Chapter 75

Chapter 75: Into the Night, Part Three

Ten minutes later—

Accompanied by the national treasure, Master Ming Er's crotch kick, Li Hesun let out a miserable scream, clutching his crotch and stumbling back three steps, his face alternating between purple and red:

"Ming Yue!"

"You're shameless!"

"Are you even a woman?!"

Ming Yue bared her teeth, with panda eyes from the previous beating, threateningly extending her foot. Just as she was about to rush forward to finish off the blow, she was pulled back by Yan Jun:

"Enough! You two! Everyone outside can hear you fighting!"

Ming Yue, still not satisfied and being pulled by the clothes, tried to charge forward: "Squad leader, let go of me!"

"I’m going to break this birdman's third leg!"

Li Hesun, furious, shouted: "Don’t call me a birdman!"

Yan Jun quickly threw a fire symbol between them, igniting a large flame that quickly extinguished. He roared, trying to calm the situation:

"Enough! You’re both adults, act with some sense!"

"Ming Yue! Take your foot off of Li Hesun’s private area!"

"I said you usually—pfft!" Ming Er, the second brother, turned his face, both blackened eye circles glaring fiercely. Yan Jun couldn’t hold it in and immediately lost his composure.

"You... your eyes! Hahaha, you look like a panda! Hahaha!"

Ming Yue: "..."

Ugh!

Ming Yue got even angrier. For some reason, it was more unbearable for her that Yan Jun saw her in such an awkward moment than anyone else. She immediately howled and prepared to charge in again to beat Li Hesun to a pulp.

Li Hesun spat twice and got into a fighting stance.

Yan Jun couldn’t hold them back, and the two started fighting again, a flurry of motion, both entertaining and aggressive, the true essence of Ming Ye’s martial arts.

Squad leader Yan: "…"Sigh, being the class leader of kindergarten is so hard.

I'm so tired, I don’t want to talk anymore.

Ten minutes later—

Ming Yue, satisfied after giving Li Hesun panda eyes as well, finally stopped. She tossed the disarmed arm blade back to Li Hesun and walked straight up to Yan Jun, asking bluntly:

"Squad leader, how long have you been here?"

Yan Jun was kindly helping an alumni from Imperial University fix up some broken stuff. "Not long."

"What do you want to ask?"

Hearing about the Ming family’s secrets by accident from outside the wall was definitely not Yan Jun’s intention.

He had never planned on hiding anything. In fact, he was waiting for the moment when Ming Yue would ask him if he had heard anything, so he could answer honestly.

After all, if they wanted to develop a deeper relationship, mutual honesty was essential.

Yan Jun didn’t want to lower his score unnecessarily before becoming a top contender.

He needed to establish an image of being a "honest and straightforward" person.

Squad leader Yan nodded in his mind.

However, Ming Er never followed the script. She crouched down, pulled out a crumpled paper ball, unfolded it, and it was the same paper she had shown Li Hesun earlier about the reincarnation pool:

"Come, come, you’ve seen a lot, take a look."

"Have you seen these patterns before, big shot?"

Yan Jun, who was contemplating how to establish his honest person persona, was left speechless.

Li Hesun, who had been stretching his arms and legs nearby, let out a loud snort.

He had just said that even the children of noble families could recognize this, and now Ming Yue turned around and pulled someone in for an experiment.

What, doesn’t she trust her brother?

Ming Yue didn’t even look up: "Snort what?""I don't not trust what you're saying."

Yan Jun was from the "new forces," not a child of a noble family.

At this moment, Yan Jun completely didn’t want to get involved in Ming Yue's complicated family dynamics. He carefully examined the drawings and, after a moment, spoke:

"Ming Yue, I have to tell you, I did hear part of your conversation with Senior Li Hesun outside the Tianwang Temple wall."

"So, I know what the correct answer to this pattern is."

"However, honestly speaking, even if I hadn't overheard your conversation, I would have known the answer."

Ming Yue looked up at Yan Jun: "Is the result the same before and after hearing the answer?"

"…"

Yan Jun nodded.

