Judge of Souls - Chapter 78

Qin Ru was stunned. How could this madwoman Kong Su appear out of nowhere? Was her curse still not cured?

And how did Jiang Feng… know Kong Su?

She knew about Jiang Feng because one night, Zhu Yan woke up itching terribly. Her long-term insomnia combined with this sudden outbreak caused her to have a mental breakdown. She scratched herself forcefully until she was wounded and even tried to burn her own skin before Qin Ru forcibly took her to the emergency room.

A doctor who treated them discreetly suggested they could seek out Jiang Feng for this kind of issue.

Of course, Qin Ru couldn’t just blindly trust this advice. She had someone investigate privately and discovered this Jiang Feng was merely a poor delivery boy. He lived in a dilapidated old building and had recently moved to a new place. There was no one else in his household; he appeared to be an orphan.

She could have ignored the suggestion, but remembering the doctor’s words, she thought it was worth a try. Recently, there had been related supernatural incidents at the hospital, and yes, Kong Su had been involved in those too.

Kong Su had previously been rumored to be under a curse…

Qin Ru understood. It seemed Jiang Feng was indeed part of their Taoist circle.

She lowered her head and bit her lower lip, watching as the comment count exploded, with many people frantically tagging her to ask about her opinion on Kong Su.

Her assistant texted her, asking if they should deploy their paid commenters to control the narrative on Kong Su’s Weibo, as the current public sentiment didn’t seem to favor them.

Normally, people would avoid Kong Su whenever possible. She was known for her extreme combativeness, stubbornness, and fearlessness. Especially during her “cursed” period, she could argue normal people into appearing neurotic and make neurotic people seem completely insane. Though she had been more restrained recently, transforming her Weibo into a peaceful stream of classic Taoist quotes to show her reformation, thus depriving netizens of their daily source of entertainment, her reputation still remained formidable and not to be underestimated.

At times like this, one should follow the entertainment industry’s internal mantra: Better to play dead momentarily than to confront head-on.

But Qin Ru wasn’t just anyone.

Who was she? She was someone with money, marketing accounts, and an army of paid commenters!

Qin Ru instructed her assistant to proceed, then continued to engage in the confrontation herself.

Qin Ru: Miss Kong, what kind of evidence do you want? Do you need to see actual physical harm, or must there be audio and video recordings? When normal people interact without malicious intent and are then humiliated, how can they produce such things? Are you going to be this aggressive just for your friend’s sake?

Kong Su: Who are you calling “Miss”? Do you understand the huge difference between “elder sister,” “miss,” and “little sister”? Am I wrong to ask you for evidence? Can people with fame just publicly accuse others without proof? Don’t you know slander is against the law?

Qin Ru: As a mother, speaking out for my daughter, what’s wrong with that? I know the law can’t punish him, but as a mother, can’t I even criticize someone who hurt my daughter? What gives you the right to criticize me?

Kong Su: I’m talking about evidence, you’re talking about sentiments. Sorry, I haven’t become a mother yet, so I can’t just treat only my own child as human. In my eyes, all lives are equal.

Qin Ru: You should reflect on yourself as a public figure. Have you fulfilled any responsibility in guiding your fans? Look at your past comments – even keyboard warriors online can’t compare to you. Don’t tag me anymore; I have nothing more to say to you.

Kong Su: I’m sorry, but I don’t actually have fans. I only have a group of concerned netizens who are interested in my pathological condition.

“Hahaha!”

“Why are you speaking such truth? I’m your little fan who’s held in your bowl! [dog face]”

“Truly, when you’ve reached Kong Su’s level in the entertainment circle, there’s nothing left to fear.”

“In this complicated and dirty entertainment industry, I actually think Kong Su remains untainted by the mud – a breath of fresh air!”

“Word, mom! Following her now!”

“I almost thought she was going to finish with ‘Amitabha’ and get accepted by Buddhism while being kicked out of Taoism.”

