TDU Chapter 296
Chapter 296 Upheaval
Qi Xia glanced over at Chen Junnan and asked, "Have you seen this boy before?"
"I don’t really have any impression of him," Chen Junnan replied, then turned to look at Qin Dingdong, "You should try asking Dong jie."
Qin Dingdong shook her head in response, "I’ve never seen him either."
The entire night passed without another visit from the young boy, {Hero}, allowing everyone to have a peaceful night.
The next day, Chen Junnan woke up early. Once he saw that his teammates were still fast asleep, he walked over to the classroom door. There, he found Qi Xia sitting with his eyes wide open, seeming to have not slept at all.
"Well well, Ole Qi, you’re looking pretty energetic," Chen Junnan remarked. "Up so early—planning to go to the park for some sword practice?"
"Chen Junnan... Are you truly certain about your choice to go alone?" Qi Xia inquired once more.
"What?" Chen Junnan smiled wryly. "You think I’m going to die?"
“Certainly not,” Qi Xia answered, “I wish for your survival.”
"Then it's settled." Chen Junnan waved his hand and opened the classroom door. “This area is a bit unfamiliar to me. I’ll head over to Xiao Chu for directions first.”
“Take care of yourself.”
"Got it."
Chen Junnan said his goodbyes to Qi Xia and departed the room before the first light of day.
He was about to enter Chu Tianqiu's classroom to ask for clarification when he noticed the little {Hero} from last night standing at the door, nervously holding a short sword made of folded newspaper.
The boy looked pale, his dark circles deep, as if he hadn’t slept a wink.
"Well, if it isn’t {Hero}," Chen Junnan grinned and took a few steps forward. "Delivering the morning paper, are we?"
"Civilian... step back," the boy said, nervously glancing behind him. His paper short sword trembled in his hands. "It smells awful here...something strange is in there..."
“If you’re convinced there’s a problem inside, then deal with it,” Chen Junnan said, exhaling. “Loitering here with a paper sword all night won’t accomplish a thing.”
"Deal with it...?" The boy furrowed his brows. "But I’m (a) {Hero}, if I die in battle—"
"It’s fine. If you die, I’ll still be here," Chen Junnan patted the boy’s shoulder. "I’m one of the Calabash Brothers. I can deal with the monsters you can’t handle."
The boy gave Chen Junnan a puzzled look, then gave a slight nod. After taking a deep breath, he slowly pushed the door open.
There were five individuals inside, and nothing looked out of place.
Chu Tianqiu focused on the blackboard, writing steadily. Yun Yao spoke with Tian Tian, while Xu Liunian and Zhang Shan sat apart, appearing dazed.
Chen Junnan gave the five a careful once-over before striding into the room ahead of the boy.
"Xiao Chu," Chen Junnan called out, "This young master has a favor to ask of you."
"Civilian, you—" The boy reached out to stop Chen Junnan, but was brusquely brushed aside.
"What’s the matter?" Chu Tianqiu asked amiably. He looked at the boy thoughtfully before asking, “Weren’t you the child Zhang Shan brought back yesterday? What was your name again?”
Zhang Shan quietly answered, "Zheng Yingxiong (郑英雄; Zheng Hero)."
"That's right... I’m {Hero}..." The boy nodded solemnly. "Excuse me...is–is there a—"
Chen Junnan reached out and patted the boy’s head, perfectly interrupting his words. “Isn’t it a bit too early to be going door to door asking for things, kiddo?”
Having said that, he shifted his attention toward Chu Tianqiu.
"Xiao Chu, draw me a map. This young master is off to have some fun with that old creep, Terrestrial Snake." With a shove, Chen Junna sent the boy stumbling back and moved forward, standing between them like a barrier.
"{Terrestrial Snake}, huh...?" Chu Tianqiu nodded, "It’s a bit far. Yun Yao will sketch a map for you."
Yun Yao nodded in response, took a notebook from her bag, and, after a slight pause, quickly sketched out a rough draft.
Chen Junnan took the drawing and waved his hand. "Thanks, superstar."
Yun Yao paused, a flicker of surprise in her eyes. "You know of me?"
