Tô Tịch Thủy had used the exchange spell.
So that was why she acted so arrogantly.
What’s more, I could sense a familiar aura around her, though it was very faint.
That’s right—it was the aura of Chấp Niệm Sát, Thắng Nam.
I hadn’t seen her since the college entrance exam. I’d thought she’d fulfilled her obsession.
A bold idea suddenly flashed through my mind.
Tô Tịch Thủy had switched Thắng Nam’s exam paper.
She had stolen the top-scorer title that should have belonged to Thắng Nam.
In this entire school, she was the only one capable of doing something like that.
She was rotten to the core!
She dared tamper with a Chấp Niệm Sát’s obsession and still strutted around so smugly. She was courting disaster!
I had a feeling Thắng Nam’s revenge would come soon.
To destroy someone, you first have to drive them mad.
Tô Tịch Thủy showed no restraint, still boasting about her grades.
Even when I went to the bathroom, she had to hold her report card up in front of me and show off.
“Vệ Vũ, what do you think? Envious? With just a little trickery, I’ve reached heights you can only dream of. Don’t think that learning a bit of nonsense feng shui means you can see through my fate. Can you guess how things stand now?”
The hallway was deserted just then. Most of the students were in class, talking about the exam results and their mixed feelings.
The cold wind behind Tô Tịch Thủy grew stronger and stronger.
Chấp Niệm Sát—Thắng Nam—was about to make her move.
Even if Tô Tịch Thủy had an expert protecting her, a Chấp Niệm Sát’s obsession wasn’t something anyone could meddle with at will.
Even if it had to crumble to dust, it would make whoever had stolen its obsession pay dearly.
Tô Tịch Thủy should have realized that. But she was too pleased with herself, completely lost in the joy of being named the top scorer.
I noticed that the aura around her was beginning to change in subtle ways.
No matter how auspicious someone’s fate, it couldn’t withstand this kind of damage.
And now, a Chấp Niệm Sát had its eye on her.
The person behind her might protect her for a while, but she couldn’t escape retribution. It was only a matter of time.
I shook my head. “Do you really not know how you got that top-scorer title? Sooner or later, you’ll have to give back what isn’t yours. Tô Tịch Thủy, could you stop talking nonsense?”
“The college entrance exam is so closely supervised. No matter how capable I am, I couldn’t steal someone else’s exam paper. Don’t make baseless accusations. Are you this jealous of me?” Tô Tịch Thủy was so furious she nearly lost control.
My words had struck a nerve.
Afraid someone might hear us, she even raised a hand to hit me. Luckily, I reacted in time and caught her wrist in midair.
“I’m telling you one last time, as your classmate: you meddled with a Chấp Niệm Sát’s obsession. She won’t let you go. If you admit what you did now, you might still have a chance to survive.”
I truly wanted to persuade her to turn back. But if she insisted on rushing to her death, there was nothing more I could do.
Tô Tịch Thủy’s expression suddenly changed.
She instinctively backed away a few steps, unconsciously reaching for the bracelet on her left wrist.
That was probably the protective talisman she’d obtained after using the exchange spell.
“Vệ Vũ, who do you think you are? You’re just jealous of me! Don’t try to scare me with that superstitious nonsense!”
Seeing how tough she acted despite her inner anxiety, all I could do was shake my head again.
“You can’t reason with someone bent on their own destruction.”
There was no time to argue with her anymore.
“The principal is waiting to interview me. You won’t get an opportunity like this.”
With that, she deliberately bumped my shoulder and headed straight for the principal’s office.
I went back to my seat and looked at the empty one beside me. I wondered how Thắng Nam was doing. She was surely still following Tô Tịch Thủy in secret.
What had she done wrong? She was simply trapped in her own obsession, surviving on murderous energy, and yet everything had been stolen from her. Some people… were truly rotten to the core.
In recent days, news of Tô Tịch Thủy being named the top scorer had flooded every online news site.
Whether it was her striking looks, her powerful family background, or her aura as an academic prodigy, her name and image were everywhere online, breaking records for likes and shares.
