Chapter 65: Accessible
Just a street away was a busy main road, vibrant and noisy at 9:30 in the evening, crowded with people. Jiang Hong peered out briefly before Lu Xiu pulled him back into the shadows.
The target boy seemed to have reconciled with the man, walking ahead arm in arm.
Lu Xiu said, "You follow behind; I'll go around to intercept him. Don't get too close."
Jiang Hong worried, "What if he suddenly starts running? I'm afraid I can't stop him..."
Lu Xiu reassured, "He won't get away, it's just a fox."
"What should we shout?" asked Jiang Hong, "Exorcist on duty? Or 'Come with us'?"
Lu Xiu replied, "No need to say anything, just take action."
Lu Xiu put on a wireless earpiece, started a voice call, and Jiang Hong joined in, only to find a stranger there. He didn't have time to identify the third person, worried about losing the fox, and hurriedly followed.
"Ignore the other mortal, just catch the target," Lu Xiu instructed.
Jiang Hong hummed in acknowledgment and took out the Book of Everything, checking the target boy's health and mana bars, just to be safe.
Hu Qing
HP：9200
MP：660
The MP of Hu Qing, Jiang Hong's target, was even lower than that of his roommate, not a threat at all. Using the Book of Everything, Jiang Hong discovered he could see the target's real name – so his name was Hu Qing, quite ancient-style. The man with Hu Qing, named Xiao An, had only 120 HP and 0 MP.
Lu Xiu retreated into the alley and disappeared with a swish of water, like a vortex rising from the ground, indicating his use of water escape.
Moving forward, past the next block and in front of the subway station, Jiang Hong kept trailing Hu Qing and Xiao An. Then, Lu Xiu's voice came through the earpiece: "Just stand there, block their path."
This was a one-way street flanked by houses. Lu Xiu's choice of location for the capture left little space for the fox to flee. He stood leisurely outside the subway station, half-hidden in the shadows, no longer concealing his presence.
Almost immediately, Hu Qing noticed him, stopped, and then slowly took a half step back.
Jiang Hong sensed that Lu Xiu must be emanating a dragon's aura because even without saying or doing anything, Hu Qing began to tremble uncontrollably with fear.
"No, no... don’t come closer, who are you?" Hu Qing's legs went weak upon seeing Lu Xiu.
"Just a small matter, come with us," said Lu Xiu.
Hu Qing immediately clung to the man beside him like a lifeline, pleading, "I really don’t know anything, please don’t make it hard for me!"
Lu Xiu said nothing, didn’t even approach, just quietly watched him, as if this alone was enough to slowly crumble and dissolve Hu Qing's mental defenses. For Jiang Hong, it was his first time witnessing the overwhelming dominance of a higher-tier demon over a lower one, making escape impossible.
Xiao An, the companion, was filled with astonishment, trying hard to shake off the desperately clinging Hu Qing, saying, "It’s none of my business, we only met recently..."
Lu Xiu raised his eyebrows, signaling to Hu Qing: What are you waiting for? Your only partner is a mortal; he can’t save you.
Hu Qing fell into complete despair, collapsing to the ground, gasping as if on the brink of death.
Xiao An slowly backed away but then suddenly turned and rushed at Jiang Hong, grabbing his waist and instantly knocking him into the road.
“Run, now—!” Xiao An roared, “Idiot!”
Even Jiang Hong himself was startled, completely caught off guard. The man had sensed his presence behind, blocking the way, and accurately judged him to be an easier target than Lu Xiu!
What was even more shocking was that Xiao An's previous reactions were all an act!
Lu Xiu immediately became furious, abandoning Hu Qing and rushing towards Jiang Hong. But Jiang Hong had already reacted, shouting, "What are you doing?! I'm just a bystander!"
Then, purely out of instinct, Jiang Hong tripped him, grabbed his collar, and executed an elbow throw, slamming Xiao An to the ground.
Xiao An hit a trash can with a loud crash, clearly having underestimated Jiang Hong's combat abilities.
Jiang Hong had been practicing physical combat techniques with Cao Bin for nearly a year. While he couldn't defeat dragons or lions, handling an adult was well within his capabilities, not even needing to use his fists.
Lu Xiu stopped in his tracks when he got close. Xiao An, dazed and seeing stars, struggled to get up, saying, "Who are you guys? Please don't make it harder for him..."
In this delay, Hu Qing had already run off without a trace.
"You're quite loyal," Jiang Hong squatted down and said, "Are you okay? Sorry, I might have been a bit too harsh."
"Forget about him," Lu Xiu said, "Let's find that fox, he couldn't have gone far."
Jiang Hong had no choice but to follow Lu Xiu in the direction Hu Qing had fled.
Under the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, Lu Xiu chased him to the outskirts of the square. It was nearing ten at night, and the crowd was dispersing.
"Where is he?" asked Jiang Hong.
"Several demonic auras," Lu Xiu said, obviously struggling to pinpoint Hu Qing's escape route, "There are quite a few demons active around here."