Ming Yue felt a little disappointed: "Squad leader… you knew too." And yet, I didn't.

Li Hesun, who was stretching his waist and bending forward, mocked, "What did I say? Ming Er, Ming Ye has been hiding things from you!"

"You're just as clueless. You've been deceived all these years, and you still haven't reacted."

"Ming Ye has always been full of schemes. You've been raised like a pig all these years, don't you feel uncomfortable?"

"…"

Ming Yue lowered her head, feeling restless inside.

At this moment, she desperately wanted to tell the two boys about the last image she saw in the Black Mountain cave, but in the end, she didn’t speak. The words on the tip of her tongue changed to:

"There are no people without economic power; they're all being raised like pigs, no difference."

"I’m willing."

"You don’t need to try to stir up trouble between me and my brother. I know exactly how he treats me."

"Alright, failed to incite."

Li Hesun curled his lips. "He does treat you well, heart and soul."

"But we both know his abnormalities. No matter how good your father is to him, he never calls him father.""As the eldest son of the family, according to the ancient rules, it would be best to inherit the father’s path. Then what about Ming Ye? What has he done?"

"You just now said I was beaten for calling him a monster."

"Heh, when has Ming Ye ever gone out without that ghost butler holding an umbrella for him? Come talk to me about human or ghost matters when that happens!"

Ming Yue shot him a glance, "My brother doesn’t have yin-yang eyes. What’s the point of being a ghost hunter?"

Li Hesun didn’t back down, "Is your yin-yang eye any better? Then how did you enter the land-sealing spirit?"

Ming Yue: "…"

Yan Jun knew he shouldn’t have interfered, but after being with Ming Yue for over a year, he understood that the bond between the Ming siblings was stronger than anything. Li Hesun’s provocation was truly unethical:

"Senior, the expression of familial affection may be different, but the essence is always sincere."

"Forgive others when you can."

Li Hesun wasn’t moved by this. He snorted, "Who are you to lecture me?"

"No matter how at odds Ming Yue and I are, we’re still blood relatives, nailed down by fate."

"And who are you?"

Yan Jun smiled slightly but didn’t say anything.

Ming Yue could tolerate others talking about her, but she couldn’t stand seeing those close to her being belittled. She stretched her hand out and shielded the squad leader behind her, raising an eyebrow at Li Hesun:

"He’s my good friend."

"Our relationship over this year is far stronger than you, you scoundrel cousin."

Li Hesun was left speechless: "You—"

Yan Jun watched Ming Yue from behind, feeling both a little defeated and touched.

Li Hesun made a sound of exasperation, inexplicably stopping his attack on the topic, and instead pulled the two of them out of the Tianwang Temple. Ming Yue asked, "Where are we going?"

Li Hesun glared at her, "Didn’t you say you wanted to find something to replenish your energy?"

"I’m just doing what you told me!"Ming Yue let out an "oh" sound, thinking to herself that Li Hesun was still the same Li Hesun—tough on the outside, soft as mud on the inside.

His brain circuit wasn’t quite normal, but he sure was protective.

Just like half a year ago when he inexplicably sent her an intimidation letter.

Just like on the way to Fengdu, when just one text message from Ming Yue could get him to rush over and save the day.

Clearly, the Li family and the Ming family had cut ties years ago.

Li Hesun saw Ming Yue staring at him and couldn’t help but laugh in his heart. He said out loud, "Let’s walk and talk about your ghostly older brother."

"I’ve been curious about him for a long time."

The night gradually deepened.

Stars appeared on the horizon, and the three of them walked together toward the nearest rest area, heading toward the Ghost Gate.

The incessant barking of dogs came from the night sky, more mournful than the cries of cats in heat.

The cracks left by the earthquake occasionally released a few springs, with the strong smell of sulfur making people want to avoid it.

"Strange," Li Hesun muttered, "Why are the dogs barking so happily at this time?"

"Hey, Ming Er, give me a Golden Light God to ward off evil."

Ming Yue shot him a glare, pulled out three Golden Light God talismans, one for each of them, and instructed them to stick them on their foreheads.

