第31章 追逐影子的人

Tang San found Luo Yan after dinner.

Luo Yan was sitting on the old locust tree at the entrance of Dorm Seven, swinging his legs and tossing melon seed shells at Xiao Wu as she walked by below.

Seeing Tang San walk over, he said with a smile, "What is it, San, does your face still hurt? I really didn't use much force."

Tang San gave an amused scold, "Get out of here, you didn't even get close to me."

He stood beneath the tree, looking up at Luo Yan, "Come down for a moment."

"What for? You want to climb up? This tree can't hold two people."

"Teacher wants to see you," Tang San said.

Luo Yan's hand paused. He looked down at Tang San, observing the expression on his face.

"Grandmaster? What does he want with me?"

Tang San shook his head. "How would I know? Probably has some guesses about your spirit skill and wants to verify them."

"Guess all he wants, let him guess slowly. If he guesses right, count it as his skill."

"He told me to call you," Tang San said.

"I'm not a student anymore."

Luo Yan flicked a melon seed shell down toward the tree, and it landed squarely on Tang San's shoulder. "I dropped out long ago. At most, I'm an unofficial member of your Dorm Seven now. Your teacher invites people so empty-handedly just like that?"

Tang San brushed the melon seed shell off his shoulder, looked up at him, and smiled. "Then how do you want to be invited? Eight-bearer sedan chair? Or should I write you an invitation?"

"Writing an invitation is good."

Luo Yan's eyes lit up. "I've never received an invitation. Go back and tell your teacher: tomorrow at the Hour of You, beneath the old locust tree of Dorm Seven, a pot of tea prepared, and I'll bring two jokes along."

"My teacher doesn't drink tea," Tang San said.

"Then bring melon seeds."

Luo Yan said, "We can crack them while we chat. If the chat goes well, I can even write him a copy on the spot."

Tang San sighed. "Luo Yan, he really has something he wants to ask you. He's not arresting you."

"I didn't say he was arresting me."

Luo Yan leaned back, resting his spine against the tree trunk. "It's just that your teacher is the kind of person who likes to take things apart the moment he opens his mouth."

"Spirit rings taken apart in pieces, spirit skills taken apart in layers—if I went, he'd definitely take my Floating Life Like a Dream apart into seven pieces and then ask me which piece is the head and which is the tail."

Tang San laughed. "You actually have times when you're afraid of people asking?"

"What I do isn't called fear."

Luo Yan said, "It's called not wanting to go to class, do you understand? Someone who dropped out of school fears teachers the most, especially a teacher who can see right through you from inside out."

Tang San didn't try to persuade him further.

He stood beneath the tree for a moment, then suddenly said, "Then I'll accompany you."

Luo Yan looked at him. "You'll accompany me? What can you do? Stand at the side and hand me tea?"

"Help you run," Tang San smiled.

Luo Yan was stunned, then immediately laughed as well. "Run? We aren't wanted by Notting City, what is there to run from?"

"That would be not bad either."

Tang San said, "I've never tried being a wanted fugitive."

The two looked at each other and both smiled.

The night wind blew in from the entrance of Dorm Seven, rustling the leaves of the old locust tree.

Luo Yan finally jumped down from the tree and patted his hem.

"Fine then."

He said, "Seeing as you're smiling so maliciously, I'll go take a look."

"It's Teacher who wants to see you, not me wanting to see you." Tang San turned to lead the way.

"Why do I feel like you're the one helping your teacher set a trap?"

Luo Yan followed. "You've been getting more and more like a constable lately, specifically reeling in honest people like me."

"You honest?" Tang San didn't look back.

"I'm so honest I even dropped out of school," Luo Yan said with righteous confidence.

Tang San ignored him, and the two walked along the old path toward the teacher dormitories.

The surroundings were very quiet, with only their footsteps and the strange remarks Luo Yan popped out with from time to time.

When they reached the door, Tang San finally stopped, turned back, and said, "Go on in, I'll wait for you outside."

Luo Yan looked at that half-closed door, then looked at Tang San. "You're really not going in? In case there's an ambush inside and I cry for help, will you hear it?"

"If you really cry out, I'll go in," Tang San said.

"Then it's a settlement."

Luo Yan said, "If your teacher stumps me within three sentences, I'll shout."

"You'll get stumped too?" Tang San smiled.

"There are people beyond people, San."

Luo Yan straightened his collar and reached out to push the door open. "Beyond teachers, there are still teachers."

He walked inside. Tang San watched that door gently close, didn't walk far, and sat down right on the steps.

The night wind was very gentle, and the moon emerged from behind the clouds.

He heard Yu Xiaogang's voice drift from inside the room: "You've come? Sit."

Then he heard Luo Yan laugh: "Grandmaster, still not sleeping this late, did you figure out some new theory again?"

Hearing this, Tang San couldn't help but smile softly.

Inside the room.

