The zombie bodyguards were all strong and burly. The player, a coward who preyed on the weak, dared not harbor any further greed and scrambled away.
But he hadn't gone far when he seemed to have crashed into an invisible wall, making a loud "bang." Dizzy and disoriented, he collapsed to the ground, where a strong, powerful hand effortlessly lifted him up.
The player's face paled in shock upon seeing Lin Heng. Before he could say anything, Lin Heng swiftly delivered a chop to the neck, knocking him unconscious, clearly not wanting to waste any more words.
Lin Heng's long, black hair was tied back. He glanced at the zombies and Yan Chi, who was stuck at the back, and his brows furrowed. "What did he do?"
Yan Chi patted the zombies on the shoulder, and they made way for him to reach Lin Heng. Yan Chi sighed. "He asked me for money."
A player borrowing money from an NPC—Lin Heng was stunned for a few seconds by this. "...You lent him money?"
"Of course not."
Yan Chi really wanted to know what kind of image he had in other people's eyes. A rich but brainless rich kid? Or a kind-hearted person who would generously give money to anyone?
They really overestimated him.
"Hmm, this guy still owes the hot pot restaurant owner money. I'll take him to wash dishes first." Lin Heng's tone was flat. He suddenly remembered something and turned to Yan Chi, asking, "Can you do me a favor?"
Yan Chi: "Go ahead."
Lin Heng took out a bag of dried fruit and handed it to him. "Give this to Xi Chang for me, and tell him to brush his teeth immediately after eating it, and not to eat more than three pieces a day."
Yan Chi readily agreed, surprised, "You two haven't made up yet?"
"Probably after Xin Xia and the others leave."
Seeing the sadness in his face, Yan Chi thought for a moment and comforted him, "Xi Chang is just a child. Maybe he'll calm down in a few days. Don't worry, I can tell he genuinely considers you a good friend."
Lin Heng: "..."
For some reason, Yan Chi felt that after he said that, Lin Heng's expression worsened, and he fell into an eerie silence.
Yan Chi looked at him blankly, tilting his head. "?"
Why is he silent again?
Meanwhile, he silently thought to himself, "What a complicated and difficult person. Shen Mingsu is much better; he never hides his thoughts." After comparing them, Yan Chi preferred Shen Mingsu.
Lin Heng remained silent about the matter, glancing at the large group of bodyguards behind him, then changed the subject, "Could I borrow these students for a moment? I still have a few players to catch."
Yan Chi shook his head: "Sorry, they're not in my class. You'll have to ask their opinion; I can't make the decision."
So Lin Heng asked again. The zombies discussed it amongst themselves, nodded to Lin Heng, and then the group marched around the campus, catching all the hiding players.
The other law-abiding players were so frightened that they turned and ran as soon as they saw them from afar.
Yan Chi went to Xi Chang's office and found him happily sipping a large cup of milk tea, his vibrant blue fishtail hair swaying gently. Several wet wipes lay on top of it.
"Lin Heng asked me to bring this to you," Yan Chi said, placing the dried fruit on his desk.
"Hmph, he always says this stuff is too high in sugar, it's junk food and I can't eat it, and that eating too much will give me cavities." Xi Chang picked up the bag of dried fruit, grabbed a handful, and handed it to Yan Chi. "But it's clearly delicious."
Yan Chi ate a piece of dried kiwi, the cloying sweetness instantly spreading in his mouth. "It is indeed a bit too sweet."
"Really? I think it's okay." Xi Chang was eating dried pineapple. "Why don't you try this?"
The two exchanged dried fruit, but Yan Chi still found it cloyingly sweet. Seeing that Xi Chang had quickly eaten his fifth piece, he quickly stopped him. "Lin Heng said you can only eat three pieces a day."
Xi Chang hesitated, then reluctantly put back the uneaten dried pineapple. "Okay then."
Yan Chi asked about the students. "How's the situation next door?"
"Ning Zhu went to participate in freestyle swimming, and the other children are in the classroom writing reports." Xi Chang wagged his tail regretfully, his translucent scales reflecting a dazzling light. "Why can't the teacher participate in the competition? I want to win first place too."
Yan Chi stroked his tail; it was smooth and felt wonderful. He suppressed a laugh and said, "It wouldn't be fair to the competition if you went."
Xi Chang leaned regretfully on Yan Chi's shoulder and tugged at his arm. "I still want to watch the freestyle swimming competition. Will you come with me?"