Not adept at tracking and investigation, Jiang Hong turned around, took out the Book of Everything, and after circling around, spotted the previously glowing figure. The name above the head was very clear, moving about more than five hundred meters away from them.
"Found him!" Jiang Hong couldn't help but marvel, the Book of Everything was incredibly useful!
Behind the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, Lu Xiu and Jiang Hong caught up and saw a grey shadow in the flowerbed. Hu Qing had reverted to his original form and was scurrying through the flowerbeds. Just as Lu Xiu was about to catch him, another voice came from behind the pagoda.
"Over here!"
Xiao An appeared again.
"You again?!" Jiang Hong was about to move forward, but then he sensed something was off. How had this guy managed to follow them from the subway station to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda so quickly?
The Book of Everything was still active in his hand, so he impulsively checked Xiao An's status again, which showed:
Feng Li
HP：??????/??????
MP：1492730/1492730
Jiang Hong: "..."
Even the name had changed.
Instinctively, Jiang Hong stepped behind Lu Xiu. Lu Xiu halted and watched the figure emerging from the darkness.
"Xiao An," with just three fingers, pinched the neck of the grey fox like picking up a cat, and lifted it up, walking leisurely into the light.
“Thanks for the help,” said “Xiao An.”
"He's not the same person as before," Jiang Hong said to Lu Xiu, "It's a demon in disguise."
"I know," Lu Xiu replied, his right hand beginning to glow as he gathered energy, "I'm on exorcist duty, put it down."
At this moment, a familiar voice sounded from behind them.
"You didn't send a location, had me searching for ages!"
Hearing this voice, Jiang Hong knew they probably wouldn't have to fight anymore. The newcomer was their practical class teacher, the S-level exorcist Gergen Tuo Lekeda.
"It's me, Lord Lu Xiu."
As Jiang Hong turned around again, the "Xiao An" in front of them had already changed appearance. Now, there stood a lean, high school-aged boy – Jiang Hong immediately understood that this must be the demon's true form, "Feng Li"!
Lu Xiu ceased his spell, apparently recognizing him, and said, "It's you."
Feng Li first kneeled on one knee in front of Lu Xiu and then nodded in respect to Keda.
Observing this, Jiang Hong thought to himself: Does Lu Xiu hold such a high status because he's a dragon?
Feng Li seemed about to address Lu Xiu, but Lu Xiu gestured naturally, and Feng Li seemed to instantly understand, nodding in response.
"This is the first time in ten years," Feng Li said, "that my disguise has been seen through. Impressive."
"Uh..." Jiang Hong, knowing he was being complimented, responded, "It wasn't that hard."
Lu Xiu placed a hand on Jiang Hong's head and ruffled it casually, signaling him to stop talking.
"I'll take this guy back to the sanctuary," Feng Li added, "Sorry for the trouble."
As Feng Li was about to leave, Keda suddenly said, "Stop."
Feng Li looked at Keda, and Jiang Hong sensed a tension in the air.
Keda asked, "Isn't there an explanation? What does he know? What's happening inside your sanctuary? How much has Yinghuo infiltrated?"
Feng Li didn't answer, made a gesture indicating 'no comment', and suddenly dispersed into countless light points like shattered glass, vanishing.
Keda stepped forward, resignedly cursing under his breath, "Damn it!"
Lu Xiu commented, "The fox is caught, though not handed over to you, but returned to the sanctuary, right?"
Keda, looking somewhat gloomy and irritated, said, "Fine, fine, let it be, thanks for the trouble, that's all."
Saying this, Keda, a bit despondent, went to sit by a flowerbed, and Jiang Hong looked at Lu Xiu, who gestured that everything was okay.
Keda sighed deeply to himself.
"Fancy a drink?" Lu Xiu offered.
Keda asked, "You have some?"
Lu Xiu went off to buy some, leaving Keda sitting there, looking downhearted.
Jiang Hong was puzzled.
Keda looked up slightly and said, "Sorry to bother you two, really sorry."
"Ah, it's nothing, it's what I should do," Jiang Hong, who had been lost in thought, now observed Keda more closely.
This guy must be the tallest professor in the whole school, right? Nearly two meters tall, with broad shoulders and long legs, his presence was imposing. Objectively speaking, Keda was handsome, even having fans among the students, capable of rivaling Cao Bin. He had thick eyebrows, deep-set eyes, a bit of stubble, a unique broken eyebrow, and wore a diamond earring.
Moreover, compared to the principal Cao Bin, Keda had a more casual and joke-loving personality, not as polite and formal as Cao Bin, which made him more popular among the students, especially the demon students.
Jiang Hong's biggest impression of Keda was when he took over the practical class and brought news about his chakras, talking to him while squatting on the playground and slightly raising his head, which left a good impression on Jiang Hong.
"Is he with the Demon Association... a demon from the Demon Association?" Jiang Hong also sat down beside Keda.
"Who?" Keda, who was also lost in thought, asked, "Feng Li?"
"Yeah." Jiang Hong always felt that the relationship between Keda and Feng Li was a bit strange. Were they enemies? It didn't quite seem like it.
"Feng, as in self-imposed isolation, Li as in displaced," Keda muttered to himself, "He's the Secretary-General of the Demon Association."
