Chapter 87: The Auditorium
Once Lu Xu left, all the students gradually dispersed.
Dou Kuan, utterly infuriated, descended the stairs with An Jie and the young man, eventually leaving as well.
Inside the administrative building, Xuan Hezhi climbed the stairs with an expression as if the sky had fallen.
"What do we do?" Xuan Hezhi asked, "Did we also offend 'them'?"
Cao Bin stood silently in the corridor of the administrative building, exchanging a glance with Ke Da, both remaining speechless.
Xuan Hezhi, with a gloomy face, lamented, "Civil servants are already facing salary cuts, and we have to return our year-end bonuses. Are things going to get even worse now?"
Ke Da: "......"
Cao Bin sighed helplessly, then turned to look at Jiang Hong.
"Go rest," Cao Bin said, "You must be exhausted too. Lu Xu asked me to tell you not to be afraid."
Jiang Hong thought: But he hasn't replied to my messages.
Cao Bin then said to Ke Da, "You've had a hard night. Keep an eye on their mood, and let's have the class leaders talk to them starting tomorrow."
That night, a restless atmosphere enveloped Cangqiong University, unusually silent. Within this abnormality, countless private discussions seemed to be taking place, with most dorm rooms either closed or half-open, lights on in about seventy to eighty percent of them.
Returning to his dorm, Jiang Hong felt like playing the song "Feeling Hollow Inside."
Strangely, all the QQ groups were quiet tonight. Jin lay on his bed, casually flipping through a book, not specifically asking Jiang Hong if he was okay or how he was feeling.
"I'm going to die," Jiang Hong worried about Lu Xu and felt the school had changed overnight.
"Nothing will happen," Jin reassured, "I trust Principal Cao. He can solve all problems, second only to the all-powerful Xiang Da Wang."
Jiang Hong turned over, facing the wall. He glanced at his phone; Lu Xu hadn’t replied. Perhaps riding his Kawasaki H2 at high speed was actually good for him. Maybe he didn't really enjoy life as a school staff member? It was all because of him that Lu Xu stayed at the school... But was he angry? Was he upset by my reaction?
Not getting what he wanted, Jiang Hong grew distant, feeling selfish and apologetic towards Lu Xu as he lay there, listlessly reflecting.
"Jiang Hong?" Jin called out again.
"I'm going to die," Jiang Hong groaned.
Jin replied, "You're not going to die. I'll cook instant noodles for you."
"Then I want two packs..." Jiang Hong turned over and moaned again, "I'm dying..."
"Okay," Jin agreed and got up to start the small stove to cook the noodles.
After lying for a while, someone gently pushed the door open, glanced inside, and pointed at Jiang Hong. Jin said, "He's not asleep."
Lian Jiang then came over and jumped onto Jiang Hong's bed, squeezing him over a bit.
"Are you okay?" Lian Jiang asked, "Want to go out to the city tomorrow? To play?"
Jiang Hong replied, "No."
Moments later, Xiao Pi also arrived and hopped onto Jiang Hong's bed. With the three boys squeezed together, Jiang Hong exclaimed, "The bed is going to collapse!"
"What are you guys eating?" Xiao Pi asked, "I want some too!"
Jin responded, "I'll cook a pack for each of you, too. Alright, that's all the pot can handle."
Lian Jiang said, "I want to add two eggs."
Zhang Xiting and He Jian hadn't returned yet, so the four of them started eating instant noodles in the dormitory. Jiang Hong asked, "Why not in your dorm?"
"They are arguing," Lian Jiang replied, "I don’t want to go there."
"Huh?" Jiang Hong asked in confusion, "I thought you guys always got along well in your dorm. Why are you fighting?"
Lian Jiang: "What else could it be about? Tonight's incident."
Jiang Hong thought maybe that was true. He remembered on his first day of school, the monster and human students didn't even speak to each other, sitting separately even on the bus. But young people always embrace new things. After a semester, everyone got to know and understand each other, becoming friendlier.
Although they weren't close, at least monsters and humans maintained superficial harmony. Maybe it was also due to restraint; after all, there had never been any large-scale conflicts between monsters and humans.
Jin asked, "Who started it?"
"Huh?" Lian Jiang responded.
Jin asked again, "Xiao Pi, do you know? There must have been someone leading it, right?"
Right… Jiang Hong hadn’t even thought about that question.
