Chapter 14 – Memory

Three seconds later, Lu Xiu coldly uttered two words, “No thanks.”

The white-haired gorilla seemed to be provoked for no reason, showing its ferocious teeth and roaring towards Lu Xiu and Jiang Hong. The sound resounded loudly, echoing throughout the air-raid shelter, and tens of thousands of bats were frightened and flew away.

The shock wave hit their faces, and Lu Xiu stood tall, making a few indistinct syllables:

“Hatalatu!”

Suddenly, a huge phantom appeared behind Lu Xiu, with a dragon head emerging. The phantom dragon roared towards the white-haired gorilla. Two shock waves collided inside the air-raid shelter walls.

“You ignorant youngsters dare to challenge me!” the white-haired gorilla roared.

Lu Xiu spoke in a deep voice, “You should have died long ago. Go back to the underworld!”

Jiang Hong felt like he was about to be blown away by the gust of wind from both Lu Xiu and the demon. But Lu Xiu held him tightly, leaped into the air, and ran towards the wall of the air-raid shelter. With the momentum of their charge, he pushed Jiang Hong out.

“Go! Now!” Lu Xiu shouted.

The white-haired gorilla roared and raised its arms.

As soon as Jiang Hong landed, he knew he couldn’t slow Lu Xiu down and shouted, “Take care of yourself!” Without waiting for Lu Xiu’s response, he ran towards the other end of the air-raid shelter.

The ground shook, and Jiang Hong didn’t dare to look back. He kept running, knowing that as long as he could escape, Lu Xiu would make it out as well.

But the tremors didn’t fade away. They only grew stronger and stronger… Jiang Hong stopped in confusion and looked ahead. A rumbling sound was coming from the exit of the air-raid shelter towards him.

Jiang Hong: “…”

A massive amount of water surged towards Jiang Hong like a dragon.

Jiang Hong took a deep breath and didn’t shout. Instead, he closed his eyes, bent down, and didn’t fight against the current. He was swept back into the depths of the air-raid shelter!

The flood came roaring towards Lu Xiu. Lu Xiu quickly drew a reverse symbol with his right hand and pushed it in the direction of the water flow. In an instant, a bright light filled the entire air-raid shelter, and the flood that had filled the shelter retreated!

Jiang Hong: “Cough… cough…”

Jiang Hong struggled to stand up, soaking wet. He looked back at the passage, and the flood rushed towards him again.

“Damn it!” Jiang Hong shouted.

Fortunately, he was given a little space to catch his breath.

Lu Xiu’s magic symbol rotated quickly, resisting the white-haired gorilla. Wave after wave of air swept past, and the flood continued to rise. Jiang Hong had just escaped, but he was swept back by the flood again. This time, he clung to the corner, not daring to make a sound, afraid of distracting Lu Xiu.

This demon must be very difficult to deal with! Lu Xiu must win, aaahhh-!

Jiang Hong raised his head above the water and took another deep breath.

The white-haired gorilla said: “You shouldn’t have only this ability. The humans have sealed you? If so, why are you still helping them…”

While the demon was speaking, Lu Xiu suddenly pulled his spell back, and the flood immediately filled the entire air-raid shelter.

The white-haired gorilla floated up in the water. Lu Xiu drew another symbol and blew out a string of bubbles.

With a “buzz,” Jiang Hong’s eardrums shook. He saw the white-haired gorilla shooting back in the water and hitting the wall of the air-raid shelter with a loud bang!

Lu Xiu swam over, raised his hand, clenched his fist, and lit up a glowing rune, then fiercely punched the ferocious beast!

The white-haired gorilla resisted Lu Xiu with both hands, and two other arms suddenly stretched out from behind it, forming a seal.

Jiang Hong：“!!!”

Lu Xiu punched with his right hand, while his left hand formed a seal to counter the white-haired gorilla’s attack. However, a third pair of arms appeared behind the gorilla, and it raised a short knife that emitted a blood-red light, stabbing towards Lu Xiu’s chest and abdomen!