"Sure, wait a minute, I'll go take a look next door."
Yan Chi got up and went to Class 1's classroom. He stood at the door and looked around. Except for Ning Zhu, all the other students were obediently in the classroom. Mingcai and Sethia, along with three others, had to hand in their reports tomorrow and were currently hunched over their desks, writing diligently.
Xingluo limped around the classroom, feeling incredibly relaxed since he didn't have to do homework.
On Lian Deng's desk, Little Bone transformed into a miniature skeleton, holding a pen in both hands, bouncing around right under Lian Deng's nose. "—Dengdeng, do your homework!"
Lian Deng, slumped over the table, unwilling to move, glanced at Xingluo and suddenly remembered his earlier words. He said to the little guys in the cardboard box, "Let's go catch some players to do our homework. Xingluo said they're like that."
Xingluo almost knelt down upon hearing this, because the trauma caused by Water Baby was too great; even now, the sight of Lian Deng made his legs go weak.
If Lian Deng discovered he was swindling people and released his little monster to chase him again… Xingluo shuddered at the thought and hurriedly said to Lian Deng, “Don’t go to the players! What they write doesn’t count, really, trust me one more time.”
Lian Deng looked blankly at him. “But didn’t you say before…”
Xingluo said sincerely, “I was young and ignorant before, but I’m more honest now.”
Lian Deng was disappointed, resting his chin on his hands and continuing to stare blankly. “…Okay, then I won’t go to the players.”
Lu Yuanming was eager to help. “I have experience, how about I give you some advice?”
Lian Deng smiled. “Sure, thank you.”
Besides Lu Yuanming, Ahui and Ding Yang also didn't need to write assessment summaries. They moved their chairs next to Mingcai and offered her advice.
Ding Yang was very experienced in writing this kind of thing. "First, write a literature review… no, write about the distribution of the top three in previous years' sports meets, then compare it with this year's, taking the player factor into account. It's best to list the data, analyzing each specific situation individually."
Ahui looked serious. "Okay!"
Mingcai was completely overwhelmed, her brain felt like it was going to explode, but following Ding Yang's advice, she easily wrote over a thousand words.
Sethia stared longingly at the words Mingcai was writing, wishing he could steal them and paste them onto his blank paper. Mingcai noticed his gaze and turned slightly, completely blocking what she was writing.
Sethia poked her shoulder. "Can I take a look?"
Mingcai: "No, the teacher said we can't have the same thing."
Xin Xia, who had been waiting nearby, twitched his ears. He casually mentioned, "Actually, I know these things too. Do you want me to help you?"
Sethia wasn't interested in this player who couldn't be eaten. "No."
Xin Xia: "..."
After refusing Xin Xia, Sethia pouted and turned to look at Tan Mo. "What should I do? I can't write it."
Tan Mo had already finished most of his homework. Without looking up, he said, "Wait, I'll help you when I'm done with mine."
"Okay! You're so nice!"
Xin Xia: "…………"
Sethia trusted Tan Mo completely and nodded repeatedly. Now he wasn't flustered anymore. Suddenly, his little nose twitched, and he looked up to see Yan Chi standing at the front door of the classroom. His blue eyes lit up.
"Teacher Xiao Chi!" Sethia ran up to Yan Chi, "You smell so good, so sweet!"
Yan Chi knew exactly what he meant. He gently flicked Sethia's pert nose. "I didn't have any. It was dried fruit from your teacher, Xi Chang."
"Teacher Xi Chang..." Sethia decisively gave up on begging for food. He knew Teacher Xi Chang was incredibly cold-hearted; he was already grateful he wouldn't try to take his food.
Just then, Xi Chang came out of his office and asked Yan Chi, "Aren't you leaving?"
Yan Chi patted Sethia's head. "Do your homework properly."
Sethia nodded, turning back to the classroom.
In the swimming pool, the competition was nearing its end when Yan Chi and Xi Chang arrived. Ning Zhu climbed out of the water using the ladder. He removed his goggles; his jet-black hair was soaking wet and clung to his neck. He swept all the excess hair behind his ear, revealing sharp, defined eyebrows.
This kid's actually quite capable when he's not dozing off.
Yan Chi clearly saw the smug look on his face, indicating his results must be pretty good. Xi Chang was already eagerly getting into the water. Yan Chi was just about to find a place to sit and wait for them when a familiar voice came from beside him.
"He's in first place."
Yan Chi was startled and turned around to see Xie Tao lounging like a grandpa on a recliner next to the referee's table.
