Chapter 45: Friends
After leaving Professor Liang’s office, Xingluo walked through the corridor while thinking about the competition and its rewards.
She had barely reached the stairs when she noticed Ruan Mei and Su Lan waiting nearby.
Seeing them, Xingluo quickly adjusted her expression and tried to act normally, but Ruan Mei spoke before she could say anything. "Let’s go eat lunch."
Xingluo looked between them and nodded. "Sure."
The three walked toward a small noodle shop near the university, but Xingluo soon noticed something strange about the atmosphere.
Su Lan, who normally talked without stopping, remained completely silent, while Ruan Mei walked beside her with an unreadable expression.
Xingluo tried starting a casual conversation, but both girls only gave short replies, by the time they reached the shop, the silence had become uncomfortable.
Su Lan ordered three bowls of noodles while Ruan Mei sat opposite Xingluo and continued staring at her.
Xingluo glanced toward Wuxia for help, but he was floating near the window and pretending to be completely interested in the street outside.
She pouted slightly before turning back toward Ruan Mei. "What happened, Mei Mei? Why are you two acting like this?"
Ruan Mei continued staring at her for another moment. "I was about to ask you the same thing."
Xingluo’s expression stiffened.
"You have been acting strangely since the banquet incident," Ruan Mei continued. "You disappeared without explaining anything, ignored all our messages, and returned behaving like a different person."
She leaned forward slightly. "You also react every time someone mentions Yun Xia. She has not come to university, she is not answering anyone, and you clearly know something about it."
The questions came one after another, leaving Xingluo unable to find an answer that would explain everything without revealing too much.
She wanted to tell them about Yun Xia’s betrayal, Qin Haoran’s trap, and the people who had died inside the factory.
However, doing that might drag both girls deeper into the situation, and she still did not know how they would react after learning the truth about their childhood friend.
Xingluo forced a small laugh. "You are thinking too much, Ruan Mei."
Ruan Mei reached beside her and pulled Su Lan closer. "She thinks so too."
Su Lan looked between them awkwardly before slowly nodding. "You really have been acting weird."
Xingluo released a tired breath and tried to calm them. "Nothing happened. I was exhausted after the training Professor Liang arranged, and I have been preparing for tomorrow’s competition."
"That is why I seem distracted."
Ruan Mei still looked doubtful, so Xingluo hurriedly continued before she could ask another question.
"Professor Liang also gave me a hint about a newly opened dungeon. If I perform well in the competition, we might be allowed to raid it afterward."
Ruan Mei’s eyes narrowed, clearly noticing the change of topic, but Su Lan reacted immediately.
Her earlier seriousness disappeared as she nearly jumped across the table and wrapped both arms around Xingluo.
"Damn it, Xingluo! You hid something this important from us?"
Xingluo almost fell against the table before catching herself. "Su Lan, calm down."
"No way, you better win that competition now," Su Lan said, tightening her hold. "And you are not leaving your sisters behind when you raid that dungeon."
Xingluo nodded repeatedly. "Fine, fine, I will bring you if I get the opportunity."
Wuxia watched them from beside the window and slowly shook his head.
What newly opened dungeon? She is becoming far too comfortable with lying.
The noodles soon arrived, and Su Lan continued discussing possible dungeon rewards while Xingluo followed the conversation with occasional replies.
Ruan Mei spoke less than usual, though the cold tension around the table gradually weakened.
When they finally finished eating and stood to leave, Ruan Mei looked at Xingluo one last time. "Are you truly not hiding anything from us?"
Xingluo met her gaze and forced a confident smile. "I am not hiding anything, dummy. Now let’s go."
Ruan Mei released a quiet sigh and followed them outside, behind Xingluo, the detection result from earlier still remained visible only to her.
[Target Level: 86.]
That single result had created far more questions than Xingluo’s explanation had answered, the rest of the day passed without anything significant happening.
After the final class, Xingluo told Su Lan and Ruan Mei that she needed to practise and rest before the competition, then separated from them near the dormitory.
Once inside her room, she sat on the edge of the bed and looked toward Wuxia, who had barely spoken since lunch. "Was it really right to lie to them?"
