Chapter 107: The Planet
More information was needed to confirm.
Jiang Hong took a photo of the map and sent it to Lu Xiu. After seeing it, Lu Xiu only replied: [The Exorcism Committee is probably making the same prediction.]
Jiang Hong: [If Shuhu were still here, it would be better.]
Lu Xiu: [The Goddess of Time probably wouldn't bother with these matters. For her, except for global destruction, most disasters are too trivial.]
Jiang Hong: [Have you eaten?]
Lu Xiu: [I just finished coordinating the upcoming relief list with Chen Zhen. Now in the Sanctuary, only the Ghost King and Damaru are left to guard. The rest of the demons have been dispatched.]
Jiang Hong: [That's really good.] Meanwhile, he thought: Since Lu Xiu is still in the Sanctuary, perhaps it means he hasn't caught that assassin yet. It seems the assassin hasn't appeared, and Lu Xiu doesn't have any leads.
Jiang Hong thought for a moment, then asked: [When disasters occur, are demons dispatched to rescue humans? Or do demons rescue demons and humans rescue humans?]
Lu Xiu: [There is no discrimination based on race, all are treated equally.]
Jiang Hong: [Are they willing?]
Jiang Hong knew that despite the improved relations between the two races, underlying conflicts still existed.
Lu Xiu: [Whether they are willing or not is irrelevant. This is my command. I am the Demon King, what I say goes.]
Jiang Hong smiled, lying in bed and replying to Lu Xiu's messages. Before he could send his reply, Lu Xiu added: [Before the appearance of the Heavenly Demon, indeed, what I say goes. Demons cannot defy my orders.]
Jiang Hong: [What if the Heavenly Demon appears?]
Lu Xiu: [Once I have killed the Heavenly Demon, I will still have the final say.]
Jiang Hong thought: Okay, still as domineering as ever.
"Jiang Hong," Zhang Xiting said, "wake up."
At 6:45 am, Jiang Hong, still groggy, was woken up by Zhang Xiting, 15 minutes before their scheduled 7 am wake-up time.
"There's been an earthquake in Yunnan," Zhang Xiting said, "just now, magnitude 8."
Jiang Hong suddenly woke up, sitting up abruptly. Outside, it was snowing, and it was still dark; they made a note of it.
"Three points are connected," Jiang Hong observed, looking left and right, as Zhang Xiting added, "Last night at midnight, there was also a wildfire in Shennongjia."
With the markings on the map including the tornado, there were now five points in total.
Jiang Hong noticed that Jin and He Jian had also woken up. As they got up to wash and get ready, everyone, weighed down with thoughts, checked their phones and saw the news of the earthquake. The earthquake occurred along the border between Yunnan and Vietnam, with casualties yet to be reported.
"We need to look at the Pangu Continent map," Zhang Xiting said.
"Hmm," Jiang Hong nodded and began to cross-reference, locating the Aksai region and Japanese islands, marking them one by one.
"Do you think it looks like a curled-up person?" Jiang Hong asked, "Professor Huo also said it resembles a fetus, with Eurasia as its upper body, North America its shoulders and back, South America its lower back, Africa its belly... and Australia its lower limbs."
"It does look like it," Jin agreed.
Zhang Xiting said, "So, connecting these points, are they like the chakras of the fetus?"
"Oh," Jiang Hong hadn't thought of that, but looking at the flow of the earth's veins, it indeed seemed so!
"These are chakras!" Jiang Hong exclaimed.
Zhang Xiting suggested, "You could write a paper on this, you might even get a scholarship."
Jin added, "Include us too, and our end-of-semester score for the Inner World Exploration class will be secured."
He Jian said, "Given the frequency of these disasters, it's hard to say if we can even finish this semester, let alone Inner World Exploration. I think Yinghuo will eventually blow up both the inner and outer worlds."
Jiang Hong: "I'll start organizing it now and send a copy to everyone when I'm done."
Zhang Xiting said, "Don't rush, let's see what the next one is."
If it followed the trajectory of the chakras, it could become predictable. Although they couldn’t prevent it, they could at least issue warnings.
"The next one should be at an outward-expanding node of the chakras," Jin analyzed, "the Qilian Mountains, Taiwan, and Taiyuan, followed by Europe."
