Chapter 155

The morning bell rang; the 8:00 AM class generally had the highest rate of absenteeism.

Although university students with a nightlife were in the minority, that didn't stop those without one from staying up all night.

Especially for some non-major courses, if the teacher didn't take attendance frequently, the classroom would often be deserted.

Professor Zhu never took attendance.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan witnessed with his own eyes the process of the students in his classroom changing from many to few, and then from few back to many.

Some students, even with sleepy eyes, would yawn and sway as they walked into the classroom.

Students are capable of distinguishing between good and bad.

In truth, teachers aren't unaware of what kind of confident prestige it is to not rely on roll calls to maintain student numbers, but unfortunately, they lack that level of ability.

There were fewer and fewer people deliberately being contrarian in class, and even many former "troublemakers" had now become active participants who thought for themselves and spoke up, enriching the teaching content.

The class hours for this semester's ideological and political course were coming to an end; before dismissing the class, Professor Zhu asked everyone to open their books and start marking the paragraphs.

"This is the first question."

"This is the second question."

"This is the third question."

The students went from initial disbelief to finally beaming with joy.

This was no longer just narrowing down the scope; it was equivalent to giving them the answers directly.

Professor Zhu closed his book and said:

"Students, I will be very strict when proctoring the exam."

The students all laughed.

After the students finished laughing, Professor Zhu said earnestly:

"The reason I marked the questions and answers for you so early is that I don't want you to cheat during the exam; I hope you have enough time to memorize this content.

In fact, from elementary school to middle and high school, and then to university, you have learned a lot of knowledge, but most of it will not be used after you step into society.

But it..."

Professor Zhu held up the book in his hand and patted it gently:

"It can help you better understand and perceive society, and it is something you can ruminate on for the rest of your lives."

Class was over.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan was still sitting in the last row of the lecture hall; he had just finished recording the fourth wave of the *Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan Secret Scroll*.

Recording was only the first step; the next main task was the revision of the *Old Old Old Jiang-Walking Code of Conduct*.

This was a major project, encompassing the re-sorting and re-cognition of the results from this experiment.

Theoretically speaking, his own fourth wave had already been completed; before it even arrived, he had already proactively walked through it.

But drawing lessons from the past, he could not be complacent because of this; the road ahead remained long and arduous.

Professor Zhu habitually walked to the last row and came to the young man's side after the other students had left.

"Xiao Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan, writing something?"

"Yes, making a summary." Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan closed the *Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan Secret Scroll*, and as he put away his pen, he looked up and asked, "Professor Zhu, there is something I would like to ask your advice on."

"Go ahead."

"There is something that is pushing and influencing my life, and this makes me very repulsed."

"That is very normal; have you observed it?"

"I have been observing it all along."

"Continue."

"Sometimes, I am very repulsed by its influence and manipulation of me; I suspect it harbors a natural malice toward me.

But at other times, I recognize some of its logic to a certain extent, and even... actively use it... utilize it."

"Are you struggling against it?"

"Yes."

"Does it know?"

Thinking of the last wave involving the *Five Senses Sealing Diagram*, Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan replied, "I think it should know."

"Is your confusion rooted in the fact that you don't know, or rather, you are not sure, what specific way you should use to Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Face it?"

"Yes."

Professor Zhu nodded and said:

"The development process of a contradiction is the result of the identity and struggle of opposites. Identity is the basis of development, and struggle is the driving force of development."

Before Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan's eyes, it was as if a river appeared, flowing along.

He smiled.

Professor Zhu also smiled and said, "It seems there is no need for me to continue elaborating?"

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan stood up, bowed to Professor Zhu, and said very sincerely, "Thank you, Professor."

When facing the river water, he had once tried to find a fixed pattern and answer, and then he discovered he was wrong; now, he was using experiments to find a new angle to understand it.

He hadn't expected that the answer had actually been summarized long ago, written on paper.

Professor Zhu shook his head, pointed at the *Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan Secret Scroll* Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan had just closed, and said:

"I only repeated the concept to you; you are able to understand it because you have conducted investigation and practice."

"You are right."

"Moreover, the same concept, even the same sentence, is perceived differently at different stages in the future."

"I will continue to work hard; thank you, Professor."

"It is I who should thank you for helping my wife fulfill her last wish; I dreamed of her last night, and she was smiling very happily amidst that beautiful landscape.

I plan to go back to her hometown to retire and spend my later years there once I can no longer teach.