Xiao Pi said, "I... I don’t know, my dad and the others seem to be investigating it too."
Lian Jiang also hummed in agreement, and everyone seemed to have realized a peculiar point. Jiang Hong said, "I know Lu Xiu would never instigate students to stand up for him..."
"Yes," Jin concisely said, "it's probably just as you think, but there's no need to overthink it."
"Hmm…" Jiang Hong pondered, thinking: If someone rallied the students to deliberately oppose the Committee, they would need to meet two conditions: first, knowing the truth or part of it, at least knowing that the Committee was coming to take Lu Xiu; second, wanting to stir up conflict between monsters and humans.
Of course, it's also possible that this leader acted spontaneously... Should I thank him or blame him? Jiang Hong was a bit conflicted. From the school's perspective, this action indeed exacerbated the conflict, but would the conflict just disappear on its own? No, it's always been there, to claim otherwise is self-deception.
If it really was Yinghuo's instigation, then this move is almost unbreakable. I bet Cao Bin is also having a headache, right?
At two in the morning, the dormitories turned off their lights, and the rooster-shaped dorm supervisor started to threaten them room by room.
"I don't care what you're thinking!" the supervisor, transformed into a screeching chicken, shouted sharply and fiercely, "You’d better all drop out! Go back home——!"
Jin quickly put away the things on the table, turned off the light, while Jiang Hong was still looking at his phone.
Finally, a message flashed in Lu Xiu's chat box, replying with a sentence.
[I've arrived in Wuxian, safe.]
Jiang Hong sent Lu Xiu an emoji, finally able to fall asleep.
The next day, He Jian returned to school early in the morning, and Zhang Xiting came back at eleven o'clock. When the sun was high in the sky and Jiang Hong heard his roommates chatting, he felt much more at ease, feeling life was much better.
Zhang Xiting suggested going to the cafeteria for a meal, so the dormitory began a collective move.
"How's Lu Xiu doing?" He Jian asked curiously.
"He..." Jiang Hong, remembering that Lu Xiu had already made it public last night, felt no need to hide it and said, "He’s gone to the sacred land of the monsters, in Wuxian."
"Oh——" everyone nodded, understanding that the Committee would probably be unable to do anything to him now.
Zhang Xiting also noticed that many tables in the cafeteria had monster students spontaneously gathering together, but everyone seemed to be behaving as usual.
He Jian said, "Starting today, Old Hu will be providing psychological counseling for the monster students, starting with me, I guess."
Zhang Xiting said, "Start with Pi Yunhao."
He Jian said, "Pi Yunhao? He's practically human by now."
Jiang Hong asked, "Huh? Why start with you?"
He Jian explained, "From high-ranking to low-ranking."
Zhang Xiting said, "We're all hostages here, let's not divide into castes."
"What hostages?" Jiang Hong heard this strange term again.
Immediately, Jin and He Jian looked reproachfully at Zhang Xiting, suggesting he shouldn't speak like that.
Zhang Xiting argued, "What’s wrong with saying it? If we don't talk about these issues, do they cease to exist?"
He Jian sighed and said, "True, it does show that we’re really good friends in our dorm, even able to joke about such things."
Jin said, "I've always felt that with Jiang Hong and Xiting, we are all our own people."
Jiang Hong wasn’t sure whether to be happy or upset for them, and asked again, "What does ‘hostages’ mean?"
"It means just what it sounds like," Zhang Xiting said. "What do you think is the purpose of establishing this school? On the surface, it's to promote understanding and acceptance between humans and monsters..."
Jiang Hong suddenly remembered, Cangqiong University had a short history of only ten years. Ten years ago, this school probably didn’t exist.
He had only been in the other world for a year, a mere instant compared to the over five thousand years of Chinese history. Yet, in the annals of demon-hunting, he had read about many human-demon conflicts that occurred long before.
By the Tang Dynasty, the struggle between humans and demons peaked with the reincarnation of a celestial demon sparking the An Lushan Rebellion. Fortunately, a Demon King and a great exorcist joined forces, safely navigating through the crisis.
Now, Xiang Cheng had established the Cangqiong University, assimilating demons in this way and creating a new covenant. When heirs of major demon families all attended Cangqiong University, it created a situation, acknowledged or not by the Demon Hunting Commission:
During these four years, the demon students became their families' "hostages" to the Commission.
