Guardian Chapter 3 - Sundial of Reincarnation

It's a small back door of Dragon City University. Dragon City University is a famous school with a long history. It's almost the start of the school year, but there aren't a lot of people on campus since the main campus has long been moved to the suburbs, and the remaining old campus is rarely used by students; though it is sometimes visited by tourists. Zhao is carrying the black cat, waiting at the entrance of a residential hall. Guo finally arrives. Only then does Zhao realise that the intern is rather shabby-looking: crouch-backed, always looking down shamefully, fringe almost covering both his eyes, and dressed in all black as if going to a funeral. As Guo approaches, Zhao asks the cat in his arms, "will this kid be alright? What do you think Wang said to him? He looks devastated." The black cat yawns in disinterest, "you're too worrisome, mommy Zhao." Guo sheepishly stumbles forward, and says, "I'm here..." Zhao teases him, "who told you to come along? And why can't you speak up a little?" Guo trembles, and begins muttering inaudibly, almost sounding like a moaning puppy. "Meow," says Da Qing the cat. Zhao is a bit disappointed, he never noticed that this newcomer is the type who can't even speak properly, "you roughly know what happened, right? This is where the victim lived, let's go inside." Zhao heads inside, but realises that no-one is following him. He turns back, and finds Guo in an awkward staring contest with the mean-looking security guard. Zhao tries not to get mad, and calls Guo as if calling a dog, "come on, let's go! She knows who we are, just come on in." Zhao's first impression of Guo can be summarised in two words: "this idiot." Room 202 is a standard student apartment for two. The black cat bounces off of Zhao, and begins thoroughly scavenging under the bed, under the closet, and on the window sill. Suddenly, it smells something by the window, and sneezes heavily. After the big scare the other night, Guo closely examines big Chief Zhao, and to his relief, he realises that the handsome boss has a shadow, and from his exhausted and messy look after working overtime, confirms that he is indeed human. And so, Guo eagerly follows behind the Chief. Zhao takes out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, puts one in his mouth and lights it up swiftly. He leans forward, and gives the cat a pat on the butt, so that it knows to step aside. Finally, he blows a cloud of smoke on the window sill. "Look." Zhao says. Guo looks towards the window sill, and to his amazement, a handprint has emerged where there was nothing a moment ago. Zhao calmly gives the window sill a sniff, "it's not particularly stinky, only a old cat like you can pick up this smell." The black cat replies, "it's not it?" Guo is frozen in terror, he stares at the talking cat, and trembles helplessly. Zhao thoughtfully shakes his head, "I'm afraid not, lethal things can't have this smell." He opens the window, turns behind and sees the stupefied Guo, visibly horrified. Zhao rather enjoys torturing him, "hey kid, you go up there, see what's outside the window." Guo only replies with an "ah..." "Come on, young man, wise up and get up there!" Guo nervously gulps, and helplessly stares at the window: too high off the ground for him. But it takes just as much courage to turn back and say to the Chief that he can't do it. This poor kid is in a difficult dilemma, and reluctantly climbs on the window sill, clutching the window frame as tightly as he can. He moves his head around with great difficulty, cautiously looking out the window. Suddenly, he sees a reflection on the open window, and the hair on his entire body stand upright in fear. To his astonishment, the reflection on the window is not just his figure... but there is another shadow! A human skeleton can be seen in the reflection, inexplicably laying right beside him, arm extending through his ankle and on to the window sill where there is a hand mark, looking into the apartment... Guo looks at the window sill, but there is not a single thing!  Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image. He cannot believe his eyes, his chest freezes in pain, and he begins struggling to breathe. Then, the skeleton turns its head towards him, and looks at him through the reflection. There seems to be a person in the hollow eye holes of the skull. The person is covered in a black cloak, mysteriously shrouded in a cloud of black mist, and holding some strange object... Guo hasn't yet figured out what that strange object is, and is disrupted by a man from below, "hey, student, what are you doing up there?" Startled, Guo slips on some lichen on the window sill, and falls victim to gravity. With rapid reflexes, Zhao rushes forward to grab him, but is a split second too late and only manages to grab his hair. Guo wriggles out of pain, Zhao's hand slips, and down he falls. The black cat sits calmly on the window sill and wags its tail sluggishly. "Meow..."

"Shit," Zhao rushes out of the room and dashes downstairs, "this knucklehead." Fortunately, the man standing below gives Guo a hand, who barely survives the fall. The man is lean and tall, very formally dressed in a white, long-sleeve shirt and pants even in the heat of summer. The rimless glasses and the textbook in his hand give him a cultured and pristine image. "Are you alright? Do you know how dangerous that was!?" Guo doesn't reply, and instead looks back up at the window sill to confirm that there is indeed no skeleton. Guo sits on the ground, dumbfounded. "Your legs are shaking, huh? Be more careful next time." The spectacled man bends forward slightly, and patiently says, "the university forbids climbing, if you're caught your grades will be deducted." Guo's head droops lifelessly, thinking that he might be naturally retarded after all. If there is no-one for him to sponge off, there is probably no hope for him: first day at work, and he is already on the verge of insanity. Zhao hurriedly arrives, and picks up Guo from the back of his collar like picking up a small chick. If it weren't for keeping his image as the calm and reserved Chief Zhao, he would have smacked this idiot on the head with his shoe. Zhao forces himself to turn away, one more look at this moron and he swears... "Hi," he offers the spectacled gentleman a handshake, "the name's Zhao, we're from the MPS, and you are?" In just a split second, the spectacled man seems to be astonished, but he rapidly adjusts himself as if nothing happened, and returns the handshake, "it's Shen, Shen Wei, I'm a professor here. My apologies, I thought he were a student." Shen's hand is rather icy, like that of a dead corpse straight out of a refrigerator. Zhao hesitates, and curiously looks up to Shen, who happens to be looking the same way. Though he quickly turns away, Zhao finds his gaze rather suspicious... inexplicably so, as though this is not the first time they meet each other. As a criminal investigation officer, albeit the unorthodox type, Zhao has to be skilled at memorising faces, even those that he only glanced at briefly. He is certain that he has never seen this person before. At this instance, the ball of black fur wiggles its butt and crawls towards the Professor. It gives Shen's feet a thorough sniff, circles his leg for a few times, and softly purrs at him. Master Da Qing usually keeps his cool and looks down upon all pathetic homo sapiens with disdain and disinterest. Shen seems to be an exception. Zhao is stunned at the cat's abnormal behaviour: it's inexplicably friendly and cute towards Shen, and even stands on two hind legs, asking for a hug. Shen picks up the cat, who meows gently and comfortably; emerald eyes gazing at the spectacled man. Zhao seems to notice a bewildering connection. Quite a long while later, Shen reluctantly returns the cat to Zhao, giving it a pat on the head while doing so, "this cat is very smart, what's its name?" "Da Qing," Zhao carelessly adds, "nickname Fatty, also known as Dat Fat Fuq." The black cat howls and turns evil instantly, fur standing upright and claws assaulting Zhao. "Haha, he is mad," Shen gently laughs, and holds one of its paws in his hand. The cat retracts its claws and eagerly lets him pat it on the head. "I heard about the incident," Shen says, "so the victim is from our school?" The Chief glances at Guo, who sheepishly takes out a photograph of a female student and a student card, and hands them to Shen with trembling hands, "Pro... Professor Shen, plea... pleased to meet you. Will you take a look and... see if you recognise this person?"