Chapter 53: Gather the Troops, Grab Your Gear!

Su Chunfeng certainly knew that Chen Yufang’s mental derangement due to an invasion by Malignant Supernatural Entities was not the work of a Qimen Mystic behind the scenes.

Because, if a Qimen Mystic had acted, they would not have dragged things out until now, nor would they have merely driven her insane, giving others a chance and justification to investigate. After all, Chen Yufang’s father was a genuine high-ranking official, and even retired, he was still a high-ranking official!

Since ancient times, although the Jianghu was far removed from the imperial court, it was inevitably watched by the court. Unless absolutely necessary or the benefits were too great to refuse, what Qimen Mystic would dare to provoke Official Authority?

Therefore, the cause of Chen Yufang’s illness lay with herself.

On the sixth day of the Lunar New Year, when Su Chunfeng went to Chen Xian’s home to pay New Year’s respects, he coincidentally encountered the incident where Chen Yufang was invaded by Malignant Supernatural Entities. At the time, he did not know that Chen Yufang had recently divorced and suffered a severe emotional blow. If he had known that day, he might have kindly reminded Chen Xian to pay attention to Chen Yufang’s future behavior.

Speaking of which, incidents of being harmed by Malignant Supernatural Entities were extremely rare; they required a coincidence of multiple factors to occur.

And Chen Yufang just happened to encounter such a coincidence:

First, she suffered a severe emotional blow from a failed relationship and needed an emotional outlet.

Second, while the depressed and sorrowful Chen Yufang sought various ways to vent her emotions, she coincidentally heard from friends or herself about some Planchette Writing games, like “Pen Spirit,” “Plate Spirit,” “Chopstick Spirit,” and so on… Then, out of curiosity and a sense of spiritual reliance, she tried them.

Third, Chen Yufang was lucky enough to successfully summon a spirit. Unknowingly, her thoughts and emotions became infected by the Malignant Supernatural Entities. Due to curiosity, amazement at the supernatural, and an abnormal excitement born of fear, it seemed as if her pent-up emotions were fully vented, and she found spiritual solace and comfort, feeling satisfied—note, this was very dangerous, like smoking opium or gambling; it was addictive! Because it didn’t truly vent her pent-up emotions; it was merely curiosity, amazement, fear, excitement, and other high-strung emotions temporarily suppressing the originally stronger negative emotions.

Fourth, Chen Xian forbade Chen Yufang from playing such games again, and she obeyed her father very much. Consequently, the originally very low but temporarily suppressed emotions erupted. Her mind became troubled and entangled by various negative emotions, and she began to grow irritable and restless, desperately wishing to vent fully and find spiritual reliance. Since she had repeatedly used Planchette Writing games to indirectly soothe her emotions before, naturally, she developed a strong sense of trust in the mysterious “gods” or “spirits.” Then she would seek out things or items that could replace Planchette Writing.

Fifth, Chen Yufang blindly obtained so-called Talismans, peace charms, and the like from unofficial sources, with the sellers even claiming they had been blessed or something.

Sixth, given Chen Yufang’s financial situation, the quality of the items she purchased was, of course, quite good…

Seventh, after long-term exposure to Malignant Supernatural Entities, Chen Yufang would return home. The powerful Qi Field accumulated from her father’s long career as an official would disperse the Malignant Supernatural Entities at home. After this happened several times, she developed a unique aura, like a lone lamp in the dark. The Malignant Supernatural Entities were like moths drawn to the flame, wanting to cling to it even unto death. Moreover, with Chen Yufang feeling depressed and irritable, her vital energy declined, and Inner Demons grew in her mind, making it easier for Malignant Supernatural Entities to approach her. By chance, she was carrying the item she had purchased. When the Malignant Supernatural Entities invaded a human body, they would instinctively flee due to Backlash from the vital energy, but they were also attracted by Chen Yufang’s aura and reluctant to leave. So, they hid inside that “good” item which could harbor Yin Evil Energy.

Then, this item containing the Malignant Supernatural Entities was brought home by Chen Yufang and stayed with her long-term…

After that, the tragic incident was inevitable.

In summary, one conclusion could be drawn—anyone who encountered such an incident in life and was as fortunate as Chen Yufang to recover could basically buy a lottery ticket and be qualified to win the jackpot; also, ordinary people really didn’t need to be constantly on edge because they didn’t have that kind of luck.

Of course, Su Chunfeng would not say these things to Chen Xian, lest this old man who seemed to have aged over a decade in just two or three months, having endured immense mental torment, be frightened into some other illness.

As for the future…

Su Chunfeng couldn’t be bothered to worry about the trivial matters in Chen Xian’s household.

Right now, aside from the necessary daily pre-dawn cultivation and physical exercise, he was studying!

Together with his whole class, he was sprinting towards the High School Entrance Examination!

Thinking back to his previous life, during this most crucial period of study, he had basically given up on academics, immersing himself in cultivation every day. In the end, he failed the High School Entrance Examination and returned home in disgrace. However, in terms of Esoteric Technique cultivation, he displayed extremely high talent. After cultivating for only about eight or nine months, he had already stepped past Mind Awakening and entered the realm of Heart Cultivation.

In this life, Su Chunfeng would absolutely not leave any regrets in his studies again!

Days passed one after another…

In a few more days, the High School Entrance Examination would begin.