When Xiang Cheng was present, as the Demon King and a dragon, he was seen by the demons as their representative, ensuring peace. In his absence, Lu Xiu became the symbol of the demons' interests.
Now, any action against Lu Xiu by the Commission would surely provoke significant discontent.
"I understand," Jiang Hong could sense the demons' students' anger, akin to feeling deceived. Perhaps from the start, he never particularly cared about his own identity, demon or human. To him, everyone was a "person," a resident of this world.
Perhaps it was for this reason that his dormitory was naturally influenced by his optimism, making him the most popular with demon students in his grade.
"Let's go to the city this afternoon!" He Jian suggested.
They visited the city that day, and Jiang Hong saw the collapsed hotel and shopping district, now cordoned off with tarpaulins and adorned with flowers from citizens, which deepened his sorrow.
Zhang Xiting said, "The Commission will handle this."
In the end, as Zhang Xiting predicted, the matter was dealt with quietly. Dou Kuan was adept at handling such situations. Although the dark Lu Xiu remained at large, security tightened noticeably, with inspectors stationed on campus monitoring their every move. Nationwide, exorcists began 24-hour shifts to prevent another incident.
The counselor Hu Qingquan individually met with the demon students. According to Jin, the discussions were mostly about their living and mental conditions and didn't touch on other matters.
Jiang Hong still awaited Lu Xiu's daily greetings. After arriving in Wu County, Lu Xiu didn't mention his activities but routinely asked if he had woken up in the morning and bid him goodnight in the evening.
Jiang Hong tried hard to engage more, but Lu Xiu rarely responded, often taking hours to reply briefly, like a boyfriend losing interest in his girlfriend.
He must be busy, Jiang Hong thought, wanting to "repair" his relationship with Lu Xiu. It seemed that since that night, there was a barrier between them, the nature of which neither could articulate. Jiang Hong dared not ask when he would return or if he had found the whereabouts of the dark Lu Xiu.
The only certainty was that he must be doing everything in his power to find the dark Lu Xiu, and when he did, he would wield the sword Jiang Hong had personally crafted for him.
On September 1st, Cangqiong University opened for the new academic year. Many freshmen arrived, and as the class leader read out names, asking who wanted to mentor the juniors, Jiang Hong thought of Lu Xiu and felt a lack of enthusiasm, not volunteering.
But as per tradition, senior members of the Demon Hunting Commission would come to speak at the new students' orientation, greeting and getting acquainted with everyone.
After the freshmen completed their military training and returned, Jiang Hong saw many new faces around campus. At the freshmen assembly, many upperclassmen and fellow students gathered at the venue.
"Let's listen," said Zhang Xiting, who had also arrived. "I want to hear what Chen Zhen has to say."
Last year at this time, Jiang Hong and Lu Xiu were sitting together.
"We're going to Wu County for an internship this year," Zhang Xiting mentioned, "I wonder if the demon clan will accept us."
"They definitely will," Jiang Hong replied.
Now, with Lu Xiu reigning as the Demon King in the sacred land, he wouldn't turn away juniors coming for an internship.
He would see Lu Xiu during the internship, but that was not until next semester.
Thinking of this, Jiang Hong felt even less spirited, having been somewhat listless since the beginning of the semester.
The welcome ceremony for the freshmen began, and as soon as the senior members of the Commission appeared, the auditorium was instantly filled with booing.
"Silence!"
Unsurprisingly, the first to step forward was Xuan Hezhi.
Chen Zhen was here! Surprisingly, this time, An Jie was also present!
Compared to last year, Dou Kuan was absent, perhaps due to angering the demon students, or maybe because of his disagreeable personality.
"Oh," whispered Zhang Xiting, "An Jie is here too."
Jin and He Jian sneaked into the auditorium through the back door, signaling to them from a distance. Looking around, almost all the demon students were present, from every grade. The huge auditorium, with a capacity of ten thousand, had never been as crowded as it was now, with students who couldn't find seats opting to sit in the aisles and on the steps.
Everyone was curious to hear what Chen Zhen planned to say today, and whether he would address the previous incident.
Chen Zhen, evidently battle-hardened, appeared unfazed by the charged atmosphere, casually scanning the hall, casually sitting down, and casually speaking a few words to Cao Bin beside him.
But Cao Bin didn't respond, merely watching the students in silence.
