Chapter 38: Chakras
The afternoon brought the most challenging Inner World Exploration class. This time, He Jian and Xiao Pi were responsible for the PowerPoint presentation. Xiao Pi introduced their investigation of the "Ink" glyph at the podium, and Dong Mang generously provided additional materials. They learned from Zhu Jinling's assigned topic that the pictograph "Ink" originated from ancient worship of the mythical beast "Qu".
"Qu is a sacred beast nurtured by the earth's veins, its power comparable to dragons, but Qu is eyeless," Xiao Pi explained earnestly. "Thus, the priests and followers of Qu would blind themselves and cover their eyes with black cloth, calling themselves 'the People of the Ink Eye.'"
As He Jian turned the pages of the PowerPoint, Xiao Pi continued, "The cauldrons used for worship also have the Ink character engraved inside..."
During this, Jiang Hong noticed Zhu Jinling stand up, take a phone call, and return just as they were almost finished.
At the end, Zhu Jinling led the applause. The simple report ended, and He Jian craned his neck trying to sneak a peek at Zhu Jinling's score, but was caught by the teacher glaring at him.
"Should be an A," Xiao Pi said. "All that effort."
"Now that the project is done," Jiang Hong said, "let's not worry anymore. Come on, let's go eat something good!"
The group gathered in the cafeteria for a meal to celebrate completing their end-of-term project, inviting Lu Xiu as well, but his response was as usual: busy, you guys go ahead.
Jiang Hong felt joyful being active with them, having formed deep friendships during this mission. For next semester's Inner World Exploration, if they could choose their own teams, he wanted to team up again with Lian Jiang, the wall-penetrating 'cheater', to earn some points.
While eating hotpot, Jiang Hong suddenly saw someone entering the cafeteria – it was Lu Xiu.
Jiang Hong immediately greeted him, and Lu Xiu glanced over, walking towards Jiang Hong.
Lian Jiang went to add another serving to the hotpot for Lu Xiu, but he gestured no need, telling Jiang Hong, "After tomorrow's demon-hunting practical exam, there's Principal Cao's comprehensive class in the afternoon for the end-of-term assessment. Just letting you both know."
Jiang Hong acknowledged, surprised that Cao Bin's classes for the semester were ending so soon and that assistant Lu Xiu was personally delivering the message. With Lu Xiu's arrival, Jiang Hong, like a clingy child, eagerly wanted to follow him out, but Lu Xiu said he was off to a club activity and told him not to come.
They would see each other tomorrow anyway, so Jiang Hong wasn't particularly worried. After almost pulling an all-nighter, he was extremely sleepy that night. He went back to his dorm and slept until morning, only to be shaken awake by Jin.
"Time to get up!" Jin said. "We've got an exam."
"Ah..." Jiang Hong, still groggy and with his hair in a mess, was dragged under Jin's arm to the demon-hunting practical exam venue.
For almost all students, today marked the last exam of the semester. After this fight, they could start their vacation, and everyone was thrilled, deciding to give it their all today.
"Take it easy, Xiao Pi," Jiang Hong cautioned, "we still have one more exam this afternoon."
Xiao Pi and Jiang Hong were extremely nervous, just barely managing to survive; this was the only subject Jiang Hong didn't expect to pass.
"Are you going to summon Lu Xiu later?" Xiao Pi asked.
Jiang Hong: "I..."
Ideally, Jiang Hong wanted to use the physical techniques he learned from Cao Bin throughout the semester and fight without seeking Lu Xiu's help, but realistically, he stood no chance and was likely to be at the bottom.
Physical techniques at the beginner level were similar to ordinary boxing and kicking, even less effective than combat sports. They were only good for physical fitness, requiring more time and persistent patience than learning magic, with visible results only after decades.
Jiang Hong seriously doubted his ability to master it, but apart from physical techniques, he had no better options.
"It's okay, even if I'm last, someone has to be."
"Everyone!" Xia Xinghui arrived, accompanied by a tall man in a sports outfit. The man was nearly 1.9 meters tall, with broad shoulders and a well-built body, like a regular gym-goer, yet evenly proportioned, not overly muscular like a fitness coach.
"Wow—" all the students cheered at once.
"Ah!" Xiao Pi was also shocked, exclaiming, "Ge Ge!"
Jiang Hong wondered who this was, as everyone seemed to recognize him. Another celebrity exorcist?
The man had very short hair, shaved clean on the sides, with a sharply defined face, stern appearance, and piercing eyes. His chin had a faint stubble, and he wore a shiny diamond earring on his left ear. His right cheek bore a few red marks, seemingly just awakened, he yawned, revealing his canines, and smiled at the students like a large German Shepherd.
But all said, he was quite handsome.
"Director Ge!" Numerous students began to call out.
The man casually waved his hand, spoke a few words to Xia Xinghui, who nodded and walked away.
Dressed in a gold and red tracksuit, the man stood in the middle of the field, stretching lazily like a sunbathing wolf-dog. Students naturally gathered around him. He looked down, said something to a few girls, and everyone laughed.
"Whistle" - The man blew his whistle, signaling everyone to gather.