"Oh—I see," Jiang Hong said, "What about that little fox called Hu Qing? Oh, I'm just curious... If I asked something I shouldn't, you can just ignore me, teacher."
Keda looked towards the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, as if still watching the direction in which Feng Li had disappeared.
"It's said they discovered clones within the high ranks of the Demon Association, right?" Keda said, "The details are unclear, but Feng Li took him back for interrogation, didn’t he?"
"Then... Chen Zhen doesn't care about this?" Jiang Hong asked.
Keda shrugged. At this time, Lu Xiu came back with two bottles of cola and a beer, handing the beer to Keda but only letting Jiang Hong drink cola.
"Drink less alcohol," Lu Xiu said.
"If you had agreed back then," Keda said, "we wouldn't have had all these troubles."
Jiang Hong, sensing Keda's complaint towards Lu Xiu, asked, "Agreed to what?"
Lu Xiu's eyes seemed to twinkle with amusement as he replied, "Nothing much."
Keda, sipping his beer, added, "The first time I asked you, you said you were waiting for someone; the second time, you said you needed to think about it. Now that the person has arrived, you could totally take over, and we wouldn't be so passive."
"Not going," Lu Xiu straightforwardly refused Keda.
"Go where?" Jiang Hong immediately became alert, wondering if Keda was asking Lu Xiu to do something dangerous.
Keda just shrugged, saying nothing.
Lu Xiu added, "And even if I took over, I can't just force someone to be with you, there's no happiness in coercion."
Jiang Hong: "???"
These sentences seemed to contain a massive amount of information, and Jiang Hong faintly smelled some gossip.
"I'm off," Lu Xiu said, "Good luck with mending your relationship."
Keda retorted, "Oh, go away."
Jiang Hong: "..."
"Take over what?" Jiang Hong asked again, "Wait for whom?"
"Nothing much," Lu Xiu casually replied, "Just to help out at the sanctuary, act as the Demon King for a while."
Jiang Hong said, "Oh, so you..."
Lu Xiu pulled Jiang Hong closer, draping an arm over his shoulder, "I didn't agree because I wanted to wait for you at Cangqiong University. Now that you’re here, I wanted to spend more time with you, so I didn't go. Keda had a thing with Feng Li, they dated for a while but later broke up. The sanctuary is now confirmed to be infiltrated by Yinghuo, and Feng Li is investigating. The current head of the sanctuary is a Xiang Liu, and if he's been replicated, it'll be troublesome. This fox named Hu Qing likely stumbled upon some clues, and they’ve taken him back for interrogation. Keda is worried about Feng Li's situation and wanted to intervene, but Feng Li refused, citing that human interference in demon affairs is not allowed, leaving him quite frustrated. That's about it, got it?"
Jiang Hong's head was spinning, and he just nodded.
Then, Lu Xiu snapped his fingers in front of Jiang Hong, signaling him to look into his eyes.
"Haven’t settled the score with you yet," Lu Xiu said, "What were you thinking back in the bar?"
"What do you mean?" Jiang Hong suddenly remembered, he had drunkenly kissed Lu Xiu, and he remembered it!
"Stop playing dumb!" Lu Xiu said, about to pinch a nerve on Jiang Hong's arm, and Jiang Hong immediately screamed, breaking free and running off like a child.
"Think you can run away?" Lu Xiu immediately chased after him.
Late into the night, when they returned to the guesthouse, Jiang Hong was still pleading for mercy. Lu Xiu held his hand, pressing him on the sofa. Jiang Hong was almost in tears, his eyes reddening slightly with the effects of alcohol. Finally, Lu Xiu let go and stopped teasing him, heading off to take a shower.
That night, Jiang Hong felt a strange sensation. Although he still shared a bed with Lu Xiu as usual, he was a bit hesitant to embrace him, fearing any awkward reactions.
Lu Xiu usually didn't make any moves, and Jiang Hong had to sleep properly, tossing and turning until nearly dawn.
The May Day holiday passed in the blink of an eye, and it was time to return to school. During the last few days of the holiday, Jiang Hong could feel that Lu Xiu's mood had improved significantly.
They both hadn't forgotten about that matter. Were Dark Lu Xiu and Dark Chen Zhen hiding somewhere undetectable by the Demon Commission, continuing their sinister plots? What was their ultimate goal?
Back in the dorm, most of his roommates had heard the news, especially He Jian, who had one brother in the Demon Association and another in the Demon Commission. They began discussing recent events, and Zhang Xiting, who knew roughly what had happened, said, "So much happened in Guangzhou?"
"Yeah, sigh," Jiang Hong thought long about whether to keep this a secret from his roommates, but after much deliberation, he felt there was no need since they were all tight-lipped; plus, they had all been through life and death together, so keeping secrets seemed unnecessary.
So, Jiang Hong shared most of what happened in Guangzhou, including being captured by Dark Chen Zhen into an alternate dimension.
"Qingyu Jintuan, huh," Zhang Xiting said, "It's incredible that such a powerful artifact exists in the world."
