The Thirteen Trials of the Deceptive Monk

“A misjudgment is a misjudgment. Turning black into white is not the style of a witch.” Her eyes gleamed with curiosity. “I’ll remember you. I hope to have a chance to compete with you next time.”

"I apologize, but I'm a pacifist and I absolutely refuse to play PVP games. If you want to fight, I recommend contacting Faris from America... Hey, are you even listening to me?"

Pershka had already moved on to the next carriage, and the beast witches had also disappeared from sight.

Lu Wenjun wanted to turn around and call out a couple of times, but he felt dizzy and weak, and every cell in his body was screaming for food.

The door to the driver's cab opened. A slender hand held a bottle of white beverage, waving it in front of him.

"Is this your first time using the transformation technique? This kind of spell consumes a lot of mana, and if you overdo it, you can easily burn yourself out."

Lu Wenjun took the bottle with trembling hands and took a sip. The rich, sweet liquid was full of energy and immediately pulled him back from the brink of death.

"Wow, this is amazing, what is it?"

"Centaur milk."

"puff!"

Lu Wenjun almost choked. Senior Mingxiao squatted down in front of him with a mischievous smile, pointing at the bottle with her rabbit ears: "This stuff has strong magic and tastes good. It's one of the most cost-effective drinks. If you don't want to drink centaur milk, you'll have to buy some mandrake potion. That stuff is cheap, but there's a chance you'll become stiff and grow grass on your head after drinking it."

"Do you have any normal magic drinks...?"

"It's expensive, go buy it yourself."

She suddenly grasped Lü Wenjun's hand and said seriously, "Junior, you really did a great job this time. I knew I hadn't misjudged you!"

Lu Wenjun nodded repeatedly, thinking to himself, "Why are you so excited about me getting first place, senior?"

Mingxiao exclaimed, "I thought this test was a complete disaster, but you single-handedly cleaned up the mess and redeemed my participation grade! I won't say anything more, just let me know if you ever have any difficulties in the future, and I'll definitely do my best to help you!"

Lü Wenjun's expression was subtle: "Oh, okay..."

"I suggest you stop reading the original text for now. Reading this stuff is no easier than playing a transformation game. In your current state, you're likely to cause trouble."

Mingxiao conjured a glowing, thin rope, wrapped it around the original urban legend several times, and then shoved the book into his arms: "Alright, the seal is complete. The prize for first place in this year's freshman entrance exam is now officially awarded to you. Keep up the good work and strive for excellence!"

Mingxiao jumped up like a real rabbit, the button on her chest brushing against Lü Wenjun's nose. She waved her hand and leaped back into the driver's seat in two or three steps. Before the iron door closed, a low, servile plea for mercy could be faintly heard.

Lu Wenjun touched his nose, and after a moment of confusion, he realized that his reaction was really embarrassing.

Like many guys who bury themselves in their studies, his interpersonal relationships were rather dismal. From childhood to adulthood, he had never even held a girl's hand, let alone dated. In just half a day, he had interacted with women his own age more than he had in the previous 18 years combined. It's not unreasonable for him to feel a little longing, is it...?

But in any case, the matter was finally over. He held the original text and rested for a while, feeling increasingly sleepy. Afterwards, many of his monster classmates came over, some familiar and some not, all curiously inquiring about the previous test, their eyes filled with admiration.

He wanted to have a serious conversation, but he was simply too tired and just gave perfunctory answers...

He fell asleep.

·

In his dream, demons and monsters appeared one after another. First, the evil security guard from the train station threatened to capture him and stew him into a pig stew. Then, the evil ghost was kicked away by his own father. In a daze, Lü Wenjun found himself in the deep mountains, where his father was carving a Buddha statue on the mountain wall with his bare hands, rambling on to him with the same muttered words he had heard countless times.

...Your father doesn't care how well you study, but you must practice more! Because you were born weak and sickly, if you don't work hard to overcome it, you will never be able to live like a normal person...Do you think the impact resistance training has been effective?

