"But why did you suddenly bring up the princess? You still haven't told me what you came here for!"
"Uh..."
Now it was finally Xu Yan's turn to feel awkward. He swallowed the words he'd prepared and paused before changing tack. "His Majesty sent me to Mingdu Soul Engineer Academy to inspect the environment on behalf of Her Highness the princess."
"Huh? You had to come at the crack of dawn to inspect it? You couldn't come during the day? You little punk, you're obviously here to mess with me!"
Li Huaimin was just about to blow his top when a bold idea suddenly surfaced in his anger-clouded mind, bringing with it a flicker of clarity.
No, something was very wrong!
If Xu Yan really was here to inspect the academy's environment, why would a Level 8 Soul Engineer sneak in at the crack of dawn?
Xu Yan was a marquis. If he really wanted to inspect the place, he could send a subordinate to look around, or come through the front gate during the day!
That old fox definitely wasn't telling me the whole truth. I'll play nice and get the better of him—see if I can trick the truth out of him!
With that, the anger on Li Huaimin's face silently faded, replaced by a smile that could only be called... obsequious. He slung an arm around Xu Yan's shoulders and chuckled ingratiatingly.
"But now that I think about it, a guest from afar is still a guest. Come on, I'll show you what Mingdu Soul Engineer Academy looks like at four in the morning."
Xu Yan blinked. "Huh?" Why had Li Huaimin been wearing a deathly grimace a moment ago, but now he was acting like Xu Yan was his own father? First he'd been cold, then warm—it was laughable. No, something was very, very wrong.
And so, led by Li Huaimin, Xu Yan walked along the remote little paths of Mingdu Soul Engineer Academy. As far as the eye could see, the place wasn't exactly a complete ruin, nor was it littered with debris—but it was nowhere near what a top university should look like.
Did this guy figure out what I'm after and deliberately put on this poor act? Or did he really believe what I said, and want to use this chance to report that Mingdu Soul Engineer Academy's environment is utter garbage, so the princess can switch schools?
That was absolutely unacceptable!
No way the entire academy was made up of these shameful, cramped corners. I'm going to walk the whole place and see how this old fox tries to keep up his act.
And so, the two scheming old men in their fifties and sixties walked shoulder to shoulder through Mingdu Soul Engineer Academy like old pals, drawing puzzled, bewildered looks from countless students who had gotten up at 4:30 to study.
"This building hasn't been repaired in five years. Weird bricks and roof tiles fall off now and then, so be careful when you walk past. Remember to activate your Soul Tool Shield, or you might get killed by a falling chunk."
"This is our drainage system. It clogs whenever it rains, and the whole campus turns into a wetland park. So when it rains, we students can only get around using Flying Soul Tools."
"This is our cafeteria. The chef used to raise pigs in the suburbs. His specialties are grapes stewed with cherry tomatoes, carrots stir-fried with daikon, frogs stir-fried with bullfrogs, and tangerines stir-fried with apples... Ugh!"
At that, Li Huaimin nearly threw up. Maybe there'd been some exaggeration in what he'd said before, but heaven was his witness: every word about the cafeteria was true. He hadn't made up a single thing!
Just then, the cafeteria opened for business, and the students who'd gotten up early shuffled inside in twos and threes like the walking dead.
Unfortunately, it wasn't fully light yet, so Xu Yan couldn't see the students' utterly despairing expressions. As a result, he actually said something as clueless as:
"Whoa, this old fox is putting on quite a show. If the food's really that awful, why are so many students coming to eat so early?"
"Come on, next we'll go to..." Li Huaimin had meant to take Xu Yan around the classroom buildings, then fulfill his duty as the academy's vice president by taking him out for a meal.
But Xu Yan pointed at the cafeteria in front of them and said cheerfully, "Now that you mention it, I'm a little hungry after all that walking. Why don't we grab a bite here before we keep looking?"
Seriously, man! Can't you smell the weird stench in the air?
What are you thinking, eating here? Could this actually be the sort of food you like?
Fine. I don't understand, and I don't want to respect it either.
Heh, the old fox's face changed. I knew you didn't want me eating in your academy's cafeteria.
Seeing Li Huaimin's troubled expression, Xu Yan became even more certain that the old fox was playing a prank on him. He grabbed Li Huaimin with one hand, pushed open the cafeteria door with the other, and strode inside without a care.
Oh no, I'm done for! He clearly wants revenge for the kick I gave him in the face thirty years ago. He dragged me here so we could go down together!
As Xu Yan hauled him into the cafeteria and countless pained student gazes closed in around him, Li Huaimin's dangling heart finally went ka-thunk—and died.
Xu Yan, however, hadn't noticed a thing. He just patted Huaimin on the shoulder and said gently, "I'm new here. Pick me something good, would you?"
"Then take a seat!" Li Huaimin nodded and walked to the student serving window, pausing every few steps. Under the chef's puzzled gaze, he gritted out, "I'll have what the students are having. Two hearty, filling portions! Make them extra generous."
"Sure thing!"
The chef couldn't understand why the vice president never got his food at the staff window, but after a moment's hesitation, he respected everyone's tastes and served Li Huaimin two heaping breakfasts.
"Go ahead! Don't be shy." With a fake smile, Li Huaimin pushed the larger portion toward Xu Yan, then lifted his teacup and savored the milk—the only thing there that he could digest normally.
"Crunch—" Xu Yan picked up a bun and took a bite.
In an instant, sparks flew.
Xu Yan's teeth ached terribly. He set down the white lump that might once have been a bun, but whose hardness was now approaching that of some metals, and asked gravely, "Is this thing a rock?"
It's not that fragile, Li Huaimin thought. But aloud, he pushed over a bowl of something that looked like paste, bowl and all, and said, "You can soak it and eat it."
"?" Xu Yan eyed it doubtfully, then dropped the white lump into the mush. What happened next was astonishing.
The moment the white lump touched the nameless paste, the two underwent a strange chemical reaction. It was like strong acid hitting the ground. Xu Yan broke out in a cold sweat, and his eyeballs nearly popped out of their sockets.
Only then did Xu Yan notice that the students around him were using the tools they normally used to make Soul Tools as eating utensils, their faces full of bitterness as they battled to the death with all sorts of things that might have been food.
Before you continue