But the more it went on…
Thắng Nam’s murderous aura grew denser, while Tô Tịch Thủy’s bracelet gradually lost its ability to protect her.
But she still felt no remorse, lost in the empty praise. She had no idea that every compliment she received was another stab at Thắng Nam—and a talisman hastening her own death.
I tried to learn about Thắng Nam’s life before she died, hoping I could help her fulfill her final wish, but I found nothing at all.
Time flew by. Seven days passed, but the excitement over the top-scorer title had yet to die down.
The school wanted to use the opportunity to promote its reputation, so it invited us back to give a talk, with Tô Tịch Thủy sharing her study tips.
A stage-loving person like her would never pass up this chance. Dressed in a pristine white formal gown, Tô Tịch Thủy strode onto the stage. But I could see that no amount of makeup could conceal the blackness between her brows. Perhaps the person behind her—the one who had performed that terrifying dark art—had also suffered a severe loss of vitality. This time, no one would be able to save her.
Even so, Tô Tịch Thủy still looked annoyed when she saw me. She lifted her chin haughtily and said, “These days, Qingbei has been sending me offers of admission. I’m still deciding whether they’re sincere. What about you, Vệ Vũ? With your miserable score, what trash school are you planning to go to?”
As soon as she came closer, I felt a murderous aura envelop me, chilling me to the bone.
I frowned and warned her in a low voice, “Tô Tích Thủy, this is the last time I’m going to warn you. If you don’t give back my rightful score, you’ll be in for a disaster today.”
A flicker of unease crossed her eyes, but she soon broke into a scornful smile. “What are you talking about, Vệ Vũ?”
Some of the students nearby began whispering. “Is she saying Tô Tích Thủy cheated to get her score? No way! The college entrance exam is so strictly monitored. No matter how rich her family is, she couldn’t have cheated.”
“What if she used unconventional methods?”
The murmuring grew louder. Tô Tích Thủy’s expression darkened, and her sharp gaze swept over the crowd. “You’d better watch what you say. Don’t blame me if I turn against you. Just because you can’t do it, you think I can’t either? While I was away from school, I had private lessons with renowned teachers. I earned the top score through my own ability. If you’re so clever, try cheating and see if you can become the top scorer!”
I could only shake my head at her stubborn denial. Whether Tô Tích Thủy lived or died didn’t matter to me. But Thắng Nam mattered to me. She had given everything to punish Tô Tích Thủy, but she would also suffer a terrible backlash. That was something I didn’t want to see.
Thunderous applause filled the hall. At the host’s encouragement, Tô Tích Thủy held her head high and stepped up to the podium. Under the gaze of hundreds, she launched into an animated speech, describing how she had studied at home and how to tackle questions in the exam room. Her flawless words drew round after round of applause from the teachers and students below.
The media kept flashing their cameras, capturing every moment. There was no doubt about it: Tô Tích Thủy’s image as a “top student” was now firmly established.
As she basked in everyone’s admiration and was about to leave, an unexpected incident occurred: the protective bracelet on her wrist suddenly shattered, breaking into pieces that scattered across the floor.
Suddenly, frightened cries rang out. “Tô Tích Thủy! Your face!”
I knew this was the moment Thắng Nam’s retribution had descended.
Tô Tích Thủy hadn’t yet realized how serious the situation was. She was just about to bend down and pick up the broken pieces of the bracelet.
But the moment she heard her classmates cry out in alarm, she instinctively raised a hand to her face. A pain so intense it seemed to reach her bones struck her, making her jolt.
At some point, a huge black abscess the size of an egg had appeared on her beautiful face, swollen and utterly horrifying.
“Aaaaaa!!!” Tô Tích Thủy let out a piercing scream, her whole body going limp as she collapsed to the floor.
She had stolen what Thắng Nam treasured most. Now Thắng Nam had taken what Tô Tích Thủy prized most—her beauty.
The entire hall erupted into chaos. Teachers and school administrators rushed over in panic, hurriedly calling an ambulance.
“Vệ Vũ, you fraud! You did this, didn’t you?!” In pain and panic, Tô Tích Thủy glared at me wildly and screamed in bitter accusation.