Chapter 75: Which Master Awakened You

Everyone’s gaze followed the direction of the voice.

Qian Xiaozhen: Lu Ximing!

Her heart’s idol was speaking up for her! In that moment, gratitude and anticipation mingled and surged, overflowing as tears that fell in a sudden rush.

Lu Ximing stepped between the two sides, bent down, and carefully helped her pick up the important belongings one by one, handing them back to Qian Xiaozhen.

“This time you know you were wrong. Next time, don’t take things without asking. There’s always been an unspoken rule in the dormitory—first come, first served.”

“Shikigami? Shikigami?” Zhang Jie stared in astonishment at the shikigami that looked exactly like Chu Yue’s, hardly able to believe his eyes.

By now, Jing Baixi had already understood. The protective grand array set up by the sect’s founder consumed enormous energy when activated, requiring ancient spiritual springs to sustain it. The core of the array was secretly linked to the ancient spring, and the secret method was recorded in the sect’s jade manual, which had drawn Dai Mingchi and Ji Youyun’s covetous interest.

As for last night’s events, Chu Yue and Eri both pretended as though nothing had happened.

Qin Yibai flexed his limbs and looked at his dry clothes with some amazement. Just as he was about to see whether, after absorbing so much spiritual liquid, he could break open the treasure tower, his body’s forging technique suddenly began to operate uncontrollably on its own.

Chu Yue submitted a request to the student council for routine access to the stage and backstage. Thanks to Tomoyo Sakagami’s help, the application went through smoothly and without a hitch.

Xia Buding didn’t notice that Hongjian’s expression was off. He shifted slightly within the array, hoping to catch his master’s attention.

Nie Honghu understood the art of tone and restraint. His voice softened abruptly, and he took a large step to the side.

But this time, Tian Xiali was in bad shape—yet he had no one to blame, for the whole mess was entirely of his own making.

As she spoke, Qiao Zilin struck a posture in front of Qin Tian, raising her head and puffing out her chest to assert her authority and display her confidence.

Poor Mu Yuanqing wondered: with one flag missing from the array, even a master would have exposed a glaring flaw—yet this array merely shifted lightly, never revealing any weakness.

With two children now, for the sake of safety, the family’s return to the village was accompanied by more than thirty guards, all dressed in black and mounted on horseback, surrounding five carriages and escorting the whole family back home.

The meaning carried by this verse was weighty—it witnessed the rise and fall of two dynasties. Though rich in poetic flavor, it was rarely mentioned.

When Ji Rou’s vision blurred, he couldn’t see clearly either, but he still remembered to protect his sister-in-law for his big brother, doing his utmost to remain alert.

One must realize that these two were no longer who they once were; their skills had long since surpassed ordinary standards. Yet, faced with this opponent—even two against one—they were thoroughly suppressed and gained no advantage. If confronted alone, they stood no chance at all.

Xiao Yao was perfectly unharmed, while the one they had pinned their hopes on—Suge Li—was shaken and forced to retreat, nearly falling flat onto the ground.

Marriages between sects and schools were frequent; among the five academies, they were still rare, but beneath the five religions, they were extremely common. The Demon Sect and southern sects had intermarriages; the Confucian school did likewise in the north.

In the frontier regions, even bandits could rise to acclaim if they dared fight the Xiongnu and achieved military merit, earning the praise of “good man.” But someone like Brother Atao, who cowered before the Xiongnu and lacked the courage to brandish knife and bow, would inevitably be scorned by all, never able to hold his head high.

His temples were graying, his face stern, perhaps fatigued from days of arduous travel, and his expression showed a trace of weariness.

Since returning, almost every moment had been spent thinking of that face. Before, when together, it hadn’t felt so intense; only after parting did he realize he could no longer help himself.

It was clear she was sincerely worried for her elderly father—not because he was a founding general, nor out of fear of losing her pillar, her backing, or her current status.