Chapter 74

Chapter 74: Nightfall II

The public restroom chaos ended with a clear victory for the Spirit-Sealing Institute.

Inside the spacious restroom, the air was still filled with screams, and outside, beneath the Naihe Bridge, both male and female students from the Spirit-Sealing Institute were holding their stomachs and laughing wildly under the pale purple glow of the sunset.

The male students were all removing their outer shirts from their heads, with some daring enough to take off their short sleeves and put them over their heads, running into the restroom bare-chested to loot.

“My God, Lü Xingru, Lü Xingru, this is all your doing!”

“I didn’t expect it, Brother Lü, you’re so calm and composed, yet you pulled off something like this.”

“Did you really think of this toilet bomb prank?”

The senior students were wildly praising the usually serious student representative.

Lü Xingru had a pleasant and satisfied smile on his face. You could tell that standing on the top of the academy’s hierarchy, utterly humiliating the other institutions, was incredibly satisfying:

“Thank you, thank you, but this was all thanks to Junior Mingyue’s brilliant idea.”

“This plan, from the choice of the bitter fruit and the public rest area, to the timing and place of the fire talisman water bombs, she was the mastermind and fully involved.”

Senior students: “…”

Are you kidding?

A few of the senior students were surprised, “Junior?!”

“A girl thought of such a vicious plan to attack the male restroom?”

The people who didn’t know Mingyue, like Guo Tianyang, one of the reinforcements Lü Xingru had called over, naturally stood up to support Mingyue: “What, you think a little girl couldn’t come up with such a nasty plan?”

The person who responded laughed and said, “Class monitor, you know this prank is nasty!”

“But now that you mention it, how did they steal the points in the women’s restroom?”

“Uh... if the same thing happened in the women’s restroom...” The senior students didn’t finish their sentence.

Guo Tianyang checked the ranking list on his communicator and scolded, “What are you thinking?!”

“The women’s restroom definitely wouldn’t have been bombed. The girls probably just got a little smoke in there, then took advantage of the chaos to loot, that’s all.”As soon as Cao Cao was mentioned, Cao Cao arrived. Xu Miaomiao, holding the results of the female side’s battle statistics, met with Guo Tianyang and brought Mingyue over to show everyone.

Guo Tianyang summarized the male and female results while listening to Xu Miaomiao loudly patting Mingyue’s shoulder and introducing her:

“Everyone, come meet her.”

“This is our great hero in this restroom counterattack, second-year Mingyue.”

“If our Spirit-Sealing Institute’s counterattack is successful, Mingyue’s contribution will be indispensable!”

The students from the Spirit-Sealing Institute chuckled and thanked Mingyue.

Mingyue’s face turned red from the embarrassment, and she quickly shook her head, saying it was all just coincidence. In the glow of the evening sunset, the little girl looked as beautiful as a purple hibiscus.

Guo Tianyang sent a message to Chen Xiu on his communicator:

[Brother Xiu, Naihe Bridge was a success, we’ve been slaughtering the passersby. How’s the Divine Mercy Office on your side?]

[Pretty good, make sure to properly praise Mingyue and Lü Xingru for me. How’s the situation with the senior students?]

[Heard it’s good. That Cheng En who came with Lü Xingru went to the King’s Temple. The place is located at the junction of the east and west districts, you know, the difficulty isn’t high there. Should be an easy win.]

[That’s good. Forming an alliance with us benefits the senior students. It’ll be easier to develop future collaborations.]

The Divine Mercy Office.

Chen Xiu, who was leading the Divine Mercy Office’s public restroom raid, was also tallying the results and personnel. He also needed to guide the students of Spirit-Sealing Institute to quickly retreat from the restroom and disperse.

“Yan Jun.”

Chen Xiu called out.

“Senior.” Yan Jun responded.

“You go to Guo Tianyang’s side. I have fewer external interns here, but he has more. They’re all from your class, you’re familiar with them, and it’ll be easier to manage.” Chen Xiu instructed.