Jiang Hong let out a string of bubbles: I’m going to suffocate…

Lu Xiu dodged to the side, punching the big demon in the face. The white-haired gorilla’s short knife fell, but its six arms firmly grabbed Lu Xiu, with two hands squeezing his throat, two hands grabbing his arms, and the last two arms tightly gripping his ankles.

“Speak your dragon language.” The white-haired gorilla sneered in the water. “Where’s your true form? Transform into your true form. Above here is full of tall buildings. Break through the ground and go kill people…”

The six arms of the white-haired gorilla simultaneously exerted force, seemingly intending to dismember Lu Xiu!

Jiang Hong spun in the water like an agile fish, quietly rolling on the bottom of the water, grabbing the short knife.

Lu Xiu looked up and saw Jiang Hong raise the short knife and stab it into the gorilla’s neck from behind.

The white-haired gorilla suddenly lifted its head and let out a painful roar in the water! But Lu Xiu was faster than it and quickly turned around to kick it out.

The white-haired gorilla raised its hand and fiercely pulled the short knife from its neck. Lu Xiu’s right hand changed in the water, revealing a shimmering black-golden hook claw. His entire right arm was covered in hard scales.

In an instant, Lu Xiu violently rose and grabbed the white-haired gorilla’s throat with one hand.

“Tulesu!”

This time, Lu Xiu went all out, his dragon roar vibrating. Under the attack, the white-haired gorilla’s body crashed into the cave wall, smashing through bricks and stones, and spurting blood from its body, forcibly sinking into the granite, splattering countless broken rocks. The granite layer in the ground shattered like tofu blocks under Lu Xiu’s full-power strike, causing the entire air raid shelter to collapse in succession.

This exchange of blows was extremely powerful. Jiang Hong was dealt the most severe blow he had ever experienced, almost out of breath in an instant.

It felt like playing bungee jumping and the rope broke halfway.

I’m going to die… Jiang Hong thought.

But Lu Xiu immediately swam over and hugged Jiang Hong, lowering his head to seal his lips.

A breath surged into Jiang Hong’s lungs, forcibly propping up his chest.

Ah… I’m alive again… Jiang Hong thought. But I lost my first kiss…

Then Lu Xiu raised his hand and spun his index and middle fingers in the water.

A turbulent vortex rushed towards them, sweeping them up and carrying them out of the air raid shelter with a howling wind. Jiang Hong felt dizzy and nauseous, feeling like he had entered a washing machine.

“I’m going to die again…” Jiang Hong thought to himself.

Three seconds later, Lu Xiu and Jiang Hong rushed out of the air raid shelter with a loud crash, following the water flow.

“Ah, I’m alive again.” Jiang Hong saw the pitch-black sky.

In front of the air raid shelter, there was a loud bang as floodwaters gushed out and poured into Jialing River, pushing all the parked cars on the roadside into the river.

Lu Xiu held Jiang Hong in one hand and spun in the air, then landed with a very handsome posture – a backflip in mid-air, two consecutive foot landings, followed by a slight lean, a bow, and an empty hand pressing the ground to dissipate the force.

Jiang Hong was half-held in Lu Xiu’s arms, staring around in a daze.

“How are you?” Lu Xiu asked.

“I feel like throwing up…” Jiang Hong straightened up with difficulty, leaning on Lu Xiu and panting for a while.

Several SF Express electric trucks drove over, and many people gathered outside the air raid shelter. Xu Xuyang came running hastily with one arm wrapped in bandages. Two Mercedes-Benz cars blocked the street.

“We’ve already evacuated!” Xu Xuyang shouted. “You guys go!”

“It’s Wuzhiqi (1)!” Lu Xiu shouted. “You can’t deal with it! Notify Beijing and have them send someone over from headquarters!”

“What? What’s Wuzhiqi?” Jiang Hong, busy throwing up, turned his head.

“That’s impossible!” Wu Suyuan, with several demon hunters, got out of the Mercedes-Benz. “Wuzhiqi is a demon from the Classic of Mountains and Seas (2). It died a long time ago. You must have seen it wrong…”

Before he finished speaking, there was a muffled sound, and with a roar, a white figure rushed out, broke through the isolation belt outside the air raid shelter, opened six arms, and all the demon hunters were suddenly on high alert.