Yan Chi was surprised. "What are you doing here?"
No wonder he hadn't seen Xie Tao when he went back at noon.
Xie Tao pointed to the chair next to him, with clothes on it and a half-empty bottle of mineral water. "Your troublesome student made me work as a free waiter."
Yan Chi asked, "Is he still angry?"
"Who knows?" Xie Tao shrugged. "I think he just wants to exploit my labor for free."
Yan Chi smiled and sat down next to him, chuckling, "I think he just wants to play with you. Before you came, Ning Zhu slept all day and all night, and nobody played with him."
Xie Tao: "He doesn't have any friends?"
"He has a deskmate, but his deskmate has his own little family to take care of."
Okay, so he's a lonely frog with no friends. Xie Tao scoffed, offering a blunt assessment. "With his temper, it's normal for him to have no friends. Who would bother to put up with his awful temper?"
Yan Chi was silent for a few seconds, looking at him with a strange expression.
Xie Tao: "What kind of look is that?"
"Don't you think that sounds familiar?" Yan Chi reminded him, "Remember when you hit your deskmate in junior high? He said that too, exactly the same thing."
Xie Tao: "...Oh yeah, that fatso said it too."
Xie Tao was also the type to hold grudges and not take insults lying down. Anyone who had ever insulted him, Xie Tao could write down all their names in one day.
Yan Chi thought of something and patted Xie Tao's shoulder with a smile, "So, the reason you and Ning Zhu have always had conflicts is probably because you're too similar in attributes—like repels like."
Xie Tao pondered, "That makes sense."
"By the way, there's something I need to tell you." Xie Tao looked up at Yan Chi, "I plan to leave after the dungeon ends tomorrow."
"You're leaving?!"
Yan Chi was stunned, wondering who had spoken just now.
Ning Zhu strode over, gold medal in hand. He casually dried himself with a towel, his brow furrowed. Grabbing his clothes from the chair, he said as he dressed, "You can't be serious, can you? I only made you work for two days, and you can't stand it and you're already running away?"
Xie Tao glanced at him dismissively, his thin lips barely moving. "None of your business! It has nothing to do with you. Don't flatter yourself."
Ning Zhu: "You…!"
But Xie Tao had already turned away, talking to Yan Chi. Ning Zhu, furious, squatted to the side, also turning his head away.
Yan Chi was also shocked by Xie Tao's decision. "Why are you leaving? Didn't you say you'd stay?"
"It's too boring." Xie Tao glanced at Xi Chang, who was happily playing in the pool, and said slowly, "When I was working, I always thought about when I could retire. Now that I'm really free, I'm not used to this rather monotonous life."
Yan Chi lowered his head slightly, disappointment written all over his face.
Xie Tao patted his head and said with a smile, "It's not like I'm not coming back. Look at your gloomy face, people would think I'm going to die and never see me again."
Yan Chi pursed his lips and glared at him, "Don't talk nonsense!"
"Okay, okay, I won't say anything taboo anymore." Seeing that Yan Chi was about to explode, Xie Tao immediately smoothed things over, and Yan Chi's expression softened slightly.
Xie Tao had already planned it out, "If I can go to a low-risk small world, I'll go there for a vacation. If I don't get a spot, I'll come back to find you. Consider it a trip, okay?"
Yan Chi thought about it. His plan sounded pretty good. Xie Tao was outgoing and didn't stay in one place for long; keeping him confined in one place all the time wasn't a good thing.
But he still couldn't bear to part with him, holding Xie Tao's hand, "Then you must be careful, and remember to come back to see me."
Xie Tao looked at Yan Chi with eyes full of smiles, "I know, I'll bring you a gift then."
"Hmph..."
Xie Tao looked at Ning Zhu, who had made a strange sound, raising an eyebrow, "What, you want a gift too? Sure, give me money."
Ning Zhu: "Do you think I'm like you? I have plenty of money, I don't need your gift."
Xie Tao: "I don't need you to care, as long as your teacher, Teacher Chi, cares."
Ning Zhu: "..."
This guy always manages to shut him down with a single sentence, it's so frustrating, why doesn't the school offer a course on how to roast people?
Seeing that the two were about to argue, Yan Chi was prepared to slip away at any moment. He glanced in Xi Chang's direction, but unexpectedly saw a familiar player—Lin Heng's former teammate, Rong Wenshi.
Rong Wenshi also saw them. He smiled and nodded to Yan Chi, then walked over to them. He glanced at Ning Zhu and said sincerely, "Your student is very talented."