“When senior students gather together, they’re powerful, but when junior students gather, you can’t tell whether they’re targets or punches.”

“Besides, Guo Tianyang and them are close to the Ghost Gate. There’s another group of our Spirit-Sealing students there, so we might run into them.”

“Got it, I’ll go right away.” Yan Jun turned and began to pack his things.Chen Xiu: "It's at the Naihe Bridge point."

"By the way, kid, how did it go earlier?" Chen Xiu didn’t look up, but his voice carried a teasing tone.

Yan Jun: "……"

Yan Jun: "Took two, a total of 80 points."

Chen Xiu: "What’s your rank?"

Yan Jun: "Top five thousand."

Chen Xiu looked up and slapped the back of Yan Jun’s head: "Kid, don’t try to play games with your senior."

"Alright, alright, hurry up and go."

"The sun is setting, it’ll be nine o’clock soon."

"Walk from the King’s Temple, that’s the shorter route."

After the public restroom raid, everyone went their separate ways. Those who wanted to team up did so, while others went solo. Guo Tianyang gave a command, telling everyone not to wander too far in the next few hours. In case a brawl broke out after nightfall, staying close would allow for better coordination. At the same time, he advised students to share their communication codes with their companions as much as possible—after all, with shared information, one could gain an advantage.

Mingyue looked at Lü Xingru’s communication tab, then said after a moment:

"Senior, can you give me the communication code for that guy, Li Heshun from the Imperial University?"

Lü Xingru was amused: "What do you want it for? Planning to settle something?"

"He's your cousin, right?"

Mingyue shook her head: "He has more life-saving charms, and if I’m not sure, I wouldn’t challenge him."

"But right now, I need him to help with something."

Lü Xingru clicked to share the communication code and asked, "What’s the matter?"

Mingyue clicked accept, began composing a message, and softly replied: "It’s those broken talismans we saw earlier."

"Li Heshun’s family runs the Heavenly Chosen Pavilion, they make Yin-Yang tools, and the quality is really good.""I want to squeeze a bit of profit out of him—I'm not thinking of saving the entire scenic area, but if I happen to pass by and run into a public rest area again, I’ll help out if I can," Mingyue said.

Lü Xingru examined her: "You’re quite selfless, aren’t you?"

"Are you planning to help the underworld clean up after them?"

Mingyue’s expression was indifferent as she scratched her chin: "I don’t want to either."

"But those who live around here, after all, aren’t they still stuck here because we students have exams? They have to stay in Fengdu, the Ghost City, around this time during the Hungry Ghost Festival, right?"

Lü Xingru: "But this is their home, how is it our fault?"

"Even if there is any fault, it's only half and half."

"How do we end up with someone like you, actively taking the blame?"

A few students from the Imperial University of Chongqing were whispering nearby, speaking in the local dialect so that anyone who could understand the language would feel the itch in their ears. Even eavesdropping had no clear point.

"……"

Li Heshun put down the communicator, not paying attention to the message from Su Hui.

Tsk.

What’s this nonsense about Imperial University and Spirit-Sealing Academy students being ambushed at Naihe Bridge and King’s Temple, with the attackers being in groups, looking like Spirit-Sealing Academy students?

Impossible.

Spirit-Sealing Academy looks like a bunch of brainless thugs, how could they have a plan?

Ridiculous.

Li Heshun thought bitterly, holding a cup of yogurt. But inside, he couldn’t help feeling a little bit of fear.

He had been spoiled since childhood, and whatever he wanted to eat, the family chefs could always make for him.

This time, during the exam, he was picky about the food outside. He would absolutely never even try the hard bread and rotten meat slices the organizers provided in the rest area.

But who would have thought that, because of his picky eating, he managed to avoid a "disaster."Listen to the description of the miserable situation that Su Hui just described.