Yu Xiaogang looked at Luo Yan for quite a while before speaking unhurriedly, "Yesterday in the back mountain, the three of you made quite a commotion. I heard you used your second spirit skill."

"Just practicing a bit."

Luo Yan said, "I have to move around somehow, otherwise the whole person is going to grow mold."

"I heard you created a snake, and also a... bride?" Yu Xiaogang asked, his tone level.

"Grandmaster even knows about this."

Luo Yan smiled. "This place of Notting City really can't hide a single secret. If I'd known, I would have gone further away; who would have thought the back mountain would have eyes too."

"Xiao San mentioned it," Yu Xiaogang said. "He said you were too strong and also wanted to become like you."

Luo Yan gave an "oh" and leaned back. "Then shouldn't you be working hard to teach him?"

Yu Xiaogang didn't smile.

He still looked at Luo Yan, his gaze as if trying to slowly make out something else from that face that always carried a smile.

"Your second spirit ring is a millennium one," he said.

Luo Yan didn't deny it.

"A millennium second ring—in any set of martial soul theories I know—should not appear on a level twenty spirit master. Not only did you absorb it, you can even use it to that degree."

Yu Xiaogang's voice lowered. "Luo Yan, do you know what this means?"

"I know."

Luo Yan said, "It means my luck is pretty good."

"Luck?"

Yu Xiaogang repeated it, finally showing a trace of emotion. "You really think that was just luck?"

Luo Yan looked at him.

The two were very close, close enough to see that little beating lamplight reflected in each other's pupils.

Luo Yan smiled, but didn't take up the thread immediately.

"Grandmaster."

He suddenly said, "Why do you always want to figure me out?"

Yu Xiaogang was taken aback.

"You have Tang San in your hands. You have Xiao Wu. You have so many students wanting to take you as a master, why do you keep fixing your eyes on a dropout like me?"

Luo Yan asked, his speaking pace slowing down. "Because my martial soul and theories don't match up? Or because I make you feel like your theories might have missed something?"

Yu Xiaogang fell silent for a moment.

"Both," he said.

Luo Yan smiled. "Then just consider me an exception and don't take it too seriously."

"If there are too many exceptions, theory is still theory. The road is still the road; you teach your path, I play my games."

"But your road has already walked ahead of theirs."

Yu Xiaogang said, "Tang San and Xiao Wu will both keep their eyes on you."

Luo Yan paused.

He slowly put away his smile, the expression on his face growing very faint.

After a few seconds, he spoke: "That's why I came back—not to lead the way for them, but to see how well they're walking now."

"If you really want to see, you shouldn't just come back to cause a stir," Yu Xiaogang said.

Luo Yan didn't speak.

The night wind blew in from outside the window, gently curling the edges of a few sheets of paper on the desk.

Yu Xiaogang reached out to press them down, then looked at Luo Yan again. "I won't stop you, nor do I have the qualification to stop you, but if you still treat Tang San and Xiao Wu as friends, stop always placing yourself outside the game. The more you do this, the more they'll chase after your shadow."

Luo Yan didn't reply.

He lowered his head and looked at the oil lamp near his feet that was running low.

The flame was very small, ready to go out at any moment.

"Grandmaster."

He stood up. "You called me here tonight—you weren't actually asking about spirit skills, were you?"

Yu Xiaogang didn't deny it.

"You're afraid I'll lead them astray," Luo Yan said.

"No."

Yu Xiaogang shook his head. "I'm afraid you'll run too fast, and they won't even be able to see your silhouette."

Luo Yan stopped in his tracks.

"They should chase dreams, not let the dream stop and wait. Think carefully—what can your education give them?"

With that, he pulled the door open. Tang San was still sitting on the steps.

Hearing the door sound, he turned his head; Luo Yan had already walked out.

The moonlight shone on his face, that forever punchable smiling face, which at this moment actually looked as if it had been washed clean by something.

"Finished chatting?" Tang San asked.

"Finished."

Luo Yan said, looking up at the moon. "So boring, didn't invite me for tea, didn't let me write things, just kept saying useless stuff."

Tang San didn't speak. He stood up and walked back side by side with Luo Yan.

"San," Luo Yan said suddenly.

"Hm?"

"I'm leaving tomorrow."

"Leaving tomorrow?" Tang San's steps paused as he turned his head to look at him.

"Yeah."

Luo Yan didn't look at him, only gazing at those few patches of clouds slowly drifting across the moon at the horizon.

"I never planned to stay long anyway, just came back to check on you guys."

Tang San didn't speak; of course he knew Luo Yan wouldn't stay long.

"Does Xiao Wu know?" Tang San asked.

"She doesn't."

Luo Yan smiled. "If she knew, she'd definitely tie me to the old locust tree tonight and hang a sign on me that says 'Notting City's Number One Heartbreaker'."

Tang San smiled slightly. "Not telling her again."

"If I told her, it wouldn't be fun anymore~"