Lu Mingfei: What? They're all real!

Odin and Loki are brothers; this is common knowledge that anyone with even a little understanding would know. She wouldn't be stumped by such a simple question.

“That’s not my brother. Loki is a nuisance, just like my cousin Lu Mingze. You know Lu Mingze? He’s the ‘Prince Ze’ everyone talks about, that chubby little guy—ah, don’t tell anyone. Psychologists have a duty of confidentiality, right?” He shook his head, a sly smile that didn’t quite match his appearance, like a pitiful, innocent, yet somewhat cunning little seal.

His smile was like a hook, suddenly tugging at the girl's heartstrings. He smiled shyly yet confidently, as if he had smiled like this many times before and had successfully begged many girls with this smile. He blinked his eyes in prayer and clasped his hands together, waving them lightly.

Su Xiaoqiang nodded blankly. She really didn't think this was a smile that Lu Mingfei, who was always so sullen, could show. Looking at Lu Mingfei's face, which was so different from usual, she completely forgot what she was supposed to say.

Chapter 3 You changed your mind so quickly?

"you……"

Su Xiaoqiang felt that Lu Mingfei was different. Although he had the same face, it was as if a different person had appeared in front of her. She had never seen Lu Mingfei like this before, smiling so confidently, and his eyes no longer darting away.

"What's wrong with me?"

Lu Mingfei smiled gently, his lips curving into a polite smile, like a gentleman who would bow and invite you to dance in the center of the dance floor.

He suddenly remembered something, slapped his head hard, and said remorsefully, "Look at me, I already told you I was going to tell you about my brothers, did you still want to listen?"

Suddenly, in the blink of an eye, the boy had taken full control, leaving the girl with only the power to nod or shake her head.

She nodded, unsure how to refuse.

“This is something that others don’t know. Everyone thinks that the Supreme One might be one person, and some clever people might think that it might be two brothers, but the truth is... there are three brothers in total. The three of them created humankind and human history. Besides the so-called ‘Odin’ that everyone is familiar with in mythology, there are two other less well-known gentlemen.” He gestured with his fingers to indicate the quotation marks as he spoke softly.

Su Xiaoqiang just commented that Lu Mingfei's speaking style was very good, and now it's even better. He's like a storyteller telling a fairy tale, his heart completely focused on the story.

More importantly, he was no longer like Lu Mingfei, not like the Lu Mingfei who could barely straighten his back...

"It's hard to say which of the three is which, yet they are distinct. One is a king who holds power, sitting high in the heavens; another is a tempter who always uses strength and power to seduce people's hearts and always likes to talk about 'deals'... and the last one is a complete pushover, a bit slow-witted and always indecisive."

He stopped speaking, letting out a faint laugh through his nose, as if mocking the pathetic creature he had mentioned.

Su Xiaoqiang remained silent, staring at the screen in front of her, her heart growing heavier. It wasn't because Lu Mingfei was spouting nonsense, but rather because what he said was true—

The results from multiple search interfaces all tell the same story: the Old Aida mentions that before the beginning of the world, the God-King and his brothers, a total of three, created everything and created human history. One gave humans breath, one gave humans physical form, and the last gave humans the soul.

One of them is a well-known king; another is a devil who tempts souls with power; and the last is an indecisive fool who gave humanity the human spirit and is one of the few beings to have survived Ragnarok.

These are the clearest original records of Norse mythology, and they are not much different from his account.

But this was not good news. At least it showed that Lu Mingfei wasn't just making up stories on a whim... He suddenly changed his demeanor, then changed it again, and began to murmur his story. He spoke of these things so calmly and gently, as if it were his own experience. This made Su Xiaoqiang even more worried. She was afraid that this guy had developed serious mental problems.

She could only keep talking to him now.

"So you see yourself as a god sitting high above the heavens?" she asked softly.

“I think I’m more like that indecisive softie,” Lu Mingfei chuckled softly. “But maybe there’s really no difference. Didn’t I say that the three of you are inseparable? You’re just like different personalities in one body, but this connection is more advanced.”

Su Xiaoqiang's heart sank as she plummeted to the ground with a shattering sound... She had read some psychology books and knew that losing one's identity like this might indicate a state of dissociative identity disorder.

In more serious cases, it can lead to personality disorder and cognitive problems.

To put it even more bluntly, it would be, "Su Xiaoqiang, since this is your fault, you'd better atone for it!"

"Looking at it the bright side, you're not as badly judged as you seem. Although you are indeed infamous, and everyone knows you're the kind of guy who dares to tell dirty jokes in speech contests, maybe there are girls who like your type." The girl forced herself to accept the premise Lu Mingfei had given her, trying to change the subject. "Like that red-haired wife you mentioned, she... she really likes you, right?"