Wuxia turned toward her. "You did not know how to explain everything without placing them in danger."
"But they are worried about me."
"Then tell them when you find the right words," Wuxia replied. "Just make certain you do not continue inventing lies until you can no longer remember the truth yourself."
Xingluo lowered her gaze. "I still do not know what to say about Yun Xia."
"You do not need to decide tonight." Wuxia floated closer and looked at her tired face. "Rest first. You need to be in proper condition tomorrow."
Xingluo sighed before lying back on the bed.
The exhaustion and tension accumulated over the past several days soon pulled her into sleep before she could think any further.
The following morning, her alarm rang through the room. Xingluo opened her eyes and found Wuxia floating in almost the same place as the previous night.
She sat up, stretched her arms, and looked at him suspiciously. "Do you truly not need to sleep? Don’t you ever get tired?"
Wuxia shrugged. "I do not have a physical body that can become tired. As for mental fatigue and soul power, I seem to recover both passively."
Xingluo yawned. "It seems everything really has advantages and disadvantages."
Wuxia raised an eyebrow but did not respond.
Xingluo entered the bathroom after giving him a warning glare. "Do not even think about looking inside."
Wuxia turned away in irritation. "You are not interesting enough for me to risk my dignity."
When the bathroom door closed, he floated across the room while thinking about the recent events. Seeing Miao Tianhe’s name on the participant list had brought back memories of his former guild.
Miao Tianhe had once been his closest friend and the vice leader who helped him build everything they possessed, yet Wuxia still had no idea what happened to him or the others after his death.
He wanted to investigate, but doing so carelessly would be dangerous.
They had already drawn Qin Haoran’s attention, and Wuxia could not risk exposing his continued existence before understanding who had betrayed him.
The bathroom door eventually opened, interrupting his thoughts.
Xingluo stepped out fully prepared, with The Fall of Rahk hidden beneath her clothes and ready to appear at a thought.
She checked her belongings, left the dormitory, and headed toward the university’s front gate. Professor Liang had instructed her to meet him there before departure.
When she arrived, he was already waiting beside the road.
A small smile appeared on his face when he saw her. "You arrived on time, Miss Xingluo."
Xingluo shrugged. "Of course, Professor."
She looked around the empty road before asking curiously, "How are we getting there?"
Professor Liang gave a quiet laugh. "A friend of mine will be arriving soon."
Before Xingluo could ask who, the deep roar of an engine came from the distant road.
A large military jeep turned into the university lane and raced toward them, its heavy wheels gripping the road as the insignias of the Human Alliance and city military shone across its dark frame.
The vehicle was sleek enough to appear modern, but the reinforced body and thick armor made it clear that it had been designed for far more than ordinary travel.
Xingluo looked from the approaching jeep toward Professor Liang in surprise. "Damn, Professor. I did not know you had connections inside the military."
Professor Liang coughed lightly and adjusted his clothes. "It is nothing worth mentioning."
The jeep stopped in front of them, and the driver’s window slowly lowered.
A broad, tanned man sat behind the wheel, with a scar passing beside one eye and a thick beard covering most of his jaw.
His head, however, was completely bald and reflected the morning light more brightly than the polished surface of the jeep.
The moment he saw Professor Liang, a wide smile appeared on his face. "Well, well. Old Liang, you really came."
His gaze then moved toward Xingluo, examining her briefly before nodding. "The girl looks decent, but do you truly believe she will be enough?"
Professor Liang smiled calmly. "Do not worry about that, Old Cao. Have I ever lost a bet against you?"
He paused before adding, "Or do you need me to remind you about—"
Old Cao suddenly coughed and interrupted him. "Get inside. Both of you, get inside, there is no need to discuss irrelevant events from the past."
Professor Liang’s smile widened as he opened the rear door.
Xingluo climbed into the jeep while trying not to laugh, and Professor Liang followed her inside.
Old Cao glanced at them through the mirror before gripping the steering wheel. "Sit properly, this is not one of your slow City buses."
The engine roared again, and the jeep shot forward before Xingluo could respond, carrying them away from the university and toward the military base.