By the way, do you have anything to do this afternoon?"

"Is there something you need, Professor Zhu?"

"I have nothing in particular." Professor Zhu took two tickets out of his pocket, "The department issued these for the Jin Ling University Student Arts Gala; would you like to go see it?"

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan also took out an identical ticket from his pocket.

This was what Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin had given him in the morning.

A while ago, the department required every class to put on a program, and Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin was the class monitor.

Originally, it was for volunteers in the class, but the result was zero.

Their class was truly a cultural desert.

Wu Pangzi made it clear to Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin that the school attached great importance to this selection, and that even for the department's preliminary selection, school leaders would come to watch, so he must not just fob them off with a collective poetry recitation.

At the time, the program list Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin held was Class 1's collective poetry recitation: "Ah, My Hai River, the Cradle of My Growth!"

There was no help for it; usually, class trivialities were handled by the branch secretary, and Wu Pangzi had been very kind to him, so he, this hands-off class monitor, had to step up at a critical moment.

Therefore, Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin could only bring out his trump card—dispatching Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You.

A *Guan Old Old Old Jiang Shou* performance wasn't appropriate because it was only one person, and the stage effect wouldn't be good.

He couldn't let Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You stand on stage and perform a spirit possession by a child in front of all the guests, could he?

However, Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin had a way; he would let Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You perform a lion dance.

Rent a lion costume, no need to hire a partner, just dance alone, and put some tables, chairs, and benches on stage to act as plum blossom piles.

Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You had been exposed to lion dancing back in his hometown, and although he hadn't learned it specifically, he was naturally agile.

When the department selection took place, as soon as he went on stage, he conquered all the school leaders, making other performances pale in comparison.

In the end, it was decided that it would be the school's selected program.

"Oh, you already have some." Professor Zhu prepared to take the two tickets back.

"But I have friends who also want to go, and they are worried about it." Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan took the two tickets, "Thank you, Professor Zhu."

Leaving the classroom, Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan carried his schoolbag and walked toward the living area.

He walked into the discount store.

It was currently between the two morning classes, so there weren't many customers in the store.

Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng stood in front of the counter, trying on clothes one by one at Yin Yin Yin Yin Yin Yin Yin Mengmeng's request.

A Li had designed a set of outdoor clothes for everyone, which was Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng's best set of clothes.

Usually, he liked to wear a vest and had many old clothes brought from his hometown in Nantong that he couldn't bear to throw away.

Yin Yin Yin Yin Yin Yin Yin Mengmeng was first influenced by Liu Yi, and later, after becoming best friends with Zheng Zheng Zheng Zheng Jiayi and often going shopping together, her style of dress gradually changed.

Based on the principle of dragging Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng along to improve, Yin Yin Yin Yin Yin Yin Yin Mengmeng forced Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng to go shopping once.

Back at the great-grandfather's house, Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng wouldn't have complained of fatigue even if he worked like a mule for a day.

After returning from that shopping trip, Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng was completely exhausted, mainly mentally exhausted.

Trying them on one by one, haggling one by one, and in all likelihood not buying them after trying and haggling, then going to the next store to look.

During the process, he had to cooperate with Yin Yin Yin Yin Yin Yin Yin Mengmeng's requirements, such as not being able to nod and say "good, good, good" as soon as he put on a well-fitting piece of clothing; he had to find faults first.

Therefore, when Yin Yin Yin Yin Yin Yin Yin Mengmeng wanted to drag Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng to go shopping for clothes again, Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng shook his head like a rattle-drum, absolutely unwilling to go again.

Yin Yin Yin Yin Yin Yin Yin Mengmeng had no choice but to go with Zheng Zheng Zheng Zheng Jiayi, tell the boss Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng's size, buy all the clothes back, keep the suitable ones, and return the unsuitable ones.

"Brother Marquis Xiao Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan, Xue Xue Xue Xue Xue Xue Xue Liangliang called earlier." Yin Yin Yin Yin Yin Yin Yin Mengmeng said while pulling at the clothes on Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng to signal him to turn around, "He said he would be back at school in two days; Luo Gong has a project."

"Did he just call?"

"Yes."

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan walked to the telephone, pressed a few buttons, and flipped to the previous incoming call.

Sure enough, the area code belongs to: Nantong.

After Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan handed the two tickets to them, he ignored Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng's pleading gaze and walked out of the shop.

Arriving at Liu Liu Liu Liu Liu Yumei's house, A Li was in the study, drawing.