But the white gorilla didn’t fight with them. It just glanced at Lu Xiu, stepped on the ground and leapt into the heart of Jialing River.

“There it is,” Lu Xiu said.

Another loud noise, and a cargo ship on the river was hit by Wuzhiqi. The side immediately collapsed. The exorcists jumped onto the railing and looked towards the river.

Wu Suyuan took out a walkie-talkie and began to arrange for speedboats to surround the cargo ship on the river.

Wu Suyuan’s eyes were full of shock as he looked at Lu Xiu again.

“It’s an ancient water god,” Lu Xiu reminded him. “Its power to control the rivers and seas is not below mine.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Wuzhiqi roared, and the river suddenly surged up to ten meters high, sweeping everything away!

Lu Xiu immediately pushed his hands forward, and a burst of light erupted, resisting the huge waves that surged towards the river bank. With a loud “splash”, the waves collapsed once again, and the speedboat was pushed towards the shore.

Wu Suyuan couldn’t stop gasping for breath. This ancient ferocious beast was indeed as Lu Xiu had said – something they couldn’t handle. But what could they do? Protecting the city was their responsibility, and they could only grit their teeth and go for it.

Lu Xiu grabbed Jiang Hong’s collar and pulled him back from the railing so he wouldn’t get too close. “Come back! What are you doing trying to catch demons? Are you an exorcist?”

“Wu Suyuan!” Lu Xiu said again.

Wu Suyuan was just about to climb over the railing when he turned around and looked at Lu Xiu.

“We need to weaken it first before we can have a chance,” Lu Xiu said.

Wu Suyuan nodded gravely.

Jiang Hong watched as the exorcists displayed their various abilities and flew out.

“Wow, so cool!”

Lu Xiu kept one hand raised while using the other to grab Jiang Hong’s collar, ready to pull him back at any time.

“Can I record this?” Jiang Hong was shocked. He saw hundreds of exorcists rushing towards the center of the river.

“It’s useless,” Lu Xiu said, “it’ll be deleted.”

Jiang Hong asked, “Can they delete the video on my phone?”

Lu Xiu replied, “Obviously. How many people do you think have seen this now? Deleting the video is just the first step. The Exorcist Committee will make people forget about this scene.”

On the riverbank and on the bridge, almost all the cars stopped, and many people got out of their cars to watch, using their phones to take pictures and videos.

Xu Xuyang ran over quickly, shouting, “Quick, set up the barrier! Where are the barrier masters? There are too many people watching! Prepare the Lihun Pollen!”

Several exorcists jumped onto the railing, threw out talismans, and the air suddenly distorted. Everything in front of them disappeared.

“Is it gone?” Jiang Hong asked again, confused. He saw several drones flying past, heading towards the bridge, and spraying a strange powder. Lu Xiu said, “Don’t come here! They’re our people!”

“I know! I know!” Xu Xuyang shouted from afar.

“What is that…” Jiang Hong started to say.

“It’s a powder,” Lu Xiu said. “Depending on the dosage, it can make people forget.”

The barrier suddenly shook again, as if something was trying to break through by force.

Lu Xiu frowned, and Jiang Hong asked, “Are they going to die?”

“Exorcists are also human,” Lu Xiu said, “and humans die.”

Jiang Hong was filled with worry, and after hesitating for a moment, Lu Xiu asked, “Do you want to see what’s happening?”

“Can I?” Jiang Hong asked. “I promise I won’t cause trouble.”

Lu Xiu then picked up Jiang Hong and stepped onto the railing, leaping into the barrier. Inside the barrier, it was pitch black, and it had become a battlefield. When Lu Xiu and Jiang Hong landed, they were on a small boat.

The gorilla, Wuzhiqi, occupied a cargo ship in the middle of the river. Its six arms maintained a strong light, and it unleashed a powerful spell that radiated like a halo. The river turned blood-red, and millions of water arrows shot out from the surface, attacking the exorcists crazily.