"Has it existed for a long time?" asked Jiang Hong.
Jin replied, "It's an ancient relic, an SS-level artifact, rumored to have been created by the Yellow Emperor."
So, the Qingyu Jintuan had been used before. Jiang Hong had never heard of its existence.
Zhang Xiting said, "In ancient times, it was used to create the Dragon Sealing Tower, imprisoning most dragons and Jiaolong inside. Later, for unknown reasons, the tower's seal was broken, and the Qingyu Jintuan disappeared. I never thought it would end up in the hands of Yinghuo."
Jiang Hong, while installing a camera on his Tmall Genie, said, "It seems Yinghuo is more capable than we thought."
"Speaking of which," He Jian said, "Chen Zhen is not a pushover either, so don't worry too much."
Jiang Hong had temporarily set aside his concerns, but this discussion among his roommates made him worried again. Jin added, "That means the challenges facing Lu Xiu are quite severe."
"Yeah... that's right," Jiang Hong thought for a moment and replied, "Indeed, defeating oneself is indeed very difficult, though he hasn't said it."
The first night of their dormitory reunion ended with discussions about artifacts, spells, bosses, and demons. Finally, the conversation drifted to various fantastical tales, including Jin's experience of using the Lion's Roar at a cemetery to catch ghosts during his internship.
"Thank you!" Old Sun suddenly said, "I saw it again! I feel much better now!"
The roommates had grown accustomed to Old Sun's presence, often letting it play music and never finding it bothersome.
He Jian asked, "How much longer do you need to practice?"
Old Sun replied, "I don't know. But why does everything look a bit dark when I see?"
Jin answered, "It's night, of course it's dark."
Old Sun hummed and said, "Jiang Hong, install two legs for me, will you? I want to go out and see things, don’t want to keep troubling you."
"I don't have the materials right now," Jiang Hong said, "Let's talk about it later. Don't be greedy."
A speaker with legs running around the campus, playing music as it goes, would be utterly bizarre.
"Alright, that's it for now. Enjoy your night with restored vision."
Jiang Hong placed Old Sun on the windowsill, allowing it to look outside with its camera and then plugged it in. Afterwards, he fell asleep, re-entering his dream about the ghost-catching event, vaguely hearing that strange, unfamiliar conversation again…
"...He will come to understand, everyone has this moment. This is the second time Feng Zheng..."
"But I'm still so worried about this seal. Apart from you, no one else can break it. What if he encounters a strong enemy?"
"He will manage. Wait for him to grow truly powerful, and he will be able to break it himself."
"But there are conditions to be met..."
"Yes, because if he can't complete his transformation, not sealing him wouldn't make any difference."
The man's voice was firm, while the young man's tone carried hesitation and regret. The man added, "We've discussed it, and he's willing too."
"Growth," the young man said, "that condition is too vague."
"The growth of the soul, not just strength," the man clarified.
Suddenly, the dream shifted. Jiang Hong found himself riding on a dragon, which was the black dragon Lu Xiu. Its body shimmered with golden seals, resembling sacred tattoos and bindings. Carrying him, they flew over mountains and land, overlooking the world, while the conversation between the man and the young man echoed in their ears—
"I've also told him under what conditions the seal would be lifted by himself... When he truly understands that he's willing to protect this world, even at the cost of his life... When he's ready to let go of his loved ones, his lingering feelings, everything he wants to cherish..."
"...When he's finally willing, with all his reluctant memories, to head to that destined battlefield..."
High above in the sky, among the clouds, the black dragon transformed into Lu Xiu's tall figure. He turned and embraced Jiang Hong, who, as always when carried in flight, wrapped his arms around Lu Xiu's neck.
They plummeted, the wind rushing past their ears. Looking into each other's eyes, then Lu Xiu closed his eyes, leaning in for a kiss in the vast sky, pressing his lips against Jiang Hong's.
Jiang Hong felt no shock, as if the kiss was meant to be. He let down his guard, fully accepting Lu Xiu, their lips warmly meeting, and everything in the world seemed so beautiful.
The next second, Jiang Hong woke up with a loud yell.
"Oh no—"
Almost at the same moment, Jin leaped from the neighboring bed, quicker than Jiang Hong. Jiang Hong fell off his bed, but Jin caught him swiftly.
The roommates all woke up, looking at each other in bewilderment.
"Th...Thank you," Jiang Hong said.
"You're welcome," Jin put Jiang Hong down and returned to his bed to continue browsing on his phone. It was dawn, and he had woken up earlier, lying down to avoid disturbing the others.
"Really appreciate it," Jiang Hong felt his roommates were like the best brothers in the world.
Jin playfully blew a kiss at him.
Jiang Hong returned to his bed, still seemingly lost in the dream. The kiss had felt so real, reminiscent of what followed in the bar – initially, he felt quite at ease and even expectant, though nervous and apprehensive too.
Ahhh, why did I dream of kissing Lu Xiu?! What am I thinking? Is this a case of dreaming about what's on my mind?
Jiang Hong was in a daze all day, thinking that meeting Lu Xiu later would probably feel even weirder.
