My family tree hollow connects to the modern era : Chapter 33

Zhuang Lixu was approached by Mingde High School’s admissions office after scoring 657 points on his middle school entrance exam. The total possible score that year was 660, so 657 was practically a perfect score. To entice him to enroll, Mingde offered to waive all tuition and miscellaneous fees for three years. If he could maintain a top-ten ranking in the city on his semester exams, he would receive a scholarship of 200,000 yuan. That was just for one semester; with two semesters a year, he could earn 400,000 yuan annually. If he placed in the top three in the city during the college entrance exam, the reward would be at least a million, with the prize doubling for every rank he climbed.

Zhuang Lixu’s family situation wasn’t bad. His father was a rubber factory worker, and his mother ran a small storefront selling breakfast food. Though the work was hard, they earned a decent living. They owned their own home in the capital; even though it was small, not having to pay rent saved them a lot of money. Zhuang Lixu chose Mingde not just for the scholarship, but because he wanted to step out and see the world. The teaching resources at an elite school were certainly better than at an ordinary one, and the subjects offered were more diverse. They even had several language courses taught by foreign instructors. Moreover, Mingde’s overall environment was not just about studying until one dropped dead. Regular students could access the same learning resources as the children of the wealthy, which was what attracted Zhuang Lixu the most. His goal had always been clear: he wanted to go further and have better prospects for the future.

Before enrolling, Zhuang Lixu knew that at a school like Mingde, someone from his humble background would be a different breed from the young masters and misses, and he was prepared to face any difficulties. Talking about Zhuang Lixu, the girl’s expression was calm, but her slightly clenched hands betrayed her inner turmoil: “He thought the difficulties he might face after enrolling would be class differences brought about by family status, or bullying from classmates. He never imagined that the first ones to bully him would be the teachers.”

The girl looked up at Lu Mingyu and chuckled softly: “Wan Fang didn’t have any remarkable background herself, but she was skilled at hiding it and knew how to flatter and curry favor. Several idiots in the class were used as tools by her without even knowing it. She played the role of the kind person, coaxing the families of those fools into thinking that having a ‘sensible’ teacher made it easier to discipline their children, thereby ensuring Wan Fang’s position as head teacher remained secure.”

The head teacher at Mingde High School did not receive the meager salary of teachers elsewhere. Although giving gifts was strictly prohibited, a small token of appreciation on Teachers’ Day every year was acceptable. For families like theirs, even a “small token” was worth tens of thousands. Without some cunning, how could one secure such a lucrative position?

Lu Mingyu asked, “How did Wan Fang bully Zhuang Lixu?”

The girl answered, “At first, it was normal. I don’t know when it started turning into blatant neglect. She would ‘forget’ him when handing out assignments, ‘forget’ him with the exercise books, and ‘forget’ him during class activities. Then, she’d offer a hollow, ‘Sorry, I was too busy and forgot.’ How many students can remain emotionally stable after being singled out for differential treatment by a teacher? Zhuang Lixu could, though. He didn’t care; his goal was clear. He didn’t need the teacher’s attention. Neglect was fine; she couldn’t exactly kick him out and forbid him from attending class.”

Lu Mingyu asked, “What happened later? How did it end up…”

The girl lowered her eyes: “Later, neglect turned into ‘killing with kindness.’ She began to focus on Zhuang Lixu, constantly calling him the ‘future top scorer’ or saying the school had high hopes for him. She would tell other students who got in on their scores, ‘Why aren’t you like Zhuang Lixu? If your grades were like his, I wouldn’t have to worry so much.’ To the wealthy kids, she would say, ‘Although you don’t need to care about grades as much as Zhuang Lixu, learning more won’t hurt your future.’ She was always bringing him up, using him as a comparison. Slowly, how do you think the other students felt about him?”

Not everyone had a heart as firm as Zhuang Lixu’s, unaffected by external forces. They were a group of seventeen or eighteen-year-olds at an age where they were impulsive and believed the world revolved around them. Gradually, no one played with Zhuang Lixu anymore. Some used him as a benchmark, watching him unconsciously before distancing themselves. Others thought he was arrogant because of his good grades, but believed that no matter how good his grades were, he would just be a corporate drone in the future, so they looked down on his ‘haughtiness’ and considered him short-sighted, thinking he was big-headed just because of his high school results. Bullying started slowly like that.

Over two years, she watched the steady, firm youth become increasingly silent. Even though they were the ones isolating him, they painted him as a weird loner. Led by a group of wealthy kids, everyone stayed away from him, and he was excluded from any group activities. She had helped a few times, but that only invited more vicious bullying from the group. She told him to transfer; with Zhuang Lixu’s grades, any school would be lucky to have him. Zhuang Lixu shook his head. Transferring meant returning the scholarships he had received. In two years, he had won 800,000 yuan in scholarships—not a small sum for his family. Although his family had saved the money, every time he saw his parents looking at the savings and feeling relieved about the future, he felt he could hold on a little longer.