Jiang Hong was shocked. The moment he witnessed the battle scene, he was extremely shocked. He watched the exorcists fly towards the beast like moths to a flame, only to be repeatedly struck down and thrown into the river.

Wu Suyuan stood on another boat with his hands apart, revealing a lightning bolt that he pushed forward with his arm, illuminating the dark river surface like a dragon, and exploding towards Wuzhiqi!

“This old man is so strong!” Jiang Hong exclaimed.

“Each city leader has some skills,” said Lu Xiu, standing with his hands in a posture of charging up.

“Aren’t you also an exorcist? You should go up and help!” Jiang Hong said.

“No rush. It’s like fishing. First we consume its strength,” Lu Xiu said.

“Why is your left hand glowing?” Jiang Hong asked.

“I’m preparing a spell,” Lu Xiu replied.

Wuzhiqi turned around and created a whirlpool, devouring the speedboats on the river.

Wu Suyuan was obviously exhausted. When he released the lightning bolt again, the light and energy were much dimmer.

“What do you eat to accumulate so much electrical energy?” Jiang Hong said. “One bowl of rice is only 200 calories. How many bowls of rice does it take to sustain the human body’s self-electricity? It’s a violation of the law of energy conservation!”

“He is guiding the energy of nature,” Lu Xiu said helplessly. “What are you thinking about?!”

“Guide it over here!” Lu Xiu shouted towards Wu Suyuan in the distance.

Wu Suyuan glanced at Lu Xiu, and in that moment of distraction, a huge wave overturned the boat he was standing on.

“Be careful…” Jiang Hong reminded.

Suddenly, all the exorcists stopped attacking and retreated to the periphery. Slightly surprised, Lu Xiu looked at the top of the barrier.

“Reinforcements have arrived,” Lu Xiu said.

“Who? The demon’s or ours?” Jiang Hong asked.

“Theirs.” Lu Xiu’s “theirs” referred to the exorcists, but he quickly changed his words. “No, it’s ours.”

In an instant, a crack opened above the barrier, and countless lightning bolts poured out of it. Wuzhiqi immediately abandoned its pursuit of the exorcists and lifted all six of its hands upwards, forming a circular red light barrier, constantly roaring and resisting the thunderous blades falling from the sky!

Jiang Hong’s eyes reflected this magnificent scene, only to see Wuzhiqi’s entire body burst with black blood.

As the first wave of thunder subsided, a voice was heard. “This is not where you should appear!”

A figure dressed in a black suit appeared, surrounded by lightning. Falling from the sky, he landed a punch that could collapse the heavens.

Wuzhiqi roared as he was struck by the punch and the barrier shattered. Unable to resist the tremendous force, he crushed the cargo ship beneath his feet, splitting it in half and causing his legs to spread apart.

Jiang Hong exclaimed, “Ah, he got hit in the crotch! It hurts!”

Lu Xiu remained silent.

The figure spun in midair and shouted, “Suyuan! Seal its power! Lu Xiu, lend me a hand!”

Lu Xiu reluctantly stepped in front of Jiang Hong.

The man in the suit flipped over and kicked Wuzhiqi in the back with a whirlwind kick, sending the three-meter-tall beast flying towards Lu Xiu and Jiang Hong.

Wu Suyuan shouted, “Let’s do it!”

The exorcists each formed hand seals, and rune after rune flew into the air like meteors from every corner of Jialing River within a few miles, dragging with them a blaze of light towards Wuzhiqi in the darkness. Finally, Wu Suyuan’s full-powered lightning struck him.

Lu Xiu revealed a dragon claw on his left hand and grabbed Wuzhiqi’s throat the moment it rushed towards him.

“Return to dust and re-enter the underworld,” Lu Xiu said sternly. “This is not where you belong. Tulesu!”

Wuzhiqi grinned and revealed a terrifying smile.

Lu Xiu used all his might to speak the dragon language, then slammed his right hand on Wuzhiqi’s forehead!