"Hey! Hey!" he protested loudly, "That can't be considered comforting, can it? I just wanted to quote Mr. Lin Yutang. You should blame the vice principal and teachers for their lack of cultural literacy! Everyone was about to burst out laughing; the atmosphere was so nice!"

Lu Mingfei's memory was perfectly accurate. In the speech contest last semester, he tried to quote Mr. Lin Yutang as his opening statement: "A good speech should be like a girl's short skirt, the shorter the better." However, he was stared at by the old scholar vice principal, which caused an awkward silence. He didn't say a word, and his speech was more like "just a thread hanging from a girl's waist." In the end, he left the stage in disappointment.

After that, he spoke less frequently on weekdays.

But he is no longer the embarrassed man he was back then; he can now bring up those things that would make him blush if others talked about them.

"But then again, I think there are quite a few people who like me. For example, a girl named Renata who is lying in the snow shivering probably likes me. Of course, it's also possible that I'm just too narcissistic."

He smiled shyly, looking somewhat embarrassed, but upon closer inspection, he wasn't at all; it was more like showing off, as if he were simply talking about the most eye-catching one among his many suitors, or perhaps reminiscing about something more recent in the past.

That's definitely hysteria...

Su Xiaoqiang made her final judgment. This was the South; forget about snow big enough for someone to lie down in, even snowfall was rare. She'd rather believe a girl would lie on the ground begging Lu Mingfei not to leave than believe it would snow in this godforsaken place. And what kind of name was Renata?! Was she from the Soviet Union? That's too far off! By the time the Soviet Union collapsed, not all the students in this class had even been born…

“That’s good. So what do you think…” She felt she needed to pull out all the stops. “What do you think we should do about Chen Wenwen? If she hears about this… she might be very disappointed.”

Ugh, I've become a bad woman!

The girl wept inwardly, filled with humiliation. She had never imagined that she would one day be so despicable as she was now, no longer facing everything openly and boldly, but instead resorting to scheming and trickery.

Although everyone knows that "Lu Mingfei has a crush on Chen Wenwen," no one has ever said it out loud. She has now become the first, but her purpose is simply to reduce Lu Mingfei's attention to her, hoping that he will at least not pester her like a criminal after he goes crazy...

"Hmm...that's a bit tricky." Lu Mingfei nodded thoughtfully, but then shrugged lightly as if he had shaken off a burden, completely putting the problem out of his mind. He said, "Anyway, Chen Wenwen probably doesn't like me, so it doesn't matter."

"It's not important anymore?!"

Su Xiaoqiang felt like she was about to cry. Even this seemingly fundamental logic had been changed, which could only mean that Lu Mingfei's problem was bigger than she had imagined. She tried to appear calm, but inside she was like a bellows, pushing and pulling incessantly.

If Chen Wenwen isn't important, then who is? Me? Or that Soviet girl? Or your red-haired wife?

She forced herself to remain calm and retorted, "When you first started high school, you told me Chen Wenwen was the prettiest girl. Now you've suddenly changed your mind. That's not very loyal..."

"Hmm? Are you still dwelling on this?" Lu Mingfei paused for a moment, then smiled and waved his hand gently. "Don't worry about it. Actually, I've always wanted to tell you this: putting aside personality and style, you're much better looking than her. We were just kids back then, so don't take what I said to heart."

Su Xiaoqiang blinked rapidly, a strange sense of panic rising from her stomach to her chest, making her feel as if a tractor engine had been installed in her heart.

She could hardly deny that she still harbored resentment towards Lu Mingfei for whispering in her ear that "Chen Wenwen is the prettiest" as soon as she entered the school. Now that she finally heard such words, she should have snorted twice and nodded proudly and reservedly to accept the praise.

But now, she was terrified that Lu Mingfei's next words would be "You are the most beautiful girl in the world," followed by "But now I've decided to stick with you," and then he would suddenly collapse to the ground, and before he passed out, he would dip his finger in the blood he had slapped and write her name, sealing the crime of "criminal" onto her.

That's it!

But to her utter surprise, Lu Mingfei, chin in hand, looking thoughtful, then uttered a sentence that left her completely baffled:

"Although it's not appropriate to suddenly mention someone else, if we just put aside personality and other aspects and only talk about appearance, if I had to say which girl I've ever seen is the most beautiful, it would probably be Jormungandr."

Chapter 4 Sacrifice is the essence of this world

“However, she’s not very bright. Sometimes she doesn’t even know who she is. Maybe she has a split personality. She might really need to see a psychologist, like you said…” Lu Mingfei analyzed to himself, muttering to himself.

No, is there anyone in this world who seems to have a split personality more than you do now?