"Of course," Chen Junnan replied with a nod. "You told me before that you could introduce me to Andy Lau. I was absolutely thrilled—I'm an enthusiast of his."
"Enthusiast...?"
The atmosphere in the room quickly grew awkward.
Chen Junnan swallowed and corrected himself slowly, "I mean {fan}."
"Who would even..." Yun Yao shook her head helplessly, an expression of disdain crossing her face. "I’ve drawn the map for you, now hurry up and leave."
"Very well, I’m leaving now," Chen Junnan declared, slipping the map into his pocket. He turned to the boy, his gaze firm. "{Hero}, come with me. There’s something I need to discuss with you."
He seized the boy's arm and tugged him out of the room, heading toward the far end of the corridor.
"Civilian, what is it that you want?" The boy adjusted his paper crown, his expression one of mild confusion.
"Rascal, how long have you been this delusional?"
"I’m not delusional," the boy retorted, slipping his short sword back into his belt. "It’s simply that the path of the {Hero} surpasses your understanding. I am destined to be unlike all of you."
"So?" Chen Junnan flicked a finger at the boy's newspaper short sword. "You’ve detected an {awful smell}, fine. But do you truly believe it's wise to face the monster with that feeble piece of paper? Are you planning to help clean its face?"
"I..." The boy pursed his lips. "Only I can detect this stench, if I don’t take action—"
"Enough," Chen Junnan sighed. "You’ve got such a special ability, kiddo, but you’re missing a little bit of common sense. Last night, you visited a room with someone named Qi Xia. Go have a chat with him, see if he can help you sharpen your mind."
"Qi Xia...?" The boy pondered for a moment. "But I am a {Hero}, I’m destined to walk a lonely road—"
"Alright, enough." Chen Junnan muttered, waving his hand dismissively. "Your hero stats are far too low. Go find Ole Qi for an enhancement."
With that, he ceased paying any further attention to the boy and stepped out the door, greeted by the first rays of dawn.
The mission at hand was a heavy one. Not only did he need to make his mark in the Terrestrial Snake’s game, but he also had to extract the location of {Celestial Snake} from that old creep.
If it were only Celestial Horse and Celestial Tiger taking action, there might still be a chance… but if all of the {Celestial-grade} Earthly Branches had been set into motion, Qi Xia would be in grave danger.
No one knew what kind of madness that lunatic Celestial Dragon would unleash upon Qi Xia.
Chen Junnan reached the entrance of the school, exchanged some polite pleasantries with the guard, then took out the map, glanced at it, and confirmed the general direction. Just as he was about to leave, he noticed several people approaching from a distance.
He raised his eyes and concentrated—all of them were sporting leather jackets.
Before he could make out their faces, Chen Junnan swiftly reached out and shut the school’s iron gate behind him. He then turned to the guard at the gate and commanded, "Go back and call for reinforcements."
"Huh...?" The young guard hesitated for a moment, but then, without question, turned and sprinted toward the school building.
It seemed that {End Point} was indeed about to undergo an upheaval.
Chen Junnan stretched lazily and did a few warm-up movements. At this moment, the figures in the distance grew clearer.
"Hmm...?" Chen Junnan mused, expecting a fierce confrontation, only to be taken aback by the sight of familiar faces approaching. "Xiao Song?"
Song Seven's demeanor today was a stark contrast to the one he wore yesterday.
"I must speak with Chu Tianqiu," Song Seven stated.
"Oh, telling me won’t make a difference. I’m not one of their underlings," Chen Junnan chuckled, casting a glance at Song Seven, then turning his attention to the crowd of black-clad figures trailing behind him. "Xiao Song, with such a grand entourage, are you perhaps contemplating a bold move?"
"There’s a possibility," Song Seven replied, scrutinizing the man before him. While he was aware that Chen Junnan retained a great deal of memory, the exact nature of his identity remained unclear.
"If you’re contemplating action, do wait a moment," Chen Junnan responded casually. "I have a few buddies who have yet to rise. Once they’re gone, feel free to do as you wish."
"Xiōngdì, I failed to inquire last time... Might I have the honor of your name?" Song Seven asked politely.
"Calabash Brother," Chen Junnan answered. "What’s up?"
TL Note: Rant goes here ( •̯́ ₃ •̯̀)
