Chapter 82
Chapter 82
“Yes, Professor. I’ll keep your teachings in mind.”
Su Xiaoyue respectfully bid Professor Xu farewell before returning to the lounge.
Her period of closed training had finally come to an end, and she had achieved her goal of ranking first in the Elite Program’s opening phase.
Everything had been for the sake of winning that prize at the Nine-Academy Tournament.
Recalling how Professor Xu had described the prize, Su Xiaoyue could not help murmuring to herself.
“A single-use cursed artifact capable of resurrection, known as an Anomaly Hunter’s second life…”
“If he had it, he would be much safer in the Fallen Zone.”
“He’ll be thrilled to receive a gift like that, won’t he?”
The image of a young man who was not especially tall but felt unfailingly dependable surfaced in her mind, and the corners of Su Xiaoyue’s lips rose of their own accord.
Had anyone else witnessed the bashful look on the widely adored Su Xiaoyue’s face, they would surely have gone mad with envy over the lucky recipient.
“Hm? He sent me messages…”
Su Xiaoyue took out the phone she had not checked in ages and found more than a dozen messages crowding the screen.
The sender was saved under a single name: “Lan.”
Who else could it be but Qin Lan?
There were plenty of messages, and their topics were all over the place. Most were Qin Lan’s customary reports about the little things happening in his life.
They read less like longing shared between lovers and more like one best friend dumping every random thought on another.
[Met two absolute monsters from the Central Region today. Scary as hell… Is everyone over there such a freak?]
[The Four-School Joint Examination. Fatty Wu actually asked me to smurf. Absolutely shameless… Suited me just fine, though. Hehe.]
[Remember that Wang Lei guy from No. 1 High School? It’s fine if you don’t. He got crippled anyway.]
[Today’s instance was kind of boring.]
[I’ve had enough. The Qian Group is way too damn arrogant. I’m going to make those bastards pay…]
[Hehe, the Qian Group is finished. So is Young Master Qian~]
The messages were written in plain, straightforward language, yet Su Xiaoyue could somehow hear Qin Lan’s voice in every line.
She could even picture the smug, infuriating grin he must have been wearing as he typed them.
“Honestly, this guy…” Su Xiaoyue smiled.
She had never truly expected Qin Lan to share these things with her.
Finding them as soon as her training ended was an unexpected delight.
“He’s so cute…”
Su Xiaoyue covered her face, feeling a faint heat creep into her cheeks.
Then she saw the final message.
[You won’t believe this! A junior girl at our school actually has Twin Talents. They’re ridiculously powerful! I’m planning to focus on training her and bring her into the Anomaly Hunter Bureau while I’m at it…]
Boom!
Outside, the students in the middle of their next training match shuddered.
Every one of them sensed an uncontrollable wave of power spilling from the lounge. The more observant among them even noticed that the shadows beneath their feet seemed to be trembling.
“Junior girl?”
“Training her?”
Su Xiaoyue’s expression remained perfectly calm.
Yet the entire room was now submerged in pitch-black shadows. They churned like storm-tossed waves, saturated with violent emotion.
…
When Qin Lan received a single question mark from Su Xiaoyue, he had yet to grasp the gravity of the situation.
He even assumed that she did not quite understand what Twin Talents meant, so he sent her a brief explanation.
A second question mark arrived.
“Hm? She still doesn’t get it?” Qin Lan pondered. “Then again, Twin Talents are practically classified information. It makes sense that she wouldn’t know.”
“Words don’t really do them justice.”
“When she comes back for vacation, I’ll let her see how insane they are for herself… Hehe.”
With that thought, Qin Lan swiftly composed another message and sent it.
[Qin Lan: If you don’t understand, we’ll talk when we meet.]
[Qin Lan: I’m a little busy right now.]
Qin Lan had no idea what disastrous consequences that message would bring.
Then again, it was hardly surprising. Men that oblivious often needed to be stabbed a few times before they learned.
Turning his attention back to Tang Qingqing, who was locked in a fierce battle with the second anomaly, Qin Lan yawned.
“Don’t expect me to help you. You’ll have to secure the other two guardian spirits on your own.”
“If you can’t even get past this, forget about becoming an Anomaly Hunter. You’d be better off going home to keep your grandma company.”
Tang Qingqing narrowly twisted away from an incoming strike.
Even so, a gash opened across her waist, spraying several streaks of crimson blood.
Gritting her teeth, she continued to dodge while directing the Blood Corpse to attack. “Senior Qin, you talk too much…”
Tang Qingqing had no intention of admitting defeat so easily.
She already possessed a 1-Star guardian spirit, and her own physique had been strengthened as well.
If she still needed Qin Lan’s help, then she really would be useless.
She had never been the sort to accept defeat.
Seeing the composure in her gaze and the stubborn determination in her eyes, Qin Lan broke into a grin.
He had chosen well.
Tang Qingqing possessed precisely the qualities needed to become strong.
Before long, she adjusted her tactics and had the Blood Corpse land the decisive blow, finally killing the troublesome anomaly.
With the birth of her second guardian spirit, her strength climbed to another level.
“That’s seriously powerful…”
Qin Lan clicked his tongue in wonder. “What Sorrow in Death? alone is enough to qualify as an A-rank Talent.”
“Obtaining the first guardian spirit is extremely difficult, but once you cross that hurdle, the rest snowballs naturally.”
Nearby, Tang Qingqing silently bandaged her wounds.
Her expression appeared calm, but her hands trembled with excitement, betraying the turmoil in her heart.
She had actually killed an anomaly on her own.
Before today, she would never even have dared dream of such a feat.
Tang Qingqing had never known how powerful her Talent could become.
Only when Qin Lan pointed out the possibility of binding anomalies as guardian spirits had she finally realized the potential she carried.
“Senior Qin’s insight really is incredible…”
“I’m so lucky it was him I met…”
Tang Qingqing’s heart gave an involuntary flutter.
Senior Qin had recognized how extraordinary her Talent was at a glance, yet he had still kept it secret for her.
He knew exactly how valuable her shared life could be, but had never once thought of exploiting it.
He had even obtained an incredibly precious medicine for her without asking for anything in return, then guided her toward the true potential of her Talent.
“Senior Qin really is so gentle…”
Tang Qingqing’s nose stung, and ripples stirred in her heart.
[Heh. You really are so gentle.]
Upon seeing Su Xiaoyue’s message, Qin Lan scratched his head.
“Huh? Why would she suddenly say that?”
“Could she sense my dazzling virtues even through the screen?”
Qin Lan ran a hand through his hair and smiled confidently.
“I knew it.”
“Someone like me is a firefly in the night. There’s simply no hiding my brilliant light…”
When it came to reading between the lines, Qin Lan was hopeless compared with Su Xiaoyue.
He had no idea how hard the person on the other side of the screen had been grinding her teeth as she typed those words, or how icy her expression had become.
But that was all right.
Su Xiaoyue’s vacation was fast approaching.