Su Xiaoqiang suppressed the question in her heart and pretended to be calm, even though her face was already flushed with excitement.

She continued searching for information, keeping the conversation going, "So you and Jormungandr are quite close?"

“We’re familiar, very familiar. How could we not be familiar?” Lu Mingfei’s tone changed slightly. He became… strange, as if he were gritting his teeth and uttering the name of a traitor.

"You sound like you want to kill her," Su Xiaoqiang muttered to herself.

"That's hard to say, who knows?" The boy's laughter was faint, as if mocking the fate of the doomed. "Maybe that day will come."

"Hmph," the girl scoffed disdainfully. She didn't believe Lu Mingfei had such ability, nor did she believe the loser in front of her had such spirit.

She then forgot about the casual conversation, and upon seeing Jormungandr's section, she couldn't help but ask with a hint of doubt, "So you think Jormungandr is the most beautiful girl you've ever seen, she's... a girl? She's... a person?"

"Don't be surprised, what's so surprising?" Lu Mingfei shrugged, then poked his head with his finger. "Besides, what you said was hurtful. Does being mentally challenged mean you can't be considered a person?"

"No, no, no—"

Su Xiaoqiang waved her hands apologetically. She was in a state of panic, and her worry that Lu Mingfei might have a mental problem was almost overwhelming her. She was subconsciously on edge, afraid that something might happen to him. But she quickly came to her senses and couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed and angry. She pursed her lips and glared at this bastard who was talking nonsense.

"But I clearly saw Jormungandr was a snake!" She held up her phone, angrily rebuking Lu Mingfei for his nonsense. "Tell me, how can a snake transform into the most beautiful person you've ever seen?"

"Hey, the information you've read is inaccurate~" Lu Mingfei waved his hand, "Can't a snake turn into a human? Xu Xian would hate you!"

"This is Wikipedia!" Su Xiaoqiang retorted loudly. "If this isn't accurate, what is? Do you think it's one of those easily editable encyclopedias that were recently launched in China?"

"That's hard to say. Maybe Wikipedia is just something that's been modified by someone else..." Lu Mingfei suddenly seemed to revert to his usual timid self, muttering in rebuttal, "I've seen it, I've seen it with my own eyes, how could it be fake..."

"Where have I seen you before?" Su Xiaoqiang pressed closer.

"..."

But now, Lu Mingfei, who had always been able to talk fluently about every detail, suddenly stopped talking. He fell silent and didn't make a sound for a long time, as if he had been stumped by the question.

Yes, where is it?

Lu Mingfei suddenly felt his senses become much clearer, and the questioning from reality seemed to pull him out of some indescribable state for the time being.

He pondered this crucial detail. To him, the authenticity of those memories was beyond question, but the problem lay in the fact that when it came to details like "where," "when," and "how"—details that resembled a police interrogation—he felt as if a membrane separated him from those scenes…

"Also, if you really believe you're a god in the heavens, then there should be some proof, right? Like being able to fly? Like being able to control the wind and rain—these aren't difficult things, are they?" Su Xiaoqiang felt like a wicked adult, erasing the wonderful ideas of a poor child still in the fantasy stage—

It's as if they're angrily declaring, "Ultraman doesn't exist in the world."

"..."

Lu Mingfei remained silent; this was also a huge problem he himself was facing.

If those memories were true, then he should be able to change the world with a wave of his hand, and should be able to stand in the center of a storm and command the wind and rain.

He pondered carefully, trying to make his idea a reality.

Strength... what exactly is strength related to...?

But no matter how carefully he thought about it, he couldn't overcome this barrier. He went through every detail that he felt he had experienced firsthand, but he still couldn't answer the question he had just faced. In his subconscious mind, power seemed to be something bad, something far removed from him...

He couldn't help but feel a little down.

On the contrary, Su Xiaoqiang finally let out a long sigh of relief.

"See? You were confused just now, and now that you've come to your senses, you finally realize that what you said was wrong." She tried to guide Lu Mingfei back to normal. "But it's normal. It's normal to have random thoughts after suddenly bumping into someone like that. Don't put too much pressure on yourself."

She even showed a rare gentleness towards Lu Mingfei, silently praying that the matter would be over soon, as she didn't want to bear a huge crime.

"Xiaoqiang?" Lu Mingfei finally broke his long silence, but now his head was hanging low, and no one could see his eyes.

"W-what! Who told you to call me that?" Su Xiaoqiang felt a sudden panic, completely different from the anxiety she had felt just now. The person in front of her had changed so much that her voice trembled slightly.

"Then I'm really sorry..." Lu Mingfei smiled softly, but the smile was faint and indistinct, like the voice of a dying person coming from the depths of a withered wooden house.