Chapter 65: Accessible
Just a street away was a busy main road, vibrant and noisy at 9:30 in the evening, crowded with people. Jiang Hong peered out briefly before Lu Xiu pulled him back into the shadows.
The target boy seemed to have reconciled with the man, walking ahead arm in arm.
Lu Xiu said, "You follow behind; I'll go around to intercept him. Don't get too close."
Jiang Hong worried, "What if he suddenly starts running? I'm afraid I can't stop him..."
Lu Xiu reassured, "He won't get away, it's just a fox."
"What should we shout?" asked Jiang Hong, "Exorcist on duty? Or 'Come with us'?"
Lu Xiu replied, "No need to say anything, just take action."
Lu Xiu put on a wireless earpiece, started a voice call, and Jiang Hong joined in, only to find a stranger there. He didn't have time to identify the third person, worried about losing the fox, and hurriedly followed.
"Ignore the other mortal, just catch the target," Lu Xiu instructed.
Jiang Hong hummed in acknowledgment and took out the Book of Everything, checking the target boy's health and mana bars, just to be safe.
Hu Qing
HP：9200
MP：660
The MP of Hu Qing, Jiang Hong's target, was even lower than that of his roommate, not a threat at all. Using the Book of Everything, Jiang Hong discovered he could see the target's real name – so his name was Hu Qing, quite ancient-style. The man with Hu Qing, named Xiao An, had only 120 HP and 0 MP.
Lu Xiu retreated into the alley and disappeared with a swish of water, like a vortex rising from the ground, indicating his use of water escape.
Moving forward, past the next block and in front of the subway station, Jiang Hong kept trailing Hu Qing and Xiao An. Then, Lu Xiu's voice came through the earpiece: "Just stand there, block their path."
This was a one-way street flanked by houses. Lu Xiu's choice of location for the capture left little space for the fox to flee. He stood leisurely outside the subway station, half-hidden in the shadows, no longer concealing his presence.
Almost immediately, Hu Qing noticed him, stopped, and then slowly took a half step back.
Jiang Hong sensed that Lu Xiu must be emanating a dragon's aura because even without saying or doing anything, Hu Qing began to tremble uncontrollably with fear.
"No, no... don’t come closer, who are you?" Hu Qing's legs went weak upon seeing Lu Xiu.
"Just a small matter, come with us," said Lu Xiu.
Hu Qing immediately clung to the man beside him like a lifeline, pleading, "I really don’t know anything, please don’t make it hard for me!"
Lu Xiu said nothing, didn’t even approach, just quietly watched him, as if this alone was enough to slowly crumble and dissolve Hu Qing's mental defenses. For Jiang Hong, it was his first time witnessing the overwhelming dominance of a higher-tier demon over a lower one, making escape impossible.
Xiao An, the companion, was filled with astonishment, trying hard to shake off the desperately clinging Hu Qing, saying, "It’s none of my business, we only met recently..."
Lu Xiu raised his eyebrows, signaling to Hu Qing: What are you waiting for? Your only partner is a mortal; he can’t save you.
Hu Qing fell into complete despair, collapsing to the ground, gasping as if on the brink of death.
Xiao An slowly backed away but then suddenly turned and rushed at Jiang Hong, grabbing his waist and instantly knocking him into the road.
“Run, now—!” Xiao An roared, “Idiot!”
Even Jiang Hong himself was startled, completely caught off guard. The man had sensed his presence behind, blocking the way, and accurately judged him to be an easier target than Lu Xiu!
What was even more shocking was that Xiao An's previous reactions were all an act!
Lu Xiu immediately became furious, abandoning Hu Qing and rushing towards Jiang Hong. But Jiang Hong had already reacted, shouting, "What are you doing?! I'm just a bystander!"
Then, purely out of instinct, Jiang Hong tripped him, grabbed his collar, and executed an elbow throw, slamming Xiao An to the ground.
Xiao An hit a trash can with a loud crash, clearly having underestimated Jiang Hong's combat abilities.
Jiang Hong had been practicing physical combat techniques with Cao Bin for nearly a year. While he couldn't defeat dragons or lions, handling an adult was well within his capabilities, not even needing to use his fists.
Lu Xiu stopped in his tracks when he got close. Xiao An, dazed and seeing stars, struggled to get up, saying, "Who are you guys? Please don't make it harder for him..."
In this delay, Hu Qing had already run off without a trace.
"You're quite loyal," Jiang Hong squatted down and said, "Are you okay? Sorry, I might have been a bit too harsh."
"Forget about him," Lu Xiu said, "Let's find that fox, he couldn't have gone far."
Jiang Hong had no choice but to follow Lu Xiu in the direction Hu Qing had fled.
Under the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, Lu Xiu chased him to the outskirts of the square. It was nearing ten at night, and the crowd was dispersing.
"Where is he?" asked Jiang Hong.
"Several demonic auras," Lu Xiu said, obviously struggling to pinpoint Hu Qing's escape route, "There are quite a few demons active around here."