Jiang Hong followed at the back and asked Zhang Xiting, "Who is he?"
Zhang Xiting smiled, "He's the alpha wolf. You'll see soon enough."
"Hello everyone," the man said. "Let me introduce myself. My name is Gergentuorulekeda, but you can call me 'Keda', like Psyduck."
Everyone laughed again.
Keda said, "Or you can call me 'Boss Ge'. Anything is fine, just don't call me 'Teacher Ge', it sounds awful."
Keda had the style of a sports teacher. Looking around, he said, "Let's sit down here, the sun is nice today." He sat cross-legged, appearing relaxed and casual. Pulling out a list from his folder, he explained, "I should've taught your exorcism practice, but I was busy at the Monster Association. Now I'm back to take charge of your practice, and that of the graduate students... Alright, let's start with roll call, get to know each other. Today's the final exam, so everyone should be here."
Keda began calling names, quickly finishing the list. When he reached Jiang Hong, he lingered for an extra two seconds.
"Alright," Keda concluded, putting away the list. "Let's start the exam. I don't know how Xia Xinghui taught you, but now that I'm in charge, we'll follow my rules. First, pair up. After you've teamed up, come to me for a number plate. When your number is called, come to the field, ten pairs at a time, for practice. I'll grade you based on your skills and level!"
Jiang Hong breathed a sigh of relief, glad they weren't doing a knockout competition.
"Let's pair up," Jiang Hong quickly said to Xiao Pi.
Xiao Pi was already clutching Jiang Hong's sleeve, determined not to part from him.
"Okay!" Xiao Pi immediately responded.
Both being students taught by Cao Bin, they were unlikely to get beaten badly by each other, making this the best method for the exam.
Keda was clearly more approachable than Xia Xinghui. When Xiao Pi went to get the number plate, the tall and sturdy Keda even put his arm around Xiao Pi's neck and gave him a playful nudge.
Then the students were called up by their numbers, twenty in total, ten pairs. Keda moved around the field, still holding onto Xiao Pi like a large wolfhound carrying a puppy, roaming all over.
Xiao Pi looked up and said something to Keda, who then turned his head, his gaze finding Jiang Hong at the edge of the field, and called out, "Jiang Hong! Come here for a moment!"
Jiang Hong was sitting with his dormitory roommates, watching and occasionally commenting on the fight, and was startled when his name was called, quickly getting up and jogging over.
"Help me with the scoring," Keda said, "Team 7, give both an A. Okay, you guys can go now."
The students who were bombarding each other with magic ran off, overjoyed.
Jiang Hong took the pen and board, following Keda and marking scores.
It wasn't until the last group finished that Jiang Hong put down the score sheet and took the field with Xiao Pi, while Keda watched with crossed arms.
"This won't do, guys," Keda remarked, "I can't even find an excuse to go easy on you."
Jiang Hong: "..."
Xiao Pi sheepishly said, "The vice-principal taught us."
Keda commented, "That guy wasn't that great to begin with."
Jiang Hong's heart skipped a beat, wondering if they would fail.
Keda commented, "Flowery moves, but okay. Give yourselves a 'B'. Work harder next semester."
Jiang Hong was overjoyed, "A 'B' for that? Fantastic!" Xiao Pi, however, felt it was unfair and said, "Gerge, he can summon a dragon."
Keda replied, "Did you see him summon it? Clearly, he doesn't want to, right?"
Jiang Hong chuckled awkwardly, and Keda added, "See? He thinks it's fine this way, right, Jiang Hong?"
As he spoke, Keda playfully grabbed Xiao Pi, holding him like a pet, and dragged him away.
Jiang Hong said, "Teacher! Am I done with the exam? I'm leaving then."
"Wait a minute, don't be so quick to abandon ship!" Keda added, "Finish grading for me. I need to talk to you about something later."
Jiang Hong found it amusing; a teacher like Keda was really interesting. Upon closer look, he realized Keda was incredibly handsome, though his wolf-like features slightly overshadowed his human charm.
Being a fan of good looks, Jiang Hong found it hard to choose between Keda and Cao Bin for the title of 'favorite teacher'. Eventually, he decided on Cao Bin, considering Keda already had many admirers while Cao Bin only had him and Xiao Pi.
After the last group finished, Keda took the graded score sheet, glanced at the scores, and casually altered a few, changing two 'A's to 'S's. One pair included Zhang Xiting and Jin. Jiang Hong was stunned and planned to share this exciting news with them later.
"Tell your dad," Keda said to Xiao Pi, "I'll come over later and take you both out for dinner."
Xiao Pi left happily.
Keda stretched lazily in the brilliant winter sun, and Jiang Hong followed suit, not knowing why he always felt so relaxed around Keda.
Keda looked at Jiang Hong seriously but with a hint of a smile, showing off his white canine teeth, somewhat mischievously.
Jiang Hong: "Uh..."
This teacher was very masculine, but for some reason, Jiang Hong felt he had a slightly gay air about him.
"This is your chakra pattern imprint," Keda said, pulling out a yellow paper from his tracksuit pocket and handing it to Jiang Hong.
