Chapter 38: Master, Are You Surprised?
"Professor Freya, why do you want to take me as your apprentice?" Xia Feng asked, puzzled.
"Because you're a genius. It would be a waste if you didn't learn swordsmanship."
"No, I'm not a genius. I'm just a hacker." Xia Feng seemed to think of something and said seriously, "Teacher, although I don't wish to be your apprentice, I can recommend someone equally talented."
"Equally talented?" Freya's interest was piqued. "Who?"
"My fiancée—Mu Qingtong!" Xia Feng spoke with utmost seriousness. "Teacher, she's also a genius. Everyone has been fooled by her appearance!"
Better to betray a friend than to suffer together. Sorry, Mu Qingtong~
"Were you talking about me just now?" A soft, leisurely voice sounded behind him, carrying a faint smile.
Xia Feng's shoulders stiffened slightly as he slowly turned to look.
A woman in an elegant black dress walked in from the corner of the door. She smiled gently and nodded politely to the two professors. "Professor Freya, Teacher Chen."
"Oh, it's Mu Qingtong," Chen Xingdao acknowledged. "So, Xia Feng is your fiancé?"
"Yes," Mu Qingtong replied, glancing at Xia Feng with a hint of embarrassment. "Teacher Chen, Professor Freya, please don't mind him. My fiancé has a lively personality and will say anything to get his way. Don't take him seriously."
"Understood," Chen Xingdao nodded. Naturally, he didn't believe Xia Feng's claims. After all, he had been Mu Qingtong's teacher during her freshman year. It took her three days to draw a basic triangular spirit structure, and her spiritual pressure index was below 60Voc in her sophomore year. She wasn't stupid, but she was far from a genius.
As everyone knew, the spiritual pressure index couldn't be faked. No one could escape the detection of the spiritual pressure instrument.
Freya also nodded politely, indicating she understood Mu Qingtong's meaning.
Mu Qingtong had attended a few of Freya's sword classes this semester. Freya had tested her skills and found her spiritual pressure unstable and her understanding of spirit particle structure below average. However, her foundation was solid. With dedication and some opportunities, it wasn't impossible for her to reach the second or third level in the future.
"Xia Feng, I didn't expect you and Mu Qingtong to have this kind of relationship," Chen Xingdao said, his tone earnest. "Since that's the case, it's perfect. Mu Qingtong's spiritual structure is average. If you have time in the future, you can teach her more."
"Ah?" Xia Feng was stunned. "No—didn't I say she's a natural—"
"Mu Qingtong, you should also learn more from your fiancé in the future. If you don't understand something, just ask him."
Xia Feng felt like Chen Xingdao was one of those aunts and uncles during the New Year, and now Mu Qingtong was the "perfect child."
Mu Qingtong's eyebrows curved slightly, her tone still gentle. "I understand, Teacher Chen. I'll learn more from Xia Feng."
Xia... Xia Feng? Xia Feng's shoulders twitched as he glanced at her.
Chen Xingdao nodded and looked at Xia Feng. "Since your fiancée is Mu Qingtong, I won't push you further. Of course, if you change your mind, you can always come to me."
With that, he waved his sleeves and left, a hint of regret in his steps.
Freya glanced at Xia Feng, hesitating for a moment before sighing softly. "Alright, Xia Feng. My offer still stands. I'll always be waiting for you."
Xia Feng: "..."
The two of them stood there silently, watching the professors leave.
After a long pause, Xia Feng turned to Mu Qingtong. "Ms. Mu, I have to say, you're really good at pretending!"
Mu Qingtong's golden eyes showed confusion. "Mr. Xia, I don't understand what you're talking about."
Xia Feng rolled his eyes. Fine, she was still refusing to admit it. But honestly, this world-destroying witch was indeed a master of deception. If he hadn't activated his perspective plugin, he would never have guessed she was a peerless genius.
What puzzled Xia Feng was how she had managed to deceive the spiritual pressure instrument. It couldn't be a spirit clothe—after all, he could do everything she could. So, was it a spiritual weapon?
Yes, it had to be a spiritual weapon!
At that thought, Xia Feng's eyes lit up. What level was Mu Qingtong's spiritual weapon? A-level? Or even S-level?
Damn! The idea of an S-level spiritual weapon excited him. For a world-destroying villain like her, it would make sense for her to have an S-level weapon, right?
"Wait, no. I have an Alpha-level weapon, so maybe hers is also Alpha-level. After all, she's the Witch of Destruction."
"But if she really is Alpha-level, that would be bad."
Xia Feng's mind raced. His [Mirror Without Stand] couldn't currently copy spiritual weapons of the same level.
