### Chapter 30: I’ve Wanted to Visit Dachunyang Palace for a Long Time!
Time: 8:47 AM.
A faint pink hue colored the sky, enveloping University City, as beams of golden light streamed through the clouds. All things began to awaken in the morning sunlight.
The time for urban legends had ended.
A soft and tender m*an came from deep within the half-finished building at the edge of University City. Before long, a handsome and stern-looking young man emerged from the ruins, quickly making his way towards the nearest main road.
The directional summoning spell had nearly been mastered by Solang Pema; he could now attempt to summon Hu Chuan. Luxianbei planned to go to school to share this good news with that senior sister. Later, he must pay a visit to the Siye Society to “care” for Huasang.
Riding his small electric scooter on the way to Huacheng University, Luxianbei recalled his earlier inquiries with Solang Pema about why he wanted to ambush his father. The response left him feeling somewhat heavy-hearted.
In Peach Source, due to Solang Pema’s spirit patterns going out of control and causing the emergence of an urban legend, he only had the chance to ask the question around the seventh successful summoning, which yielded similar results to before. Before Solang Pema could say anything useful, terror struck him, causing his body to react abnormally.
After attempting this two or three times, all with the same outcome, Luxianbei had to give up. However, each time he successfully summoned a spirit afterward, his methods became increasingly ruthless.
It was as if he took out his frustrations on Solang Pema.
Although, not being able to extract anything from Solang Pema wasn’t a big deal; he had already found clues about Zhang Shuo, and a living person would surely know much more than a disoriented soul.
Yet, what was it that terrified Solang Pema so much? Was it that strange gigantic shadow?
Wang Ying had also mentioned similar shadows in her memory… Could they be the same ones that appeared during the car accident and attacked the white house where Wang Ying was born?
If so… did it cause his father’s d*ath?
Thoughts swirling in his mind, the sound of a horn interrupted Luxianbei’s ruminations.
Unknowingly, he had arrived at the entrance of Huacheng University. It was peak hour for morning classes, with people and vehicles bustling in front of the school gate.
“Hey, be careful, will you? Can’t you look where you’re riding?” A girl rode past on her scooter, casting him a resentful glance before speeding away.
“Uh… sorry.” Luxianbei murmured as he watched her leave, then turned his scooter around and parked it in a garage near the school gate, making his way to the teaching building.
———
In class, Luxianbei spent the whole morning distracted, almost entering the wrong classroom during the second period.
Finally arriving at the right room and taking a seat in the back, he just set his backpack down when he caught wind of something interesting.
“Let me tell you! That cherry blossom spirit has actually been lurking in our school all along! Just recently, someone unearthed it!”
Turning his gaze in the direction of the voice, Luxianbei recognized that it was Yang Yi and He Liang’s gang talking.
Yep, the same group that had nearly gotten themselves killed playing “Hide and Seek Alone.” And now they were at it again.
“History teaches us many lessons, one being that no one learns from them.” That saying really rings true.
Fortunately, most of the urban legends in Huacheng were under his control now. As long as they avoided Red Mountain Villa or that abandoned coal mine, they could play however they liked… Luxianbei thought bitterly.
“Look, this is a photo taken this morning by a buddy of mine, risking his life near Cherry Blossom Avenue.” Yang Yi pulled out his phone and opened the album for everyone to see.
“Do you see that? The soil has been freshly turned, and there are two depressions the size of human heads! Oh, and even a security guard saw the cherry blossom spirit and got so scared that he quit!”
“They say that cherry blossom spirit was a senior from the Republic era, who fell in love with a teacher while in school. When that teacher went to join the national salvation movement, he was killed. Heartbroken, the senior committed s*icide under the cherry blossom tree while holding his ashes…”
Luxianbei thought, “Hey, that story is way too ridiculous! Although I can assure you that the senior won’t k*ll you after hearing this, she will definitely teach you a lesson… and I will make sure she takes me along!”