"First," Xuan Hezhi began the opening speech, "let me extend a warm and enthusiastic welcome to all our new students!"
The audience remained silent. Xuan Hezhi gestured for applause, and a sparse clapping ensued, but the atmosphere remained tense and precarious.
Jiang Hong couldn't bear it anymore and shouted out loud.
"Welcome, everyone! This is a great school!"
Zhang Xiting was startled by Jiang Hong's sudden outburst but quickly regained his composure and joined in, shouting, "I love Cangqiong University!"
This triggered laughter throughout the auditorium. Someone whistled and cheered, followed by everyone clapping, the applause growing louder, finally lightening the mood.
"Cangqiong University loves me too!" another voice yelled.
"Cao Bin is my dream man!" a female voice shouted from somewhere in the audience.
"Of course, Psyduck is too," another clear voice added, not loud but strikingly conspicuous in the quiet.
This provoked even more laughter. Whether it was sarcastic or genuine praise was unclear, but the successive outbursts had finally eased the tension.
Jiang Hong noticed Cao Bin looking at him, a rare twitch at the corner of his mouth.
"What were you thinking?" Zhang Xiting asked, "Why did you suddenly go crazy?"
"Not really," Jiang Hong whispered, "I was just speaking my heart. And I think this welcome ceremony for the freshmen shouldn’t be filled with... such emotions, right?"
Zhang Xiting nodded, clearly feeling the same, which is why he had joined in Jiang Hong's shout.
Xuan Hezhi uttered an "uh" and didn't seem bothered by the lack of love for himself. He spoke a lot of empty pleasantries about 'nurturing like a spring breeze,' but for some reason, the audience found it hilarious. As if Jiang Hong's initial remark had opened the floodgates, a sense of absurdity spread, and whatever Xuan Hezhi said or did only induced more laughter, eventually spiraling out of control.
Xuan Hezhi first checked his clothes, finding nothing amiss. He then sneakily used his phone screen as a mirror, again finding nothing unusual. However, the more bewildered he looked, the funnier the students found it.
Cao Bin coughed, signaling for the microphone.
Xuan Hezhi passed it to him, and the room instantly fell silent as Cao Bin took the mic.
"Just like that," Cao Bin said briefly, "We invite our leader to speak, and everyone is welcome."
Thunderous applause erupted immediately! Jiang Hong was startled, but then some began banging on tables and booing, turning the applause into a tumultuous roar, hinting at the beginnings of a riot.
Students in the back rows even stood on tables, prompting Xuan Hezhi to stand up and sternly warn the back rows against causing trouble.
Chen Zhen signaled that it was okay and said, "Hello everyone, I am Chen Zhen, the Grand Exorcist, and the 273rd bearer of the Heart Lamp."
The students quieted down as those on stage sat on bar-style high stools. Chen Zhen's posture, with his long legs, exuded a commanding presence.
"The incident that occurred a few days ago was witnessed by all, or at least heard of," Chen Zhen began, "Today, I don't want to talk in grand but empty terms, nor do I expect our ideas at the Commission to be understood or accepted by all. I just want to remind everyone of something very important..."
The auditorium fell into a hushed silence, and Jiang Hong held his breath, not expecting Chen Zhen to start like this.
"...We stand at a historical crossroads," Chen Zhen continued, "In the coming years, humans, demons, and all beings on this land will face unprecedented challenges..."
Chen Zhen's gaze swept across the hall, pausing briefly on Jiang Hong before moving on.
"...When making decisions, we must ask ourselves if this decision helps us clearly understand the situation, discern the truth, and solve problems. Or is it merely a product of impulsive emotion or personal venting?"
His words apparently didn't appease the demon students, but Jiang Hong keenly sensed what Chen Zhen was trying to convey.
"...Our enemies are trying to divide us," Chen Zhen added, "This divisive force is too strong to stop. I hope everyone remains clear-headed in judging situations, not swayed by anyone or any will."
Someone stood up, loudly interrupting Chen Zhen. Chen Zhen, not hearing clearly at first, stopped and looked toward the source of the voice.
Cao Bin then snapped his fingers, amplifying the person's voice throughout the auditorium.
"Are demons always seen as unstable elements in the eyes of the Commission?" asked a senior student, "I just want to know, what does the Commission consider us? A strategic ally? An enemy? Or a friend?"
