The sun was about to set. After picking up what they needed from Laian Weimei District, they had to hurry back.
Today’s wind wasn’t particularly strong, but the few teachers and Principal Lü all looked somewhat disheveled.
Xiao Si Nuo originally wanted to walk right over to the chapter, but sensing the strange atmosphere, he stopped and spread his hands, speaking timidly, “You all promised not to pursue this matter.”
Principal Lü almost lost his composure.
“You’re dealing with these sorts of things outside in secret?”
Isn’t this too much trouble?
“Um, Officer Yao said,” Xiao Si Nuo scratched his head, “that it’s been filed in the Qi Shi Archives of the Special Intelligence Team, so it’s not a secret…”
Principal Lü turned to him: “Then let me ask you, who can read the Qi Shi Archives you mentioned?”
It’s confidential—can we just check it whenever we want? Of course not.
“Anyone approved by Officer Xu Chuyao can read it, Principal. I promise, if you want to see it, Officer Xu will definitely agree.”
So, you’re saying you didn’t deliberately hide it from us, just that you didn’t bring it up proactively.
“Forget it, first go and get the person you’re looking for.”
“Okay, teacher, but don’t be impatient. This is just the first step.”
Under the supervision of Principal Lü, Yu Jing, and Teacher Cheng Chen, Xiao Si Nuo walked into the large stone chamber, pushed aside a big stone slab, and revealed the case underneath.
After another round of stress reactions, and after Xu Chuyao took away a few for safekeeping, about half the Smart Stones were left in the box.
But there were still plenty left. Seeing such a big case, the teachers couldn’t help but be amazed.
“Next is the second step in preparation,” Xiao Si Nuo said. “We need someone close to her in daily life.”
“Wait a moment, explain this to us!”
Shen Ning wanted to take Xu Chuyao to see the Grand Palace, but even the last time’s Ancient Ruins hadn’t been reported, and all that awaited them was endless, sunless white mist.
The understanding Xu Chuyao instead said, “This isn’t so bad—it feels like a secluded paradise.”
“Yes, that’s right,” Sexually Repressed Shadow said. “The scenery doesn’t matter. It’s the person you’re sharing it with that’s most important.”
Shen Ning’s thoughts were much the same.
But they couldn’t just wander aimlessly forever; mainly, there was still a bit of danger. On their way, they had been intercepted by several groups, most of them opposing factions. Luckily, with some deft maneuvering, they’d gotten by each time.
“I’m not walking anymore, let’s rest for a while.” Xu Chuyao sat down where she stood.
The white, misty ground looked as if clouds were floating across it. Sitting down, it didn’t feel hard at all; on the contrary, it was like reclining on a bed of soft cherry blossoms.
Shen Ning sat down beside his girlfriend, gently reaching out to massage her shoulders. Meeting her clear, rosy gaze, the young woman softly chided:
“It’s chilly here—what if I catch a cold?”
So hugging together is best.
“But aren’t we in a spirit nightmare state? Our bodies shouldn’t really be affected—won’t catch cold.”
“Seems like it, but… it’s possible. Anyway…”
“You just want to hug me, don’t you?” Xu Chuyao teased with a bright smile.
The young woman’s cheeks flushed pink. Annoyed, she reached out to pinch her girlfriend, making her let out a delicate “ah!” in protest.
There were too many people and things going on outside, so Principal Lü told them to return to school. After notifying Xiao Si Nuo to find the person he wanted, he let him sit and explain.
“According to Officer Tong, there’s someone called Monrose who is obsessed with the Soulstone, and in the future will likely try to use Shen Ning against her mother. To avoid being caught by the Bangya people, we need our own research results on the stone. So, Xu asked us to first use a clever trick to get a batch of Soulstones. Like, bringing Wang Lin along to… well, I can’t say. Anyway, just know we got some Soulstones.”
Xiao Si Nuo spoke with righteous enthusiasm, as if recounting some brilliant heist.
“Enough rambling.” Yu Jing waved him off, getting straight to the point.
“…Fine. In short, we conducted a series of experiments and discovered some of the secrets of the Soulstone’s connection to the soul. We also witnessed, during several transformations and summonings, the relatives of the experimental subjects and such…”
Hearing this, Teacher Cheng Chen gasped: “Wait, you’ve cracked the secret connection between the Soulstone and the soul?!”
“Yes, we’ve partially deciphered it. That Monrose team is researching this as well, and Officer Xu said we’re ahead of them by a step.”
Principal Lü’s face was full of black lines. “You were actually doing such dangerous things near the school?!”
Xiao Si Nuo shrank back. “It’s not that dangerous… Officer Xu and Shen Ning cleaned up most of it. It was as easy as tidying up a classroom. I can barely handle a few myself…”
That settled things for the moment.
Cheng Chen didn’t know what to say. She could only sigh in relief that the four fifth-year interns hadn’t gotten involved.
As for the Soulstone and soul connection, he already knew. Those who went on the expedition to Frelingdon had heard Xu Chuyao talk about it on site. At the time, all the teachers pretended not to hear, leaving it to the adults up above to deal with. Who’d have thought these half-grown kids would get so deeply involved, and even take the lead?