This painting was just taking shape; a crowd of beings who could not be looked at directly were bowing in worship, while the youth and the statue behind him had not yet been drawn.

After listening to the Fourth Wave's account, A Li chose this scene directly.

After Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan walked in, A Li put down her paintbrush, walked to the guqin, and sat down. There was another stool beside it, and Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan sat down right next to her.

She could draw when the youth wasn't around, but she couldn't learn the qin that way.

The girl would first play a melody with one hand, then the youth would imitate and play a section, and then they would repeat this back and forth.

This teaching method could be called, in the literal sense: simple doodling.

But considering the intelligence of the specific learner, it was the most concise and efficient.

Plus, Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan already had a foundation in music theory.

Liu Liu Jinxia came in carrying two plates of fruit; she placed one between the two of them and held the other in her hand, leaning against the study door, eating with a toothpick while watching and listening.

Compared to over a year ago at Li Sanjiang's house, both children had clearly grown a bit.

In the past, when they were together, they were the standard "golden boy and jade girl," but calling them that now didn't seem appropriate.

The heroic spirit in the girl was gradually revealing itself, and the composure between the youth's brows was already flowing out.

Although they were still young, looking at them now, you could imagine what they would look like sitting together ten or twenty years later.

For Liu Liu Jinxia, this was a realistic version combined with a fantasy version, and the fruit on the plate tasted even better.

The two of them just went on like this—one teaching, one learning—as time slowly slipped away.

Liu Liu Jinxia was full.

She went to the kitchen to make lunch, and when lunch was almost ready, she heard a relatively complete piece of music coming from the study.

She walked over, wanting to call them out to eat, and saw the boy and girl, each using one hand, playing a duet.

This couldn't help but make Liu Liu Jinxia sigh with emotion; back in the day, the old lady always liked to say to her and Qin Li: "I've never seen two people as stupid as you two."

She hadn't been convinced at the time, but looking at them now, at the same age, she and Qin Li were like the silly kids playing with mud at the village entrance.

The old lady had also come downstairs by this time, walked to the dining table, and sat down to listen quietly.

Liu Liu Jinxia walked over to set the tableware first, then lowered her head and whispered in the old lady's ear: "Our house-born kids really can't compare to these biological ones."

The old lady was caught between laughter and tears, reaching out to pinch Liu Liu Jinxia's cheek, and spat: "Good for you, taking advantage of me being old to start using the house-born kids to mock me."

Liu Liu Jinxia didn't dodge, deliberately moving her Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Face along with the force of the old lady's fingers:

"How could that be? I'm really just speaking from the heart; you listen for yourself, it's truly different."

"What's so strange about it? When I was young..."

"You were like this when you were young too?"

"When I was young, I didn't play as exquisitely as these two little ones."

"Then I feel much more balanced."

"Go, go, go, go serve the food; they're almost done playing."

Liu Liu Liu Liu Liu Yumei waved her hand to shoo Liu Liu Jinxia away, her fingertips tapping lightly on the table to the rhythm of the music.

She knew how outstanding her granddaughter's talent was; otherwise, those flies wouldn't have swarmed in trying to ruin her.

The youth's excellence was even more clearly visible to the naked eye.

The Qin and Liu families had produced capable people for generations; logically, her horizons should have been broad, but she had truly never seen such monsters.

If the two children could walk steadily to adulthood, the two Long Wang gates would not only be able to stand up again, but they might even surpass the past.

What did a small family size matter? Each generation of Long Wang could only be one person.

Besides, it's not like they can't have children...

What she had wanted before was for A Li's illness to be cured; now, she began to imagine more.

Her gaze turned to Qin Li, who was tidying up the vegetable patch in the courtyard.

When A Li had encountered that incident and failed the river walk, A Li was still in swaddling clothes, and she had been forced to choose to endure it.

This time, she was determined not to endure it again.

Anyway, she was old and had lived enough, and both families had successors, so she naturally began to ponder how to maximize the value of this old life.

Seeking revenge after the fact was the worst strategy; logically, she should issue a warning beforehand.

Whoever dared to play dirty or trip them up again, she would risk her life to kill them, taking as many as she could with her, specifically targeting the old fossils and the small, elite ones.

But the problem was, Xiao Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan's way of walking the river was truly bizarre; even she had never seen it before.

This made her suspect that if she were to issue a warning with great fanfare, it might actually have an adverse effect on Xiao Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan.

