Chapter 39

Jiang Luo leaned back, arms crossed, and looked at Qi Ye. 'You said that before the second round, too.'

Qi Ye’s expression stiffened, his handsome face struggling to maintain its composure. 'But I will definitely be first in the Third Trial.'

'There are no hints for the top three in the Third Trial,' Qi Ye said earnestly. 'We are starting from the same point. Jiang Luo, I won’t lose to you.'

Jiang Luo smiled. 'But I want to be first, too.'

Hearing this, Qi Ye actually smiled, satisfied. 'Are you finally planning to take this seriously?'

Lu You, in the row ahead, turned his head and asked curiously, 'Qi Ye, did you transfer here specifically for Jiang Luo?'

A flash of unease crossed Qi Ye’s face. 'I just wanted to experience what it’s like to go to school.'

Jiang Luo raised an eyebrow. 'You’ve never been to school before?'

'I went to a regular university, but not for Natural Science and Social Research,' Qi Ye said, his gaze drifting involuntarily as he looked at Jiang Luo’s face. 'I used to study these subjects at home.'

Lu You was delighted. 'Does that mean there’s a chance you’ll end up in last place?'

'How is that possible?' Ye Xun said with his usual sharp tongue. 'Lu You, Qi Ye is better than you.'

Lu You said, 'But my ranking in both rounds has been higher than Qi Ye’s.'

Qi Ye: '...'

He took a deep breath, feeling stifled, but he couldn’t refute it because what Lu You said was a fact.

Wenren Lian laughed. 'Let’s go grab a meal together tonight.'

Classes ended at six in the evening, and the group headed to the cafeteria. Wenren Lian and Jiang Luo walked at the back. Wenren Lian said in a low voice, 'Qi Ye is very well-protected by the Qi Family.'

Jiang Luo nodded. 'Even though he seems hot-tempered, he’s quite simple.'

'He has great talent, too,' Wenren Lian said, his peripheral vision sweeping over Qi Ye ahead. He smiled. 'And he’s handsome.'

They were passing a basketball court when a ball flew toward them, heading straight for Jiang Luo. Qi Ye stepped back and caught it just in time, his brow furrowing as he shouted, 'Watch where you’re throwing!'

He kicked the ball back, sending it all the way to the other end of the court.

Only after seeing the ball go far away did Qi Ye look back at Jiang Luo. 'Are you alright?'

Jiang Luo found it amusing. 'The ball didn’t even touch me.'

Wenren Lian’s gaze swept over them, his smile deepening. He took two quick steps to reach Zhuo Zhongqiu. 'What do you think of Qi Ye?'

Zhuo Zhongqiu glanced back and said critically, 'He’s alright, I suppose, though his temper isn’t great.'

Wenren Lian said calmly, 'Then let’s keep him as a candidate.'

If Qi Ye were to be the object of Jiang Luo’s new romance, he fit the criteria well enough.

But compared to Chi You, there was still a gap. They weren’t sure if Jiang Luo would like someone of Qi Ye’s type; after all, Chi You was the epitome of a gentle gentleman.

During the meal, Qi Ye sat next to Jiang Luo. As soon as he sat down, the others stared straight at him, making him jump. 'Why are you all looking at me like that?'

Ye Xun asked, 'Qi Ye, are you seeing anyone?'

Qi Ye kept a straight face. 'No, I’m not interested.'

'Then what kind of person do you like?' Ge Zhu asked curiously.

Qi Ye frowned. 'Why are you asking all this?'

Jiang Luo tilted his head, smiling at Qi Ye with his black hair falling over his shoulder. He said nonchalantly, 'You have to satisfy their curiosity, or they won’t let you go.'

Looking at Jiang Luo like this, Qi Ye suddenly recalled the scene of the black-haired youth jumping from a tree to slay the Spider-Man. His throat felt itchy, and he quickly looked away. 'I don’t know what kind of person I’d like.'

Seeing that Qi Ye was about to get annoyed, the others stopped asking.

After the meal, Jiang Luo parted ways with them to head to Tianshi Manor. He was to stay at the manor until the competition began.

