

Even moving a finger was difficult.

Her breath was so faint, she couldn’t even call out.

“Professor…you…what is it?”

No response.

Ah Fu stood there, as if deep in thought, silent.

“Professor?”

Wu Xiaomi called out a few more times.

She didn’t know if her voice was too soft, or if Ah Fu was simply too lost in thought,

Wu Xiaomi never got an answer.

In the silence, a nameless terror began to grow.

“Bang!”

“Xiaomi! I’ve figured it out!”

Nanalia burst through the door.

The light from the hallway was like holy light from heaven, illuminating the dark bedroom.

And that silhouette.

Nanalia’s voice cut off abruptly.

“Hmm…?”

Ah Fu slowly turned around.

Her eyes arched like crescent moons, she tilted her head and smiled.

“You…figured out what?”

……

Clearly it was a smile, but Nanalia felt icy cold all over.

“Professor Ah Fu, you’re here to visit Xiaomi too?” Bai Xiaozhi walked in as if nothing was wrong, pulled the stiff Nanalia aside, and turned on the ceiling light. “Why didn’t you turn on the light?”

“I was afraid to disturb Xiaomi’s rest, so I left the light off,” Ah Fu replied with a smile. “By the way, you just said you figured out…figured out what?”

“We figured out what’s going on with Xiaomi’s tail.” Bai Xiaozhi sat at the bedside, lifting Wu Xiaomi’s big tail and giving it a shake. “It’s because of the medicine. Some ingredients in the cold medicine strengthened the spirit source link, making Wu Xiaomi’s connection with the Spirit of the Wilds even closer, so…pop~ the tail came out.”

“I see. Well, congratulations.”

“Yes, a deeper connection is a good thing after all.”

“……”

Everyone’s gaze fell on Wu Xiaomi.

The atmosphere suddenly became deathly silent.

Bai Xiaozhi’s hand quietly reached behind her waist, where a dagger was hidden.

Ah Fu’s mask quivered slightly, as if the corners of her mouth were rising.

In the silence, everyone knew—a storm was brewing.

“Ku ku ku ku—”

But it was a Blotched Eagle Owl that stamped out the fuse.

Outside the window, on the vine, a Blotched Eagle Owl landed. The owl cackled, glaring into the room with those round, bizarrely large eyes, staring dead-on at everyone inside.

“I won’t bother you anymore,” Ah Fu turned to leave. “Remember to prepare well for the Lianyi Association. Of course, don’t work too hard. The School may value this event, but the Lianyi Association is ultimately for everyone to relax and enjoy themselves. Happiness is the most important thing.”

“Thank you, Professor.”

“Mm, I’ll be going then.”

Da, da, da…

The footsteps gradually faded down the hallway. The group crowded at the window, watching Ah Fu leave before finally letting out a breath of relief.

Nanalia even forgot to breathe, holding it in until her face almost turned purple.

“My god! When did she come in? How did she get in? Did she hear our reasoning?” Nanalia collapsed to the floor.

“She probably didn’t, otherwise, we wouldn’t be alive right now.”

Ah Fu had been a Professor at the Academy for decades. According to the Spirit of the Wilds, she’d even PUA-ed the Spirit of the Wilds, a legendary figure who could move among the Six Great Sin Witches.

How could a High Sequence powerhouse like that be dealt with by a few students like them?

“What’s going on?”

After waking up, Wu Xiaomi felt like she was out of sync with the current version—she suddenly couldn’t understand Bai Xiaozhi and Nanalia’s conversation.

“It’s a long story.”

To avoid upsetting Wu Xiaomi, Bai Xiaozhi hadn’t wanted to tell her their deductions, fearing the excitement would shorten her already dwindling lifespan.

But if they trusted Ah Fu wrongly, Wu Xiaomi would die even faster.

So she had to tell her.

“Professor Ah Fu?” Wu Xiaomi recalled that night.

That night, when she left the spirit space, she did see Professor Ah Fu standing not far away.

That jerk even tried to flirt with her…

She’d thought it was just a case of ordinary lust.

But thinking about it now.

If she had accepted her invitation that night…

She might have…

Heh.

With a hint of despair, she hugged her tail, pressed her face into the fluffy fur, and gazed at the stars.

She’d even fantasized about being related by blood to her before.

How utterly foolish.

……

Ah Fu was missing.

Since last night, Ah Fu hadn’t shown up for class.

She wasn’t in the Professors’ dorm, nor in the Psychological Counseling Room. The School had turned the place upside down, but couldn’t find Ah Fu anywhere.

Ah Fu was an outstanding Professor, at least during her time at the Academy—upright, excellent at teaching, never made a mistake. The Academy didn’t want to lose such a good Professor, so they’d posted missing person notices everywhere.

“Sigh… She finally turned over a new leaf, how could she just disappear like that?” The Principal stomped his foot in regret. “And at such a critical moment…Let’s just hope nothing’s happened to her.”

“Turned over a new leaf?” Wu Xiaomi overheard the Principal muttering and asked curiously.

