Huaimin Was Still Awake~

But soon, the little angel on his other side flapped its white wings and settled on his other shoulder. It said:

"Xu Yan, you're a marquis who lives off the emperor's salary! You're a proper member of the imperial family! If you commit this kind of deception against the emperor, won't the old geezers beat you to death when you get down there?"

This isn't allowed, that isn't allowed! What do you think I should do?

Impatiently, Xu Yan waved away the two little things he'd imagined as if shooing flies. Pouting, he slowly paced around his balcony, muttering nonstop:

"Sun-Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, Mingdu Soul Engineer Academy... Sun-Moon Royal Soul Engineer... Mingdu Soul Engineer... Sun-Moon, Mingdu..."

"I graduated from the Sun-Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy. How the hell am I supposed to know what Mingdu Soul Engineer Academy is like? What if that academy's no good? Then wouldn't I be leading its students astray? No, I'm not sleeping tonight. I have to go check out Mingdu Soul Engineer Academy and see what kind of place it is."

With that, Xu Yan casually pulled a coat off the rack and threw it on. He stepped onto the balcony railing and leaped down into his backyard.

Ten minutes later, at the entrance to Mingdu Soul Engineer Academy...

"I told you I'm the Marquis of Xiyang! I'm here on the emperor's business. Why don't you believe me?"

The academy gatekeeper looked at Xu Yan expressionlessly. "You say you're the Marquis of Xiyang, so I'm supposed to believe you? What do you take me for? And why don't you take a look at the time? It's three thirty in the morning!"

"According to the Sun Moon Empire's Advanced Soul Engineer Academy Administration Act and our school rules, visitors who aren't members of this school or staff from the Empire's Ministry of Education must apply to a department head or higher at eight in the morning. Only then can they visit the campus under the guidance of a member of our staff."

"You say you're here on the emperor's business. Where's the imperial decree? Do you have any token to prove it?"

"You have neither, so how can I let you in?"

"Damn it!" Xu Yan was so exasperated by the stubborn gatekeeper that he sucked his teeth.

Honestly, he really wanted to give the stubborn gatekeeper a powerful elbow strike and send him flying off the ground.

But... the gatekeeper was diligently following the rules and regulations to the letter. He wasn't doing anything wrong.

Xu Yan was a member of the imperial family. Here in Bright Capital, the emperor's own domain and the finest city in the land, he had to be reasonable and follow the rules.

"Phew..."

After calming himself down from the verge of exploding, Xu Yan suppressed his frustration and said in a low voice, "Do you have the contact information for one of those department heads?"

"It's three thirty in the morning. If you want someone to take you in at this hour, the regulations require approval from the vice president and the president." As the gatekeeper explained the rules, he turned and hurried back into the guard booth. He took out a note covered in writing and handed it to Xu Yan.

"The top three are the Communication Soul Tool codes for the president and vice presidents."

"Mm."

Taking the note, Xu Yan picked one of the first three names. He had some history with this unlucky fellow:

They'd gotten into a fight over an academic question when they were young.

They knew each other fairly well, too:

They'd done it more than once.

"Hello!" Xu Yan grinned wickedly as he called Li Huaimin, the vice president of Mingdu Soul Engineer Academy, on his Communication Soul Tool. After a brief wait, the voice that came through was that of a middle-aged man, full of confusion and bewilderment. "Hello? Who is this?"

"Li Huaimin, I knew you weren't asleep yet!"

"Huh?!" Li Huaimin, on the other end of the Communication Soul Tool, froze for a moment, then growled:

"No, seriously, who the hell are you? Have you looked at the time? I'm telling you, if you're calling me at this hour, you'd better have a real reason. Don't tell me you're just bored and calling to amuse yourself at three in the morning. Otherwise... when I find you, you'll regret it!"

"I'm right outside your academy. Come find me."

With that, Xu Yan ended the call and leaned against the white marble pillar beside the gate, wearing a faintly amused smile.

About five minutes later, a thin, middle-aged man who looked like he'd worn his lab coat to bed came rushing out of Mingdu Soul Engineer Academy. His hair stuck up in a messy rooster's comb, and his eyes were bloodshot.

"Who! Who the hell called me?"

Shouting as he ran toward the guard booth, Li Huaimin shoved open its door and looked at the stubborn gatekeeper. "Old Wang, where is he?"

"Over there!" The gatekeeper pointed at the pillar beside the gate. Only then did Li Huaimin spot the man whose upper body was mostly hidden behind it.

"Got it."

Li Huaimin strode out of the guard booth, both fists clenched, and marched out of the school grounds. He glared furiously at the bastard who'd called him with a nuisance call at three thirty in the morning.

"Hey! Li Huaimin, you look pretty lively!"

Having passed his bad mood on to someone else, Xu Yan felt noticeably better and cheerfully greeted Li Huaimin. All he got in return was a furious, hostile, and thoroughly annoyed glare.

Li Huaimin's lips trembled, his eyes bloodshot. He opened his mouth and let loose a string of curses. "I have an early class! What the hell do you mean, I look lively? You called me with a nuisance call in the middle of the night. I really want to blow you up with a Soul Cannon!"

"Look at you, getting worked up again." Xu Yan reached out and pushed down Li Huaimin's Soul Tool, which was halfway charged. In a low voice, he said, "Do you really think I'd call you on a Communication Soul Tool for no reason?"

"Maybe someone else wouldn't, but you're a bastard, so who knows? You were like this when we were young. They say a leopard can't change its spots." Li Huaimin slowly lowered his Soul Cannon and sighed as if resigned to his fate.

"Whatever. If you have something to say, say it. If you don't, I'll beat you up and then get lost."

"Since you put it that way, I'll tell you." Xu Yan rubbed his hands together, grabbed Li Huaimin, and led him to a secluded corner. Then he lowered his voice. "The emperor's precious daughter—the little demoness, Xu Tianzhen—applied to your academy. Did you know?"

"Of course!" Li Huaimin nodded. His pale face showed unmistakable irritation and exhaustion. "In previous years, the best students were snatched up by your Sun-Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, but at least some were left for us. Most of the students we got were honest and studious."

"But this year, the princess isn't going to the Sun-Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy. Instead, she's coming here. To be honest, we're quite... worried."

"What are you worried about? With the princess here, your budget applications for the next few years will get a huge boost," Xu Yan asked.

"Money is one thing. Our Mingdu Soul Engineer Academy may not be as good as the Sun-Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, but it's still one of the top schools in the empire." Li Huaimin glanced up at the dim sky, then lowered his head again and said:

"What we're worried about is that Her Highness and the noble youths who'll follow her lead will bring their extravagant, debauched aristocratic habits with them and corrupt our good students."