Chapter 105: Chu Anzhi’s Classmates
Footsteps echoed in the hallway, mixed with occasional bits of conversation.
Chu Feng glanced at Chu Anzhi and asked, “Your classmates are here to see you?”
Chu Anzhi nodded, his expression complicated. “I guess so.”
He lowered his head, thinking: they probably heard he’d recovered, so they came.
“Anzhi, are you better?” Liu He was the first to enter and ask.
Chu Anzhi nodded lightly. “The doctor said I’m much better. Seems like some kind of medical miracle.”
Xu Linlin stood behind a few others, her face pale.
Li Li looked at Chu Anzhi with a smile and said, “You’re pretty lucky! Chen Yi’s dad spent a million yuan to bring in a master from Mount Longhu to perform a ritual in the ward, and it didn’t work at all. Lu Junhan’s uncle spent five million to bring in an expert team from abroad, and that didn’t help either.”
Chu Feng thought: Masters? Experts? That’s nothing! The detox elixir he gave came from a supernatural being from another world—it was a true treasure.
Chu Anzhi lowered his head, silently thinking: Compared to those two classmates, he was just a poor kid. His hospital stay cost over 40,000 yuan—he had thought that was expensive, but hearing what the others spent made it seem trivial.
The classmates chatted enthusiastically, the room lively, yet it all felt slightly off to Chu Feng.
One girl nudged Xu Linlin, but Xu Linlin avoided it, turning to the side.
Chu Feng glanced at Xu Linlin. He’d seen many photos of her and Chu Anzhi in his cousin’s social media—he knew she was Anzhi’s girlfriend. But now, she was acting evasive, which didn’t sit right with him.
“Anzhi, did you eat some kind of magical elixir?” Wang Yicheng asked with curiosity.
Chu Anzhi shook his head. “No, I just got better naturally—probably thanks to the hospital staff.”
“This hospital’s doctors are that good? I couldn’t tell,” Liu He commented.
Chu Feng thought to himself: That’s because they’re not. This hospital’s doctors are mediocre at best.
Wang Yicheng’s gaze shifted to Illya. “Hi there!”
Illya, sitting off to the side, bored and swinging his legs, looked up when greeted. He nodded and replied, “Hello.”
“Your ring is really pretty,” Wang Yicheng said, thinking to himself: That’s a huge diamond. If it’s real, it’s probably expensive.
Illya smiled faintly.
Sha Yihang stared at Chu Feng, muttering, “That ring looks the same as his.”
Illya nodded matter-of-factly. “It’s supposed to be. They’re matching rings.”
The moment he said that, many eyes in the ward flicked back and forth between Illya and Chu Feng.
Wang Yicheng lowered his head and murmured: So they’re a couple… No wonder he’s so good-looking.
Chu Feng noticed their expressions and thought: This is Beijing after all—much more open-minded. They seem to accept the idea quickly, though maybe only on the surface.
After chatting a bit longer, the classmates left the ward.
Chu Feng looked at Chu Anzhi and asked, “What’s wrong? You seem off.”
Chu Anzhi shook his head. “I’m fine.”
But he frowned slightly. He felt like his classmates didn’t come to celebrate his recovery—they were here to probe for information.
“I think I saw a couple of patients being transferred in. Could they be your classmates?” Chu Feng asked.
Chu Anzhi nodded. “Maybe.” His two classmates came from wealthy families; they probably had more access to inside info.
The hospital staff had been calling his recovery a “medical miracle,” so it made sense that the parents of those other two transferred them here.
Wang Yicheng exited the ward and remarked, “Who would’ve thought—Chen and Lu didn’t recover, but Chu did. I guess the more expensive the hospital, the less effective the treatment.”
Sha Yihang nodded. “Yeah.”
Wang Yicheng looked over at Xu Linlin. “Linlin, why aren’t you saying more to Anzhi?”
Xu Linlin gave a strained smile. “I don’t know what to say.”
She lowered her head. Originally, Chu Anzhi hadn’t even wanted to go to Ghost Village—it was her pestering that made him go. After he got poisoned, she felt awful, but rumors at school started blaming her for his condition. That left her feeling bitter and uncertain how to face him.
When Chu Anzhi acted cold earlier, she was disappointed but also a bit relieved. After this incident, their relationship as a couple was probably over.
Wang Yicheng crossed his arms. “That cousin of Chu Anzhi’s seems pretty well-off.”
Sha Yihang nodded. “Seems like it. Linlin, did Anzhi ever talk about his cousin?”
