The Thirteen Trials of the Deceptive Monk

He didn't think this was excessive tension, after all, intelligence organizations were actually quite unreliable. For example, the seasoned, highly skilled real agent who was supposed to infiltrate the academy had his identity mysteriously stolen by him, and his whereabouts remain unknown to this day…

Thinking about this, Lü Wenjun felt puzzled. Where had the real agent, Vess, gone? Logically, even if he missed the train due to an accident, a seasoned agent should have found a way to infiltrate the secret realm. But a week into the semester, no transfer students had arrived, and none of the current freshmen seemed like agents. Considering the real agent's mysterious disappearance, without even communicating with the organization…

Could he have been arrested by the mastermind behind spreading the news about "The Jade Record"?

"Grass……"

The more Lü Wenjun thought about it, the more likely this development seemed. Judging from the advance leak of information, the possible mastermind likely possessed some intelligence within the organization, and it made perfect sense for them to ambush the unsuspecting agent. At this very moment, the real agent, Vess, was probably in some desolate corner of the Amazon rainforest, undergoing inhumane torture at the hands of the mastermind…

Lu Wenjun clasped his hands together and silently prayed for the unknown agent, hoping that he had simply missed his train due to a work mishap and hadn't actually died. After washing up, he began preparing breakfast for two.

All you can do for a stranger is pray, after all, even the fake agent has a lot to do...

He still owes a mountain of favors.

It was only a little before eight o'clock. Lü Wenjun leisurely prepared the ingredients, estimating that breakfast would start around eight-thirty. However, the mature woman's tendency to stay in bed far exceeded his expectations. It wasn't until nearly 9:40 that he heard the door open upstairs. By then, Lü Wenjun had already been looking at his class notes in the living room for a while.

He raised his hand to greet her: "Good morning, senior."

A mature woman, dressed in fluffy pajamas, wearing a nightcap, and sporting two drooping rabbit ears, slid down the stair railing like a lump of mud. Her limp, unsteady gait was enough to put even the most authentic slime to shame.

"Oh, good morning."

The mud monster's rabbit ears spun halfway around like antennas, continuously emitting indescribable babbling.

"Fu-wu?" (Where's the food?)

Lu Wenjun closed his notebook: "It'll get cold if you do it too early. Senior, you can go wash up."

"Mmm."

The rabbit-eared, mushy creature wriggled into the first-floor restroom with a strange rhythm. About ten minutes later, a mysterious chestnut-haired beauty stepped into the restaurant, looking refreshed.

"Breakfast today is... oh my, char siu sushi and milk tea! So good!"

Lu Wenjun put down his plate and cutlery and returned the smile.

No matter how many times I watch it, it's still amazing. Muk can turn into a beautiful girl in just ten minutes; the world of magic is truly wonderful.

Mingxiao had only taken two bites when he glanced at him sideways and said, "You little brat, are you talking bad about me behind my back?"

"No, how could that be? Has there ever been even the slightest thing on my honest face that could be detrimental to you?"

"Who was the person who used a suspicious surgical technique to harm me a few days ago?"

"That is a kind of subtle expression of goodwill unique to us Easterners. It is a logic of deliberately showing the strength gained through guidance in order to express gratitude to the mentor."

Mingxiao facepalmed: "Ah, stop, stop! This is giving me a headache. I need to use my precious mouth to eat, so I don't want to argue with you. I declare myself the winner."

"Okay."

After spending a few days together, Lü Wenjun felt that the people on campus had a biased view of Mingxiao.

Rumors circulate that Mingxiao is short-tempered, moody, and prone to violence, with a multitude of trigger points—these are exaggerated but largely true. However, what these rumors don't mention is that Mingxiao has extremely poor self-care skills, is incredibly careless, has time management skills comparable to a primary school student, and her image management is abysmal.

She can wander around the house for half a day in her fluffy pajamas without any psychological burden, and she can also turn a freshly cleaned hall into a doghouse in just two hours. She can make the freshman entrance exam into a hellish difficulty with her unique understanding, and she can also forget her jade pendant on the cabinet after chatting and then spend half an hour looking for it and get so angry that she can't find it.