"Oh!" Jiang Hong remembered. On New Year's Day, Cao Bin took him to the Exorcism Commission for a visit, where Chen Zhen performed a simple chakra test on him, saying a teacher would bring the results to school.
On the yellow paper was a fragmented chakra pattern, resembling a magical array.
"So this is my chakra," Jiang Hong observed. The pattern was complex, almost entirely made of dotted lines.
"Hmm," Keda said seriously, "You can't use most spells, right?"
Jiang Hong looked up, "I've been mentally prepared for that."
Keda: "Not necessarily... Is it hard to talk standing up? Squat down and let's talk."
Jiang Hong, straining to keep his head up, found it a bit difficult, so Keda squatted down, signaling for Jiang Hong to do the same. The two of them squatted on one knee outside the exorcism practice field. Keda picked up a stick and, referencing the chakra on the yellow paper, drew a section on the ground, saying, "You indeed can't harness natural energy, but see here?"
Jiang Hong noticed a small intact connecting line just below the chakra.
"Oh, what about this area?" Jiang Hong asked, puzzled.
Keda: "You haven't learned the rules of chakra circulation yet, have you?"
Jiang Hong: "That's a subject for the second semester of freshman year. I've already enrolled in it."
Keda sketched a few strokes on the ground with the stick, explaining, "Let me give you a brief explanation. This part corresponds to your heart chakra. There's an intact section on the left side of your heart chakra, which under certain conditions, allows you to control and weakly circulate qi within this range."
Jiang Hong: "What does this mean?!"
Suddenly glimpsing hope, Jiang Hong looked into Keda's eyes.
"It means that under the right conditions, you can utilize some very simple powers that don't involve natural energies," Keda cautioned, "Remember, it's powers, not spells. Casting spells is still out of reach. For instance, after absorbing energy here, you could activate some talismans and magical objects, or even initiate some self-operating scrolls without relying on external energy storage."
"That's great!" Jiang Hong sat down cross-legged in front of him, genuinely delighted by this unexpected boon.
Keda, however, wasn't looking at Jiang Hong. His gaze drifted toward the club building in the distance, where senior students were emerging and greeting him from afar. Keda casually waved back.
Jiang Hong: "So, how should I practice?"
Keda's attention returned to Jiang Hong, asking seriously, "You want to practice?"
Jiang Hong: "Of course! This is really good news!"
Keda, seemingly infected by Jiang Hong's happiness, also started smiling and casually patted Jiang Hong's head.
Keda: "Right? Aren't you disheartened?"
Jiang Hong: "At first, it was a bit, uh, but I've always been a mere mortal, stumbling into... into..."
Ke Da: "The inner world."
Jiang Hong: "Yeah, suddenly someone told me I could learn magic, which of course made me happy; then I found out it wasn't possible, but it was okay. It's like winning the lottery but being told before getting the money that there was a mistake. Of course, there's some disappointment, but since I never actually had the money, it's bearable."
Ke Da burst into laughter, thought for a while, and finally said: "Alright, now I'll tell you how to store energy here. Listen carefully, no, no need to memorize, the process is actually very simple..."
Jiang Hong looked at Ke Da with anticipation, and Ke Da said: "First, you need to find someone willing to help you."
Jiang Hong: "Ah?"
Ke Da: "A demon would also do. This individual must first have a magical foundation. They will empower you because you cannot store energy at the heart chakra by absorbing the aura of heaven and earth."
Jiang Hong understood and said: "Oh... that's not exactly simple."
Ke Da said: "Right, see if anyone is willing to do that for you."
Jiang Hong: "Will it be harmful to the person casting the spell?"
Ke Da said: "No, it's just a small effort, like using a spell casually. However, empowering will have a subsequent effect, creating a chakra resonance with the person giving you energy. How to explain this chakra resonance? Let me think... Do you know about quantum entanglement?"
"I do," Jiang Hong nodded.
Ke Da said: "Chakra resonance is like a kind of quantum entanglement on the spiritual vein level."
Jiang Hong asked: "What exactly will happen?"
Ke Da said: "This form of chakra resonance won't be very strong, because the energy infused into your heart chakra is very low for that person, so low that it's almost negligible. But still, it will have some effect."
"…Firstly, if this person dies, your heart chakra will suffer a severe impact and shatter. There's a certain probability that you might die as well."
Jiang Hong: "Oh, but the chances of that must be pretty slim, right?"
Ke Da said: "For an exorcist, it's not that slim."
Jiang Hong: "Anything else?"
Ke Da said: "Also, between you two, 'theoretically' a connection will form. As for what this connection is, there's no research to prove it yet, since studies on chakra resonance are still scarce, and most are based on conjecture."
Jiang Hong said: "So first, I need to find someone willing to empower me."
Ke Da: "Yes, that's right. Once you've gained the ability, I'll teach you how to use it gradually. That's it. If someone is willing to empower you, you can bring them here. I'll teach them how to do it, and you can become our observation subject."
Jiang Hong: "That works."
