Chapter 22: Enshrouded in Layers of Mist

A few of them glanced at the group messages, exchanged looks, and Zhang Xiaofan immediately stood up and said, “It seems the killer has struck again. Let’s go take a look—perhaps we’ll find a clue.”
“Let’s go.”
After asking about the location of the body in the group chat, they were all surprised; this time, the corpse had appeared in the boys’ dormitory.
Brushing past the crowd of onlookers, Zhang Xiaofan arrived at a dorm not far from his own. There, Cai Ming from their class lay face up on the bed, his complexion deathly pale as he stared blankly at the ceiling—clearly, life had already left him.
In the corner sat another student from the dorm, trembling as he stared at the corpse, muttering, “The killer’s done it again, the killer’s done it again. I’m next, I’m going to die, what do I do, what should I do…”
Wang Hu strode over and asked, “Gao Qi, how did Cai Ming die?”
Gao Qi seemed not to hear, only shaking his head over and over.
“Damn it.” Wang Hu kicked him over and cursed, “I’m asking you a question! Act like that again and I’ll cut you down.”
Gao Qi, quaking, stammered, “I don’t know. After you guys fought with Zhu Kai earlier, Cai Ming said he’d go back to the dorm for a bit. Then, when I just came back, I saw him like this.”
Zhang Xiaofan stepped forward to examine the body. Cai Ming’s face was unusually pale. He reached out to touch his cheek; it was still warm. He couldn’t have been dead long.
“Something’s wrong, something’s not right,” Zhang Xiaofan murmured as he scrutinized the corpse.
“What’s not right?” Wang Hu’s eyes lit up.
“The manner of death is odd. Remember the previous two victims? Their bodies stiffened immediately after death, and they didn’t struggle much, as though their hearts had simply stopped. But look at Cai Ming—he seems to have struggled before dying,” Zhang Xiaofan said, gazing at the lifeless body.
“Maybe it was an accident?” Wang Hu suggested, his face cold.
Zhang Xiaofan shook his head. “It shouldn’t be.” As usual, he examined Cai Ming. When he pried open Cai Ming’s lips, he discovered the tongue was dark purple.
“Poisoned.” Zhang Xiaofan’s pupils contracted.
“I get it now—the killer uses poison to murder his victims!” Wang Hu exclaimed, enlightenment dawning on him. He slapped Zhang Xiaofan on the shoulder and gave him a thumbs up. “Xiaofan, you’re the cleverest, as always.”

“But… but when I sent that vial of blood for testing, the examiner said there was no sign of poison,” Lin Rou said timidly—she was only ever like this in front of Zhang Xiaofan.
“Damn, that really is strange,” Wang Hu said, frowning. Suddenly, he declared, “I’ve figured it out!”
“What have you figured out?” Zhang Xiaofan asked.
Wang Hu looked smug. “It’s simple. The killer has several abilities. Previously, he used some special power to kill, but he also has the ability to use poison.”
Wang Hu’s explanation wasn’t convincing. Zhang Xiaofan shook his head. Logically, even if the killer had multiple ways to kill, there was no reason to use a different method for someone as unremarkable as Cai Ming. Why poison this time?
Or could it be that it wasn’t the killer at all, but one of Cai Ming’s enemies?
That was even more unlikely. Cai Ming had a reputation as the nicest guy in class, with no grudges against anyone—there was no reason for someone to kill him out of the blue.
No, why did Cai Ming come to the dorm so suddenly? Did he have a reason?
Or perhaps someone summoned him—and that someone was likely the killer!
With this thought, Zhang Xiaofan picked up Cai Ming’s phone, only to find it locked. Luckily, it used a fingerprint lock, so he used Cai Ming’s finger to unlock it. The message inbox was completely empty.
“Someone erased everything,” Zhang Xiaofan said in shock. Far from feeling discouraged, he was actually elated inside. “If the killer wiped the messages, it means he’s afraid we’ll track him down. We’re getting closer.”
“What good is that? Right now, I think Zhu Kai is a bigger threat than this killer,” Wang Hu said, looking at the corpse.
With those words, the mood turned heavy for Zhang Xiaofan and the others.
After leaving the dorm, Wang Hu soon went off, saying that since he might not have long to live, he should enjoy life while he could.
Zhang Xiaofan told Lin Rou and Su Qianqian to head back early as well. He and Jiang Jiehui and Hu Xiaotian returned to their own dorm. By then, night was falling. After sitting all day pondering the string of deaths, Zhang Xiaofan’s mind was restless.
“Xiaofan, don’t overthink it. If Zhu Kai comes after you, we won’t just stand by,” Jiang Jiehui assured him with a nod.
Zhang Xiaofan nodded slightly. Wang Hu had a point—for now, Zhu Kai was indeed the bigger threat.

No matter how powerful the killer was, at least they could eliminate him by entering his name into Bao Lei’s notebook. But Zhu Kai was different. He was formidable in a direct fight, and they really weren’t his match.
Although Zhang Xiaofan had exchanged for the Fire Physique, it was rather limited in usefulness. To be honest, if he had been the one fighting Zhu Kai today, even if he had unleashed his strongest flames, his mental strength would have given out. If Zhu Kai had seized that moment of weakness to strike, he would be dead for sure.
Jiang Jiehui looked troubled as well. Lying on his bed, he said, “It’s all because of that bastard Song Feng. If he hadn’t brought Zhu Kai into the group, we wouldn’t be in this mess.”
“That’s right. Of everyone in the class, I dislike Song Feng the most,” Hu Xiaotian muttered from the side. “Now someone dies every day—who knows who’ll be next?”
“What do you mean one a day? Zhu Kai’s been killing every day too. Just today, he killed right in front of us. It’s terrifying just to think about,” Hu Xiaotian sighed, pulling out a small notebook with the word ‘Physiognomy’ written in bold on the cover.
“What’s that?” Zhang Xiaofan asked curiously.
“I bought it on Underworld Taobao. It’s about face-reading—once I master it, I’ll be able to read people’s fortunes. But, alas, despite all this time, I haven’t learned much,” Hu Xiaotian said bitterly.
“So, have you noticed anyone in the class acting strange lately? Those could be our suspects,” Jiang Jiehui asked, feigning seriousness.
“I’ve checked, but found nothing odd. That’s why I suspect the killer isn’t from our class at all. What if it’s one of those new first-years, maybe someone from Zhu Kai’s group?” Hu Xiaotian speculated.
Zhang Xiaofan’s eyes lit up, and he nodded. “If you put it that way, Xiaotian, it’s possible. We’ll need to keep a closer eye on them.”
“What’s the point? The killer only takes one life a day, but Zhu Kai’s out to get us all. I bet tomorrow Zhu Kai will rally his men against us,” Jiang Jiehui said.
“Looks like we’ll have to hide out like Wang Hu,” Hu Xiaotian said worriedly. Suddenly, a suspicious look crossed his face. “But, you know, Wang Hu was acting a bit strange today. After that showdown with Han Dahai’s uncle, he didn’t kill him.”
“Han Fei had already passed out by then. Maybe he thought he was dead,” Jiang Jiehui said.