"Just so you know, I haven’t mastered all the eight god curses yet."

"The combo punch, I only know the Earth God and Golden Light God set—still pretty slow at it."

"Everyone, be careful and stick to the skin."

The black outline of the Ghost Gate appeared far off on the horizon. With the mountains ahead, it was hard to tell if they would make it before 9 o'clock.

On the way, Ming Yue and Li Hesun talked non-stop about Ming Ye, mostly Ming Yue bragging in all kinds of ways, and Li Hesun mocking in all kinds of ways.

Yan Jun, as the third wheel, felt incredibly awkward.

These two really didn’t treat him like an outsider, Yan Jun thought."Do you want to participate in the midnight brawl?" Li Hesun asked Ming Yue.

"…" Ming Yue glanced at her points secretly, grinning, "I can participate or not."

Li Hesun eyed her suspiciously, then sneered:

"Senior Su Hui wasn’t lying."

"The public restrooms were indeed messed with by the Sealing Spirit Academy."

Ming Yue played dumb: "What public restroom? Don’t wrong people."

Li Hesun: "Keep pretending."

"If your points aren’t enough and you don’t participate in the brawl, how are you going to pass the exam?"

"The public rest areas where people were attacked have already been investigated. Every academy has victims, but your Golden University didn’t even have a victim—who are you trying to fool?" Li Hesun said, half-joking, half-serious.

"…"

Ming Yue shook her head, stubbornly refusing to give anything away.

Suddenly, a spring burst from a crack in the ground along the roadside, and hot liquid began to flow over the earth, scorching the grass and plants.

Yan Jun crouched down, peeled back some of the grass, and smelled the strong sulfur scent.

Was this just a normal aftershock from the earthquake, or a sign of something worse to come?

Ming Yue: "What’s wrong, Squad Leader?"

Yan Jun shook his head, "It’s nothing. Let’s move quickly."

Li Hesun pointed at the map: "This Ghost Gate rest area is a bit out of the way."

"If the location were better, in the middle of the four main districts, we wouldn’t need to search for the brawl's fixed spot."

Ming Yue tilted her head: "Fixed spot?"

Yan Jun didn’t know that Ming Yue hadn’t read the exam instructions thoroughly, but he patiently explained:

"Although the midnight points grab doesn’t have fixed rest areas, the positions in the four main districts vary. Over time, counting the number of people, the rest areas in the center of the four districts became the most popular spots.""Later, everyone got used to this pattern, so no one bothered to go to other spots. They just went straight for the central area, like grabbing a rabbit by sweeping the grass."

Ming Yue nodded in understanding, "So... which rest areas are in the central area?"

Yan Jun thought for a moment, "The North Yin Temple, the Inspection Bureau, and the Hall of Gratitude. It should be just these three."

Li Hesun rummaged through his pocket for talismans, preparing to replace the Ghost Gate items later, and added, "There’s also the Forgotten River, which is the city’s ring river."

"It’s also a rest area, but it’s moving, from the North District to the East District, bypassing the center."

The cawing of crows filled the air, and Ming Yue’s ears rang as she mentally verified the locations.

"Is it... that dirty river?"

Li Hesun stopped and raised an eyebrow, "Ming Er, are you dreaming?"

"This is a fake Fengdu, a scenic area. A dirty river? If it were a dirty river, would they still be trying to attract tourists?"

Ming Yue's heart skipped a beat, "Then... what was that river I encountered when I first entered?"

"And there were even water ghosts crawling out of the river!"

The two boys: "…"

They stared at each other blankly, unable to follow Ming Yue’s train of thought.

"Never mind, never mind. Explaining it is too troublesome," Ming Yue said, tapping her forehead in frustration. "I’ll explain after the exam."

The Ghost Gate was now right in front of them, the stars had finally settled, and the Milky Way seemed to hang right above their heads, within arm’s reach.

White mist enveloped the gate, with a faint dark outline, giving the ancient gate, famous in both history and mythology, a sinister and eerie aura. The three of them stood in the night, covered in goosebumps.

