Chương 40: Hidden in the Tangzang
At this moment, the boy from the Engineering department must have lost his wits in panic and hidden beneath a table in this wooden building.
Lin Xi was unable to disclose to Assistant Professor An and the three black-robed lecturers that, like Dean Zhang, he possessed an astonishing ability to reverse time for ten minutes once a day, and thus knew that the boy was indeed inside this wooden structure… Even if he were to voice this, it is likely no one would believe him, dismissing it as mere nonsense.
However, time was of the essence in rescuing the Engineering student, leaving Lin Xi with no choice but to adopt the most direct approach.
...
"What are you doing?"
The three black-robed lecturers, upon catching sight of Lin Xi racing towards the burning building on the hillside, cried out in alarm and anger. To rush into the inferno at such a moment would only exacerbate the chaos.
Yet, amidst the astonished and bewildered gazes of those around him, Lin Xi did not falter; instead, he ran even faster, knowing he lacked the strength to break through the thick wooden walls, he plunged directly through a window.
A searing heat, indescribable in words, enveloped Lin Xi instantly—fire surrounded him on all sides!
He could barely open his eyes, unable to discern the conditions within; the acrid smoke and flames filled the air. Nevertheless, he forced out the breath he had been holding in his chest, shouting, "I'm here to save you! Where are you?"
No one responded!
Outside, voices echoed continuously, all calling his name.
In mere moments, Lin Xi could no longer endure; he struggled to breathe, his mouth and nose scorched, and pain radiated across his body. Yet, he gritted his teeth and pressed on, using his sense of direction to feel along the wall.
"Crack!"
A burning timber struck Lin Xi's back, sending a wave of indescribable agony through him, causing him to stagger forward.
Yet, this very impact led him to collide with a desk, and his foot kicked against something soft.
"He's right here."
Lin Xi instantly realized, instinctively reaching down to pull the Engineering student up. However, as he bent over, an overwhelming sense of suffocation and dizziness surged through him; his consciousness remained somewhat clear, yet he could no longer control his body.
"Crack!"
At that moment, a sound of violent shattering emanated from the wall not far ahead, and a soft blue light surged in.
A slender, cold blade swept through the flames before him with the force of a war spear, and the slightly disheveled black-robed female assistant professor appeared at Lin Xi's side.
"Finally, you've come… I realize now that I can only endure for such a short time in this place; how disappointing."
After muttering this to himself, Lin Xi promptly lost consciousness, collapsing into the soft embrace of the female assistant professor.
※※※
To the east of Qingluan Academy, there stood a mountain.
This mountain was slightly lower than the others surrounding Qingluan Academy, adorned only with a few courtyard-like structures nestled among the pristine ginkgo groves.
As Lin Xi blissfully fell into the arms of Assistant Professor An, the morning mist still lingered atop the mountain, wisps of clouds floating like ribbons among the towering ginkgo trees.
A professor, adorned with silver stars on his collar and cuffs, walked gracefully through the ginkgo forest.
He was an instructor whom Lin Xi and most of the older students at Qingluan Academy had never encountered, his long black hair cascading freely, and his flawless, jade-like visage revealing no hint of age.
His eyes, clear as autumn waters, moved through the forest with an air of nonchalance, yet a near-sacred glow radiated from his brow.
He walked slowly, treading upon the thick layers of gray and golden leaves, until a black-tiled, blue-brick courtyard came into view.
The pine door of the courtyard stood firmly closed as the professor extended his hand towards it, but halted before making contact, a slight frown creasing his brow.
"Nangong Mo, you should not have come."
A calm yet aged voice emanated from within the courtyard. Although the professor did not ultimately push the door open, it swung ajar.
Inside the courtyard, unremarkable in appearance, lay only a small pond, several sparse bamboo stalks, and an elderly man with a severed arm… Vice Dean Xia.
"But I still came," Nangong Mo replied, inclining his head slightly towards Vice Dean Xia, his expression serene.
Though they had become adversaries since entering the ginkgo grove, the experiences and identity of the other remained worthy of his respect.
Vice Dean Xia lowered one hand, turning slightly. The old tiles of the eaves behind him glimmered with a solemn sheen under the morning sun as he gazed at Nangong Mo, who stood calmly on the steps outside. His tone was filled with an ineffable sorrow and helplessness: "You have been at Qingluan Academy for over a decade, yet you could not resist coming here."
