Two Unlucky Souls

Bajiao looked at Kou Ying in confusion. "How was I exposed?"

"Even Great Xia's most advanced identity scanner and the teacher in charge of verification couldn't identify me. How did you recognize me?"

Kou Ying scoffed. "There's no hiding that twisted, rotten aura on you people."

Bajiao shrugged. "Say whatever you like."

Another Void Cultist. Why wouldn't these people leave her alone? But how she got in didn't matter. The priority was to warn everyone.

Ye Buyu quickly turned around. "There's a..."

"Shh!"

At some point, Bajiao had slipped behind Ye Buyu without a sound, one hand already clamped around her neck.

The green vines coiling around her other hand wound around Kou Ying's shadow spikes, then mercilessly flung Kou Ying into the distance.

In the blink of an eye, the situation had taken the worst possible turn.

"Don't rush. I only came to say hello today."

Bajiao hummed a cheerful little tune, seemingly enjoying herself.

"Aren't you afraid the people outside will come in?" Ye Buyu couldn't move, bound by vines.

Bajiao whispered in her ear. "As far as they're concerned, we're just competing. Students are allowed to compete against one another, right? Besides, there are only three of us in this area. Our conversation won't carry outside."

She raised her eyes toward the bustling arena, her tone openly puzzled.

"Incredible. The Assessment three years ago was so brutal that hardly any students survived. Now it's so gentle. Aren't they afraid you'll all die without even a place to be buried?"

Ye Buyu didn't dare respond, afraid Bajiao might suddenly decide to kill her.

But Bajiao wasn't about to let her off.

Her fingers pressed harder against Ye Buyu's neck, forcing her to lift her head.

Bajiao asked with a smile, "We don't have much time, so answer a few questions. Who killed Yan You? Why is your ability so unusual? Are you connected to the River of Forgetfulness Incident?"

"I don't know."

Ye Buyu struggled, trying to free a hand to slap her.

Bajiao's expression darkened. "You don't know? Then why would Yan You rather abandon his lead on the Wind-Thunder Cantor just to tell me to watch you?"

Shit. When did that bastard get the message out?

Ye Buyu was nearly choking under her grip, yet Little Whale was still enjoying the show, clapping his flippers together.

"Oho, you're in trouble now."

Ye Buyu rolled her eyes. "Piss off."

One insult, aimed at two targets.

Bajiao's face turned cold. "Stubborn people never end well."

Just as she was about to apply a little more pressure, the shadow beneath her feet suddenly rose, turning into a blade that stabbed at her arm.

"Let her go."

Kou Ying stood and wiped the blood from his lips. With a slight shift of his toes, a vast sea of black shadows spread outward, creeping across the concealment formation Bajiao had set up beforehand.

"Once I break your formation, you're dead."

Bajiao's pupils contracted slightly. She released Ye Buyu, tore open a passage, and retreated.

She had no desire to face that lunatic Lan Huaiyu, especially since Lan Huaiyu wasn't the only one outside. What a shame. She wouldn't be able to take Ye Buyu away.

She gave Kou Ying a long look.

"You seem to know quite a bit about my methods. You're rather interesting too, Kou Ying."

Bajiao stepped into the passage and waved at Ye Buyu, saying cheerfully, "See you next time. Hopefully, when we meet again, you won't be so weak that I can't even be bothered to kill you."

Ye Buyu gritted her teeth, raised the Flower Edict, steadied her trembling hand, and fired at Bajiao just before she disappeared. The bullet passed through the lingering afterimage and struck empty space.

"Cough, cough..." Ye Buyu lowered her gun and coughed, clutching her neck.

Kou Ying hurried over and crouched beside her. "Are you all right?"

Ye Buyu shook her head. "You should have broken her formation and kept her here."

Kou Ying smiled bitterly. "I was bluffing. With my current abilities, I can't break that formation."

Ye Buyu's eyes widened. "Huh? You were lying?"

"Yes, I was lying." Kou Ying helped her up. "I couldn't break her formation. I only made such a big show of it because I wanted to catch the Principals' attention.

"I figured I'd stall for time if I couldn't break it. I even had my trump card ready. I didn't expect her to run so decisively."

Kou Ying sighed. His carefully planned strategies never seemed to succeed. Perhaps that had something to do with his bad luck.

"It's ridiculous, really. I've always believed data and machinery don't lie. With the right calculations and planning, I should be able to solve most problems. Yet nothing has ever worked out perfectly.

"Just like the bad luck that won't leave me alone, constantly reminding me that the unexpected always gets ahead of my plans."

Ye Buyu touched the marks on her neck and sniffled miserably.

"Why is everything so hard for me? It's only been a few days. I only awakened a few months ago, and I've already seen everything I should and shouldn't have."

Hearing Ye Buyu lament her fate, Kou Ying deeply sympathized.

"Sometimes, bad luck can make you laugh."

Right on cue, Ye Buyu laughed. "Yeah. I just want to see how unlucky a person can possibly get."

A level-ten Calamity and a top-tier Man-Made Calamity, taking turns making my life hell. I refuse to believe anything even more absurd could happen to me from here on out.

The two unlucky souls exchanged a glance and let out utterly speechless, bitter chuckles.

Once Kou Ying's shadows receded, it became clear that the students taking the Assessment hadn't noticed anything happening over here.

Kou Ying glanced at the teachers outside. "Should we tell them now?"

"I'll withdraw from the Assessment and tell them. No need to hold everyone else up."

Ye Buyu healed herself while searching for the withdrawal button on her body.

"Wait."

Kou Ying extended his left hand. The zircon-studded alloy bracelet around his wrist abruptly transformed, extending up his arm until it covered the entire limb.

He aimed at the densest concentration of Calamities and attacked. Condensed, compressed energy became a beam of dark light that burst from his palm, reducing every Calamity in its path to ash.

It pierced the enormous arena and split the tide of Calamities, drawing astonished looks from everyone.

Kou Ying lowered his hand and transferred half his points to Ye Buyu. "I promised Mu Bingge and Lou Guanshan I'd look after you. Take these points."

Watching her points soar, Ye Buyu felt deeply uneasy. What had she done to deserve three powerhouses protecting her?

She held out her hand. "I've only got a little energy left. Enough to heal you once more."

Kou Ying nodded. After they high-fived, Ye Buyu pressed the withdrawal button and disappeared from the arena.

"Sigh. I finally met a classmate I got along with, and she had to leave so soon."

Kou Ying looked at his palm, feeling the power continuously welling up inside him, and murmured,

"Absolute healing really is an exceptionally rare ability."