Ke Da and Jiang Hong stood up. Ke Da seriously said: "I suggest you find a friend who isn't too close to you. Chen Zhen said he could empower you and observe what happens as a way to thank you for your help. That way, you'll have a small amount of heart lamp, or rather, a heart lamp seed."
Jiang Hong: "Wow, isn't that amazing?"
Ke Da: "I can do it too, if you trust me." After saying this, Ke Da smirked mysteriously: "Even if I inexplicably read your thoughts, I won't tell anyone."
Jiang Hong was suddenly very moved, knowing someone must have asked Ke Da to take care of him, perhaps it was Chen Zhen.
"Thank you," Jiang Hong replied.
Ke Da said: "However, our work is somewhat dangerous. I think I shouldn't harm you. After all, no one knows the future, and right now is a very strange juncture..."
"…All the prophecies are vague, as if shrouded in a layer of fog."
Ke Da looked towards the distant blue sky and white clouds, and the bare branches in the winter campus, then suddenly realized he might have said too much and quickly added: "That's it, I'm going to the cafeteria to eat. Do you want to come along?"
Jiang Hong hurriedly said, "I won't disturb you, I'm leaving now."
Jiang Hong cheerfully bid farewell to Ke Da, grateful for the good news regardless. With all his coursework for the semester nearly finished, his first university winter break was just around the corner!
Later in Cao Bin's comprehensive class, Jiang Hong had arranged with Xiao Pi to share his tale of retrieving magical treasures, while Xiao Pi would report on his trip to Qilian Mountains. Either way, they were likely to score an A.
He had it all planned out; once Lu Xiu was also on break, Jiang Hong wanted to invite him to travel south for a few days, and then ask him to spend New Year’s at his home. Lu Xiu had probably spent the holidays alone for years, with no special significance attached to the Spring Festival.
Lu Xiu would surely accept the invitation to celebrate the festival. It would be a good distraction for him, regardless of whatever he had recently been through. Jiang Hong wondered, if he asked Lu Xiu to empower his heart chakra, would he agree? Being a dragon, Lu Xiu would live a very long time, so Ke Da's mentioned risk wouldn't apply. Sharing a bit of his dragon power wouldn’t be a loss for him.
Jiang Hong ate lunch alone, lost in thought on his way to class. This was an important request, and no friend was obliged to help him, whether it was Cao Bin, his roommates Jin, He Jian, Zhang Xiting, or even Chen Zhen, who had offered his help.
What kind of peculiar connection would form? Would they understand each other's thoughts? It seemed too exaggerated.
Would Lu Xiu agree? Jiang Hong felt that what he wanted most was Lu Xiu's dragon power. Not only because of his long lifespan, which meant no danger to his life during Jiang Hong's lifetime, but also because he felt a special bond already existed between them. As if through the heart chakra, they could form an unbreakable connection.
Of course, this was all Jiang Hong's wishful thinking. How should he approach Lu Xiu about it? As the words reached his lips, Jiang Hong hesitated, wondering if it would be too presumptuous to ask.
After much thought, Jiang Hong devised a plan. This would do!
Today, he arrived at Class S twenty minutes early, ready for the last lesson of the semester at 1:40 in the afternoon. When he pushed the door open, he was surprised to see a stranger.
A bored-looking redhead youth was lounging on a swivel chair behind the pool table, throwing darts at a dartboard already filled with darts.
Jiang Hong had assumed the classroom would be empty at this time and was startled.
The redhead youth looked at him.
Jiang Hong: "Hello… hello, teacher."
The youth seemed to be around seventeen or eighteen, about Jiang Hong’s age, with very fair skin, almost like a mixed-race person. His messy red hair looked surprisingly natural and ordinary, a bit chestnut in color, along with his naturally chestnut eyebrows, making it clear his hair wasn’t dyed.
The youth was dressed in a white hoodie with a hood, baggy jeans, and a “S” shaped like flames printed on the hoodie. He wore a loose gold bracelet with a small tourmaline plum blossom pendant.
The young man glanced at Jiang Hong indifferently, handsome but with a cold expression, as if everyone owed him millions.
With a casual gesture, the darts on the dartboard all whirred back to their place, neatly aligning on the pool table.
"I'm not a teacher," the youth said offhandedly.
His aura was somewhat similar to Lu Xiu's, Jiang Hong thought, but while Lu Xiu's coldness was aloof and arrogant, this redhead was brash and cocky.
The redhead picked up the darts again, throwing them one by one at the dartboard.
"Then... hello, senior?" Jiang Hong ventured, then quickly added realizing he hadn't introduced himself, "I'm Jiang Hong, a student from Class S."
"I'm not a student either," the redhead replied.
"Uh..." Jiang Hong scratched his head and said, "Then, hello, friend."
"We're not friends yet," the redhead said, holding a dart and glancing at Jiang Hong.
Jiang Hong felt awkward and chose to remain silent.
Based on his experiences with Lu Xiu, Jiang Hong didn't expect the redhead to continue the conversation, but surprisingly, he did.
"Although we don't know each other," the redhead said, "since you introduced yourself first, I might as well tell you. I'm Si Gui, Xiang Si Gui."