In the less than a week since they started living together, Lü Wenjun's eyes had undergone a series of changes: awe, unease, confusion, astonishment, and then subtle shifts. His respect for his live-in partner plummeted like the first half of a cosine function, rapidly approaching zero. But now, sitting at the dining table, his eyes were filled with contentment and peace.

The fact that a child can eat, breathe, and talk on her own is already quite remarkable. We can't ask for more from her.

"If you keep plotting something underhanded like this, I'm going to start reading your mind right here and now," Mingxiao said.

The senior student possesses an almost animalistic keenness in her intuition, which may be an advantage stemming from her overly naive thinking.

Lu Wenjun pondered for a moment and said, "Senior, you misunderstood. Actually, I was thinking about repaying a debt of gratitude."

Mingxiao waved her fork enthusiastically: "Oh ho, you Easterners really do value gratitude. Come on, tell me! How are you going to repay me for taking care of you for free? Shall we perform a hula dance?"

Lu Wenjun almost choked: "Can we please stop talking about grass skirts?!"

"Hey~~ You were the one who dressed up as a caveman, and you even proudly showed it to the whole school." Mingxiao grinned mischievously.

“I already said it was an accident!” Lu Wenjun cleared his throat. “My original plan was to work hard to earn magic coins, then observe and figure out your preferences in private, use the money I saved to buy you some jewelry or magic tools, and then find a nice day off to invite you out for a day and give you a gift to express my gratitude.”

Mingxiao nodded repeatedly: "And then?"

"Then I realized that this process felt like I was pursuing someone, so I gave up decisively." Lu Wenjun spread his hands. "It would be counterproductive to make the other person unhappy in order to repay a debt of gratitude, and it would be impolite to secretly observe in order to guess what other people are thinking. I might as well just stay the same and do my best to do whatever my senior needs."

Mingxiao grabbed his shoulder and said with a wicked smile, "That's right, in the social interactions of mages, a sense of distance is very important! Those who don't know their place might get blasted away by fireballs."

"Senior, if you could let go of my hand first, the sense of distance would be more convincing."

Mingxiao said smugly, "So-called sense of distance means that I can create any distance I want, but you can only come this far and never cross it."

Lü Wenjun exclaimed, "Such a righteous and righteous robber's logic makes one want to applaud."

"Approved! Clap!"

Lu Wenjun clapped his hands solemnly, offering his applause with the attitude of a theatrical audience member. Mingxiao nodded repeatedly, then laughed so hard he collapsed onto the table.

"What's wrong with you?"

"I have been steadily progressing towards my goal of becoming a socially adept person who can read people's expressions and demeanor."

"That sounds incredibly boring. I hope it doesn't turn out like that." Mingxiao handed over an empty plate. "Do you have time in the morning?"

"I'm available anytime if you need me, senior."

Mingxiao's mouth curved into a cat-like smile: "Then let's discuss the issue of debts of gratitude~?"

Lu Wenjun's heart skipped a beat, thinking that the inevitable had finally arrived!

Legend has it that the worst thing you can do in the underworld is to owe favors, because favors are not quantifiable but rather elusive, and once they're repaid, it's often not up to one person to decide. Especially when a righteous hero owes a favor to a woman in white, the entanglements are endless. The cycle of repaying favors often extends from the martial world to the bedroom, ultimately leaving the heroic couple as landlords and cooks – a truly tragic situation.

But the rumors in the martial arts world didn't say what to do if you owed the Demon King a favor. Presumably, it's because if the Demon King is willing to help you, whether you owe him or not doesn't matter; you're destined to be a member of the Demon King's army. Just obediently accept the Demon King's reward and become his lackey, waiting for the day when the heroes come knocking and shout "Eat up!" and you're ready to die...

This time, the Great Demon King of Mingxiao did not bestow upon him the Dark Armor or the title of one of the Four Heavenly Kings, but instead gave him a stone.

The stone is a deep black obsidian, square and about the size of a dictionary. Such a stone, if used for recording things, would naturally not have "pages," so the sides of the stone slab only have countless tiny inscriptions, somewhere between paintings and writing.

The words glowed faintly when they were looked at, their blood-red orange tinged with darkness, like a dying sunset.