Chapter 87: The Auditorium
Once Lu Xu left, all the students gradually dispersed.
Dou Kuan, utterly infuriated, descended the stairs with An Jie and the young man, eventually leaving as well.
Inside the administrative building, Xuan Hezhi climbed the stairs with an expression as if the sky had fallen.
"What do we do?" Xuan Hezhi asked, "Did we also offend 'them'?"
Cao Bin stood silently in the corridor of the administrative building, exchanging a glance with Ke Da, both remaining speechless.
Xuan Hezhi, with a gloomy face, lamented, "Civil servants are already facing salary cuts, and we have to return our year-end bonuses. Are things going to get even worse now?"
Ke Da: "......"
Cao Bin sighed helplessly, then turned to look at Jiang Hong.
"Go rest," Cao Bin said, "You must be exhausted too. Lu Xu asked me to tell you not to be afraid."
Jiang Hong thought: But he hasn't replied to my messages.
Cao Bin then said to Ke Da, "You've had a hard night. Keep an eye on their mood, and let's have the class leaders talk to them starting tomorrow."
That night, a restless atmosphere enveloped Cangqiong University, unusually silent. Within this abnormality, countless private discussions seemed to be taking place, with most dorm rooms either closed or half-open, lights on in about seventy to eighty percent of them.
Returning to his dorm, Jiang Hong felt like playing the song "Feeling Hollow Inside."
Strangely, all the QQ groups were quiet tonight. Jin lay on his bed, casually flipping through a book, not specifically asking Jiang Hong if he was okay or how he was feeling.
"I'm going to die," Jiang Hong worried about Lu Xu and felt the school had changed overnight.
"Nothing will happen," Jin reassured, "I trust Principal Cao. He can solve all problems, second only to the all-powerful Xiang Da Wang."
Jiang Hong turned over, facing the wall. He glanced at his phone; Lu Xu hadn’t replied. Perhaps riding his Kawasaki H2 at high speed was actually good for him. Maybe he didn't really enjoy life as a school staff member? It was all because of him that Lu Xu stayed at the school... But was he angry? Was he upset by my reaction?
Not getting what he wanted, Jiang Hong grew distant, feeling selfish and apologetic towards Lu Xu as he lay there, listlessly reflecting.
"Jiang Hong?" Jin called out again.
"I'm going to die," Jiang Hong groaned.
Jin replied, "You're not going to die. I'll cook instant noodles for you."
"Then I want two packs..." Jiang Hong turned over and moaned again, "I'm dying..."
"Okay," Jin agreed and got up to start the small stove to cook the noodles.
After lying for a while, someone gently pushed the door open, glanced inside, and pointed at Jiang Hong. Jin said, "He's not asleep."
Lian Jiang then came over and jumped onto Jiang Hong's bed, squeezing him over a bit.
"Are you okay?" Lian Jiang asked, "Want to go out to the city tomorrow? To play?"
Jiang Hong replied, "No."
Moments later, Xiao Pi also arrived and hopped onto Jiang Hong's bed. With the three boys squeezed together, Jiang Hong exclaimed, "The bed is going to collapse!"
"What are you guys eating?" Xiao Pi asked, "I want some too!"
Jin responded, "I'll cook a pack for each of you, too. Alright, that's all the pot can handle."
Lian Jiang said, "I want to add two eggs."
Zhang Xiting and He Jian hadn't returned yet, so the four of them started eating instant noodles in the dormitory. Jiang Hong asked, "Why not in your dorm?"
"They are arguing," Lian Jiang replied, "I don’t want to go there."
"Huh?" Jiang Hong asked in confusion, "I thought you guys always got along well in your dorm. Why are you fighting?"
Lian Jiang: "What else could it be about? Tonight's incident."
Jiang Hong thought maybe that was true. He remembered on his first day of school, the monster and human students didn't even speak to each other, sitting separately even on the bus. But young people always embrace new things. After a semester, everyone got to know and understand each other, becoming friendlier.
Although they weren't close, at least monsters and humans maintained superficial harmony. Maybe it was also due to restraint; after all, there had never been any large-scale conflicts between monsters and humans.
Jin asked, "Who started it?"
"Huh?" Lian Jiang responded.
Jin asked again, "Xiao Pi, do you know? There must have been someone leading it, right?"
Right… Jiang Hong hadn’t even thought about that question.