Chapter 38: Chakras
The afternoon brought the most challenging Inner World Exploration class. This time, He Jian and Xiao Pi were responsible for the PowerPoint presentation. Xiao Pi introduced their investigation of the "Ink" glyph at the podium, and Dong Mang generously provided additional materials. They learned from Zhu Jinling's assigned topic that the pictograph "Ink" originated from ancient worship of the mythical beast "Qu".
"Qu is a sacred beast nurtured by the earth's veins, its power comparable to dragons, but Qu is eyeless," Xiao Pi explained earnestly. "Thus, the priests and followers of Qu would blind themselves and cover their eyes with black cloth, calling themselves 'the People of the Ink Eye.'"
As He Jian turned the pages of the PowerPoint, Xiao Pi continued, "The cauldrons used for worship also have the Ink character engraved inside..."
During this, Jiang Hong noticed Zhu Jinling stand up, take a phone call, and return just as they were almost finished.
At the end, Zhu Jinling led the applause. The simple report ended, and He Jian craned his neck trying to sneak a peek at Zhu Jinling's score, but was caught by the teacher glaring at him.
"Should be an A," Xiao Pi said. "All that effort."
"Now that the project is done," Jiang Hong said, "let's not worry anymore. Come on, let's go eat something good!"
The group gathered in the cafeteria for a meal to celebrate completing their end-of-term project, inviting Lu Xiu as well, but his response was as usual: busy, you guys go ahead.
Jiang Hong felt joyful being active with them, having formed deep friendships during this mission. For next semester's Inner World Exploration, if they could choose their own teams, he wanted to team up again with Lian Jiang, the wall-penetrating 'cheater', to earn some points.
While eating hotpot, Jiang Hong suddenly saw someone entering the cafeteria – it was Lu Xiu.
Jiang Hong immediately greeted him, and Lu Xiu glanced over, walking towards Jiang Hong.
Lian Jiang went to add another serving to the hotpot for Lu Xiu, but he gestured no need, telling Jiang Hong, "After tomorrow's demon-hunting practical exam, there's Principal Cao's comprehensive class in the afternoon for the end-of-term assessment. Just letting you both know."
Jiang Hong acknowledged, surprised that Cao Bin's classes for the semester were ending so soon and that assistant Lu Xiu was personally delivering the message. With Lu Xiu's arrival, Jiang Hong, like a clingy child, eagerly wanted to follow him out, but Lu Xiu said he was off to a club activity and told him not to come.
They would see each other tomorrow anyway, so Jiang Hong wasn't particularly worried. After almost pulling an all-nighter, he was extremely sleepy that night. He went back to his dorm and slept until morning, only to be shaken awake by Jin.
"Time to get up!" Jin said. "We've got an exam."
"Ah..." Jiang Hong, still groggy and with his hair in a mess, was dragged under Jin's arm to the demon-hunting practical exam venue.
For almost all students, today marked the last exam of the semester. After this fight, they could start their vacation, and everyone was thrilled, deciding to give it their all today.
"Take it easy, Xiao Pi," Jiang Hong cautioned, "we still have one more exam this afternoon."
Xiao Pi and Jiang Hong were extremely nervous, just barely managing to survive; this was the only subject Jiang Hong didn't expect to pass.
"Are you going to summon Lu Xiu later?" Xiao Pi asked.
Jiang Hong: "I..."
Ideally, Jiang Hong wanted to use the physical techniques he learned from Cao Bin throughout the semester and fight without seeking Lu Xiu's help, but realistically, he stood no chance and was likely to be at the bottom.
Physical techniques at the beginner level were similar to ordinary boxing and kicking, even less effective than combat sports. They were only good for physical fitness, requiring more time and persistent patience than learning magic, with visible results only after decades.
Jiang Hong seriously doubted his ability to master it, but apart from physical techniques, he had no better options.
"It's okay, even if I'm last, someone has to be."
"Everyone!" Xia Xinghui arrived, accompanied by a tall man in a sports outfit. The man was nearly 1.9 meters tall, with broad shoulders and a well-built body, like a regular gym-goer, yet evenly proportioned, not overly muscular like a fitness coach.
"Wow—" all the students cheered at once.
"Ah!" Xiao Pi was also shocked, exclaiming, "Ge Ge!"
Jiang Hong wondered who this was, as everyone seemed to recognize him. Another celebrity exorcist?
The man had very short hair, shaved clean on the sides, with a sharply defined face, stern appearance, and piercing eyes. His chin had a faint stubble, and he wore a shiny diamond earring on his left ear. His right cheek bore a few red marks, seemingly just awakened, he yawned, revealing his canines, and smiled at the students like a large German Shepherd.
But all said, he was quite handsome.
"Director Ge!" Numerous students began to call out.
The man casually waved his hand, spoke a few words to Xia Xinghui, who nodded and walked away.
Dressed in a gold and red tracksuit, the man stood in the middle of the field, stretching lazily like a sunbathing wolf-dog. Students naturally gathered around him. He looked down, said something to a few girls, and everyone laughed.
"Whistle" - The man blew his whistle, signaling everyone to gather.
