Xiao Wu Nearly Got Taken Out by a Bone

"Every privilege I have at the academy was personally granted by the dean. If you have any objections, you can go complain to him."

"Now, please get out of my way!"

Yu Xiaogang's gaze turned icy as he struggled to release the faint aura of a Spirit Grandmaster.

The man had dared to humiliate him in front of his beloved disciple. He was practically asking for death. Yu Xiaogang had no reason to show him any courtesy.

If he had the sense to move aside, that would be the end of it.

But if he didn't, Yu Xiaogang wouldn't mind teaching him a lesson.

The cafeteria manager was just an ordinary person, after all.

"You... Fine. You're so tough!"

The cafeteria manager was furious, but he didn't dare actually provoke Yu Xiaogang.

"Hmph!"

Watching the cafeteria attendant storm away with a flourish of his sleeve, Yu Xiaogang gave a triumphant snort, like a rooster that had won a fight.

He turned to the woman serving food.

"Food. Three portions!"

The cafeteria lady wouldn't dare refuse. She immediately served him three portions.

"Ah."

When Lin Chen saw that no fight had broken out, he couldn't help sighing.

He'd thought there'd be something to spice up his meal.

"Heh..."

Liu Long suddenly seemed to think of something and laughed.

He leaned toward Lin Chen and teased him under his breath.

"Come to think of it, he's a grandmaster too. It's just that the actual worth of that title..."

Liu Long didn't finish, but his knowing smile said it all. Xiao Chenyu and the others immediately chuckled.

Lin Chen laughed along with them.

Everyone thought the show was over, but before long, something else happened over at Yu Xiaogang's table.

"Cough, cough, cough..."

Xiao Wu was eating when she suddenly started coughing violently.

Her face gradually turned pale.

She looked as if she'd choke to death if she didn't get help soon.

"Xiao Wu, are you all right?"

Tang San, seated beside her, hurriedly began patting her back, but his efforts didn't seem to help much.

Not only did it fail to help, it seemed to make Xiao Wu suffer even more. She couldn't even cough anymore, and looked as if she were about to suffocate.

Her body began to go limp and slide downward.

"Xiao Wu!"

Tang San sprang to his feet and grabbed her before she could slump to the floor.

"Teacher!"

At a loss, Tang San could only look to Yu Xiaogang for help.

Yu Xiaogang was baffled.

How could someone choke this badly just from eating?

Though he didn't understand what was happening, he reacted quickly.

He leapt up, took Xiao Wu from Tang San, then circulated his Soul Power and slammed a palm into her back.

"Ptooey!"

A bone suddenly shot out of Xiao Wu's mouth.

"Haa... haa..."

Finally free, Xiao Wu gulped down fresh air.

"This..."

Xiao Chenyu and the others exchanged looks, utterly stunned.

She was a Spirit Master, for heaven's sake...

Even if she was only a Spirit Scholar without a Spirit Ring, how could she choke so badly on a bone?

If nobody had been around today, would she have choked to death?

A Spirit Scholar choking to death... That was just too much.

Lin Chen, meanwhile, fought to keep the corners of his mouth from twitching. Head down, he shoveled food into his mouth.

This mishap was naturally the result of misfortune flaring up.

A dignified Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast had nearly been taken out by a single bone.

He really couldn't keep a straight face.

"Xiao Wu, are you all right?"

Watching Xiao Wu slowly recover, Tang San didn't know what to say.

Xiao Wu weakly shook her head.

On her first day at the Soul Master Academy, she'd nearly choked to death. If Da Ming and Er Ming found out, wouldn't they laugh at her forever?

How had a bone gotten stuck in her throat out of nowhere?

I'm so unlucky...

At the thought of bad luck, Xiao Wu suddenly remembered what Lin Chen had said earlier.

She glanced at Yu Xiaogang.

Could that guy really be the jinx Lin Chen had mentioned?

No, she had to stay away from him.

This time it was just a bone stuck in her throat. Who knew what might happen next?

Yu Xiaogang looked completely bewildered.

He felt that Xiao Wu's gaze was strange, though he couldn't say exactly why.

Xiao Wu stole a glance at Lin Chen.

He had already finished eating and was about to leave the cafeteria.

"Um, I'm done eating. You guys carry on."

Xiao Wu tossed out those words and ran off without waiting for Yu Xiaogang or Tang San to react.

Yu Xiaogang and Tang San were both left staring in confusion.

"Lin Chen!"

Xiao Wu called out to Lin Chen up ahead.

"What is it?"

Lin Chen turned around, more or less guessing what she wanted.

"Um... can you still see my bad luck?"

Xiao Wu asked tentatively, curiosity flickering in her eyes.

Lin Chen smiled. "It's gone."

"I knew it!"

At that moment, Xiao Wu was certain: that Grandmaster really was a jinx.

Xiao Chenyu and the others understood, too.

They'd all experienced it firsthand. When misfortune struck, no amount of caution could stop it; at best, you could lessen the consequences.

They'd been wondering how a dignified Spirit Scholar could nearly be taken out by a bone.

So it was misfortune at work.

As expected of Lin Chen. He was still just as accurate at spotting things like this.

Lin Chen didn't talk with Xiao Wu for long. He led Xiao Chenyu and the others away, since Tang Hao might be watching from the shadows.

If Tang Hao noticed that Xiao Wu was too close to him, no one could say what the man might do.

It was best to avoid risks like that whenever possible.

"You guys head back first. I'm going to the dorm."

After saying goodbye to Xiao Chenyu and the others, Lin Chen returned to the dorm alone.

He felt the bedboard and made sure it had dried out before taking his bedding out of his system inventory and laying it down.

Once he was done, he took a shower, then sat cross-legged on his bed.

"Mystic Origin Technique, activate!"

After making his bed, Lin Chen sat cross-legged on it and began his daily cultivation.

The next day was the opening ceremony.

Lin Chen wasn't about to skip it. He lived and ate at the academy, so he should at least show the dean some respect.

Tang San and Xiao Wu, however, were both absent.

There was no need to ask about Tang San. Gangzi had surely taken him to hunt for a Spirit Ring.

Judging by the original story, Gangzi was already due for a disastrous time. With Lin Chen's added misfortune, he was bound to have it even worse.

He wondered whether Gangzi would make it through this time—and, if he did, what it would cost him.

He'd have to time his visit carefully and see what ultimately happened. That would help him judge the effects of stacking misfortune.

Lin Chen still had some principles. Unless necessary, he didn't want innocent people dying because of him.

It was fine if innocent people suffered a little bad luck, but death was another matter.

He wouldn't be able to live with himself.

Only once he understood the precise effects of stacked misfortune could he bring disaster down more effectively in the future.

As for Xiao Wu...

She'd probably taken leave to find somewhere to obtain her First Soul Ring.

Meanwhile.

After half a day of jolting travel, Yu Xiaogang and Tang San finally arrived at the Soul Hunting Forest.

"This is a Ten-Year Solitary Bamboo. Its defining trait is toughness. Its attack power is weak, but its defenses are decent, so it's quite suitable for your Blue Silver Grass."