At Tianshi Manor, Feng Li was not present. Jiang Luo went alone to the Study Room to read. By the time the moon rose above the branches, Feng Li returned with two direct disciples.

Feng Li called Jiang Luo over, took a sip of tea, and asked slowly, 'How much did you read today?'

Jiang Luo answered point by point.

Feng Li nodded and took a book of Spirit Papers from a cabinet. 'Once you finish those books, take this one to practice.'

Jiang Luo took it and saw that it contained ancient Spirit Papers that had never been made public. He tucked it away and asked, 'Shifu, where did you go today?'

Feng Li raised his eyes to look at him. 'I went to the Chi Clan.'

Jiang Luo: 'The Chi Clan?'

'The Direct Lineage descendants of the Chi Clan are gone. The Chi Clan's Collateral Line has invited us to their home to witness the Collateral Line take over the Chi Clan,' Feng Li said coldly. 'That evil ghost that has been pestering you endlessly is the last member of the Chi Clan's Direct Lineage.'

'I wounded him yesterday, but he escaped at the last moment,' Feng Li leaned back. 'Chi You is truly the strongest of the Chi Clan’s direct descendants; even in death, he possesses such power. Compared to him, those collateral branches are nothing.'

The Chi Clan mastered the Puppetry Art of soul refining, an ancient and powerful technique. Such a technique in human hands would naturally make others uneasy, afraid that one day they might become a puppet in the hands of the Chi Clan, and even after death, their souls would be refined by the Chi Clan. According to common sense, the Chi Clan should have been besieged by everyone until the Puppetry Art of soul refining was destroyed.

Things that are too powerful only invite disaster.

Yet the Chi Clan had developed steadily until now for two reasons. First, the Puppetry Art was extremely difficult to master; from the past to the present, only the direct line of the Chi Clan could grasp it. Second, although every direct descendant was a one-in-a-million genius, none of them lived past the age of thirty.

When it came to Chi You, one more point had to be added. Chi You was gentle and kind-hearted. Although he mastered the Puppetry Art, he rarely used it, preferring to build good karma instead. This made the Xuanxue World feel extremely at ease with him; no one believed Chi You would use the Puppetry Art to do anything harmful to them or the Xuanxue World.

Jiang Luo listened quietly. Powerful but unable to live past thirty—it sounded like a curse.

Jiang Luo: 'Shifu, can only the direct lineage master the Puppetry Art?'

Feng Li: 'At least until now, no collateral member has been able to master it.'

Jiang Luo: 'Then with Chi You dead and the direct line broken, does that mean no one will be able to truly master the Puppetry Art in the future?'

Feng Li said coldly, 'The Chi Clan still cannot be underestimated. Even mastering a fraction of the Puppetry Art is formidable.'

But judging by his expression, he clearly didn’t think much of the Chi Clan’s collateral branches.

Jiang Luo was thoughtful. 'Shifu, what exactly is the Yuantian Pearl?'

Feng Li glanced at him. 'Once you obtain it, you will naturally know.'

'As my disciple, if you do not obtain the Yuantian Pearl,' Feng Li said, his tone devoid of emotion, 'then there is no need for you to return from the Xiangxi Region.'

Jiang Luo: '...'

To ensure he could return from the Xiangxi Region, Jiang Luo went back to the study and pulled an all-nighter. Ten days passed, and Jiang Luo finally finished the entire bookshelf.

After finishing the books, Feng Li made him focus on practicing Spirit Papers. During this time, Jiang Luo saw Master Qiao a few times, but Master Qiao seemed to have returned to normal; Jiang Luo didn’t see even a shadow of Chi You on him again.

A month passed in the blink of an eye, and the time for the Third Trial Competition arrived.

Early in the morning, Jiang Luo put on his backpack and went downstairs. Feng Li was waiting for him in the hall. On the long wooden table lay a brush and Cinnabar. Feng Li burned incense and washed his hands, saying to him, 'Come here.'

Jiang Luo walked over.