Jiang Hong followed at the back and asked Zhang Xiting, "Who is he?"
Zhang Xiting smiled, "He's the alpha wolf. You'll see soon enough."
"Hello everyone," the man said. "Let me introduce myself. My name is Gergentuorulekeda, but you can call me 'Keda', like Psyduck."
Everyone laughed again.
Keda said, "Or you can call me 'Boss Ge'. Anything is fine, just don't call me 'Teacher Ge', it sounds awful."
Keda had the style of a sports teacher. Looking around, he said, "Let's sit down here, the sun is nice today." He sat cross-legged, appearing relaxed and casual. Pulling out a list from his folder, he explained, "I should've taught your exorcism practice, but I was busy at the Monster Association. Now I'm back to take charge of your practice, and that of the graduate students... Alright, let's start with roll call, get to know each other. Today's the final exam, so everyone should be here."
Keda began calling names, quickly finishing the list. When he reached Jiang Hong, he lingered for an extra two seconds.
"Alright," Keda concluded, putting away the list. "Let's start the exam. I don't know how Xia Xinghui taught you, but now that I'm in charge, we'll follow my rules. First, pair up. After you've teamed up, come to me for a number plate. When your number is called, come to the field, ten pairs at a time, for practice. I'll grade you based on your skills and level!"
Jiang Hong breathed a sigh of relief, glad they weren't doing a knockout competition.
"Let's pair up," Jiang Hong quickly said to Xiao Pi.
Xiao Pi was already clutching Jiang Hong's sleeve, determined not to part from him.
"Okay!" Xiao Pi immediately responded.
Both being students taught by Cao Bin, they were unlikely to get beaten badly by each other, making this the best method for the exam.
Keda was clearly more approachable than Xia Xinghui. When Xiao Pi went to get the number plate, the tall and sturdy Keda even put his arm around Xiao Pi's neck and gave him a playful nudge.
Then the students were called up by their numbers, twenty in total, ten pairs. Keda moved around the field, still holding onto Xiao Pi like a large wolfhound carrying a puppy, roaming all over.
Xiao Pi looked up and said something to Keda, who then turned his head, his gaze finding Jiang Hong at the edge of the field, and called out, "Jiang Hong! Come here for a moment!"
Jiang Hong was sitting with his dormitory roommates, watching and occasionally commenting on the fight, and was startled when his name was called, quickly getting up and jogging over.
"Help me with the scoring," Keda said, "Team 7, give both an A. Okay, you guys can go now."
The students who were bombarding each other with magic ran off, overjoyed.
Jiang Hong took the pen and board, following Keda and marking scores.
It wasn't until the last group finished that Jiang Hong put down the score sheet and took the field with Xiao Pi, while Keda watched with crossed arms.
"This won't do, guys," Keda remarked, "I can't even find an excuse to go easy on you."
Jiang Hong: "..."
Xiao Pi sheepishly said, "The vice-principal taught us."
Keda commented, "That guy wasn't that great to begin with."
Jiang Hong's heart skipped a beat, wondering if they would fail.
Keda commented, "Flowery moves, but okay. Give yourselves a 'B'. Work harder next semester."
Jiang Hong was overjoyed, "A 'B' for that? Fantastic!" Xiao Pi, however, felt it was unfair and said, "Gerge, he can summon a dragon."
Keda replied, "Did you see him summon it? Clearly, he doesn't want to, right?"
Jiang Hong chuckled awkwardly, and Keda added, "See? He thinks it's fine this way, right, Jiang Hong?"
As he spoke, Keda playfully grabbed Xiao Pi, holding him like a pet, and dragged him away.
Jiang Hong said, "Teacher! Am I done with the exam? I'm leaving then."
"Wait a minute, don't be so quick to abandon ship!" Keda added, "Finish grading for me. I need to talk to you about something later."
Jiang Hong found it amusing; a teacher like Keda was really interesting. Upon closer look, he realized Keda was incredibly handsome, though his wolf-like features slightly overshadowed his human charm.
Being a fan of good looks, Jiang Hong found it hard to choose between Keda and Cao Bin for the title of 'favorite teacher'. Eventually, he decided on Cao Bin, considering Keda already had many admirers while Cao Bin only had him and Xiao Pi.
After the last group finished, Keda took the graded score sheet, glanced at the scores, and casually altered a few, changing two 'A's to 'S's. One pair included Zhang Xiting and Jin. Jiang Hong was stunned and planned to share this exciting news with them later.
"Tell your dad," Keda said to Xiao Pi, "I'll come over later and take you both out for dinner."
Xiao Pi left happily.
Keda stretched lazily in the brilliant winter sun, and Jiang Hong followed suit, not knowing why he always felt so relaxed around Keda.
Keda looked at Jiang Hong seriously but with a hint of a smile, showing off his white canine teeth, somewhat mischievously.
Jiang Hong: "Uh..."
This teacher was very masculine, but for some reason, Jiang Hong felt he had a slightly gay air about him.
"This is your chakra pattern imprint," Keda said, pulling out a yellow paper from his tracksuit pocket and handing it to Jiang Hong.
