My avatar is becoming the final boss

Chapter 362 Lin Xingshi's Reminiscences, the Great Khan's Invitation (Two Chapters Combined, Seeking Monthly Tickets)
"Let me formally introduce you four. This is our Ghost Train crew's genius exorcist—'Master Mai'." Ke Qirui's voice echoed in the deathly silent carriage, reaching the ears of the four Lake Hunters.

So they all turned their heads and cast their gazes toward the shortest girl in the carriage wearing a hoodie.

Su Zimai froze, her face turning completely red, feeling both ashamed and annoyed.

She was already in a bad mood, and she never expected that the leader would introduce her like that in front of the four most powerful exorcists in the world. It was like praising a third-dan Go player's calculation ability in front of a world Go champion.

If she is a genius, then what are these four people standing in front of her? They've brought shame upon themselves. Thinking of this, Su Zimai raised her head and stared straight at Ke Qirui, her eyes filled with silent resentment and shame.

"Does Mai Mai have a problem with looking at me like that?" Ke Qirui took a puff of his cigarette, put down the pipe, and asked with a smile, "Next time, you can just introduce yourself. Our Mai Mai is still the same as always; she only relaxes in front of her own people."

She actually hoped that Su Zimai could change her mood and not be so immersed in the grief of losing her family. She was so absent-minded every day.

In this respect alone, Ke Qirui has done a great job.

In that instant, Su Zimai wished she could immediately lock Ke Qirui in the magic wardrobe and send her out of the carriage to keep that giant bee with three pairs of wings company.

Of course, whether we'll actually run into each other is another matter.

"Commander, I'll settle accounts with you later," Su Zimai said in a low voice, annoyed.

"Why 'after a while'?" Ke Qirui asked softly.

“I’ll tell Grandpa when I see him,” Su Zimai said. “I’ll tell him that his good daughter bullied me, and see whose side he’s really on.”

“Oh my, our MaiMai has found a backer too.” Ke Qirui smiled. “But my adoptive father and I haven’t been in contact for a long time. He occasionally contacts me, but it’s just to ask about you. Our relationship is quite strained.”

She thought for a moment, "Hmm... should I say I'm too rebellious, or he's too old-fashioned? Maybe both?"

"So, it turns out that Su Wei's maternal grandfather didn't get along with either of his daughters." Su Zimai was taken aback. "He didn't get along with my mother, and he didn't get along with you either."

“His personality is not suited to be a father. He loves peace and quiet, but he is also afraid of being alone. He is terribly contradictory,” Ke Qirui said. “In addition, he always clings to his own set of rules and is stubborn. Anyone who spends too much time with him will find him annoying.”

"Is that how you talk about your adoptive father?" Su Zimai gave her a disdainful look.

"What can't be said?" Ke Qirui said calmly. "But it's quite good for him to be a grandfather. That way, he doesn't have to appear in front of you every day, and he can still secretly care about you and arrange your future. Where else in the world can you find such a good grandfather?"

"Don't say anything, I've never actually even met him." Su Zimai frowned.

"There's nothing we can do; that's just the kind of person he is," Ke Qirui said with a smile.

At this moment, Lin Xingshi had already shifted her gaze from the window. She tilted her head and looked curiously at Su Zimai, observing how she chatted with Ke Qirui.

Su Zimai was at a loss for what to do and didn't know how to react.

"As for Xiaomai, Jiuya and I have already met her." Zhuge Hui waved his folding fan and said in a relaxed tone, "When we were having dinner in Lijing that time, I think her brother was there too, um, what was his name again... Gu Wenyu?"

Su Zimai was stunned.

She lowered her head and remained silent for a moment, then turned to look at Zhuge Hui, who had a smile on his face, handsome features, and a sharp, sword-like glint in his eyes.

Lin Xingshi raised an eyebrow, then quickly raised his hand and put his arm around Zhuge Hui's shoulder.

"What's wrong? Did I say something inappropriate?" Zhuge Hui asked.

