Chapter Ninety-Six: Kassel, Chen Motong (5k)

"Achoo!"

Lu Mingfei, having just returned home, sneezed. He looked around in confusion, thinking, "Is someone badmouthing me? Why do I have such a bad premonition?"

Must be his imagination.

"Ding! A payment of one million yuan has been received via Zhifubao."

A pleasant sound chimed from his phone. Lu Mingfei watched the balance on his screen, his smile deepening. He thought, "The million I lost has returned. Truly, having more numbers in my account gives me peace of mind."

"Even though I am a Dragon King, my inner thoughts are still much like an ordinary person's. Sigh—am I a dragon or a human? A human with the traits of a Dragon King, or a Dragon King wearing a human skin?"

'It still leaves me feeling a bit lost.'

Although Lu Mingfei thought this, his face already wore a look of relief. There was no trace of the confusion he claimed to feel; it seemed more like the morbid sentimentality common to adolescent boys.

In short, it was just... moaning without an illness.

"Brother, do you know what just happened?" The little devil suddenly appeared beside him, his face filled with irrepressible laughter as he asked while munching on popcorn.

"Huh? What happened?" Lu Mingfei asked, puzzled.

"You almost died just now. And in two different senses of the word. If it hadn't been for a stroke of luck, you might have died twice over," Lu Mingze said with a grin.

"What are you talking about? I don't understand."

Lu Mingfei was bewildered. He had no idea what it meant to die twice, and in two different senses; it was all too cryptic.

"The process is complicated, but you can basically understand it as: this million yuan saved you. Otherwise, Cassell College might have sent people to purge you and Brother Norton and his cohorts."

After finishing his popcorn, Lu Mingze took a sip of cola, let out a comfortable burp, and continued: "But don't worry, brother. Those dragon slayers at Cassell College might be formidable, but we aren't to be trifled with either. We could wipe them out in a heartbeat."

His voice paused, his eyes turning playful as he continued: "However... Norton just woke up and his power is relatively weak. If he were to be surrounded and killed by those dragon slayers without knowing what was coming, he really would be done for. Haha, hahahaha! This is so interesting! You are all geniuses!"

"Hm?"

Lu Mingfei frowned.

Purged? Geniuses? Interesting?

Why would we be purged? We haven't leaked anything...

Wait! This is the information age, an era where information is the cheapest and most easily leaked commodity. Our chat logs might not be a secret to Cassell College at all.

Thinking of this, cold sweat the size of peas broke out on Lu Mingfei's forehead, his sense of urgency peaking.

If the information regarding me, Norton, and Brother Chu Zihang is transparent to the college, wouldn't they be able to guess our identities soon? If so, being purged would be inevitable.

But why did this million save us?

What does this million have to do with anything?

Lu Mingfei sat on the sofa, crossing his arms and deep in thought. Speaking of a million, he had transferred one to Norton earlier. If all went well, Norton should be arriving in China soon; after all, flying from the United States to China doesn't take long.

Even factoring in buying tickets and waiting, three days should have been enough.

But Norton didn't seem to have arrived yet.

"Hmm."

In his confusion, Lu Mingfei opened his phone again and checked the account of Norton, also known as Old Tang. Because that guy messaged so frequently, he had muted him, so he hadn't paid much attention lately and didn't know where he had gone.

There were many messages, most of which were useless.

Soon, Lu Mingfei’s gaze locked onto one important piece of information.

'Give me more time. I'll definitely be in China by next month. Just wait a bit longer.'

Next month? Huh?

Lu Mingfei's small eyes were filled with enormous confusion. He couldn't understand why, after giving Norton a million, he still couldn't arrive quickly. How did he get delayed? Why? This didn't feel right.

Wait, brother, are you a loser? You have a million and you still need a month to arrive? And why does this tone sound so stubborn? I have a feeling he might not even make it next month.

One million... one million?

Lu Mingfei looked at the million that had just arrived in his account and remembered the million he had transferred to Norton. Is it possible that it's the same million? The same money went in a circle and returned to my hands.

Xia Mi used Brother's account to transfer the money. If my guess is correct, then Norton must have transferred a million to Brother.

Brother...

Brother's phone is in Xia Mi's hands.

Is it possible that Xia Mi used Brother's phone to swindle the million out of Norton?

Or perhaps, after Norton got the million, he felt flush and wanted to give his "brother" some pocket money, only to find that Chu Zihang wasn't short on cash—he might even be richer than him.

Then, out of pride, he gritted his teeth and transferred the only million he had, acting as if the money meant nothing to him. That’s why Brother never mentioned it to me, and I didn't know.

After losing that million, Norton was too embarrassed to ask me for more.

Still a matter of pride!

So, Norton is currently penniless and trying to find a way to get to China from the US?

If that’s the case, it would indeed dispel some of Cassell College's suspicions. But it’s not enough; it’s far from enough. Brother likely confirmed his identity as the King of Bronze and Fire multiple times in the chat logs, and the college must know.