At least for now, Xiao Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan was walking very steadily; even in the gaps between each wave, he still had the interest to attend class, draw, and play the qin.

The music ended.

Liu Liu Liu Liu Liu Yumei came to her senses, and when the two children walked out, she looked sheepish.

At the very end, the children's qin music had become a bit chaotic and lost some of its flavor because she had unintentionally released killing intent, which had disrupted them.

After lunch, Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan returned to the shop, Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin parked the little pickup at the shop entrance, and everyone got in the car together to head to the theater.

On the way, Yin Meng asked curiously, "I thought you would go pick up your class monitor."

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin said righteously, "How could that be? Brothers are like limbs, Wo Sect are like clothes; of course, I have to look after my brothers first!"

Hearing "clothes," Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng, sitting in the back truck bed, sighed silently.

Arriving at the theater entrance, just as they parked the car, they saw Zhou Zhou Zhou Zhou Zhou Zhou Zhou Yunyun and Luo Mingzhu standing there holding a large bag of food and drinks.

Yin Meng teased, "We 'clothes' will get out of the car first."

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin explained, "I didn't give them the tickets; Luo Mingzhu's family hosted the banquet after the performance, and she got the tickets from her dad."

Luo Mingzhu, who had been standing on the steps chatting and laughing with Zhou Zhou Zhou Zhou Zhou Zhou Zhou Yunyun, caught sight of Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan and the others walking toward them; her expression froze instantly, the bag in her hand slipped, and everything spilled out.

She had seen all these people "in her dreams."

Zhou Zhou Zhou Zhou Zhou Zhou Zhou Yunyun: "Senior, what's wrong?"

"I... I..."

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin stepped forward first to help pick up the things.

Luo Mingzhu reached out and grabbed Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin's arm, saying excitedly, "It's them, right? You are all together, right? It was you all who saved us together, right?"

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin looked up, and taking advantage of Zhou Zhou Zhou Zhou Zhou Zhou Zhou Yunyun looking down to pick up things and not looking over, he glared at Luo Mingzhu and said:

"Senior, if you keep acting startled, be careful that you'll return to that nightmare when you sleep tonight."

Luo Mingzhu immediately shut her mouth.

Zhou Zhou Zhou Zhou Zhou Zhou Zhou Yunyun: "Xiao Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan."

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan: "Hello, Class Monitor."

They checked their tickets and entered the theater.

Zhou Zhou Zhou Zhou Zhou Zhou Zhou Yunyun and Luo Mingzhu didn't sit with Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan and the others; they sat in another corner, quite a distance away.

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin didn't go to sit with them either; even though changing tickets or seats was simple for him, he still chose to sit beside Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan.

Dating could be done privately, but he really wouldn't bring family members to a team-building event; he only found out Zhou Zhou Zhou Zhou Zhou Zhou Zhou Yunyun and Luo Mingzhu were coming after the fact.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan knew that even if he spoke up, Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin wouldn't sit over there, so he skipped that process directly.

When the performance was about to begin, the entire grand theater was basically full, and banners from many schools and departments were hung on the surrounding walls.

The host was also from Jin Ling Television, and there were cameras recording.

A leader gave a simple opening, the host introduced the leaders in the front row, and after everyone finished applauding and the necessary procedures were completed, the program began.

The program was indeed very exciting; there might be some slacking off in poetry recitations by class units, but by school units, there were many talented people.

While a male-female soprano duet was in progress, the back of the stage also began to be rearranged.

A high platform was set up, its top almost at the highest point of the stage, nearly twenty meters from the ground.

Four pairs of ropes extended from the high point and were fixed below, and at the top, there were four lion heads as markers.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan asked, "A You's setup is this grand?"

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin also felt surprised: "This isn't A You's."

"The programs clashed."

"Very likely."

"Wasn't there a rehearsal here?"

"A You went to the rehearsal; this kind of thing shouldn't have happened."

The host began to announce: "The next program, jointly selected by Jin Ling University and Haihe University—'The Battle of the North and South Lion Kings'."

The stage setup had already whetted the audience's appetite, and the name of the program ignited the emotions of the entire venue; everyone began to applaud and cheer enthusiastically.

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin: "A You didn't tell me; I suspect the organizers made a mistake and changed it at the last minute."

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan nodded.

The first to appear was a golden lion, with a red knot on the lion head; the design was simple, yet it looked remarkably lifelike.

