Noble Academy's Mob Character: Reborn as the Campus Heartthrob - Chapter 52

Chapter 52: Terror in the Ancient Village (Epilogue)

“What is your purpose in entering the mountains?”

The man’s tall, imposing frame exuded a sense of pressure, though he was somewhat gaunt. His pitch-black eyes held no discernible emotion, giving him the unsettling aura of an automaton—an inexplicable chill permeated his gaze.

Despite the rising sun and abundant sunlight, Qi Yuan found himself breaking into a cold sweat as he stood before the man. Was this a premonitory warning? The body often senses danger even before the conscious mind.

Yet even knowing something was amiss, Qi Yuan couldn’t escape the Dreamscape; he was forced to accept it.

“We’re here to gather mushrooms,” Qi Yuan replied. “And allow me to introduce myself. I’m Qi Yuan, and this is my little sister, Qi Meng.”

A flicker of emotion briefly stirred in the man’s eyes before quickly fading back to their impassive state.

“Mm.”

“Xia Jiqing,” he said. “That’s my name.”

Qi Yuan forced a polite smile—after all, this man was their guide. Basic courtesy was necessary.

“Then, Xia Jiqing, let’s hope we have a fruitful partnership.”

He extended his hand, stopping just before Xia Jiqing.

Xia Jiqing seemed unsure of the gesture’s purpose, but he awkwardly mimicked it.

Cold.

Incredibly cold.

Like gripping a block of ice.

That was the sensation that shot through Qi Yuan the moment their hands met. He had never imagined a living person’s hand could be so frigid.

He dared not dwell on it, rationalizing to himself that perhaps Xia Jiqing’s constitution was simply different—a result of his frail health. After all, the world was full of oddities, and surely there were others who were perpetually cold and impervious to heat.

Xia Jiqing wasn’t one for idle chatter. Throughout their journey into the mountains, he silently led the way, with Qi Yuan and Qi Meng following behind. Qi Meng chattered incessantly, her curiosity piqued by everything she saw.

The mountain paths were treacherous, but the man’s actions belied his cold exterior.

He walked deliberately slowly, mindful that this was Qi Yuan and Qi Meng’s first time on the mountain. He didn’t want them to fall behind, and since he had to wait for them anyway, he deliberately paced himself.

Qi Meng pulled out a plastic bag and asked Xia Jiqing about each mushroom she picked: “Is this one edible?”

Xia Jiqing would glance at it briefly and immediately determine its toxicity.

Almost every mushroom Qi Meng picked was poisonous, save for a few exceptions.

Even so, Qi Meng didn’t lose her enthusiasm. She remained as eager as ever.

Qi Yuan, with his sharp memory, had already memorized which mushrooms Xia Jiqing had confirmed as edible and which he had rejected.

As they continued their trek, his eyes scanned the surroundings, searching for the edible varieties he had memorized.

Before long, he spotted one.

Qi Yuan walked over, knelt down, and flicked the mushroom’s cap. He then dug his fingers into the loose soil and carefully pulled the mushroom out.

A figure silently approached from behind.

“You shouldn’t have come.”

Xia Jiqing’s voice was so soft it could have been carried away by the wind.

Qi Yuan turned his head, tilting it back. From this angle, he could clearly see Xia Jiqing’s eyes.

Within those dark, fathomless pools swam an emotion he couldn’t comprehend—an endless, churning sorrow, awaiting a fate from which there was no escape.

Xia Jiqing stared at this outsider who shouldn’t have been standing before him. He should have been in that cursed house, awaiting death’s arrival.

Yet he had ventured out, drawn by the warmth of the hand he held—a fleeting hope.

He hesitated.

Should he return to die alone?

Or descend into the abyss with this ephemeral hope?

Ultimately, he chose to drive them away.

“Do you see that path over there?” Xia Jiqing averted his gaze, pointing to a faint trail in the distance, marked by signs of recent passage.

“Leave now.”

“Don’t look back.”

“Never return.”

“This is your only chance.”

Qi Yuan stood up, the mushroom falling from his hand to the ground. He didn’t care. He just kept staring at Xia Jiqing.

How could he have failed to notice the strangeness of the Ancient Village? It was the same in both reality and the Dreamscape.

As he moved through the village, he constantly felt watched, but he had to pretend not to notice anything amiss.

This Dreamscape was undoubtedly dangerous, yet Qi Yuan couldn’t find a way to break free.

He had initially planned to go with the flow, but an unexpected escape route had now presented itself. He should have been overjoyed, but looking at Xia Jiqing, he couldn’t bring himself to feel any joy.

