“It’s fine! It’s fine! I recognize this place!”
Because her girlfriend had suddenly climbed up at the last moment, Xu Chuyao herself was quite nervous, thinking they had really ended up at some incredible Valhalla Research Institute. But after taking a moment to settle down, the familiar rubbery surface and protein track were obvious, this was clearly the Training Field of Shengling Academy.
“See, it must have been Xiao Si Nuo and the others working. I told him to record this stuff before, right, Xiao Si Nuo?” Xu Chuyao called out without even lifting her head.
A few meters away came the loyal voice of the little curly-haired boy.
“Yes, Officer Yao, I used your method of dictation to record it, and summoned everyone back from over there. But… this time, besides me, there are a few extra helpers.”
“Helpers? Who’s so generous, let me take a look.”
Xu Chuyao happily lifted her little head, and then saw the stern Principal Lü, the strict Form Teacher Cheng Chen, the approving gaze of the Class Advisor Yu Jing, and the innocently dazed Mi Xiaolu, all staring at her together.
“All the goods are here.”
After clearing the Trial Camp, she gave a silly laugh, then whispered to her girlfriend, “Don’t be so stiff, Shen Ning, let go quickly, everyone is watching.”
Xu Chuyao had thought she’d be taken straight to the Principal’s Office for questioning, but instead, she just heard, “That’s enough for now. Get some rest. We’ll talk tomorrow.”
In that moment, Xu Chuyao’s heart was filled with warmth, as if she saw the radiant light of humanity shining in the dark.
Back in the dorm preparing to sleep, she glanced at her roommate and couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. Thinking about it carefully, after coming to this world for a few years, aside from her main character Shen Ning, the person she felt closest to was Mi Xiaolu, so it was only natural she could summon herself back from over there.
But she wasn’t sure how to explain all of this.
Xu Chuyao hesitated for a moment, then spoke softly, “Mi Xiaolu…”
“Don’t. I’m going to sleep.” Mi Xiaolu immediately shut her eyes and pulled up the blanket. “I don’t know anything and don’t want to hear anything, at least not tonight.”
It was almost 1 AM.
“Fine, then let’s sleep.”
Zzzz…
The next day, Xu Chuyao slept until afternoon. If not for Yu Jing knocking on the door outside, she would’ve wanted to sleep a bit longer, see if she could use Moe Camouflage to slip by.
But reality didn’t allow it. With something this big, after having lunch, she obediently followed the class advisor to the Principal’s Office.
Xu Chuyao had been here many times now. The office was decorated as usual, except for a new big black box with some dirt on top that hadn’t been cleaned off. One look, and she recognized it as something she had hidden in the Laian Weimei District.
She quickly averted her gaze, not daring to look much, since Principal Lü was watching.
“You—forget it, let’s talk about what happened to you first.”
Compared to losing his treasured student’s skirt, he’d rather first care about the grievances Xu Chuyao had suffered.
For a moment, Xu Chuyao couldn’t hold back her emotions and plopped down on the sofa, starting to complain, “It was Vina, and also some guy called Ma Niu Bier, that same suspicious guy I fought with during the last Academy of Martial Spirits exchange. Oh, and some people from Wang Mo County—they deliberately set a trap for me. By definition, that’s a serious act of betrayal!”
“I know, I know. As for that one, we’ve already had the Security Department take him into custody,” Principal Lü soothed her. “He’s with Wei Lin now. You can go see him later, or send someone over.”
“Forget it, they don’t know anything, they’re just being used.”
All in all, Xu Chuyao made it clear these people weren’t out for revenge, but that the Supreme Society had set their sights on her.
Principal Lü could understand this conclusion—after all, Xu Chuyao had been avoiding them for months. Whenever they tried to approach, she’d immediately raise her guard, and if anything did happen, she’d shut it down right away. Eventually, even the calmest person would lose patience.
“So what do you plan to do next?”
“What else can I do? I can’t beat them now, so I’ll just bide my time,” Xu Chuyao shrugged. “I’ll focus on Development for a while.”
Silently enduring for now, find Shen Ning to help me grow stronger, and once I reach the Cultivation Peak of Third Rank, they’ll be in for a surprise.
Principal Lü nodded. “You’re definitely safe inside the academy. The teachers and I will make sure of that. Now, let’s talk about something else.”
He knocked on the big black box next to him.
“Emmmm, Principal, be careful with that, it’s really dangerous. If you accidentally go over the critical value, it’ll start the Transformation…”
“So you do know it’s dangerous!”
Principal Lü huffed, beard puffing in agitation. “You realize that if something happens, the entire district will be involved!”
“It’s not like I’m careless,” Xu Chuyao whispered. “I’m very cautious.”
Principal Lü glared. “Still have the nerve to talk back?”
“I won’t say anymore, you go ahead.”
He’d originally wanted to give a good lecture, but with Xu Chuyao’s interruption, he didn’t know how to continue. After thinking for a long time, he just sighed, “Forget it, just make sure you handle things properly. Don’t let anyone get a hold over you. After the hearing, Monrose’s Research Institute is the only authorized institution to conduct daily stone experiments.”
“Understood!” Xu Chuyao saluted energetically. “I’ll be careful and definitely won’t get caught red-handed!”