"Why are you staring at me like that?" Mu Qingtong asked, noticing Xia Feng's intense gaze.
Xia Feng blinked. "Has your spiritual weapon awakened?"
"No," she replied.
"What level is it?" he pressed.
"I told you, it hasn't awakened."
"Is it S-level?"
"I said, it's not awakened!" Mu Qingtong's tone rose slightly, her golden eyes behind her half-rimmed glasses showing a hint of exasperation. "Mr. Xia, if you want to copy my spiritual weapon, feel free to try."
"You'll find out that I really don't have an awakened spiritual weapon, and I'm not the genius you think I am."
Xia Feng didn't expect her to be so forthright, even offering to let him copy her spiritual weapon. But unfortunately, his ability to copy a spiritual weapon required either touching the target weapon or being attacked by it.
If he couldn't find Mu Qingtong's spiritual weapon, he wouldn't be able to copy it.
"What do you think? Do you want to try copying it?" the woman in the black dress asked with a smile.
"Forget it," Xia Feng waved his hand. "I can only copy once a day. I'll wait until next time."
With that, he walked out the door without looking back. His last words were overheard by the staff outside.
The onlookers immediately pulled out their phones and spread the news about the limitations of Xia Feng's spiritual weapon ability.
"First-hand info: Xia Feng's copying ability has a 24-hour cooldown! But it's unclear how long the copied spiritual weapon lasts."
"I also suspect he can't copy multiple spiritual weapons at once."
"Only one copy slot? That's a pretty big limitation. Doesn't seem worthy of an A-level rating."
"Nonsense! It's still incredibly powerful!"
"..."
Xia Feng listened to the chatter as he walked away.
His copying ability had no cooldown—he could copy whenever he wanted. However, there was indeed a limit to the number of copies he could hold at once.
Currently, he only had one copy slot, which severely restricted his tactics. Fortunately, the number of slots could increase. Once he reached the second level, he would gain an additional slot, and so on.
Unfortunately, reaching the second level wasn't easy. Xia Feng glanced at Mu Qingtong, who was following closely.
"Miss Mu, what's your spiritual attribute?"
"Wood. Why?"
"Just curious. I wanted to know what materials you'd need to reach the second level."
Each person's spiritual attribute—be it metal, wood, water, fire, or earth—determined the materials needed for advancement. The rarity of these materials varied depending on the attribute.
For example, wood-attribute spiritual materials were particularly rare and hard to find.
"I'm just an apprentice spiritualist. Why would I be thinking about second-level materials?" Mu Qingtong asked, puzzled.
"Just asking," Xia Feng replied casually, as if it were no big deal.
Mu Qingtong: "..."
Although he now knew her spiritual attribute, Xia Feng had no intention of helping her find the materials for advancement. First, her spiritual pressure hadn't reached the required level. Second, Mu Qingtong's current fighting spirit seemed strong. She might gather the materials herself and secretly advance.
There was no need for him to care at all. He was just asking to establish a baseline.
Now, his main concern was still his "unborn wife." Xia Feng touched the "Pingshan pocket watch" he had taken from Yan Xujia, his heart filled with doubt.
"Well, Miss Mu, I have something else to do, so I'll take my leave~"
Mu Qingtong silently watched Xia Feng's retreating figure. The feigned confusion on her face faded, replaced by a mysterious, gentle smile curling at the corners of her lips.
"Master, what are you thinking about?" Her maid, Fei, appeared behind her unnoticed.
"Fei, have you noticed? He's growing just as fast as I am. As long as he wants to, he can quickly decipher the structure of D-level spirit clothing."
Mu Qingtong found that the more she studied her fiancé, the more he felt like a reflection of herself. This unprecedented sensation made her tremble with excitement. It was like looking into a mirror—the same sharpness, but from a different angle. It made her feel that she wasn't the only star in the night sky.
She wasn't alone.
...
When Cha Naxue emerged from her secluded training and stepped out of the Moon Dew pool, she received a letter from Yin, informing her that Panda had a surprise for her.
"A surprise?"
Cha Naxue wasn't particularly fond of surprises. They often carried unpredictability, which she disliked. However, since it was a gesture from her knights, she decided to indulge in the anticipation. It would be a welcome distraction from the monotony of her training.
After five days of seclusion, her progress with Gu Yue remained slow. The critical 1% breakthrough always seemed just out of reach. If the beginning was this arduous, she dreaded how much more challenging the future milestones would be.
Fortunately, despite the miscalculation regarding Xia Feng, she still had a way out. If she showed sincerity and apologized, she believed Xia Feng would forgive her.