"After the first wave passes," Zhang Xiting said, "disasters will start spreading outward, affecting South and North America, and Africa."
Jiang Hong quickly typed on his phone, creating a group chat with Lu Xiu, Cao Bin, and Chen Zhen.
Chen Zhen: [Thank you. We, along with the Demon Association and Cangqiong University, are making similar predictions, but only you started from the perspective of the Pangu Continent's form. Thank you very much, Jiang Hong, you've provided us with a significant breakthrough.]
Jiang Hong quickly replied: [It's all thanks to Professor Huo's inspiration that I thought of this.]
Lu Xiu simply replied with three words: [Got it.]
Cao Bin was even more succinct, replying with: [1.]
Lu Xiu: [I should get extra credit for the final exam.]
Cao Bin: [You can. Plus 30 points.]
Jiang Hong: [Even though the world is about to end, getting 30 extra points still makes me happy.]
Then everyone fell silent, presumably all too busy to talk.
With disasters happening so frequently, even the outer world began to notice something unusual. Various programs started discussing the recent increase in disasters, frequent heatwaves, cold spells, earthquakes, and volcanoes, wondering if these were the precursors to the Earth's environmental system nearing collapse.
Panic spread as people initially convinced themselves that although Yinghuo was approaching, there was no specific time, and life might continue peacefully for a while. But now, the frequency of disasters reminded everyone that the ultimate demon, capable of ending everything, might arrive at any moment.
Students began to lose interest in classes, each hoping to leave the school on leave, but all departments and grade advisors denied leave requests, informing everyone that the school would have a unified arrangement.
Jiang Hong made a video call to his family, and his parents were just as he expected - everything was as usual.
"It's too cold in Chongqing!" Jiang's mother said, "Baby, is it cold where you are? It's just November in Chongqing, and it's already zero degrees."
Cangqiong University had already started to experience heavy snowfall, but it was warm and spring-like at his parents' place, making Jiang Hong explode.
"At a time like this! You're still going on vacation?!"
Jiang Hong then remembered that his parents were completely unaware of Yinghuo! Not just them, most people in the world still believed the experts' analysis that the disasters were caused by the active period of the Earth's crust.
"Sanya is very safe!" Jiang's father appeared on camera, wearing a straw hat and a floral shirt, reassuring his son, "The entire island only has one volcano in Xinglong, and it's not even active! Don't worry!"
Jiang Hong glanced at his comparative map. Indeed, Hainan Island wasn't located at a convergence point of the earth's veins, with only a thin tributary passing through the Xinglong area, indeed unlikely to experience geological disasters.
"Okay then," Jiang Hong admitted reluctantly, acknowledging that in terms of safety, Chongqing and Sanya were not much different, "When will you be back?"
"Your father needs convalescence," Jiang's mother explained, "As we age, the doctor says we need to take good care of his cerebral blood vessels. We'll be spending the winter here. Just come directly to Sanya for your winter vacation. We've also shipped the car here."
"Okay." Jiang Hong knew that his father had bought a vacation house in Sanya years ago but hadn't spent much time there due to his busy work schedule. Perhaps, after undergoing surgery, his father had a new appreciation for life and wasn’t focusing solely on his career anymore.
"Invite Lu Xiu to come back with you," Jiang's mother added, "He was still asking about your father's health the day before yesterday. Poor child, he's been in Wuxian for so long."
"Oh," Jiang Hong thought, surprised that Lu Xiu was still inquiring about his family.
By late November, almost half of the students were absent from class. Despite the continuous heavy snowfall and record-breaking low temperatures in the Qinling area, reaching minus twenty degrees, teachers continued with the lessons.
The last several disasters in East Asia, predicted by Jiang Hong, had occurred - the eruption of Changbai Mountain, the earthquake in Taiwan, the snow disaster in the Qilian Mountains, and the strong cold wave in Taiyuan, Shanxi.
Perhaps due to the Exorcism Committee's prior preparations, these disasters did not cause widespread casualties. The Taiwan earthquake was peculiarly confined to a magnitude 7.2, officially described as a distant aftershock following Japan's strong quake. As for other cities, they were well-prepared.