Lin Xingshi whispered in his ear, "Her brother just passed away, don't bring up things that are hard to talk about."

Zhuge Hui was taken aback, then looked at Su Zimai, raised his folding fan to cover his face, "The one I was talking about? No way, only a month has passed and he's already gone?"

“Hmm.” Lin Xingshi nodded. “Old Crow attended his funeral yesterday. The details are a bit complicated. If you’re interested, you can ask him about it later.”

"Oh dear, how rude of me..." Zhuge Hui patted his head with his folding fan, looking at Su Zimai apologetically. She remained expressionless, simply watching him quietly.

At this moment, Lin Xingshi spoke up, politely curving the corners of his mouth at her, "Hello, you're 'Genius Exorcist Master Mai Mai,' right?"

“Don’t call me that, my name is Su Zimai,” Su Zimai said calmly.

"I am Lin Xingshi, the current captain of the Lake Hunters." Lin Xingshi crossed his arms. "We should have met once before, at Lin Zhengquan's funeral?"

"Yes, I've met you once."

As Su Zimai spoke, she looked at the teenager with thick eyebrows and big eyes with vigilance and suspicion.

After imagining it in my mind for a moment, I realized that although Lin Xingshi's features were somewhat androgynous, he would definitely be very beautiful with long hair.

However, she deliberately dressed herself up as a boy, and did so so perfectly that there was not a single flaw. She not only drew her eyebrows but also cut her hair short in a masculine style. However, the braid that did not match her hair color was really eye-catching.

Su Zimai had heard the troupe leader say that the reason Lin Xingshi dressed like this was because the Lin family's rules stipulated that each generation of Lake Hunters could only be male, a rule that had never changed since ancient times.

Therefore, the Lin family lied to the outside world about Lin Xingshi's gender and raised her as a boy from childhood, requiring her to dress as a boy and behave in a masculine manner as much as possible, and never give herself away.

This means that Lin Xingshi may be the first female member in all these generations of lake hunters.

Although it was against the rules, the other major families turned a blind eye, knowing that making Lin Xingshi the heir of Lake Hunting was an inevitable thing.

After all, Lin Xingshi's talent was undeniable. If the best young people of our time could be considered gems at best, then she was a volcano, a volcano about to erupt. Among exorcists of her generation, no one could shine brighter than her.

After hearing her story, Su Zimai just hoped these old-fashioned feudalists would explode soon. But since Lin Xingshi himself didn't seem to have any objections, she couldn't say anything and could only avoid the topic.

“I’ve heard a lot about your family from Jiu Ya,” Lin Xing Shi suddenly said.

"Just say what you want to say."

"Your family is quite extraordinary, isn't it?" Lin Xingshi started a conversation. "Putting everything else aside, I know Gui Zhong and Lan Hu. They are both very famous people."

"I guess so, but that's not something I can decide," Su Zimai said absentmindedly.

“Yes, I understand that feeling.” Lin Xingshi nodded, resting his chin on his hand as he pondered.

"Do you really understand?" Su Zimai asked, seemingly unconvinced.

“Of course I understand.” Lin Xingshi scratched his chin, glanced at the ceiling, and muttered, “How should I put it? I’m surrounded by shrewd old monsters who are always pointing fingers at me. Every now and then I think about turning my whole family upside down, and sometimes I wish I had been born into an ordinary family…”

"What terrible things are you talking about?" Su Zimai felt something was off as she listened, and was slightly surprised. She thought to herself, what does it mean to destroy one's entire family? Is this something a captain of the Lake Hunting should say?

"Oh... I accidentally blurted out what was on my mind." Lin Xingshi raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Sorry, just pretend you didn't hear what I just said."

"Is she just naturally naive or is she cunning?" Su Zimai took a while to recover, then leaned close to Ke Qirui's ear, squinted her eyes, and whispered, "If what she said got out, how much gossip would it cause?"

“I guess so…” Ke Qirui said softly, “Don’t let Miss Awakening’s appearance fool you, she’s actually quite rebellious at heart.”

