Chapter 186 - 185: Have We Met Her?

Xu Jianjuan answered truthfully, "I’m missing a lot of my memories, and some negative ones are affecting me."

"You’re ill," Si Xu said coldly. "Your file says you have a mental illness."

Xu Jianjuan’s fingers clenched.

’I knew this would happen!’

Xu Jianjuan could only try to shift the focus to the Soul Ghost Body. "But I think some of my memories are strange. It’s like I know a lot about the Soul Ghost Body out of nowhere."

Si Xu grew thoughtful.

’Purification can make someone remember everything.’

’No wonder Xu Jianjuan sought me out instead of Pei Yin.’

’Conclusion: Pei Yin is useless.’

"Then I shall grant your request."

Si Xu’s expression was detached and indifferent, his every word and action befitting his divine nature.

His gaze was compassionate, as if he were looking down upon a believer praying to him.

"Thank you." Xu Jianjuan was in no mood for sarcastic remarks; deep down, she only felt a sense of dread.

’If I want to avoid my fate from my past life, I have to know what happened.’

’But now that the truth is about to be revealed, I’m starting to feel an inexplicable fear. I’m worried that what comes next will be something I can’t accept or face.’

Sacred feathered wings unfolded behind Si Xu.

A faint golden light slowly swirled deep within Si Xu’s eyes.

"Close your eyes. The Feather God will guide your path."

Xu Jianjuan silently complied.

Before closing her eyes, Xu Jianjuan saw the Yuge’s Beast Soul appear in the air above and behind Si Xu.

The man and his soul radiated a soft halo of light.

The ethereal cooing of the dove circled her ears, each note clear and pure. The gloom that had settled in her heart began to melt away, bit by bit, with the melody.

The corners of her mouth lifted as her memory was pulled back to the day she clutched her Weis Lan acceptance letter and shared the good news.

Over three thousand people from her entire village came to see her off, and all kinds of gifts were piled high at her door.

"Weis Lan Noble Academy? It’s really Weis Lan! Xiao Juan has such a bright future!"

"To think a little phoenix would fly out of a poor nest like ours."

"The name Xu Juan is no good; it sounds so common. The whole village pitched in to have a new name chosen for you. How about we call you Jianjuan from now on?"

"Jianjuan... that doesn’t sound like a villager’s name at all. With a new name, those nobles won’t bully you."

"I heard Weis Lan Academy doesn’t just have nobles but a lot of commoners too. Commoners definitely won’t harm other commoners. Xiao Juan, you should get along with them, help each other out, and grow together."

"I looked it up, and the academy has just as many commoners as it does Awakeners. If the nobles give you trouble, you all should band together and resist. It’s a huge academy, so the rules have to be fair. One person might not have enough power, but if a whole group speaks up, the academy can’t just ignore you, right?"

"That’s right! Sigh, I wonder if I’ll ever get a chance to get out and see the world in this lifetime."

...

Even now, Xu Jianjuan could recall what she had said.

"The medicine program at Weis Lan Noble Academy is very famous. Once I learn how to make Genetic Medicine, I’ll send it back to you all. If we solve our genetic issues, maybe we can Awaken too!"

The scene shifted, and Xu Jianjuan boarded the Starship sent by the academy under the hopeful gazes of the crowd.

Everything about the university was new and exciting. Xu Jianjuan finished unpacking, changed into her favorite outfit, and went to explore the campus.

Reality was cruel. Many areas of the academy were not open to commoners.

To enter the key medicinal zones of the medicine program or access library resources, one had to pay a corresponding amount of EV value.

This included various Medicinal Plant resources, which also required EV value to obtain.

Xu Jianjuan checked her initial EV value: 500. It wasn’t enough for her to exchange for three Beast Plants.

She casually asked a classmate and discovered that just because they had Awakened with D-level Spiritual Power, their benefits were a whole lot better than hers.