"...!"

Lu Wenjun was so engrossed in watching that he only snapped out of it when Mingxiao patted his back hard.

"After such a big lesson in the first class, haven't you learned not to look at original texts indiscriminately?" the senior student said irritably.

"I thought there would at least be a cover or something..."

“High-level original texts don’t contain anything that’s friendly. Just think of it as a suspicious item from the Cthulhu Mythos. If you don’t have the strength to even see it, you’ll pass the mental pollution test.” Mingxiao casually grabbed the lampshade and covered the obsidian slab. “Now it’s time for you to pay your rent…”

She hesitated, then put her hands behind her back and paced back and forth in front of Lü Wenjun. Her expression was quite similar to Professor Ji's.

“It’s like this,” Mingxiao said. “This book is one of my… research projects. Just think of it as one of my… graduate research projects.”

"Oh." Lü Wenjun nodded.

“But it’s very difficult to read.” Mingxiao’s ears were taut. “Even with my knowledge, it’s extremely difficult to begin. I’ve been trying for years, but my progress is minimal. You know, this topic is very important for us… upperclassmen, so I really hope to be able to decipher this book… Ugh!!”

Mingxiao rubbed his head vigorously, and his beautiful chestnut hair became frizzy due to his emotions.

"No, don't misunderstand, it's not such a difficult request. I know you have your own methods, but I didn't mean to make things difficult for a freshman!" she said irritably. "I just... how should I put it... I want to extract as much information as possible from this book, a few words, a picture, anything that can serve as a clue will be enough..."

Lü Wenjun didn't interrupt, listening quietly. Mingxiao took a deep breath.

“So, I hope you can try to help me decipher this original text,” she said. “I will provide you with magic to filter out impurities, so there’s no need to worry about safety. Just give it a try and see if you can glean anything…”

Mingxiao paused, and the inexplicable anxiety turned into frustration as she explained, causing her tone to drop.

"Of course, that's just my personal expectation. It's good if you can get some feeling, but it doesn't matter if you can't read it. I will guarantee your safety 100%, so there's no need to worry. If you have any concerns, we can sign a contract, or find someone else to help protect you. If you think it's necessary, I can go find a professor to supervise you right now. In short..."

“Senior,” Lu Wenjun interrupted, “this book is very important to you, isn’t it? Not ‘academics,’ but ‘you’.”

Mingxiao stopped circling. She lowered her head and gently bit her thumbnail.

“Yes,” she said dejectedly, “that’s how it is.”

This is obvious. A proud and powerful mage would have no reason to specifically ask a novice for help, unless she has exhausted all means and found no hope. She has certainly sought help from her teachers, perhaps even the legendary professors of the school. And it's likely that even the teachers are helpless with this stone, otherwise she wouldn't be so desperate as to seek help from a freshman she's just met.

She had certainly noticed the unusual activity on the train and had some guesses about the "descendant of immortals'" abilities, but those guesses were still just wishful thinking. Deep down, she didn't believe the newcomer was capable of helping him; otherwise, she wouldn't have become increasingly frustrated. But she had to try… precisely because she had failed so many times, she was unwilling to give up the hope before her.

“Then I will try my best,” Lü Wenjun said.

He didn't voice these speculations, because repaying a favor didn't require useless words and questions. He simply tried extending his right hand.

After completing the task of defeating Lacey, the Divine Tear under his one eye recovered to one level and nearly half, which should have met the minimum analytical requirements. He touched the stone slab and saw familiar characters.

[Is it possible to solve this?]

The one-eyed sacrificial animal suddenly opened wide.

[Should I analyze or solve this? ■■■■■■——]

The words dissolved, rose up, and transformed into a frenzied torrent of ink.

Before he could utter a sound, his thoughts, that faint and insignificant mortal consciousness, were instantly swallowed up by the torrent of information.

He saw the sunset, a deep, blood-red afterglow. The dying sun mourned silently. Elegantly dressed people offered their hearts, the same color as the sunlight, at the temple. Those hearts beat fiercely. Once. And again. Causing the world to tremble. That tremor was actually sound, a song from the infinite distance.