"How rebellious?" Su Zimai said in a low voice, "If she's really rebellious, why would she, having become the world's number one exorcist, still listen to her family and dress as a boy? Could it be that she was born wanting to be a boy?"

Ke Qirui shook her head. "I don't know much about him. I only know that Lin Xingshi ran away from home for a while when he was a child."

"runaway?"

"Yes, she terrified the entire Lin family back then. After all, there aren't many monsters like her who awakened the Skyward Ability at the age of four. If she got lost, where would we find her?"

"You awakened the Sky Chaser at the age of four?" Su Zimai paused for a moment, then asked, almost emphasizing each word.

She originally thought that she was already very powerful because she awakened the Sky Drive at the age of fifteen, but she didn't expect that there were people who were even stronger. Why didn't they say that they awakened the Sky Drive while still in the womb?

"Otherwise what?" Ke Qirui lit his pipe. "Her talent is undeniable. She showed signs of it from a young age. It was expected that she would become the world's number one exorcist. Of course... now that we know there is such an organization as the 'Salvation Society,' I wouldn't be surprised if there are even more powerful exorcists hidden within it."

Su Zimai asked, puzzled, "You yourself said that Lin Xingshi is already the number one person at the Calamity level, so is there anyone more powerful than her?"

“Maybe there are restricted-level members in the Salvation Society?” Ke Qirui said casually. “Compared to restricted-level members, natural disaster-level members are nothing. Besides, didn’t we see those monster kids the other day? The kid with the game console locked us in Jurassic World. He’s also an exorcist. In my opinion, his potential is no less than Lin Xingshi’s, and even… better.”

"Forget it, let's not talk about the Salvation Society, it's too unlucky." Su Zimai shook her head.

She thought for a moment, then lowered her voice and asked, "Speaking of which, since she ran away from home, why did she come back later?"

"I don't know, only the Lin family knows about this." Ke Qirui shook her head.

"Can't you all be quiet for a bit?" Zhou Jiuya suddenly spoke up, asking coldly, "Aren't you letting people get some sleep?"

Su Zimai turned her head and looked at the man who was still wearing a Zhongshan suit and had his hair slicked back. He was very recognizable and could be seen at a glance from 800 meters away.

Unfortunately, she had a very bad impression of Zhou Jiuya, thinking that this guy was arrogant and conceited. But he was the one with the best relationship with Ke Qirui in the Lake Hunting Club, and he was also very capable, so no one could argue with him. That was the most infuriating thing.

“Zhou Jiuya, you’re just like my old man, both loving peace and quiet and afraid of being alone. If you want to sleep, just find an empty carriage, right?” Ke Qirui turned her head and glanced at him. “Heh, you’ve reminded me…” Zhou Jiuya tilted his head and said impatiently, then opened his pale golden eyes.

He got up from his seat, turned around, and walked into carriage number two.

“Alright, then I’ll find a quiet place to sit down while you guys chat,” Zhong Wujiu suddenly said. Surprisingly, his voice, coming from behind the mask, wasn’t hoarse, but rather slightly indifferent.

"So eager to leave?" Lin Xingshi glanced at him. "Aren't you going to introduce yourself to the little sister?"

"You can introduce it yourself." After saying that, Zhong Wujiu followed Zhou Jiuya.

Lin Xingshi shrugged, a smile playing on his lips.

“Sorry, that’s just how our crow is.” Zhuge Hui waved his folding fan. “We’ve tried to train him many times, but he just won’t change.”

"It's okay, I'm not familiar with him anyway," Su Zimai said nonchalantly.

Lin Xingshi suddenly said, "Let me introduce this man to you. His name is Zhong Wujiu. He is the second strongest in our area. The Sky Chariots are 'Nuomian' (傩面). I don't know if you've ever heard of this culture."

"Nuo noodles?"

Su Zimai raised an eyebrow, clearly not understanding. She knew very little about traditional culture. She knew about well-known things like lion dances and the Nian beast, but not about Nuo masks.