“So what you’re saying is…” Yu Jing’s expression was full of surprise, “Xu Chuyao led you to challenge Monrose’s new research, secretly studying their confidential project near the school, and you even made progress ahead of them?”
At the entrance of the fifth-floor conference room in the office building, Mi Xiaoba had just walked in when he heard this and felt like the sky was falling.
Why is someone telling stories here? Yu Jing’s not even here!
Yu Jing’s surprise was all thanks to her own students’ competence. The better Xu Chuyao did, the more likely her hopes would be fulfilled. But for now, her top priority was to get that mischievous kid Li back.
She turned and spotted the short-haired girl, waving her over. “Mi Xiaolu, you’re finally here. Come over.”
“Shen Ning, you big dummy.”
The girl pouted, glaring, “What did I do?”
“You tricked me into looking for the big palace. Turns out there isn’t one at all. You just wanted to wear me out so I couldn’t resist and would sit down and let you pull your perverted stunts.”
“I didn’t ride you, seriously. There really is a palace—just haven’t found it yet.”
Shen Ning protested as she said this, both hands resting mischievously on her girlfriend’s lap. Whether or not they saw the Grand Palace, tickets had to be paid for in advance.
“If there really isn’t one,” she added, “then wait till I ascend the King’s Throne and I’ll build you one myself.”
“No need for that!” Xu Chuyao laughed, “You’re making me sound like a fox spirit who brings down kingdoms!”
Just then, a Small Gate suddenly appeared overhead.
“The door’s open, the door’s open! Let go, we have to go back!”
But Shen Ning didn’t let go, continuing to cling to her girlfriend.
“Don’t rush. The other side might not be safe. If it’s some kind of research institute, we can’t just go through,” she said.
But what happened next caught them completely off guard. From within the Small Gate, a rope suddenly snaked out, pressed tightly against Xu Chuyao’s waist, and with a tug, pulled her up.
Shen Ning’s heart skipped a beat, and she quickly hugged her girlfriend’s shoulders. The two were pulled up together.
The sky had already darkened. The training ground lights were on, but it couldn’t be called bright.
Xiao Si Nuo led the teachers over, found two sandbags in the corner, thought for a moment, and fetched a third.
Each sandbag weighed 40 kg.
“According to Officer Bei’s records, she’s used this ritual here twice to summon Shen Ning back from the other side. If it’s just Shen Ning, one sandbag’s enough, but Officer Xu… well, you all know, she’s bigger, so we need one more.”
Now that’s not only saving on cloth, but on materials as well.
Principal Lü watched him bustle around and couldn’t help feeling anxious. “If the sandbags aren’t sturdy enough, what could happen during the ritual? Like if it hurts their bodies or something—after all, I still care about my precious students.”
“It won’t. The Summoning Ritual will keep going. If the sandbags aren’t enough, we just use some other inorganic matter,” Xiao Si Nuo pointed at his feet, “like digging a pit right here.”
“You’d better use sandbags! Must use them!”
Precious students matter, and so does the school.
“No problem, three is definitely enough.” Xiao Si Nuo neatly stacked the three sandbags, then placed a small piece of Soulstone on top. “Preparations are ready. Only the offering is left.”
He, the two teachers, and Principal Lü all turned to look at Mi Xiaolu.
Mi Xiaolu’s legs went weak; she almost sat down.
“Aaaah—!”
“It’s an offering, not a sacrifice, Mi Xiaolu. Didn’t you pay attention in cultural studies?” Yu Jing scolded with a stern face. “We won’t put you in danger.”
“That’s right, that’s right. You just need to stand here, best if you think about Xu Chuyao, remember your dorm life, and all those little moments together,” Xiao Si Nuo added.
Hearing this, Mi Xiaolu finally understood, though she still didn’t quite get it, at least she knew what she needed to do.
She stood forward, and under Xiao Si Nuo’s guidance, stood three meters away from the sandbags and Soulstone. She clasped her hands, bowed her head and closed her eyes, recalling nearly four years of life as roommates. To be honest, it was a bit painful—her roommate’s stories lately had been too wild.
“Teacher Yu, don’t be too hard on them. Don’t blame them for the cultural studies part,” Principal Lü whispered by Yu Jing’s side. “This generation of kids has to learn to understand the world scientifically, while also dealing with supernatural effects.”
It’s only talents like Xu Chuyao who can balance both science and mystery, even without attending class. Heaven knows how she does it.
“I’m starting!”
Xiao Si Nuo shouted, holding the ritual bell in his hand, and struck it hard against the Smart Stone. A dazzling blue light flashed several times, and the sandbags below began to glow, forming a sturdy slope. The shadow across from them gradually sharpened, its outline becoming clear.
“Wait, wait, I won’t fall! Don’t make noise! …Summoning, seems to have worked…”
A bright and energetic voice rang out from above the training ground.
Everyone looked up. A tall, slender, black-haired girl lay sprawled on top of the sandbags, while a white-haired young woman clung tightly to her waist.
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