Era of Mist

Zhou Nan had originally planned on stirring up some trouble to establish the pecking order in the dorm. But now, fear suddenly took root in his heart, and he decided to just wait and see how things played out. His aggressive posture instantly deflated. Looking utterly meek, he whispered, "I-I don’t know whose it is. It’s probably everyone’s..."

Shi Tiexin’s brow furrowed, his expression growing even more rigid.

’What did he say? His voice is too quiet!’

’My hearing isn’t so good right now. I should get a little closer.’

So, Shi Tiexin took another step forward, painfully forcing three words from his throat: "You... said... what?" His tongue felt a little tied; he just couldn’t get that last syllable out.

He thought he was speaking normally—but cold sweat was already breaking out on Zhou Nan’s forehead!

’So scary!’

’"...said what?" This is the first time I’ve ever heard anyone talk in such a badass way! No, no, no, I have heard it before. On TV, characters like Fierce Zhang Fei or the Flower Monk talk just like that, eyes glaring, right before making their stand at Dangyang Bridge or beating Zhen Guanxi to death. So concise! So imposing! It fits him perfectly!’

’Looks like this big boss isn’t happy!’

’But what did I do to piss him off?’

’Don’t tell me he knows I was planning to mess with him? That shouldn’t be possible. Is my face that easy to read? Or does this guy have some kind of Fire Eye and has already seen my true, rotten-to-the-core nature?’

"I... I-I..." Zhou Nan’s eyes darted around. Suddenly, inspiration struck, as if he’d finally grasped the big boss’s intentions. He scurried off, clambered onto the top bunk in a few quick movements, and began moving things off it like a total sycophant. "Just a moment, sir, I’ll clear this up for you! Please, have a seat and rest. I’ll have it ready in a flash! Honestly! How could someone just dump their stuff on another person’s bed? When those little brats get back, I’ll definitely teach them a lesson!"

Shi Tiexin raised an eyebrow. ’Oh? So proactive. This isn’t what I was expecting. I’m new here, so I was planning to keep a low profile and observe things first. Are the roommates in this dorm really this enthusiastic and friendly? Are relations really this harmonious?’

’Well, since he’s being so friendly... I might as well sit down for a rest and let him get on with it.’

’I didn’t have dinner, so I’m feeling a bit weak.’

So Shi Tiexin sat down imposingly on the opposite lower bunk, folded his arms across his chest, and took a short rest. Up on the top bunk, Zhou Nan tidied up with frantic speed, all the while secretly gritting his teeth and cursing. He kept sneaking glances at Shi Tiexin below, thinking the guy was as flawless and unmoving as a mountain, like some slave-driver in a mine.

’This guy... he’s definitely not someone to be trifled with.’

’Is my status as Brother Nan of Class 1-28 about to be challenged by this guy?’

’There’s no way I’m letting that happen.’

’I still want to become one of the Four Celestial Kings when I’m a sophomore!’

’Damn it, I’ve got to find a way to take this guy down...’

Though his mind was racing, his hands didn’t slow down. He quickly cleared away the clutter, then eagerly took out Shi Tiexin’s bedroll and spread it over the mattress, patting it down until it was surprisingly neat and clean. As for the rest of the luggage, there was no immediate place for it in the tiny dorm room, and Zhou Nan didn’t want to be *too* much of a suck-up, so he decided to just leave it for now.

The large bags were put on the floor and the small ones tossed onto the bed. His other personal belongings were minimal. Shi Tiexin grunted in approval, then climbed onto the bed and flopped down. Moments later, he was already snoring. The collision of his consciousnesses had been mentally draining. He was simply too exhausted and had no energy for socializing; he fell asleep the moment his head hit the pillow.

This time, he slept so soundly that the sky could have fallen and he wouldn’t have woken. His mind finally achieved a state of harmony. The two consciousnesses that had been battling for control gradually settled into a primary and a secondary role. The primary consciousness took further control of his body, while the other was frozen like ice in a corner of his mind, requiring time or the fulfillment of certain conditions to thaw.