At around ten o’clock on this night. Under the dim lights of the classroom, more than twenty students were still studying hard. Homeroom Teacher Li Jichun had said: “Honing your spear at the last minute may not sharpen it, but it will shine! You absolutely must not slack off until the very last moment!” Most students deeply agreed with this and took it as their motto.

Su Chunfeng was also seriously working on a test paper.

Suddenly, amidst hurried footsteps, Li Zhichao rushed in from outside the classroom, ran to Su Chunfeng’s side, sat down, and whispered: “Chunfeng, something’s happened!”

“What is it?” Su Chunfeng asked without looking up.

He didn’t pay it much mind because Li Zhichao was usually this excitable.

Seeing Su Chunfeng acting so indifferent, Li Zhichao urgently said: “Our English teacher, Xiao Qian, was blocked on the Playground by the fourth, fifth, and seventh of the Ten Brothers when she came back from the restroom. Just now when I came over, I also saw Zuo Hongbin heard the commotion and headed that way.”

“What?” Su Chunfeng abruptly stood up and strode out.

“Hey, Chunfeng…” Li Zhichao quickly chased after him outside, grabbed Su Chunfeng’s arm, and advised: “Don’t you go showing off there. Zhao Shangang is doing business in the county town now and rarely comes back. We can’t afford to mess with the Ten Brothers! Besides, they wouldn’t really dare do anything to Teacher Xiao!”

Su Chunfeng shook off Li Zhichao’s hand and said: “You go back! Don’t get involved in this!”

“Damn, if you’re going, how can I not?” Li Zhichao glared, no longer trying to persuade Su Chunfeng, and strode after him toward the playground.

Su Chunfeng’s mind raced. He said in a low voice: “Zhichao, you go back to the dorm right now, grab whatever gear you can, and call for people. Say today I, Su Chunfeng, am going to have a fight with the Ten Brothers! Anyone who’s a real man should come! Anyway, damn it, the High School Entrance Examination is in a few days, and we won’t ever have to come back to Dongwangzhuang Township Middle School after that! Anyone who’s still scared now is a damn coward!”

“Okay!” Li Zhichao’s eyes immediately gleamed. He turned and ran passionately towards the dormitory.

Because the school security guard, Li Qiang, was injured a while ago while performing official duties for the Police Station and was now recuperating at home, recently, there had often been troublemakers from outside the school coming into the school at night. They did rotten things like messing with pretty female students, helping familiar middle school students bully others to show off, extorting a few packs of cigarettes, some bottles of alcohol, and so on.

The Ten Brothers that Li Zhichao mentioned were a notorious group of young men from Dongwangzhuang and Tunbing Camp villages.

Four years ago, it was Zhao Shangang who, alone with a knife, chased the Ten Brothers all over the streets, covered in blood, making a name for himself and dominating the area in that one fight!

The leader of the Ten Brothers, Wang Hong, enlisted in the army the year before last. The second, Zhang Xinjiang, was arrested and imprisoned last spring for causing severe injury to someone in a fight outside. Among the remaining eight, some continued to loaf around in the village, some went out to work or do small business with their families under strict parental control.

But their reputation was already established, so when the Ten Brothers were mentioned, almost no one in the area dared to provoke them.

Precisely because of this, when members of the Ten Brothers stopped a female teacher at school just to talk, not to mention ordinary students, even the teachers or the principal probably wouldn’t dare to step in forcefully to stop them. At most, they could only quickly call the police. These days… there was no phone at the school; calling the police required riding a bicycle.

In the middle of the night, by the time the police arrived, it would be far too late.

Moreover, the police couldn’t just arrest these troublemakers for stopping a female teacher to talk, right? And the person who called the police would have to worry about retaliation from these young, fierce, ruthless, and vicious village troublemakers in the days to come.

But this time, Su Chunfeng had no choice but to intervene.

Because in his memories from his previous life, in the late spring and early summer of 1996, two members of the Ten Brothers were imprisoned for rape.

And in his previous life in 1996, not long after the winter break started, Xiao Qian left Dongwangzhuang Township Middle School.

In this life, Xiao Qian had not left Dongwangzhuang Township Middle School—privately, she once half-jokingly, half-seriously told Su Chunfeng: “Actually, right now I’m just like you all, also intensively studying and preparing for exams. Originally, I planned to go home to study properly, but I feel like being with you students and with you, my friend, having classes every day, chatting to relieve stress and bad moods when tired or frustrated from studying during spare time, is quite happy.”

Because of these words, Su Chunfeng could not stand by and watch Xiao Qian face a potentially dangerous situation.

When Su Chunfeng hurriedly arrived at the playground, he saw, in the dimness not far from the laboratory, seven or eight young men smoking, leaning casually, standing in a circle, talking and laughing unscrupulously.

In the middle of them, Xiao Qian was hiding fearfully beside Zuo Hongbin.

And Zuo Hongbin appeared righteous and heroic, putting on a brave front of saving a damsel in distress against many. But from the look in his eyes, one could already see panic and fear.

Clearly, he was also afraid of the Ten Brothers.

After all, he taught locally!

And if he really got into a fight with these fierce village troublemakers, even though Zuo Hongbin, a military academy graduate professionally trained in Sanda with decent combat skills, he would still be outnumbered!