Not adept at tracking and investigation, Jiang Hong turned around, took out the Book of Everything, and after circling around, spotted the previously glowing figure. The name above the head was very clear, moving about more than five hundred meters away from them.
"Found him!" Jiang Hong couldn't help but marvel, the Book of Everything was incredibly useful!
Behind the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, Lu Xiu and Jiang Hong caught up and saw a grey shadow in the flowerbed. Hu Qing had reverted to his original form and was scurrying through the flowerbeds. Just as Lu Xiu was about to catch him, another voice came from behind the pagoda.
"Over here!"
Xiao An appeared again.
"You again?!" Jiang Hong was about to move forward, but then he sensed something was off. How had this guy managed to follow them from the subway station to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda so quickly?
The Book of Everything was still active in his hand, so he impulsively checked Xiao An's status again, which showed:
Feng Li
HP：??????/??????
MP：1492730/1492730
Jiang Hong: "..."
Even the name had changed.
Instinctively, Jiang Hong stepped behind Lu Xiu. Lu Xiu halted and watched the figure emerging from the darkness.
"Xiao An," with just three fingers, pinched the neck of the grey fox like picking up a cat, and lifted it up, walking leisurely into the light.
“Thanks for the help,” said “Xiao An.”
"He's not the same person as before," Jiang Hong said to Lu Xiu, "It's a demon in disguise."
"I know," Lu Xiu replied, his right hand beginning to glow as he gathered energy, "I'm on exorcist duty, put it down."
At this moment, a familiar voice sounded from behind them.
"You didn't send a location, had me searching for ages!"
Hearing this voice, Jiang Hong knew they probably wouldn't have to fight anymore. The newcomer was their practical class teacher, the S-level exorcist Gergen Tuo Lekeda.
"It's me, Lord Lu Xiu."
As Jiang Hong turned around again, the "Xiao An" in front of them had already changed appearance. Now, there stood a lean, high school-aged boy – Jiang Hong immediately understood that this must be the demon's true form, "Feng Li"!
Lu Xiu ceased his spell, apparently recognizing him, and said, "It's you."
Feng Li first kneeled on one knee in front of Lu Xiu and then nodded in respect to Keda.
Observing this, Jiang Hong thought to himself: Does Lu Xiu hold such a high status because he's a dragon?
Feng Li seemed about to address Lu Xiu, but Lu Xiu gestured naturally, and Feng Li seemed to instantly understand, nodding in response.
"This is the first time in ten years," Feng Li said, "that my disguise has been seen through. Impressive."
"Uh..." Jiang Hong, knowing he was being complimented, responded, "It wasn't that hard."
Lu Xiu placed a hand on Jiang Hong's head and ruffled it casually, signaling him to stop talking.
"I'll take this guy back to the sanctuary," Feng Li added, "Sorry for the trouble."
As Feng Li was about to leave, Keda suddenly said, "Stop."
Feng Li looked at Keda, and Jiang Hong sensed a tension in the air.
Keda asked, "Isn't there an explanation? What does he know? What's happening inside your sanctuary? How much has Yinghuo infiltrated?"
Feng Li didn't answer, made a gesture indicating 'no comment', and suddenly dispersed into countless light points like shattered glass, vanishing.
Keda stepped forward, resignedly cursing under his breath, "Damn it!"
Lu Xiu commented, "The fox is caught, though not handed over to you, but returned to the sanctuary, right?"
Keda, looking somewhat gloomy and irritated, said, "Fine, fine, let it be, thanks for the trouble, that's all."
Saying this, Keda, a bit despondent, went to sit by a flowerbed, and Jiang Hong looked at Lu Xiu, who gestured that everything was okay.
Keda sighed deeply to himself.
"Fancy a drink?" Lu Xiu offered.
Keda asked, "You have some?"
Lu Xiu went off to buy some, leaving Keda sitting there, looking downhearted.
Jiang Hong was puzzled.
Keda looked up slightly and said, "Sorry to bother you two, really sorry."
"Ah, it's nothing, it's what I should do," Jiang Hong, who had been lost in thought, now observed Keda more closely.
This guy must be the tallest professor in the whole school, right? Nearly two meters tall, with broad shoulders and long legs, his presence was imposing. Objectively speaking, Keda was handsome, even having fans among the students, capable of rivaling Cao Bin. He had thick eyebrows, deep-set eyes, a bit of stubble, a unique broken eyebrow, and wore a diamond earring.
Moreover, compared to the principal Cao Bin, Keda had a more casual and joke-loving personality, not as polite and formal as Cao Bin, which made him more popular among the students, especially the demon students.
Jiang Hong's biggest impression of Keda was when he took over the practical class and brought news about his chakras, talking to him while squatting on the playground and slightly raising his head, which left a good impression on Jiang Hong.
"Is he with the Demon Association... a demon from the Demon Association?" Jiang Hong also sat down beside Keda.
"Who?" Keda, who was also lost in thought, asked, "Feng Li?"
"Yeah." Jiang Hong always felt that the relationship between Keda and Feng Li was a bit strange. Were they enemies? It didn't quite seem like it.
"Feng, as in self-imposed isolation, Li as in displaced," Keda muttered to himself, "He's the Secretary-General of the Demon Association."
