Chapter 11 – Shadows at the Edge of Light
Meilin didn't sleep much that night.
Even after her bath and warm lotus soup, her thoughts raced with everything she had discovered: the Celestial Bride, the memory orb, the blood-soaked visions of her past life… and the dangerous spiritual world she had stepped into with Li Yanzhou.
She stared at the moon through her window, her fingers resting against the thin silk curtain. The system's interface still flickered faintly in the corner of her vision.
> Current Quest: Unveil the Hidden World – Part 1 Objective: Locate the first corrupted soul fragment within Huajin Campus. Hint: Begins where joy once bloomed but now lies forgotten.
"Where joy once bloomed…" Meilin murmured. Her eyes narrowed.
Could that be the old greenhouse near the west garden? It had once been a place of vibrant flowers and laughter, but after the accident years ago, it was sealed off.
The air shifted suddenly.
A cold gust passed through the closed window.
Her body tensed.
> [Warning: Spiritual Entity Detected – Rank: Lesser Wraith] Proximity: 6 meters Intent: Hostile
She turned sharply. In the corner of her room, a black mist coiled like a serpent. Two dim red eyes blinked to life within it.
Her heart stuttered. But before fear could take root, her system glowed.
> [Activating Skill: Celestial Sense] [Battle Mode: Initiated] You may now summon a Basic Celestial Artifact: Moonlight Pin
In a flash, a slender silver hairpin materialized in her hand, its body etched with runes that pulsed faintly.
The wraith lunged with a hiss.
Meilin sidestepped instinctively, her body moving with an agility that felt guided. She thrust the pin toward the mist. It shimmered with a silvery aura and struck the shadow clean through.
A high-pitched shriek erupted.
The creature writhed and dissolved into gray ash, leaving behind a fragment glowing faintly on her floor.
She exhaled shakily, sweat beading on her brow.
> [Victory] You have defeated a Lesser Wraith. +200 EXP
Soul Fragment Collected (1/3)
Trust Bond with Li Yanzhou: +3
Hidden Ability Unlocked: Dreamscape Link (Lv.1)
She picked up the fragment. It was cold and glassy, like frozen smoke. The system absorbed it, storing it in her Celestial Archive.
Just then, her phone buzzed.
Yanzhou: "I felt a spike in dark energy near you. Are you safe?"
Meilin's fingers hesitated over the keyboard. She glanced at the still-smoking mark on the floor and typed back:
Meilin: "Wraith. It's gone now. I handled it."
Yanzhou: "…Impressive. Stay sharp. We're not alone."
---
The next day at Huajin Academy was unusually quiet. The air carried a heaviness she hadn't noticed before. Students passed each other with hushed voices and nervous glances.
Rumors were spreading.
"Did you hear? A girl from the dance department fainted last night and hasn't woken up."
"They said she was screaming about shadows before collapsing."
Meilin's jaw clenched. That confirmed it—the corrupted fragments were leaking dark energy, affecting ordinary students.
In the hallway, Li Yanzhou met her near the elevator. His expression was grim.
"Four students unconscious since dawn. All from different departments. The faculty thinks it's a viral fever. It's not."
"How many fragments are on campus?" Meilin asked quietly.
"Unknown. But we found one. It's embedded in the old greenhouse's central fountain," he said, confirming her suspicion. "But the area is warded. Entering it could trigger a trap unless you synchronize your energy with the ley line beneath it."
Meilin looked down at her wrist, where the Celestial Mark pulsed faintly beneath her skin.
"Then let's do it. I'm not letting more innocent people get hurt because of me."
He didn't smile, but something softened in his gaze.
"Come after dusk. The veil weakens then."
---
That evening, cloaked in the shadows of twilight, they approached the overgrown path behind the west garden.
The greenhouse loomed ahead—abandoned and covered in vines. Broken glass crunched underfoot. As they stepped inside, the air changed—warmer, heavier. A faint humming vibrated through Meilin's bones.
At the center stood the old fountain. Dried, cracked, but something pulsed faintly beneath it.
> [Quest Update: Corrupted Soul Fragment 2 Detected] Alert: Mid-Tier Guardian Active – "Phantom Gardener"
Suddenly, vines burst from the walls like serpents. A figure emerged—part human, part plant, its face covered by blooming roses, and its arms twisted into thorny branches.
Yanzhou unsheathed a blade forged of dark light.
Meilin raised her Moonlight Pin.
It roared—and the fight began.
---
The Phantom Gardener moved with terrible grace. Every motion sent thorny whips flying toward them. Yanzhou deflected one with a sharp arc of energy while Meilin ducked and rolled across the cracked marble floor, the pin glowing brightly.
> [Skill: Moonlight Thrust Activated] Critical Hit!
She leaped forward and pierced the creature's chest. It screeched, flailing, and she was thrown back.
"Together!" Yanzhou barked.
They moved in tandem—his sword carving a path through the vine barrier, her pin slicing through exposed spiritual veins.
The Phantom staggered.
> [Final Combo Skill Activated: Celestial Binding Slash]
Shared Trust Sync: 32%
Yanzhou swung, and Meilin's pin glowed brighter as she channeled her energy into the strike.
With one final cry, the creature crumbled into petals and ash.
At the heart of the debris, a shimmering soul fragment floated.
> [Soul Fragment Collected (2/3)]
EXP +500
Trust Bond Level 3 Achieved
System Reward: [Skill Upgrade Token x1]
Side Quest Unlocked: "The Forgotten Bloom"
Meilin knelt, collecting the fragment. The moment her fingers brushed it, her system glowed brightly.
> [Vision Unlocked…]
Scene: A wedding altar. A voice murmuring vows. A betrayal. Blood on silk.
She gasped.
Yanzhou caught her arm. "What did you see?"
She didn't answer immediately. The image of Lin Haoxuan—her ex-husband from her past life—flickered in her memory.
He had been the one holding her hand at the altar. He had been the one who stabbed her with a ceremonial blade moments later.
"I remember more," she whispered. "It wasn't just betrayal. It was sacrifice. They offered me… to something ancient."
Yanzhou's face darkened. "Then they're still out there. And they'll come again."
Meilin clutched the fragment.
"Then let them. This time, I won't be their pawn."