Yan Chi smiled. "He's very capable; it has nothing to do with me."
He guessed that Rong Wenshi had also participated in the freestyle swimming competition. He didn't ask about the rankings; these were sensitive questions, and a slight misstep could offend someone.
Just then, Yan Chi also had a question for Rong Wenshi, "Mr. Rong, I'd like to ask if Liu Tiancheng is your teammate?"
Rong Wenshi nodded, "Yes, does Teacher Yan Chi know him?"
"Yes, he came to our class last time looking for Sethia."
Hearing this, Rong Wenshi's brows furrowed slightly, but he quickly recovered, "He's probably worried about Xin Xia's love life. In our eyes, Xin Xia is still a child, so it's understandable that he might be overly concerned. If he did anything inappropriate, I apologize on his behalf."
Yan Chi had a good impression of Rong Wenshi, and he didn't want to make things difficult for him, "He didn't do anything... well, you don't need to apologize."
Rong Wenshi was about to say something when he suddenly looked behind Yan Chi. "Boss?"
Yan Chi turned around and saw Lin Heng and Shen Mingsu standing behind him. He looked at them in surprise. "What are you doing here?"
Shen Mingsu walked to his side and affectionately draped an arm over his shoulder. "Of course, I'm here to take you to see the excitement."
Yan Chi was puzzled. "What excitement?"
Lin Heng glanced at Xi Chang in the water and replied, "The players ran out of the hot pot restaurant, injured several shop owners in the commercial district, and are now hiding in the school."
"That's not what I'm talking about." Shen Mingsu waved his hand. He had no interest in those players who couldn't cause any trouble. He looked at Lin Heng. "The excitement I'm talking about is related to you."
Lin Heng's expression went blank for a moment, a rare occurrence.
Shen Mingsu snapped his fingers, instantly transporting him from the swimming pool to the conference room in the administration building. Xi Chang, who had been in the water just a moment ago, now sat blankly on the floor, water still dripping from its tail.
Lin Heng took out a blanket and draped it over Xi Chang, asking Shen Mingsu, "What do you mean?"
Yan Chi also looked at Shen Mingsu curiously, a guess forming in his mind. "Is it Liu Tiancheng?"
"Our little Chi teacher is so smart," Shen Mingsu said indulgently, but the next second he added pointedly, "Much better than that blind teacher surnamed Lin."
The conference room was on the third floor, with a panoramic view through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows. Shen Mingsu pointed to the windows, "They should be here soon, let's see."
The sky was dark, thick clouds shrouded the sky, as if a downpour was imminent. The campus was eerily quiet. Feng Wang and Li Huai soon came into Yan Chi's view.
They were walking along when a disheveled man rushed towards them.
Feng Wang pulled Li Huai behind him, his gaze unfriendly. "Who are you?"
"I'm Liu Tiancheng, Lin Heng's teammate." Liu Tiancheng's expression was anxious, his tone rapid. "Your teacher Yan Chi sent me to call you. Those players sent to wash dishes at the hot pot restaurant escaped and are causing chaos around the school. He asked me to call you for help."
Feng Wang chuckled. "Those low-level players need us for help?"
"Rong Wenshi is with the Termites." Liu Tiancheng suddenly dropped a bombshell. "He came to this instance to deliver a message to the Termites. Even S-rank players are troublesome for ordinary students in the school. You need to go help quickly."
Feng Wang's expression changed, finally settling on a conflicted look. "...Then I'll send my brother back first. He's defenseless; it's dangerous for him there."
Li Huai also hid behind Feng Wang.
"If you're late, everything will be over!" Liu Tiancheng looked worried about the school's survival. "How about this, you go first, I'll take your brother back for you."
Feng Wang's fist clenched for a moment, but Li Huai gently pressed his hand down. Feng Wang then said to Liu Tiancheng with a forced smile, "Okay, thank you then."
[Just wondering, what is Liu Tiancheng trying to do now?]
[Silver hair, blue eyes... Holy crap, could this NPC be related to the S-rank BOSS Tai Sui?]
[Tai Sui's child, no way... Liu Tiancheng, you're not really going to harm him, are you? He's just a child.]
[Heh, that's Tai Sui, of course we have to make the most of him, he's immortal! Who can resist the temptation of immortality?]
[…]
Liu Tiancheng eagerly pulled Li Huai away. Li Huai glanced at him, letting him lead him away from Feng Wang.