"Oh—I see," Jiang Hong said, "What about that little fox called Hu Qing? Oh, I'm just curious... If I asked something I shouldn't, you can just ignore me, teacher."
Keda looked towards the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, as if still watching the direction in which Feng Li had disappeared.
"It's said they discovered clones within the high ranks of the Demon Association, right?" Keda said, "The details are unclear, but Feng Li took him back for interrogation, didn’t he?"
"Then... Chen Zhen doesn't care about this?" Jiang Hong asked.
Keda shrugged. At this time, Lu Xiu came back with two bottles of cola and a beer, handing the beer to Keda but only letting Jiang Hong drink cola.
"Drink less alcohol," Lu Xiu said.
"If you had agreed back then," Keda said, "we wouldn't have had all these troubles."
Jiang Hong, sensing Keda's complaint towards Lu Xiu, asked, "Agreed to what?"
Lu Xiu's eyes seemed to twinkle with amusement as he replied, "Nothing much."
Keda, sipping his beer, added, "The first time I asked you, you said you were waiting for someone; the second time, you said you needed to think about it. Now that the person has arrived, you could totally take over, and we wouldn't be so passive."
"Not going," Lu Xiu straightforwardly refused Keda.
"Go where?" Jiang Hong immediately became alert, wondering if Keda was asking Lu Xiu to do something dangerous.
Keda just shrugged, saying nothing.
Lu Xiu added, "And even if I took over, I can't just force someone to be with you, there's no happiness in coercion."
Jiang Hong: "???"
These sentences seemed to contain a massive amount of information, and Jiang Hong faintly smelled some gossip.
"I'm off," Lu Xiu said, "Good luck with mending your relationship."
Keda retorted, "Oh, go away."
Jiang Hong: "..."
"Take over what?" Jiang Hong asked again, "Wait for whom?"
"Nothing much," Lu Xiu casually replied, "Just to help out at the sanctuary, act as the Demon King for a while."
Jiang Hong said, "Oh, so you..."
Lu Xiu pulled Jiang Hong closer, draping an arm over his shoulder, "I didn't agree because I wanted to wait for you at Cangqiong University. Now that you’re here, I wanted to spend more time with you, so I didn't go. Keda had a thing with Feng Li, they dated for a while but later broke up. The sanctuary is now confirmed to be infiltrated by Yinghuo, and Feng Li is investigating. The current head of the sanctuary is a Xiang Liu, and if he's been replicated, it'll be troublesome. This fox named Hu Qing likely stumbled upon some clues, and they’ve taken him back for interrogation. Keda is worried about Feng Li's situation and wanted to intervene, but Feng Li refused, citing that human interference in demon affairs is not allowed, leaving him quite frustrated. That's about it, got it?"
Jiang Hong's head was spinning, and he just nodded.
Then, Lu Xiu snapped his fingers in front of Jiang Hong, signaling him to look into his eyes.
"Haven’t settled the score with you yet," Lu Xiu said, "What were you thinking back in the bar?"
"What do you mean?" Jiang Hong suddenly remembered, he had drunkenly kissed Lu Xiu, and he remembered it!
"Stop playing dumb!" Lu Xiu said, about to pinch a nerve on Jiang Hong's arm, and Jiang Hong immediately screamed, breaking free and running off like a child.
"Think you can run away?" Lu Xiu immediately chased after him.
Late into the night, when they returned to the guesthouse, Jiang Hong was still pleading for mercy. Lu Xiu held his hand, pressing him on the sofa. Jiang Hong was almost in tears, his eyes reddening slightly with the effects of alcohol. Finally, Lu Xiu let go and stopped teasing him, heading off to take a shower.
That night, Jiang Hong felt a strange sensation. Although he still shared a bed with Lu Xiu as usual, he was a bit hesitant to embrace him, fearing any awkward reactions.
Lu Xiu usually didn't make any moves, and Jiang Hong had to sleep properly, tossing and turning until nearly dawn.
The May Day holiday passed in the blink of an eye, and it was time to return to school. During the last few days of the holiday, Jiang Hong could feel that Lu Xiu's mood had improved significantly.
They both hadn't forgotten about that matter. Were Dark Lu Xiu and Dark Chen Zhen hiding somewhere undetectable by the Demon Commission, continuing their sinister plots? What was their ultimate goal?
Back in the dorm, most of his roommates had heard the news, especially He Jian, who had one brother in the Demon Association and another in the Demon Commission. They began discussing recent events, and Zhang Xiting, who knew roughly what had happened, said, "So much happened in Guangzhou?"
"Yeah, sigh," Jiang Hong thought long about whether to keep this a secret from his roommates, but after much deliberation, he felt there was no need since they were all tight-lipped; plus, they had all been through life and death together, so keeping secrets seemed unnecessary.
So, Jiang Hong shared most of what happened in Guangzhou, including being captured by Dark Chen Zhen into an alternate dimension.
"Qingyu Jintuan, huh," Zhang Xiting said, "It's incredible that such a powerful artifact exists in the world."