Lu Wenjun nodded quickly and said that some of the old men were very effective. He was in very good health now and was not seriously injured even after being kicked by Huanling!

Dad was overjoyed to hear this, saying that it meant your frail physique had finally made some progress and you could train to be tougher! Today we'll do a survival simulation of a train accident!

After saying that, the old man pulled a section of carriage out of the mountain wall and smashed it down. Lü Wenjun ran like the wind, even using his spring-leg transformation, but the carriage was getting closer and closer to him, so close that he could hear the monster classmates inside whispering.

"He used the same spell as the Phantom Spirit..."

"Does this mean he has the ability to copy?"

"I've never heard of Jiang Ziya being good at this."

"Oh dear, you bunch of devils, you're so ignorant and narrow-minded!" a familiar voice said. "Don't you even realize he's a descendant of Lü Shang? What made old Master Lü famous back then?"

Another familiar male voice: "He helped the Zhou Dynasty overthrow the Shang Dynasty and fought the Investiture of the Gods war..."

"That's right, the Conferment of Godhood! What does Conferment of Godhood mean? It means sealing that bit of true spirit on a list, and whatever job you assign it, it has to do. Why don't you use a magician's mindset to look at this again?"

“Extracting the prototype…and giving it the definition of its own insertion…” The audience gasped, “This is performing a spell! Could it be?!”

"That's right! I'm absolutely certain that Lü Wenjun is using this trick." The shopkeeper lowered his voice and said mysteriously, "His closely guarded family technique is none other than the famous 'Investiture of the Gods'!"

Lu Wenjun jumped up from his seat with a start: "Farris, what nonsense are you spouting?!"

A gasp came from behind. The freshmen, who had just heard the secrets of the prestigious Lü family, scattered like birds and beasts, ready to share the huge secret of this year's top student with their classmates.

Faris rubbed his hands together, looking completely innocent: "Tell me about this, your waking up at such a convenient time..."

"If I don't get up soon, I'll become a Great Immortal!" Lu Wenjun said irritably. "The Investiture of the Gods has even come up, and you're still spouting nonsense."

“Dude, I’m helping you out. Think about it, you performed so well today, if you don’t give them an explanation, who knows what they’ll think. Now that they hear it, oh, the Investiture of the Gods, oh right, right, the classmates will understand…” Faris coaxed patiently, “As for the reasons, they’ll make sure they can explain it to you, maybe even more thoroughly than you could come up with yourself.”

"Thank you so much."

"No need for thanks, we're brothers!" Faris gave a thumbs up. "Besides, you have more to thank than me."

Linggong walked over with a smile, her fox ears twitching.

"What do you want to say to me, who worked tirelessly to successfully execute Wenjun's reckless battle plan?"

Lü Wenjun leaned back in his chair and said sincerely, "You are the smartest girl I have ever met."

"Huh?!" Ling Gong's face flushed slightly for some reason. "No! That's not what I wanted to hear!"

Lu Wenjun was taken aback, wondering if he had said something wrong. But he had never even been in a relationship, so how would he know what girls wanted to hear?

He quickly corrected himself, saying, "What I meant was that meeting you was my good fortune..."

"Whoa?!"

Ling Gong swiftly retreated two rows of seats, and Faris whistled loudly. Lu Wenjun wiped his face, finally recovering: "No, thank you! Thank you all so much for your help!"

Linggong poked half her head out from behind the seat, her face full of resentment: "You definitely did that on purpose..."

"Please believe me, I really didn't mean it. I was just too exhausted and my brain went blank." Lü Wenjun shook his head vigorously. "About the spell..."

"You don't need to go into details."

Vilsa leaned against the carriage wall and nodded to him: "We come from all over the world and have different purposes for studying. You and I have our own secrets, but we don't have to explain them clearly."

Ling Gong smiled in agreement, while Faris was taken aback: "What do you mean you guys have secrets too? Am I the only one who's here purely to study?"

“…” Vilsa looked away, “On this train…”

"Were you deliberately avoiding me just now? Please look me in the eye!"

