The Thirteen Trials of the Deceptive Monk

So, starting this week, the black-uniformed members have been actively active in every corner of the campus, taking on various odd jobs such as trimming flowers and plants, after-school tutoring, and food delivery to make up for their losses and earn funds for the next activity. They are said to be well-received for their excellent service and high work completion rate, which is just one aspect of the difficult survival of an evil organization in peacetime…

"To be honest, having come this far, I might as well just switch to being a school employee," said Lü Wenjun.

"No way! Our evil organization has its own pride. Temporary restraint is for the next explosion." Melt smiled, his eyes narrowing. "On the other hand, how's your relationship with the little witch going? It's been a week already! Have you confessed yet? Have you won her over?"

Lu Wenjun said helplessly, "What is this... I don't get along with that guy at all. We were just helping each other out in an emergency. How could it have come to this?"

Led by the ghost Melt and Huther, everyone in the tavern let out a sigh of unbearable sorrow.

After the ball, the relationship between the two geniuses... seemed to remain the same as before.

"Wow, I've never heard the story of the weasel seeking an official title before. At this rate, will I even pass my urban legends class? As a classmate, I'm really worried!"

"Oh my, is the person whose hair is still burned black by the fire spirits concerned about me? I can almost picture you crying and kneeling during your alchemy exam. Just thinking about it makes me happy."

They still compete fiercely in class and argue outside of class. Their relationship is so stable that their classmates have become so accustomed to it that they treat their bickering as an interesting summary of the day's lessons.

"Generally speaking, shouldn't our impressions of each other change after that..." Ling Gong sighed, feeling a headache coming on.

Lu Wenjun put away his textbook: "Ling Gong, you've misunderstood. I don't dislike this guy."

"but?"

“But that doesn’t mean I’m surrendering!” Lü Wenjun sneered. “Personal relationships and studies are two different things. I will never give up the top spot. I have reasons why I cannot afford to lose!”

“See? It’s this self-righteous attitude that’s infuriating.” Pershka glared at him.

"Ultimately, I just didn't get along with this person!" x2

Linggong slumped onto the table, groaning, "Taking care of a child is such a hassle..."

"You've worked so hard, heroine mother." Faris felt deep sympathy.

Lu Wenjun needs to send the letter quickly; he must secure first place in the midterm exams, and he can't afford to fall behind in his studies.

After the victory at the ball, his Divine Tear gauge returned to one bar, and he planned to learn another spell to prepare for the midterm exams in a month. However, Faris recently claimed to have had a burst of inspiration and borrowed the original text of urban legends to read. With only two bars of textbook material at hand for the time being, Lü Wenjun didn't touch the Eye of the Living Sacrifice for the time being.

As for self-study...

In last week's introductory class, Professor Ji finally finished explaining the construction methods of conventional surgical techniques. Lü Wenjun immediately went to the library to try it out after class that day, concluding that it simply wouldn't work in the short term.

This is because the construction of ultimate magic is divided into three parts: first, reading the original text to analyze the prototype; second, designing the spell based on the prototype; and the crucial third step is to inscribe the spell design into the "temple of self" so that it can be used as magic.

With teachers lecturing and facilities like a library, reading original texts wasn't difficult; the design principles and details were taught in class, and Lü Wenjun learned them so well that he could even draw design drafts from scratch; the problem lay in the third step of depicting the design principles…

As Versa said before, it is a fundamental need for magic.

The step of inscribing the spell formula is equivalent to using magic as ink to "draw" the formula. However, as a mortal, Lü Wenjun's original magic power was already low. If it weren't for his good physical strength, he wouldn't even be able to handle the formula. His pitiful amount of magic power was exhausted and he became dizzy as soon as he started inscribing the formula. By the time he recovered, the previous drawing was long gone. The inscription of the formula simply couldn't continue.

In conclusion, even with only a month of experience, Lü still can't learn magic without using Divine Tears. No matter how high his theoretical level is, he still needs external help to learn for now.

"Senior, is there any way to quickly increase your primordial magic power...?"

Returning to the Water Mirror Pavilion that night, he asked the question with deep resentment. Mingxiao, curled up on the sofa, chuckled upon hearing this, "Did you get angry with Pershka?"

"Honestly, her magic is just too supermodel-like."

"What can you do when people are born with such advantages? Besides, you're not bad either, being a descendant of immortals." Mingxiao lazily swung his legs. "If you want to improve your origin, just study the original texts and academic formulas. Origin is like the ink in your belly; the more formulas you learn, the more ink you have. So don't rush, you'll naturally become stronger."

Lu Wenjun sighed, "I've learned from three different schools and I've only gotten a tiny bit better..."

Mingxiao laughed: "Only three! Do you know how many spells I learned back then to reach the Legendary level?"

Lu Wenjun guessed: "300?"

Mingxiao smiled without saying a word, while Lü Wenjun was genuinely surprised: "600?"

Mingxiao crossed his arms, jumped onto the back of the sofa, and laughed triumphantly: "The correct answer is revealed. Before advancing to Legendary, I learned 3895 spells!"

