/
Feng Ping Lan returned to the residence, and as he passed by Kaido’s room, saw a hint of light through the gaps of the door.
He knocked. “Kaido?”
There was no reply, and Feng Ping Lan stuck his face to the door to listen.
He heard a sizzling sound, and the smell of smoke.
Oh no! Could it be that the shock of being suspended was too much for him, generating a world-weary heart that made him burn down his room in a bid to commit suicide!
“No— Kaido! You dummy!” Feng Ping Lan hurriedly backed two steps away, then ran into the door with all his might. But the door wouldn’t open, so he summoned his blade and cut down on the wooden door.
Just an instance before the sharp blade descended, the door was opened.
“What are you—” An unhappy voice sounded from behind the door.
Kaido saw the blade descend the moment he opened the door, and stared blankly. But the years of training had instilled some instinct into his body, and before the sword could cut down on him, he jumped away by a hair’s breadth, avoiding the attack.
Kaido glared at Feng Ping Lan, and Feng Ping Lan stared back at him, gripping the sword. Blinking, his mouth cracked into a smile.
“Oh, good evening, it’s really great you’re okay!”
“What are you doing!” Kaido exploded, “You want to kill me? Looks like you’ve got more balls than I thought! You led me into the house with your faked kindness, just to get the chance to kill me, is that it!”
Kaido exploded in rage, not because Feng Ping Lan had plotted against him, but because he was angry at himself.
He was actually hurt by Feng Ping Lan’s actions…
“Oh, you misunderstood!” Feng Ping Lan waved it away with a smile, putting away the sword, “I thought you were burning charcoal inside your room, so I came in to save you! I wouldn’t knock on your door if I really wanted to do something to you, haha!”
Kaido stared.
What sort of shitty excuse was this?
Even shittier, his feelings had gotten better because of it! To hell with that!
“You idiot!” Kaido hit the wall with his fist.
“Hey! Upstairs, be quiet!” Morris’ protest rang out from below.
Feng Ping Lan scratched his head, apologizing in embarrassment, “Sorry sorry, I was too impulsive. I was worried something had happened to you, hehehe…”
Feng Ping Lan’s simple apology made Kaido’s heart feel a little complicated, a sourness in midst of a pool of warmth.
Why would he want to worry about him? What happened to him wouldn’t matter to Feng Ping Lan. To put things in a much unpleasant perspective, it would be a relief to many if he just died.
“You…”
Before Kaido could open his mouth, Feng Ping Lan poked his head into his room, asking, “Right, what were you doing in here anyway?”
If he wasn’t burning charcoal, where had all the smoke come from?
Ah!
“You’re having barbecue in your room?!” Feng Ping Lan’s eyes widened.
A multi-purpose porcelain stove was placed in the corner, a roasting pan on it. Several pieces of meat and various others lay on it, the cooked pieces of food set on the plate by the side. The meat on the roasting pan was now charred and dried out to a black due to Feng Ping Lan’s interruption.
Having his private business discovered, Kaido was a little ashamed and resentful.
“You’re actually having barbecue in your room?” The question rang out a second time.
Kaido knitted his eyebrows, his intuition under the impression that he was being reprimanded, and started defending himself.
“It’s none of your business! I can’t leave the house, if you have any objections just—”
“You’re having barbecue in your room and you actually didn’t invite me!” Feng Ping Lan shook his head, inviting himself into the room, “Don’t be such a stranger, Kaido.”
Kaido froze. “You—”
“Where’s Tan Hua?” Feng Ping Lan looked around.
Kaido hesitated for a moment, then answered with a low voice, “…Went out to buy barbecue sauce…”
“You really know how to enjoy life!” Feng Ping Lan sighed in admiration, then walked toward the roasting pan, tsking in amazement.
Kaido wanted to rebuke him, but looking at Feng Ping Lan’s look filled with novelty, he was forced to reel in his curses.
“Mm…”
“That’s amazing!” Feng Ping Lan stared at the meat, gulping his saliva. He then glanced back with puppy dog eyes, “Share some with me?” He had gone through a whole day of classes, even having to stay behind to clean, he was starving to death!
Kaido looked at Feng Ping Lan. He was about to curse at him, but looking at the way the guy stared at those pieces of meat, gave up on his own initiative.
“…Whatever…” This person couldn’t be communicated using common sense. If he cursed at him, things would get more long-winded and hard to handle.
“I won’t hold back then!” Feng Ping Lan reached out two fingers to take a piece of meat, throwing his head back to deliver it into his mouth, “Oh oh it’s so delicious! The pork is so soft and tender! Little piggy, you did not die in vain!”
Kaido stared at Feng Ping Lan, who was shoving the pieces of meat into his mouth in bliss, brow pinched.
How could this person be so scoundrelly, so irritating, so lacking in common sense…
He was perplexed. He had never seen a Summoner like this before.