Vilsa coughed heavily: "There are definitely more than five new students who have mastered magic on this train, yet only a few of us fought to the end. The thoughts of the others are quite clear. I can understand their considerations, but I find that kind of cowardly behavior really boring. It's much more pleasant to communicate with people like you!"

Virsa was outspoken, and everyone smiled knowingly, lightly brushing the topic aside.

Lu Wenjun took out the original copy of "Urban Legends," and only now did he have time to examine his spoils. The book had a strangely textured leather cover, the title was in exaggerated artistic lettering reminiscent of cheap street literature, and the author's name was printed on the spine: Pex Bill.

He held up the original text and said seriously, "Let's talk about something cheerful. We've made a profit from the school this time. I definitely couldn't win by myself alone. How about we split this book?"

The carriage fell silent instantly; the three men looked at each other as if they were seeing a millionaire running naked in the street.

"What kind of rude looks are those?"

"Now I truly believe you are a reclusive master raised by an ancient immortal." Faris's eyes were fixed on him.

Are there any issues with the shared rewards after completing a raid?

"Do you know how much this thing is worth?!" Faris exclaimed, "This isn't a copy you can buy with money, it's the original manuscript! If you throw it out, it can generate a small secret realm on its own, and if you expand it into that realm, it can be a family heirloom for a powerful faction!"

Linggong continued, "Moreover, most original texts only tell one story or mention one or two prototypes before ending. This book, 'Urban Legends,' is a rare monograph, containing more than a hundred prototypes of spells... Do you understand what I mean?"

"You can learn hundreds of spells just from this original text. Those spells aren't in the textbooks; only you can know them!"

Ling Gong and Faris spoke eagerly, afraid that the idiotic genius might mistake gold for brass. Lü Wenjun raised his hands in surrender: "Okay, okay, I understand. This just shows how profound this book is; I can't possibly finish reading it all by myself..."

Ling Gong sighed, "Can you please stop being so stupid...?"

"Books are meant to be read."

Lu Wenjun genuinely didn't care. On one hand, he wasn't a monster but a human, and his ability to learn magic relied entirely on the single eye on the back of his hand. That thing had a consumption limit, so it was hard to say how much he could learn from this original text.

On the other hand, "Urban Legends" is an "alternative" source text, which sounds like a very basic level. Why bother nitpicking about it?

Vilsa noticed his gaze and shook her head first: "I didn't participate in the battle, I only dealt with some phantoms by chance, so I shouldn't be able to read this book for free. But I think the other two are qualified."

Lu Wenjun said sternly, "Did you hear that! Say it again and we're no longer friends!"

Faris ruffled his hair into a mess: "Oh my god, I feel like I'm about to revert to my demonic bloodline! I'm so greedy... Enough of this nonsense, I really crave it. Just once! Can I borrow it once before the midterms?"

Linggong clenched her fist: "Then please let me see it once before my final exams~"

"Okay, that's settled then. You can change the time if you want."

Lu Wenjun put down the original text and chatted casually with his newly acquainted friends, feeling his tense state of mind gradually calm down after getting on the bus.

There are still many things to worry about, and the situation is far from secure, but the monster classmates are actually quite easy to get along with... Perhaps I can relax a little and find out what I care about most.

"Speaking of which, how do we leave school after we enroll?" Lü Wenjun asked tentatively. "We also want to go home for holidays."

“How novel! We’re already in a Mythic+ dungeon and we’re still leaving the school,” Faris said.

Lu Wenjun's heart skipped a beat: "What do you mean?"

“Trista Magic Academy operates under a completely closed management system. Except for the flying train at the beginning and end of each semester, no students are allowed to enter or leave,” Ling Gong explained. “It’s said that this is to protect the students’ safety, and also to protect the outside world and other secret realms from being harmed by the school’s students…”

"Not allowing anyone to leave campus for an entire semester?! That's outrageous!" Lü Wenjun exclaimed in shock. "What about other modes of transportation besides trains? It's impossible for everyone to travel by train, right?!"

