Chapter 40

Chapter 40: Shui Ximen (Part One)

On the way to Shui Ximen, the sky gradually darkened.

The reddish glow of the evening sunset filled the sky, reflecting off the buildings of various heights below. Ming Yue twisted her neck to look out the window, feeling that the scenery of Jinling City was uniquely beautiful.

However, the road ahead wouldn’t be as pleasant or as beautiful.

Shui Ximen was on the outskirts of the city, on the distant side of the city rather than the eastern outskirts, which were guarded by the Spirit Academy.

As they walked, the night breeze grew colder.

The hour hand on the clock had already passed seven-thirty.

They were less than half an hour away from the Shui Ximen construction site.

Neon lights flickered outside the window, slowly growing sparse, until they finally faded into complete darkness.

The lights inside the train car began to flicker and flash, as if the mist was blocking the light.

If this were a train car full of ordinary living people at this moment, those who couldn’t stand the dimness of their phone screens would likely complain loudly or call the subway service number written on the wall. Some would stay indifferent, but there wouldn’t be any dramatic actions—

However, tonight was different.

This was a train car full of Spirit Academy students.

At this moment, their actions were swift and responsive.

The crowd immediately split into groups.

One group used their Yin-Yang vision to scan the train car and its body while also monitoring the movements outside the window. Another group, like dogs on the ground, crouched to check the hidden pipes and wiring of the train car, while also detecting the density of Yin energy under the seats.

Each group worked in their own areas of responsibility. Most of them were second-year students, though if one looked closely, a few first-year students were mixed in.

Liu Tianran, with his hands and feet on the floor, was crouched down and thought to himself, hoping no one had spat on the floor yesterday—otherwise, it would be really disgusting. As he stood up, his face flushed red, he noticed the younger female student, whom he had been chatting with earlier, was bouncing on the floor, reaching up to try and touch the ceiling—

Liu Tianran: "..."

Liu Tianran helped Ming Yue up and, curious, asked, "Junior, what are you doing?""I’m here." Ming Yue said as she jumped.

"Sticking the talisman." Jump, failure.

"Senior." She jumped again, failure.

Ming Yue gathered all her strength, leaped into the air like a swan stretching its neck, and finally managed to stick a yellow paper onto the ceiling of the train car.

There was a thud sound.

The pattern on the talisman was unfamiliar to Liu Tianran.

He watched as the blood-red light spread from the talisman, resembling the red, orange, and yellow bands of a rainbow spectrum, expanding throughout the entire car.

The air suddenly grew warmer, driving away much of the cold from the night.

Around them, many who were sticking talismans to infuse Yang energy noticed the temperature rise and couldn’t help but exclaim in surprise.

At that moment, without needing an explanation, Liu Tianran understood the purpose of Ming Yue’s talisman.

It was to drive away Yin energy and gather Yang energy—simple and effective.

However, this incantation had never appeared in the textbooks.

Liu Tianran cautiously asked, "What is this incantation?"

Ming Yue, without hesitation, gave the full explanation. If she ever became a teacher in the future, she’d surely be the type who taught her apprentices so well that they could end up surpassing her:

"Fiery Sun Talisman."

"It heats the air and uses Yin energy as fuel."

"It’s very strong at gathering Yang energy, but it shouldn’t be used in the presence of Yin spirits."

Ming Yue recited it like she was quoting from memory. "Otherwise… it could… possibly burn the Yin spirits, which is very extreme and unkind." In severe cases, it could even cause a fire. It's safest to use it when there are only living people around.

Liu Tianran: "…"

Damn.

Why would such a good talisman be called extreme and unkind?"Why isn't this in the textbook? This is outrageous!"

Liu Tianran: "…Where did you learn this from, Junior?"

Ming Yue answered honestly: "From the books at home."

Liu Tianran paused for a moment, "What's your name?"

Ming Yue: "Ming Yue."