As he mused, Yang Yi suddenly turned to look at him, raising an eyebrow, “Luxianbei seems quite interested in the cherry blossom spirit, huh?”
“Want to join us for a discussion?”
“Not interested at all.” Luxianbei replied flatly, “I just want to remind you that the cherry blossom trees on Cherry Blossom Avenue were planted around seven or eight years ago, the result of the Agriculture College’s research into new varieties.”
“So, the senior must have been heartbroken and mistakenly crossed over before committing s*icide under those cherry blossom trees.”
Yang Yi fell silent.
———
After dealing with Yang Yi, Luxianbei felt some of the dark mood caused by Solang Pema lift.
It might be that “when I’m unhappy, transferring my unhappiness to others makes me happy” principle.
Sitting attentively in class, Luxianbei listened through the entire lecture. When the bell rang, and the teacher said, “Class dismissed!” he left the classroom, heading swiftly towards Gate Four.
Upon reaching Gate Four, Luxianbei spotted Du Sixian, dressed like a student, sitting under a lush peach tree, engrossed in a management book.
In her calm and serene demeanor, one would never guess that by nightfall, she transformed into a “vampire” exploiting the urban legends of Huacheng.
Approaching, Luxianbei noticed that the grass and soil around the small store’s ruins, once eroded by the black mist from the time capsule, had been cleared away, leaving behind a mild fragrance in the air.
That was the special incense made by the Siye Society to neutralize residual spirit energy fluctuations.
Hearing footsteps, Du Sixian looked up and smiled upon seeing Luxianbei, waving her hand, “Senior, over here!”
As he approached, she leaned closer, lowering her voice, “Senior, the urban legend incident that happened here earlier was caused by your sister, wasn’t it?”
When did I get a sister…? Luxianbei froze for a moment, and then suddenly realized and nodded, “Uh, yes! It was my… sister who did it.”
“Hehe!” Du Sixian giggled, “Then that’s no problem! Sister An Qing sent me here to keep an eye out, saying that murderers often return to their crime scenes.”
Luxianbei, “…” Well, that’s true; the murderer is right in front of you.
“But Sister An Qing probably doesn’t know that even if my benefactor does show up here, I wouldn’t tell her.” Du Sixian said proudly.
Luxianbei, “…” You’re getting good at being a traitor, huh? Don’t you feel even the slightest bit guilty? Who did you learn this from?
In any case, I’m Luxianbei, completely devoted to the Siye Society!
He thought and asked Du Sixian, “By the way, how long have you been here? Have you seen a red-clothed urban legend?”
“Are you talking about Sister Jiang?” Du Sixian nodded, “I’ve seen her! She has already left, saying she wanted to return to her original city to see her parents.”
She’s already gone? It seems like she indeed longs for home… Luxianbei nodded thoughtfully.
Forget it, I’ll summon Hu Chuan’s spirit tonight, clear up the situation first, then have some fun with him, and later tell the senior sister when the opportunity arises. Luxianbei thought.
———
In the afternoon, at the Huacheng Folk Culture Research Management Bureau.
In front of the office building, Miaomiao Sauce held a large black umbrella, squatting in the shadow of a crooked old tree, fixated on the two siblings beside a wheelchair, pondering seriously whether they were out of their minds.
After thinking for quite a while, she couldn’t come up with a reason, considering she was just a beautiful mushroom.
“d*mn it, I can’t stay a single day at the Huacheng Siye Society. There’s no warmth at all. Even in my situation, not a single person is willing to help. I’m so pissed off!” Li Xuan exclaimed.
After a night of treatment from An Qing, he restored considerable vigor. This morning, as soon as daylight appeared, he was busy contacting several operatives, seeking help to send Huasang back.
Huasang’s spirit patterns had already gone out of control more than once, and Li Xuan was entirely unwilling to let her return to Dachunyang Palace alone.
However, after asking all his colleagues in the Huacheng Siye Society, he felt utterly defeated.
Everyone refused, each providing a reason he couldn’t counter.
