The Thirteen Trials of the Deceptive Monk

“Born with exceptional intelligence, of noble birth, and with an inflated sense of self-importance—” Ling Gong continued.

"Just a respectable and elegant lady." Lü Wenjun shook his head. "Oh, I really didn't expect you to be a noble princess. Should I start using 'you' from now on—oh!"

Pershka stomped on his foot hard, then turned around and said, "Ignore that talkative magician, I'll take you to a quiet place."

“I am honored, Princess,” the old lady smiled kindly. “I suppose they are…your friends?”

Pershka, facing the many undisguised stares behind him, slapped his forehead in anger.

"I think so, madam."

The college students cheered and clapped their hands in surprise: "She admitted it!" "Unbelievable!" "We weren't even 'close classmates'!"

"Lü Wenjun, shut up!"

"See, you're targeting me." Lü Wenjun laughed. "No joke, this is your...neighbor?"

“Mrs. Anneli has taken care of me for a long time.” Pershka pursed her lips. “I don’t want her to be frightened here.”

"understood."

Lu Wenjun stepped out of the information desk and bowed to the old lady. He observed her attire—a fluffy and dirt-resistant apron, a warm headscarf, and roughly polished glasses—and carefully considered his words.

“Welcome to the Great Mythic+, madam. I am a staff member here, much like a guard in a village. If I may ask, do you remember how you came to the surface?”

The old lady understood the analogy, and her expression softened: "I'm looking for someone like you. Let's reveal a risk."

"Could you please elaborate?"

“Terror,” she said solemnly. “A powerful, strange horror is brewing beneath the earth. That creation will return the dead to the earth, making every day feel like late autumn.”

Lu Wenjun thought to himself that the old lady was indeed a senior citizen of the secret realm. Her words were practically useless; she didn't provide any useful information other than that there was trouble underground.

Just as he was about to ask more questions, he heard Jiujiu Mu say, "Little Viersa, is that spirit coming to find you?"

No, I don't know him.

"But he's looking this way!" Jiu Jiu Mu said curiously. "With such a burly build, who else but your family could have such a figure?"

Everyone looked on curiously and agreed with Jiu Jiu Mu's conclusion, for it was indeed a burly man who was clearly visible. He was at least 2.7 meters tall and wore only a pair of leather pants. His bare upper body was covered with scars, and even though his hair and beard were all white and he had weathered many storms, he still possessed the muscles of a middle-aged man.

This unusually robust old man walked straight toward them, his brows conveying an imposing, unyielding pressure. Everyone speculated whether he was a distant relative of Versa or an elderly guard of Pershka, when they heard a apprehensive voice calling from behind.

“...Grandpa?” Lu Wenjun said.

Everyone stared in shock at the seemingly delicate and beautiful Ms. Lü, then at the enormous, muscular old man who looked like a giant in human form, and exclaimed in astonishment: "—Haaaaaaah?!"

Upon seeing this, the old man raised his eyebrows and exclaimed in delight, "Wenjun, it really is you? You're still alive!"

Lu Wenjun's face twisted in pain: "You've finally shown your power once, can't you say something nice...?"

"I've been dead for two years now?" Old Master Lü pondered.

"Grandpa, you passed away eight years ago..."

"So you're 18 years old this year?" Old Master Lü exclaimed in surprise. "You've actually lived to adulthood? Is my grave emitting auspicious smoke every day?"

Lu Wenjun covered his face with his hands, fully empathizing with the awkwardness of his friends. Faris's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets: "Wait, this old man is your godfather?"

"This is my own grandfather..."

"Your grandfather looks like this, and you look like this?!" Faris exclaimed. "What's wrong with your bloodline?"

"I have a special reason...!"

Lu Wenjun was having a headache when he was suddenly startled.