What he was even more perplexed about was that facing this idiot that repeatedly offended him time and again, he actually…
Didn’t mind it that much.
Realizing Kaido was staring at him, Feng Ping Lan paused in his movements.
“Kaido…” Feng Ping Lan licked his fingers, flashing his teeth, “You’re not so bad after all!”
Kaido lapsed slightly in his concentration.
…No one had said this to him before.
“Right, why did you pick a fight with Renier?” Feng Ping Lan suddenly changed the subject.
Kaido was momentarily unable to react. “What?” Why were they suddenly talking about Renier?
“Is it because he’s strong, so you took a fancy for him?”
“Ah?” What nonsense was this person talking about!
“You want his Contract, right? Like how you kept on bothering me to have a duel with you?”
“I don’t—”
Feng Ping Lan did not give Kaido a chance to speak, muttering plaintively by himself, “Kaido, discarding me after making use of me? To you, am I just like that piece of burnt meat, only to be forsaken? By the way, why is there only meat and no vegetables? You’ll get constipated easily like this—”
“Shut up!” Kaido roared, “I went to fight Renier because he hurt you during wushu class!”
“…Uh, wasn’t that an accident?”
“No, it was on purpose! He vented his anger out on you as revenge because I humiliated him in our club! He thinks we’re friends—”
“Really? Do we really look like it?” Feng Ping Lan was clearly very happy, “Am I Kaido’s friend?”
“That’s not the point!” Kaido avoided this question, “The point is, he hurt you because of me. I’ve already returned what I owed you, we don’t owe each other anymore!”
“Oh.” Feng Ping Lan finally understood Kaido had meant by ‘we don’t owe each other anymore’. He never thought there would be such a complicated reason behind this.
Feng Ping Lan scratched his head.
“I don’t think you owe me anything…” He didn’t blame Kaido for the matter with Renier. “Also, thank you for doing that for me, but please tell me before doing something like this next time. Me staying uninvolved when someone is fighting for me doesn’t seem very good, haha!”
Although his methods were a little intense, he could understand.
It was a clumsy way to return his debt, but it was because of this, that it had to be cherished.
Kaido hadn’t expected Feng Ping Lan to thank him, and hurried to refute it. “It wasn’t for you! I just—”
Just what? He didn’t know himself.
“I know, I know.” Feng Ping Lan smiled to alleviate his mood, “Kaido is an upright and honest person. But if you keep on charging around violently, you’ll make me worry.”
Kaido stared at Feng Ping Lan, and in the next moment, spoke with a mocking tone.
“Are you always randomly giving your concern to others? Do you feel good about yourself, caring for someone worse than you?”
He didn’t want this kind of sympathy!
“No way, I’m only concerned for the people I care about.” Feng Ping Lan continued shoving the pieces of meat into his mouth, even placing three pieces of raw meat into the roasting pan without asking for permission. “Kaido’s different.”
“What’s different?”
Feng Ping Lan absent-mindedly arranged the meat slices tidily as he answered.
“I think that Kaido’s doing his utmost best to go against the world, using all his effort to resist the rules of this world. You don’t care about the derision and reproach, nor do you care about being punished or getting hurt…” Feng Ping Lan paused for a long while, “It’s actually all so that you can gain acknowledgment and concern, in return.”
The words fell lightly, and yet it viciously rocked Kaido’s heart.
The wounds that had been stifled for so long was screaming its own existence.
Look at him.
He was right here! Please, look at him, just once…
Obstinately clinging to his own course, rebelling and subverting, it was all because he hadn’t wanted to be like everyone else. He wasn’t just a tool, he wanted to be seen. Disregarding the zhoushu, his powers and his Contract, what he really yearned for, was that he purely wished to be given some semblance of concern…
But he had realized quickly, that with none of that, he was nothing.
If his existence was only to be used, he would continue along this path! Even if he could only be used as an implement, he wouldn’t let the person using him have an easy time! He didn’t care!
“Don’t be so opinionated!” Getting his sore spot stepped on, Kaido bellowed, “Do you think I’m like you, who’s living like a prince, you pretentious little goody-two-shoes? Don’t act like you understand everything!”
“Kaido is the one that doesn’t understand.” Feng Ping Lan replied quietly.
“What?”
“You’ll tire of going against the world, after a long while…”
Especially when there was no one there to care, no one there to pay attention to you. It was like waving a fist at the air, ridiculous and empty.
Feng Ping Lan muttered to himself pensively and continued eating. The entire roasting pan was now completely filled, like a red carpet.
In that instance, Kaido thought he seemed to see another side of Feng Ping Lan…
“What are you muttering about?” Kaido rebuked, waving away that peculiar feeling.
“In short,” Feng Ping Lan lifted his head with a smile, as cheerful as usual, “I respect Kaido a lot, hahahahaha! When is the meat going to finish cooking? Can we raise the heat a little? Is that piece cooked yet? Can I eat it?” He picked up the slice, planning on putting it into the plate.