Miaomiao Sauce had a special situation; she definitely couldn’t leave Huacheng.
The Nightfall Syndrome outbreak had only recently eased, and risks of resurgence were still present. As the only operative familiar with various medical spells and alchemical potion recipes, An Qing certainly couldn’t leave.
He didn’t even need to ask Gu Xiliu. With a pigeon and a turtle setting off together across half of Z Country, at least one would likely get lost, and it was probable both would.
Bai Kai seemed to have encountered some problems recently and was apparently closed off in preparation for something. Except on the day of his night shifts, he couldn’t even be seen, and if Li Xuan sought him out, all his “wives” would end up in a bad mood.
Though Jiang Li didn’t get along with Li Xuan, she was originally the only likely one to help. However, that very morning, she received a notice from the Jin Guan City Siye Society, indicating she would soon be heading to the Siye Society headquarters with a few outstanding operatives from the southwest region for an upgrade on spirit patterns, leaving her no time at all.
Seeing Li Xuan’s frustrated demeanor, Huasang gently shook her head, pushed the wheelchair closer to him, and calmly said, “Senior, you don’t need to be angry. Just like I said, you can pack me up and send me back.”
“When the time comes, remember to write on the box, ‘Fragile items for internal use, handle with care.’ I forgot to write it last time. The express delivery folks got dizzy, and when Master opened the box, he immediately threw up.”
Dizzy express delivery… Li Xuan twitched at the corners of his mouth, opened his mouth to say something to Huasang when a suddenly annoying voice rang out.
“What the hell? What are you guys doing? A support group for sick friends? Don’t you Dachunyang Palace folks have any special fondness for wheelchairs?” Luxianbei exclaimed, surprised.
Arriving at the Huacheng Folk Culture Research Management Bureau, seeing the afternoon sunlight cast on the wheelchair duo in the courtyard, for a moment, he thought he had entered an elderly rehabilitation center.
“By the way, Li, why has your face swollen up like this? I told you time and again not to gossip behind people’s backs, especially since we’re colleagues in the Huacheng Siye Society. Nobody outside will baby you. Look, you finally got hit, huh?”
Li Xuan glared at Luxianbei, his expression darkening, “…” I swear, besides getting worked up because of you oddballs, I never do anything unreasonable!
Watching Luxianbei, Huasang’s eyes brightened slightly, and she turned to Li Xuan, “Senior, haven’t you asked Luxianbei yet? He was the one who sent me back last time, right?”
Last time at the airport, Luxianbei had physical contact with her when she was on the verge of losing control of her spirit patterns, yet nothing abnormal occurred, which puzzled Huasang greatly.
After all, after experiencing a similar degree of Nightfall Syndrome, Li Xuan, who was on the surface of higher spirit energy fluctuations than Luxianbei, had already lost his human form, and yet Luxianbei appeared utterly unperturbed.
However, being puzzled was one thing. Getting Huasang to investigate was out of the question.
Simply put, it was too exhausting!
The Chief Priest and that man could not completely cure her, and Luxianbei was even less likely to. Even if by chance it were discovered why he could withstand that degree of Nightfall Syndrome, it wouldn’t matter. It would be better to get more rest.
But considering that Luxianbei wouldn’t suffer from Nightfall Syndrome and that her senior insisted on finding someone to send her back, Huasang thought he might be a good candidate.
“Him?” Li Xuan rolled his eyes disdainfully, “He and Bai Kai are cut from the same cloth. Last time sending you to the airport was just an exception.”
As if he hadn’t heard Li Xuan’s words, Huasang turned to Luxianbei and asked, “Could you please give me a ride? My senior is quite worried about me going back alone. It’s only a day or two trip.”
Li Xuan waved his hand dismissively, “Don’t ask him. He won’t agree to give you a ride.”
“Sure! I’ve wanted to visit Dachunyang Palace for a long time!” Luxianbei blurted out.