Liu Tianran: "…No wonder."

The Ming family, they know things others don't—makes sense.

The Yin energy was largely dispersed, and the overhead light no longer flickered.

With some free time, the second-year students started to casually analyze the cause of the Yin energy surge earlier.

One senior checked the weather forecast on his phone, gesturing in all directions:

"Right now, it's southeast wind. It could have blown over from Water West Gate."

"That makes sense, the western suburbs of Jinling have a lot of waterways, so the wind might have carried it over with the water," Liu Tianran added.

"Enough talk about that. We just scanned the whole train car and there are no hidden ghosts. So how did this surge of Yin energy come from?"

A senior with glasses raised the question.

A few diligent first-year students nodded frequently to the seniors' words, and some even took notes.

But no one answered the question raised by the senior with glasses.

On the train window, dozens of strange Yin and Yang eyes reflected.

Each Yin eye cast a faint image on the glass. Ming Yue examined her own Yin eyes and noticed that after the Fiery Sun Talisman burned, the grayish light faded again.

She plucked an eyelash for study and spoke up, "Could it be our fault?"

"We suffer more than regular people, growing Yin and Yang eyes. Our living bodies store Yin energy, and it seems to attract the Yin mist—it's like night and day, always drawing close… maybe it's just like how people of the same sex tend to stick together?"

As soon as she finished speaking, everyone in the car turned to look at her.

Ming Yue paused, feeling a little embarrassed under their gaze. She grinned and said, "Sorry, Senior. If I said something wrong, I apologize.""No."

Liu Tianran patted the junior on the shoulder. "What you said makes a lot of sense!"

"We've been focusing too much on finding external factors, but we overlooked the most basic laws of Yin and Yang."

The senior with glasses who had raised the question earlier looked at Ming Yue with interest and pushed his glasses up. "Junior, I didn’t expect it. You have a good macro perspective."

"When you pass the licensing exam, you should become a master of the great law."

Ming Yue: "???"

Master of the great law? What’s that?

I’ve only ever heard of masters of the Eight God Incantation...

Ming Yue was a bit confused.

However, the senior was praising her, and she could tell that much.

"Thank you, senior." Ming Yue simply expressed her gratitude and then plucked another eyelash.

Senior: "..."

Liu Tianran teased the senior, giving him a knowing look: 'See, Qian Qianshan, you’re not even as good as an eyelash.'

According to the public transportation department's official blueprint for the Water West Gate station, it should be a surface-level transportation system, not an underground subway station.

Commonly known as a light rail.

The moon was still hanging in the western sky, and though the daylight had faded, the stars had not yet appeared.

Under the night sky, the Water West Gate station stood with its shell of cement, earth, and iron, looking like a war-torn ruin, several hundred meters across. It had no surface skin, just the steel framework sticking out.

Nearby, there were fields of rapeseed flowers, but the bright yellow was hidden by the dark night. Not far off, a cement bridge had no aesthetic appeal, oddly connected to an old bridge, a strange sight indeed.

Beneath the bridge, the river flowed gently, the silver waves shimmering.

Three figures circled around the Water West Gate station.Chen Wuqi finished measuring the surroundings of Water West Gate, reported the measurements to the class leaders of the 1718 levels, and instructed them to immediately make a PDF and send it to all the students in each class.

Yan Jun and Qin Lin hurriedly started working on the PDF, while Chen Wuqi sat on a stone at the field and grumbled:

"This bunch of students, seriously."

"It’s already 8:20."

"What are they planning to do?"

"What if the class goes past midnight and gets taken away by ghosts?"

Yan Jun and Qin Lin: "…"

The two silently exchanged glances, holding back.

The two class leaders were truly pitiful. While the other classmates had time to take public transport and slowly arrive, these two were personally singled out by Chen Wuqi. They had to rush over in a car, speeding to get there.

It wasn’t that they were lacking money, but being called out individually clearly meant they were there to work.

