Chapter Four: Nightclub Queen Fu Xinyi
When the d*ath-Owl Badge was first invented, due to limitations in craftsmanship and materials, it was merely a consumable.
At that time, a carefully crafted badge could only be used three to seven times, depending on the situation, and thus it was only called upon in times of crisis to convey important messages.
Within the Siye Society, there was a saying at that time — “When the d*ath-Owl Badge vibrates, bad news is always on the way.”
A large part of those important messages were ill tidings, hence the badge was named “d*ath-Owl.”
As time passed, the d*ath-Owl Badge has become standard equipment for every member of the Siye Society, used for daily communication.
Some perennial slackers even used it as an internal social application.
They hadn’t really “reported d*ath” in a long time.
So, when his personal d*ath-Owl Badge suddenly vibrated, he had no awareness that he was about to experience a “Renaissance.”
Reaching into his clothes, his fingertips brushed over the badge, and upon listening to the message received, Bi Xuzi’s complexion turned pale.
He looked as if his hands and feet were icy in the heat of summer, trembling all over.
Noticing the change in Bi Xuzi, Zhang Hainan stepped back, his expression one of disdain.
“Little brother, what’s wrong with you? Are you sick?”
“Chief Priest Uncle!” Bi Xuzi suddenly looked at Zhang Hainan, clasping his fists, his tone woeful, “Please punish that brat Luxianbei severely, he truly is… truly unworthy of being human!”
Zhang Hainan frowned, “What happened now?”
“Just now, he actually instigated Fu Xinyi, rallying over three hundred disciples to wear bunny ear accessories and bizarre outfits to participate in the study exchange meeting!” Bi Xuzi said.
“Fu Xinyi, that’s our Dachunyang Palace’s next candidate for Chief Priest… If this gets out, what face will our Dachunyang Palace have left?”
Zhang Hainan, “…”
What a load of nonsense!
The face of Dachunyang Palace was practically ruined the moment those disciples appeared wearing pink bunny ears.
Besides, when did Fu Xinyi become a candidate for Chief Priest? Did you decide that yourself?
Did you think I’d be dead by the time you declared it!?
Though Zhang Hainan thought Fu Xinyi would be a fine candidate for Chief Priest, he hadn’t held the ceremony and made an official recognition yet, had he?
He shot Bi Xuzi a fierce glare and waved his hand, “Forget it, come with me to Qing Hui Hall and see what’s going on first, then make plans!”
“Disciple obeys.” Bi Xuzi replied crisply.
His tightly clenched fists seemed as if he was ready to go all out against someone.
————
The study exchange meeting at Dachunyang Palace, its origins are unclear but can be traced back over four hundred years to spontaneous debates organized by disciples, and it began to take shape about one hundred seventy years ago.
Roughly one hundred twenty years ago, it evolved into the Qing Ji Tactics Conference, primarily to discuss ways to make Qing Ji suffer; though there were occasional victories, they never completely defeated Qing Ji.
After multiple setbacks, the young talents of Dachunyang Palace gradually lost heart, and the study exchange meeting was finally suspended.
It wasn’t until many years later, when Zhang Hainan became the Chief Priest, that the meeting was reinstated.
“There’s a saying: ‘One can learn precious jade from another’s stone.’” This became a joke about certain “reserved” Spiritual Ability Users.
In Zhang Hainan’s view, the exchange of information was a significant advantage for Spiritual Ability Users compared to urban legends, and the existence of the exchange meeting was meaningful for the growth of Dachunyang Palace’s disciples.
It is said: “One stone from another mountain can serve to polish jade.”
When studying becomes difficult, often a little nudge from others can lead one to clarity.
After all, Zhang Hainan personally learned a great deal from Qing Ji’s repeated “patient teachings.”
Since the restart of the exchange meeting, it has become a monthly regular event for the disciples.
In a sense, it is the Dachunyang Palace’s version of a monthly examination!
Of course, this “exam” does not have strict requirements for results; it is primarily focused on sparring and communication among the disciples, and there is guidance and corrections from the observing elders, creating a relatively relaxed atmosphere.
But even if the atmosphere is casual and friendly, it is still an “exam”!
What is it with a room full of “Pink Fluffy Rabbits”?
At three twenty-seven PM, three minutes before the exchange meeting started.
Accompanied by Bi Xuzi, Zhang Hainan arrived on the second floor of Qing Hui Hall, where he met with Qing Xiazi, who was responsible for answering questions during this exchange meeting and had just arrived on site.