Feng Li said, 'Sit.'

After Jiang Luo sat down, Feng Li dipped the brush into a bowl of clear water and suddenly flicked it toward Jiang Luo.

Jiang Luo closed his eyes instinctively as the water droplets landed on him. Then, Feng Li dipped the brush into the Cinnabar and stood before Jiang Luo.

The black-haired youth’s eyelids twitched. Feng Li said, 'Do not move.'

Jiang Luo didn’t open his eyes again.

Feng Li turned the brush in his hand, reversing it. His slender fingers gripped the thin black shaft, and he gently pulled open the collar of Jiang Luo’s shirt.

His neck and collarbone were exposed. Feng Li’s light-colored eyes reflected the image of the black-haired youth. He gently tapped two spots on Jiang Luo’s shoulders, and two small, pre-folded paper figures jumped onto his shoulders to hold his clothes in place.

Only then did Feng Li set the brush to paper.

The red Cinnabar coiled around Jiang Luo’s neck and chest, forming a complex talisman that looked like a winding vine. Feng Li drew it at a steady pace. When the final stroke was complete, the talisman flashed with Golden Light and vanished from Jiang Luo’s skin.

Feng Li put away the brush, looked down at the youth, and said, 'It is done.'

Jiang Luo opened his eyes and looked at himself, but saw nothing. 'Shifu, what did you draw?'

'A Life-Saving Talisman,' Feng Li said, signaling his disciples to come forward and clean up. 'The Third Trial is different from the first two. Caution must come first.'

Every word from the judges could be a hint, and Jiang Luo kept that in mind. 'I understand.'

Feng Li nodded. 'Go.'

Jiang Luo adjusted his clothes, picked up his backpack, and left Tianshi Manor to meet up with his classmates.

The group boarded a plane and arrived in the Xiangxi Region three hours later.

Teacher Wan was still leading the team. After he finished coordinating with the staff, Jiang Luo’s group boarded a four-hour bus ride.

They transferred to a minibus, and finally, after an hour of bumping along in a van, they reached their destination. By the time they finally got off, several of them were vomiting.

Once they were done, they walked listlessly into the rest area.

The competition wouldn’t start until tomorrow, so they had to stay the night. However, the rooms provided by the organizers were extremely crude, appearing as if they had been built on the fly, with the red bricks still unpainted. Twenty-two mattresses were laid out from one end of the wall to the other—a giant communal bed.

Lu You’s luggage dropped to the floor, his mouth hanging open. 'We’re staying here?'

A staff member smiled. 'Isn’t it fun? It’s so lively for you young people to stay together.'

'Is there a place to bathe?' Zhuo Zhongqiu asked.

The staff member took them to see the bathing and restroom facilities. The bathing area was a plastic shed containing a few plastic basins and foot tubs. As for the restroom, it was of the traditional rural style.

The group was speechless. Returning to the communal bed, they resignedly claimed nine spots.

Zhuo Zhongqiu was a girl, so they let her sleep against the wall, with the others lined up. Nine people instantly took up nearly half of the mattresses.

Jiang Luo counted the beds. 'That’s not right. Why are there only twenty-two beds?'

After the second round, thirty people had successfully advanced.

'Eight people withdrew,' the staff member said regretfully. 'Actually, five of them ate mushrooms in the Yunnan Province and ended up in the hospital after they got back; they’ve been lying there for a month and still haven’t recovered.'

Jiang Luo’s group: '...'

A sigh.

Baihua University arrived first. They had been on the road all day, eating only a Chinese meal on the plane, and after vomiting once they got off, they were starving. They found the staff, but only received a box of instant noodles, a box of soda, and nine sausages.

Even Ge Zhu, who could endure hardship, turned slightly pale. 'The organizers are too cruel.'

Jiang Luo sighed. As the only one in the group who knew how to cook, he asked the staff for an iron pot, told his companions to gather firewood and forage for forest vegetables, and set up the pot on the spot.

Wenren Lian squatted nearby, watching curiously, and specifically warned Kuang Zheng, who was going to look for vegetables, 'Make sure you don’t pick the wrong ones.'