And sure enough...

After arriving, the two were pressed into helping measure the dimensions. The measurements had to be precise to the centimeter. They were also required to use their Yin-Yang eyes to sketch the “equilibrium lines” of Yin and Yang within an 800-meter radius around Water West Gate station.

The two elite class leaders felt as if neither heaven nor earth was on their side.

Chen Wuqi was a capable person with top-tier strategic thinking.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t be so young and already holding the position of chief instructor for professional courses.

But working under him was exhausting.

His standards were incredibly high.

Just as they were thinking this, Chen Wuqi suddenly shouted.

"Yan Jun!"

"Hey!"

Class leader Yan responded."How many subway trains have passed since 7:50?"

Chen Wuqi pointed to the east, where there was a flickering light strip. Yan Jun knew that this was the previous station to Water West Gate, Ershanmen.

It had been more than two hours since they arrived, and every time the subway arrived, the light strip would light up.

Yama, this is really too far.

They were busy digging and working, who would pay attention to the "stars" on the horizon?

Qin Lin looked at his junior with sympathy.

But...

Yan Jun had actually noticed.

Qin Lin looked surprised as Yan Jun took out his phone and swiped the alarm.

"Six trips, Teacher Chen."

"This is the peak period for getting off work, and Line 2 has added trains."

Qin Lin: "!!!"

Qin Lin was confused, "Yan Jun, how is your brain so detailed?"

Yan Jun smiled, "Senior, I'm from the Information Department."

Chen Wuqi, who was sitting on the stone, began cursing again, "This bunch of little brats."

"Six trains and they still haven't arrived."

Yan Jun couldn't take it anymore and subtly retorted, "Teacher Chen, if you could reschedule the class three hours in advance next time, maybe the students would be on time."

Qin Lin couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Chen Wuqi: "…"

Chen Wuqi lit a cigarette, "Oh, little junior, you have a big opinion of me, huh?"

Yan Jun humbly replied, "Not at all, not at all. If you complain to Teacher Li Xianzhou, I won't be able to escape."Chen Wuqi snorted, "You know, that's good. Li Xianzhou, that little brat—"

Before he could finish his sentence, he saw Yan Jun and Qin Lin simultaneously put down their pens, staring into the distance. They spoke in unison:

"Teacher Chen, it's here."

Chen Wuqi: "…"

What the hell?

Did these two grow X-ray vision?

How did they know that the train had arrived with Lingyuan students?

So, Chen Wuqi looked up.

This time, the light strip that lit up was extremely dazzling.

It looked like a blazing golden fireball, lighting up the night sky and illuminating the top of the sky covered with a thick mist of yin energy.

That rolling energy was all yang energy flowing like fire.

Normally, train cars only carried living people. How could there be such a strange surge of yang energy?

This train must be carrying Lingyuan students!

Chen Wuqi: "…"

Chen Wuqi immediately jumped up. "You little brat! Who used the Fierce Sun Talisman?!"

After saying that, Teacher Chen hurriedly ran toward Ershanmen Station.

Not far away, Yan Jun heard Chen Wuqi’s words and asked Qin Lin, "Senior, what's the Fierce Sun Curse?"

Qin Lin, also vaguely aware, said, "I think it’s a type of yang talisman."

"The stronger the yin energy, the more intense it burns."

"Coming from the Luoxia campus, it’s from the Eastern suburbs where Lingyuan Institute is guarding, to the Western suburbs where the water system is dense, so the yin energy gets heavier. So—"

As Qin Lin was speaking, he suddenly understood. He made a grimacing face, which lacked the composure of a senior:

"Uh-oh, it’s bad, the yang energy’s gone wild."Yan Jun: "…"

Yan Jun suppressed the urge to sigh, feeling that the situation was overwhelming, almost enough to break his back.

"Let's go, let's go, let's welcome our classmates."

"By the way—let's help put out the fire."