Chapter Ten: Qin Yuan
Xiao Xiao rummaged through the drawer and pulled out the black notebook. At this moment, he was alone in the dormitory.
The black cover had a peculiar texture—part gold, part jade, yet also reminiscent of ancient sandalwood—imbued with a heavy, aged charm. Faint, twisting, and bizarre patterns emerged from its surface, shimmering with a subtle silver light that seeped with threads of crimson, as if foretelling ill omens.
Xiao Xiao ran his fingers over the cover.
The cool touch calmed his somewhat erratic heartbeat.
He slowly opened the notebook. The vividly red cinnabar fish shimmered with life, its agile form seemingly accompanied by faint “clucking” sounds. Its innocent, childlike voice inexplicably sent chills down his spine.
Yet, its overly cunning eyes inevitably made one feel uneasy.
Hmm? What is this?
When Xiao Xiao turned to the second page, revealing the ear mouse, he was momentarily stunned.
Compared to the bright hues of the cinnabar fish, the ear mouse appeared as if covered in a layer of dust—dull and lifeless, like a poorly executed and aged painting.
What was going on? The last time he saw it, the ear mouse was as vivid as the cinnabar fish, its red cinnabar seeming to flow across the page, lifelike.
But now, while the cinnabar fish remained unchanged, the ear mouse had undergone this strange transformation.
Could it be… because the ear mouse had suddenly appeared before him that night?
Though lacking concrete evidence, Xiao Xiao felt this guess was almost certainly true.
“I wonder if it’ll recover,” he murmured.
“How long will it take to heal?”
He lightly touched the ear mouse on the paper, speaking softly to himself.
That night, the ear mouse’s appearance had undoubtedly saved his life. Naturally, he was deeply grateful and especially reluctant to see his savior suffer any harm.
But why did it appear?
Why did it save him?
And why did its image darken as a result?
...
There were many questions, and Xiao Xiao had his own speculations.
Yet, all required verification.
...
Lost in thought for a moment, Xiao Xiao then cautiously flipped to the third page.
The yellowed paper was blank, but he was not disappointed and stared intently.
There seemed to be a strange ripple in the air, flashing by so quickly it felt like an illusion.
It appeared!
Xiao Xiao’s eyes widened, golden light surging deep within his pupils.
On the yellowed page, vermilion bled out, as if sketched with a brush—sometimes light, sometimes heavy, perfectly balanced in shade.
...
Soon, the “bee” from that night materialized on the previously empty paper.
Its familiar scarlet round pupils pulsed with fresh blood, exuding a sickly sweet rot, filled with overflowing malice and deathly aura, instantly dragging him back into the memories of that unpleasant night.
A truly miserable recollection.
Xiao Xiao quickly regained his composure and shook his head. Indeed, it was a most disagreeable monster.
The creature’s name surfaced alongside it, ancient and bizarre strokes outlining an otherworldly presence.
“Qinyuan,” Xiao Xiao whispered the name softly.
“Hmm, that name sounds much more dignified than ‘cinnabar fish’ or ‘ear mouse,’” he mused, stroking his chin.
But, “What a waste!” he concluded bluntly. “Such a good name, squandered!”
He still remembered the almost suffocating stench. For a monster with such a strong body odor, and for someone with his slight cleanliness obsession, he naturally felt no fondness.
Moreover, he had nearly died from the sharp sting of that monster’s tail.
Oh, and the piercing shriek that left him feeling both blissful and agonized—this monster truly had no redeeming qualities from head to toe!
Still, such a monster on the opposing side was undeniably troublesome.
What if it were on his side?
Xiao Xiao smiled with a hint of mischief.
At present, the black notebook contained only three types of monsters:
Cinnabar fish, ear mouse, and Qinyuan.
He wondered what abilities the cinnabar fish possessed.
Perhaps he should try it somewhere with water next time?
Also, since the cinnabar fish was a monster, it couldn’t be the same as ordinary fish. Maybe it could survive on land as well?
...
A battle between monsters ended silently.
Xiao Xiao suddenly thought: could it be that in many places, even unseen by humans, countless battles between monsters were taking place?
Unexplainably, he felt a surge of excitement.
Never before had he realized so clearly how greatly his world had changed. A grander, more magnificent universe was unfolding before him, unveiling its mysterious veil for him to explore.
This was a world of humans and monsters.
And he was incredibly fortunate to navigate between these two realms.
Even if it required courage.
Because danger lurked everywhere, did it not?
...
After a few days, no similar incidents occurred in the small woods. The few victims previously affected could not explain what had happened to them. Thus, the case, dubbed the “Small Woods Incident” on the campus network, quietly faded away and was archived.
...
Fortunately, the girl with the most severe injuries was rescued and pulled back from the brink of death.
After a period of uproar, with no new victims and the small woods once again becoming a favorite spot for couples, the incident naturally slipped from memory.
...
“Number Three, there’s a mixer this Friday night!”
“Huh? A mixer?” Xiao Xiao raised an eyebrow in surprise. Had the leader finally succeeded in connecting with some girls’ dorm?
“Actually, it’s just the girls from the small woods incident wanting to thank us by treating our entire dorm to dinner,” Zhao Lu explained straightforwardly.
“Oh, that’s nothing. This is an opportunity—an opportunity!” Zhuge Yun waved his hand with enthusiasm before breaking into a somewhat lecherous smile. “The girls in that dorm are quite attractive, too.”
“Heh heh,” the leader nodded in agreement, sharing a knowing smile with Zhuge Yun.
...
“By the way, Number Three, the girl you had your eye on is coming too.”
“Fate, huh, Number Three.”
Even the youngest brother winked at Xiao Xiao.
Xiao Xiao’s brows twitched. Of course, he knew exactly who they meant.
To be honest, he was also taken aback when he saw that girl that day—it was the same girl who had seen the ear mouse.
He couldn’t help but feel a touch of irony.
He wondered if she had seen the ear mouse again since then.
...
Friday night finally arrived. After much fuss, the entire dorm dressed up decently and headed out for the gathering.
Zhuge Yun even sprayed on some cologne, much to the leader’s amusement, who prided himself on being a “real man.”
...
Upon arriving, they found the girls were already there, leaving the boys dumbfounded.
Oh no—they were later than the girls! What a bad start!
“Sorry, we’re late,” the leader took the initiative to apologize, trying to salvage their impression.
“No, you actually arrived early.”
“We got here first.”
“After all, how could we keep our lifesavers waiting?”
The girls giggled sweetly, charming and lovely.