The Thirteen Trials of the Deceptive Monk

Both of them slammed their hands on the table at the same time, startling the broiler rabbits below the stage. They pointed at each other simultaneously and shouted, "I have my own reasons for working so hard, unlike you who are just a simple-minded competitive type!"

The two paused for a moment because of their completely identical statements, glared at each other, then turned around at the same time, picked up their schoolbags, and walked out of the classroom through the front and back doors respectively.

The nearly frozen air finally began to move again. Breeze Rabbit jumped onto the podium and asked the silent students, "What's different?"

"...race?" Faris asked.

Bill had a more insightful point: "Gender?"

The cold war didn't disrupt teaching; in fact, it benefited most students, so no teacher intended to get involved. Amidst this escalating cold war, only the good-natured Ms. Lingyumi moved between the two, trying her best to mediate.

“Pershka isn’t the kind of person you think he is…”

“I know, I understand she’s not a bad person by nature, nor is she particularly mean,” Lu Wenjun sighed. “But I have to say there’s a reason why some people seem aloof. Aside from when we’re fighting, this person simply doesn’t know how to talk properly. Do you see anyone else who interacts with her besides me?”

Ling Gong gave a dry laugh: "Me?"

“Yes, and you too, because she thinks highly of you,” Lü Wenjun said. “Persica is arrogant and doesn’t socialize because she thinks most people aren’t worth her time. I don’t hate competing with people, but I can’t stand this kind of self-righteous attitude.”

Linggong thought for a moment and said, "Like Wenjun from high school?"

Lu Wenjun looked like he'd swallowed a fly.

How could you—

“I guessed,” Linggong said with a smile. “Because I’ve never heard you mention your high school life, I was wondering if you didn’t have many friends back then.”

Lu Wenjun raised his hand as if to say something, but then awkwardly lowered it.

"Anyway, I guess I'm still relatively friendly to people right now?"

"Hmm, subtle."

"What does 'subtle' mean..."

"It just means it's not as charming as you imagine." Linggong stuck out her tongue. "I'm going now, good luck with your part-time job."

Ling Gong looked a little tired. These past few days she'd been rushing off as soon as get out of class ended, neglecting even her usual adventure activities. Lu Wenjun called out to her, "Have you been very busy lately?"

"Preparing for the ball..." Reiko sighed, "is unexpectedly troublesome."

·

The welcome dance is a hot topic among freshmen recently. Following college tradition, the student council will hold the dance during the last week of the first month of the academic year to welcome the new students.

It's said that many club leaders and experienced seniors also attend, dancing alongside the newbies in the ballroom. As a result, many freshmen dream of becoming famous overnight and embarking on their path to campus stardom.

“That event is really interesting.” While he was working this week, senior student Melt told him, “Every year, people go there specifically to see freshmen make a fool of themselves.”

Senior student Melt is a regular at the pub, and she likes to order salads and frappe coffees with big chunks of ice cream. She usually likes to sit in the corner of the pub, but today she has to sit outside—Vilsa's post has been quite effective in attracting customers, and the pub has seen a significant increase in customers this week.

Lu Wenjun served her coffee and asked, "Is it because the freshmen's dancing skills are all terrible?"

"No, no, it's because the school's ballroom is a haunted place!" Melt grinned mischievously. "That place is haunted by many spirits, and their rule is 'the rude are not allowed to enter.' So if you dance badly or lack manners, you'll be subjected to the haunted place's influence and end up wrestling on the spot, stepping on your own toes, or howling like Tom the cat..."

Lu Wenjun was speechless: "Does the school really not care at all...?"

"It doesn't matter. The principal specifically shrank the area to the middle of the ballroom so that he can eat at the buffet outside the ballroom and laugh loudly."

"Damn, the principal is such a terrible person!"

“If the principal were so serious, how could he tolerate a third-rate organization like the Thousand-Year Cave?” Melt said with a smile. “Junior, I suggest you be careful. Fang Mo is notoriously narrow-minded. You’ve made him suffer such a big loss, he might ambush you at the freshman dance.”

“I definitely won’t go,” Lü Wenjun said. “A wise man doesn’t stand under a dangerous wall. I’d rather use this time to study.”

·

"How can we not go? This is a rare opportunity, brothers!"

The next day at noon, Faris waved his fork and spoke excitedly: "In this hellish place where you study until you drop, the chance to have a party is extremely rare. If you miss one, you'll regret it for four years of college!"

Versa asked curiously, "Are we going to dance around the campfire? With so many people together?"

