"Why?" I blinked blankly, and the hand holding the spirit stone stopped in mid-air.

"Uh...... That one...... You're already the owner of the spirit stone, so don't send it here and there! I'll have a way to solve the matter of the Golden Silkworm Shadow! Chen Qiu explained.

"Humph! You're still lying to us, and you're really playing us like monkeys! Qi Zhen's hostility towards her came suddenly, and his tone became very strange.

"Lie to us? Qi Zhen, what do you know? Chang Qing asked.

"Yes! What nonsense are you talking about! I frowned dissatisfiedly, "At most, she won't say something, but she never lied to us!" ”

Hearing my words, Chen Qiu's body shook slightly, and his eyes revealed a sadness.

"I was calculated and I still helped others speak...... Alas, stupid to home! Qi Zhen sighed in a low voice, looked at me with a complicated expression, and turned around, as if he was about to brush his sleeves away.

"Hey, Qi Zhen, don't go! What the hell ......" I grabbed him by the sleeve.

"Qi Zhen, let's make it clear! …… Today, the two of you, one is insincere, and the other is half-talking, which makes me and Xiaoxing feel very uncomfortable. Aren't we good friends? Why aren't you two more honest? In the end, there was a slight choking in Changqing's tone.

I grabbed Qi Zhen's sleeve tightly, turned my head and looked straight at Chen Qiu.

After a while, the sad look on Chen Qiu's face became even stronger, and she looked away, as if she couldn't bear to look at me.

Alas! It seems that there is another bad luck happening to my hard-working heroine, and it is still related to the spirit stone! I thought to myself self-deprecatingly.

"As the saying goes, 'The authorities are confused, but the bystanders are clear.'" Since they won't say it, let me tell you! A handsome guy with a smile and a jade tree in the wind came out of nowhere.

"Yun Tengjiao?!" The four of us looked at each other.

"Ahem! It's me, cousin! He didn't care about others, he greeted me sincerely and warmly, and he still looked pretentious and chic, and everything was under control.

Cut! What the hell! Do you want to take a folding fan out and shake it again? Do you still think you are Chu Liuxiang and Lu Xiaofeng? I couldn't help but pout.

"You know?" Chang Qing ignored his lively appearance and asked calmly.

"Isn't it a soul contract?" He deliberately said lightly, but his eyes were firmly fixed on Chen Qiu and Qi Zhen like eagle vultures, noticing the subtle changes in the expressions on their faces.

"Soul Pact?" Chang Qing and I looked at each other, not knowing why.

"Why, you gluttonous wizard descendants didn't even tell her this?" Yun Tengjiao glanced at Chen Qiu with a smile.

"If you know, say it, don't make a fool of yourself!" Qi Zhen's attitude towards him was as disgusted as ever.

"Don't be in a hurry! …… In God's eyes, aren't we all pretentious people? He deliberately accentuated the word "we" and smiled meaningfully at Qi Zhen.

Qi Zhen's face froze, don't turn his head and stop talking.

"Cousin, are you mentally prepared? Later, you may not be able to accept what I said! Yun Tengjiao said to me in a gentle tone, looking like a brotherhood.

"Alas! Please...... Don't sell it! Tell us what you know! I said helplessly. If you continue to pretend, I won't be able to accept that I want to vomit! I rolled my eyes secretly.

"Cousin, do you remember when I said that there is no such thing as free bread? Although the spirit stone has incomparably powerful power, if you want to use this power, you must pay a corresponding price! No one is exempt. He smiled.

"The price? At what cost? I hurriedly asked.

"Spirit, soul, contract, covenant!" He said word by word, "No matter what generation of wizards, when they pass it on, they must exchange the most precious thing of their own for spirit stones, and then use their own blood to write a contract on the two corpses......

Corpse? I had a vague idea, but it was confusing.

"That's it?" Chang Qing asked.

"No, the final step in the conclusion of the contract is - to sacrifice your soul!" Yun Tengjiao sneered.

"What do you mean?" I looked at Chen Qiu, her face was so pale that there was no trace of blood, her lips were pursed, but she still didn't say a word.

"It means that the wizards of the gluttonous clan have been soulless 'people' for generations! Or rather, they are all people with incomplete souls. Moreover, they only have this life, no previous life, and no afterlife! ”

"No soul? Wouldn't that become the walking dead? Chang Qing said in surprise.

"No afterlife? Is that not reincarnated? I asked.