Principal Lü looked at her and could only shake his head helplessly.
As for her motivation for the research, when he’d talked with Xiao Si Nuo earlier, he already understood—one was to help friends see their loved ones again, and the other was to protect her girlfriend Shen Ning, preventing a repeat of the forced abduction.
Helping friends was a duty; standing up for a lover was affection. With such loyalty and righteousness, if there were an academy virtue exam, she’d get a perfect score.
That day, Principal Lü kept a stern face, but in the end, he didn’t say much, only reminding her to be careful, stay in the academy as much as possible, then let her go.
“Goodbye, Principal!”
Leaving the office, stepping out of the administrative building, Xu Chuyao stretched her waist, suddenly feeling the warmth of the human world—a stark contrast to that cold, heartless world of the Soul Prison.
“What did the principal say?” came the voice of Class Advisor Yu Jing from behind. “You’re not going out again, are you?”
Looking back, Xu Chuyao saw Yu Jing holding the black box in one hand, apparently just leaving the Principal’s Office as well, following close behind.
“For now, I won’t go out. I’ll keep a low profile… That box.”
“This kind of dangerous item, the principal asked me to help you keep it,” Yu Jing said. “If you need it, just come ask me.”
“Alright.”
Actually, she’d thought it would be confiscated, but since Yu Jing said so, Xu Chuyao had no intention of telling them she’d hidden nine more boxes elsewhere.
Xu Chuyao headed back to the girls’ dorm, Yu Jing to the teachers’ quarters. The two walked together for a bit. As they exited the administration building, Yu Jing suddenly said,
“You all did very well. With scarce resources and few people, you still managed to achieve results ahead of everyone else.”
Xu Chuyao smiled, not expecting her usually stern Class Advisor to praise her, so she couldn’t help but blow her own trumpet, “Of course! We may be few, but everyone under me is talented!”
“You mean the Special Information Group? I only learned about that yesterday. Not many people, but as the name suggests, your intelligence handling is quite outstanding.”
“Yes, especially our leader.” Xu Chuyao couldn’t help but boast, “Last time, it was our Special Information Group that uncovered the problem with Suna.”
There aren’t many people—one Prophet to point the general direction, one Conspiracy Theorist to dig out clues, so intelligence work comes naturally.
“Then, once you’re done with this mess, could you help me with something?” Yu Jing asked. “I always wanted to ask, but never found the right time.”
“No problem,” Xu Chuyao replied offhandedly. “But I might need a little while, since I’ll be staying at the academy for now.”
“No rush, I’ve waited this long already… It’s fine, just take care of yourself. You’ll be safe in the academy. The teachers will protect you all.”
Kubaas City, in the private residence of the former head of the Judicial Department, on the big balcony on the second floor, an old man lounged on a recliner, basking in the afternoon sun.
Though he hadn’t formally stepped down yet, Monrose had already handed over all Judicial Department work to his deputy, making it clear he was preparing to retire. Now, the only task he still handled personally was the high-security Valhalla Research Institute.
“Old Zhao, you’re in a good mood,” came a sinister voice from the side. “I’ve brought you one piece of good news, and one bad news.”
It was the same masked man from before, dressed in local style, appearing without a sound, uninvited as always.
Monrose opened his eyes and caught a glimpse of the golden emblem engraved on the man’s cuff.
“What news?”
“The good news is, our research has made progress. We managed to send a capable spirit user to the other side,” the masked man said with a smile. “And their consciousness remained clear. After coming back, they reported everything they saw.”
A glimmer flashed in Monrose’s eyes, but it was quickly replaced by vigilance. “And the bad news?”
“The bad news is, that lady also went in. Clearly, she’s more experienced than we are.”
Hearing this, the old man who had just been excited fell silent.
“We arranged an assassination operation for her and another beautiful girl, but unfortunately, it failed. Next time, it’ll be even harder to lure them out.” The masked man raised his hand, gently brushing the railing, and whispered, “We need you to use your influence, to come up with something.”
Xu Chuyao briefly summarized how she’d been given temporary authority, then opened her laptop, logged onto the Online Shopping Interface, and also opened the Video Website, typing away while snuggling into her chair.
“So what’s your plan next?”
“Development, and strengthening my power.”
That’s what she said, but as Mi Xiaolu walked behind her in the dorm, she saw a bunch of shopping tabs open and couldn’t help but ask,
“What are you buying?”
“Magic Girl transformation wands, Succubus Tail, and some auxiliary items like Happy Mood Amulet.”
“What are you browsing?”
“Moe Girl Group, wardrobe bands, welfare Up Master.”
“So,” Mi Xiaolu asked in confusion, “your plan is—”
“Didn’t I say? Development, getting stronger!” Xu Chuyao replied confidently.
“These things… can really help you get stronger?”
This didn’t look like a training plan at all. Mi Xiaolu thought she’d figured things out, ready to hit the Training Field and train hard for ten days straight.
“Under normal circumstances, these things wouldn’t work,” Xu Chuyao said lightly, “but in a few days, I’ll have Shen Ning watch me unbox them, and then they’ll work.”
Thinking about the day when her account balance would drop to zero, Xu Chuyao couldn’t help but let out a sigh.