"Let’s go. Once we’re inside, change the talismans and quickly get out," Yan Jun tried to lighten the mood.

They walked into the white mist, and the ground was covered in pine needles and fallen leaves, teeming with creepy crawlies. Some soft-bodied worms were even over thirty centimeters long, lying limp on the soft earth, making Ming Yue’s eyelid twitch.

She suppressed her disgust and lit a fire talisman to drive the creatures away.

The Ghost Gate stood like a Dragon Gate—square, tall, but exuded a completely different aura. The whole structure was pitch black. It took a while of staring to finally make out the three large characters "Ghost Gate" on the high gate plaque.Through the central gap, they could vaguely see a pavilion with flying eaves in the distance.

The three of them made a plan and split up. Li Hesun, with the strongest abilities in incantations, was tasked with patrolling the front and back of the Ghost Gate, focusing mainly on the pavilion behind. Ming Yue and Yan Jun were responsible for the gate area itself.

"I knew you'd make me do all the work," Li Hesun muttered as he walked into the mist.

Ming Yue and Yan Jun began their inspection of the gate’s foundation.

The talisman replacement went quickly. Just as the old talismans were about to be replaced, the night dogs began howling wildly at the moon again, their green, glowing eyes flashing deep within the white mist.

“It’s like a horror movie,” Ming Yue said, placing a blazing sun talisman on the base of the Ghost Gate pillar for extra protection.

Yan Jun laughed, “Are you scared?”

Ming Yue shrugged, “Not scared.”

“My family’s old house is much scarier than this.”

Yan Jun: “…”

That’s a lot of information to process.

Before he could make a teasing remark, the ground suddenly began to shake violently. Black waterfalls burst from the cracks in the earth, without any warning. The ground violently cracked open, the remaining fissures widening abruptly. The crack that had been a meter wide expanded into a huge blood-red maw over five meters in an instant!

The sudden change caught them completely off guard!

Ming Yue only felt her feet slip, and her entire vision began to fall rapidly in front of her!

I... have fallen into a pit.

Ming Yue thought calmly in her mind as the sulfur storm roared below her feet. Looking down, the depths seemed bottomless. The dark earth was unfathomable, as if some demonic creature would burst forth in the next second!

Suddenly, a hand grabbed Ming Yue, pulling her back with all its strength!

“…”

Ming Yue looked up, and it was Yan Jun, his face flushed as he desperately pulled her.

“Hold on, I’ll pull you up,” Yan Jun’s voice trembled.

He looked very anxious.Ming Yue stared at him, hanging in mid-air. The endless darkness below her seemed to watch her. She remained calm, not shouting or panicking. She reached into her bag and pulled out a folding fork, preparing to plant the sharp blade into the soil to climb up with leverage.

However, before she could act, another violent tremor shook the ground!

Yan Jun’s feet slipped, and one hand was barely holding onto Ming Yue, almost being dragged into the earth’s crack by the earthquake!

Ming Yue’s pupils contracted.

“Let go, Class Leader!”

“You trust me, I won’t fall into the abyss and die,” Ming Yue said calmly.

Yan Jun gritted his teeth, his face turning pale, his body swaying dangerously, yet he refused to let go.

“Bullshit!”

“Stay still!”

Fragments of soil and rock tumbled down from the cracks in the earth due to the earthquake, falling onto the two of them. With only one hand connecting them, the brief moment seemed to stretch into an eternity.

“…”

Ming Yue saw the light in Yan Jun's eyes.

She couldn't tell whether it was the reflection of water or starlight.

“I won’t let go.”

Yan Jun said.

Ming Yue: “…”

What kind of fate is this?

Ming Yue smiled at him, then released her wrist from Yan Jun’s grasp, quickly twisting his hand hard! Yan Jun winced in pain, and with a sharp hiss, his hand involuntarily let go—

Ming Yue plummeted rapidly!

In an instant, her entire body disappeared into the abyss, swallowed by the endless darkness.Only a distant shout remained:

“Don’t worry!”

“I will definitely come back!”