Peering through the window into the first-floor exchange meeting venue, the expressions of the three nearly synchronized in horror.
From across the window, looking down at the meeting site, they could far too easily see a glaring expanse of pink.
What they saw bore no resemblance to a study exchange meeting; it was merely a chaotic image of “flocks of rabbits roaming the ground.”
It was as if it were the scene of some special interest club meeting.
Among nearly a thousand disciples present, over sixty percent had a touch of pink adorning their heads.
And among those sixty percent, there were two to three hundred disciples who not only had a pair of bunny ears atop their heads, but were also dressed in bizarre outfits they wouldn’t normally dare to wear in the mountain gate.
Maids’ outfits, modified qipaos, camouflage military uniforms, cosplay outfits… various costumes were present, with even a few directly wearing fluffy plush costumes, turning themselves into bunnies.
In an instant, the normal disciples mixed in with those infected by the Pink Fluffy Rabbit vibe, making it hard to distinguish one from another. After a brief period of awkwardness, the atmosphere gradually became harmonious.
“Senior Sister Xinyi, hee hee hee! Senior Sister Xinyi is so cute, I like you more and more, hee hee hee~!”
“Whoa! You’re also a [Xinyi Flower]? Come, let’s take a selfie, I’ll post it on Moments!”
“……”
“Hey! Bro, those ears of yours are really nice! What are they made of?”
“Don’t pull, ow! I-I’m serious…”
“……”
There’s a saying that goes, as long as you’re not awkward, the awkwardness belongs to others.
Faced with such a situation, the roughly two hundred disciples without bunny ears appeared out of place and awkward.
In this atmosphere, Fu Xinyi, dressed in a black bunny girl outfit with a pair of pink bunny ear accessories, gritted her teeth, stood up, and with a determined gaze walked towards the podium.
……
Is it strange for a Dachunyang Palace disciple to wear pink bunny ears and a plain daoist robe?
In a sense, it is indeed quite strange.
So how can this sort of weirdness be eliminated, allowing the disciples with bunny ears and others to interact pleasantly?
You just need to become even stranger than them!
……
Above is Fu Xinyi’s unique insight, which she derived after a brief exchange with Luxianbei before the exchange meeting started.
She had an epiphany, blue surpassing indigo, creating brilliance anew!
Standing at the podium, Fu Xinyi lightly tapped the microphone, took a deep breath, and earnestly said, “Fellow disciples, please quiet down; we should be getting to the main topic and starting the exchange!”
Although her voice was soft and gentle, combined with her dark circles that resembled smoky makeup and the big waves styled by Huasang, it inexplicably gave off an aura of a nightclub queen shouting to the crowd, “The party is starting now, let’s get wild!”
Huasang stood amidst the crowd, wearing a pair of simple bunny ears made of cardboard, listlessly watching Fu Xinyi at the podium, silently thinking to herself, “Junior sister is amazing; she’s created a new school of study exchange…”
Thus, Miss Fu Xinyi etched an indelible piece of dark history into her life.
Years later, as she reminisced about today, she would still curl up with a pillow, burying her head into it and rolling around, her little feet kicking wildly like a delighted rabbit, and then she would toss and turn all night unable to sleep…
————
“What is this mess!? Just over a week since the F Urban Legend uproar passed, and you’re already so self-indulgent, what a disgrace! The F Urban Legend is still watching you from that crooked old tree!”
Seeing the scene at the exchange meeting, Bi Xuzi, who was traditionally conservative, couldn’t help but pound his chest and shout.
As he spoke, he glanced at Zhang Hainan beside him, his expression seemingly saying, “Chief Priest Uncle, look at the trouble Luxianbei has caused; this is going to ruin our Dachunyang Palace!”
Zhang Hainan remained squinty-eyed, half-asleep, and said nothing.
Which crooked old tree are you talking about?
Too lazy to deal with you!
As if he didn’t see Bi Xuzi’s hint at all, he turned to Qing Xiazi and quietly asked, “Qingmei, what do you think of this?”
He wanted to hear Qing Xiazi’s opinion as her master.
Qing Xiazi glanced at Fu Xinyi, who resembled a nightclub queen at the venue, and after retracting her gaze, rubbed her pained forehead, then instinctively covered her face with her hands.
Only a true warrior dares to face the grim social d*ath; in this respect, my disciple Xinyi displays the demeanor of a Chief Priest, but this time… it really is a bit too much.