"I fear no peril; after all these years at the academy, I have even sacrificed many of my own for the sake of reaching this place," Nangong Mo replied coldly, fixing his gaze on Vice Dean Xia. "One must hold on to something they believe in."
"Well said!"
A round of applause erupted from the depths of the ginkgo forest, and the unruly figure known as "Qin the Mad" emerged, his age indiscernible, brandishing a long sword sheathed in green sharkskin. "Although you have lurked within the academy for so long… who knows how many have perished due to the messages you relayed? Still, because of your words, I admire you."
Nangong Mo frowned slightly but remained silent, a hint of emotion and bitterness flickering across his brow. He did not turn to face the boisterous black-haired man wielding the sword; instead, he slightly turned his body, casting his gaze to the left.
Beyond the cliff to the left, wisps of morning mist danced, and a figure appeared, gradually crossing the edge of the precipice into his sight.
An elderly man in a black robe, with hair as white as snow, effortlessly climbed the steep cliff.
Simultaneously, the one-eyed black-robed lecturer, whom Lin Xi and Bian Linghan were most familiar with, revealed himself among the ginkgo trees, casting a cold glance at Nangong Mo before vanishing from sight.
He bore a black longbow on his back, the ancient bow "Little Black," left behind by Dean Zhang.
Nangong Mo, naturally more informed about the one-eyed black-robed lecturer than Lin Xi and Bian Linghan, understood that this lecturer, when turning to leave, was far more terrifying and oppressive in invisibility than when visible. Yet, upon witnessing the appearance of the empty-handed elderly man and the one-eyed black-robed lecturer, his expression returned to calm, the earlier flicker of emotion and bitterness entirely dissipated.
"I did not expect you to have already discerned my identity… but to allow me to ignite the flames without arranging for many to rescue me, do you truly disregard the lives of those new students?" He smiled indifferently, addressing Vice Dean Xia.
Vice Dean Xia's expression grew even colder as he replied calmly, "An Keyi has gone; with her strength, it is unlikely there will be casualties."
Nangong Mo fell silent.
"Not only your Tangzang Ancient Kingdom, but even our Yunqin Empire's other academies wish to enter Dean Zhang's small courtyard." Vice Dean Xia continued to gaze at him. "Since you have lingered at Qingluan Academy for so many years… I may allow you to see within, for in truth, there is nothing here."
"Nothing?" The hidden identity of Nangong Mo, the Tangzang infiltrator who had become a professor at Qingluan Academy, was now as steady as a rock. Even when faced with such formidable opponents, he remained remarkably calm. He could face his friends and even death with composure, but upon hearing this statement, he trembled involuntarily, unable to suppress a gasp.
The academy had always been designated a forbidden zone, even the royal family of the Yunqin Empire was prohibited from entering; how could the courtyard that sealed Dean Zhang's secret legacy and divine weapons actually hold nothing?
What he had pursued and fought for over a decade, the secrets he had finally uncovered, and the very courtyard he had locked onto, turned out to be mere illusions, nonexistent?
This void, obtained at such great cost… The shock of this revelation rattled even his steadfast heart, and as he involuntarily gasped, he stepped forward, intent on entering the courtyard to see for himself.
But at that moment, a surge of sword energy erupted within the ginkgo forest, sending countless golden ginkgo leaves cascading down.
With a gesture from Qin the Mad, a piercing shriek suddenly echoed through the woods, as the long sword in his hand was drawn, transforming into a streak of light aimed directly at Nangong Mo's back.
The flying sword!
Ever since Lin Xi encountered that earnest and rigid girl beneath the archway in Lulin Town, it was the very thing he had been most concerned about, now manifesting in the hands of this black-haired, soaring professor from the Zhi Ge system!
The sheer sound of the sword's swift approach revealed the terrifying speed at which it moved.
At this moment, Nangong Mo's will was at its weakest, his mind clouded.
Yet this daze was feigned!
As the sword shot forth, revealing a shimmering blue blade reminiscent of autumn waters, his left hand flipped back, producing a golden Zen staff barely a foot long.
The incoming sword light was met squarely by the short golden staff, the thin yet hard blade clashing violently with the heavy head of the staff, producing a sound that made one's teeth ache.
Nangong Mo's brow furrowed slightly, but leveraging this force, his previously forward momentum became even more fierce, akin to an arrow, as his right hand extended, striking directly at Vice Dean Xia, who stood by the pond in the courtyard.
His right hand, enveloped in dark light, bore a long, rounded black spike.
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