Kaido immediately shouted to stop him, “That’s still half-cooked! Don’t cook so many at a time!” Walking forward, he snatched the chopsticks away, “You’re eating too much! You’re not allowed to eat my meat anymore!”
“I’m not eating your meat, I’m eating the pig’s meat.”
“You— get out!”
The subject changed, the both of them tacitly did not continue the original topic any longer.
“Young Master Kaido? Young Master Ping Lan?” Tan Hua, who had returned to the room to find the both of them arguing, was surprised to no end, “Did something happen?”
“Tan Hua! If your young master just eats meat without vegetables, his anus will split open!”
“Shut up!”
“Indeed,” Tan Hua held her forehead in distress, “The young master is very picky and especially hates green peppers and peas. I have to take them out every time he eats fried rice—”
“Tan Hua! Mind your own business!”
“If Kaido gets constipated, I can give you a really effective medicine!”
“No need! Get out of my room!”
“Upstairs, be quiet!” Morris’ bellowing shout sounded out from below, at the end of his patience.
The residence was extremely noisy tonight.
Used to the loneliness, they had never gone through this kind of experience before.
This held true for every single one of them.
*
In one corner at the borders of the city.
A familiar flew across the uninhabited alleyway. Then, its figure started to swell and twist, changing into a skinny human form with shriveled gray skin, like a dried-up leaf at the end of autumn.
After fixing his form, Jun Sui panted heavily, hand pressed at the wall, restraining the unwellness caused the long journey.
Passing the dry land and sea, he had never operated such a long ‘Shrinking Distance Morphication’. Because the further away the distance, the more it shaved away his strength, and he had even laid out a huge amount of his familiars here before doing it, scattering his life essence. This journey had been a life-risking thing to do.
He tried to start forward, but realized that his entire body was trembling, unable to move. It seemed that this long journey had been much severe to his body than he’d thought.
The fingers that had been broken by the third prince throbbed slightly, as if reminding him of the consequences of failure.
This wouldn’t do, he’d die like this. If he really found something, he wouldn’t even have the strength to run…
Jun Sui sat, back against the wall. He closed his eyes, summoning his clones, all those insects that had separated from his body.
The familiars in every corner received the command, leaving the areas they patrolled in succession, turning back to the original body.
When the familiars returned, Jun Sui regained about more than half of his strength.
He moved his fingers. Although it felt a little better, the fingers were still shaking slightly.
Just a little more. He needed to rest a while, and then he’d act after dawn.
He had to quickly figure out the issue… No matter how little the clues, he’d leave no stone unturned!
What if it really was a miemoshi? What if the miemoshi was still within the city?
Jun Sui did not dare think about it. Compared to the miemoshi, what he worried more was ending up empty-handed.
If the third prince became unhappy… He shivered.
The first glimmers of the morning sun broke the sky, the colors of dawn dyeing the indigo night sky a light yellow. Then, the gloominess receded, clear bright sunlight spilling through, and the heavens shifted into a limpid blue.
Jun Sui breathed in deeply, the skin as gray as dried leaves splitting open, falling as though they were scales. They transformed into the shape of insects before the reached the ground, flapping their wings.
Not long after, the withered silhouette vanished, Jun Sui’s entire body turning into little insects.
He did not retain his primary form, but dispersed into lower-level familiars whose defensive and offensive abilities were incredibly low. The moment the familiars were all annihilated, it would be hard for him to survive as well.
He did not want to follow Jiu Shao’s footsteps, but if he did not do this, he would die immediately…
He must never ever offend the Third Prince…
Everyone knew, during the contest over the throne, just how the Third Prince had treated Shuekan, who had trusted and regarded him as his own father.
That gentle and benevolent complexion was just a facade, nobody could read his actual thoughts and state of mind. Everyone knew, no matter the Third Prince smiled or not, there would be a great calamity.
Third Prince Zhentsi was much more terrifying than any other tyrant.
*
The Supernatural Research files spread out on the desk, history textbook set up at the front. The textbook recorded the deceased’s glorious achievements before death, the thin spread-out book recording riots arising after the deceased’s death. Both were mixed with truth and rumors that no one could differentiate.
Feng Ping Lan leaned his head against his hand, yawning. He had already finished flipping through the entire textbook last night, rounded up the feasible locations, and did some research online.
But, he had ended up empty-handed. Every case had too many doubtful points, making it hard to discern which one had something to do with demons.
He wondered if the others had found something different.
He scratched his head in distress, and suddenly realized a problem. He couldn’t help but let out a cry. “Ah!”
Yin Su Shuang glared at Feng Ping Lan from the podium. He hurriedly coughed loudly, pretending to be sick.
Feng Ping Lan stared at the files, propping his head up distressedly.
If every one of them were made of rumors, what then?
Aiyaya, now this was awkward…
“What is it?” Su Li Wan asked quietly.
