"Your phone ran out of battery?" Chu Xiaoyao had long anticipated that Nuomi would play until the charge died. It was human nature, entirely understandable.
Even with a Dao heart as steadfast as hers, she had been unable to resist such temptation when she first started using a smartphone.
"Here's a charger." Chu Xiaoyao rummaged through her backpack and pulled one out. "There's an outlet on the podium. When everyone clears out tonight, you can charge it up there."
Nuomi had acquired the companion ritual implement to the supreme treasure that was the smartphone.
A foot-high stack of books sat on Chu Xiaoyao's desk, with an English test paper on top, pinned beneath the jade seal.
Usually, it was hard to notice the English test paper sitting there from a seated position, and Chu Xiaoyao had only just caught sight of it.
"Oh no, I didn't do the English homework assigned yesterday."
"It's all that jade seal's fault for weighing it down," Chu Xiaoyao grumbled as she lifted the jade seal away, revealing an English test paper as pristine as new.
"Quick, let me copy your homework!" Chu Xiaoyao urgently called to Zhou You for help.
Zhou You gave her a strange look. That wasn't what Chu Xiaoyao had said during the last English vocabulary quiz. "What happened to 'no cheating' and 'taking responsibility for yourself'?"
"That was spoken by my student personality. This venerable one never said that." Chu Xiaoyao drew a clear line between herself and her alter ego.
"?"
Against the Carefree Empress, who had utterly cast aside her sense of shame, Zhou You could only obediently surrender his homework.
"Remember to copy a few wrong answers. The teacher knows full well what your level is," Zhou You kindly reminded her.
"Don't worry, I'm very experienced."
"Zhou You, let me copy your math homework." Ma Changcheng, who sat in front of him, turned around for help, gazing pleadingly at Zhou You.
Zhou You glanced at the Coke Ma Changcheng had just bought. Ma Changcheng caught on immediately and presented the soda with both hands.
"No, I don't drink that."
Realization dawned on Ma Changcheng. "Ah, so you want to perform the one-handed bottle-cap twist?"
"..."
*I don't usually go around opening bottles with one hand, do I? What on earth made you think I had a hobby like that?*
Catching sight of Lian Yi's empty seat out of the corner of his eye—not knowing where she had gone—Zhou You lowered his voice and said to Ma Changcheng, "When you finish the Coke, just leave the empty bottle on Tang Shiyin's desk."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Now it was Ma Changcheng's turn to be bewildered.
Zhou You recalled the pile of trash sitting in Tang Shiyin's home when he had stopped by earlier. He sighed inwardly; life wasn't easy for anyone, and if he could help a little, he would.
"Don't ask. It's personal privacy."
"Remember to sneak it onto her desk. Don't do it right in front of her," Zhou You reminded him. Doing it to her face would wound her pride.
Returning from the cafeteria at noon, Lian Yi stared at the three empty plastic bottles that had appeared on her desk, falling into deep thought.
What did this mean?
Was this Class Three's unique way of welcoming someone, a peculiar form of confession, or some kind of warning aimed at her?
Lian Yi considered herself an intelligent person, but lately, her brain never seemed to have enough processing power.
In the blink of an eye, night arrived. As the bell rang to end the third period of evening self-study, the students dispersed in high spirits—a stark contrast to their lifeless demeanor upon arriving at school.
Wearing a face mask, Duan Yuxian stood near the school gate, looking around. She had an upright, striking figure, standing nearly one point seven meters tall, with straight, glossy black hair that cascaded like silk. A guitar case half her height was slung over her back, making her look like a model or celebrity straight out of television, turning heads all around.
"Let me see where that fellow Daoist from the Carefree Sect is~"
Duan Yuxian stood on tiptoe to peer into the school grounds. The first person she spotted was Su Tingxue, who was just as eye-catching.
She quickly ducked her head and blended into the crowd.
Even with the mask on, Su Tingxue would still be able to recognize her, and she certainly didn't want Su Tingxue knowing she had come looking for someone from the Carefree Sect.
Once Su Tingxue was gone, she straightened her posture again, standing on tiptoe to observe the departing students.
Although she didn't know whether the fellow Daoist from the Carefree Sect was male or female, or which class they belonged to, knowing they were a cultivator was enough.
In truth, subtle differences existed between cultivators and mortals. After entering the Qi Refining stage, one's posture, breathing, gait, and other aspects naturally shifted to align better with proper human anatomy, automatically correcting poor habits like slouching.
