Uneasy daily life

Yukino asked curiously, "Didn't your mother make things difficult for you?"

"Why make things difficult for me? I'm just a clay sculpture or a wooden carving. I convinced your mother through my niece, Eru."

After Bai Ying finished speaking, he laughed again: "Hmph, your clever plan to link the boats together with iron chains has failed, hasn't it?"

"It's just a matter of making some strategic adjustments."

"You've already missed your chance! Tomorrow is Friday, then there's a two-day holiday, and the voting starts right next Monday! Tomorrow, you'll see the chasm between us! Hehehehe—!"

Yukino Yukinoshita felt that it would be best to avoid the white shadow tomorrow.

It's not that I'm afraid, it's just that I'm too lazy to bother with it.

Chapter Seventy-Two: The Tale of the Divine Mountain, The Story of the Battle Formation

The poem says—

During lunch break, students either chat or stroll around campus after lunch, preview their studies in class, or learn the essential strategies for success before doing their homework after the morning classes. Others might go a step further, grasp the mysteries of tornadoes, and aspire to get into top universities by frantically doing practice questions.

The vibrant tapestry of life on campus was shattered by a long, drawn-out voice that gradually rose in pitch, stirring up a chaotic wave of emotions.

Yukino Yukinoshita had been on guard since last night, and her efforts to keep the cat at home were beginning to pay off. She left home a day earlier than Shirokage this morning and treated the classroom like her own home. When Yui invited her to eat lunch in the activity room at noon, she reluctantly refused. Despite being ignored by her classmates, she bravely ate her lunch alone at her seat.

Hearing the sounds coming from outside, Yukino Yukinoshita felt a sense of relief, as if her second shoe had finally landed on the ground.

This guy doesn't seem to be using a headset, does he? How can he make a human voice sound so high, bright, and wide? Because it's so high and bright, it does sound a bit like a female voice.

Yukino Yukinoshita remained somewhat wary as she entered the corridor.

The sound burst forth from the courtyard surrounded by the surrounding teaching buildings in all directions.

The play has already begun; look at the four people in the courtyard.

Snow beneath the snow is an earthquake of the pupils.

"It is said that creation divided heaven and earth, and the Heavenly Swamp rose from the sea to form a pillar."

"The division of Yin and Yang establishes the land, and the flames of war ignite in the fourteen sand dunes."

"In Gifu, there is a sacred mountain where a heavenly maiden descended from the north."

"A bamboo stalk grows from cracked rocks, and fame and fortune are achieved here throughout the ages."

Legend has it that in the Jinde area of ​​Kamiyama City, Gifu Prefecture, Honshu Island, one day, the setting sun cast its glow on the mountaintop, and mist arose spontaneously. In less than half a day, a magical bamboo shoot burst forth from the mountain, visible for miles around. The woodcutters in the mountains said: "A celestial maiden descended upon this chaotic world. Her beauty is unforgettable, and her nobility is beyond words. The one who is worthy of the celestial maiden must be a peerless hero who can pacify the world and leave his mark on history."

Therefore, heroes from all over the land rushed into battle, all wanting to marry the celestial maiden.

"You, a mung bean seller, dare to call yourself a hero and ask for the hand of a celestial maiden?"

In a boisterous male voice, Hikigaya Tsubasa attempted to make a mocking expression, his cheeks twitching like a PowerPoint presentation, his dead fish eyes filled with deep sorrow.

"Ha, you pig butcher dare to do it, why wouldn't I?"

In a deep, resonant voice, Oreki Kugenaga attempted to move his face, managing to force out a deadpan smile.

"People who blush are really shameless!"

"People with dark complexions do indeed have thick skin!"

With just four sentences, it was as if they had committed the murder of their fathers. Oreki Kugenaga and Hikigaya Tsubasa suddenly reached out and exerted force on each other, but were shocked by each other's strength and ended up locking each other in place.

"Wait a minute!"

With a loud shout, a man strode out and separated the two men, saying, "Since you two brave men are so ambitious, why don't you go up the mountain, solve the celestial maiden's puzzle, and prove your heroism?"

The two asked in unison, "Who are you?!"

"Anjie Xuande!"

The mysterious voice from beyond the heavens was confident, loud, and full of energy.

Anjie Xuande's face was stiff, his movements were wooden, and his eyes were lifeless.

The three men became acquainted through a fight, and after a pleasant conversation, in high spirits, they chopped off a chicken's head, paid homage to Guan Yu, became sworn brothers, and got drunk together.

Day 1: Drinking.

The next day, we drank alcohol.