"Has it existed for a long time?" asked Jiang Hong.
Jin replied, "It's an ancient relic, an SS-level artifact, rumored to have been created by the Yellow Emperor."
So, the Qingyu Jintuan had been used before. Jiang Hong had never heard of its existence.
Zhang Xiting said, "In ancient times, it was used to create the Dragon Sealing Tower, imprisoning most dragons and Jiaolong inside. Later, for unknown reasons, the tower's seal was broken, and the Qingyu Jintuan disappeared. I never thought it would end up in the hands of Yinghuo."
Jiang Hong, while installing a camera on his Tmall Genie, said, "It seems Yinghuo is more capable than we thought."
"Speaking of which," He Jian said, "Chen Zhen is not a pushover either, so don't worry too much."
Jiang Hong had temporarily set aside his concerns, but this discussion among his roommates made him worried again. Jin added, "That means the challenges facing Lu Xiu are quite severe."
"Yeah... that's right," Jiang Hong thought for a moment and replied, "Indeed, defeating oneself is indeed very difficult, though he hasn't said it."
The first night of their dormitory reunion ended with discussions about artifacts, spells, bosses, and demons. Finally, the conversation drifted to various fantastical tales, including Jin's experience of using the Lion's Roar at a cemetery to catch ghosts during his internship.
"Thank you!" Old Sun suddenly said, "I saw it again! I feel much better now!"
The roommates had grown accustomed to Old Sun's presence, often letting it play music and never finding it bothersome.
He Jian asked, "How much longer do you need to practice?"
Old Sun replied, "I don't know. But why does everything look a bit dark when I see?"
Jin answered, "It's night, of course it's dark."
Old Sun hummed and said, "Jiang Hong, install two legs for me, will you? I want to go out and see things, don’t want to keep troubling you."
"I don't have the materials right now," Jiang Hong said, "Let's talk about it later. Don't be greedy."
A speaker with legs running around the campus, playing music as it goes, would be utterly bizarre.
"Alright, that's it for now. Enjoy your night with restored vision."
Jiang Hong placed Old Sun on the windowsill, allowing it to look outside with its camera and then plugged it in. Afterwards, he fell asleep, re-entering his dream about the ghost-catching event, vaguely hearing that strange, unfamiliar conversation again…
"...He will come to understand, everyone has this moment. This is the second time Feng Zheng..."
"But I'm still so worried about this seal. Apart from you, no one else can break it. What if he encounters a strong enemy?"
"He will manage. Wait for him to grow truly powerful, and he will be able to break it himself."
"But there are conditions to be met..."
"Yes, because if he can't complete his transformation, not sealing him wouldn't make any difference."
The man's voice was firm, while the young man's tone carried hesitation and regret. The man added, "We've discussed it, and he's willing too."
"Growth," the young man said, "that condition is too vague."
"The growth of the soul, not just strength," the man clarified.
Suddenly, the dream shifted. Jiang Hong found himself riding on a dragon, which was the black dragon Lu Xiu. Its body shimmered with golden seals, resembling sacred tattoos and bindings. Carrying him, they flew over mountains and land, overlooking the world, while the conversation between the man and the young man echoed in their ears—
"I've also told him under what conditions the seal would be lifted by himself... When he truly understands that he's willing to protect this world, even at the cost of his life... When he's ready to let go of his loved ones, his lingering feelings, everything he wants to cherish..."
"...When he's finally willing, with all his reluctant memories, to head to that destined battlefield..."
High above in the sky, among the clouds, the black dragon transformed into Lu Xiu's tall figure. He turned and embraced Jiang Hong, who, as always when carried in flight, wrapped his arms around Lu Xiu's neck.
They plummeted, the wind rushing past their ears. Looking into each other's eyes, then Lu Xiu closed his eyes, leaning in for a kiss in the vast sky, pressing his lips against Jiang Hong's.
Jiang Hong felt no shock, as if the kiss was meant to be. He let down his guard, fully accepting Lu Xiu, their lips warmly meeting, and everything in the world seemed so beautiful.
The next second, Jiang Hong woke up with a loud yell.
"Oh no—"
Almost at the same moment, Jin leaped from the neighboring bed, quicker than Jiang Hong. Jiang Hong fell off his bed, but Jin caught him swiftly.
The roommates all woke up, looking at each other in bewilderment.
"Th...Thank you," Jiang Hong said.
"You're welcome," Jin put Jiang Hong down and returned to his bed to continue browsing on his phone. It was dawn, and he had woken up earlier, lying down to avoid disturbing the others.
"Really appreciate it," Jiang Hong felt his roommates were like the best brothers in the world.
Jin playfully blew a kiss at him.
Jiang Hong returned to his bed, still seemingly lost in the dream. The kiss had felt so real, reminiscent of what followed in the bar – initially, he felt quite at ease and even expectant, though nervous and apprehensive too.
Ahhh, why did I dream of kissing Lu Xiu?! What am I thinking? Is this a case of dreaming about what's on my mind?
Jiang Hong was in a daze all day, thinking that meeting Lu Xiu later would probably feel even weirder.