Xiao Pi said, "I... I don’t know, my dad and the others seem to be investigating it too."
Lian Jiang also hummed in agreement, and everyone seemed to have realized a peculiar point. Jiang Hong said, "I know Lu Xiu would never instigate students to stand up for him..."
"Yes," Jin concisely said, "it's probably just as you think, but there's no need to overthink it."
"Hmm…" Jiang Hong pondered, thinking: If someone rallied the students to deliberately oppose the Committee, they would need to meet two conditions: first, knowing the truth or part of it, at least knowing that the Committee was coming to take Lu Xiu; second, wanting to stir up conflict between monsters and humans.
Of course, it's also possible that this leader acted spontaneously... Should I thank him or blame him? Jiang Hong was a bit conflicted. From the school's perspective, this action indeed exacerbated the conflict, but would the conflict just disappear on its own? No, it's always been there, to claim otherwise is self-deception.
If it really was Yinghuo's instigation, then this move is almost unbreakable. I bet Cao Bin is also having a headache, right?
At two in the morning, the dormitories turned off their lights, and the rooster-shaped dorm supervisor started to threaten them room by room.
"I don't care what you're thinking!" the supervisor, transformed into a screeching chicken, shouted sharply and fiercely, "You’d better all drop out! Go back home——!"
Jin quickly put away the things on the table, turned off the light, while Jiang Hong was still looking at his phone.
Finally, a message flashed in Lu Xiu's chat box, replying with a sentence.
[I've arrived in Wuxian, safe.]
Jiang Hong sent Lu Xiu an emoji, finally able to fall asleep.
The next day, He Jian returned to school early in the morning, and Zhang Xiting came back at eleven o'clock. When the sun was high in the sky and Jiang Hong heard his roommates chatting, he felt much more at ease, feeling life was much better.
Zhang Xiting suggested going to the cafeteria for a meal, so the dormitory began a collective move.
"How's Lu Xiu doing?" He Jian asked curiously.
"He..." Jiang Hong, remembering that Lu Xiu had already made it public last night, felt no need to hide it and said, "He’s gone to the sacred land of the monsters, in Wuxian."
"Oh——" everyone nodded, understanding that the Committee would probably be unable to do anything to him now.
Zhang Xiting also noticed that many tables in the cafeteria had monster students spontaneously gathering together, but everyone seemed to be behaving as usual.
He Jian said, "Starting today, Old Hu will be providing psychological counseling for the monster students, starting with me, I guess."
Zhang Xiting said, "Start with Pi Yunhao."
He Jian said, "Pi Yunhao? He's practically human by now."
Jiang Hong asked, "Huh? Why start with you?"
He Jian explained, "From high-ranking to low-ranking."
Zhang Xiting said, "We're all hostages here, let's not divide into castes."
"What hostages?" Jiang Hong heard this strange term again.
Immediately, Jin and He Jian looked reproachfully at Zhang Xiting, suggesting he shouldn't speak like that.
Zhang Xiting argued, "What’s wrong with saying it? If we don't talk about these issues, do they cease to exist?"
He Jian sighed and said, "True, it does show that we’re really good friends in our dorm, even able to joke about such things."
Jin said, "I've always felt that with Jiang Hong and Xiting, we are all our own people."
Jiang Hong wasn’t sure whether to be happy or upset for them, and asked again, "What does ‘hostages’ mean?"
"It means just what it sounds like," Zhang Xiting said. "What do you think is the purpose of establishing this school? On the surface, it's to promote understanding and acceptance between humans and monsters..."
Jiang Hong suddenly remembered, Cangqiong University had a short history of only ten years. Ten years ago, this school probably didn’t exist.
He had only been in the other world for a year, a mere instant compared to the over five thousand years of Chinese history. Yet, in the annals of demon-hunting, he had read about many human-demon conflicts that occurred long before.
By the Tang Dynasty, the struggle between humans and demons peaked with the reincarnation of a celestial demon sparking the An Lushan Rebellion. Fortunately, a Demon King and a great exorcist joined forces, safely navigating through the crisis.
Now, Xiang Cheng had established the Cangqiong University, assimilating demons in this way and creating a new covenant. When heirs of major demon families all attended Cangqiong University, it created a situation, acknowledged or not by the Demon Hunting Commission:
During these four years, the demon students became their families' "hostages" to the Commission.