But first, she had to see what Panda's surprise was.
Following the directions, she arrived at the fighting arena. By now, the audience had dispersed, leaving only a few scattered staff members in the aisles. As she made her way to the waiting room, she couldn't help but notice the strange looks the staff were giving her.
Opening the door, she found Panda and Yin seated at opposite ends of the sofa. Yan Xujia was nowhere to be seen.
Seeing Cha Naxue enter, the two immediately stood and bowed respectfully. "My lord."
"You mentioned Yan Xujia was dueling someone. Is it over? Did he cause trouble again?" Cha Naxue removed her beret and walked toward the sofa.
"Not exactly," Panda replied with a smile. "My lord, Knight Yan has actually done something commendable this time."
The woman gracefully crossed her long legs beneath her snow-white skirt and stirred her black tea with a silver spoon. She nodded softly. "Hmm? Do tell."
"My lord, your training has been hindered by the bonds of fate for some time now, so we..."
Panda recounted the events of the past few days, carefully omitting the part about the assassination attempt on Xia Feng in the Evil Dragon Forest.
As Cha Naxue listened, the spoon in her hand slowed until it finally stopped. The deep red vortex in her tea gradually dissipated, leaving the surface calm once more. She remained silent, her enigmatic purple eyes unreadable.
The prolonged silence made Panda uneasy. He swallowed nervously and ventured, "My lord?"
The woman lifted her gaze slightly, her tone calm. "You're saying Yan Xujia went to Xia Feng and demanded the token of love I gave him?"
"Yes, but he failed to retrieve it," Panda replied, relieved that she had finally spoken. "My lord, the childhood token is still in Xia Feng's possession. Since he still harbors feelings for you, I supported Yan Xujia's actions."
"And you said Yan Xujia had someone slap Mushroom?"
"Yes, almost. Mushroom is Xia Feng's only friend. This would maximize his hatred for Yan Xujia and, by extension, for you."
Panda thought the slap was a stroke of genius. A few more would have been even better.
Cha Naxue took a sip of her tea, set it down, and frowned slightly. "It's a bit bitter."
"Ah? I'll brew another cup," Panda offered hastily.
"No need."
Cha Naxue waved her hand dismissively, her cold eyes locking onto Panda. "You also mentioned Yan Xujia wanted to turn Xia Feng into a human pig?"
"Yes. After turning him into a human pig, we could use healing spirit clothing to restore him. It wouldn't cause permanent harm, but it would certainly fuel his hatred!"
At this point, Panda sighed. "It's a shame Yan Xujia failed. Xia Feng proved stronger than expected. But the outcome isn't bad. Xia Feng must now harbor significant resentment toward you, which should help weaken the bonds of fate."
"I see," Cha Naxue nodded thoughtfully, her purple eyes calm. "So, Panda, was this your idea?"
Panda hesitated, about to say that it was partially his idea. But when he met his master's gaze, he froze. His round face paled, and cold sweat trickled down his back.
Damn it, damn it, damn it! What went wrong? Was my idea flawed?
Terrified, Panda quickly replied, "No, no, this was Yan Xujia's idea. I didn't stop him."
Cha Naxue leaned back on the sofa, her cold eyes fixed on the sweating knight. Her tone turned icy. "Knight Panda, is this the surprise you mentioned?"
Of course, the word "surprise" was still as irritating as ever. Cha Naxue's eyes were frosty.
Panda's breath hitched.
Yin, standing to the side, looked at the trembling Panda in confusion. She didn't fully grasp what was happening. She was just feeling a bit hungry and wanted to eat.
"Knight Panda, do you know why I emerged from seclusion this time?"
"Wh-what—"
"It was to switch to Double Moon."
Panda's pupils contracted sharply, his face turning ashen. So that was the issue! Damn Yan Xujia! Damn it all! If it weren't for him...
"Where is Yan Xujia now?" The woman's voice was cold, as if emanating from the depths of the underworld.
Panda shuddered. "He's... still unconscious in the infirmary. He's seriously injured."
Cha Naxue tilted her head, gazing at the blinding sunlight outside. She felt a wave of dizziness.
Did that idiot Yan Xujia not die?
"What a pity."
She composed herself, her long lashes fluttering slightly as she lowered her head calmly. "Report to the General Court. According to the Fair Star God Contract, Yan Xujia is to be exiled to the southern border. Relieve him of his position as a guardian knight."
Panda was stunned. "But the Marquis—"
"It's not a problem."
"Yes!" Panda quickly clasped his fists and hurried out.
(End of this chapter)