Xu Linlin shook her head. “Not much. He only mentioned that his cousin won the lottery, then bought a house and a car, and turned his life around.”
Wang Yicheng nodded. “Definitely turned things around—not only rich, but also landed a good-looking guy.”
Back in the ward, Chu Anzhi turned his eyes to Illya, then leaned toward Chu Feng and whispered, “Brother Feng, your boyfriend is really good-looking.”
Chu Feng smiled. “He is.”
He thought to himself: No need to whisper that. Anyone with eyes can see Illya’s attractive.
Chu Anzhi saw Chu Feng’s proud expression and felt a bit conflicted inside.
If only I had such good taste, I wouldn’t be in this mess now…
He forced a dry smile and muttered, “Yeah, yeah… you’re right.”
Even though Chu Anzhi hadn’t said anything directly, Chu Feng could tell he was disappointed in his girlfriend. And honestly, who could blame him? That girl had seemingly gotten away unscathed, but after all this time, hadn’t even visited. And just now, she kept avoiding him.
Chu Feng was starting to suspect: this poisoning incident… might have something to do with that girlfriend of his.
Chu Feng shook his head, thinking: Other people spend money to date, but my foolish cousin nearly dies for it!
“Do you remember what kind of bugs you encountered?”
Chu Anzhi pulled out his phone. “I think I have a picture of them.”
Chu Feng rolled his eyes. “You took a photo? You were already poisoned and still had the mood to take pictures of bugs?”
Chu Anzhi smiled awkwardly. “Those bugs were really weird. They chased me for a while, then suddenly stopped, like they hit an invisible barrier, and turned back.”
At the time, even though he had been bitten and was nervous, he never imagined the insects could be deadly.
“I only took one picture, but others took a lot and shared them in the group chat.”
Chu Feng shook his head, thinking: These guys are really gutsy! So many people these days don’t fear death at all.
He took the phone and looked. The bugs resembled scorpions.
Illya leaned in, surprised. “Yin Ghost Scorpions.”
Chu Feng turned to Illya. “You know these bugs?”
Illya nodded. “Kind of. I’m not sure if they’re exactly the same species, though.”
“What kind of weird bugs are these?”
Illya pursed his lips. “Yin Ghost Scorpions. They usually grow in areas thick with corpse energy and feed on corpses. Normally they don’t grow this big. Something might have stimulated their growth.”
Chu Anzhi looked at Chu Feng. “Brother Feng, what are you guys talking about?”
Chu Feng frowned slightly. Illya had spoken using a mix of Crescent dialect and Mandarin, making it hard to understand. Chu Feng could barely follow, but Chu Anzhi was completely lost.
“Brother Feng, what language was that?”
Chu Feng gave him a glance. “Whatever language it is, it’s none of your business. Just focus on passing CET-6 (College English Test Level 6).”
Chu Anzhi made a face, thinking: Bringing up English exams to someone who just survived a near-death experience—cousin really is heartless and unreasonable.
Chu Feng ignored him and asked Illya,
“If something is affecting the Yin Ghost Scorpions, what could it be?”
“Maybe the presence of a Witch Stone,” Illya replied.
“Witch Stone?” Chu Feng was puzzled.
Illya nodded. “Yes.”
“What is that?” Chu Feng asked curiously.
Illya tilted his head. “It’s a kind of stone that can enhance the abilities of power users. It also has a big effect on animals. I read a record once that said a nest of flesh-eating ants got a Witch Stone. They were originally the size of fingernails but grew as big as fists—and devoured everyone in the surrounding village.”
Chu Feng’s eyes widened. “That kind of magical thing actually exists?”
Illya nodded. “Yes. But they’re almost extinct.”
“What do you mean?” Chu Feng asked.
Illya explained, “Witch Stones are limited. Once used, they’re gone. But new ability users keep emerging. Over time, naturally, the supply dried up. Though… maybe not completely gone. I’ve just never seen one myself.”
He paused, then added, “It’s said Witch Stones can even extend life.”
Chu Feng was surprised. “Seriously?”
Illya nodded. “It should be true. Since Witch Stones boost abilities, and the more powerful someone is, the longer they’re said to live.”
Chu Feng frowned slightly, thinking: If there really are Witch Stones in Ghost Village, then that insect controller might’ve been there for them.
He continued to himself: I traveled all this way, and now that I’ve come across news of Witch Stones, if I turn back out of fear, it’ll leave me feeling too unwilling.
He glanced at Illya, whose eyes sparkled. Clearly, he was also interested in the Witch Stones.
Chu Feng smiled. “Let’s go check it out.”
Illya nodded. “Okay.”