On the third day, we, who call ourselves heroes, lingered here, getting drunk for days on end. Our ambition has been worn away and we are so haggard. From this day forward, we will abstain from alcohol!

On the fourth day, we drank alcohol.

……

"A friend for life, a cup of wine—Second Brother sings!"

"Those days, every single day—Big Brother sang!"

"One word! A lifetime! A lifelong bond... hiccup—hmm? How tall do you two brothers say the bamboo on the mountain is?"

"Haha, hiccup! Why don't you just go measure it and see?"

"Third brother is right, let's go measure it, measure it!"

One day, Lingding, drunk, and the three of them, arm in arm, headed towards the mountaintop.

As soon as we entered the mountains, a torrential downpour began, cascading down and flooding the land.

"Second Brother, it's raining!"

"Quenches my thirst! Great!"

"Gurgle—! Ptooey! I was just about to rinse my mouth! Hahahaha!"

Anjie Xuande laughed heartily.

Before I could walk ten steps, the torrential rain suddenly stopped, dark clouds closed the sky, and a flash of light and thunder roared in a terrifying roar!

"Whoa—!! Damn it, is this some kind of shouting contest?!"

Hikigaya Ide roared to the sky.

"Third brother, your voice is really loud, don't you think, eldest brother?"

"Second brother, what did you say? Hiccup!"

After walking several dozen steps, the thunder subsided, a strong wind arose, and a tiger with piercing eyes and a white forehead leaped out to block the road, its roar shaking the mountains and forests.

"What a big worm! I've been thinking that drinking alone is tasteless, so I'll make you my snack with my drinks!"

Zhemu Yunchang pounced on the tiger, pinning it down and flipping it into the air before it crashed to the ground, seeing stars. Then, he raised his leg and slashed, his heel striking the tiger's forehead like a heavy hammer. White, red, hard, and soft substances all came out at once, and it was clear that the tiger had lost its breath.

Orimoto Kugenaga exclaimed, "What a disappointment! This dish is inedible!"

The three continued forward, but after a moment of confusion, they arrived before an ancient bamboo grove whose height was unknown and whose thickness was equivalent to that of three strong men.

"Anyone who can break the Eight Trigrams Formation and step into this place is no ordinary person."

"All heroes possess the composure to remain calm in the face of change and to laugh even when wading through mud; the courage to face thunder without fear and to defy the will of heaven as if it were nothing; and the bravery to be the first to fight in the face of danger and to regard wild beasts as nothing. These three can be called heroes."

A gentle and melodious voice came from inside.

The three people, with their arms around each other's shoulders, looked around.

I saw a celestial maiden peeking out from the bamboo. Clear mountain streams, a beautiful night in the bamboo forest, the bright moon shining clear and pure. Such a beautiful thing.

"Big brother! Second brother! There's a person growing in the tree!"

"Third brother, you're drunk. It's as if a tree has grown on you."

“My two brothers, you are both drunk. This is not a tree, it is bamboo. It is clearly a person growing together with bamboo.”

The three brothers laughed heartily, though they were drunk.

Within a large paper tube painted with a vibrant green background and depicting bamboo joints and leaves, Bai Tiannu's face was barely visible. She spoke gently, "I am a celestial being, who has offended the mortal world. I await the arrival of a hero to split this bamboo and free me. However, to split this bamboo, you must verify my sincerity—three of you may take a leaf from this bamboo and write the name of your beloved on it. If it is not sincere, the leaf will wither; if it is sincere, the leaf will remain green. If you are my peerless hero, you will be able to split this bamboo. Then, in the future, pacifying this chaotic world and achieving great success will be only natural."

"My name is Princess Kaguya, the radiance of the bright moon, the clear night."

The three brothers took down the crudely made bamboo leaves, which looked like pieces of paper, and wrote their names on them.

After the names were written on the bamboo leaves, none of the three bamboo leaves withered or turned yellow.

Princess Kaguya was quite surprised. Could it be that all three of them were truly sincere? However, how could a celestial maiden marry three husbands? In the end, the brothers would probably turn against each other.

She looked closer and was even more surprised.

On Hikigaya Tsubasa's bamboo leaf is written Oreki Kurenai's name, on Oreki Kurenai's bamboo leaf is Ange Gentoku, and on Ange Gentoku's bamboo leaf is clearly Hikigaya Tsubasa!

The three brothers looked at each other, laughing and joking, pushing and shoving each other, and putting their arms around each other's shoulders.

Princess Kaguya had never seen anything like this before.

"One in ten can pass the Bagua Formation; such a person is truly a genius."

"Those who remain calm and composed in battle, displaying extraordinary courage and skill, are rare indeed, and only one in a hundred survives; they are true heroes."