"Oh!" Jiang Hong remembered. On New Year's Day, Cao Bin took him to the Exorcism Commission for a visit, where Chen Zhen performed a simple chakra test on him, saying a teacher would bring the results to school.
On the yellow paper was a fragmented chakra pattern, resembling a magical array.
"So this is my chakra," Jiang Hong observed. The pattern was complex, almost entirely made of dotted lines.
"Hmm," Keda said seriously, "You can't use most spells, right?"
Jiang Hong looked up, "I've been mentally prepared for that."
Keda: "Not necessarily... Is it hard to talk standing up? Squat down and let's talk."
Jiang Hong, straining to keep his head up, found it a bit difficult, so Keda squatted down, signaling for Jiang Hong to do the same. The two of them squatted on one knee outside the exorcism practice field. Keda picked up a stick and, referencing the chakra on the yellow paper, drew a section on the ground, saying, "You indeed can't harness natural energy, but see here?"
Jiang Hong noticed a small intact connecting line just below the chakra.
"Oh, what about this area?" Jiang Hong asked, puzzled.
Keda: "You haven't learned the rules of chakra circulation yet, have you?"
Jiang Hong: "That's a subject for the second semester of freshman year. I've already enrolled in it."
Keda sketched a few strokes on the ground with the stick, explaining, "Let me give you a brief explanation. This part corresponds to your heart chakra. There's an intact section on the left side of your heart chakra, which under certain conditions, allows you to control and weakly circulate qi within this range."
Jiang Hong: "What does this mean?!"
Suddenly glimpsing hope, Jiang Hong looked into Keda's eyes.
"It means that under the right conditions, you can utilize some very simple powers that don't involve natural energies," Keda cautioned, "Remember, it's powers, not spells. Casting spells is still out of reach. For instance, after absorbing energy here, you could activate some talismans and magical objects, or even initiate some self-operating scrolls without relying on external energy storage."
"That's great!" Jiang Hong sat down cross-legged in front of him, genuinely delighted by this unexpected boon.
Keda, however, wasn't looking at Jiang Hong. His gaze drifted toward the club building in the distance, where senior students were emerging and greeting him from afar. Keda casually waved back.
Jiang Hong: "So, how should I practice?"
Keda's attention returned to Jiang Hong, asking seriously, "You want to practice?"
Jiang Hong: "Of course! This is really good news!"
Keda, seemingly infected by Jiang Hong's happiness, also started smiling and casually patted Jiang Hong's head.
Keda: "Right? Aren't you disheartened?"
Jiang Hong: "At first, it was a bit, uh, but I've always been a mere mortal, stumbling into... into..."
Ke Da: "The inner world."
Jiang Hong: "Yeah, suddenly someone told me I could learn magic, which of course made me happy; then I found out it wasn't possible, but it was okay. It's like winning the lottery but being told before getting the money that there was a mistake. Of course, there's some disappointment, but since I never actually had the money, it's bearable."
Ke Da burst into laughter, thought for a while, and finally said: "Alright, now I'll tell you how to store energy here. Listen carefully, no, no need to memorize, the process is actually very simple..."
Jiang Hong looked at Ke Da with anticipation, and Ke Da said: "First, you need to find someone willing to help you."
Jiang Hong: "Ah?"
Ke Da: "A demon would also do. This individual must first have a magical foundation. They will empower you because you cannot store energy at the heart chakra by absorbing the aura of heaven and earth."
Jiang Hong understood and said: "Oh... that's not exactly simple."
Ke Da said: "Right, see if anyone is willing to do that for you."
Jiang Hong: "Will it be harmful to the person casting the spell?"
Ke Da said: "No, it's just a small effort, like using a spell casually. However, empowering will have a subsequent effect, creating a chakra resonance with the person giving you energy. How to explain this chakra resonance? Let me think... Do you know about quantum entanglement?"
"I do," Jiang Hong nodded.
Ke Da said: "Chakra resonance is like a kind of quantum entanglement on the spiritual vein level."
Jiang Hong asked: "What exactly will happen?"
Ke Da said: "This form of chakra resonance won't be very strong, because the energy infused into your heart chakra is very low for that person, so low that it's almost negligible. But still, it will have some effect."
"…Firstly, if this person dies, your heart chakra will suffer a severe impact and shatter. There's a certain probability that you might die as well."
Jiang Hong: "Oh, but the chances of that must be pretty slim, right?"
Ke Da said: "For an exorcist, it's not that slim."
Jiang Hong: "Anything else?"
Ke Da said: "Also, between you two, 'theoretically' a connection will form. As for what this connection is, there's no research to prove it yet, since studies on chakra resonance are still scarce, and most are based on conjecture."
Jiang Hong said: "So first, I need to find someone willing to empower me."
Ke Da: "Yes, that's right. Once you've gained the ability, I'll teach you how to use it gradually. That's it. If someone is willing to empower you, you can bring them here. I'll teach them how to do it, and you can become our observation subject."
Jiang Hong: "That works."