“There might be a little problem with the entrance test.”
“Is it serious?”
“Seems like it, hahaha.” Feng Ping Lan scratched his head.
Yin Su Shuang’s vicious glare shot over. Feng Ping Lan hurriedly coughed with all his might, continuing with his act.
After Yin Su Shuang’s head turned, Su Li Wan asked anxiously, “Then… what do we do?”
“Mm…” Feng Ping Lan crossed his arms, frowning deeply at the files for an instant, then exhaled, “Never mind, I believe there will definitely be a way to deal with this.” If they couldn’t walk down this path, they could always turn another direction.
“How can you be so optimistic?” Su Li Wan looked at the unconcerned Feng Ping Lan, feeling very worried and uneasy for him.
“If we want to worry, wait till we’re really sure that we’ve hit the dead end before feeling upset.”
He did not know of the shifts and junctures of altering a path. But with a little hint, a little burst of insight, he’d definitely be able to figure it out!
*
In an old coffee shop along the rows of shops by the school compound, a man and a woman sat in a corner. The man was reading a thick book, the woman was leisurely doodling in a sketchbook.
But if you looked closer, the letters of the book in the man’s hands were twisting and moving, assembling into different phrases and compiling into high-level incantations; the drawings the woman were doodling were complicated and meticulous symbols of a magic circle. Whenever she finished drawing one, they would then disappear.
They were maintaining the wards fending off those familiars. They pretended to be customers of the shop owned by their own people, guarding the school and the city.
Gemi’s movements stopped, and the half-drawn drawing vanished, another magic circle appearing in its place.
“We have a situation.”
The scattered dots on the magic circle suddenly increased in number, covering the magic circle as if corroded by fungi.
“The familiars have increased.” Gemi frowned, “It’s twice the amount as before, and it’s still increasing.”
“Has the master noticed an irregularity, and cometh to attack?” Yerde asked.
“…No, although the numbers have increased, they’re still scattered within the city.” Gemi rested her chin on her hand, sighing with a pout of her vermilion lips, “How troublesome, I have to go out with such a tasteless man in the morning, now I even have to work overtime. Even dating Seno would be much more interesting.”
“I doth not concur.” Yerde closed his book, “Your words art too subjective, lest I not such an unromantic person. Moreover, these art thus official business, not a lover’s tryst.”
“I know.” Gemi put down her pencil, “Let’s go strengthen the school’s barriers. If the number of familiars increases too much, and we fall short of firepower, there will definitely be a leak.”
She took out a wooden box from her backpack, fetching a seal from within that had no design on it. Then, she used it to put a stamp on the paper.
The markings found throughout the entire city, on lampposts, electric poles, substations, and mailboxes were instantly removed, retreating away.
When the seal was placed back into the wooden box, there was an addition of many and complicated drawings on it.
“We’ll focus on protecting the school first, so we’ll need to temporarily remove the ones on other places for now.”
Most of the Shadow Academy students were staying within the school compound, and only a few lived in the city. And according to the rules, they weren’t allowed to cast spells outside the school so they wouldn’t catch the attention of that demon.
As for those slightly more troublesome individuals… That crowd of people who were living in the residence were all currently at school and wouldn’t be able to leave before Shadow Academy ended, so under the school’s protection, there wouldn’t be a problem.
Looking at the familiars’ scope and quantity, their master must have used all his strength, so this situation shouldn’t be maintained for long. It was possible he would leave after nightfall.
If only nothing unexpected occurred…
*
Kaido sat alone by the window, looking at the scenery out the house boredly.
The sunlight was glaring, the weather was hot, but the living air-con Dongya wasn’t present, so he could only open the window to let that weak and depressing wind blow him.
He looked at the clock on the wall. It was already the fourth period of class, it wouldn’t be long before lunch break.
His mind subconsciously came up with the image of what he’d see every day at lunch break.
He would constantly see Feng Ping Lan and those Contracts, along with an ordinary student walk into the dining hall together. Whenever he walked past his class, he would overhear the sound of racketing and laughter from within.
They were Summoner and Contract, how could they get along like that? How was it possible even an ordinary student could join in with them?
How could they be so happy…
The image in his head changed to his heart’s whims, and within the group of Feng Ping Lan and the others, was an extra figure.
An extra figure of him, Kaido.
An insect flew over by the window, cutting off Kaido’s line of thought. Kaido’s gaze shot over to the window, expression chilling.
It was a familiar…
He stared at the insect using his peripheral vision without turning a hair, hand slowly moving towards his pocket to grip a protective seal he had prepared beforehand. The moment there was any movement from it, he would attack.
The insect crawled up the glass, its skull-like face continuously peeking into the house. It then moved towards the window, about to fly in.
Then, the instant the insect passed through the window, a tiny firework flashed, and the entire blew up into pieces. In just a short few seconds, it finished burning, not even ashes left behind.