Jiang Hong felt as though he saw the busy figures of countless fellow exorcists in numerous news interviews. Xuan Hezhi never returned, and Fang Yifeng's Survival class had already concluded.
After the arrival of the strong cold wave, disasters seemed to temporarily subside, as if brewing an even larger, earth-shattering event.
Another Friday, Jiang Hong was attending class in Class S. Cao Bin's Ambush Tactics class was also nearing its end. All courses this year seemed to be rushing, as if eager to start the winter vacation early.
"Alright," Cao Bin said, "That's about it for the introductory course in Ambush Tactics as of today."
"My goodness," Xiao Pi said in utter confusion, "I'm amazed at how someone as clueless as me managed to complete such a complex course."
Jiang Hong too felt overwhelmed, as if a middle school student suddenly thrust into learning calculus, but Cao Bin insisted that theory must be combined with practice, and what is not understood now would gradually become clear later.
"Here are a few books I wrote," Cao Bin then took out two USB drives, handing them to Jiang Hong and Xiao Pi, "If next semester is online, you can study at home. They contain Advanced, Intermediate, and Beginner courses in Ambush Tactics."
Jiang Hong nodded, okay, no problem… and put away the USB drives.
"So, the assignment for this semester's final is..." Cao Bin was saying when someone suddenly knocked on the door.
It was Keda outside.
"Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Vesuvius erupted on the same day," Keda said.
Jiang Hong: "!!!"
Today was a rare sunny day without snow, but it was still cold. In the evening, as the sun set below the horizon, the chill deepened.
Si Gui grabbed the remote and turned on the TV in Class S, switching to the news. The screen was split horizontally, showing both volcanoes. Helicopters filmed the scene, with commentary in Italian, English, and Chinese.
But at that moment, a commotion started outside the administrative building.
"What's happening?" Jiang Hong went to the window to look outside. In the evening light, he saw many students leaving the cafeteria, all rushing toward their dorms. The snow made the ground slippery, so everyone moved as quickly as they could.
"I'll go out and ask," said Xiao Pi.
"I'm coming too!" Jiang Hong hurriedly added.
"What's going on?" Jiang Hong shouted, but no one answered him. His phone rang, and he answered. He Jian said on the other end, "Get back to the dorm, quick! Use the astronomical telescope! You'll see it!"
Jiang Hong's heart skipped a beat. Then, like birds flocking to the trees, all the students hurried back to their dorms to get to the telescopes.
Jiang Hong stood in front of the administrative building, as the crowd hustled by, making him feel like a lonely island in an ocean.
However, in the dimming sky, the roar of an engine sounded in the distance. He instinctively looked toward the source of the sound—
—After several months, the Kawasaki H2 reappeared at the school's main entrance. It stirred up the flying snow, carrying Lu Xiu, who raced into the school like lightning.
"It's Lu Xiu!"
Students recognized him and exclaimed, "Lu Xiu is back!"
Lu Xiu, wearing a helmet, leaned over his Kawasaki H2, speeding along the path, weaving through fields of Datura flowers, stirring up a whirlwind of petals, and headed towards the administrative building, arriving in front of the island at the center of the lake.
Jiang Hong turned his head to look at Lu Xiu.
"Jiang Hong, I'm back," Lu Xiu called out to Jiang Hong.
Jiang Hong nodded, and Lu Xiu gestured for him to look up into the night sky. At that moment, Yinghuo could be seen without a telescope, a tiny red dot high in the eastern sky.
Cao Bin stepped out of the S class classroom and stood at the railing, looking down, while Lu Xiu whistled up towards him.
Some students crowded around the astronomical telescopes, others squeezed onto the rooftop, using hand-held telescopes to search for the red dot. Almost simultaneously, all news channels reported the same thing—
—Yinghuo had finally arrived.
"Attention, students," Cao Bin's voice rang out, "This is Vice Principal Cao Bin. As Principal Xiang Cheng has not yet returned, I will temporarily make decisions during this special period. As previously mentioned, Yinghuo is now close to Earth. Consequently, the school will temporarily suspend classes. All unfinished courses will be self-studied at home by the students..."
