111: Memory fragments

What the hell is this place?

Xu Sanyan had never felt so powerless, not even when he encountered Cisheng at Miaoyin Nunnery before.

At Miaoyin Nunnery, at least his magic power was still there, and he could still go all out and fight desperately.

But at this moment, he had lost all his magic power, unable to even fight for his life, but fortunately, he still had his panel, which gave him a final glimmer of hope.

Da Gu Mountain...

The Yue Family woman had just uttered these three words, and Xu Sanyan heard them clearly. Could it be that the pitch-black mountain range was called Da Gu Mountain?

But even knowing the name, what good was it?

“Shhh, shhh~~”

The sound of clothes rubbing against the bamboo bed came from his ear. Xu Sanyan subtly opened a slit in his eyes. The Old Gentleman had left.

Xu Sanyan waited for a while longer, and when he didn't see the Old Gentleman return, he moved his body slightly and listened again, hearing nothing unusual.

Phew...

He secretly breathed a sigh of relief, carefully took out the book, and quickly found the Recumbent Ox Classic. It was only a few short sentences, a simple classic that could be memorized after a few reads.

He had never imagined that there would be a day when he would secretly study so diligently.

The light in the room grew dimmer and dimmer. Xu Sanyan looked out the window. The sky seemed to be covered by a black cloth, blocking out the light, while some tiny specks of light quietly slipped through the gaps in the black cloth, bringing a hint of brightness.

The woman beside him suddenly woke up, rose quickly, and shouted in terror, “Soul, Soul.”

Xu Sanyan's heart sank, sensing trouble. He quickly stuffed the book into his embrace and lay on the bamboo bed, feigning sleep.

As soon as he closed his eyes, he heard the Old Gentleman's voice by his ear, “Disturbing a classmate, three strikes with the ruler.”

Cold sweat trickled down Xu Sanyan's temples, but he dared not wipe it, only hoping the Old Gentleman hadn't noticed.

The Yue Family woman fell into confusion again, obediently extending her hand to receive three strikes of the ruler, the crisp “thwack-thwack” sounds echoing in his ears.

Xu Sanyan could almost feel the bone-deep pain.

“Go to sleep,” the Old Gentleman said.

The Yue Family woman obediently got into bed, and the bamboo bed creaked faintly.

Xu Sanyan's heart was in his throat. Although he hadn't opened his eyes, he knew the Old Gentleman hadn't left, and he always felt like the Old Gentleman was watching him.

With the sound of footsteps, the Old Gentleman turned to leave.

Suddenly, Xu Sanyan felt a cold touch on his temples, as if a pair of large, unfeeling hands were gently stroking him. This sensation made his heart pound.

He... was helping him wipe the cold sweat from his temples!

Xu Sanyan's breathing paused for a moment, then returned to normal. Those hands were gone, and with the sound of footsteps, the Old Gentleman left.

Xu Sanyan was incredibly shocked. He knew he wasn't asleep!

He absolutely knew!

But why didn't he act against him?

Was it because... he hadn't violated a prohibition?

Xu Sanyan thought carefully. The first time he was hit was for being late, and the second time was for making small movements.

In contrast, the three Yue Family members were the same: the first time was also for being late, and the second and third times were both for disturbing their classmates.

So... as long as you don't make a mistake, you'll be fine?

Then why did the others become so small?

Homework!

They couldn't complete the homework assigned by the teacher. If they didn't complete it once, they would get three strikes with the ruler. Over time, they became smaller and smaller.

Because they had no self-awareness, they would only mechanically follow the routine: go to class when it was time for class, and come back to sleep after class, never completing their homework.

Xu Sanyan seemed to understand something.

Coupled with the “Soul” that the Yue Family woman just mentioned, he speculated that these people might have had their Souls separated from their Physical Bodies for some reason, and then, for some unknown reason, arrived in this world.

But the crucial point now was, how could he get out?

Using brute force was definitely out of the question. He didn't even have brute force to use now. His current strength was even less than Big Yellow Tooth's. How could he contend with the elusive teacher?

Thoughts churned in his mind, and a deep sense of fatigue swept over his entire body. Xu Sanyan struggled to stay awake but still unconsciously fell into a dream.

After an unknown amount of time, the sky brightened, and the sound of a gong exploded, waking them up.

Everyone opened their eyes, their gazes clear again, and the dormitory immediately became chaotic.

“I want to get out!” someone shrieked.

“Da! Gu! Mountain!”

Someone gritted their teeth, enunciating each word, their small face full of resentment.

When you are weak enough, even anger seems so adorable.

The three Yue Family members quickly gathered together. The three of them were originally of similar age, appearing to be twenty-seven or twenty-eight, but the woman had received the most ruler strikes, and now looked like an eighteen or nineteen-year-old girl.

At this moment, they could barely protect themselves and no longer had the inclination to capture Xu Sanyan.

“Clang~”

The second gong sounded, and everyone fell into confusion again, obediently lining up and walking towards the school hall.

The Old Gentleman stood behind the lecture desk, holding the ruler and examining them one by one, “Recite the Recumbent Ox Classic.”

The child stood there blankly.

“Unfinished homework, three strikes with the ruler.” The Old Gentleman extended the ruler and struck three times.

Xu Sanyan stood in the middle of the line, observing silently. He noticed that before each strike, the Old Gentleman would always state the reason, as if it were some kind of rule.

The crowd moved forward in succession. Xu Sanyan noticed a child, about two or three years old, tiny and not even as tall as his knee. After receiving three strikes of the ruler, he immediately dissipated into the world.

Xu Sanyan pursed his lips. This person's Divine Soul had probably dissipated, leaving no hope of survival.

The line moved forward, and soon it was Xu Sanyan's turn. The Old Gentleman's eyes were calm, “Recite the Recumbent Ox Classic.”

Xu Sanyan thought for a moment and then began, “Green grass drips with morning dew, the herdboy leads with the nose rope...”

As the poem was recited, a peculiar light seemed to flicker in the Old Gentleman's eyes. He stared intently at Xu Sanyan, and after a long moment, he spoke, “Homework completed.”

As soon as he finished speaking, a faint, obscure light poured into the top of his head. Xu Sanyan's eyes widened abruptly. He felt something enter his body...

It was something different from magic power or Qi, indescribable in words. That Soul-deep comfort made him tremble all over, almost unable to suppress his inner excitement.

Xu Sanyan gently closed his eyes. Something seemed to have appeared in his mind... some incomplete memories that didn't belong to him?

He saw “himself” leading people into a civilian's home, killing the man, and then raping the woman, unmoved by her cries.

Such actions were very much like his style, but Xu Sanyan didn't remember doing such a thing.

The scene changed, and he saw “himself” lying in a bathtub.

His gaze was fixed on the water's surface, reflecting a blurry image of a woman with a seductive face, gently licking her red lips, seemingly admiring her own exquisite beauty.

The memory fragments shattered again. This time, he became a young boy, sitting quietly on a luxurious wooden chair, holding a book in his hands, but his eyes were fixed on the birds outside the window.

Xu Sanyan wanted to pull his gaze back to the book, but found he couldn't. He was just a first-person observer, unable to influence the scene in the memory.