Now it's his grandfather's spirit appearing. Leaving aside the exact reason why the old man floated out of the ground, well…

Does the old man know where this place is? Judging from his curious and inquisitive gaze, it seems unlikely. In the old man's mind, he's probably still that frail and sickly unlucky grandson. If this reminiscing continues, and someone gets curious and asks about the family's history and status, then he...

—They're about to be exposed!!!

Lu Wenjun was startled and quickly adopted a cryptic tone: "My situation concerns the internal succession of an ancient clan, so I hope everyone can understand..."

Everyone nodded and said "Oh," showing respect by not probing further. But Old Master Lü chuckled, "What do you mean, a prestigious family? Our Lü family hasn't been around for very long."

“Comparatively speaking!” Lu Wenjun gestured frantically, “Compared to other families in the industry, ours is at least one of the longest!”

"You're spouting nonsense. How can you even compare this?" Old Master Lü said mercilessly. "Besides, what are you worrying about regarding the succession? You're lucky if you can even catch your breath. Nobody in this family is counting on you to have children..."

Lu Wenjun became agitated: "Can't I have a sense of family honor?!"

The old man chuckled: "What good is a sense of honor! Survival is the most important thing!"

Linggong was filled with questions and couldn't help but ask, "Sir? I'm sorry, I don't quite understand. Wenjun has always been... quite healthy, hasn't he?"

“He’s physically robust,” Versa agreed. “There’s no sign of any health problems.”

Upon hearing this, Grandpa Lu frowned, looked his grandson up and down, and exclaimed in amazement, "Oh! He's been dead for so long that he's forgotten the time. He's been standing and talking for so long and hasn't even coughed up blood."

Lu Wenjun was furious: "What kind of ridiculous standard is this?! I wasn't like this when I was 10 years old!"

"He didn't even cough, that's amazing! Your father really managed to train him to cough that up." The old man clicked his tongue in amazement. "You don't know, when Wenjun was little—"

"Grandpa, let's catch up another time, can we talk business first?" Lu Wenjun hurriedly interrupted, "Why did you come up here all of a sudden?"

Grandpa Lü grunted in response, scratching the back of his head. "Look at me," he said, "people get forgetful as they get older..."

"You were already past your prime eight years ago..."

"I almost forgot the important matter." The old man nodded. "Tell the person in charge on the ground to find a monk or Taoist priest to figure out how to handle this."

"Our underground is haunted."

Chapter 95 On its way to: Wanling Mansion

The Autumn Harvest Festival is a joyous occasion celebrated by both the living and the dead. While people on earth rejoice, the spirits beneath the earth naturally have their own way of celebrating:

They'll be holding a crazy ghost-scare contest over the next few days.

The exact origins of this celebration are lost to history, but it is said that in ancient times, a king of the underworld, seeing his people constantly melancholy, devised a way to entertain them with books, pictures, and other objects. However, the deceased, having passed away, could hardly feel the joy and celebration of the earth, but were most deeply affected by sorrow, separation, and fear. Therefore, the spirits, after rummaging through the piles of books, found themselves most drawn to frightening ghost stories.

Firstly, the deceased seeing ghosts is like the living seeing their own kind, naturally evoking a sense of warmth and joy. Secondly, since the living have passed away, there is no longer any fear of death, and the thrilling descriptions in these stories provide excellent entertainment.

So while ghosts parade on the surface, another vibrant display of terror unfolds underground: horror movies, haunted houses, horrifying shadow puppet shows, meticulously designed death games… The terrifying stories crafted by the deceased are unrestrained, several times more terrifying than those on earth. The spirits enjoy this entertainment as if watching a comedy film, and the Kings of the Underworld organize related activities every year, creating a harmonious and peaceful underworld.

This year's Autumn Harvest Festival was no exception; the ghost-scare competition continued, and everyone was looking forward to a new thrill. But this time, an unexpected incident occurred—

"That is it?" Lü Wenjun pressed.

Grandpa Lü said mysteriously, "It cannot be said, it cannot be said."

"Grandpa, why did you stay silent about the most crucial piece of information after all that buildup?"