Wuzhiqi’s head instantly exploded, black blood mixed with rotten brain matter splattering everywhere, and his six arms dropped simultaneously.

His massive body turned into black smoke, dissipating in the wind.

A speedboat raced towards them in the distance. The man in the suit stood at the bow, watching them from afar. He had short hair and a rugged appearance. The time spell broke like fading ink, and the sun emerged. Golden sunlight shone on the river and on the man’s head.

“I just arrived at Jiangbei Airport,” the man said. “I heard you guys had some trouble and was worried, so I came to check on you.”

Jiang Hong looked at him suspiciously, feeling like he had seen him somewhere before. The man also nodded at him and greeted him.

“Hello, Jiang Hong,” the man said. “How’s your new life going?”

Jiang Hong: “??? “

“This is Cao Bin,” Lu Xiu said. “He’s the vice president of Sky University. Let’s find a place to sit down and chat.”

Jiang Hong regained his composure, and the cargo ship sank. The exorcists were still cleaning up the aftermath on the river.

That afternoon, Jiang Hong saw on TV that an unmanned cargo ship on the river suddenly had an accident and the hull cracked. Strong wind stirred up waves in the river and rolled parked cars on the roadside onto the riverbank. So, it was better to park in an underground garage and avoid parking illegally on the roadside.

At the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, the floor had been in disrepair for many years, and part of it collapsed, fortunately with no casualties.

Jiang Hong took Lu Xiu, Wu Suyuan, and Cao Bin home, and the first thing they did was to take a shower and change clothes, as they were covered in mud. After half an hour of washing, Jiang Hong finally felt refreshed.

Cao Bin and Wu Suyuan were sitting at the dining table.

Cao Bin casually flipped through the papers that Jiang Hong had spread out on the table.

“So, you’re already in the third year of high school?” Cao Bin asked.

“Yes,” Jiang Hong said. “Why do I feel like I’ve seen you somewhere before?”

Cao Bin said, “All encounters are a reunion after a long separation.”

Jiang Hong laughed and went to make coffee for Cao Bin, while Wu Suyuan was looking listless and could not lift his spirits for a while.

“Wuzhiqi has been dead for a long time,” Cao Bin said. “You can’t blame yourself. No one would have thought it would suddenly appear.”

“I don’t understand either,” Wu Suyuan said. “How could this ferocious beast hide underground in the city, and what was its purpose?”

“You should tell headquarters about that,” Cao Bin said. “Most likely they will blame your intelligence work.”

The two of them talked without trying to hide the conversation from Jiang Hong, who was making coffee on the side. He was full of curiosity and turned to look at Cao Bin, only to find that Cao Bin was also looking at him with a meaningful look in his eyes.

After a brief silence, Cao Bin said, “I actually have some doubts. I doubt it is Wuzhiqi.”

“What is it then?” Wu Suyuan asked.

“It’s it, but it’s not it.” Cao Bin thought for a moment, then took the coffee from Jiang Hong. “Thank you. According to logic, an S-class ancient beast cannot be resurrected. After all, the exorcists who sealed it a thousand years ago went through a lot of trouble… Secondly, don’t you think it’s too weak for an S-class demon’s strength?”

“Under normal circumstances,” Cao Bin said, “unless you unlock Lu Xiu’s seal… unless… hmm… if Lu Xiu goes all out, he should be able to defeat it… Anyway, its displayed strength is not consistent with its reputation.”

“Maybe it needs time to recover after being resurrected?” Wu Suyuan said.

“That’s possible.” Cao Bin frowned. “Then the question is, who revived it?”

Wu Suyuan and Cao Bin fell silent again.

“At the last moment, you saw it too. It dissipated into black smoke,” Cao Bin said.

“Yes,” Wu Suyuan said.

“There’s only one special being that produces black smoke. We haven’t seen it in ten years,” Cao Bin said.

“This is a very serious situation. It must be reported and given enough attention,” Wu Suyuan said.

Cao Bin nodded. “I hope we’re not right about this. If Xiang Cheng is not here, it will be a big problem.”