“Hahaha, how are you all so excellent?”

Perhaps because Kong Su naturally attracted comedic netizens, combined with her involvement in too many controversial current events, the trend of discussion instantly galloped off in an unknown direction alongside the stampeding comments.

Online comments kept coming one after another, all irrelevant to Qin Ru’s statements.

Qin Ru was so angry she was panting heavily.

Her life had been too smooth. Her parents had given her a nearly perfect face, and despite lacking acting skills, she quickly rose to fame in the entertainment industry. Even after being blacklisted by mainstream media, she achieved what countless award-winning actresses couldn’t: “marrying into wealth.” Those people cursed her on the surface but were consumed with jealousy inside. She took pride in this.

Since marrying Mr. Zhu, no one had dared to speak harshly to her face. Who did Kong Su think she was?

Qin Ru picked up her phone and uploaded a picture to her computer.

It was a close-up of Zhu Yan’s hands. They were skeletal and covered in scratches, showing how much pressure and pain the owner had endured.

She pounded the keyboard forcefully and posted it.

Qin Ru: [Picture] Kong Su, I advise you to be kind.

When her agent Gao Yuqing saw this post, he knew disaster was imminent. He couldn’t help but cover his face, stamp his feet, and wail in despair.

His top-tier client was about to fly off the handle again, and his career would reach a new low.

Kong Su was toxic, beyond redemption.

The Taoist scriptures she posted on Weibo weren’t for herself—they were for him. To help him control his rationality and prevent him from losing control and killing her.

After Qin Ru posted the picture, the online comments finally began to show bias.

Previously, there had been no evidence, so people followed Kong Su just for the entertainment. But if a depressed minor had truly suffered verbal attacks, the public’s moral baseline could be quite aggressive.

The tone turned serious, with many bystanders jumping to her Weibo asking her to stop talking.

Kong Su’s eyes widened. How was she not being kind?

She rolled up her sleeves, ready to take on hundreds of opponents without the slightest fear.

“Please say something appropriate for a public figure! Can you just speak properly?”

Kong Su replied: Aren’t I a public figure? Isn’t what I say what a public figure says? Please, you non-public figure, tell me how a public figure should speak?

Kong Su replied: Oh, I get it. “Be human.” Is that good enough?

“I’m literally dying of laughter hahaha!”

“Sorry, I couldn’t hold back. Is it okay to laugh?”

“Cheering for Boss Kong!”

“Why seek your own destruction? Why come to Kong Su for attention? Are you crazy?”

“Amitabha, good words can’t persuade a doomed ghost, compassion can’t save those who refuse to be saved.”

“By attacking someone with depression like this, doesn’t your conscience bother you? If anything happens to her, you’ll be a murderer.”

Kong Su replied: Am I asking her daughter for confirmation? I’m asking her, why can’t she answer? Does she have depression too? Is depression contagious now? Stop twisting my words.

“I unfollowed you before because you kept posting Taoist classics and Laozi stuff, but no! You’re still my Su Su!”

“Return to your true nature, baby!”

“Bankai!”

“Kong Su super evolution—Kong Beast!”

The situation was getting increasingly heated. Kong Su didn’t know what was happening on Jiang Feng’s end. With netizens being so vicious, pointing out his school and name, his class and photos would likely be exposed soon.

She called Jiang Feng urgently. “Brother Jiang, what kind of lice have you attracted? This person is covered in stink! If you get infested, you’ll lose half your blood.”

Jiang Feng: “What are you talking about?”

Kong Su: “You don’t know yet? My goodness, brother, you’re truly transcending the mortal world.”

She briefly explained the online situation and advised him not to go out, attend classes, or talk to reporters for the next few days. He needed to protect his personal safety because Qin Ru had a group of extreme and crazy fans.

Kong Su said, “Don’t worry, I definitely won’t let you end up in a center-stage funeral.”

