Faced with the system's three options, each of which looked like a trap, Lin Kun felt his head splitting in two.
Choose A? Confess everything to Tang San? Give him a break. With Tang San's suspicious nature and his future identity as the Asura God, confessing would be no different from walking into a net. He might even be treated as some freak and sliced up for research. A slight increase in trust? More likely, Tang San's favorability would drop straight to zero—or even below!
Choose B? Cling to Ning Rongrong's thigh? The waters of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect ran even deeper! Right now, the little princess was only amused and playing around. If he truly got dragged in, he might not even know how he died. Two hundred points were a lot, but he had to stay alive to spend them!
Choose C? Keep lying low? Was fifty points supposed to be charity for beggars? Besides, siding with neither side could easily turn him into the filling between two suspicious parties. He would die even worse!
"System, is there an Option D? Explode on the spot and get it over with?" Lin Kun asked despairingly.
Ding! Option D was not detected. Please make your choice as soon as possible. Countdown: 10, 9, 8...
"Stop, stop, stop! I choose C! C, okay?!" Lin Kun hurriedly shouted. Among the bad choices, this was still the least terrible. Continuing to lie low was relatively safer. At least the initiative was still in his hands... probably.
Lin Kun: "..." Well, thanks for the encouragement!
Although he had made his choice, the pressure did not lessen in the slightest. Tang San's scrutiny and Ning Rongrong's probing felt like two mountains weighing on his heart.
"No, I can't stay at the academy any longer! I'm too passive here!" Lin Kun realized that he had to leave this place of trouble for a while, find somewhere to lie low, and improve his strength while he was at it. "Right! I can request leave to go obtain a Spirit Ring!"
His Soul Power was currently level four—almost level five. Though he was still far from level ten, he could claim that he had sensed something unusual about his Spirit and needed to find a suitable Spirit Ring environment in advance to gain insight or something... Anyway, his Spirit was strange enough. He could make up whatever excuse he wanted.
No sooner said than done! Lin Kun immediately ran to the academic affairs office and found Dean of Sound Message.
"What? You want to request leave to go out and seek insight into Spirit Rings?" Dean of Sound Message looked at Lin Kun with an expression that clearly said, "Are you kidding me?" "You only have level four Soul Power. What insight into Spirit Rings could you possibly gain?"
Lin Kun had already prepared his speech. Wearing an expression of "sincerity" and "confusion," he said, "Dean of Sound Message, I don't know what's going on either. It's just that lately, whenever I cultivate, I feel like my Book Spirit has been restless. It seems to have some kind of special reaction toward Windcry Mountain Valley north of Nuoding City... Like something there is drawing it in. Grandmaster said that a Spirit's reactions are important, so I wanted to request leave and take a look. Maybe it could help my Spirit grow..."
As he spoke, he secretly activated his Book Spirit, causing it to emit faint, restless mental fluctuations. At the same time, he put on just the right expression of confusion and longing.
Dean of Sound Message sensed those faint yet genuine Spirit fluctuations, then looked into Lin Kun's "earnest" eyes and frowned. Special reactions from Spirits were rare, but not unheard of. Especially since Lin Kun's Spirit was already unusual, and he had even rendered merit before by discovering the Star Pattern Iron mine.
"Windcry Mountain Valley... There aren't any high-level spirit beasts over there. With your perception abilities, you should be fine as long as you're careful." Dean of Sound Message pondered for a moment. "I'll grant you three days of leave. Be sure to stay safe. Do not go too deep, and fire a signal flare immediately if you encounter danger!"
"Thank you, Dean!" Lin Kun was overjoyed and quickly expressed his gratitude.
With the leave slip in hand, Lin Kun felt as though he had received a pardon. He immediately returned to the Seventh Dormitory to pack some simple luggage—mainly dried rations and water—then slipped out of Nuoding Academy in the afternoon while no one was paying attention.
Breathing in the free air outside the academy, Lin Kun felt light all over.
"Perfect! I've temporarily escaped Tang San and Ning Rongrong's sight! Windcry Mountain Valley, here I come!" Following the map, he strode north. His choice of Windcry Mountain Valley was not entirely made up. There really was a plant there called Wind Whisper Grass, which was said to have a slight nourishing effect on Mental Power. It was perfect for supporting his fabricated excuse.
However, Lin Kun had no idea that the moment he left the academy, someone reported his whereabouts.
At the academic affairs office, Dean of Sound Message watched Lin Kun's departing figure and instructed the shadows, "Follow him. Ensure his safety, and see what he's really up to while you're at it. This kid is interesting."
"Yes." A deep voice came from the shadows, then vanished without a trace.
At the same time, at a secret Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect outpost in Nuoding City.
"Miss, that work-study student named Lin Kun has requested leave and headed alone to Windcry Mountain Valley north of the city," a man in black respectfully reported to Ning Rongrong, who was arranging flowers.
Ning Rongrong paused, a playful smile curling at the corner of her lips. "Oh? He ran off right after I tested him? Is he feeling guilty, or does he really have some secret? Windcry Mountain Valley... Interesting. Send someone to follow him. Don't disturb him. I want to know exactly what he's going there to do."
"Yes, Miss."
Two groups, one in the open and one in the shadows, silently followed Lin Kun as he left the city alone.
Meanwhile, their classmate Lin Kun had no idea that his brief period of "freedom" had already turned into a "reality show livestream," with two "VIP viewers" watching from afar...
Before you continue