Immortality: Starting with a grave, I'm invincible when burying corpses.

"how?"

"You're quite something. Mr. Mu actually accepted that string of candied hawthorns just as you said."

Zhuge Xiang showed no surprise at this outcome. He nodded slightly and murmured, "Mr. Mu, is there anything else you wish to say?"

"Other things? What could it be..." Upon hearing Zhuge Xiang's question, Li Yin's heart jumped.

She remembered what Mu An had just told her, Zhuge Xiang's abnormal behavior over the years, and Bai Ling's usual attitude of treating Zhuge Xiang as an equal.

In that instant, countless thoughts flashed through Li Yin's mind, and the truth that should have been spoken out became a lie that was spur of the moment.

"You know Mr. Mu's personality. He's usually as still as a rock, never saying a word to anyone, so he certainly won't bring up anything else... But I do have some things I'd like to ask you about."

The two people speaking were sitting on a blue stone, one on top of the other, and the other below it, unable to see each other's expressions.

Zhuge Xiang was unaware of Li Yin's stiff expression, and Li Yin was unaware of Zhuge Xiang's slightly narrowed eyes.

"Oh? What's troubling you, Senior Sister? I'm willing to answer any questions you may have as long as I know the answer."

The person under the bluestone curled up their legs, their hands wrapped around their knees, their unfocused eyes seeming to be looking ahead, or perhaps at the distant sky.

Compared to the potential problems with Zhuge Xiang, Li Yin is now more concerned about other things.

"Have you noticed that Xiao Wan has been acting a bit strange lately? I have a feeling that she knows something, but no matter how I think about it, it doesn't make sense."

Upon hearing this, Zhuge Xiang opened his squinted eyes again. He glanced down at Li Yin and then at the houses a few dozen meters away.

The doors and windows of the house were tightly closed, making it impossible to see inside. This was the place where Yun Wan usually lived.

"What's strange about it? Senior sister, please tell me in detail."

Li Yin shook her head and waved her hand, but couldn't explain herself clearly no matter how long she talked.

"How should I put it... I just feel a little strange. There were a few times when I felt that Xiao Wan's eyes didn't look like a child's. No, no, maybe my description is a bit off. Most of the time she's very normal..."

I watched Xiao Wan grow up, from her first babbling words to her current graceful figure. No one knows her better than me...

But for some reason, this child has been paying special attention to these koi fish lately, as if they weren't just koi fish, but something more important...

Li Yin spoke with great uncertainty; as soon as she finished one sentence, she contradicted herself with the next.

As she finished speaking, a hint of confusion appeared in her eyes, her mind filled with thoughts of Yun Wan.

"They attach particular importance to these koi fish?" Zhuge Xiang murmured to himself.

After thinking for a while, his gaze settled on Yun Wan's room, as if he could see the person inside through the walls.

After a while, Zhuge Xiang shook his head, turned around and jumped down from the bluestone, squatting down by the stream under Li Yin's slightly confused gaze.

"What you just said is right. I watched my junior sister grow up. There's no way she could have any problems, and she certainly won't be like you, senior sister..."

"Like me..." Li Yin was startled and looked sharply at Zhuge Xiang, who was squatting on the ground. "Sure enough, this guy already knew..."

Suppressing her shock, Li Yin tried her best to control her emotions and asked in a calm tone.

What are your thoughts?

Zhuge Xiang did not respond. Under Li Yin's gaze, he reached out and scooped up a koi carp along with the stream water.

The water seemed to freeze in mid-air, with bright red koi swimming within it. The water surged within, yet not a single drop fell from the outside.

"This koi is dying."

"Is it dying?" Li Yin was even more puzzled, staring intently at the koi in the water.

From the koi's appearance, she could not see anything wrong, but as she released her senses, she immediately noticed the koi's dwindling life force.

After glancing at Zhuge Xiang in surprise, Li Yin lowered her voice and asked, "What do you mean?"

"Let's wait and see how Junior Sister reacts when this koi is about to die, and how Mr. Mu reacts."

"What do you mean? What does this have to do with Mr. Mu?" As she said this, Li Yin's eyes flickered slightly, and she stared intently at Zhuge Xiang.

Thinking of some terrible possibility, a hint of ferocity appeared in Li Yin's usually cold eyes, as if she were saying that if Zhuge Xiang didn't give a reasonable explanation, she would make him pay.

Zhuge Xiang remained focused on the koi in the water, seemingly unaware of Li Yin's gaze, and continued talking to himself.

"There are some things we may not understand, but Mr. Mu certainly knows them. However, although Mr. Mu knows them, he will not explain them to anyone."

"If we want to understand the truth as much as possible, we need to use our brains more and try to see the whole picture from a higher perspective... The blind men and the elephant approach is ultimately unacceptable."

"Secrets are the one thing that's never lacking in this Sui'an Academy."

……

Faced with the choice between continuing to play cryptic and asking directly, Li Yin chose to take action face-to-face.

She grabbed Zhuge Xiang by the collar and said angrily.

"What exactly do you mean? And what exactly do you want to do?"

Even with his collar grabbed, Zhuge Xiang showed no sign of panic. He met Li Yin's gaze calmly and said...

"It's not about what I want to do, but what other people want to do."

"The nine of us in the academy each have our own personalities. The sixth one has the strongest sense of pride, while the eighth one is the most taciturn. The former's pride is more like vanity, while the latter's silence hides true coldness."

"If we compare the sixth brother to a house dog wagging its tail and desperately seeking the approval of others, then the eighth brother is a taciturn guard who rarely speaks, but will not hesitate to pick up a sword when his master needs him."

"The dog was jumping too fiercely and bit the guard's master. The master might have various concerns, but the guard wouldn't have too many concerns because he knew the dog's master and was very clear that even if the dog died, it wouldn't be a big deal."

The strength in her hands vanished rapidly, and in that instant, Li Yin felt her whole body turn ice-cold, and her hands and feet went numb.

She recalled Bai Ling's recent troubles and Bai Yunhe's departure not long ago.

"Xiao Li, do you think there's something wrong with how I've raised you?"

"Why did you suddenly say that, Sister Bai? In my heart, you've always been the best teacher."

"Sigh... If only Xiao Liu were as easygoing as you guys... When two countries are at war, they should fight fair and square. What kind of thing is it to resort to these underhanded tactics?"

The conversation from not long ago echoed in Li Yin's mind. Just two months ago, the academy received news from the southern border.

It is said that an assassin has appeared on the southern border, who specializes in killing people in the south. Officials, soldiers, and civilians are all within his assassination range. He has been doing this for several months without stopping, causing considerable panic in the southern border region.

Compared to other assassins who specifically target high-ranking officials, this assassin seems more like he's venting his anger.

Even though the letter didn't explicitly state it, and Bai Ling didn't say much about it, anyone who wasn't a fool could guess some of it.

"you……"

"You mean the eighth brother...?"

Looking at Li Yin, who was trembling uncontrollably, Zhuge Xiang sighed.

"Senior sister, a peaceful life can make people complacent. Life at the academy is indeed wonderful, but you shouldn't become completely immersed in it. Don't forget your original aspirations..."