In the bathroom, blasted with a pile of excrement, not even knowing if it’s their own or someone else's, surrounded by smoke and robbed of points by masked big men. This is something a TV drama wouldn't dare to film.

Thinking this, suddenly the communicator made a sound, showing [Stranger Message].

Li Heshun: "???"

Has my communication code been leaked?

He clicked to open it: 【【Real-time coordinates】Cousin Bird Son, do you miss me? Let’s meet up, I’m near King’s Temple, come on!】

Li Heshun: "……"

Li Heshun looked up, the view outside was clear, with the smoke slowly rising from King’s Temple, the ten-meter-high King statue visible from the top of his head.

Fine, I’ll go, watch me turn you bald.

Li Heshun, full of confidence, grabbed his bag and marched toward King’s Temple.

King’s Temple.

The night fell lightly, the painted colors faded, the temple was empty, only the ten-meter-tall King statue remained. The statue’s expression was fierce, with glaring eyes. Mingyue looked up at it and always felt like the statue’s sharp black-and-white eyes were staring at her. She walked behind the statue and took off the Xuan Yun talisman to check it. Sure enough, it was an old talisman, ancient and worn, with an effectiveness of only two or three at best.

When Li Heshun arrived, he saw Mingyue placing the Sunfire talisman, replacing the Xuan Yun talisman. She turned around and bowed to the King’s statue three times.

Li Heshun drew out his arm knife and sneered, "Changing the organizer’s items, Ming Yue, you’ve really grown some skills."

The evening twilight shrouded Mingyue’s face, blurring her expression. She threw the crumpled Xuan Yun talisman over and said, "I didn’t want to change it, you look for yourself, can’t change it, fine?"

The paper ball bounced over.

Li Heshun aimed his knife at Mingyue’s direction, squatted down, and opened the paper ball.

The traces on the Xuan Yun talisman were old. As the third-generation heir of the Tianxuan Pavilion, Li Heshun had a keener eye for talisman paper than Mingyue.

"Isn’t this last year’s talisman? Brother Bird, can you tell?" Mingyue leaned in.

"Do you think my eyes are a trace testing machine?"

"What, you brought me here to see if Grandpa’s talisman paper is good and to look for repairs?"Li Heshun sneered and tucked the old talisman paper behind him.

After not seeing each other for a few years, Li Heshun’s rebellious nature remained unchanged. He had grown a lot taller, towering over Mingyue, who was a 170 cm tall girl, by almost a head. When he spoke coldly, it was enough to intimidate people.

Mingyue smiled, "How’s Grandpa doing?"

Li Heshun rolled his eyes, "I haven’t seen you and your brother, those wild brats, but he’s in great health."

Mingyue’s smile didn’t fade, "When you sent me that threatening letter, you just wanted to pull me into the exam, right? I came as promised without hiding, Brother Bird."

Li Heshun’s voice grew cold, "You really think highly of yourself, trying to use my 'old demands' to trade for 'new conditions'?"

"Are you a rat? So slick, dripping with oil?"

"As you hinted, the organizers, for unknown reasons, mismanaged the exam arrangements—if they’re looking for repairs, do you know how many Yang talismans they’ve laid down, Mingyue?"

"Why should I help you replace talismans?"

"I’m not that charitable, it’s just an old friend meeting up, chatting a bit, and seeing what I can patch up along the way."

Mingyue shrugged, "No lies here."

"I know full well you’re the best at drawing talismans out of everyone I know."

"Brother Bird, I hope you haven’t been corrupted by the soft, emotional tactics of Imperial University."

Li Heshun: "......"

Li Heshun felt completely at ease from the obvious flattery.

Especially since this flattery came from his cousin, Mingyue, whom he had fought with for many years.

"So, what are you really thinking?" he asked, putting his knife away and pulling Mingyue to sit down.

"…" Mingyue glanced at him, thinking that some people’s personalities never change.