But he is a fake.

So, is it possible that because Chu Zihang's identity is clean, and the college knows the information regarding the King of Bronze and Fire, they can be 100% certain he isn't the King of Bronze and Fire, and thus didn't take their chat seriously?

But Brother isn't one to joke, so Cassell College must be having heated discussions. Many people must be starting to doubt Chu Zihang's clean status. One can imagine that the college's upper echelons are likely causing a storm in places I don't know about.

There is no such thing as peaceful years; it’s just that someone is bearing the brunt of the chaos and losing sleep for us.

Oh, we aren't on the same side?

Then it's fine~

"Although I don't know what happened, I can imagine from Lu Mingze's expression that many interesting scenes must have occurred," Lu Mingfei muttered to himself.

Brother's identity is clean; he is just a half-breed who stole the power of the King of Earth and Mountain through an Evil Eye, and he claims to be the King of Bronze and Fire, Constantine. Even dragon scholars at the college would be left speechless, so he must be fine.

And as for me, I was born of my mother, so I should be fine too. Even if dragon slayers come to hunt me, I'm not afraid. At worst, I’ll just fight. Being human or dragon isn't important to me; what matters is that no one disturbs my quiet life. If someone wants to interfere with my development...

My answer is only war!

Even if it means declaring war on the whole world, so what?

Anyway, I will leave this world sooner or later; it's not a place I want to stay!

I am not the Dragon King who will destroy the world, but... if someone pushes me to the edge, I wouldn't mind becoming that dragon that destroys the world, just to show them what true terror is.

"Brother, have you figured it out? It wasn't Furina explaining it to you again, was it?" Lu Mingze asked playfully.

"That's right, she is that kind of smart person!" Lu Mingfei said without changing his expression, his tone so certain that no one could tell he was lying.

"Then she is truly amazing." Lu Mingze set the popcorn aside, tucked the cola under his arm, freed his hands, and clapped with a smile that was so sincere it felt fake.

"Hmph!"

Lu Mingfei snorted, not caring about Lu Mingze's reaction at all. As long as he didn't discover the Teyvat world, everything would be fine.

This guy has already given up; he’s in that "you say whatever you want, I’ll pretend to believe you" mindset. While this is a safe signal for me, I shouldn't let my guard down. If he discovers any abnormalities, things will get messy.

If he finds out about the existence of Teyvat, it's hard to imagine what he might do.

"Brother, are you afraid of being hunted? It’s not a pleasant feeling to be targeted by those crazy dragon slayers," Lu Mingze said as he picked up his popcorn again.

"I am a little afraid, because if that happens, Furina will worry about me. To put her at ease, I must kill every threat... there is no room for error," Lu Mingfei replied simply.

Lu Mingze's eyes widened slightly, his gaze toward Lu Mingfei changing. He realized that his brother's mindset had changed unconsciously. He seemed to have become someone else—a stronger, more confident man. If it were the old him, he would probably be feeling very worried and distressed right now, wouldn't he?

Is this actually a good thing?

Fun!

"Brother, did you know? After your brother submitted his leave application, the upper echelons of Cassell College exploded for the second time. The way those people seriously discussed it made me want to double over with laughter. They... they are like a bunch of monkeys, hahahaha!" Lu Mingze laughed until he was genuinely happy.

"And then?"

Lu Mingfei frowned slightly. This guy was just laughing without explaining what happened, which was frustrating.

"Chu Zihang, your brother is just an ordinary person. What could those guys possibly find? 'Discussing the connection between Chu Zihang and the King of Bronze and Fire,' hahaha! I'm dying of laughter!" Lu Mingze roared with laughter.

The Kui Gate Project was a long-standing research plan at Cassell College regarding Norton, which had made breakthroughs when Lu Mingfei enrolled.

Before that, the college's dragon scholars had already been surveying the area, guessing that it was the tomb of the King of Bronze and Fire. They speculated that its owner was Norton, the dragon king who created the White Emperor City.

As it turned out, the scholars were right; Norton's resurrection point was indeed there, but he had long since run off, leaving only Constantine inside.

And now, Chu Zihang—who had already been "proven" to be a bootleg King of Bronze and Fire—was going to the Three Gorges with Xia Mi for a vacation, and he had even requested leave. It was hard not to draw connections.

Is Chu Zihang really Constantine?

Why is he going to the Three Gorges and not somewhere else?

What is his connection to the Three Gorges?

But connections are just connections. Chu Zihang's identity is clean; his father was Chu Tianjiao, an S-class half-breed who graduated from Cassell College—a super half-breed who could rank in the top ten of the last hundred years. Ordinary people wouldn't know, but the upper echelons of Cassell College couldn't possibly have failed to find his records.