Jiang Feng: “…If that happens, it would definitely be partly your fault.”

Kong Su complained. “Why do you misunderstand me like this?!”

Jiang Feng described the situation to her. Kong Su heard half of it and furiously exclaimed, “Whoever dares to throw my figurine, I can make them get matching scars on the spot! Sue her! Make her pay! Her daughter may be a minor, but she isn’t!”

What was wrong with Qin Ru? She wasn’t sick; she was the pathogen itself! After wandering in human society for so long, did she think she had evolved into an antibody? Confronting heaven and earth – why didn’t she eliminate herself first?

Kong Su said, “This can’t be left alone. If the accusation that you humiliated someone with depression becomes established and people online are outraged, A University will definitely expel you or punish you to eliminate the impact. You won’t be able to find work in the future. And you did indeed unceremoniously drive them away, right? I’m telling you, though this is underhanded, it’s quite serious.”

Jiang Feng wasn’t particularly concerned. If they really did that… they’d regret it immediately.

With Qin Ru being so arrogant, finding dirt on her would be all too easy. Hopefully, she wouldn’t keep handing herself over.

Kong Su said, “Remember to protect her daughter. If anything happens now, it will definitely be blamed on you. But don’t worry, I definitely won’t abandon you. I’m off to work now, talk to you later!”

Kong Su hung up and contacted her old friend, a paid commenter, to stir up the waters.

She couldn’t help but reflect that Qin Ru’s luck was truly unparalleled. Among 1.4 billion people in the country, she managed to run into the most formidable one, effectively arranging her fate for all lifetimes.

On the other side, Gao Yuqing was shaking his leg anxiously, shouting, “Ancestor, can you please close your private messages and comments?”

Kong Su refused. “No, how else would I communicate with my fans?”

“What’s wrong with you? Is that communication?” Gao Yuqing exploded in rage. “If you have the guts, look at them yourself! Not everyone has a diamond heart like yours!”

Kong Su slapped her mouse. “I am looking at them myself!”

Now that she was in a direct confrontation with Qin Ru, typically the opponent’s supporters would actively send her dirt on them, complete with private details and clear logic, saving her the trouble of searching online.

If she closed her private messages, how would she get this intelligence?!

Kong Su temporarily paused the war of words and, with her diamond-strong heart, went through the messages one by one. Among them, she found several innocent-looking ones.

“Ms. Kong Su, hello. Can I tell you something? I want to make a real-name report. I’m a student from Class 1, Grade 9 at A Foreign Language School, Zhu Yan’s classmate. You can verify this from my past Weibo posts. I want to tell you that Zhu Yan doesn’t actually have depression.”

Kong Su’s finger stopped on this private message. She read it twice before understanding that Zhu Yan must be Qin Ru’s daughter. She seriously replied with two question marks.

“Little sister, statements need evidence. I don’t hate Qin Ru; I hate rumors and slander.”

The other side quickly replied, sounding somewhat cautious.

“Zhu Yan really is my classmate, and she’s done many bad things. She likes bullying others at school, but as long as the students come from modest backgrounds, teachers and leaders don’t intervene. Two people in our class were bullied by her until they dropped out, and no one dared to speak up for them at the time. It was truly pitiful.”

Kong Su patiently waited for the other person to type.

“Our homeroom teacher, Teacher Wei, is especially kind. He publicly criticized her for this before, and she held a grudge, then falsely accused him of sexual harassment. The dean immediately called the police, and her father said he would sue Teacher Wei. Teacher Wei has now been dismissed by the school and even appeared in local news. I haven’t seen him for a long time. Her depression certificate was obtained then, to prove that her mental health had been damaged.”

“Every day at school, they use Teacher Wei as a negative example. I get so angry hearing this—the law can’t give him justice at all! How can someone like Zhu Yan still receive others’ sympathy?”

“It’s fake!!! She only makes the whole world depressed! Believe me! Please speak up for Teacher Wei!”