Otherwise, they would end up like those five who ate mushrooms and were stuck in the hospital, missing the competition entirely.

Kuang Zheng was used to a hard life and knew what edible vegetables looked like better than Wenren Lian. Still, he nodded seriously, helped Jiang Luo build the stove, and then headed into the forest.

Half an hour later, Kuang Zheng returned, bringing not only a handful of vegetables but also a long-eared rabbit that had already been skinned.

Jiang Luo had already started the fire, surrounded by a curious crowd. When they saw the rabbit in Kuang Zheng’s hand, their eyes lit up. 'Roast rabbit?'

Jiang Luo stroked his chin. 'Sure.'

In less than ten minutes, the water in the iron pot was boiling, and Jiang Luo dropped in eighteen packs of instant noodles.

Perhaps the nature of their work consumed their bodies, requiring them to eat more to replenish their energy; regardless of gender, every one of them could eat a frightening amount. They looked refined on the surface, but could easily finish three bowls of rice without feeling full.

After adding the noodles, Jiang Luo sliced the two tomatoes Wenren Lian had gotten from the staff and added them to the pot, along with some seasoning, keeping some aside for the roast rabbit.

The vegetables were added last. As the red broth rolled, the wavy noodles mingled with green vegetables and sausages, the scent of tomato and noodles weaving together, whetting everyone’s appetite. The sound of swallowing echoed one after another.

Exhausted from the day, everyone stared at the iron pot with eyes that were almost red.

Lu You wiped his drool and ran to borrow bowls and chopsticks from the staff.

Qi Ye marveled for the umpteenth time, 'You can actually cook?'

'It’s just instant noodles, isn’t it a piece of cake?' Jiang Luo deftly placed the rabbit over the fire to roast, tilting his head to curl his lips at him. 'What, do you think I’m too impressive and you’re not planning to fight me for first place anymore?'

Qi Ye said in a low voice, 'I still have to fight for it.'

Perhaps embarrassed to say such things after eating someone else’s food, his voice was as quiet as a mosquito’s hum.

Jiang Luo was amused.

The aroma of the tomato noodles filled the entire rest area. Teacher Wan even came over to mooch a meal, saying happily, 'These noodles, the ones you cook really do taste different from the ones you just soak.'

Once Jiang Luo said they were ready, ten pairs of chopsticks dove into the pot, and half the noodles vanished in an instant.

Jiang Luo was served a bowl of noodles first by an eager Lu You. He was comfortably slurping the noodles and sipping the tomato broth when he heard the sound of suitcase wheels rolling closer.

Jiang Luo looked up and saw a pale contestant walking slowly toward them.

The man coughed every three steps. He had regular features but a sickly, thin frame, his face devoid of color, and even the hands pulling the suitcase were pale and long, with blue veins clearly visible.

The contestant saw them, offered a weak smile, and walked over slowly. 'Hello.'

'Hello,' Jiang Luo said, withdrawing his gaze and smiling kindly. 'Who are you?'

His lips were stained a vibrant red from the spicy broth.

'My name is Liao Si,' Liao Si coughed softly. 'Are you eating?'

It seemed as though just saying those few words had exhausted his strength, but his peripheral gaze toward the iron pot subtly conveyed his meaning.

Jiang Luo said politely, 'Would you like to join us?'

Liao Si smiled. 'Thank you.'

He set his luggage aside, sat slowly next to Jiang Luo, took the bowl and chopsticks Lu You handed him, and gently scooped a bowl of noodles from the pot.

'Delicious,' Liao Si exhaled softly, turning his head to whisper to Jiang Luo, 'This journey nearly cost me my life.'

He looked very sickly; given his condition, just making it here was an achievement. Jiang Luo asked, 'Where are you from?'

Liao Si smiled sheepishly. 'I’m a local from the Xiangxi Region.'

Jiang Luo: '...You’ve had a hard time.'

Liao Si said with a bitter smile, 'My health is poor, so I didn’t have as hard a journey as you, yet I still look less energetic than you.'