“Long ago, Ah Fu came to our Academy as a Sequence of Spells Professor. Back then, she was wild, unruly, often leading students into all sorts of rebellious activities. She even led the two Shaman Couple from Fengshou Village astray with early romances.”

And then?

“After she finished teaching that class of Shamans, she resigned and left for many years, disappearing without a trace. Until twelve years ago.

Twelve years ago, she suddenly returned, completely changed, and became an outstanding Sequence Professor here. It was like…she’d become a different person!”

A different person?

“By the way, over these twelve years, Ah Fu has always worn a cloak covering her face. If it weren’t for her unique hair color, I wouldn’t have recognized her… I tried to talk her out of it, but she said she suffered from a strange illness that couldn’t stand light, so she had to cover up.

The Academy even had a special cloak made for her.”

“So…she’s covered her face for a full twelve years? And you just recognized her by her hair color?!”

“Yes, her hair color is very unique, just like yours.”

Principal, have you ever heard of cut, dye, perm, and style?

Didn’t you ever suspect that the person who showed up twelve years ago, claiming to be the reformed Ah Fu, might not have been Ah Fu at all?

“I did suspect at first that she wasn’t Ah Fu, but she knew everything about Ah Fu. So I didn’t think much of it in the end, since she was such a good Professor,” the elderly Principal said with feeling.

Knew everything?

So.

If this Ah Fu isn’t that Ah Fu, then very likely…the impersonator is someone close to the real Ah Fu?

“Alright, let’s head back.” Bai Xiaozhi picked up Wu Xiaomi.

“No! I need some air! A cold needs fresh air!” Wu Xiaomi struggled free.

It had been two days since she fell ill.

Bai Xiaozhi had wanted to take Wu Xiaomi on a trip, but Wu Xiaomi stubbornly insisted on staying at the Academy.

Who knew what had gotten into her—she was determined to investigate Ah Fu.

“Even though Ah Fu has disappeared, it’s still dangerous here. She could be hiding somewhere in the shadows, watching you all the time.” Bai Xiaozhi held Wu Xiaomi’s shoulders. “Listen to me, let’s travel somewhere. Before the next Strategy Guide starts, we can still see so many places. Anywhere you want to go, anything you want to do, we can do it…”

“Pfft~ You make it sound like I’m about to kick the bucket.”

Wu Xiaomi smiled, pursing her lips, covering their pallor with rosy lip balm, looking much healthier.

“……”

You really are about to kick the bucket.

But Bai Xiaozhi could only swallow those words.

To avoid upsetting the girl, she could only go along with Wu Xiaomi’s wishes, letting her do as she pleased.

“Lianyi Day is coming up. How’s your piano practice?” Wu Xiaomi asked.

“I haven’t practiced.”

Bai Xiaozhi wasn’t in the mood for piano practice.

“I checked in last night, exchanged for Sequence 80 – Rain Prayer…so expensive!” Wu Xiaomi grimaced in pain. “I’m out of points, so next time we travel, we’ll have to use your points.”

“Why are you still researching Rain Prayer?”

“Because Rain Prayer plus Siren Dance is just so cool!” Wu Xiaomi’s pink eyes sparkled. “Have you ever thought about it? If I can dance it at the Lianyi Association, and you play the piano…wow! I can already imagine the crowd going wild!”

“Why are you suddenly interested in this?”

“Everyone has a bit of vanity~ If the two of us could descend like divine soldiers, and, as Raiders, save this lifeless Academy, wouldn’t that be super~ impressive?”

“You’re this sick and still care about face?”

“Good mood, recover faster~”

On the tree-lined path, the girl walked ahead of Bai Xiaozhi, sometimes jumping to touch the leaves, sometimes spinning to make her skirt twirl, her tail swaying happily.

Having just taken her medicine, she was full of energy.

“But you need to rest right now.”

“I’ve rested too much! If I stay idle any longer, I’ll turn into a pig! Hoo—”

After bouncing around for a while, Wu Xiaomi bent over, panting.

Her stamina bar was a little short.

“Ai—still insisting on dance practice in this state.”

“If you have time to lecture me, why not get Nanalia to help instead?” Wu Xiaomi sat on the ground.

“She went to pick someone up. Supposedly, a big shot is coming today.”

“A big shot?”

“It’s the servant of the Water Spirit of Pei, from the Chi Dragon Clan, the inventor of Rain Summoning… Oh, here she comes!”

Next to Nanalia, a woman’s aqua-blue hair rose high.

She had exceptionally long legs and a signature cold arrogance.

But that arrogance vanished when she saw Wu Xiaomi.

“Wu Xiaomi?!”

“I’m not Ah Fu…hmm?”

Wu Xiaomi thought the other person was just making the usual mistake, confusing her for that flirtatious scoundrel.

But she hadn’t called her Ah Fu.

She knows me!

This lady, native to the Nailia Continent, Witch of the Water Spirit of Pei, from the Chi Dragon Clan…she…

Knows me?!