The sun shone brightly over the basketball court. The crisp sound of the ball bouncing and the squeak of sneakers against the floor blended into a lively rhythm.
Yet in the middle of all that energy, the four people Ye Lian had specifically summoned for training were playing basketball with an air of unusual tension. He'd been so busy with his duties as vice-captain that he'd neglected to keep an eye on them.
Five Nights stood among the players in a basketball uniform, the white fabric glinting faintly in the sunlight. His eyes were full of anticipation for the game that was about to begin.
He leaned back, then flicked his wrist and sent the ball flying. It traced a perfect arc through the air and dropped neatly through the hoop, drawing scattered applause from the spectators.
"Come on, if you're going to play, you've got to put your heart into it."
Five Nights landed and muttered in dissatisfaction, his tone tinged with a hint of reproach.
Xia Bu stood across from him, dressed in a black basketball uniform. Tall and slender, he had a deep, perceptive gaze.
He spoke slowly. "Only by maintaining a balance that protects the weaker ones can we reduce the harm caused by the curse. There's a fragile equilibrium between the cursed world and the ordinary world. It needs to be carefully maintained."
"Such trivial things shouldn't unsettle you. Your heart is too fragile." Five Nights curled his lip in disdain, a trace of mockery in his eyes.
"The curse exists to protect the ordinary world from curses. That's the duty of someone like me, who works as a sorcerer."
Xia Bu's voice was calm and firm. Every word sounded as if it came from the bottom of his heart.
"The weak only use those so-called grand principles to constrain the strong. You've been brainwashed, idiot."
Five Nights gave an exaggerated snort. His eyes were full of contempt.
Xia Bu's expression darkened for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure.
"Limited power can only accomplish so much. Five Nights, you should understand: power is a double-edged sword. If it's used carelessly, it can hurt others and yourself."
Their argument grew increasingly heated, and a faint tension hung in the air.
Jia Ruo and Gajo exchanged a glance, then silently moved away from the basketball hoop.
They knew that Five Nights and Xia Bu could come to blows at any moment. If that happened, there was no telling whether the basketball court would survive.
Basketball was one thing, but the training Ye Lian had arranged was no joke.
So they had to stay as far away as possible.
There was no stopping them now. The two of them stood off to the side, watching with an expression that said they didn't want to get involved. There was little chance they'd step in to break up a fight.
Just as the tension reached its peak and the air seemed to freeze, a familiar, forceful voice cut through it—Ye Lian had arrived.
"What are you two doing? You're grown men, and you're picking a fight over something so trivial? Do you really want to wreck a basketball court full of youthful energy?"
Five Nights and Xia Bu looked at each other and smiled. There was a hint of mischief in their expressions.
He deliberately hunched over, bending himself into the stooped posture of a frail old man. Then he spoke in a slow, drawn-out voice:
"What is it, old man? I'm just stretching out before we get started."
"If you strain your back playing basketball, you won't be much use on the mission."
The two of them traded lines, working together so seamlessly that it was hard to imagine they were the same pair who'd been ready to fight moments before.
Ye Lian watched the two clearly grown men bicker like children and couldn't help giving a bitter smile.
Even he felt a little helpless. Still, it was a rare opportunity to properly 'educate' the two troublemakers in front of him.
"It seems you've had fewer missions lately, and you've got time to bicker over little things."
There was a trace of reproach in Ye Lian's voice, but he still carried the dignity and seriousness of a senior.
"Not at all. As it happens, I've just received a mission personally assigned by the director. I need all four of you to go together. Come take a look."
As he spoke, Ye Lian pulled a pale yellow mission scroll from the pocket of his ivory robe and handed it to Five Nights.
At that moment, the light fell just right across the scroll, giving the writing on it a mysterious sheen.
Xia Bu accepted the mission scroll, and Five Nights came over to look as well. The two stood side by side, reading the mission details together.
Gajo and Jia Ruo, who had been standing in a corner of the court and had planned to slip away quietly, stopped in their tracks under Ye Lian's gaze, as cold as an icy blade.
"Keep an eye out for a girl with a star-shaped mark? What kind of ridiculous mission is that?"
Five Nights frowned and looked at Ye Lian, clearly expecting him to provide a reasonable explanation.
"Is the director about to begin a new era?" Xia Bu murmured from the side.
"A new era?" Five Nights echoed, turning to look at him with confusion. His face was a picture of complete bewilderment.
"You didn't know? Ye Lian taught you, didn't he? You need to show some respect in front of the director, you idiot."
Xia Bu leaned toward the person beside him, making sure Five Nights couldn't hear Ye Lian's explanation.
His black hair fell over his shoulders, and he watched Five Nights with a serious expression that was rare for him.
"The director may have an immortal body, but that doesn't mean he can live forever."
"That old man is ancient. For the director, even decades—or centuries—are only a short time."
"But all flesh eventually grows old and dies. His curse technique may be the best way to enter a new stage of evolution."
"That would be a moment when the director transcended human limits and entered a higher form of existence."
Ye Lian had known for a long time that Five Nights was unfamiliar with such things. He didn't mind, and patiently began to explain.
He knew how important this mission was to the entire sorcerer world, and how serious it was to ask these renowned troublemakers to take it on. Even so, he couldn't help feeling a little amused.
"Isn't that a good thing? Evolution means becoming stronger, doesn't it?"
Five Nights looked puzzled, his brow raised. He looked like a curious child, and Ye Lian couldn't help wanting to mess with him.
"However, according to ancient records, after evolving, the director would lose the concept of self and become an existence beyond our understanding."
Xia Bu saw that Five Nights was too annoyed to say anything and took it upon himself to explain. Then he added:
"Protecting the sorcerers' boundaries, as well as the barriers used by the auxiliary managers, all comes from the director's power."
"Once he loses his self-awareness, he may no longer protect the sorcerers. He might even turn against us and assist the curses. That would be the greatest calamity the sorcerer world has ever faced."
Ye Lian listened to Xia Bu's grave explanation and couldn't help recalling that not all sorcerers were as straightforward as Five Nights, who simply treated Ye Lian's words as an excuse to tease him.
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