Chapter 217: Global Catastrophe, A Matter of Great Importance
After a frantic night in Jail City,
By the time Wei Shang and Feng Lei drove back to the school,
It was already past eight in the morning.
The two of them rushed straight back to their dorm. The moment they stepped inside, they found Lin Yi in the living room, feeding breakfast to Xiaoqi.
Chunks of Demon Beast Meat were sliced and arranged on a plate.
While Xiaoqi preferred cooked meat over raw,
under the current austere conditions,
having Demon Beast Meat to eat at all was a real treat.
"You’re back?"
Lin Yi heard the door open and glanced back.
He saw Wei Shang and Feng Lei walk in, looking a bit worse for wear.
"Where did you guys run off to last night?"
Wei Shang strode forward in a few quick steps, his tone accusatory.
Lin Yi looked up at them, puzzled.
He chuckled. "To Jail City. Why?"
Without a word, Wei Shang moved forward to inspect Lin Yi’s body.
Seeing this, Lin Yi quickly dodged away.
"Whoa, what are you looking for?"
"I’m checking if you’re injured! Jail City is extremely dangerous, and it was your first time there. If you’re hurt, you need to get to the infirmary right away. Don’t wait for a wound to get infected, or it’ll be too late!"
"The demon beasts and other creatures there are one thing, but the main problem is the poisonous insects. They’re highly venomous, and you’ll be in serious trouble if you get bitten!"
Ignoring Lin Yi’s attempts to evade him, Wei Shang tried to lift his shirt to continue the inspection.
Lin Yi shot to his feet. "Don’t, really, you don’t have to! I’m not hurt, and I wasn’t bitten by any poisonous insects!"
Lin Yi found Wei Shang’s behavior more and more bizarre.
They were practically strangers who had only just met.
They’d barely had any interaction.
True, on their first day yesterday, Wei Shang had explained a lot about the school’s rules and missions.
But Lin Yi hadn’t let his guard down around them.
Yet today, Wei Shang was acting incredibly concerned the moment he saw him.
Far from earning Lin Yi’s trust, this only made him more suspicious of their behavior.
It wasn’t just that their friendship hadn’t reached that level yet.
Even he and Wei Nan weren’t close enough to start pulling up each other’s shirts to check for injuries.
’Who tries to pull up someone’s shirt the moment they see them?’
Lin Yi watched Wei Shang warily, looking at him as if he were some kind of pervert.
Only then did Wei Shang snap out of it.
He had just been too anxious. He’d lost contact with Lin Yi all night.
He’d been worried sick, and when he finally saw Lin Yi was safe, impulse had overwhelmed his reason.
By now, he and Feng Lei were basically certain.
Lin Yi was the next White Tiger Martial God.
They also understood how extraordinary this mission was. Protecting the future Martial God was a matter of great honor.
Out of so many people in the Town Martial Department, the mission had fallen to them.
This was a recognition of their abilities and a testament to the trust placed in them.
If they were to screw this up and any accident befell Lin Yi,
they would find it impossible to escape the blame.
That was why Wei Shang’s heart hadn’t relaxed for a single moment on the way back.
The moment he saw Lin Yi, he lost all composure...
"Er, my apologies!"
His senses returned, and Wei Shang gave an awkward laugh.
He was so embarrassed he wished he could dig a hole with his toes and crawl into it.
"I was just too worried earlier, afraid something had happened to you!"
"Why didn’t you give us a heads-up before you went to Jail City yesterday? We could’ve gone together."
Wei Shang explained with a smile.
Seeing him finally acting normal again, Lin Yi remained guarded.
He smiled and said, "A few of us classmates from the Old District went together last night!"
When he finished speaking, Wei Shang gave Lin Yi a deep look.
He understood the implication behind Lin Yi’s words.
’There’s a fundamental difference between the local students and those from the Old District.’
’Even though we’re at the same university, the two groups are wary of each other, almost hostile.’
Lin Yi and Wei Nan were roommates with him and Feng Lei.
And from the very beginning, Wei Shang and Feng Lei had shown a friendly attitude.
They weren’t like the other local students, who were openly hostile.
But this very friendliness was what made Lin Yi even more guarded.
This was the main reason he hadn’t told Wei Shang and Feng Lei.
’Clearly, gaining their trust won’t be as simple as a few nice words.’
’We’ll have to take the long view and start by just being their friends.’
Wei Shang smiled. "Oh, so that’s what happened. No wonder I woke up and found both you and Wei Nan were gone!"
"Huh? What about Wei Nan? Isn’t he back?"
"He went to his room to rest," Lin Yi replied.
"Have you eaten breakfast yet? Feng Lei and I were just about to head to the cafeteria. Do you want me to grab anything for you? There’s a place there that has great breakfast buns—big fillings, thin dough, and I think they’re even made with Demon Beast Meat..."
Wei Shang said, his face a picture of eager friendliness.
But the moment the words left his mouth, he wanted to slap himself.
’A dignified agent of the Town Martial Department, reduced to sucking up to a student?’
’Then again, this student was no ordinary person.’
’He’s the future White Tiger Martial God. Once he’s fully matured and takes command of the Town Martial Department...’
’...he and Feng Lei might just become the Martial God’s most trusted subordinates.’
’Their status might even surpass Old He’s...’
’When I think about it that way, it seems worth it.’
The feeling of indignity in his heart vanished instantly.
Lin Yi smiled and shook his head. "Thanks, but we’re good. We stopped at a breakfast place on the way back. You guys should go eat. I’m going to get some rest, too."