“All you need to know is that these are a pair of masks.” Ke Qirui took a drag of his cigarette and explained, “It is said that each of Zhong Wujiu’s masks is related to monsters recorded in the Classic of Mountains and Seas and the Book of the Later Han Dynasty. I don’t know the specifics. You can ask Sister Xing Shi if she is willing to tell you.”

"But wasn't the Classic of Mountains and Seas written by ancient exorcists? Were all the monsters in it real demons?" Su Zimai knew this much.

"It's a long story, and Lao Zhong doesn't like us revealing his affairs so easily," Zhuge Hui joked. "He's a bit... reserved, or to put it nicely, slow to warm up."

Lin Xingshi also said, "When you become a third-tier exorcist, we might have the opportunity to work together. At that time, I will take you to see Zhong Wujiu's strength with your own eyes. There is a reason why he ranks second among us."

"Actually, I'm not really interested, but thank you for your kindness." Su Zimai nodded. "Can I ask you a question?"

"What question?" Lin Xingshi said casually, "Just ask."

“My commander said you ran away from home once before. Why?” Su Zimai said in a low voice. “I also ran away from home once, so I’m a little curious.”

Lin Xingshi raised his eyebrows slightly, lowered his head and thought for a moment, then said lightly, "It's nothing, I just don't really like the people in my family. I wasn't very sensible when I was a child."

"Is it because they want you to dress as a boy? You look so pretty," Su Zimai asked.

Lin Xingshi paused for a moment, then looked up and met Su Zimai's gaze, and smiled silently.

"Looks like I was right?"

"Otherwise what?" Lin Xingshi tilted his head.

"But...you're already so powerful now, do you still need to let them manipulate you?" Su Zimai looked at Lin Xingshi's attire with confusion. "If you don't like it, why do you have to obey?"

Lin Xingshi remained silent, his smile fading slightly.

Zhuge Hui put away his folding fan and chuckled softly, "Little sister is so outspoken. Even we ourselves don't dare to mention such a sensitive topic."

“Xiaomai, many things are not as simple as you think. This world is very complicated,” Ke Qirui suddenly said, raising her hand and forcefully ruffling Su Zimai’s hair.

"It's not that complicated, really. I hope you can always stay this pure." Lin Xingshi chuckled. "In the eyes of a pure person, the world is not complicated."

She spoke softly, slowly glancing at the scenery outside the car window, her long, fiery red braid swaying slightly behind her head.

Lin Xingshi found the spacetime turbulence before him novel and captivating, the scenery appearing chaotic and disorderly.

Sometimes she could see scenes from her childhood in them, but the old streets, ponds, and dilapidated houses in her memory were nowhere to be seen now.

So this feeling is quite wonderful, like a series of faded old photos passing by, making one's thoughts drift unconsciously to the past.

Whenever she saw such a scene, a familiar yet unfamiliar figure would appear in her mind: a boy with a tuft of purplish-red hair on his forehead.

"Miss Ke's train demon is really interesting. It must have been a very enjoyable experience to take such a ride," said Lin Xingshi.

"Really?" Ke Qirui said. "I think it's no different from a regular train, except that the scenery outside the window is a bit special."

"It is indeed very special, as these are all landscapes that can never be revisited," Lin Xingshi said casually.

"After all, times have changed so fast. The world we live in now is completely different from the world we lived in when we were kids," Ke Qirui said softly, glancing up at Lin Xingshi's profile.

Lin Xingshi remained silent, his gaze vacant as he stared blankly out the window.

"Miss Awakening Lion, is someone you're thinking of?" Ke Qirui asked curiously, a pipe dangling from her lips.

Lin Xingshi was silent for a moment, then shook his head. "Just a friend who got lost."

Zhuge Hui remained silent, only waving his folding fan and chuckling softly.

Su Zimai simply sat down and started playing with her phone. Inadvertently, she typed "Black Chrysalis" into the blank search box and stared blankly at her reflection on the screen.