She couldn’t use her family’s influence to help him. While Zhuang Lixu’s future was worth investing in, he was just a young man who was good at studying, and her family wouldn’t allow her to get involved with him. Seeking help from home would only add a burden to Zhuang Lixu’s difficult life. He said, ‘One more year. Bite the bullet, and the last year will pass. After graduation, the future will be my world.’ But in just six months, everything spiraled out of control.

Pan Xuan asked, “What happened later?” Based on the girl’s description, Zhuang Lixu sounded like a person with a clear goal and firm will; despite the difficulties, he didn’t seem like someone who would easily give up his life.

The girl replied, “Later, his family was gone. His mother was accidentally involved in a street brawl, tripped and fell in the chaos, hit her head on the ground, and died. His father, mentally exhausted and distracted, had a workplace accident and was pulled into a machine. He died after rescue efforts failed.” The girl took a deep breath, holding back the tears welling in her eyes, and looked at the two men: “Two ‘accidents.’ The streets are full of surveillance cameras, yet they couldn’t catch the people involved in the fight. Isn’t it ridiculous? Regarding the workplace accident, the responsibility was pinned on the victim himself. He was a boy not even eighteen yet—how could you expect him to bear that?”

Lu Mingyu asked, “Besides Wan Fang, who else bullied him?”

The girl said, “Are you asking because you want to seek justice for him? It’s been half a year; all evidence is gone.”

Lu Mingyu said, “Was Miao Sheng one of them?”

The girl was stunned: “How did you know? Had you already investigated? Since you know about Miao Sheng, why didn’t you just go ask him?”

Lu Mingyu replied, “Miao Sheng is dead. Besides him, who else was there?”

The girl was incredulous: “Miao Sheng is dead? When did that happen?”

Pan Xuan said, “Just tell us who else bullied Zhuang Lixu.”

The girl’s expression was no longer calm; it clearly showed emotional fluctuation, but she seemed more pleased. Gone was her previous cooperation; she shut her mouth tight: “I don’t know.”

Pan Xuan frowned: “You were in the same class; how could you not know?”

The girl smiled: “Being in the same class doesn’t mean knowing everything. I just don’t know.” Wan Fang was dead, and Miao Sheng was dead. She didn’t know if this had anything to do with Zhuang Lixu, but what if it did? What if someone was helping Zhuang Lixu take revenge? The people associated with Miao Sheng were not to be trifled with. Although the cliques couldn’t be hidden and the police could find out by asking a few more students, she would not be the one to say it.

Lu Mingyu asked, “What is your relationship with Zhuang Lixu?”

Just then, a cloud drifted away, and the sunlight shone in, warming the girl and washing away her coldness, adding a touch of brightness. She smiled and said, “No relationship. I have no relationship with him at all.” It was just that one day, a boy asked her the difference between the fallen plane tree leaves at school and those on the boulevards in France. She said she didn’t know, that she had never been there. He said, ‘Then if we have a chance in the future, let’s go see them together, okay?’ She said, ‘Okay.’ That day, the sun was bright and brilliant, the soil beneath their feet was soft, and the piled-up leaves crunched under their footsteps. It was a pity there was no such chance, and no future.

Seeing that the girl wouldn’t speak again, Lu Mingyu didn’t waste more time: “Ji Qing, thank you for your cooperation.”

Ji Qing stood up and walked toward the door. As she reached for the handle, she turned back and asked, “Is it true that only when people die can one expect so-called justice?” Without waiting for Lu Mingyu to answer, Ji Qing pushed the door open and left. She didn’t need an answer because, in this world, such things rarely have one.

Pan Xuan sighed: “I feel like we’ve practically locked onto who the malevolent spirit is, but isn’t the timeline a bit long?” If someone died six months ago and held a deep grudge, they would become a ghost with a lingering obsession. It was strange that it took half a year for him to seek revenge.

Lu Mingyu said, “Go investigate Zhuang Lixu’s case, and I’ll ask a few more students.” Pan Xuan nodded in agreement.

Just as the investigation started to have a breakthrough, Bai Zhizhi also identified the person who had tried to break into the courtyard; the man didn’t even have to be ferreted out—he had come to them. Seeing the man at the door, Uncle Bi was stunned, and then his heart missed a beat: “Director Song, why are you here?” The man at the door was Song Cheng, the Deputy Director of the Management Bureau. He was one of the few Foundation Establishment practitioners in the country—at the late stage of Foundation Establishment, just one step away from the Golden Core stage. He was over a hundred years old but appeared to be a refined, middle-aged man.