“You see? He’s just like this…” Li Xuan’s expression suddenly stiffened, and he whipped around to glare at Luxianbei, wide-eyed, “Did you just say you would take Huasang back?”
Strange, why is this guy agreeing so readily? It’s not right! There must be something fishy going on! Li Xuan thought.
“Yeah! Didn’t you know? I’ve always admired Dachunyang Palace’s style. I even wanted to apply for spring training, but sadly, by the time I applied, all the spots were full.” Luxianbei said.
Isn’t this a bit too much to ask? Would Dachunyang Palace really be stingy enough not to even let me stay there for a night?
Taking this opportunity to scout the place would also be great, and besides…
This girl Huasang has a 99% chance of having come into contact with Ling Tai Purification fragments. If I can extract some information from her, that would make things so much easier!
As Luxianbei silently plotted, he was suddenly interrupted by Li Xuan’s sarcasm.
“Oh? Didn’t expect you to admire my sect’s accomplishments?”
“Sure!” Luxianbei nodded.
Li Xuan’s chin lifted slightly, a smug expression on his face, “What do you want to see? As a reward for helping to send my junior sister back, I could arrange it for you. I have some reputation in my sect.”
“……”
I want to see where the Ling Tai Purification fragments are located and all the visualization diagrams. Could you arrange that? Luxianbei thought.
But he certainly couldn’t vocalize that and instead shifted the topic, “I just want to see what kind of place could produce weirdos like you two…”
Li Xuan and Huasang, “……”
### Chapter 31: I Want to Eat the Dishes You Cook
After hearing Luxianbei’s words, Li Xuan’s expression momentarily stiffened. He retorted sarcastically, “Oh, Luxianbei, you really know how to speak!”
“Annoying, it’s quite embarrassing!” Luxianbei waved his hand.
Li Xuan groaned, holding his forehead, “I’m not complimenting you!”
While speaking, he discreetly glanced at Huasang and made a subtle gesture, only to see Huasang frown slightly, her expression seeming to say, “Why are you looking at me?”
Li Xuan, “…”
Just as he lapsed into silence, Luxianbei looked at Huasang and scratched the back of his head, “Well, if there are no issues, can we set off the day after tomorrow? I still have some things to do tomorrow.”
Tonight I need to attempt summoning that guy Hu Chuan, and tomorrow morning, I need to check in with Professor Ma. Most importantly, I also have a dinner date with Miaomiao Sauce tomorrow night… Luxianbei thought.
“Uh-huh.” Huasang nodded.
“Thanks, we’ll say it’s settled then!” Luxianbei raised an eyebrow at Huasang and then pointed towards the office building, “I’m off to find my boss; I’ve got some business to attend to. We can discuss later!”
With that, when he saw Huasang wave goodbye, he quickly made his way towards the office building.
As he passed the crooked old tree in front of the office building, he suddenly felt a gaze land on him. Luxianbei paused his steps, returning to the gloomy-looking Miaomiao Sauce, who had her hands outstretched.
“Don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten. Look, I brought you these.”
Luxianbei murmured to himself as he pulled two prepared corn candies from his pocket.
“I brought them for you!” he said as he stuffed the candies into Miaomiao Sauce’s hands. Her gloomy expression finally faded, replaced by an uncomfortable smile.
Seeing Miaomiao Sauce slowly unwrap the packaging and savor the candied corn, Luxianbei shrugged his shoulders and headed towards the “V” office.
In the courtyard.
Li Xuan glowered as he watched Luxianbei leave. Only after his silhouette was swallowed by the shadows in the corridor did he retract his gaze and turned to Huasang, annoyed, “Why didn’t you help me out just now?”
Huasang cast a glance at Li Xuan and gave him a “you know” look.
“Seriously, how can you stand by while that kid belittles our sect?” Li Xuan protested.
“Arguing over such things is exhausting and meaningless, and besides, he is correct.” Huasang replied calmly.