Duan Yuxian could rely on this detail to tell mortals apart from cultivators.
Before long, she spotted Zhou You and Chu Xiaoyao walking out of the school gates.
"...Tens of thousands of demon beasts bore down on the city, leaving it hanging by a thread. Dressed in azure robes, this venerable one stood atop the battlements, raising a wine gourd to down a long drink toward the heavens. Then, with a single sweep of my sword, I carved a three-foot trench before the demonic horde and declared, 'All who cross this line shall be slain!'"
"Chilled to the bone, the army of millions of demon beasts retreated of their own accord."
*What an extraordinary presence that girl has,* Duan Yuxian thought in surprise. She could sense an intense, unyielding self-confidence emanating from Chu Xiaoyao—a demeanor that not even Duan Yuxian herself, hailing from the True Martial Great Hall and studying under the Hall Master, possessed.
*Wait, why is she just a mortal?*
Duan Yuxian was baffled. Then, her attention shifted to Zhou You. From his gait alone, she could tell he was a cultivator.
*In all likelihood, it's him.*
Duan Yuxian tailed them from behind. To avoid drawing Zhou You's notice, she paused by roadside snack stalls at every opportunity, buying fried skewers, starch sausages, and the like to throw off suspicion.
Only when Zhou You parted ways with Chu Xiaoyao and walked home alone did Duan Yuxian finally reveal herself, stepping forward to block his path.
Zhou You gave a sudden start. The last time someone had cornered him in this area, it had been Nianshi and Lishi. Had another wealthy second-generation heir hired goons to ambush him over Su Tingxue?
"Fellow Daoist of the Carefree Sect?" Duan Yuxian asked.
"Who are you?" Zhou You was puzzled. He didn't think he knew this masked girl.
She was a cultivator, so why was she wearing a mask, carrying a guitar case, and holding a whole bunch of fried skewers?
Duan Yuxian had no desire to reveal her identity. She was quite famous among the younger generation of the cultivation world, and the image she projected to the outside world was aloof and icy—the complete opposite of her true personality.
"I'm a friend of Su Tingxue."
"A friend of Su Tingxue?" Faced with a suspicious character, Zhou You's first impulse was to call Su Tingxue to check, but unfortunately, he hadn't brought his phone and couldn't verify it.
Seeing Zhou You reach for a phone startled Duan Yuxian. Su Tingxue absolutely could not find out she was here.
She couldn't explain why, but a strange sense of guilt gripped her.
She rushed to prove her identity, blurting out secrets only a close friend would know: "I really am Tingxue's friend! She loves eating at street stalls, loves watching horror movies, always kicks off the covers in her sleep, and on her chest, she has—"
"Whoa, whoa, I definitely don't know any of that!" Zhou You cut her off in a panic. The earlier details were normal enough—he knew Su Tingxue liked street snacks too—but the further she went, the weirder it got. Kicking off the covers? Was that something he was supposed to hear?
If he let Duan Yuxian keep talking, who knew what kind of scandalous secrets she might spill?
Seeing how confident Duan Yuxian was, casually rattling off so many personal facts about Su Tingxue, Zhou You figured she really was her friend, and he lowered his guard a bit.
"So, what do you want with me?"
"I heard you comprehended a bizarre spell. I'd like to see it for myself."
"A bizarre spell?"
Zhou You wasn't entirely sure which one she meant. Was it the Eye-blocking Ghost's spell, or the Poverty Ghost's spell?
To demonstrate the Eye-blocking Ghost's spell, he would have to cover Duan Yuxian's eyes, which would mean physical contact. Propriety demanded distance between men and women, so it wouldn't be appropriate; surely she hadn't come for that.
Then did she mean the Poverty Ghost's spell?
To be safe, Zhou You asked in advance, "Do you have enough money on you?"
Duan Yuxian evidently misinterpreted his meaning. "Don't worry. Once you demonstrate it, I'll transfer you a thousand yuan!"
"That wasn't really what I meant... but if you insist on giving it to me, that's fine too."
Zhou You thought that even though Duan Yuxian was wearing a mask, acting all mysterious and refusing to reveal her true identity—which was highly suspicious—the eyes showing above the fabric were vivid and lovely. The more he looked at her, the more agreeable she seemed.
As expected of Su Tingxue's friend. He felt quite ashamed; to think he had doubted such a kindhearted girl just moments ago.
Chapter 60