The earthy scent of the outside world wafted into his nostrils, as if a storm was about to break. At that moment, as he frantically searched his memory, he suddenly recalled a piece of important "knowledge".

Then, he slowly raised his face, a face devoid of any expression. It wasn't cold, ruthless, or indifferent; it was simply expressionless, just as he himself had said, the kind of face that only appeared on the face of a supreme being sitting high in the heavens, looking down on everything.

"Do you know... why Odin, the king of the gods in the story, hung himself on the World Tree, and why he lost an eye in his pursuit of wisdom?"

"W-what..."

Su Xiaoqiang held her breath, not daring to even breathe loudly, not because she was afraid... but because the boy in front of her looked very sad. He was frowning, as if he was about to cry. He was so sad that his body seemed to break into pieces with just a push.

"It's because of the sacrifice." Lu Mingfei exhaled softly, tears almost falling from his eyes.

He said, "Sacrifice is the essence of this world. Only through sacrifice can one gain power. Offering one's eyes to the Well of Wisdom grants wisdom; sacrificing oneself to the World Tree grants power; sacrificing one's own flesh and blood grants the throne... Similarly, sacrificing one's soul to the devil grants everything... Without making a sacrifice or negotiating with the devil, where does the power come from? Just as I told you, perhaps sacrificing a bride can grant power and strength..."

Su Xiaoqiang sensed that the sadness on his face was growing even deeper.

“But thanks to you, I’ve remembered something important. Although it’s a bit disjointed, I must correct what you said at the beginning. Odin isn’t accurate. It’s not the name of a god. The name means… storm.” He suddenly stopped his endless sorrow, but then raised a hand.

Lu Mingfei calmly recounted the mysterious and profound content, completing his statement: "It's just a storm, the storm itself, nothing more."

He raised his hand to his mouth, exhaled softly, letting the damp mist cling to his fingertips. Then he tapped his finger on the table and gently slid it, writing with the mist—but it was more like drawing a character, not quite a character. It resembled the so-called "rune script" that Su Xiaoqiang had just seen on his phone, but it was more complex, with more curves in its form.

"What... What do you mean? Of course I know it means storm, that's what the first line of the encyclopedia says, so what? What exactly do you want—"

Su Xiaoqiang's anger erupted for no apparent reason. Perhaps seeing his pitiful appearance had startled her, and her anger flared up... Now she was starting to feel irritated again. This guy was just going on and on. Was she supposed to keep playing this childish fantasy game with him forever?

Something has changed.

As Lu Mingfei finished the last stroke with his finger, the world suddenly turned pure white in an instant, and everything lost its color. The students in the class exclaimed in surprise. Two or three seconds later, a thunderous sound, like a missile bombardment, rang out from above, but it sounded more like a magnificent warhorse from the sky trampling on the clouds. The clattering sound drowned out all other sounds.

Like the next second after a nuclear explosion, everything was submerged in the devastating lightning, and everything became silent.

Thunder and lightning clashed, the sky and earth flickered between light and darkness, the blazing white light obscured everything, and the darkness that followed seemed even deeper, even though the classroom lights were on, everything was plunged into darkness.

In this deep darkness, Su Xiaoqiang could clearly see that only Lu Mingfei seemed to still be sitting in the light. She could still see his figure clearly—he seemed unaffected by the changes in light brought about by the lightning. His eyes shone with a restrained yet profound light, and his pupil emitted a faint golden glow, majestic and terrifying... Just as he himself said, those were the eyes of a king.

The thunder gradually faded into the sky, the clock started ticking again, and everything returned to normal. The noise and commotion echoed in the classroom once more, and nothing had changed.

Of course, Lu Mingfei hadn't changed either. He maintained his posture, his lips slightly pursed, looking no different from the usual cowardly dog ​​with his head tucked in.

Only the girl sitting opposite Lu Mingfei was unable to calm down. She struggled to catch her breath. The inexplicable feeling emanating from the man's eyes drove her to fall to the ground, as if two shoulders were pressing her down to her knees. Wave after wave of shivers rose from her tailbone, along her spine, and shot straight to the back of her head.

Suddenly, something changed quietly, perhaps right before my eyes, or perhaps far away. The dark clouds outside the window grew lower and lower, and raindrops began to fall from the sky. One or two drops, soon forming a white curtain, weaving a veil between heaven and earth, washing the air back and forth.

Su Xiaoqiang breathed heavily, her chest heaving with lingering fear.

This is all too much of a coincidence...

Chapter 5 Lu Mingfei is also a vengeful person

The sudden thunder and torrential rain ignited the noisy classroom, making the whole building chaotic, but the culprit, Lu Mingfei, showed no sign of abnormality and even returned to his usual self.