Jiang Luo laughed. 'Do you know where we’re from?'

Liao Si smiled slightly. 'In the Third Trial, only Shanhai University and Baihua University would have so many people gathered together. Besides, I watched the live stream on the website; even if I don’t recognize the others, I’d certainly recognize you, the first-place winner.'

Teacher Wan suddenly exclaimed, 'Your name is Liao Si, and you’re a local from the Xiangxi Region—are you a descendant of the Lao Liao Family of Xiangxi corpse drivers?'

The group looked at Liao Si, who nodded with a calm smile. 'Yes.'

'The descendants of the Lao Liao Family have all grown up,' Teacher Wan said with great emotion. 'How is your father’s health?'

'My father is in good health,' Liao Si said, seemingly not wanting to talk more about it. He looked at the rabbit and reminded them slowly, 'Is the rabbit done?'

Jiang Luo looked down and saw that the rabbit had been roasted to a honey-colored glaze, with beads of oil sliding off the skin; it was indeed ready.

He took the rabbit down, used a dagger to divide it among the group, and specifically gave a leg to Kuang Zheng.

Liao Si also received a piece of tender meat. He tasted it carefully and exclaimed again that it was delicious.

The pot of tomato noodles was eaten clean, and the sweet and sour broth was finished to the bottom. After resting for a while, they took Liao Si back to the room.

Liao Si chose a bed on the edge near Baihua University, right to Jiang Luo’s left.

In the dense forest, there was no Mobile Phone signal. Fortunately, Lu You had brought two decks of playing cards. While they played cards, the other competitors gradually arrived at the scene.

Twenty-two people squeezed into the communal bed, not one missing.

It became lively once everyone arrived. Just as Liao Si said, the vast majority of the twenty-two contestants were from Shanhai University and Baihua University. The others were scattered, having come alone.

The organizers had a shred of conscience and provided hot water instead of making the contestants boil it themselves. After everyone finished washing up in the crude facilities, the judges and staff entered their room.

All six judges were present, with Feng Li standing at the very front. Feng Li’s expression was indifferent, his clothes not even stained with a speck of dust from the bumpy journey. The staff member beside him held a tray containing yellow paper, Cinnabar, Black Dog Blood, and a stack of pre-written talismans.

The staff member said, 'In light of the incident in the previous round where Bai Ye Feng was possessed by an Evil Presence, we are now going to check the physical condition of all contestants. Please cooperate.'

Jiang Luo raised an eyebrow and couldn’t help but laugh. 'An unexpected bonus.'

With this setup, even if Chi You were truly hiding in the crowd, he would be dragged out.

Liao Si, sitting beside him with his hair gently spread over his forehead, watched the judges—who had already begun checking the contestants from the end of the line—and said softly, 'This is my first time seeing all six teachers appear together.'

Soon, the judges reached Baihua University.

The six judges had different appearances, each with their own characteristics. Among them was a bald monk who smiled at Jiang Luo and the others. 'These are all acquaintances of the teachers.'

Finally, his gaze settled on Ge Zhu, who sat cross-legged with his back straight, though his head was bowed, making his expression unreadable.

'Ge Zhu,' the bald monk sighed faintly, his voice dropping. 'Are you still not planning to return?'

Jiang Luo looked at Ge Zhu, whose lips were pressed tight. 'Chengde Master, I have already entered the Daoist gate.'

Chengde Master gave a bitter smile, shook his head, and stopped talking.

Feng Li walked up to Jiang Luo. 'Raise your hand.'

Jiang Luo withdrew his gaze and raised his hand as instructed.

Beside him, Liao Si was being checked by Zhuo Zhengyu. First, Black Dog Blood was dabbed on the center of the forehead; if there was no reaction, a talisman was used, and if that also had no reaction, it was confirmed that the person was not possessed by an Evil Presence.

That wasn’t enough; the judges would also write a soul-stabilizing and evil-suppressing talisman on the students’ bodies on the spot to prevent them from being invaded by Evil Presences during the competition.