“‘Weird’ isn’t a bad term; the disciples of Dachunyang Palace don’t fit into the norm, are full of personality, and are rare in the world.”
“The most important thing is, getting angry is harmful to your health.”
Li Xuan, “……” Am I the only normal person in this world?
For a brief moment, he thought Luxianbei’s words accurately applied to Huasang.
———
In the V Office at the Huacheng Folk Culture Research Management Bureau.
Afternoon sunlight spilled through the window, casting a light golden layer over the room. Jiang Li sat at an outdated desk, staring at an email on her computer screen, her expression bland as distilled water.
【The materials required for the spirit pattern upgrade of 【Mythological Species: Xiezhi】 have been completely obtained. Please confirm the upgrade of this spirit pattern, Jiang Li, operative of the Huacheng Siye Society. Report to the Jin Guan City Siye Society within seven workdays…】
She read the passage over and over, her mood as complicated as a pot of seafood porridge.
There’s an old saying: “The Xiezhi resembles a unicorn, with one horn, able to discern right from wrong. When it sees a fight, it will strike the dishonest; when it hears a debate, it will attack the unjust.”
Its temperament a blend of the friendly and just demeanor of Chiron, the centaur from Greek mythology, under which the constellation Sagittarius also encompasses the fighting star, correlating to the Xiezhi.
Through the connection between Sagittarius and the fighting star, it wouldn’t be too difficult to complete the transformation and elevation of the spirit pattern during the upgrade.
Moreover, the Xiezhi embodies the characteristics of being gentle, stable, principled, and unafraid of the strong bullying the weak, which aligned well with Jiang Li and could maximize the spirit pattern’s power.
This truly was one of her desired options for upgrading the spirit pattern, and arguably the best choice.
Yet, just a few days ago, when she inquired about the progress of collecting materials for several desired spirit patterns, the response had been: “The main materials’ whereabouts are unknown.”
And now, only a few days had passed, not only were the materials collected, but they happened to be the best options, which felt overly coincidental.
In the silence, Jiang Li recalled not long ago when Luxianbei had asked her about her spirit pattern’s upgrading status and furrowed her brows unconsciously, muttering, “Could it be him?”
But how did he manage to obtain them?
Please don’t let it be through illegal means.
That would be troublesome…
It wasn’t about whether she trusted Luxianbei; Jiang Li was genuinely worried that Luxianbei might use the identity of catastrophe to do something outrageous, adding several deadly charges against himself.
“Knock knock knock—!”
As Jiang Li was deep in her worries, a knock at the door interrupted her thoughts.
“Come in.” She looked toward the office door and called softly. Moments later, Luxianbei pushed the door open and stepped inside.
“Good afternoon, Chief!” Luxianbei said with a cheeky grin.
His brows were dancing, and each jump seemed to announce to the world that on his face, only his eyebrows could move.
Jiang Li gazed at Luxianbei for two seconds with profound meaning and calmly asked, “What’s the matter?”
He wouldn’t be here to check if I received the notification about the spirit pattern upgrade, would he? Jiang Li thought.
“What are you saying? Can’t I drop by if nothing’s up?” Luxianbei waved his hand. “What if a certain operative needs help?”
Jiang Li frowned at this. “Help? Procrastinating and slacking off is more your style, right?”
【Do I not know you?】 At that moment, Jiang Li silently conveyed such a look to Luxianbei.
“This…” Luxianbei scratched his face, “I just wanted to come see you, okay?”
“Just to see me?” Jiang Li tilted her head.
Just for that?
“Yes, is there anything more meaningful than this?” Luxianbei replied earnestly.
“Cough cough!” Jiang Li’s cheeks flushed slightly. She cleared her throat and then spoke with a serious tone, “I appreciate your goodwill; now that you’ve seen me, you can leave, right?”
“Don’t rush to send me off!” Upon hearing Jiang Li’s dismissal, Luxianbei hurriedly said, “Besides checking on you, I have two other things I wanted to confirm with you!”