"Dude, you're talking about prehistoric dance parties. Our new generation's dance parties are DJs, electronic music, and clubbing," Faris coaxed. "The key to these events is the atmosphere. Everyone drinks a little, dances, and you can easily hook up with a kind-hearted and pretty girl and get to know each other better at night..."

Vilsa suddenly realized: "Oh, just like Sodom and Gomorrah."

Lu Wenjun, who was eating noodles nearby, almost choked on his laughter. Faris's face darkened: "Oh, my foot! You're making it sound like a college student is going to be punished by heaven for dancing!"

Lu Wenjun clicked his tongue in amazement as he recalled the information he had gathered at the tavern the day before.

"Things are probably not as wonderful as you imagine. First of all, this is not a disco; they are dancing ballroom dances."

"What?" Faris exclaimed in surprise, "Those kinds of sleazy, high-class types from movies?"

“Right, while it won’t be as complicated and pretentious as court dances, it should at least be a waltz. You’d probably look out of place dancing a tango,” Lü Wenjun said with great interest. “There are strict requirements for attire; you need to wear contemporary formal wear or traditional monk’s robes. Clothing rentals are also provided free of charge…”

Faris tugged at the Chinese characters on his T-shirt (he was still wearing the "He who has not climbed the Great Wall is not a true man" T-shirt today) and said sincerely, "Are you sick?"

"I don't want to go after hearing that," Virsa commented.

"Not only that, the dance hall is also a sacred place; if you don't dance well, you'll embarrass yourself," Lü Wenjun added. "Only true masters deserve to dance under the spotlight. Young Master Fa, are you confident?"

Faris raised his knife and fork and declared, "Let whoever wants to go, go ahead, I'm not going!"

"By the way, they also offer a buffet with lobster, grilled petrified chicken snake, and chimera platter."

“I think we can try to get this seating arrangement; they probably won’t prohibit bringing your own dishes,” Faris said.

“We can each bring a bucket, and take the leftovers home,” Virsa suggested.

They chatted idly about packing for a while, quickly abandoning the topic of the dance. The elegant ballroom dancing sounded beautiful and graceful, but it simply didn't suit the three brothers' style. Lu Wenjun would rather spend his time studying than go to great lengths to practice dancing just to show off.

After finishing his meal, he deliberately slowed down and distanced himself from the two of them before whispering to Ling Gong, "Are you sure you're okay? I'm ready to help anytime."

Ling Gong hadn't joined the conversation; her eyes were vacant, her movements mechanical, and her ears drooped listlessly. The preparations for yesterday's dance had clearly exhausted her, and Lü Wenjun was a little worried that she might have been bothered by some troublesome fellow.

"Ah." Linggong was stunned for a moment before she came to her senses. "It's nothing, really nothing... um..."

She stared intently at Lü Wenjun, her two fox ears suddenly perking up. Lü Wenjun immediately had a bad feeling.

"Wenjun, you just said you'd help, you did say that, didn't you!"

Miss Linggong's aura was as strong as a storm, so Lü Wenjun could only nod with a dry laugh: "If it's within my capabilities and doesn't harm anyone..."

"No problem! Wenjun's words are definitely true! In fact, only you can help, right!" Linggong said quickly, saying things no one else could understand. "Wait for me at the door of classroom 13067 at 5:15 this afternoon. Please, you have to come!"

Lu Wenjun was speechless, realizing that he was definitely in big trouble again.

Classroom 13067 was located on the 100th floor or higher of the teaching building, a deserted area that no one would normally pass by. When Lü Wenjun arrived five minutes early, he found that there wasn't even a mischievous little imp in the corridor.

The faint melody of dance music and rhythmic footsteps drifted from the classroom.

"Faster..."

"Oh."

"If you fail, start over."

"Sorry……"

The classroom doors were tightly closed, but a gap was inadvertently left in the corner of the curtains. Lü Wenjun glanced over and noticed two familiar figures standing in the center of the empty classroom.

Linggong and Pershka are dancing.

"……………………"

Lu Wenjun rubbed his eyes, turned around and walked down 100 floors, then went back upstairs, casually glancing into the classroom.

Linggong and Pershka are dancing.

"?!?!?!?!"

Lu Wenjun clutched his head tightly, leaned against the wall, and slowly squatted down, feeling as if a thousand Prophet Sheens were screaming in his head.

—Hey hey hey hey hey?!

Those two people, those two people, are they really in that kind of relationship?! (Note: No, they are not)

Chapter 41 Absolutely No Way to Get Along with This Guy

Lu Wenjun shook his head frantically, telling himself he had to stay calm.