"...Today, the school buses will operate on a 24-hour schedule. You can take the school bus to the airport. Upon arrival, officials responsible for streamlining will transport you to chartered flights to reunite with your families in your respective cities. Please cherish the time with your family and loved ones..."
The campus was silent, no one spoke. Lu Xiu remained on his motorcycle, while Jiang Hong listened quietly.
"...We will soon face the ultimate battle, in which we will give our all. All exorcists, all combat and non-combat personnel, will defend our common world that sustains us."
"Students, you are just learners and should not bear too much responsibility. Although I hope you can be of value when the calamity arrives, please heed my advice and protect yourselves. After all, your knowledge and abilities will be especially precious once everything is over..."
"All teachers of Cangqiong University wish you a safe journey. We look forward to the day when we meet again under the sun," Cao Bin concluded, "Thank you."
Cao Bin's "Thank you" echoed across the campus, and all students simultaneously realized: this battle might not be won; there might indeed be an apocalypse.
The campus stirred again as everyone hurried back to their dorms to pack their bags.
"Do you want to go home?" Lu Xiu asked, "To be with your parents? Come on, I'll take you to the airport."
Jiang Hong didn't respond immediately, gazing at Lu Xiu. After a moment, he asked, "Have you finished everything at the Sanctuary?"
Lu Xiu replied, "No, but those things are no longer important."
"Why?" Jiang Hong asked calmly, looking into Lu Xiu's eyes, trying to discern the unspoken words hidden in his heart. Lu Xiu avoided his gaze, and when Jiang Hong reached out to grab his hand, Lu Xiu skillfully evaded.
He lowered his head, not meeting Jiang Hong’s eyes. Slowly, he removed his gloves as if through this action he was rearranging his emotions. This time, he reached out first and held Jiang Hong's hand. His hand was large and warm, as it always had been.
Cao Bin left the administrative building, and the snow began to fall again.
"Jiang Hong, aren't you going home?" Cao Bin stood in front of the Wisdom Sword sculpture on the island and asked from a distance.
"No," Jiang Hong replied, "I'm not going home because I believe in you all. The world will not end, and the apocalypse will not come."
Chapter 107: The Planet
More information was needed to confirm.
Jiang Hong took a photo of the map and sent it to Lu Xiu. After seeing it, Lu Xiu only replied: [The Exorcism Committee is probably making the same prediction.]
Jiang Hong: [If Shuhu were still here, it would be better.]
Lu Xiu: [The Goddess of Time probably wouldn't bother with these matters. For her, except for global destruction, most disasters are too trivial.]
Jiang Hong: [Have you eaten?]
Lu Xiu: [I just finished coordinating the upcoming relief list with Chen Zhen. Now in the Sanctuary, only the Ghost King and Damaru are left to guard. The rest of the demons have been dispatched.]
Jiang Hong: [That's really good.] Meanwhile, he thought: Since Lu Xiu is still in the Sanctuary, perhaps it means he hasn't caught that assassin yet. It seems the assassin hasn't appeared, and Lu Xiu doesn't have any leads.
Jiang Hong thought for a moment, then asked: [When disasters occur, are demons dispatched to rescue humans? Or do demons rescue demons and humans rescue humans?]
Lu Xiu: [There is no discrimination based on race, all are treated equally.]
Jiang Hong: [Are they willing?]
Jiang Hong knew that despite the improved relations between the two races, underlying conflicts still existed.
Lu Xiu: [Whether they are willing or not is irrelevant. This is my command. I am the Demon King, what I say goes.]
Jiang Hong smiled, lying in bed and replying to Lu Xiu's messages. Before he could send his reply, Lu Xiu added: [Before the appearance of the Heavenly Demon, indeed, what I say goes. Demons cannot defy my orders.]
Jiang Hong: [What if the Heavenly Demon appears?]
Lu Xiu: [Once I have killed the Heavenly Demon, I will still have the final say.]
Jiang Hong thought: Okay, still as domineering as ever.
"Jiang Hong," Zhang Xiting said, "wake up."
At 6:45 am, Jiang Hong, still groggy, was woken up by Zhang Xiting, 15 minutes before their scheduled 7 am wake-up time.
"There's been an earthquake in Yunnan," Zhang Xiting said, "just now, magnitude 8."