However, after all, she is my disciple, and I must say a few good words for her; otherwise, if Chief Priest Uncle gets angry and punishes her, it would be disastrous for Xinyi!
Qing Xiazi thought, and through the gaps of her fingers, shot Fu Xinyi a distant glare, thinking, “You dead girl, I’ll deal with you properly later!” Then she turned to Zhang Hainan and clasped her hands.
“Returning to Chief Priest Uncle, I think what Xinyi did, though a bit frivolous, has a good starting point, and the outcome seems to be quite nice?”
“Junior sister is being foolish!” Bi Xuzi cried out in anguish.
Zhang Hainan gave Bi Xuzi a sidelong glance, nodded at Qing Xiazi, and smiled, “What Qingmei said is not far from what I was thinking. Although that girl Xinyi’s method is not stable enough and a bit inappropriate…”
“But now, the disciples seem to be getting along well, completely without the previous biases and defenses.”
“However… this method is ultimately not a long-term solution; it treats the symptoms, not the root cause. It’s essential to speed up the research and develop a treatment that can be widely implemented.”
Otherwise, at this rate, Dachunyang Palace will really become the Moon Palace… Zhang Hainan added silently to himself.
Having said that, Zhang Hainan shot another fierce glare at Bi Xuzi.
Look at Qingmei’s awareness! Do you dare to say the Chief Priest is foolish?
If you do, I’ll immediately go back to Zixiao Terrace and electric shock you two together ten times!
Why include Li Xuan in the electric shock treatment?
As a dignified Chief Priest of Dachunyang Palace, protector of the Siye Society, do I still need to explain myself to others?
“Alright, I’ve seen what I wanted to see, I’ll take my leave now.” Zhang Hainan said, looking at Qing Xiazi, “Qingmei, this side is up to you; don’t let the disciples cause any trouble.”
With that, he leisurely turned around and walked away.
Then…
A few seconds later, just as Qing Xiazi had just begun to breathe a sigh of relief, he silently returned, leaning close to Qing Xiazi.
Like a ghost!
“Oh right, Qingmei… that kid Qinyi is your disciple, right?”
Upon hearing this, Qing Xiazi’s body trembled slightly, and for a second or two, she responded, “Yes, Qinyi indeed is my disciple; I’m not sure why Chief Priest Uncle suddenly inquired about him?”
The disciple referred to as Qinyi was the most unremarkable among all her disciples.
It was as if he were that kind of student in high school who was average in grades, appearance, and social skills, and after a while, would even become forgettable.
While Qing Xiazi cherished each one of her disciples, in her eyes, there was no reason for a disciple like Qinyi to attract Zhang Hainan’s special attention.
“You tell him to delete the short video and photos he just posted…”
It turns out, Qing Xiazi’s perspective was a bit narrow; the Chief Priest remembers each disciple’s name and is concerned about all of them.
He knows everything!
Upon hearing this, Qing Xiazi immediately understood Zhang Hainan’s intent, her mouth twitching slightly as she bowed and respectfully said, “I-I understand.”
Such a scene, if it were to spread out, would be intolerable.
Even if it only circulated among Spiritual Ability Users, it would ultimately be difficult to explain.
Those who didn’t know would think the atmosphere of Dachunyang Palace has always been like this!
————
Regarding the complaints from Bi Xuzi about the disciples of Dachunyang Palace regarding Luxianbei a few days ago, Zhang Hainan actually didn’t care.
Although today Luxianbei tricked Fu Xinyi into making a big news story, it didn’t turn out bad in the end, so he could still tolerate it.
However, he still wanted to meet Luxianbei and have a good talk with him.
While Luxianbei’s actions were far worse than those of his ancestor Qing Ji.
Nonetheless, Luxianbei had stirred up displeasure among many elders and disciples; if he wanted to stay in Dachunyang Palace, he must be a little more restrained.
At least keep his hands clean and avoid being caught by a cadre of elders and disciples, right? In this regard, Luxianbei was still far from his ancestor Qing Ji.
He had a close relationship with Qing Ji, and without a descendant, he viewed Qing Ji’s descendants as family, naturally being a bit indulgent.
If those acts of wrongdoing were done by Li Xuan, he would have already been shocked into a tender, crispy state, like a viral crispy pork belly.
Given the current situation, it somewhat reflects that “the yin is strong while the yang is weak, and the small man gains power” fortune…
Thinking of this, Zhang Hainan smiled bitterly, shook his head, clasped his hands behind his back, and continued walking forward.