Kaido stared blankly at it. What just happened?
He turned his head to gaze out the window, where in the distance, another familiar was flying over to the window.
“Tan Hua!” Kaido shouted.
Tan Hua, who had been in the wards heard her master’s calls and immediately appeared.
“What is that?!” He pointed to the familiar perched on the window.
Tan Hua glanced out the window, and her expression changed, “That is Jun Sui, the Third Prince’s subordinate!”
“There was another insect that tried to fly in and was immediately burned, did you do it? That thing could have just been a scout, destroying it might draw the original body over, that’ll make things more troublesome!”
“What?” Tan Hua was bemused, “I do not understand your meaning—”
The second insect flew in, and was attacked by the invisible barrier as well.
Tan Hua stared, “This was not done by me, it must be a previously existing protective barrier…”
She hadn’t even able to sense such powerful wards placed on the house… The Summoner that had placed this kind of barrier would be exceptionally powerful.
Had Feng Ping Lan placed it?
Tan Hua was too occupied to think about it, because she then saw a black cloud in the distance, approaching the residence at astonishing speed. It was a shadow made out of more than a thousand familiars assembled together.
Tan Hua immediately closed the window, pulling on the blinds.
“What was that?”
“I presume, that must be coming after Young Master Ping Lan’s group…” She had heard Dongya say, they had escaped to the human world to hide from the Third Prince, and they were still on the search for Prince Shuekan.
Kaido frowned, he remembered Jiu Shao repeatedly mentioning the Third Prince and Quetzal when he had been interrogating him.
The Prince Quetzal served under seemed to be a thorn that the Third Prince wanted to get rid off as quickly as possible.
But hadn’t they already made a contract with Feng Ping Lan? No matter what sort of person they had served before this, after becoming a servant of a Summoner, everything affiliating them to the Underworld would be cut off. Just like Tan Hua.
Why were Feng Ping Lan’s Contracts still connected with the Underworld? He had thought after the incident with Jiu Shao, the Association would step in to handle it, but it seemed he had presumed wrong.
Feng Ping Lan, just what kind of secrets are you hiding?
Kaido’s eyebrows furrowed, “With these many familiars, won’t the existence of the school be discovered?”
“The Shadow Academy is protected by the Summoners, the protective barriers and evasion spells are watertight. There will be no problem, so staying within the school is incredibly safe.” Tan Hua paused for a moment, “But after school ends…”
“We can’t let them return!” Kaido clenched his teeth.
He had experienced Jiu Shao’s capabilities beforehand. Jiu Shao, in order to make him spit out information, had softened his blows somewhat, but it had still made Kaido suffer quite a lot.
If the Third Prince’s people found out about Quetzal and the others’ existence, just what sort of personnel would be sent out? Would they be able to defend against the siege?
Kaido bit down on his lip, sinking into deep thought.
He had to contact Feng Ping Lan. But how did he contact him? A spell could be tracked.
Looking at the phone placed on his desk, Kaido’s frown deepened.
He didn’t have Feng Ping Lan’s contact number… Feng Ping Lan had tried to exchange phone numbers before this, but he had immediately rejected him. He suddenly wanted to return to the past to give himself a punch.
There was only one option left.
Although this method sucked a lot, and was incredibly humiliating, he had no other choice.
Forget it! He took up the phone, scrolling to the string of numbers that hadn’t been stored in his records, then pressed the call button.
Tan Hua blinked disbelievingly at him at the side.
She had never seen this side of Kaido before, this side of Kaido that was worrying for someone else.
*
Ring ring— A tiny sound followed by a vibration, rang through the classroom.
The students beneath the podium looked at each other, wondering which brave soul dared to let his phone ring during class advisor’s lesson.
Yin Su Shuang frowned deeply but did not stop the class, just slowly putting a hand into his pocket to stop the ringing.
So it was Class Advisor’s phone… The students beneath the podium very tactfully kept their mouths shut.
Ring ring— the ringing sounded out again.
Yin Su Shuang was slightly surprised, his sentence pausing a little.
All his acquaintances knew he refused all his calls when he was working, and anyone who called would need to be prepared for a scolding.
He then reached in to end the call without even looking again, but it rang again not even two seconds later. The caller must be extremely anxious, or extremely stupid.
Although the students beneath the podium were very curious, no one dared to ask. They could only secretly anticipate a brave warrior risk his life to speak out, to dispel the others’ confusion.
“Class Advisor, aren’t you going to pick up?” Feng Ping Lan raised his hand to question, “Could it be your girlfriend? It must be something urgent, you could get dumped if you don’t pick up soon, hahaha!”
A brave warrior had appeared!
“Class Advisor has a girlfriend?”
Nobody could imagine what kind of person would date the gloomy and sickly Yin Su Shuang.
“Could it be they met each other while picking red envelopes from the floor or something…”
The students below started a commotion.