"Record it." "Write it down." "Record it."

Unsure if he had finished expressing himself. In the torrent of spirit, even language ceased to exist. Only light. A deep red light that swept across the ancient world. In this still world, the light shifted with the smallest, dust-like movements, guiding him through this static painting.

This is a land of death. The waters have ceased to flow. Even the free winds no longer blow. An endless torrent has submerged the land, turning the world into a murky mirror, reflecting the light of the setting sun. In this flat world, only one thing possesses thickness: the temple that rises from the flood.

The people in the temple were the only remaining living beings; the beating of their hearts was the only sound.

His consciousness flowed with the light, drifting through this lifeless painting of the world. He knew the world shouldn't end here, but the canvas was simply too vast; he couldn't reach the next frame, only able to wander within its endless expanse. Wander.

After an unknown amount of time, when the slowly rotating light finally stopped, he was able to see the last detail of the scene.

The person who offered up their heart had the same face as Mingxiao.

"..."

Lü Wenjun opened his eyes.

He felt thirst first. Utter thirst. It was as if all the moisture in his body, inside and out, had been drained away, even his blood vessels had become dried-up canals. Then a feeling of moisture washed over him, and liquid flowed into his mouth. Water touched his tongue, and he came alive.

He had come back to life. He sat amidst the swirling ashes. The living room looked like it had been ravaged by fire; everything in sight was covered in ash. Only a stack of papers beside him remained clean and tidy, covered in countless scribbles of cursive script.

"I need to clean again..." Lü Wenjun said in a daze, "What did I write, senior...?"

He was suddenly embraced tightly, as if afraid of his departure. Water droplets soaked his hair, and he was stunned for a moment before realizing that Mingxiao was crying.

It was truly strange. Such a powerful and decisive magician was now like an abandoned child, lonely and helpless. She held Lü Wenjun tightly, but Lü Wenjun felt as if he were the one embracing her.

"That's great... Thank you..."

"Thanks……"

He hesitated for a moment, then reached out and gently patted Mingxiao's back.

"I'm glad I could help you."

"I will continue to help. So, don't worry, senior."

It was a long time before he heard a response with a heavy nasal tone.

Chapter 37 What Treasure Did I See?

Half an hour later, Lü Wenjun stared blankly at the dark night.

I came into contact with the Obsidian Original at around 10 a.m., and now it's almost 11 p.m. Twelve hours have passed in the blink of an eye, exactly when the sun is hanging in the sky—a truly wonderful coincidence.

All the previous questions seemed to have been answered. The origin of this original text was probably so great that even the teachers at our school were unable to decipher it and could only rely on his help.

However, the interpretation of the Eye of the Living Sacrifice is not without cost. The one bar of Demigod's Tear that I had painstakingly accumulated is now reduced to a pitiful sliver. If it weren't for the time limit, I probably wouldn't even have left this little bit.

Everything unfolded too quickly and hastily, leaving Lü Wenjun no time to even spare a drop of divine tears. He took out his jade pendant and browsed the forum for a while until Mingxiao finished resting and came downstairs.

She looked extremely tired, and her eyes were still a little red. She waved her hand weakly, "Sorry to have shown you this embarrassing side of me."

“I won’t tell anyone,” Lü Wenjun said. “I won’t talk about anything inside or outside the book, please believe me on that.”

Mingxiao sat down by the window, staring intently at the moon in the night sky.

“You don’t understand how long I’ve been searching,” she said hoarsely. “It’s a time far beyond your wildest imagination, a time much longer than you can imagine. From a very, very long time ago, I’ve been searching for a way to decipher this book… I changed myself for it, I learned magic for it…”

“I was almost desperate, but I found the solution in the freshmen I met by chance.” Mingxiao laughed. “You can’t understand, can you? But I really don’t know what to say.”

Her smile was so forced, as if it would shatter at the slightest pressure.

Lu Wenjun suddenly felt uneasy. The Mingxiao he knew was that domineering and powerful magician, but now Mingxiao seemed vulnerable. Because Mingxiao needed his help; he was her only hope at this moment. He instinctively realized that no matter how unreasonable his request, Mingxiao would do everything in her power to fulfill it.