Chapter 79

Chapter 79

Tonight was destined to be a sleepless night.

Hua Jiunan and Chen Daji were in their bunk beds, but even though it was past midnight, neither could sleep. They kept grumbling at each other every time someone tossed or turned, complaining that the creaking of the bed was ruining their rest.

In truth, they were both just lovesick.

One was thinking of Xu Fangcao, and the other was thinking of Li Yun.

Ah, the restlessness of youth!

At one in the morning, just as Hua Jiunan was beginning to drift off, a rolling thunder suddenly roared through the sky. The sound was so massive it felt like someone had set off a ceremonial cannon right next to their pillows.

Chen Daji bolted upright in bed, cursing under his breath.

“Holy crap, I swear by his Eldest Master! Did the Heavens eat something bad? That was one hell of a loud fart! Scared the life out of me!”

Before long, snowflakes the size of an infant’s fist began to fall from the sky. As they hit the ground, they actually made a distinct rustling sound.

Immediately after, the earth began to shake and the mountains trembled. Hua Jiunan, who was in the top bunk, was tossed right out of bed by the violent swaying. Fortunately, he had practiced Ancient Martial Arts since childhood and was agile enough to land on his feet instead of crashing down.

“Run outside! It’s an earthquake!”

Alerted by Hua Jiunan, the others in the dormitory didn’t even stop to put on clothes. They scrambled over each other to burst through the door.

In just a few moments, every student living on campus had fled the buildings and gathered in the courtyard. It was quite a sight-a dense crowd of pale, half-naked bodies standing in the middle of the snow. The students were in an uproar, jumping and shivering from the cold while desperately covering their private parts as they talked.

“Was that an earthquake just now?!”

“No kidding! Scared me to death!”

“Whoa, hey, [Name Redacted], your butt is really white!”

“I swear by your Eldest Master, you damn pervert! Get lost!”

Chen Daji rubbed his hands together vigorously to stay warm. Suddenly, a thought struck him, and he let out a sleazy little chuckle.

“Big Brother, should we take advantage of the chaos and sneak over to the girls’ dormitory to check things out? In times of danger, we can’t just think of ourselves. What if some of our female classmates need help?”

Hua Jiunan was actually quite tempted by the suggestion.

“Daji, you have a point! It’s in moments of crisis that a hero’s true ‘colors’ are revealed!”

Chen Daji nodded repeatedly. “You’re right, Big Brother! It’s all about the hero’s true ‘colors’!”

The earthquake came and went quickly. Luckily, no buildings collapsed. Aside from a few unlucky souls who tripped while running, no one was injured.

After some words of comfort from the teachers on duty, the students filed back into their dorms. Just as they lay back down, Chen Daji’s phone rang. It was his father.

“You little brat, there was an earthquake just now. Is everything okay at your school?”

The concern from his father warmed Chen Daji’s heart.

“Don’t worry, Dad, we’re fine! Brother Jiunan and I are both okay, and the buildings didn’t fall. Are you, Mom, and Deaf Granny all alright?”

Chen Fu let out a long sigh of relief. “We’re all good. The house is still standing. Alright, as long as you’re safe, I’m relieved. I’m hanging up now.”

Before the call disconnected, the voices of Chen Fu and Deaf Granny could be heard on the other end.

“Old Auntie, you can go back to sleep now. Xiao Jiu and the other one are fine.”

“That’s good, that’s good. Sigh, why did the Earth Dragon Turns Over so suddenly out of nowhere?”

The school and Deaf Granny’s home were safe, but something terrible had happened elsewhere!

That first crack of thunder had struck directly above the ancient tomb. With a deafening boom, the mountainside split open, and a foul-smelling black mist billowed out from the crevice. Against the backdrop of the falling white snow, the black mist was particularly jarring.

The earthquake that followed widened the crack even further. From high above, it looked like a hideous, gaping maw.

Old Daoist Zhou turned pale with fright at the sight.

“This is disastrous! Thunder strikes the earth, and the Earth Dragon Turns Over. The thing inside is coming out!”

Professor Ma, who had come running out right behind him, asked urgently, “Temple Master Zhou, what should we do?!”

Old Daoist Zhou’s brow was furrowed tight. “Layman Ma, the only thing we can do now is evacuate everyone here. If we wait until the Big Zongzi is fully awake, it will be too late!”

Professor Ma turned and roared at Deputy Team Leader Niu, who was standing nearby, paralyzed with terror. “What are you standing there for?! Go do as Temple Master Zhou says!”

Deputy Team Leader Niu had lost all of his previous arrogance. He stammered his agreement as he ran toward the living quarters. “I’m going, I’m going! Bodhisattva protect us, please let nothing happen!”

Once everyone had gathered and was preparing to drive away, they saw Old Daoist Zhou don his Daoist robes and head toward the ancient tomb, gripping his Copper Coin Sword.

Professor Ma rushed to stop him. “Old Friend, you’re not coming with us?!”

Old Daoist Zhou let out a long sigh. “If I leave, what will happen to the nearby villagers? Even if I have to sacrifice my life, I must suppress the thing inside!”

He paused for a moment. “Old Friend, if I succeed, I will call you tomorrow. If… if you don’t hear from me, then hurry and notify Young Friend Hua Jiunan. That Old Sixth Hui by his side is an Immortal Spirit with great ability!”