Jiang Hong suddenly woke up, sitting up abruptly. Outside, it was snowing, and it was still dark; they made a note of it.
"Three points are connected," Jiang Hong observed, looking left and right, as Zhang Xiting added, "Last night at midnight, there was also a wildfire in Shennongjia."
With the markings on the map including the tornado, there were now five points in total.
Jiang Hong noticed that Jin and He Jian had also woken up. As they got up to wash and get ready, everyone, weighed down with thoughts, checked their phones and saw the news of the earthquake. The earthquake occurred along the border between Yunnan and Vietnam, with casualties yet to be reported.
"We need to look at the Pangu Continent map," Zhang Xiting said.
"Hmm," Jiang Hong nodded and began to cross-reference, locating the Aksai region and Japanese islands, marking them one by one.
"Do you think it looks like a curled-up person?" Jiang Hong asked, "Professor Huo also said it resembles a fetus, with Eurasia as its upper body, North America its shoulders and back, South America its lower back, Africa its belly... and Australia its lower limbs."
"It does look like it," Jin agreed.
Zhang Xiting said, "So, connecting these points, are they like the chakras of the fetus?"
"Oh," Jiang Hong hadn't thought of that, but looking at the flow of the earth's veins, it indeed seemed so!
"These are chakras!" Jiang Hong exclaimed.
Zhang Xiting suggested, "You could write a paper on this, you might even get a scholarship."
Jin added, "Include us too, and our end-of-semester score for the Inner World Exploration class will be secured."
He Jian said, "Given the frequency of these disasters, it's hard to say if we can even finish this semester, let alone Inner World Exploration. I think Yinghuo will eventually blow up both the inner and outer worlds."
Jiang Hong: "I'll start organizing it now and send a copy to everyone when I'm done."
Zhang Xiting said, "Don't rush, let's see what the next one is."
If it followed the trajectory of the chakras, it could become predictable. Although they couldn’t prevent it, they could at least issue warnings.
"The next one should be at an outward-expanding node of the chakras," Jin analyzed, "the Qilian Mountains, Taiwan, and Taiyuan, followed by Europe."
"After the first wave passes," Zhang Xiting said, "disasters will start spreading outward, affecting South and North America, and Africa."
Jiang Hong quickly typed on his phone, creating a group chat with Lu Xiu, Cao Bin, and Chen Zhen.
Chen Zhen: [Thank you. We, along with the Demon Association and Cangqiong University, are making similar predictions, but only you started from the perspective of the Pangu Continent's form. Thank you very much, Jiang Hong, you've provided us with a significant breakthrough.]
Jiang Hong quickly replied: [It's all thanks to Professor Huo's inspiration that I thought of this.]
Lu Xiu simply replied with three words: [Got it.]
Cao Bin was even more succinct, replying with: [1.]
Lu Xiu: [I should get extra credit for the final exam.]
Cao Bin: [You can. Plus 30 points.]
Jiang Hong: [Even though the world is about to end, getting 30 extra points still makes me happy.]
Then everyone fell silent, presumably all too busy to talk.
With disasters happening so frequently, even the outer world began to notice something unusual. Various programs started discussing the recent increase in disasters, frequent heatwaves, cold spells, earthquakes, and volcanoes, wondering if these were the precursors to the Earth's environmental system nearing collapse.
Panic spread as people initially convinced themselves that although Yinghuo was approaching, there was no specific time, and life might continue peacefully for a while. But now, the frequency of disasters reminded everyone that the ultimate demon, capable of ending everything, might arrive at any moment.
Students began to lose interest in classes, each hoping to leave the school on leave, but all departments and grade advisors denied leave requests, informing everyone that the school would have a unified arrangement.
Jiang Hong made a video call to his family, and his parents were just as he expected - everything was as usual.
"It's too cold in Chongqing!" Jiang's mother said, "Baby, is it cold where you are? It's just November in Chongqing, and it's already zero degrees."
Cangqiong University had already started to experience heavy snowfall, but it was warm and spring-like at his parents' place, making Jiang Hong explode.
"At a time like this! You're still going on vacation?!"
