Nie Li, Lu Piao, and the others arrived at the ruins behind the Academy. Broken walls and crumbling masonry filled their view, while a faint, barely visible golden barrier shrouded the rubble, lending it an air of mystery.
"Nie Li, this is the place! I used to come here to slack off whenever I skipped class." Lu Piao patted his chest as he spoke. Barely had the words left his mouth when he caught a familiar figure out of the corner of his eye. His face went white, and he greased his heels, ready to slip away.
Quick as a flash, Nie Li grabbed him by the back of his collar and raised an eyebrow with a half-smile. "Why are you running? Got a guilty conscience?"
"Bro, we've been through life and death together! You don't have to drive me into a corner!" Lu Piao pleaded, looking utterly miserable.
Nie Li snorted and let go. As though granted a royal pardon, Lu Piao took off at a sprint, but after only a few steps, he bounced back as if he had hit a wall. Behind him, Xiao Xue stood with her arms folded, regarding him with a half-smile, while another hand tugged his ear, twisting it like a braided dough stick.
"Well, well, Lu Piao. You run the moment you see me? Am I really that frightening?" Xiao Xue arched her slender brows and tightened her grip.
"Ow, ow, ow! Let go! Let go!" Lu Piao grimaced in pain. Before he could finish, Xiao Xue reached out and pinched the soft flesh at his waist. Both attacks struck at once, sending an exquisitely agonizing sensation straight to the crown of his head. He nearly performed a standing split on the spot.
Seeing that everyone had arrived, Nie Li ignored the