“It is said that once you reach the Legendary level, you can apply for a pass to enter and exit the barrier, which is a kind of proof of strength,” Vilsa said. “In addition, my family has instructed me that attempting to enter or exit the barrier without permission may result in arrest, so you should also be careful not to break the rules.”

"What do you mean by arrest?! This isn't a school, it's a prison!"

Faris said in a mature tone, "You have to think about the people outside the school. If even one of these monsters from the school gets out and frightens innocent citizens, it will severely damage the school's reputation. I think these university students need to be strictly controlled!"

"What the hell? You just don't want to go home, right?!"

"The Great Mythic Realm is so liberating, why go back to America?" Faris gave a thumbs up. "Just imagine, this is almost five months of carefree life. No need to worry about being questioned by the cops or having your identity exposed. The wonderful campus life is about to begin!"

Five, months?

Starting from September 1st, winter break won't begin until January of next year... I'll have to pretend to be a "genius magician" for at least another six months before I can escape this godforsaken place!

Lu Wenjun's face turned green: "Ah wah, woo ah ah, ah wah woo ah..."

"Wenjun's complexion suddenly turned into a healthy color, like vegetables."

"Are you carsick? This slope is quite steep."

The flying train was shaking, and the flapping wings on both sides of the carriages smoothly adjusted their angles. Outside the window, the darkening sky tilted, and the train was heading towards the earth.

“We’re almost there,” Vilsa said.

Lu Wenjun looked out the window in despair, waiting for the clouds to disperse... waiting for the moment his fate would be sealed...

He saw the fog. Fleeting, ambiguous, ethereal fog, like a veil, drifted across the jewel-like surface of the lake. The lake was so vast, it was almost like an inland ocean. The sound of rushing water surged ahead of the train, a noise that instantly engulfed the entire world.

“My God,” he said.

It was a waterfall! A colossal waterfall, a kilometer wide! Tens of thousands of tons of water cascaded from its height into the lake, like a pure white wall dividing the world. Above the waterfall was a dark forest encircling the water, with winding paths leading to crystal-studded mountains. A deep blue castle stood atop those crystal mountains, so ancient and majestic, like a king overlooking the entire world.

Mingxiao stepped out of the driver's seat and stood behind the stunned freshmen.

“Welcome to Trista, the Great Mythic+,” she said.

Chapter 12 A Simple and Honest School Spirit and Harmonious Academic Atmosphere (Thanks to the six patrons, double update today)

"This train has arrived at its final destination: Frosty Lake Station. Please take your belongings with you when you disembark. If any items are left behind, the school will return them to their respective residences, but the little devils may play pranks on them along the way..."

Lu Wenjun got off the bus with his backpack and suitcase, and stood on the misty lakeside.

Pearly shadows drifted through the mist, and translucent ghosts swayed back and forth along the lakeshore, observing the complexions of the new students. Schools of brightly scaled fish swam across the lake, heading straight for the waterfall. Occasionally, a few small fish would leap out of the water, joining the march towards the great falls.

In his despair, Lü Wenjun felt a headache coming on: "The waterfall comes out of the mountains, and there's a lake below... How does the water circulate at all...?"

“Water has its own way of doing things.” Senior Mingxiao jumped out of the car, followed by Professor Ji Chuanjun. “I suggest you discard your common sense as soon as possible, otherwise you’ll find this academic path very tiring—Old France? Old France, have you arrived yet?”

"Hey, here I come!"

A cluster of firelight approached from afar, and the fog around the station dissipated, revealing a gleaming golden skull.

The skeleton was as passionate as the blazing sun, its entire body ablaze with golden flames, and its motorcycle suit emitting a burnt smell.

Many female trainees gasped and retreated back into the train. The old man grinned at them with his thin, fleshy mouth and said, "Don't judge a book by its cover. I'm an instructor! A professional driver!"

"Do you still have any looks?" Faris asked.

"Ah ha, someone's telling me a skull joke! You guys have really developed a thick skin." Old Fa's teeth chattered. "Come on, all of you, quickly pack your bags and get in the car. On your first day at school, I'll show you around our school."