Lü Wenjun stared in disbelief: "Wow..."

"Hmph, what do you think? It's easy to coast through life in the Strange Tales, but getting to Legendary is incredibly difficult!" Mingxiao's rabbit ears perked up. "I'm not bragging, but even many immortals from your ancient kingdom are stuck in the Strange Tales, and very few are above Legendary. Behind magic power and accumulation lies hard work and sweat. You should learn from them!"

Lu Wenjun nodded repeatedly and said sincerely, "Thank you for your guidance, senior. I've learned a lot. But what I want to say is that the way you're wearing a short skirt today makes it a bit easy for you to accidentally expose yourself..."

"Gua ai waya!"

Mingxiao hurriedly jumped back onto the sofa, bumping her ear in the process. She started grinding her teeth, "Lu Wenjun, you brat...!"

"I didn't have time to stop you, you just jumped up."

Mingxiao argued vehemently, "This is my home! When you're at home, you're bound to be more casual. You should consciously avoid this place."

Knowing that the other party had fallen into a position of being unreasonable and enraged, Lü Wenjun, with his rich experience, began to skillfully change the subject: "Yes, I know, I'll definitely do it next time. By the way, how did the cake taste yesterday?"

Mingxiao, who was brandishing his claws, was taken aback: "Cake? What cake?"

"? The one made with baked apples and heavy cream? I specially put it in the freezer for you."

Mingxiao licked her lips: "It sounds delicious... but I didn't eat any."

Lu Wenjun said with a pained expression, "Senior, has your memory finally deteriorated to the level of a fish...?"

"No, no, that's impossible. Although I'm occasionally careless, I'm not so careless as to forget what I ate yesterday!"

"We ate a few slices of bread yesterday morning."

Mingxiao thought hard: "2 pieces...? It's definitely not more than 3 pieces. I'm controlling my diet."

Lu Wenjun slowly shook his head: "I made egg rolls yesterday morning...and you ate four slices of buttered bread earlier..."

Mingxiao was immediately terrified: "How, how is this possible! Did I eat that many?! You're lying, aren't you? How many pieces were there?!"

"You lied. It was actually 5 pieces."

"Ooh ooh..."

Mingxiao hurriedly ran to find the scale, while Lü Wenjun checked the kitchen for a while and found the cake box at the bottom of the garbage bag.

As expected, I ate it.

"Senior, don't worry, you've been controlling your sugar intake lately."

Mingxiao's response came several seconds later.

"Yes, yes, yes! I haven't eaten any sweets lately! Absolutely, not even the slightest change!"

It seems the numbers on the scale have subtly increased. I reckon starting tomorrow, someone will be clamoring to eat organic food under the guise of a healthy lifestyle.

However, the key point is in the first sentence. Mingxiao herself said that she hadn't eaten any sweets recently, but Lü Wenjun had actually been bringing back cakes these past few days.

It's almost mid-October now, and in a few days the green leaves on the mountains will turn red. Hui Se suddenly decided to design the autumn dessert menu in advance, and Lü Wenjun also learned to make some new products. He would bring some back from his work and they would be eaten up the next day.

Given Mingxiao's personality, she should be happily rubbing against the table after being fed so much. However, her behavior these past few days has been quite ordinary... which also serves as evidence for her previous statement...

She probably really didn't steal any food.

So, where did all the cakes go during this time?

"Senior, since you have such self-control, I'll make some snacks and put them in the ice cellar. You won't eat them, will you?"

"How could that be? Do you think I'm a child?" Mingxiao added, "At least not this week!"

well.

Lu Wenjun pulled out three bright red chilies and some Sichuan peppercorns he had bought yesterday, and his smile was terrifying.

The next morning, when he had no classes, Lü Wenjun, as usual, got up early to cook breakfast and told Mingxiao that he would also be going to study that morning. As usual, he turned off the lights, locked the door, and left Shuijingting. He wandered around the bamboo forest for a long time before secretly returning.

There was a window on the north side of the kitchen on the first floor. He hid by the window, took out a mirror, and observed the situation inside the kitchen through the reflection.

Logically speaking, no one in this world would be so shameful as to pretend not to know that they've been sneaking dessert to maintain their image. But after all, this is Senior Mingxiao, who can turn a freshman quiz into a flying battle royale. In front of such a creature, it's hard to say "impossible" about anything.

Therefore, Lü Wenjun planned to observe the situation himself first. If it was indeed his senior's clever trick, he would pretend not to know. But if some monster was indeed coming to his house for a buffet soon... then things would get interesting.

He was very patient, bringing extracurricular books and notes, and the cake thief remained calm and collected. This protracted battle lasted until 11:30 a.m., when Lü Wenjun was almost ready to give up and grab something to eat, when he finally heard the suspicious noise.

The sound of footsteps going down the stairs.

Judging from the direction of the sound, the intrusion point was probably on the third floor. Since there was no unusual activity nearby, it was likely a monster with the ability to become invisible. To be on the safe side, Lü Wenjun put away the mirror and relied solely on sound to determine the movement inside.

