God of Illusions

“Not much is known about them except for their ranks and sections. The inspector might know more, but I doubt he would reveal anything,” Xue Ying said, and Bai Xiaofei frowned. There was no point in asking, then.

“It’s fine if we don’t know. When the ship gets to the harbor, it will naturally straighten. We’ll eventually discover whatever we need to know.” Bai Xiaofei sat back down with a look of relief on his face. These people were mere Master Rankers, still unworthy of his attention. Unless the opponent was a Grandmaster Rank, the Savage Class definitely wouldn't suffer a crushing defeat.

“In any case, just keep this in mind for now and be prepared. Aside from this, there is one more thing you guys need to know.” Her words brought the group back into a state of suspense.

“Big Sister Xue, could you not gasp like that when speaking? It’s really uncomfortable for us when you do that…” Bai Xiaofei said, wearing a wronged expression. He no longer dared to be too pushy when it came to Xue Ying. It had been possible in the past, but now, he was unfortunately no match for Xue Ying. This seductress was absolutely fatal when she teased others!

“In the past, the New Student Tournaments have always lasted for too long. That’s why the academy has decided to start the qualifier earlier this time, so as to sieve out the mediocre classes and, as a whole, shorten the length of the tournament. This means the New Student Tournament will start sooner.”

Upon hearing her words all of them were shocked. But soon after, they were ecstatic!

It’s finally here!

“This is good news for us, right?” Smiling slightly, Bai Xiaofei voiced everyone’s thoughts.

“I know what all of you are planning. You’re thinking of using this qualifier to become accustomed to your new puppets and to improve your teamwork, right?”

All of them blanked out when they heard Xue Ying.

Is there anything wrong with this?

Bai Xiaofei was briefly stumped before he realized that what they had planned to do was indeed not right.

“Do any of you know what is most important for a puppet master even before the fight begins?”  Xue Ying first asked them a question instead of explaining. Even Bai Xiaofei shook his head, not knowing the answer.

“Mystery. The more mysterious you are, the less people know about you. As a result, your opponent will feel greatly restricted and will be constantly on guard when dealing with you. On the contrary, the first one to reveal one’s trump card will be at a disadvantage.

“A puppet master’s level of mystery largely depends on his puppet. If nobody knows the capabilities of your puppet, they can only keep trying to feel you out. Unfortunately, only a few of you are in possession of a third puppet, therefore limiting the amount of mystery surrounding each of you. If your puppets are revealed during the qualifier, you will all be at a disadvantage during the New Student Tournament.”

A look of sudden realization appeared on their faces, followed immediately by an air of dismay.

It’s over. We can’t have fun anymore.

“That’s why for the time being, you will still be going to the Infinite Mountain Range to improve your teamwork.”

Just like that, a simple sentence from Xue Ying prolonged the misery of the Infinite Mountain Range's demonic beasts.

“But Big Sister Xue, we have beaten nearly all of the magical beasts on the outskirts of the Infinite Mountain Range. Going in any deeper would greatly increase the risk of encountering something beyond our control,” Wang Hang commented.

As an assassin, being cautious was his second nature, and what he said made sense. Whatever they stood to gain from the trip would not be worth it if someone from the Savage Class were to suffer injury prior to the tournament.

“Indeed. But this is the only choice we have. Don’t worry, though. I will be with you all the time for the upcoming training session, and I will also personally pick your hunting targets. You lot only need to focus on training.”

The boys heaved a long sigh of relief. If their safety was guaranteed, everything would be fine.

“By the way, can we start eating now?” Wu Chi asked as his stomach rumbled. He had spent the entire morning putting up an act with the other classes and could no longer restrain his hunger. After returning from their previous trip to the Infinite Mountain Range, the appetite of the Savage Class students had collectively increased. This could be considered the downside of becoming stronger.

“You guys go ahead and eat. The two of us have already eaten. There’s something else we need to do,” Xue Ying said as she stood up. She signaled Bai Xiaofei with her eyes.

Bai Xiaofei discerned her intentions and immediately agreed. “Don’t eat too much. Lately our funds have been quite tight.”

Mo Ka and the others nodded. If they knew Bai Xiaofei had actually spent the entire morning paying for Xue Ying’s expenses, they would have definitely criticized him heavily for his biasness.

After Xue Ying and Bai Xiaofei left the Hundred Flavours House, the tension instantly drained from Xue Ying. She returned to how she previously acted. Moving close to Bai Xiaofei, she brazenly murmured into his ear.

“How is it? Are you feeling the thrill that comes from having an affair?” Xue Ying's provocative sentence made Bai Xiaofei feel like pouncing her right then and there. Nevertheless, he managed to rein in his desire. He had no choice; there were too many people around!

“Big Sister Xue, all the students are done with their classes by now...” Bai Xiaofei spoke each word with extreme caution. It would be an understatement to compare his current emotions with the adrenaline of having an affair. Right now, he practically felt as if he was stealing something from the police station!

“What are you so afraid of? It’s not as if the academy explicitly prohibits romance between teachers and students. Are you worried the others will see us together? Do you find it embarrassing to be seen with your teacher?”

Xue Ying spoke with resentment. At the same time, a stern look crossed her face. This time, however, she had wrongly accused Bai Xiaofei. He wasn’t afraid of embarrassment but rather of losing his little brother…

“How is that even possible? If I actually dated a beauty like you, everyday I would wake up with a smile on my face, and I'd be laughing in my dreams. It’s just that there are too many busybodies in our academy, and they are all capable of creating all sorts of rumors. What if they spread a rumor that I am living off you or something like that?” Bai Xiaofei, wearing an innocent expression, answered her with a question.

“Fine, I’ll let you off for now. You’re no fun at all.” She finally released Bai Xiaofei from her grasp, which had been leading him towards certain doom. Then, she patted Bai Xiaofei’s head in the same way Bai Xiaofei normally patted Huskie’s.

“Go look for your puppets and put some effort into building a good relationship with them. You still need to rely on them during the New Student Tournament.”

Because he had wanted some peace and quiet with Xue Ying, Bai Xiaofei had released his puppets to go play outside. He had also wanted to prevent them from screwing up his date.

Huskie was already used to this treatment. If it weren’t for his link with Bai Xiaofei, he would now be no different from a wild animal. As for Blackie, she was happy to not see Bai Xiaofei and couldn’t have asked for more.

Bai Xiaofei suddenly thought of something and called out to Xue Ying, “Oh right, Big Sister Xue, can I ask you for a favor?”

Xue Ying halted her steps and raised her brows at Bai Xiaofei. “There’s no need to be so polite with me. Just say it, and I’ll definitely help if I can. Of course, you’ll need to reward me for it.” The moment he saw her expression, Bai Xiaofei regretted asking for a favor. However, there was no turning back. It was his own fault for serving himself up to Xue Ying like this.

“Earlier, Vice Principal Luo looked me up. She has already discovered that I have lied to her, and I have a feeling she’s looking for a chance to teach me a lesson. If possible, help me keep an eye on her so that I can be prepared for when the time comes...” In the end, Bai Xiaofei was still afraid of Luo Xi.

“Don’t worry. Leave it to me!” Xue Ying promised him with great confidence as she patted the two lofty peaks hidden beneath her top. Then, she turned.

Looking at Xue Ying’s departing figure as she disappeared from his line of sight, Bai Xiaofei heaved a sigh of relief.

Finally managed to get rid of this femme fatale! But… what should I do from now on?!