Seeing the man who opened the door, Song Cheng smiled gently: “Little Weiqing, it has been a long time.” Bi Weiqing, who was nearly seventy, could indeed be considered “little” in front of him. Bi Weiqing was somewhat nervous: “Director Song, surely you aren’t just passing by?”

Song Cheng smiled: “Is Bai Zhizhi here?”

Bi Weiqing hurriedly moved aside: “Yes. Zhizhi is a very well-behaved child; he is very obedient and gets along well with everyone in the courtyard. Little Lu has also investigated the murder case; the demonic energy on the victim was a frame-up.”

Song Cheng replied, “I didn’t come for that.”

Walking into the courtyard, he saw the grapevines at first glance, as well as the spirit soil emitting rich spiritual energy. However, he didn’t look overly surprised, just gave them an extra look: “You’ve grown spiritual fruit?”

Bi Weiqing said, “Yes, Zhizhi planted them. He said they should be mature by tomorrow at the latest.”

Song Cheng asked, “Bai Zhizhi hasn’t been here long. When did you plant them that they can mature so fast?”

Bi Weiqing said, “We planted them yesterday. Zhizhi used spirit soil and spirit spring water, so they grow fast.”

Song Cheng sighed: “Spirit spring water, eh? I drank tea brewed with that water many years ago; the taste was truly unforgettable. This little fox demon has a pretty thick family fortune, doesn’t he?”

Bi Weiqing smiled. If he had come earlier, he could have treated him to a cup of tea, but unfortunately, the tea brewed with the “flower watering water” they had begged for had already been finished by him and Old Gao.

Sensing a strange aura in the courtyard, Bai Zhizhi wandered over. Seeing someone he didn’t know but who clearly knew the residents of the courtyard, he turned to leave. As long as there was no danger, he wouldn’t stick his nose into other people’s business. Just as he turned, Song Cheng called out to him: “Zhizhi, is it? Hello, I am Song Cheng, the Deputy Director of the Management Bureau. I came today because I have a matter I would like to ask you about.”

While speaking, he secretly sized up the fox demon in front of him. He had lived for over a hundred years and had seen many things, including many demons. But someone like Bai Zhizhi—so… uniquely gifted—was a first. If he didn’t know he was a fox demon, he would have thought he was a young master cultivated by some prestigious family. Thinking of the powerful demonic energy Bai Zhizhi erupted with when he first appeared, perhaps he really was a “young master.” The demon race had long lives, and even families that had passed down their traditions for thousands of years in the mortal world probably couldn’t compare.

Bai Zhizhi looked back: “What matter?” Bai Zhizhi said, also sizing up the man. This was the practitioner with the highest level of cultivation he had seen since arriving here. It was a pity; given the thin spiritual energy of this world, it couldn’t provide him with enough power to break through. If he wanted to find a way to live, he would probably have to rely on spiritual objects. No wonder the people here cared so much about energy fields. But fortunately, although his age wasn’t small by human standards, his blood energy was still robust, so living another hundred years shouldn’t be a problem. If he were lucky enough to break through to the Golden Core stage, he could live even longer.

Song Cheng said, “Regarding the matter of the American psychic’s ability core being broken, they have identified you as the culprit. I came here to ask about this matter.”

Uncle Gao, Uncle Bi, and Yue Zhihuan, who had run out after hearing that someone was looking for Bai Zhizhi, all thought of the straw doll simultaneously. Yue Zhihuan couldn’t hide her emotions; her face turned pale instantly. Zhizhi had hurt someone—would he be arrested?

Bai Zhizhi tilted his head slightly: “Ability core?”

Song Cheng nodded: “The American psychic Ousen’s ability core is broken. Their ability cores are like a practitioner’s sea of energy or dantian—a place to store energy. A broken ability core means his powers are crippled. I’m afraid he will be worse off than an ordinary person from now on.”

Bai Zhizhi said, “So what if I did it? They had the ability to break into my courtyard, but not the ability to withstand my counterattack. Can you blame me for that?”

Gao Man stepped forward to say something, but Song Cheng stopped him with a wave of his hand: “I didn’t come here to accuse you, but the American psychics have reported this to the Bureau, so naturally, I have to ask clearly. If there is a reason, this cannot be considered your fault. It is just that both sides have their own story. I wonder if you would mind coming to the Bureau with me to confront them face-to-face?”

The three people in the courtyard were worried, fearing that if Bai Zhizhi were taken away, he would never be let back. Bai Zhizhi, however, had no such worries. In terms of cultivation, these people were inferior to him; in terms of equipment, they were even more so. If these people really wanted to be unreasonable, he would just be unreasonable back.

Bai Zhizhi said, “If you want me to go, I’ll go. Let’s see how they can blame me when they are clearly inferior in skill!”