When Jiang Luo was finished, the others were nearly done as well. Feng Li looked at him one last time before following the other judges to the next group of people.

Liao Si looked at the spell on the back of his hand and smiled faintly. 'The teachers are truly powerful; they drew so many talismans without a single moment of hesitation.'

Jiang Luo said, 'They are the Six Great Families, after all.'

He got up and walked to Wenren Lian, patting him. 'Wenren, which one of those six is from the Chi Clan?'

Wenren Lian said, 'The second one from the left.'

Jiang Luo looked at the second man from the left, seeing a stern-faced middle-aged man. He was writing a talisman for a student, his face showing no abnormality, but beads of sweat were beginning to form on his forehead.

'That is Chi You’s uncle,' Wenren Lian said with a cold laugh. 'A useless piece of trash who has accomplished nothing.'

Jiang Luo laughed. 'I rarely hear you say things like that.'

'Because what he did is truly disgusting,' Lu You also snorted coldly. 'More than a decade ago, someone hired him to perform a Ritual, but due to his carelessness, he nearly killed that family. After it blew up, he pushed the responsibility onto Chi You, who was still young, insisting that the Ritual had been performed by Chi You behind his back without permission.'

'Chi You had such a good temper that he actually took the fall and was cursed for who knows how many years,' Lu You clenched his fists. 'Over the years, Chi You took the fall for the Chi Clan’s collateral branches so many times... It wasn’t until Chi You made more friends and his reputation improved that everyone realized someone with such a kind nature wouldn’t do those evil things, and only then was his name cleared.'

Jiang Luo almost thought he had misheard.

Make Chi You take the fall?

He almost laughed out loud. Was this for real?

They made Chi You take the fall, and he actually took it? Not only that, but the people who made him take the fall were still living well to this day?

'What happened to those Chi Clan members who made Chi You take the fall?' he asked with interest. While this uncle was still alive, the others might not be.

Wenren Lian said coldly, 'Aside from the bad reputation, they’re still living perfectly well.'

Jiang Luo was stunned.

How could that be?

Given Chi You’s vengeful, vicious, and cruel nature, how could he possibly let himself be bullied without retaliating?

Jiang Luo frowned, feeling a subtle sense of strangeness.

'In all these years,' he asked, 'has no one from the collateral branches of the Chi Clan died?'

Another voice came from behind him. 'In all these years, the direct line of the Chi Clan has died out, but not a single person from the collateral branches has had an accident.'

Liao Si sat slowly beside Jiang Luo and smiled at him. 'Isn’t that strange?'

Strange.

Extremely strange.

Given Chi You’s personality, he would never let anyone who crossed him get away with it.

By all rights, those who dared to make Chi You take the fall should have been retaliated against by him long ago.

Jiang Luo wanted to ask more, but the six judges had finished checking all the students. A staff member said with a smile, 'Everyone, get some sleep early.'

It was late, so Jiang Luo set aside the thought of asking further and returned to his bed with Liao Si. Before lying down, he suddenly looked up at Liao Si, who was tidying his pillow in a leisurely manner. 'How do you know about the Chi Clan’s affairs?'

'Because I’m very curious,' Liao Si said with a subtle smile. 'I’m from the line of corpse drivers. After I heard Chi You died, I wanted to see his body, but my health is poor, and by the time I rushed to the Chi Clan, Chi You’s funeral had already ended.'

'I stayed at the Chi Clan for a few days, so I learned quite a lot.'

Jiang Luo didn’t find any red flags, so he nodded and lay back under the covers.

The lights were turned off, and moonlight streamed in through the window. The moonlight in the forest was incredibly clear and bright. Jiang Luo breathed in the cold night air, and sleepiness gradually crept over him.

But just as he was about to fall asleep, his scalp stung, and he instantly woke up from his dream.

Turning his head, he saw that Liao Si had inadvertently pressed down on the ends of his hair. Jiang Luo rubbed his brow and said in a low voice, 'Liao Si, you’re pressing on my hair.'

Liao Si lifted his arm and said apologetically, 'My apologies.'