The school's leaders were tearing their hair out, but the only conclusion they could reach was that the students were playing a role-playing game. After all, it was hard for them to believe that Norton was just a poor, struggling ordinary person in the United States.

The Bronze City was in the Three Gorges—that was Norton's resurrection point—but Norton himself was in the United States. That distance is essentially on the other side of the planet!

It's not like Norton resurrected and then went to the US to live as an ordinary person, right?

Is that something a Dragon King would do?

How could a Dragon King disguise himself as an ordinary person, then go to work, attend school, and date every day?

Although Old Tang was highly suspicious, he was only a suspect. According to some investigations, they found that while Old Tang seemed to possess half-breed powers, his behavior in the US lacked the stereotypical traits of the Lord of Wrath; there was absolutely no sense of brutality or bloodlust.

He even donated money to an orphanage.

Now, Old Tang was a key subject of observation for Cassell College, but only a subject. They still couldn't conclude that he was Norton.

"Thank goodness Brother is a fake," Lu Mingfei thought to himself. If he hadn't introduced the fake Constantine to Norton, he might be in great danger now. Chu Zihang's clean background provided him with excellent cover, and he himself had acted very much like an ordinary person before.

But the problem is...

Norton is awake now. Has he done anything out of line since he woke up?

Cassell College hasn't tried to capture him yet, which means he hasn't shown any major flaws, or perhaps some of his actions have dispelled their suspicions.

Suddenly, I really want to understand the situation!

"Brother, do you want to know the inside story?" The little devil blinked and asked with a smile.

"Yeah!" Lu Mingfei nodded repeatedly, his face full of hope.

"A quarter of your life, no bargaining." Lu Mingze flashed his white teeth, smiling even more happily.

The cost was that the smile on Lu Mingfei's face vanished. Perhaps smiles never really disappear; they just transfer from one person's face to another's.

"Damn it, can't you say something useful!" Lu Mingfei couldn't help but complain.

"Fine, fine, you're my brother. I'll give you one important piece of news for free!"

The little devil quietly came to Lu Mingfei's side, looked into his eyes, and said: "Right now, the college suspects that you and Chu Zihang have issues, but they don't know what those issues are. So, they have sent a new student to make contact with you and carry out a secret mission."

"A new student?"

"That's right, a new senior sister. Do you feel your heart racing?" Lu Mingze asked with a smile.

"A senior sister is just a senior sister. I'm not some animal that falls for everyone I see. Why would I feel my heart racing for a senior sister I haven't even met?" Lu Mingfei expressed his confusion. He couldn't understand why Lu Mingze would say such things.

"Brother, you've finally grown up. I'm crying," Lu Mingze said with a look of relief, two clear tears slowly rolling down his face. He felt joy from the bottom of his heart.

How many cycles has it been!

How many restarts!

Brother finally doesn't like senior sisters anymore!

Furina?

If she's from another world, so be it. Even if Furina were a Transformer, I'd accept it. As long as Brother isn't into senior sisters, I can feel genuinely at ease.

Of course, this couldn't be said or shown, otherwise, a man named "Herzog's Wife" would write him out of existence.

"Why do I feel like you're acting weird?" Lu Mingfei looked at Lu Mingze suspiciously. He now suspected that this guy was the one who was actually crazy, while he was just playing the fool.

Oh no, fake illness met real illness!

"It's nothing, nothing. Don't worry, I feel great right now. Better than I've ever felt."

Lu Mingze slowly raised his head, revealing a calm and pleasant smile, and continued: "This new senior sister's name is Chen Motong. Everyone calls her Nono."

"Although she appears to be a cold and aloof queen on the surface, and loves to take underlings under her wing, she is actually a poor person who lacks a sense of security inside. And, as an A-class half-breed, she doesn't even have her own Spirit—oh, she's really so pitiful."

Saying this, Lu Mingze took Lu Mingfei's hand and said with extreme sincerity: "So, if you have the chance, I hope you can take her as your underling and do your best to protect her. Consider it a small act of mercy from me."

"You're that kind-hearted?"

"Of course, I'm a good person."

"Forget it. I already have someone I like. I don't think it's right to take another girl as an underling," Lu Mingfei shook his head.

He didn't understand why Lu Mingze thought he would take an opposite-sex underling to protect while he already liked someone else. If it were a friend he already knew, like Su Xiaoqiang, that would be one thing—just keep some distance—but he couldn't accept it with a stranger.

However, since the little devil said so, Chen Motong must be a pitiful person, right?

With only the strength of an A-class half-breed and not even a Spirit, it's hard to imagine how such a weak person survives in the world of half-breeds.

Wait a minute...

Is an A-class half-breed weak?

It doesn't seem weak, but then again, it seems very weak...

Lu Mingfei lowered his head and fell into deep thought. He didn't have a deep understanding of half-breeds yet. Although he felt an A-class half-breed was weak to him, perhaps it wasn't so weak to others... right?

Hmm.

Feels worse than Xia Mi.