"Uh... food..."

The mumbled, indistinct sounds expressed basic hunger, perfectly fitting the characteristics of Lacey, a weak monster.

The door was yanked open roughly. The route was already familiar, so there was no hesitation. The sound of ice churning filled the air. After a moment's groping, the box was found in its usual spot.

"~"

A soft chuckle, accompanied by a song. Probably a little fairy-like creature. Delighted by the sight of the vibrant red strawberry cake. Without a sound of cutlery being moved, she simply grabbed it with her hands and took a bite…

I took a big bite of this delicacy made with three chili peppers.

Lu Wenjun gave a silent, sinister laugh.

"------ah!!!"

A bloodcurdling scream, followed by the sound of rummaging through drawers for water! There was a cup of oolong tea closest to the freezer, which I immediately grabbed to solve my immediate problem!

"—Puwaaaaaah!"

Then you'll discover that it's the premium No. 2, made with Sichuan peppercorn water.

Excellent, everything is proceeding according to plan! At this point, the enemy should have lost its ability to fight!

Lu Wenjun got up, pushed open the window, and jumped into the kitchen, shouting, "You cowardly thief! You've been stealing food and drinks for so long, and you've finally fallen for my trick! Confess, you...?!"

Lü Wenjun's expression was a little stiff.

Who are you...?

He didn't see the gnomes, squirrel fairies, or other monster-like cake thieves he had imagined; instead, he saw a young, slender girl. The female thief had waist-length black hair, a graceful figure, and an elegant demeanor like a princess from an Eastern fantasy story. Her beauty went beyond "quite attractive" and reached the terrifying level of "almost breathtakingly beautiful."

The reason I say "almost" is because this female thief princess was only wearing a game T-shirt and a close-fitting undershirt. She was barefoot on the ground, holding a peppercorn water cup in one hand and her other hand covered in chili oil. Her demeanor was far from elegant and luxurious, but rather had a very open and casual style...

The pixelated game logo on the princess's chest heaved violently, and her expression was ten times more rigid than Lü Wenjun's.

She threw her water glass and screamed, "Who are you?!"

Chapter 47 The Princess Has Been Spoiled

Lü Wenjun quickly dodged the water glass: "It's probably a misunderstanding, let's talk it out—don't throw the spatula! Put down the knife! And don't touch the pot!"

The princess frantically picked up her belongings and threw them around, yelling as she did so, "How did you sneak into the barrier?! Whose subordinate are you? How dare you... stand here so nonchalantly?! Close your eyes! Turn around! Get out!"

Lu Wenjun was momentarily speechless, because the princess was teary-eyed and her face was flushed—the child had been crying from eating spicy chili peppers and hadn't recovered yet—which was very attractive to the opposite sex. Just looking at the scene, he thought he was the bad guy.

Fortunately, after a month at school, he was already quite familiar with arguing with pretty girls, knowing full well that in an argument, whoever backs down first loses. He took out his jade pendant and sent a pre-edited warning message, then steadied himself and said, "I was afraid you'd attack me, so I didn't dare close my eyes. Go outside and put your pants on first, and we can talk this out!"

The princess laughed in exasperation: "You actually want me to turn my back on you?"

"You can get out without turning around, like a crab, walking sideways."

"How rude! What kind of girl walks like that!"

"Put your pants on first before we talk about manners, okay?" Lü Wenjun couldn't take it anymore. "There are aprons on the wall over there. If you really can't, wear one of those."

"Ah, I see, thank you. Please wait a moment."

"No rush, please feel free."

The two exchanged a brief, strangely polite conversation, after which the princess put on an apron.

The apron revealed half of her long, slender thigh, a tantalizing glimpse that sparked the imagination.

The princess threw down her apron: "Wearing this makes you even more indecent! It looks like some kind of weird lingerie!!"

Lu Wenjun earnestly advised, "Don't take it off! Don't give up on yourself! Even if you're only partially visible, it's better than being completely naked!"

"I've had enough! I haven't encountered anything this terrible in ages! I'll make you pay for your actions!" Her Highness gritted her teeth. "In the name of Jingyue Jiuguang, I order you to crawl out of here!!"

Lu Wenjun was startled by these words, mentally preparing himself to be controlled by the assimilation spell. Miss Hisamitsu pulled out a fan from somewhere and waved it, revealing that stereotypical villainous smile: "Hehehe, ahahahaha!"

Lu Wenjun was startled again... then tried to raise his hand and found that everything was normal.

Hisamitsu's smile froze slightly: "Huh?"

Lu Wenjun tilted his head: "Sorry, I didn't mean to spoil the fun, but didn't you miscast your spell...?"

Hisamitsu looked at him with surprise and suspicion, then suddenly smiled, a smile that could launch a thousand ships: "Tell me your background and your purpose, okay?"

“Not good,” Lü Wenjun said.

Miss Hisamitsu slowly raised her hand: "Ah... wait a minute, it's been a long time since I fought, I'm a little out of sorts. Can I take a break for a bit and then continue?"

"It's alright, I don't mind at all, please go ahead."