Li Heshun had always been like this—his arrogant, shallow personality with no subtlety. He loved hearing compliments. The level of mutual understanding between him and Mingyue was far greater than that between Mingyue and Jun Weiran.

"Brother Bird, I’m being honest with you."

"This Fengdu City is playing me.""I have a bad feeling about this," Mingyue said as she pulled out a piece of paper and began drawing.

Li Heshun frowned, "What’s going on? What did you encounter?"

Mingyue quickly sketched a few key stone paintings she had seen inside the Black Mountain cave, focusing on the images of the Wheel-turning King and the Reincarnation Pool, and asked, "Have you seen these designs in any books during your time at Grandpa’s house?"

Li Heshun scanned the drawings with his large eyes and gave an unexpectedly surprising answer:

"I thought it was something else."

"Is this the Tenth King of Hell and his instrument?"

"You don’t know?"

"I’m asking, what exactly has Mingye been teaching you these past few years? You can’t even recognize this?"

Li Heshun’s tone was filled with sarcasm.

Mingyue looked at him, "…Is this really that common?"

Li Heshun slapped her forehead, "Even though the Li family doesn’t like Ming Dinghai, we never said Ming Dinghai wasn’t from a prestigious family. You’re a Ming family kid, aren’t you embarrassed?"

"Do you believe it or not, if you pull any kid from a prestigious family, eight out of ten could recognize this drawing."

Mingyue stared at Li Heshun in shock.

Li Heshun squinted and took in Mingyue’s expression:

"Ming Er, Mingye is definitely hiding something from you."

"I know, at first he didn’t want you to join the Spirit-Sealing Academy, right?"

Mingyue lowered her head, "Yes, he actually wanted to send me to the Imperial University Law School to be with you, fighting every day."

Li Heshun snorted, "Good thing you didn’t come."

"Otherwise, with your fiery personality, the Law School would be in chaos."

He paused and suddenly remembered when Mingye visited the Li family alone a few years ago, using that tone as he entrusted Mingyue to them.

Mingyue was confused, "But why is my brother hiding this information from me?"

"It’s meaningless."Li Heshun scoffed, scratching the paint on the King statue, "Who knows? That guy, neither human nor ghost, his way of thinking is never the same as a normal person’s... Ah!" He looked angrily at Mingyue. Mingyue spat and without hesitation punched Li Heshun, "You’re the one who’s neither human nor ghost!"

Li Heshun: "……"

Li Heshun was furious, "You’re trying to be kind but making me out to be a bad guy, Ming Er! Who was I just analyzing and talking to earlier?!"

Mingyue stood her ground, "You still shouldn’t say that about my brother!"

Li Heshun stomped his foot, "Little rascal! My Li family’s century-old wish spells can bring the dead back to life! But when it’s used on him, it turns into this mess! I have to say it—neither human nor ghost! Neither human nor ghost!"

Mingyue got angry, "Li Heshun!"

"My brother even taught you martial arts when you were little!"

Li Heshun yelled louder, "Nonsense!"

"Who knows if he was really teaching me martial arts or just getting back at me by beating me up!"

"Isn’t it all because he wanted revenge for you, the good-for-nothing I keep beating up every day?!"

Mingyue glared, "I didn’t! I’m strong now!"

Li Heshun crowed like a rooster, "Ah-ha! Strong my ass! Look at you after coming out of the exam field all battered and bruised! Covered in injuries, embarrassing!"

Mingyue: "Wanna fight?!"

Li Heshun drew out his arm blade, "Come at me, duck!"

With that, the two clashed, the sound of their fight echoing as they tumbled together.

From a distance, the two fighting figures were drowned by the glow of the sunset, and their bickering carried far and wide.

Outside the temple wall, Yan Jun sighed.

Who would have thought that taking a shortcut to the King’s Temple would bring him so many secrets?

He didn’t want to know.

How old were these two inside?

At most five years old—anything older would be impossible.Class leader Yan silently set a timer, deciding to wait ten minutes before going in to save these two immature fools.