Yin Su Shuang coughed heavily, “Quiet.” He impatiently took out his phone, and looking at the screen, his eyes flashed with some astonishment.
He was silent for a moment, then decided to answer it, “I’ll be answering a call— stay silent, don’t let me hear a single noise.” After threatening this, he walked out.
After answering the call, the person on the other side spoke hesitatingly after a few seconds, “This is Kaido…”
“I know.” He had memorized every students’ phone numbers, including the day students and Shadow Academy students. And Kaido was categorized within the contacts of problematic students.
“Over here… at Feng Ping Lan’s house, something’s wrong.” Kaido gave an overview of what had happened earlier.
Yin Su Shuang’s expression became serious.
The number of familiars was growing larger. Was it because he had detected something wrong? But there was nothing unusual here at the school, Gemi and Yerde hadn’t sent out a report either.
“Understood, you stay within the house, I will report this immediately to the higher-ups.”
Yin Su Shuang was about to end the call, but Kaido hurriedly stopped him. “Wait—”
“Is there something else?”
The other end of the phone was silent for a moment, “…Help me inform Feng Ping Lan, tell him to take note…”
Yin Su Shuang raised his eyebrows, “Why didn’t you call him directly?”
“I don’t have his phone number.”
That was a good reason. Yin Su Shuang smiled faintly in his heart.
“You’re living together now, you don’t even know his number?”
“We’re not living together! I’m just staying there for a short while!”
Yin Su Shuang could imagine Kaido’s humiliated expression of anger right now.
“Understood.”
Yin Su Shuang ended the call, and after quickly informing his colleagues, he returned to the classroom to continue the class.
Although everyone was curious about that phone call, no one dared to ask, and could only wait for a brave warrior to appear—
“Class Advisor, who called you?” Feng Ping Lan smiled mischievously, raising his pinky, “Was it your girlfriend? How passionate, could it be the call was to remind of your date tonight? Could it be you won’t be returning to your own home to sleep tonight?”
“Shut up.” Yin Su Shuang glared at Feng Ping Lan coldly, “The one who can’t return home is you.”
“Ah?”
“Come see me at the staff room after class.” Yin Su Shuang’s face darkened, pointing to Byriel and the others, “You guys too!”
Conglong and Morris glared at Feng Ping Lan. This idiot…
*
At lunch break, the group entered the staff room following Yin Su Shuang. On the hallway outside the staff room, Seno, Gemi and Yerde were waiting.
“Everyone here?”
“We’re short of one.”
Just as Yin Su Shuang’s words fell, a long silhouette walked out of the shadows of the hallway.
“Quetzal!” Feng Ping Lan cried out.
Quetzal ignored him, not even sparing him a glance.
“What’s going on?” Conglong was puzzled.
“Uh, I didn’t know joking about the teacher would be so serious…” Feng Ping Lan scratched his head awkwardly. “Class Advisor, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have joked about your wife… Uh, or is it not actually your wife but your husband, so you’re angry?”
“Not because of that.”
Yin Su Shuang immediately got to the point upon entering the staffroom. “There have been insects of this kind appearing throughout the city, since yesterday.” He took out the bottle containing the insect, and Conglong and the others recognized it as Jun Sui’s clone. “Gemi and Yerde have put up the barrier to lead these familiars from certain specific locations, including the school, and the residence you are living in.”
The Contracts’ expressions relaxed somewhat.
But, for the Shadow Academy’s Summoners to help them obstruct these familiars, this made them feel a little unhappy as well.
It was called by the glorified name of protection, but this was the grudge between them and the Third Prince. Just what right did the Summoners have to interfere? It was as if they regarding them as possessions to ‘safeguard’…
“The amount started increasing rapidly this morning, so we had no choice but to retract the barrier, focusing all out the protection spells on the school compound.”
Gemi continued, “At this moment the school is being surrounded by high-level protection barriers, so lower-level demons will definitely not be able to break through. But, your house is no longer under the scope of our protection.”
“We’re not in the house anyway,” Morris said uncaringly. “They won’t be able to detect anything even if they went in.”
“But Kaido is still in the house!” Feng Ping Lan immediately thought of Kaido who was still stuck under house arrest.
“The one the Third Prince wants to find isn’t even him.”
“Kaido is fine at the moment. But the barrier over the house has attracted the familiars’ attention.”
“Ah? Barrier?”
“It’s probably a barrier placed by that overly paranoid bastard, right?” Conglong guessed.
“It doesn’t seem to have been placed by him, but that is not the point right now. Anyway, all the familiars are currently flying over to that residence to monitor on it. Seno went over to have a look earlier, and the situation there doesn’t seem very reassuring.”
“The surrounding area of the house, including the trees, electric poles, and even the walls have been crowded with familiars, although they haven’t directly perched onto the rooftops.” Seno scratched the beard beneath his chin, “My car seems to have run one over too…”
“Thanks to thee gentlemen, 90 percent of the familiars has’t hath moved to thy residence, saving much of our trouble.” Yerde thanked them courteously.