The two dancers moved, and as soon as they appeared, they interacted with the audience in the manner of a lion, vivid and spirited.

There was no shortage of lion dance scenes in film and television works, but the true aura and charm could only be clearly felt when witnessed in person.

Next, on the other side of the stage, a white lion appeared.

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin: "This is A You."

The white lion's head was modeled after opera facial makeup, with a fierce design and bright colors.

It's just that Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You was not a professional lion dancer after all; in terms of technique, he was indeed not as professional as the golden lion, and he was also alone, which made him a grade lower in displaying the lion's form.

However, Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You relied on more agile footwork, continuously rolling and leaping, which also drew applause no less than the former.

After all, this was not a professional lion dance competition; the audience was just watching for the excitement.

Next, the two lions began to blink at each other and circle around.

During this, Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You lowered his posture and bowed his head three times, a gesture of respect and etiquette toward his seniors.

In this line of work, he was indeed a junior, and the only reason he was standing here performing the lion dance was because of Brother Bin's task.

The golden lion raised its body and leaped, both people stepping onto the rope; their movements were fluid, their footing steady, and they even managed the lion's agile swaying, going straight to the top.

"Good!"

"Good!"

Many audience members at the scene stood up and applauded vigorously, the atmosphere completely ignited; everyone could see that this was truly remarkable, genuine martial arts.

There is a saying in the circle: "In the south, there are plum blossom stakes; in the north, there is the Heaven-Reaching Tower."

This high platform layout was the Heaven-Reaching Tower.

In fact, it is not appropriate to divide lion dancing solely by north and south; places like Shandong and Henan also have their own profound lion dance cultural heritages.

But the current trend is to simplify things, labeling them directly as "North" or "South" to attract more attention.

【Note: This line appears to be garbled text in the source.】

The golden lion stood at the top and began to make gestures toward those below, as if mocking them, putting pressure on them.

Although Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You had a shy personality, he had the pride of a Guan Old Old Old Jiang Shou in his bones; mainly because the program name was labeled with a regional tag, he had to go up.

Just then, the white lion leaped up; clearly, there was a pair of ropes, but he didn't step on them, instead stepping on just one rope with both feet, going straight to the top.

"Good!"

"Good!"

The audience, who had just sat down, stood up once again to cheer.

Both the golden lion and the white lion reached the top and began to fight on the small platform.

At first, it was still a bit subtle, but gradually, the golden lion began to close in, and the two lion heads began to collide, as if engaged in a wrestling match.

The northern lion's head was heavier and had an advantage in wrestling; if Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You didn't want his lion head to be dented, he had no choice but to dodge.

In an instant, it turned into the golden lion attacking and the white lion dodging.

The audience laughed out loud, finding it interesting.

But the two parties up there had worked themselves into a temper.

It wasn't a matter of who was good or bad; perhaps at the beginning, everyone just wanted to perform their own program well, but they were inexplicably thrown into the same program, and their rhythms were both disrupted.

Plus, lion dancing is inherently a very masculine activity; like two hot-blooded young men, "What are you looking at?" "Looking at you, so what?" and they started fighting.

They really started fighting.

It was unclear who struck first, but in any case, after another collision, both parties' legs reached out from under the lions, kicking at each other.

Immediately following that was one side pressing and the other counter-pressing, each springing and leaping.

Next came various shoulder-checks and reckless charges, causing the entire Heaven-Reaching Tower to begin shaking.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan had witnessed Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You's skills; back when he wasn't possessed, he could rely on his reaction speed to dodge bullets.

Yet in this exchange, he hadn't been able to gain the slightest upper hand; although the opponent had two people, this also meant the opponent was an incredible martial artist.

Soon, the high platform could no longer satisfy the needs of their fight; with a fierce pounce from the golden lion, the white lion flicked its tail, left the high platform, and landed on the rope.

The golden lion continued to press forward, the white lion met the challenge, and both sides stood on the rope to begin their duel.

The audience, of course, didn't know they were truly fighting in anger, assuming the program was arranged that way; many people clapped until their palms were bright red, yet they continued to applaud.

Even the leaders sitting in the front row no longer cared about their image, standing up one after another and pointing.

They also hadn't expected that a university student social gathering in this city could produce such an excellent program; it would be more than enough to be selected for the Spring Festival Gala.

Both sides gradually began to fight for real, with the lions becoming the final cover.

After a bout of punches and kicks, they pushed each other away, danced the lions a bit to put on a show, and then continued to fight.