"I have never seen a bamboo leaf with my name written on it and the leaf still not wither. I am unable to overcome the difficulty of fame and fortune. This is only natural. Who among those who come to climb the mountain and inquire about the bamboo does not have some desire for fame and fortune? I thought I could only wait until my time of atonement was over, but I never expected to meet the three of you today."

"Fame and fortune are like fleeting clouds to me; I speak lightly of kings and generals. The three brothers, Peach Blossom and Red Heart, are as evergreen as bamboo leaves."

"These three are truly heroes."

Princess Kaguya praised it.

The three brothers were hiccuping from the alcohol and getting quite tipsy.

"Big, second brother—are we the real heroes?"

"Hmm! The celestial maiden said we—bah!—are true heroes! What does Big Brother think?"

"A true hero... um, a true hero—good! Let's recruit local militia, crush the Yellow Turbans, bestow official titles and ranks, whip the inspector, visit Zhuge Liang three times, burn the Red Cliffs, establish a new nation, and revive the Han Dynasty! Hiccup—!"

The three men, still full of ambition and drunk, had just turned around when they saw a man leading a massive army up the mountain.

"I have already pacified the world, what jokes are you three spouting?"

A white-haired, fat man strolled over, a paper sword hanging from his waist, a paper crown on his head, and his name pasted on his chest.

The mysterious celestial sound is very sophisticated, solemn and dignified, and occasionally interspersed with a little human-driven accompaniment.

The gongs and drums sounded grand and majestic, while the suonas played with rhythmic cadence.

"Huh? Then who are you?!" Hikigaya Tsubasa asked, his tongue slurring.

"I am the Supreme Emperor, the Great Ruler of Heaven and Earth, possessing immense power, virtue, and wisdom—"

Anjie Xuande: "Too long to read."

Oreki Kugenaga: "Brother is right."

Hikigaya Itoku: "Me too."

Emperor Zaimokuza ignored the three drunkards, looked at Princess Kaguya, and presented her with a poem: "A single meeting in the past has kept me awake all year. Now that I am the ruler of the world, I seek to marry the celestial being."

Princess Kaguya replied, "My name is written on bamboo leaves, and my true heart is evergreen. Falsehood withers and turns yellow, and truth and falsehood are clearly distinguished."

Emperor Zaimokuza ordered someone to pluck a bamboo leaf, and with a flick of his wrist, he wrote Princess Kaguya's name. Suddenly, the green bamboo leaf turned yellow for some unknown reason—it certainly wasn't because Emperor Zaimokuza had yellow paint on his hand.

Upon seeing this, Emperor Zaimokuza, without changing his expression, discarded the withered leaf and said, "When bamboo leaves see a beautiful woman, they feel ashamed of their blemishes. They should quickly turn yellow and wither, and not dare to keep them any longer."

Princess Kaguya chuckled and replied, "If bamboo leaves knew shame, why don't others? Being muddle-headed is not being muddle-headed; go and fix your ugly character."

"I rule the four seas, encompass all islands, command thousands of troops, and proclaim myself emperor. What can't I give you? What can't I obtain?!" Emperor Zaimokuza roared. "Even if this bamboo is higher than the sky and deeper than the earth, I will dig it up and bring it back to the palace! Guards! Dig it up!"

Anjie Xuande: "He's getting anxious, he's getting anxious."

Oreki Kugenaga: "So urgent, so urgent, so urgent!"

Hikigaya Tsubasa: "Urgent! Urgent! Urgent! Urgent! Urgent! Urgent!—Burp!"

Emperor Zaimokuza was furious: "You worthless brat, how dare you mock me?! Drag him out and behead him!"

"Wait a minute!" Princess Kaguya suddenly said.

Emperor Zaimokuza was overjoyed: "If the lady is willing to return to the palace with me, I will spare them this time."

"No, no," Princess Kaguya shook her head. "Does Your Majesty know what it means to possess Princess Kaguya and thus possess the world?"

Emperor Zaimokuza proudly declared, "He who pacifies the world is a peerless hero, and should rightfully marry Princess Kaguya!"

"No, no—Princess Kaguya can assist a peerless hero to sweep away all obstacles and bring peace to the world!"

But then Princess Kaguya let out a delicate shout, and the ancient bamboo exploded. Amidst the flying shards of cardboard, she emerged, holding a square scroll, her beautiful eyes wide open, her willow eyebrows raised, and her wig flying: "Even if I defy the laws of heaven again today and must bear heavy sins, I will still be invincible in this world! I will slay you, you lustful tyrant!"