"It's unspeakable, that's why it can't be said." The old man shook his head. "Those things in the underworld are haunted!"

Faris's aunt added, "That strange thing has taken control of our mouths! Anyone who has seen it can't say anything about it."

Pershka, listening from the side, frowned: "Where is Hades? Didn't the Seven Hades on duty deal with this kind of inexplicable and heinous incident?"

"Lord Hades has already attempted the challenge for the third time today," Lady Anneli sighed. "He failed the first two times..."

"How lame! Hades is so lame!!" Lu Wenjun couldn't help but exclaim.

“Please don’t say that, it’s truly terrifying,” Mrs. Annelie said solemnly. “We all agree that it’s an evil force that spirits cannot overcome. Perhaps only the living can conquer that profound fear.”

Lu Wenjun tried to subtly inquire a few more times, but the elderly men all said they "couldn't say," only mentioning that there were ghosts. This indescribable power was truly bizarre, as if it had cast a long-term assimilation spell on all the spirits. He could only reassure the elderly men for a few moments before giving a brief report via the internal channel.

"...That's about all the information we have for now," he said. "I feel that the assimilation technique is at a very high level, and we probably can't handle it on our own. Also, I still have a lot of doubts about Mr. Cooper."

“I’m sorry, I couldn’t find him.” John said sadly. “The last time he appeared was at Lanting’s house of ghost stories, where he offered a lot of advice, and then he disappeared into the crowd without a trace.”

Lanting then reported, "I'm searching for historical information about the student council, but I haven't been able to find a match yet... He might be a magician who has only appeared in recent years."

"We can't just keep dragging this on! Preparing for the festival is already exhausting enough, where are we going to find the manpower to deal with the ghosts?" Giltan was at his wits' end. "President, I suggest we ask Professor Ji for assistance. This is beyond our scope of responsibility... President? President, are you even listening to me??"

There was a few seconds of silence on the communication channel, followed by a distinctly vulgar voice.

"Of course! I've been keeping an eye on you, little Giltan~"

"Ugh—!"

The vice president made a sound that sounded exactly like he was spitting blood, and Lü Wenjun's face darkened: "Senior Kano... you're already very busy, please don't make things worse at this time..."

"Hoo hoo hoo, as expected of Xiao Wenjun, he actually saw through my perfect disguise!"

Anyone who has ever dealt with the Thousand-Year Cave can recognize that disgusting tone and familiar voice; they can almost picture him holding the microphone with an innocent expression.

Kano said cheerfully, "Long time no see! Did you all miss me? I'm none other than Kano-senpai, whom everyone admires!"

"Get lost, Kano!" Koharu said without any politeness.

"On a side note, my outfit today is a classic American zombie, with a disgusting hole in my temple."

“Never mind him, everyone continue,” Pershka said.

"What a cold response! Like salt that's been sealed in an icebox for 1000 years." Kano said in a hurt tone, "Don't be like that, actually the president had something come up and couldn't give orders, so I'm temporarily acting as her..."

Giltan was shocked: "What do you mean you're the acting president? I'm the vice president!"

"That's too sweet! You're still 103 years away from catching up with me!" Kano said smugly. "Then let's announce the current countermeasures. The vice president will ask Professor Ki to help contain the spirits, and the other members will be responsible for maintaining order during the festival. In the meantime, the Keeper of Secrets will go to the underworld to investigate the cause of the spirit disturbances."

"I see, I see," said Lü Wenjun. "What do you mean I'm going to the underworld?"

Kano adjusted his wording: "You'll go to hell."

"It's not a matter of word choice! It's the underworld, you know!!"

“But if we can’t pinpoint the problem, we don’t have a solution either,” Kano said lazily. “Besides, Wanlingfu is a friendly secret realm of the academy, and out of respect, we can’t just let a legendary-level character go without following the proper procedures. Someone like you, a super-combat-level anomalous character, is just right.”