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin waved his fists, cheering for A You, and lamented, "If I had known, I should have gone up with A You."

Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng: "To go up and hold him back?"

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin: "I can fight too, you know."

Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng: "To get possessed by a ghost for a performance and lose years off your life?"

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin was choked up, but immediately changed his tune: "Then I should have sent you up."

Yin Meng: "That would be bullying people too much."

Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You hadn't been possessed and was fighting the two opponents to a draw, but if Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng were added, that balance would be completely broken in an instant.

Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng: "I'm not a student."

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin: "Sent by the Haihe University Discount Store; it could even serve as an advertisement for the shop."

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan didn't join their conversation; he had noticed that the golden lion had made special movements several times, and every time that movement was made, vaguely, a phantom seemed to appear above the stage.

The phantom tried to merge into the descent several times, but ultimately failed to take shape.

This wasn't an evil spirit, but a kind of spirit; although very faint, it possessed an extremely majestic aura.

"Oh!!!!"

"Ah!!!"

Both sides were too engrossed in the fight, continuously clashing on the rope; the temporarily built Heaven-Reaching Tower began to tilt, looking like it was about to collapse.

If it really collapsed, the leaders sitting in the first row would bear the brunt of it.

At this very moment, both sides finally cleared their heads, retreated, and then used the lion heads to "bite" onto a rope, followed by their legs wrapping around it, exerting force together to forcibly drag the collapsing Heaven-Reaching Tower back and stabilize it.

The two lions blinked and shook their heads rapidly, as if this were all part of the program.

The stage crew, whose souls had almost been scared out of them, immediately stepped forward to pull the curtain and handle the situation.

All the audience below erupted into thunderous applause once again.

The next program was delayed for a long time before it went on.

However, the audience was still immersed in the brilliance of the previous program, which was just as well for a slow recovery.

Backstage.

Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You took off the lion costume; two people wearing black vests and black pants walked over from the opposite side; everyone was a university student, so their ages were naturally similar.

"Hahaha! Buddy, great skills!"

"We were two against one, and we actually couldn't knock you down!"

Seeing that the two weren't there to continue looking for trouble and that their attitude was straightforward, Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You also smiled and nodded at them.

"My name is Zhou Cheng, this is my younger brother Zhou Feng, and we are from Cangzhou."

"My name is Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You."

"Judging by your accent, from the south?"

"Yes."

The younger brother Zhou Feng clicked his tongue and said, "I never thought southern lions could be this tough."

Zhou Cheng asked curiously, "Shouldn't the lion nature on your side be more delicate?"

Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You waved his hand and said, "I just learned lion dancing."

Zhou Cheng: "Oh, no wonder; so you're purely a martial artist, not from our trade."

"Yes."

Zhou Feng: "So when we hinted at you to ignite the lion soul, you didn't react; we were puzzled."

"Ignite the lion soul?"

Zhou Cheng: "The fusion of man and lion; a fake lion becomes a real lion, becoming braver and fiercer."

Zhou Feng: "Haha, luckily we didn't ignite the lion soul, otherwise it would have been a bit bullying."

Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You accompanied them with a smile; on stage, if the other side had ignited the lion soul, he would have had to get possessed and invite the Bai He Master Master Master Master Master Master Master Master Tongzi to dance the lion.

He wouldn't have dared to think about such things before, but he knew that ever since the Master Master Master Master Master Master Master Master Tongzi was warned by Brother Marquis Xiao Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan last time, he should really be able to invite him down.

In short, he could afford not to win, but he absolutely could not lose; he knew Brother Marquis Xiao Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan and the others were watching from below.

Zhou Cheng invited him: "Let's go, we won't attend the banquet after it ends; let's find a place and have a drink?"

Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You shook his head: "I have classmates waiting for me."

Zhou Cheng: "What's that? Call your classmates along, it's our treat!"

"Then I have to go ask first."

Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You knew the seat numbers of Brother Bin and the others, so he went from backstage to the audience area to ask.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan: "Then let's have a meal together."

Immediately, Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan looked at Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin: "Call the class monitor along."

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin whispered, "That wouldn't be very convenient, would it?"

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan: "Who's in charge?"

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin immediately said, "That's extremely convenient."

There weren't many programs left, so Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan and the others left early.

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin walked toward the location where Zhou Zhou Zhou Zhou Zhou Zhou Zhou Yunyun was, imitating Brother Marquis Xiao Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan's previous words: "Who's in charge? Who's in charge? Hahahaha!"