So it was all just small talk… Jiang Li thought, feeling helpless as she shook her head, “Go on!”
Hopefully nothing about the spirit pattern upgrade. Jiang Li added in her mind.
“Hehe.” Luxianbei laughed nervously. “Actually, I’d like you to help me get another certificate…”
“Wait, a certificate?” Jiang Li interrupted.
“For school.”
“Didn’t I already help you with that before? What other certificate do you want?” Jiang Li askew.
【Up to no good again?】
【Absolutely not!】
Luxianbei responded with a glance at Jiang Li and continued, “I just thought that I might run into various strange events down the line and miss classes?”
“So I’d like to prepare a certificate in advance, saying that I’ve been seriously injured twice by criminals, leaving behind some sequelae that cause me to convulse occasionally, making it difficult to attend classes.”
Primarily, it’s to prepare in advance.
With such a certificate and Professor Ma covering for him, even if Zhipianxian acts strange sometimes at school, no one would find it odd, right? Luxianbei considered.
After hearing Luxianbei’s explanation, Jiang Li found it quite reasonable and nodded, “Sure, that’s approved. Now, what’s your second matter?”
“The second matter is extremely important.”
Luxianbei’s tone turned serious, his brows knitted, and he stared directly into Jiang Li’s eyes, as if he were about to announce some life-and-d*ath matter.
In fact, if he suddenly knelt and pulled out a ring box to propose, it wouldn’t come as a surprise.
Such an action caused Jiang Li to grow tense, instinctively straightening her posture. She then casually asked, “Let’s hear it?”
“Do you remember you promised me we’d have dinner together tomorrow evening?”
Jiang Li, “…”
Seeing that Jiang Li was silent, Luxianbei expressed surprise, “I said, you wouldn’t have forgotten, would you?”
“Of course not.” Jiang Li replied instinctively.
“Then it’s settled; what time tomorrow evening shall we eat?” Luxianbei asked.
Jiang Li remained silent for several seconds, looking into Luxianbei’s eyes, a smile appearing on her face, “Luxianbei, I need to go, so…”
【I want to eat the dishes you cook [cat heart emoji]】
“Ah, where are you going?” Luxianbei furrowed his brows.
“To the headquarters for the spirit pattern upgrade; it’ll take at least a month before I can return.”
So soon? Aren’t my godmother’s efficiencies excessive? Luxianbei thought, before easing his brow, “Oh, I see. Then I’ll rest easy.”
【Don’t worry; I’ll handle the cooking!】
“But didn’t you say that this matter wasn’t urgent? Why the sudden rush to the headquarters? Is there some spirit pattern you’re upgrading? It won’t be risky, will it?” Luxianbei feigned ignorance and asked.
“……”
He seems to know nothing?
That makes sense; even if he had a way to get the materials, he couldn’t hand them over to the Siye Society directly or have them delivered handsomely to me.
Jiang Li stared at Luxianbei for two seconds before giving up on reading any clues from his face, teasing, “The Xiezhi, huh? It’s a divine beast that resembles a unicorn.”
“Whether there’s a risk or not, I cannot say… Perhaps the next time you see me, I’ll have horns growing out of my head.”
“Great! Wouldn’t that mean I could grab those horns from behind…” Luxianbei blurted out.
Only to see Jiang Li’s cold gaze, sharp enough to k*ll in the warm afternoon sun, causing him to instantly shut his mouth.
This woman is terrifying—her sharp eyes should be constitutionally banned from being used!
After a few seconds of silence, Luxianbei added hastily, “If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave!”
With that, he jogged out of Jiang Li’s office.
Watching Luxianbei’s departing figure, Jiang Li couldn’t hold back any longer, letting out a soft laugh.
Then, she raised her hand to touch her head, murmuring softly, “He… actually likes that sort of thing…”
In the course of speaking, she seemed to recall something, and a hint of rosy color bloomed on her fair cheeks.
(Today’s state isn’t great; I’ll post a bit less…)