"But you said I'm only at the Otherworldly level! I just swallowed a huge curse, what if I get killed by some vengeful ghost and end up settling there on the spot?"

"Of course we'll help you find a reliable bodyguard..." Kano said sincerely, "We've known each other for so long, has Kano-senpai ever harmed you?"

"Kano-senpai, you're the least qualified person in the whole school to say that! I'm not going!"

Kano shrugged: "The problem is, you've already become the keeper of the secret. Even if you stay on the ground, this matter will definitely drag you into it in the end. Rather than being passively drawn into the mess later, isn't it better to actively embrace the challenge?"

"……………………"

A burst of gloating laughter erupted from the communication channel. Lü Wenjun looked up in indignation: "Damn it..."

And so, tragically, the matter was decided. If Lü Wenjun could have imagined today's situation, he would have definitely declined the custodian mission from two weeks ago. Unfortunately, there are no "what ifs" in life. He angrily shut down the communication, only to hear Jiu Guang cheerfully say, "Going to Wanlingfu for the festival, hehehehe!"

"What are you happy about! I'm the one who's having a bad time!!"

Lu Wenjun sighed deeply, turned to look at the old man who was still curiously looking around, and felt a stomachache just thinking about the preparations before departure.

At the same time, Kano E narrowly dodged a massive sword that was as big as a door panel by turning her head.

"Hunting!! Wild!!!"

"How terrifying! I almost died!"

Kano spun around three times, then sat down on the sofa in the student council room with circumference in his eyes. Ye Jinfa drew his greatsword with one hand, still furious: "What exactly do you want!"

"Let's solve this in the safest way possible!" Kano waved the small white flag. "Guild Master, you're a legendary mage now, you need to learn to see things from the perspective of a strong person. It's a holiday season, and the other side hasn't made any aggressive moves, so how can we start a legendary war near a Mythic+ dungeon?"

Ye Jinfa fell silent for a moment, and Kano smiled and said, "Think about Bakunawa not long ago. The great hero of ancient Greece dared to draw his bow and kill the snake because he had the confidence to kill it with one blow, but many professors cannot do that. We are in such a sensitive environment, and a thousand-day war is irrational no matter what."

"But--"

"No buts! In short, I strongly oppose it!" Kano crossed his arms, making a big X. "Using flexible and adaptable methods to solve problems is the rational approach, and you know that very well. Besides, taking your anger out on others is not a good habit."

Ye Jinfa hesitated for a long time before finally putting down the greatsword. She said stiffly, "It's a safety issue."

"Of course there's no need to worry about the safety of my cute junior," Kano said, resting his cheek on his hand. "After all, there are people stronger than me here~"

·

A cute junior student was walking through the bamboo forest with a rather unappealing expression. He made an excuse to talk about some family matters and led the old man to the bamboo forest around the Water Mirror Garden first. After repeatedly confirming that no one was around, he took off the gem and temporarily cut off his connection with Hisamitsu.

Grandpa Lü didn't ask any more questions. He looked around with great interest, and only when he saw him turn his head did he say, "What do you want Grandpa to help you with?"

"Grandpa, you're an old hand at this, I won't lie to you," Lü Wenjun said in a low voice. "You can see there are many talented people here. I was afraid of being looked down upon when I ventured out into the world, so I exaggerated my family background!"

The old man wasn't surprised at all: "How could you come up with such a crazy idea! Who are you talking about, Lü Dongbin or Lü Buwei?"

Lü Wenjun himself was a little embarrassed: "Lü Shang..."

"Since Jiang Ziya is here, why don't you say you're Qin Shi Huang?" Old Master Lü laughed. "Alright, Grandpa will cover for you. But as always, we have to make some conditions."

“Yes, please speak.” Lü Wenjun was prepared.

Even within their large family, Grandpa Lu was one of the most eccentric individuals. He treated his children and grandchildren very well, but he always had "conditions" for everything.