It was rare to see a kind of childishness in Brother Marquis Xiao Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan.

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin went to pick up Zhou Zhou Zhou Zhou Zhou Zhou Zhou Yunyun, and by the way, warned Luo Mingzhu with his eyes again; she didn't dare to follow.

Because she could feel that today, the man in front of her had no patience in his eyes.

Mainly because no matter how annoying this senior schoolmate had been in the past, Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin could endure it when facing her alone, but today Brother Marquis Xiao Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan was here, so he couldn't let her ruin the atmosphere.

Zhou Cheng and Zhou Feng, the two brothers, both looked embarrassed when they saw Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You call over so many "classmates."

The location for the meal was, of course, that same place.

After a Hebei lion and a Fujian lion got to know each other through a fight, they went to a Sichuan restaurant.

The Old Sichuan Restaurant had just expanded and undergone new renovations, and the style and grade had clearly stepped up a level; these expenses were paid by Xue Xue Xue Xue Xue Xue Xue Liangliang, who was away in another city and had transferred the money to Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin for him to give to the owner couple.

Zhou Cheng and Zhou Feng stood at the restaurant entrance and exchanged a glance, feeling a bit troubled; they had originally thought it would be a simple matter of finding a small place to have a drink, not expecting so many people to go out to eat together.

The two whispered to each other, calculating their remaining living expenses for the month, which should barely be enough for this meal.

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin inserted himself between them, wrapping his arms around their shoulders: "This is my family's restaurant; since you've honored me with your presence, it's my treat!"

In this day and age, what money can an ordinary college student have left to eat out, especially for those with a big appetite?

The dinner was a very lively affair.

The two Zhou brothers were very forthright, introducing their family's lion dance heritage and history in detail, though they did not mention the matter of "dotting the lion soul" again.

Midway through, Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan left the table and went to the pickup truck; both the golden lion and white lion sets were kept in the vehicle.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan inspected the golden lion and discovered carved formation patterns inside; this was an spirit-attachment formation, and its effect was to lower the difficulty of spirit attachment.

Therefore, the Zhou family actually possessed a lion spirit.

Just as Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan was about to get out of the truck to return to the private room, the golden lion suddenly moved, its eyes opening.

The next moment, it closed them again.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan was somewhat puzzled, but apart from that one opening and closing, the lion showed no further reaction.

Did you sneak in while we were eating inside earlier?

Never mind, I won't scare you.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan reached out and patted the lion head, then got out of the truck and walked back into the restaurant.

After the meal, Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan and the others walked back to school, while Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin drove to send Zhou Zhou Zhou Zhou Zhou Zhou Zhou Yunyun and the Zhou brothers back to their respective schools.

First to be sent off were the Zhou brothers; the two were a bit tipsy and kept patting Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin's arm, saying that once their living expenses from home arrived next month, they would definitely treat him back.

When sending off Zhou Zhou Zhou Zhou Zhou Zhou Zhou Yunyun, she sat in the passenger seat feeling somewhat uneasy.

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin noticed this and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Did I... should I not have come today?"

"What are you saying? Aren't we basically all fellow townsfolk? What are you overthinking for?"

When they arrived at the entrance of Zhou Zhou Zhou Zhou Zhou Zhou Zhou Yunyun's school, Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin accompanied her out of the car.

It was evident that Zhou Zhou Zhou Zhou Zhou Zhou Zhou Yunyun's mood was still somewhat low.

When they were at home, she had once said that being with Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin felt like a dream, with a sense of unreality.

A woman's emotions are delicate; she could sense that Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin held some reservations about this relationship in his heart.

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin reached out and gently rubbed her Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Face, pretending to be playful: "Come on, girl, give your lord a smile."

Zhou Zhou Zhou Zhou Zhou Zhou Zhou Yunyun immediately laughed out loud; back when they were in school, Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin, who was still the Left Protector, had used this method to tease her, and the next line was always: "If you don't smile, then your lord will smile for you."

It was an old routine, but because it evoked past memories, it achieved the same effect.

The disappointment on Zhou Zhou Zhou Zhou Zhou Zhou Zhou Yunyun's Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Face vanished, and she helped Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin straighten his collar.

After fixing it, just as she was about to pull away, Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin gently pulled her into his embrace.

At a university entrance, such an action could only be described as perfectly normal, yet Zhou Zhou Zhou Zhou Zhou Zhou Zhou Yunyun still blushed.