Jiang Hong then remembered that his parents were completely unaware of Yinghuo! Not just them, most people in the world still believed the experts' analysis that the disasters were caused by the active period of the Earth's crust.
"Sanya is very safe!" Jiang's father appeared on camera, wearing a straw hat and a floral shirt, reassuring his son, "The entire island only has one volcano in Xinglong, and it's not even active! Don't worry!"
Jiang Hong glanced at his comparative map. Indeed, Hainan Island wasn't located at a convergence point of the earth's veins, with only a thin tributary passing through the Xinglong area, indeed unlikely to experience geological disasters.
"Okay then," Jiang Hong admitted reluctantly, acknowledging that in terms of safety, Chongqing and Sanya were not much different, "When will you be back?"
"Your father needs convalescence," Jiang's mother explained, "As we age, the doctor says we need to take good care of his cerebral blood vessels. We'll be spending the winter here. Just come directly to Sanya for your winter vacation. We've also shipped the car here."
"Okay." Jiang Hong knew that his father had bought a vacation house in Sanya years ago but hadn't spent much time there due to his busy work schedule. Perhaps, after undergoing surgery, his father had a new appreciation for life and wasn’t focusing solely on his career anymore.
"Invite Lu Xiu to come back with you," Jiang's mother added, "He was still asking about your father's health the day before yesterday. Poor child, he's been in Wuxian for so long."
"Oh," Jiang Hong thought, surprised that Lu Xiu was still inquiring about his family.
By late November, almost half of the students were absent from class. Despite the continuous heavy snowfall and record-breaking low temperatures in the Qinling area, reaching minus twenty degrees, teachers continued with the lessons.
The last several disasters in East Asia, predicted by Jiang Hong, had occurred - the eruption of Changbai Mountain, the earthquake in Taiwan, the snow disaster in the Qilian Mountains, and the strong cold wave in Taiyuan, Shanxi.
Perhaps due to the Exorcism Committee's prior preparations, these disasters did not cause widespread casualties. The Taiwan earthquake was peculiarly confined to a magnitude 7.2, officially described as a distant aftershock following Japan's strong quake. As for other cities, they were well-prepared.
Jiang Hong felt as though he saw the busy figures of countless fellow exorcists in numerous news interviews. Xuan Hezhi never returned, and Fang Yifeng's Survival class had already concluded.
After the arrival of the strong cold wave, disasters seemed to temporarily subside, as if brewing an even larger, earth-shattering event.
Another Friday, Jiang Hong was attending class in Class S. Cao Bin's Ambush Tactics class was also nearing its end. All courses this year seemed to be rushing, as if eager to start the winter vacation early.
"Alright," Cao Bin said, "That's about it for the introductory course in Ambush Tactics as of today."
"My goodness," Xiao Pi said in utter confusion, "I'm amazed at how someone as clueless as me managed to complete such a complex course."
Jiang Hong too felt overwhelmed, as if a middle school student suddenly thrust into learning calculus, but Cao Bin insisted that theory must be combined with practice, and what is not understood now would gradually become clear later.
"Here are a few books I wrote," Cao Bin then took out two USB drives, handing them to Jiang Hong and Xiao Pi, "If next semester is online, you can study at home. They contain Advanced, Intermediate, and Beginner courses in Ambush Tactics."
Jiang Hong nodded, okay, no problem… and put away the USB drives.
"So, the assignment for this semester's final is..." Cao Bin was saying when someone suddenly knocked on the door.
It was Keda outside.
"Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Vesuvius erupted on the same day," Keda said.
Jiang Hong: "!!!"
Today was a rare sunny day without snow, but it was still cold. In the evening, as the sun set below the horizon, the chill deepened.
Si Gui grabbed the remote and turned on the TV in Class S, switching to the news. The screen was split horizontally, showing both volcanoes. Helicopters filmed the scene, with commentary in Italian, English, and Chinese.
But at that moment, a commotion started outside the administrative building.
"What's happening?" Jiang Hong went to the window to look outside. In the evening light, he saw many students leaving the cafeteria, all rushing toward their dorms. The snow made the ground slippery, so everyone moved as quickly as they could.
"I'll go out and ask," said Xiao Pi.
"I'm coming too!" Jiang Hong hurriedly added.