Ke Da and Jiang Hong stood up. Ke Da seriously said: "I suggest you find a friend who isn't too close to you. Chen Zhen said he could empower you and observe what happens as a way to thank you for your help. That way, you'll have a small amount of heart lamp, or rather, a heart lamp seed."
Jiang Hong: "Wow, isn't that amazing?"
Ke Da: "I can do it too, if you trust me." After saying this, Ke Da smirked mysteriously: "Even if I inexplicably read your thoughts, I won't tell anyone."
Jiang Hong was suddenly very moved, knowing someone must have asked Ke Da to take care of him, perhaps it was Chen Zhen.
"Thank you," Jiang Hong replied.
Ke Da said: "However, our work is somewhat dangerous. I think I shouldn't harm you. After all, no one knows the future, and right now is a very strange juncture..."
"…All the prophecies are vague, as if shrouded in a layer of fog."
Ke Da looked towards the distant blue sky and white clouds, and the bare branches in the winter campus, then suddenly realized he might have said too much and quickly added: "That's it, I'm going to the cafeteria to eat. Do you want to come along?"
Jiang Hong hurriedly said, "I won't disturb you, I'm leaving now."
Jiang Hong cheerfully bid farewell to Ke Da, grateful for the good news regardless. With all his coursework for the semester nearly finished, his first university winter break was just around the corner!
Later in Cao Bin's comprehensive class, Jiang Hong had arranged with Xiao Pi to share his tale of retrieving magical treasures, while Xiao Pi would report on his trip to Qilian Mountains. Either way, they were likely to score an A.
He had it all planned out; once Lu Xiu was also on break, Jiang Hong wanted to invite him to travel south for a few days, and then ask him to spend New Year’s at his home. Lu Xiu had probably spent the holidays alone for years, with no special significance attached to the Spring Festival.
Lu Xiu would surely accept the invitation to celebrate the festival. It would be a good distraction for him, regardless of whatever he had recently been through. Jiang Hong wondered, if he asked Lu Xiu to empower his heart chakra, would he agree? Being a dragon, Lu Xiu would live a very long time, so Ke Da's mentioned risk wouldn't apply. Sharing a bit of his dragon power wouldn’t be a loss for him.
Jiang Hong ate lunch alone, lost in thought on his way to class. This was an important request, and no friend was obliged to help him, whether it was Cao Bin, his roommates Jin, He Jian, Zhang Xiting, or even Chen Zhen, who had offered his help.
What kind of peculiar connection would form? Would they understand each other's thoughts? It seemed too exaggerated.
Would Lu Xiu agree? Jiang Hong felt that what he wanted most was Lu Xiu's dragon power. Not only because of his long lifespan, which meant no danger to his life during Jiang Hong's lifetime, but also because he felt a special bond already existed between them. As if through the heart chakra, they could form an unbreakable connection.
Of course, this was all Jiang Hong's wishful thinking. How should he approach Lu Xiu about it? As the words reached his lips, Jiang Hong hesitated, wondering if it would be too presumptuous to ask.
After much thought, Jiang Hong devised a plan. This would do!
Today, he arrived at Class S twenty minutes early, ready for the last lesson of the semester at 1:40 in the afternoon. When he pushed the door open, he was surprised to see a stranger.
A bored-looking redhead youth was lounging on a swivel chair behind the pool table, throwing darts at a dartboard already filled with darts.
Jiang Hong had assumed the classroom would be empty at this time and was startled.
The redhead youth looked at him.
Jiang Hong: "Hello… hello, teacher."
The youth seemed to be around seventeen or eighteen, about Jiang Hong’s age, with very fair skin, almost like a mixed-race person. His messy red hair looked surprisingly natural and ordinary, a bit chestnut in color, along with his naturally chestnut eyebrows, making it clear his hair wasn’t dyed.
The youth was dressed in a white hoodie with a hood, baggy jeans, and a “S” shaped like flames printed on the hoodie. He wore a loose gold bracelet with a small tourmaline plum blossom pendant.
The young man glanced at Jiang Hong indifferently, handsome but with a cold expression, as if everyone owed him millions.
With a casual gesture, the darts on the dartboard all whirred back to their place, neatly aligning on the pool table.
"I'm not a teacher," the youth said offhandedly.
His aura was somewhat similar to Lu Xiu's, Jiang Hong thought, but while Lu Xiu's coldness was aloof and arrogant, this redhead was brash and cocky.
The redhead picked up the darts again, throwing them one by one at the dartboard.
"Then... hello, senior?" Jiang Hong ventured, then quickly added realizing he hadn't introduced himself, "I'm Jiang Hong, a student from Class S."
"I'm not a student either," the redhead replied.
"Uh..." Jiang Hong scratched his head and said, "Then, hello, friend."
"We're not friends yet," the redhead said, holding a dart and glancing at Jiang Hong.
Jiang Hong felt awkward and chose to remain silent.
Based on his experiences with Lu Xiu, Jiang Hong didn't expect the redhead to continue the conversation, but surprisingly, he did.
"Although we don't know each other," the redhead said, "since you introduced yourself first, I might as well tell you. I'm Si Gui, Xiang Si Gui."