The upside was that he wouldn’t suffer from the immense mental burden of processing an overwhelming amount of memories in a short period.

The downside was that even though it was no longer disruptive, this solidified block of consciousness would still have certain effects. After all, clotted blood can cause a thrombosis or a stroke; a clotted consciousness couldn’t possibly have zero impact.

The specific effects were as follows: no matter how tumultuous his inner world became, Shi Tiexin found it difficult to form facial expressions. His control over his tone of voice was often not very precise. His eyes didn’t move nimbly, and unless he focused all his effort on listening, he wouldn’t hear things clearly. In short, his sensory perception was slightly dulled.

And that was it.

Fengming First Middle School had three evening self-study sessions, running from 7:00 to 9:35 PM. After 9:35, classes were dismissed, the lights in the academic buildings were shut off, and swarms of students poured out of the classroom area. A portion of the more diligent students would head to dedicated study halls or continue studying in the dorms. But here, in this ancient building within an ancient building—a ghetto for the garbage classes that might as well be called the Ancient Tower—such a studious atmosphere was practically nonexistent.

Before 9:30, a few students had already skipped out of class, laughing as they ran back to the dorm. This first wave would make a racket in the hallways for a bit before grouping up and disappearing into the vast night, off to who-knows-where. A few minutes later, the entire dormitory building suddenly erupted with noise.

THUMPING up the stairs, SLAMMING open doors, the sounds of toilets flushing and students secretly smoking, mixed with ceaseless shouts and howls—the environment in the dorms immediately grew more chaotic. Some students grabbed washbasins and rushed to the large communal sinks to do laundry. The water supply in the Ancient Tower wasn’t exactly wonderful; if you weren’t at the front of the line, the water from the tap would trickle and sputter like the last few drops of a piss stream. A spot at a faucet was therefore crucial, a veritable strategic objective.

Naturally, people started trickling into Shi Tiexin’s room as well. One after another, several boys came in, kicking the door open while chatting and laughing loudly. Zhou Nan shot a cold look at the sleeping Shi Tiexin on the top bunk, wishing these guys would get even louder and wake the son of a bitch up for good.

But Shi Tiexin didn’t wake. On the contrary, he was sleeping like the dead, completely and utterly out of it.

The other roommates saw the sleeping Shi Tiexin and were, of course, surprised. For one, there was a new person in the room, so he naturally drew their attention. For another, a newcomer was generally expected to be a little more humble, offer a proper greeting, and maybe even hand out some small gifts to help smooth their integration into the group. But this guy’s approach was completely unorthodox—just passed out and snoring away. It seemed incredibly arrogant.

"Hey? Why is there stuff on my bed?" a kid with glasses asked, pushing them up his nose. He pointed at his bunk, confused. "Whose stuff is this? Why is it on my bed?"

"It’s mine!" Zhou Nan immediately smacked the kid on the back of the head and let loose a stream of curses. "Son of a bitch, you got a problem with it? Are you looking to die, you little shit?!"

The bullied kid didn’t dare say another word. He just hung his head and walked away. Though his fists were clenched tight, he didn’t dare fight back in the slightest. The other roommates said nothing, simply watching the scene unfold.

The reactions from the kid with glasses and the others helped Zhou Nan get his confidence back; he felt he could still run this place after all. He tried to imitate Shi Tiexin, sitting on a lower bunk with his arms folded across his chest, but no matter how he shifted and squirmed, he couldn’t replicate that immovable, mountain-like boss aura. Growing even more irritated, Zhou Nan shot a sideways glance at Shi Tiexin on the bunk above, his thoughts turning vicious.

’I’ll let you be arrogant for one night. Tomorrow, I’ll do some digging. If it turns out you’re just putting on an act... I’ll fucking end you!’