Wu Suyuan said, “I’m heading to Beijing now. Thank you, my friend. The coffee was good. I have to go.”

“Is that all? Stay a little longer. Do you want to take a shower upstairs?” Jiang Hong thought, “I didn’t understand anything. Don’t you want to chat a bit more to satisfy my curiosity?”

Wu Suyuan finished his coffee and left Jiang Hong’s house in a hurry.

Lu Xiu also finished his shower. His hair was still semi-wet, and he was wearing slippers and loose shorts. He sat at the dining table bare-chested.

Cao Bin remained seated, seemingly lost in thought.

“You’re the principal?” Jiang Hong observed Cao Bin.

Cao Bin smiled politely at him.

“He’s the vice principal.” Lu Xiu cleaned his ears with a cotton swab.

Cao Bin said, “Are you adjusting well to your new life?”

“What new life?” Jiang Hong vaguely guessed something based on his reasoning and said, “I met you in Xi’an too, didn’t I? Just like I met Lu Xiu, but I forgot everything.”

“Forgetting might be a good thing.” Cao Bin stood up and walked to the hand-brewed coffee pot. “Don’t you want a cup? Let me brew you one.”

Lu Xiu finished cleaning one ear and started cleaning the other. His movements were rough, as if struggling with his own ear. The cotton swabs came out with a lot of blood.

“It’s the demon’s blood,” Lu Xiu explained when he saw Jiang Hong looking at him worriedly.

“Thank you,” Jiang Hong said to Cao Bin.

Cao Bin was a little surprised. He looked at the pot in his hand and asked, “Thank you for what?”

“It was you who asked Lu Xiu to protect me, right?” Jiang Hong thanked him earnestly.

Cao Bin laughed and replied, “I thought you summoned him yourself.”

“He summoned me,” Lu Xiu replied.

“Oh…huh?” Jiang Hong was a little confused.

“Anyway,” Lu Xiu threw the cotton swab into the trash, “we caught what we needed to. You’re safe now. I’ll leave soon. Study hard.”

“Where are you going?” Jiang Hong asked in confusion.

“Back to school,” Lu Xiu said. “What else?”

Cao Bin suddenly found it funny and laughed to himself.

“Oh…” Jiang Hong felt very disappointed and said, “If the demon comes again, I can summon…”

“There aren’t that many demons,” Lu Xiu impatiently said. “Give me the protective charm. You won’t need it anymore.”

Cao Bin said, “I have asked Chongqing’s Exorcist Committee to take care of you for a while. There won’t be any danger anymore. This time, it was our mistake that we involved you.”

“Will you still come to see me?” Jiang Hong asked.

Lu Xiu held a small snuff bottle in his hand, poured out some blue powder, and rubbed it between his slender fingers. Jiang Hong looked at him curiously and suddenly remembered that this was the powder that the drones had spread by the river. Lu Xiu said it could make people forget what they were thinking about… What was he going to do?

Lu Xiu looked up and met Jiang Hong’s gaze, then turned his eyes away.

“Depends on my mood,” Lu Xiu said lightly.

“Is your school still accepting students?” Jiang Hong suddenly asked, watching Cao Bin make coffee.

Silence fell again at the dining table.

Jiang Hong: “???”

“We are,” Cao Bin finally said. “Do you want to come? But you have to wait until next year.”

“Can I?” Jiang Hong asked. “But I don’t know any spells at all.”

“Not knowing is not a problem. You can learn. I didn’t know anything before either,” Cao Bin said.

“Can I learn it?” Jiang Hong asked.

“Maybe? How do you know if you don’t try?” Cao Bin said.

Lu Xiu lazily asked, “Aren’t you afraid of ghosts and demons?”

“I… can overcome it. I will try my best to overcome it. Some demons are not that scary either. Actually, I think the scary atmosphere is more important, just like in horror movies. Many scenes are not that scary, but when the sound effect suddenly goes ‘clang’…” Jiang Hong demonstrated his fear with a shout.

“Don’t shout suddenly!” Lu Xiu said angrily.