When Xiang Cheng was present, as the Demon King and a dragon, he was seen by the demons as their representative, ensuring peace. In his absence, Lu Xiu became the symbol of the demons' interests.
Now, any action against Lu Xiu by the Commission would surely provoke significant discontent.
"I understand," Jiang Hong could sense the demons' students' anger, akin to feeling deceived. Perhaps from the start, he never particularly cared about his own identity, demon or human. To him, everyone was a "person," a resident of this world.
Perhaps it was for this reason that his dormitory was naturally influenced by his optimism, making him the most popular with demon students in his grade.
"Let's go to the city this afternoon!" He Jian suggested.
They visited the city that day, and Jiang Hong saw the collapsed hotel and shopping district, now cordoned off with tarpaulins and adorned with flowers from citizens, which deepened his sorrow.
Zhang Xiting said, "The Commission will handle this."
In the end, as Zhang Xiting predicted, the matter was dealt with quietly. Dou Kuan was adept at handling such situations. Although the dark Lu Xiu remained at large, security tightened noticeably, with inspectors stationed on campus monitoring their every move. Nationwide, exorcists began 24-hour shifts to prevent another incident.
The counselor Hu Qingquan individually met with the demon students. According to Jin, the discussions were mostly about their living and mental conditions and didn't touch on other matters.
Jiang Hong still awaited Lu Xiu's daily greetings. After arriving in Wu County, Lu Xiu didn't mention his activities but routinely asked if he had woken up in the morning and bid him goodnight in the evening.
Jiang Hong tried hard to engage more, but Lu Xiu rarely responded, often taking hours to reply briefly, like a boyfriend losing interest in his girlfriend.
He must be busy, Jiang Hong thought, wanting to "repair" his relationship with Lu Xiu. It seemed that since that night, there was a barrier between them, the nature of which neither could articulate. Jiang Hong dared not ask when he would return or if he had found the whereabouts of the dark Lu Xiu.
The only certainty was that he must be doing everything in his power to find the dark Lu Xiu, and when he did, he would wield the sword Jiang Hong had personally crafted for him.
On September 1st, Cangqiong University opened for the new academic year. Many freshmen arrived, and as the class leader read out names, asking who wanted to mentor the juniors, Jiang Hong thought of Lu Xiu and felt a lack of enthusiasm, not volunteering.
But as per tradition, senior members of the Demon Hunting Commission would come to speak at the new students' orientation, greeting and getting acquainted with everyone.
After the freshmen completed their military training and returned, Jiang Hong saw many new faces around campus. At the freshmen assembly, many upperclassmen and fellow students gathered at the venue.
"Let's listen," said Zhang Xiting, who had also arrived. "I want to hear what Chen Zhen has to say."
Last year at this time, Jiang Hong and Lu Xiu were sitting together.
"We're going to Wu County for an internship this year," Zhang Xiting mentioned, "I wonder if the demon clan will accept us."
"They definitely will," Jiang Hong replied.
Now, with Lu Xiu reigning as the Demon King in the sacred land, he wouldn't turn away juniors coming for an internship.
He would see Lu Xiu during the internship, but that was not until next semester.
Thinking of this, Jiang Hong felt even less spirited, having been somewhat listless since the beginning of the semester.
The welcome ceremony for the freshmen began, and as soon as the senior members of the Commission appeared, the auditorium was instantly filled with booing.
"Silence!"
Unsurprisingly, the first to step forward was Xuan Hezhi.
Chen Zhen was here! Surprisingly, this time, An Jie was also present!
Compared to last year, Dou Kuan was absent, perhaps due to angering the demon students, or maybe because of his disagreeable personality.
"Oh," whispered Zhang Xiting, "An Jie is here too."
Jin and He Jian sneaked into the auditorium through the back door, signaling to them from a distance. Looking around, almost all the demon students were present, from every grade. The huge auditorium, with a capacity of ten thousand, had never been as crowded as it was now, with students who couldn't find seats opting to sit in the aisles and on the steps.
Everyone was curious to hear what Chen Zhen planned to say today, and whether he would address the previous incident.
Chen Zhen, evidently battle-hardened, appeared unfazed by the charged atmosphere, casually scanning the hall, casually sitting down, and casually speaking a few words to Cao Bin beside him.
But Cao Bin didn't respond, merely watching the students in silence.