"Ahem! Strictly speaking, they still think, there are joys, angers, loves and hatreds, but the three souls have all been transferred to the spirit stone, so their lifespan is not eternal, and their children are thin. Oh, in layman's terms, it's all short-lived, and there are very few children! Yun Tengjiao's tone was quite sarcastic, "Not only that, but before they die, they also have to cast the last bit of soul magic, so that they can refine it into a 'corpse firefly' and leave it to their heirs after death." Think about it, how can you be reincarnated without a soul? Hey, it's really a complete 'stripe comes and goes without concern', leaving nothing for yourself! ”

“…… Who are you? How do you know so much about our clan's wizarding heritage? Chen Qiu spoke coldly, his killing intent awe-inspiring, and countless silver-white light clusters began to flicker on his fingertips and shoulders.

"Hehe, don't be in a hurry to kill people and kill your mouth, I haven't finished my words yet!" Yun Tengjiao made a frightened expression, glanced at those light clusters, but there was a cold light flashing in the depths of his eyes, as if he had no fear.

"And what does all this have to do with me?" I interjected and asked.

"It's a big deal! Don't you know that you've made a soul contract with the Spirit Stone? Yun Tengjiao pretended to be surprised and said.

"Me?" I was so shocked that I couldn't even speak, "How is that possible?" I...... I'm not...... Where did the corpse come from...... And what is the most precious thing to exchange......"

"Corpses? Too much! Aren't there four ready-made ones in the school recently? Yun Tengjiao looked at us for a long time and said.

I can't help but think of the weird stripes on Ding Zhongheng's face, it felt like some kind of text at the time, but now it's miserable, it can't really be that "soul contract", right? A fine layer of sweat suddenly appeared on my forehead.

"You're talking nonsense! First, she's not a wizard. Second, she didn't kill those four classmates, and she couldn't use blood to perform spells, so she couldn't conclude the so-called contract at all. Chang Qing calmly retorted.

"When did I say that I had to kill the corpse myself to be useful?" Yun Tengjiao smiled again, he was obviously looking at Chang Qing and me, but he felt that his eyes had been glancing at Chen Qiu, "Performing spells and contracting can be done by others, isn't it?" As for the blood...... There's no way she's not bleeding......"

"Enough! You don't have to stir around anymore. Chen Qiu calmly interrupted him, "I'll talk about this matter!" ”

She turned to me and said, "I haven't explained the matter of the spirit stone to you all this time because I've been waiting for someone to appear. But now, what should have happened has not appeared, and it should not have ...... What has appeared has already appeared! ”

My head is a little dizzy, how do these words sound like tongue twisters?

She continued, "What did he say about the soul contract...... It's basically true! The only thing I want to tell you is that I didn't make this contract! It's not me who performs the spell or makes the contract! You have to trust me! ”

"I ...... Really booked with Lingshi...... What kind of contract sells souls? I asked, my voice trembling.

“…… Should...... Yes! Chen Qiu nodded gloomily.

"So you already knew! Why...... Don't tell me? I lost my cool and yelled at her.

“…… I've never been sure ...... And ......" Chen Qiu half-hung his head, as if he was very guilty.

"Those innocent people, one by one, died tragically...... You know who the murderer is...... Even if you don't want to deal with her, you don't have to ......" My body trembled, I couldn't breathe, and I felt a suffocating pain. I exhaled as hard as I could, gritted my teeth and continued, the words that were about to come out were like a double-edged sword, but it was not only her who cut, "and there is no need to deceive us, mislead us, sacrifice our friendship...... Come and defend her! ”

"Sacrifice? Xiaoxing, listen to me, it's not like this......" Chen Qiu Huoran raised his head, his face pale, and his expression was flustered to explain.

"How not? I'm useless, I don't have skills, I'm anxious and curious, and my friends believe everything they say! Alas, friends, friends! I smiled self-deprecatingly, but my smile was bitter, "I used to say, 'I'm going to find out the truth...... I will trust my friends unconditionally...... Unless, like Teacher Ling, he shows the butcher's knife to me and to me, I will give up! ’…… Ahem, it's another prophecy! Now it seems that this, this bright butcher's knife will ...... sooner or later It's going to come after all......" The last sentence, my throat choked, and I was literally whimpering.

"Nope! I didn't lie to you! Nor will I sacrifice you to maintain ...... Murderer! Among them...... There's a lot you don't know......" Chen Qiu shook his head again and again, eagerly and sadly grasping my hand, as if a drowning person had grasped a straw.