Inside the meeting room, Shen Mingsu amplified the volume of their conversation, causing Lin Heng and Rong Wenshi's faces to darken instantly.
Rong Wenshi, hearing Liu Tiancheng's slander against him, sneered, "Trying to mistake an ingrate for a human being, really..."
Lin Heng's silence was frightening. Xi Chang tugged at his hand, thought for a moment, and then handed him a piece of dried fruit.
Lin Heng looked at the dried fruit lying quietly in his palm, took a bite, and asked Shen Mingsu, "Should I go kill him now?"
"No need." Shen Mingsu remained relaxed, smiling at him, "As a teacher, don't steal your students' jobs."
While they were chatting, Yan Chi's gaze remained fixed on Li Huai. He already knew this was a trap, but he was still worried about Li Huai's safety.
After walking with Li Huai for a while, the latter suddenly stopped.
“This isn’t the way back to the apartment.” Li Huai looked at Liu Tiancheng with his light blue eyes. “Where do you want to take me?”
Liu Tiancheng noticed the wariness in Li Huai’s eyes. He chuckled softly, leaned down slightly, and pointed to the corner of his eye. “Do you see that?”
Li Huai frowned. “See what?”
“Wrinkles, more and more wrinkles.” Liu Tiancheng’s tone was like that of a kind and approachable elder. He pressed Li Huai’s shoulder, drawing closer to his face. “I don’t want to hurt your little devil, but I’m desperate. I don’t want to die. I want to live.”
Li Huai’s eyes were devoid of emotion. “But I also want to live. Nobody wants to die.”
“I know… I know.” Liu Tiancheng's grip tightened, making Li Huai's shoulder ache. "But you're different. You're born with limitless life and immense power. You…you can share some with me, okay? Even a little bit of your charity could keep me alive for a long time."
Li Huai lowered his head. Liu Tiancheng took a step closer, a flash of silver light, and a sharp blade sliced across Liu Tiancheng's neck. Liu Tiancheng reacted swiftly, leaning back to dodge.
Li Huai lunged at his arm, swinging his blade again without hesitation.
Liu Tiancheng increased the distance between them, his eyes wide with astonishment, as if he had witnessed a harmless rabbit bite off a person's head.
"I really didn't want to hurt you," Liu Tiancheng said regretfully. He lightly clenched his fist, and a silver gun appeared in his hand, aimed at Li Huai. "If you're afraid, you can close your eyes. It'll be quick."
He pulled the trigger, and a proton, carrying immense force, hurtled towards Li Huai's head.
The next second, massive dragon wings blocked the bullet, and the red dragon's vertical pupils stared directly at Liu Tiancheng. Terrifying dragonfire erupted instantly, and Liu Tiancheng's expression changed drastically. He pulled out an S-grade defensive shield to protect himself.
Before the shield melted in the dragonfire, Liu Tiancheng, sensing the danger, pulled out several teleportation items again. In just a few seconds, he barely escaped, using tens of thousands of points.
The dragon picked up Li Huai and carried him on its back, flapping its massive wings and soaring into the sky, searching for its target. Its overwhelming presence created a sense of oppression for those standing on the ground.
The players hiding throughout the school were dumbfounded. They just wanted to avoid washing dishes and run away, and now a dragon was coming after them?
The students of Class 1 stood collectively by the window, watching the dragon in the sky. A sparrow, frightened by the dragon's aura, darted around and landed lightly on Mingcai's fingertip. Mingcai looked into the sparrow's eyes, gently raised her hand, and the sparrow flew into the air.
Mingcai asked everyone with interest, "Want to play together?"
Sethia cheered, "Yay!"
Lian Deng held down the little monsters who were poised to pounce, "You all have to behave."
A tiny seed, invisible to the naked eye, drifted on the wind and landed on Ahui's hair, gently conveying Shen Mingsu's meaning to her.
"The principal lets us move freely."
Xingluo stretched, "Great! Finally, we can play freely."
Shen Chang Le glanced at him, "You have fighting power?"
Xingluo giggled and hooked his arm around his neck, "I can cheer you on."
Meanwhile, Lu Yuanming and the others, seeing the red dragon again, felt deeply moved. After hearing the conversation of these little bosses, they felt the greatest sympathy for the players.
The dragon's appearance was like a clarion call. At this moment, the students of the entire school were freed from their constraints. They would enter the game in their true forms, letting the players witness the real Yunzhou after the disguise was removed.
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