“So… what do we do now?”
“With the familiars’ attention on the residence and the school under perfected defenses, before the danger is removed, you will stay within the school and receive protection.”
“And what then, after that? Continue being protected? Hole up until Jun Sui leaves?” Morris refused to agree. He refused to do such an asinine thing!
“You won’t be hiding forever. The point is, we will handle the matter with the familiars and the Royal Clan. You guys will temporarily stay within the school, and wait for further instructions—”
“You people will handle the matter?” Dongya’s voice raised without him realizing it.
“We are very grateful for your kindly intentions,” Byriel smiled, “But since when did we become your subordinates, having to listen to every one of your orders?”
“Aiya, I wouldn’t want such demanding and irritating subordinate even if it was gifted to me.” Gemi smiled delicately, “But, a demanding lover would be acceptable…”
“Before the situation becomes forthright, everything will be handled by the school’s Summoners, you guys have no room for choice.”
Quetzal, who had been silent before this, stated chillingly in a low voice, “We will settle our matters with the Third Prince. It has nothing to do with the Summoners…”
“If you guys want to die, we won’t stop you. But don’t drag the school down with you.” Yin Su Shuang reprimanded back, “You think we want to be on the same boat as you? If you start a battle, it will threaten the existence of the Shadow Academy and even the Association! It’s possible even the Opposers would profit from this!”
“Oh, so you’re blaming us? That’s your own problem.” Byriel smiled without a care in the world, “Besides, before incorporating us in, you should have had the mental preparation for this. Hehehe…”
“Sheltering your guys was the Director’s intention. I was just obeying my orders.” Yin Su Shuang replied coldly, “But, when he requested us to shelter you people, never once did he request us to like you, nor did he restrict us from using various methods to ‘detain’ you…”
This meant, they were allowed to use brute force.
“You think we care?”
Yin Su Shuang and his colleagues exchanged glances, eyes sending messages of helplessness yet certainty.
The negotiations had failed.
“Very well… Looks like it’s time to fight.”
Both sides rolled up their sleeves for battle, on the verge of happening at any moment. Gemi took out a seal, stamping it on the walls, and the space within the staffroom expanded, blockading them off within a firm area.
“Wait a minute!” Feng Ping Lan abruptly stepped in between both sides. “This isn’t right!”
“Do you have any complaints?”
“You have no right for interrupting!”
“Um, right now class time.” Feng Ping Lan spoke foolishly, “We’re on duty today, so we need to take out the trash later, do we have to fight right now?”
“Ah?” Everyone pinched their eyebrows, as if Feng Ping Lan was speaking alien to them.
“Besides, students attacking teachers, teachers beating up students…” Feng Ping Lan scratched his head, “Doesn’t that sound a little wrong? It feels like something that’ll show up on the newspapers, with an imitation comic attached to it…”
“Who cares about going to class!” Morris bellowed.
“We haven’t even broken the rules yet.” Feng Ping Lan protested to the Contracts in a low voice, “Everything they talked about was just the predicted development, right? Classes haven’t ended yet, no one has returned to the residence either, nor have we been discovered by Jun Sui. Clashing with each other even when nothing has happened yet is a bit… Mm…”
“Yin-laoshi, didst thee administer corporal punishment to Feng Ping Lan ere this, such as hammering his head with a blunt object?” Yerde swept a condemning gaze towards Yin Su Shuang’s way.
Yin Su Shuang did not speak, just staring at Feng Ping Lan. The next moment, he spoke.
“He’s right, we have the identities of teachers and students at this moment, and nothing has happened yet.”
“But that will definitely happen, so we have to prevent it before it does!” Gemi protested.
“It’s not definite, teacher. Before things really happen, there will always be an opportunity to turn things around!” Feng Ping Lan said optimistically.
“The ignorant and naive art only separated by a fine line…” Yerde shook his head.
“So which one are you, teacher?” Feng Ping Lan asked him with a smile.
Yerde froze slightly, pondering on whether Feng Ping Lan’s words were spoken without intention or out of contempt…
Yin Su Shuang glanced out the window, saying lowly, “If we start fighting right now, it will inconvenience both sides. It won’t be long before the central Association sends someone over to inspect us.”
This wasn’t a development the Director wished to see.
Everything and anything they did, was done behind the Association’s back. Although their actions were done out of goodwill, when the time came for exposure, the Association might not buy it…
“How pitiful, this must be a house dog’s grievance.” Byriel smiled.
The main reason the six demons were willing to obediently go along with the Shadow Academy, was because the Shadow Academy let them escape the Association’s surveillance, forcing them to be on intimate terms with the enemy.
“So… what is the general consensus?” Seno yawned lazily, “Do we still want to fight? Can I go now, if we’re not fighting?”
Gemi shook her head, tsking disgustedly.