This can't be real. It's just too absurd no matter how you look at it. Those two aren't usually that close, and the atmosphere is completely different! Putting aside Pershka, Reiko is such a cute child, she looks like a perfectly normal youkai.

Furthermore, if the suspicion is true, why would Linggong have specifically called him over? What is the purpose of having a classmate secretly observe their relationship...?

Do they actually enjoy this kind of play?! Did they specifically invite him to be part of the play?!

No, no, putting Pershka aside, Reiko shouldn't be that twisted. She should only ask for help when she's in trouble, the kind of trouble that's hard to refuse and keeps getting deeper until she has to ask a third party for help… Could it be?!

A flash of inspiration struck Lü Wenjun, and he instantly saw through the whole picture.

It turned out to be the case.

It was Pershka who "coerced" Reiko.

That terrifying, abnormal, and twisted witch had likely long ago secretly targeted Reiko. Using her gender as an advantage, she extended an invitation, which Reiko mistook for normal social interaction, only to fall into the cunning homo's trap. After discovering the truth, Reiko found herself vulnerable in the witch's hands and unable to escape easily, hence her desperate plea for help!

Lu Wenjun felt filled with righteous indignation. This was undoubtedly school bullying, and as a righteous person, he could not stand idly by!

He activated his transformation, preparing to burst through the door. Just then, the music in the classroom stopped, and Pershka said impatiently, "What's going on? We've only just started today and you're already making mistakes one after another. Can't you be a little more serious?"

"Ahaha." Reiko laughed awkwardly. "Actually, Pershka-kun... I don't really want to continue..."

"Why suddenly..."

A confused mutter. A moment of silence. A knowing laugh.

"I understand, you're planning to ask Lü Wenjun to dance, right?"

"No! That's not true!"

Pershka grinned mischievously: "If you don't have it, you don't have it. Is it necessary to react so strongly?"

"I didn't have this idea before, but after you said it, I'm starting to want to try it! Honestly..." Ling Gong muttered, "It's not about the dance partner. I didn't want to go to the ball in the first place."

"Why? Aren't people all very enthusiastic?"

“Too much attention and passive communication can be very bothersome,” Ling Gong said. “I’ll probably meet a lot of unfamiliar classmates at the dance, and some people will probably invite me out. But I don’t want to blindly expand my social circle… Having a few like-minded friends like this is enough.”

Pershka looked at her in surprise: "So you don't participate in clubs either?"

Linggong shook her head: "Even if we have the same hobbies, it doesn't mean we'll be like-minded."

"Your closed-minded attitude towards life is unpleasant to look at."

“I don’t really want to be said that by Pershka in any sense,” Reiko pushed up her glasses. “After all, I’ve helped out for a while, and it would be too irresponsible to just walk away like this. So, I specially arranged another dance partner for me.”

She pulled back the curtains and said cheerfully, "The rest is up to you, Wenjun!"

Lu Wenjun stood frozen in the corridor, weakly raising his hand under someone's piercing gaze.

"Hi," he said dryly.

Pershka's emotions were boiling rapidly, like water in a kettle.

"Are you kidding me?!"

"I'm the one who wanted to say that, okay? Why did I even have to partner with this guy?!"

Linggong leaned against the window, chatting and laughing.

"Wenjun, you personally said you'd help me at noon, just like I did last weekend!"

"Damn it, they actually ambushed me here!"

There was no way to refuse, no way to politely decline. Ling Gong had just helped him put on his pants not long ago; given that favor, how could he possibly refuse her request!

“What a vicious trap…” Lu Wenjun groaned, “Ling Gong, you are too despicable.”

Ling Gong proudly put her hands on her hips and tilted her head back: "Haha, I'm a fox demon, Wen Jun doesn't think I'm some kind of naive woman, does he?"

"Wait a minute, I didn't agree!" Pershka shouted impatiently. "Who wants to train with a guy like that!"

Ling Gong gave a forced smile: "Then, who else can meet Pershka's request?"

Pershka was momentarily speechless. Reiko counted on her fingers, "Dancing with upperclassmen would make you seem like someone eager to climb up to Yuki. And among your classmates... sorry, I can't quite remember, besides me and Fumihito, who else has Pershka interacted with?"

Pershka retreated step by step to the corner of the wall amidst Ling Gong's sinister laughter, making strange, reactive noises.

“Wu Lulu…”

"What's that sound? Are you a cat?" Lu Wenjun couldn't help but ask.

"In the end, you can only choose one of the two, right?" Reiko added the final blow. "Besides, if you dance with a girl, be careful not to be mistaken for someone who likes girls."