A sense of disparity flooded Xu Jianjuan’s mind. In a daze, she stumbled upon one bullying incident after another.

She didn’t want to get involved in other people’s business on her first day, but the last time, she couldn’t hold back.

It was two upperclassmen, both Half-awakened, bullying a first-year student.

They wore the cyan brooches that belonged only to minor nobles.

And that first-year was Wen Shuting.

Wen Shuting wore a black brooch, clearly a special admission student just like Xu Jianjuan.

When the two upperclassmen stepped on Wen Shuting’s face and said, "Because we’re nobles," Xu Jianjuan lost her cool and rushed out.

"What’s so great about being a noble? You just got lucky with where you were born! I’ve recorded everything. Two upperclassmen bullying a first-year. Let’s see how you’re going to get by at school after this."

And then, Xu Jianjuan got beaten up too.

"I’m Wen Shuting. Thank you for helping me."

Xu Jianjuan clutched her bruised stomach, happy that she had made a friend.

"It’s nothing. We’re both first-years, and special admission students at that. If I had pretended not to see anything today, I might have been next."

Xu Jianjuan promised, "I’ll protect you from now on."

"I’ll protect you too," Wen Shuting grumbled. "They’re too much. I was just fooling around and accidentally broke their Star Source Medicine, and they beat me up for it."

Xu Jianjuan didn’t know what was special about Star Source Medicine, nor did she understand how much of a benefit this kind of medicine could be for a Half-awakened.

She listened to Wen Shuting complain about the privileges of the nobility and describe the hypocrisy of teachers on the forums, who spoke respectfully to nobles but dismissively to commoners.

Her bias against the nobles grew stronger, and Xu Jianjuan decisively posted the video she recorded on the forums.

She never expected her comment about being "born lucky" to provoke such ridicule and torment from the nobles.

Someone even dragged the names of the chiefs known as the F7 into it, starting a rumor that her comment was directed at them, looking down on them for having been "born lucky" into noble clans.

Fortunately, the F7 didn’t pay it any mind at all.

Tragically, from that day on, Xu Jianjuan’s miserable university life began.

She began trying to show off her grades, studying like crazy to prove her worth and, through that, unite all the commoners in the school.

In class, she spoke boldly about topics related to Genetic Potions and Awakeners, successfully getting Sheng Yue to invite her to join a research project.

The bullying didn’t stop. Sheng Yue’s appearance only made the bullying shift from being out in the open to happening in the shadows.

During one incident, Xu Jianjuan hid in Sector 4 and met Duan Feiye.

Duan Feiye was in a terrible mood and irritably tried to shoo her away. "I can help you, but you have to drink this medicine and be my volunteer for three months."

Xu Jianjuan drank it. Only after drinking it did she realize that Duan Feiye hadn’t actually wanted her to drink it; he simply didn’t want to see her.

At this point in the memory, Xu Jianjuan suddenly pulled herself out of it.

She opened her eyes and heard Si Xu let out a puzzled "hmm."

"What is it? My esteemed Chief Si Xu?" Xu Jianjuan asked in a low voice.

Si Xu frowned, tilting his head to look at her in confusion.

’When a Soul Ghost Body is killed, the aura of death will disappear in about one to two months.’

’The Soul Ghost Body aura on Xu Jianjuan is very faint, meaning two months have clearly passed.’

’This part is reasonable. What isn’t is that besides the Soul Ghost’s aura, I also detected the Charm Skill belonging to Ting Ying.’

’Not just Ting Ying, but Ah Qi’s Illusion as well.’

Si Xu’s expression turned slightly cold: [Have we met her before?]

Ah Qi was just as surprised: [This is the first time we’ve used a Soul Beast Skill on her.]

Si Xu’s eyelids half-lowered.

Ah Qi said: [Go ask Pei Yin.]

The Beast Soul materialized into a physical form. Ah Qi flapped its wings, carrying Xu Jianjuan away from the spot.