After making the coffee, Cao Bin said, “Why do you want to be an exorcist? Is it because it’s fun?”

Lu Xiu said, “I see that you are very brave. Otherwise you wouldn’t dare to stab an S-class ancient beast with a thorn soul underwater?”

“Ah? What is a thorn soul?” Jiang Hong asked.

Cao Bin was a little surprised and said, “Did the sneak attack succeed?”

Lu Xiu nodded.

“Ah…” Jiang Hong avoided Cao Bin and Lu Xiu’s gaze and looked out the window where the sun was shining.

Why? Was it because it was fun? Jiang Hong saw the process of exorcists subduing demons, which was very dangerous, but they were also very brave. Compared with them, he really needed courage. Xu Xuyang also said that he wanted to communicate with his deceased grandmother and wanted to uncover the mystery of life and death.

However, the most important reason might not be any of the above.

“Because… because…” Jiang Hong actually had the answer in his heart a long time ago, but he felt a little embarrassed.

“Because Lu Xiu is also studying there?” Jiang Hong tried hard not to appear too infatuated and said, “If you guys had come earlier, I wouldn’t have to repeat a year.”

Cao Bin said, “Our school is a good one. You really have to work hard. Come, try the coffee I made.”

Jiang Hong looked at Lu Xiu and then at Cao Bin. “Then let him stay and tutor me. I will definitely pass the exam.”

Lu Xiu said sarcastically, “Right. So I don’t need to write my thesis anymore. My life will just revolve around you from now on.”

Cao Bin laughed. “You should ask him that. Don’t you want to try the coffee?”

“Fine…okay.” Jiang Hong picked up the coffee, put it to his mouth, and asked, “What’s the admission score for your school?”

“If he tells you to drink it, then drink it! Where did you get all this nonsense?” Lu Xiu finally got angry.

Jiang Hong: “…”

It was the first time Jiang Hong had seen Lu Xiu so angry. He quickly took a sip.

“Hot!!!” Jiang Hong screamed in despair. “Vice principal, do you really know how to make pour-over coffee? Do you just drink foreign liquor? Oh?”

Suddenly, Jiang Hong vaguely remembered something. He looked at Lu Xiu and then at Cao Bin. After a brief moment of “who am I,” “what do I want to do,” and “why am I here,” the three questions echoed in his mind.

Many memories were jumbled up and came to mind again, like shells that were originally covered by the sea but were left on the beach after the tide receded, shining brightly.

It was like the fog had cleared, the dark clouds were gently blown away by the wind, and the stars in the night sky were faintly visible.

“Why…?” Jiang Hong suddenly remembered everything. “I… I’m not dropping out! Is it still possible for me to go back to school?!”

“Go back to continue military training. Your records haven’t been sent back yet,” Cao Bin said. “The person who’s responsible for clearing your memory is going to be so angry. They have to modify your family and friends’ memories again.”

Lu Xiu threw the pollen into the trash can.

“Pack your bags,” Lu Xiu instructed Jiang Hong. “We’re leaving this afternoon and going back to Xi’an.”

“Oh my god!” Jiang Hong felt incredibly lucky, as if he was the chosen one! “I actually got accepted into Sky University!”

Jiang Hong sat on Lu Xiu’s lap and danced around.

“Get off me!” Lu Xiu said. “You can’t do that at home either!”

Cao Bin said, “Sorry, I’ll be more careful with the coffee temperature next time. I’m leaving now. You can take him back to school.”

Jiang Hong took out the papers from his bag and tore them all up, like a goddess scattering flowers.

Let the prep courses go to hell! From today on, I will go to Hogwarts and become a flying and shining exorcist!

Footnotes

1. Wuzhiqi – a talking gorilla or monkey with aquatic supernatural abilities. According to legend, it had five fingers on each hand, unlike other monkeys, which had only four.

2. Classic of Mountains and Seas – a classic text of Chinese mythology and geography. It is a collection of ancient Chinese stories and legends about various mythical creatures, gods, and heroes, as well as descriptions of different regions and natural phenomena in China.