“What about you, Xia Jiqing?” Qi Yuan asked.

Though not a purely virtuous person, Qi Yuan still possessed a sense of gratitude. He couldn’t change others, but he could correct himself, striving to live by proper moral principles.

“I’m one of the village people,” Xia Jiqing replied.

His words were clear enough, subtly urging Qi Yuan to leave him behind without explicitly saying so.

“Let’s go together,” Qi Yuan said, extending his hand again.

He merely pitied Xia Jiqing a little. Call it his bleeding heart.

Qi Yuan was the kind of person who never looked back once he’d made up his mind.

“Wh-why?” Xia Jiqing’s voice trembled, betraying his disbelief and a hint of wavering.

“Consider it a reward for your kindness.”

“Will you accept?” Qi Yuan’s eyes held encouragement, and a gentle smile bloomed on his face.

He would never know that his actions at that moment had ignited a spark of hope in someone trapped in the abyss, prompting them to climb out instead of plunging deeper into the darkness.

Xia Jiqing: “Even if my personality isn’t exactly… likable? You’d still want me?”

Qi Yuan: “Mm-hmm, I want you.”

Qi Yuan: “Everyone has flaws. Mine are being greedy and stingy.”

Qi Yuan: “Perfect! Now that you’re coming with me, I won’t even have to pay you the hundred and fifty yuan for being my guide today.”

His attempt to lighten the tense atmosphere with a joke even made himself laugh.

Xia Jiqing didn’t reply, but instead took Qi Yuan’s hand.

Just then, Qi Meng returned with a large bag of mushrooms she had gathered. She came looking for Xia Jiqing, eager to show him her haul.

Instead, she found her big brother and Xia Jiqing holding hands, the air thick with unspoken emotion.

Ah…

Did I miss something?

Completely bewildered, she was suddenly being led away by Qi Yuan, who pulled her down the narrow path.

Sandwiched between them, Qi Yuan held a hand on either side.

Though Qi Meng had no idea where Qi Yuan was taking her, she asked no questions. She trusted her big brother unconditionally, knowing he would never harm her.

They had barely set foot on the path when a sudden gust of wind swept through.

Blinded by the gale, Qi Yuan squeezed his eyes shut.

When Qi Yuan opened his eyes again, the ringing alarm clock reminded him he was back in reality.

He saw Qi Meng sleeping soundly on the sofa, and the door blocked by a table.

Qi Yuan got up and woke Qi Meng.

After they freshened up, Qi Yuan instructed Qi Meng to do or say nothing, just follow him.

Leaving the room, they walked into the inn’s main hall.

The scene was identical to the morning in the Dreamscape.

The elderly woman who had cooked porridge asked if the siblings wanted any. The only difference was her attitude—warm and kind in the Dreamscape, cold and aloof in reality.

Qi Yuan declined, saying they were eager to explore the mountains and had already eaten some bread in their room to stave off hunger.

The old woman silently cleared the empty bowls and chopsticks from the table.

As the siblings stepped out the door, she said, “Take care, Xia boy. Be safe.”

Qi Yuan turned back, a genuine smile spreading across his face. “Thank you, Granny Qin. Take care.”

The old woman paused, watching the retreating figure of the child she couldn’t understand. I don’t think I ever told him my surname, she thought.

Never mind. Why bother fussing over such things?

Watching the empty doorway, she sincerely hoped the rascal could finally escape this flesh-devouring village.

Qi Yuan led Qi Meng back to the small, squat house.

He was poised to knock three times, just as he had in the Dreamscape.

He raised his hand and struck once, but unexpectedly, the door swung open, leaving his hand suspended in mid-air.

Then his hand was seized.

“Xia Jiqing,” the brooding man said eagerly, “that’s my name.”

Qi Yuan’s eyes crinkled into a smile. “I know. I’m paying you 150 yuan to take us mushroom picking in the mountains.”

Xia Jiqing shook his head.

“No need. Taking you into the mountains is free.”

On the contrary, he not only didn’t want payment, but he longed to give Qi Yuan the entire wad of cash wrapped in cloth in his arms.

He remembered Qi Yuan saying he liked money.

This money represented years of his meager savings, accumulated bit by bit.

If I give Qi Yuan all this money, Xia Jiqing thought, will he like me a little more?

But now wasn’t the time.

They set off down the narrow mountain path again.

After walking for a long time, Qi Yuan, panting, turned back.

He gazed at the Ancient Village below, now fully visible from this high vantage point.

The terrain, seen from above, bore an uncanny resemblance to a coffin, and beside the village lay a graveyard dotted with burial mounds.