"What's going on?" Jiang Hong shouted, but no one answered him. His phone rang, and he answered. He Jian said on the other end, "Get back to the dorm, quick! Use the astronomical telescope! You'll see it!"
Jiang Hong's heart skipped a beat. Then, like birds flocking to the trees, all the students hurried back to their dorms to get to the telescopes.
Jiang Hong stood in front of the administrative building, as the crowd hustled by, making him feel like a lonely island in an ocean.
However, in the dimming sky, the roar of an engine sounded in the distance. He instinctively looked toward the source of the sound—
—After several months, the Kawasaki H2 reappeared at the school's main entrance. It stirred up the flying snow, carrying Lu Xiu, who raced into the school like lightning.
"It's Lu Xiu!"
Students recognized him and exclaimed, "Lu Xiu is back!"
Lu Xiu, wearing a helmet, leaned over his Kawasaki H2, speeding along the path, weaving through fields of Datura flowers, stirring up a whirlwind of petals, and headed towards the administrative building, arriving in front of the island at the center of the lake.
Jiang Hong turned his head to look at Lu Xiu.
"Jiang Hong, I'm back," Lu Xiu called out to Jiang Hong.
Jiang Hong nodded, and Lu Xiu gestured for him to look up into the night sky. At that moment, Yinghuo could be seen without a telescope, a tiny red dot high in the eastern sky.
Cao Bin stepped out of the S class classroom and stood at the railing, looking down, while Lu Xiu whistled up towards him.
Some students crowded around the astronomical telescopes, others squeezed onto the rooftop, using hand-held telescopes to search for the red dot. Almost simultaneously, all news channels reported the same thing—
—Yinghuo had finally arrived.
"Attention, students," Cao Bin's voice rang out, "This is Vice Principal Cao Bin. As Principal Xiang Cheng has not yet returned, I will temporarily make decisions during this special period. As previously mentioned, Yinghuo is now close to Earth. Consequently, the school will temporarily suspend classes. All unfinished courses will be self-studied at home by the students..."
"...Today, the school buses will operate on a 24-hour schedule. You can take the school bus to the airport. Upon arrival, officials responsible for streamlining will transport you to chartered flights to reunite with your families in your respective cities. Please cherish the time with your family and loved ones..."
The campus was silent, no one spoke. Lu Xiu remained on his motorcycle, while Jiang Hong listened quietly.
"...We will soon face the ultimate battle, in which we will give our all. All exorcists, all combat and non-combat personnel, will defend our common world that sustains us."
"Students, you are just learners and should not bear too much responsibility. Although I hope you can be of value when the calamity arrives, please heed my advice and protect yourselves. After all, your knowledge and abilities will be especially precious once everything is over..."
"All teachers of Cangqiong University wish you a safe journey. We look forward to the day when we meet again under the sun," Cao Bin concluded, "Thank you."
Cao Bin's "Thank you" echoed across the campus, and all students simultaneously realized: this battle might not be won; there might indeed be an apocalypse.
The campus stirred again as everyone hurried back to their dorms to pack their bags.
"Do you want to go home?" Lu Xiu asked, "To be with your parents? Come on, I'll take you to the airport."
Jiang Hong didn't respond immediately, gazing at Lu Xiu. After a moment, he asked, "Have you finished everything at the Sanctuary?"
Lu Xiu replied, "No, but those things are no longer important."
"Why?" Jiang Hong asked calmly, looking into Lu Xiu's eyes, trying to discern the unspoken words hidden in his heart. Lu Xiu avoided his gaze, and when Jiang Hong reached out to grab his hand, Lu Xiu skillfully evaded.
He lowered his head, not meeting Jiang Hong’s eyes. Slowly, he removed his gloves as if through this action he was rearranging his emotions. This time, he reached out first and held Jiang Hong's hand. His hand was large and warm, as it always had been.
Cao Bin left the administrative building, and the snow began to fall again.
"Jiang Hong, aren't you going home?" Cao Bin stood in front of the Wisdom Sword sculpture on the island and asked from a distance.
"No," Jiang Hong replied, "I'm not going home because I believe in you all. The world will not end, and the apocalypse will not come."