"Hey, hey! What do we not know? Qi Zhen sneered, "You might as well tell us now!" ”

Chen Qiu's body was crooked, as if he was about to fall. Her fingers were cold and trembling all the time. I stared deeply into her eyes, slowly but surely broke free of her clenched hand, and staggered back a big step: "I think you're going to answer 'the time hasn't come yet' or 'I can't say,' right?" ”

“…… Actually, there are some things I don't know why! I'm waiting for someone to show up, and as long as he shows up, many things will be answered! Chen Qiu explained in vain, trying to redeem something.

"Ahem, who is he? What if he doesn't show up for the rest of his life? I smiled wryly, "Then you won't say it for the rest of your life?" ”

"......" Chen Qiu was finally speechless.

I took a deep breath, but my chest was like a big stone, it was stuffy and painful, my throat was hot, and it became difficult to speak. But strangely, there was not a single tear!

I looked around at everyone, Yun Tengjiao, who was a little far away, with an indifferent expression, a smile on his face, which seemed unfathomable and profound; Chang Qing stood quietly aside, his expression solemn, as if he was thinking about something; Qi Zhen's eyes were cold, and he kept glancing at Chen Qiu's hands; And Chen Qiu, standing in the moonlight, his face was as pale as paper, his figure was lonely, and his bleak face was better than the cold moon.

Suddenly, I was disheartened. The desolate feeling as if I was the only one left in the world has never been so strong as it is now! Even the soul doesn't belong to me anymore, so what does it matter who the murderer is? Don't care who Chen Qiu is waiting for! Anyway, it's up to you!

I walked dazedly, staggeringly, and walked straight ahead.

There was a hurried and familiar footstep behind me, and Qi Zhen followed closely behind me, but he didn't speak, probably because he didn't know what to say.

"Hey, cousin, wait for me ......" Yun Tengjiao hesitated for a while, and also chased after him.

At the entrance of the alley, Chen Qiu stood in a daze, as if her soul had also been lost, but she just watched me drift away, but she didn't call me again.

"Why don't you tell her who you're waiting for?" Chang Qing saw that everyone else was far away, and suddenly asked.

Chen Qiu looked ahead with infinite melancholy and desolation, without any reaction.

"Is this secret so important to you? Even her life...... You don't care about it? ”

Hearing this, she was suddenly shocked and came back to her senses.

"It's not...... I'm going to wait for someone, she...... In fact, she has long been ...... in her heart Got it! ”

"Since it's no longer a secret, why don't you tell us directly?"

"You don't understand! …… What I'm waiting for is different from what I'm waiting for! But how could it be different? Chen Qiu muttered to himself blankly, looking extremely confused.

"I understand." Chang Qing pulled a handful of hair and said calmly, "The murderer who manipulated the Golden Silkworm Shadow is not the same person as the person you are waiting for!" ”

"It's not! You still don't understand! No matter who I'm waiting for, Golden Silkworm Shadow...... The Golden Silkworm Shadow shouldn't have appeared! Chen Qiu frowned, his voice hoarse, "In other words, it is impossible to conclude a soul contract!" ”

"What does the Golden Silkworm Shadow have to do with the conclusion of the contract? Didn't you say that the Golden Silkworm Shadow was originally an accident? ”

Chen Qiu nodded, and then smiled bitterly, "Alas, I'll explain it like this!" First of all, to make a soul contract with the spirit stone, you can't let someone else do it for you! ”

"Secondly, and most importantly! As that Yun Tengjiao said, the conclusion of the soul contract is a necessary condition for the inheritance of the wizards of our race, that is, only the wizards who have accepted the inheritance can conclude the contract! But our heritage ...... It was indeed destroyed 60 years ago! ”

"There is no inheritance in my clan, how can there be wizards? How do you make a soul contract without a wizard? How could there be a golden silkworm shadow? Chen Qiu didn't even seem to have the strength to smile bitterly.

"This ...... Then she ......" Chang Qing was shocked, realizing that this incident was more strange than anything before.

"So, until just now, I wasn't sure about the contract!" Chen Qiu unconsciously looked at the entrance of the alley, where it was silent, and there was no one.

"However, her soul ......" Chang Qing subconsciously pulled a handful of hair, "In that alley, I thought it was the 'Soul Splitting Bead' doing tricks!" …… However, the use of the 'Soul Splitting Bead' can only be imprisoned, and it cannot devour living souls! There are also Ding Zhongheng and Ye Xiaoyun, the mutations of their corpses and the stripes on their faces, what are these about? ”

“……”

Under the miserable moonlight, the two looked at each other speechlessly, and both fell into deep confusion.