The train demon was still speeding through the tunnel, the rumbling of the engine still echoing in our ears. The few people in the carriage were doing their own things, as quiet as pieces of paper cutouts.

In another corner of the world, in the forest behind Lingxin Lake on Haifan Mountain, the little Nian beast awoke at dusk on August 18th. It opened its eyes from a huge branch and looked down at the lantern demon, which had been ruined by its saliva.

The setting sun cast a crimson glow, a slanting ray of light filtering through the fiery red maple leaves and landing on the little Nian beast's face. A breeze blew through the high treetops.

"Thank you for your hard work," said the little Nian beast, patting the lantern demon with its paw. "I can only sleep when there's a light."

A moment later, a rustling sound suddenly came from the woods, followed by heavy footsteps.

The little Nian beast raised its eyebrows and glanced to the side, only to see a giant purplish-red lion walking towards them from a distance.

The Great Lord of the Year Beast had already shrunk considerably, to only four or five meters in length, seemingly to facilitate movement through the forest without disturbing other demons.

It strolled over, slowly raised its purplish-red eyes, and stared at the little Nian beast in the tree.

"Would you like to go for a walk with me?" After a long silence, the Great King of Nian asked. Its voice was still as powerful and majestic as it had been in the past, exuding authority without anger.

Ten years isn't a long time for a Nian beast's lifespan; it wouldn't cause such a dramatic change in an already aged lion. The Great King was still the same as the Little Nian beast remembered, but it could vaguely sense that something had changed.

The little Nian beast nodded silently, then tumbled down from the branch.

The Great Lord of the Year Beast glanced at him, then stepped into the forest and slowly walked towards the direction of Spirit Heart Lake.

Father and son walked one in front and one behind, with the little Nian beast quietly following behind the Nian beast lord.

The forest was quiet, with colorful leaves fluttering in the air, the most striking of which were the maple and banyan trees.

Mount Haifan has all kinds of trees, some that bloom in spring and some that bloom in summer... Even when the climate and seasons are unfavorable, they can survive, thanks to the protection of the Nian Beast King. Wherever each generation of the Nian Beast King passes, withered flowers will bloom again and withered trees will grow back.

Everywhere you look, the branches are lush and the flowers are in full bloom; everything is a scene of prosperity and flourishing.

The little Nian beast seemed to still be able to recall the scene from that year, when they were walking on the same road, with fiery red maple leaves swirling down and forming a crimson path.

However, back then, the Great Khan would carry its body in his mouth and lead it through the forest.

When crossing Lingxin Lake, the Great King would use his claws to press the Little Nian Beast onto the lotus leaves, for fear that it would fall into the lake.

But things are different now. The little Nian beast simply followed quietly behind its father, slowly passing through the forest and arriving at the edge of that clear blue lake.

The Lotus Leaf Demon rode the wind and waves, rushing towards them, its face contorted with tension.

The Great King glanced at the Lotus Leaf Demon, then looked back at the Little Year Beast, before ascending atop the lotus leaf.

The father and son sat silently on a huge lotus leaf and slowly drifted across Lingxin Lake. Ripples spread across the lake, blurring the reflections of the two lions, one large and one small.

After passing through Lingxin Lake, the Great Lord of the Nian Beasts led the Little Nian Beasts through the tunnel made of flowers and thorns. The setting sun rushed towards them, and looking down from the cliff, a maple forest swayed in the wind, rising and falling like fiery red waves.

At this moment, the sun is setting in the west, slowly sinking below the horizon, forming a complete circle with the half-sun reflected on the sea.

The Great Nian Beast lay down atop a high cliff, and the Little Nian Beast silently lay down beside it. A sea breeze blew by, and the fur of the two lions swayed slightly.

A silent stillness, along with the afterglow of the setting sun, enveloped the two for a long time. Then, the hoarse voice of the Nian Beast King rang out, "Tell me, where have you been all these years, and what have you been doing?"

(End of this chapter)