Yin Su Shuang stayed silent for a moment, sighing. “Let’s get back to class.”
“What?”
“Return, and continue class. All of you are currently our ‘students’, and you haven’t done anything to break the rules, so we cannot directly take disciplinary action…”
The Contracts froze, were they supposed to ridicule their stubbornness and inflexibility? Or were they supposed to respect their honesty?
No matter what, the contention before them seemed to have been resolved slightly. Before they really ignored orders and returned to their residence, the Summoners could do nothing to them. There were plenty of people within the school compound. If there was a disturbance, it would be hard to make a move.
Besides… They had realized that these teachers at Shadow Academy didn’t seem to want to attract the Association’s attention, although they didn’t know the reason for it.
The entire situation seemed to be advantageous for them, and although the bangles around their wrists were a little troublesome, it wasn’t enough to obstruct them from acting.
“Doesn’t matter, we’ll just have to wait a couple of hours.” Byriel spoke with a smile, “We don’t have to continue with this act after school ends anyway, isn’t that right? Hehehe…” He turned to leave.
“Don’t act rashly,” Yin Su Shuang warned. “Not just for our own good, but for your own good as well…”
Byriel turned back, raising the corners of his mouth into a resplendent smile.
“Stop us if you can, teacher.”
Feng Ping Lan followed the Contracts out of the staffroom.
“Um—” Feng Ping Lan was cut off by Morris before he could speak.
“You can shut up if you want to say anything to make us retreat.”
“Oh, it’s nothing like that, I just wanted to say that it’s Morris’ turn to throw out the kitchen waste today.”
Morris frowned, reprimanding unhappily, “Who cares about that, we’re going to battle soon…”
“Oh, but I’ve already helped you throw them out twice.” Feng Ping Lan scratched his head distressedly.
“You seem pretty cheerful yourself.” Byriel looked curiously at Feng Ping Lan, “Do you have any opinions on the dispute earlier?”
“Uh, I think both sides have their own reasons and considerations, so no one can be said to be right or wrong…” Feng Ping Lan scratched his head, laughing wryly, “Besides, the most insignificant outsider in this situation is me, what right do I have to infer?”
He wasn’t a Summoner, and the Contract he had bound with the demons had absolutely no binding effect; although he had joined Shadow Academy, there nothing he could do. He was nothing, just an ordinary human who had been pulled into this world through a freak combination of factors, who would be kicked back into his world at any time.
He didn’t know what to say, he only wanted to continue living steadily and joyously with the others, till the day they found Prince Shuekan. For him, just what position did he have to be able to criticize either side?
The Contracts never expected Feng Ping Lan to give out this answer, momentarily freezing.
Indeed, Feng Ping Lan was just a puppet-like existence to them, with absolutely no right to interfere, they had always known this. But…
But for some reason, hearing Feng Ping Lan say these words with his own mouth, it actually gave rise to an unpleasant feeling within them.
“Why do you have to think so much? Just say that you’re on our side.” Conglong mumbled.
“Conglong’s possessiveness is really strong, are you that worried I’d get stolen away by someone else?”
“Shut up idiot!”
Feng Ping Lan continued walking forward with a smile, and glanced secretly at Quetzal.
That person was as expressionless as usual, apathetic that his emotions couldn’t be read.
“Is Kaido really alright at home alone…” Feng Ping Lan muttered.
“Who cares!” Morris humphed snappily, “He just got unlucky.”
“With Tan Hua with him, he should be alright,” Dongya reassured gently.
“Oh.” Feng Ping Lan nodded and continued walking.
After a moment of silence, he suddenly spoke. “…Do we really have to fight the Third Prince’s people head-on? We really can’t let the Summoners deal with it?”
“What can the Shadow Academy do? They only care about their own safety!”
“Moreover, we cannot continue hiding on like this, Jun Sui will realize something is wrong sooner or later, and he will bring the Third Prince’s army to eliminate us sooner or later.”
“Rather than waiting for our deaths, why not go out and fight. Putting an end to one more enemy just means one less enemy to deal with when the battle starts.”
“Is that so…” Feng Ping Lan nodded, “Then what about Prince Shuekan? How will you guys be able to find him, if your identities are revealed in battle?”
The demons were temporarily speechless.
“Hiding forever will hinder us.” Unexpectedly, Quetzal spoke on his own accord, “The conflict with Jun Sui will be hard to avoid, hiding and dragging things out is pointless. In addition, directly laying our cards on the table may lead us to discover information that even the Summoners do not know.”
“Quetzal…” Feng Ping Lan glanced at him, seeming to be very as astonished, “How can you be so cool?”
That entire phrase was just too cool! He should keep a recording pen with him at all times, recording Quetzal’s each and every word like an ancient scribe, then compiling a book of Quetzal’s daily sayings!
Quetzal furrowed his eyebrows, seeming to be very annoyed at himself for being too wordy.