"First," Xuan Hezhi began the opening speech, "let me extend a warm and enthusiastic welcome to all our new students!"
The audience remained silent. Xuan Hezhi gestured for applause, and a sparse clapping ensued, but the atmosphere remained tense and precarious.
Jiang Hong couldn't bear it anymore and shouted out loud.
"Welcome, everyone! This is a great school!"
Zhang Xiting was startled by Jiang Hong's sudden outburst but quickly regained his composure and joined in, shouting, "I love Cangqiong University!"
This triggered laughter throughout the auditorium. Someone whistled and cheered, followed by everyone clapping, the applause growing louder, finally lightening the mood.
"Cangqiong University loves me too!" another voice yelled.
"Cao Bin is my dream man!" a female voice shouted from somewhere in the audience.
"Of course, Psyduck is too," another clear voice added, not loud but strikingly conspicuous in the quiet.
This provoked even more laughter. Whether it was sarcastic or genuine praise was unclear, but the successive outbursts had finally eased the tension.
Jiang Hong noticed Cao Bin looking at him, a rare twitch at the corner of his mouth.
"What were you thinking?" Zhang Xiting asked, "Why did you suddenly go crazy?"
"Not really," Jiang Hong whispered, "I was just speaking my heart. And I think this welcome ceremony for the freshmen shouldn’t be filled with... such emotions, right?"
Zhang Xiting nodded, clearly feeling the same, which is why he had joined in Jiang Hong's shout.
Xuan Hezhi uttered an "uh" and didn't seem bothered by the lack of love for himself. He spoke a lot of empty pleasantries about 'nurturing like a spring breeze,' but for some reason, the audience found it hilarious. As if Jiang Hong's initial remark had opened the floodgates, a sense of absurdity spread, and whatever Xuan Hezhi said or did only induced more laughter, eventually spiraling out of control.
Xuan Hezhi first checked his clothes, finding nothing amiss. He then sneakily used his phone screen as a mirror, again finding nothing unusual. However, the more bewildered he looked, the funnier the students found it.
Cao Bin coughed, signaling for the microphone.
Xuan Hezhi passed it to him, and the room instantly fell silent as Cao Bin took the mic.
"Just like that," Cao Bin said briefly, "We invite our leader to speak, and everyone is welcome."
Thunderous applause erupted immediately! Jiang Hong was startled, but then some began banging on tables and booing, turning the applause into a tumultuous roar, hinting at the beginnings of a riot.
Students in the back rows even stood on tables, prompting Xuan Hezhi to stand up and sternly warn the back rows against causing trouble.
Chen Zhen signaled that it was okay and said, "Hello everyone, I am Chen Zhen, the Grand Exorcist, and the 273rd bearer of the Heart Lamp."
The students quieted down as those on stage sat on bar-style high stools. Chen Zhen's posture, with his long legs, exuded a commanding presence.
"The incident that occurred a few days ago was witnessed by all, or at least heard of," Chen Zhen began, "Today, I don't want to talk in grand but empty terms, nor do I expect our ideas at the Commission to be understood or accepted by all. I just want to remind everyone of something very important..."
The auditorium fell into a hushed silence, and Jiang Hong held his breath, not expecting Chen Zhen to start like this.
"...We stand at a historical crossroads," Chen Zhen continued, "In the coming years, humans, demons, and all beings on this land will face unprecedented challenges..."
Chen Zhen's gaze swept across the hall, pausing briefly on Jiang Hong before moving on.
"...When making decisions, we must ask ourselves if this decision helps us clearly understand the situation, discern the truth, and solve problems. Or is it merely a product of impulsive emotion or personal venting?"
His words apparently didn't appease the demon students, but Jiang Hong keenly sensed what Chen Zhen was trying to convey.
"...Our enemies are trying to divide us," Chen Zhen added, "This divisive force is too strong to stop. I hope everyone remains clear-headed in judging situations, not swayed by anyone or any will."
Someone stood up, loudly interrupting Chen Zhen. Chen Zhen, not hearing clearly at first, stopped and looked toward the source of the voice.
Cao Bin then snapped his fingers, amplifying the person's voice throughout the auditorium.
"Are demons always seen as unstable elements in the eyes of the Commission?" asked a senior student, "I just want to know, what does the Commission consider us? A strategic ally? An enemy? Or a friend?"