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin said softly, "Class monitor, I have some things I need to go do first."

"Then go do them, I didn't stop you."

"Wait for me."

"Wait how long?"

"Hmm? You're already afraid of waiting too long? Woman, are you really that realistic?"

"I just want to have a date in my heart that I can look forward to."

"I don't know how long I have to wait either, and I also want to have something to look forward to; you are my anticipation."

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin pushed open the door and returned to the dormitory; Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan was already lying on his bed, preparing to rest.

"Brother Marquis Xiao Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan, going to sleep so early?"

"It's not early."

"Then I'll wash up and sleep too."

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin picked up his basin and went to the washbasin area to shower; winter was already touching its nose, so there was no longer any need to queue for showers at the washbasin.

Lighting a cigarette, Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin leaned against the edge of the basin, smoking silently.

Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You happened to walk over and, seeing this scene, looked puzzled and hesitant to speak.

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin: "If you have something to say, just say it."

"Brother Bin, did your relationship break down?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"I didn't mean anything, I didn't mean anything, I really didn't mean anything!" Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You immediately shook his head, looking nervous and guilty.

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin stubbed out his cigarette, picked up a basin of cold water, and poured it over his head.

"Splash......"

Wiping his Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Face, Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin sighed: "Sometimes, caring about too many people is really quite troublesome."

Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You: "Yes, yes."

"What 'yes, yes', do you even understand?"

"I can understand."

"Heh, then why don't you find one? Didn't I notice you were quite popular during the big lecture? Tell me, what kind of girl do you actually like?"

Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You immediately picked up his own basin and poured water over himself from head to toe.

"Splash......"

"Brother Bin, what did you just say?"

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan had a dream.

He hadn't dreamed for a long time; in the past, when he dreamed, he would quickly distinguish between the dream and reality and then cut the dream off; ever since he learned how to walk the yin path, the probability of dreaming while sleeping had become even lower.

But this was indeed a dream.

In the dream, he was standing in a small creek, the water submerging his calves.

The water was not cold, but rather carried a gentle warmth, and wisps of white vapor rose all around, as if flowing out from a hot spring eye.

However, when the figure appeared ahead, Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan knew this was not hot spring water.

The water had temperature because a lion with fire burning on its body was standing in the creek ahead.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan asked: "What do you mean?"

The lion shook its head toward the shore and then walked up onto the bank.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan followed.

Once on the shore, the surroundings instantly turned pitch black; the only light source was this burning lion and a candlestick in the distance.

The lion walked toward the candlestick, and Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan walked behind it.

He was very curious why this lion spirit would pay such a huge price to enter his dreams.

The candlestick was right ahead; Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan's attention shifted from the lion to the candle flame, and his footsteps subconsciously moved toward that side.

But just at this moment, the lion turned its head abruptly and let out a roar at the youth:

"Roar!"

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan stopped his footsteps.

The lion dispersed, turning into flames that scattered all around, illuminating the area around the candlestick.

At the same time, in the Zhou brothers' university dormitory, the golden lion head placed in the corner suddenly caught fire.

"It's on fire!"

"It's on fire!"

The fire was not large and did not cause any impact; a basin of water extinguished it, but the lion head had been burned to ashes.

The Zhou brothers' expressions were extremely ugly; the most precious part of a lion is the head, and this was the golden lion their grandfather had requested for them from the ancestral shrine when they left home for college, possessing the power of warding off evil and protection.

Zhou Feng: "Brother, what is going on? Did the lion spirit manifest its divinity?"

Zhou Cheng: "According to what Grandfather said, this should be the lion spirit avoiding disaster for us."

"Is it avoiding disaster for us?"

"Nonsense, could the lion spirit our family worships possibly go help others avoid disaster?"

In Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan's field of vision, a person appeared, soaked from head to toe; it kept its head lowered, making it impossible to see its gender.

It should be a corpse, but the damp, cold aura on this corpse gave Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan the same feeling he had when he first encountered Xiao Huang Ying.

But back then, he hadn't entered the path yet and was just an ordinary person, so having that feeling was normal.

Now, he was no longer who he used to be.

Therefore, this thing that could bring him such a strong sense of eeriness was very unusual.

It reached out its hand and pressed it against the edge of the candlestick, and fishy, yellow, thick candle wax accumulated in its palm.

After accumulating to a certain degree, it extended its palm toward Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan.

A hoarse, suppressed echo resounded all around:

"Good... drink this bowl of soup."

(End of chapter)