This chapter was brought to you by AnmesicCat, and Yeenie.
Wind and Water
Time: 1:08 pm
I don’t recall if I did make a pinky promise with Yado.
But when Yado’s finger left mine, there was a moment where I thought I saw a bluish thing curling up my finger. But when I looked again, there wasn’t anything there, so maybe I was imagining things.
“I also want to.” Leido stretched his hand towards me.
“Stop fooling around.” Yido, who was still having his wound treated, coughed once, and only then did Leido obediently pulled his hand, “Oh.”
I wondered if senior also saw the bluish thing. I looked at my finger again, but there was still nothing there. Was it really just me imagining things?
I knew senior could hear my thoughts, but he didn’t say anything. His red eyes shifted away, and looked at the middle of the stage. The stage has already been thoroughly cleaned, and not a spot of black blood could be seen.
“Second stage. Both sides, please send in your contestants.”
Two Purple Robes had already come down from the opposite side, maybe because of what Yado did, they looked very belligerent, and their aura was very frightening.
So to say, this should be normal. After looking at your own friend being cut in half, a typical person turning crazy should be considered normal.
The two Purple Robe girls looked like they were older than me. They were not special beauties type of girls, but their contours were very deep, giving off a rather deep impression.
“Both are members of the Beastmaster clan.” Senior narrowed his eyes and said faintly.
Beastmaster clan? They’re in the same clan as the five-colored rooster head?
I took a look at the five-colored rooster head and Leido, who were standing at one side, mutually staring at each other.
Seems like not all members of the Beastmaster clan are weird, at least the Purple Robes on the stage looked a lot more normal.
“Come down here.” With a extremely hostile tone, the girl with long dark green hair arrogantly pointed at Yado and provocatively pointed her thumb down.
Yado coldly snorted, and headed down. Leido also had the exact same reaction.
“Wait a minute.” Stopping Gasai from treating him, Yido stood up, “Those two are Evil Spirit Academy’s Nillan and Artis, and the one Yido defeated earlier was Ladaby. They are known as Evil Spirit Academy’s Ghost Larvae Executioners. Their strengths within the Purple Robes are considered as one of the best, and the two of you want to go empty-handed and win?”
“We will win.” Leido said with a very firm tone.
Yido stretched out his still-bleeding palms, “Take it.” Gasai, who was still in the process of treating him, didn’t even have the chance to stop him. Yido chanted the incantation, “Creature who formed a contract with us, please allow your opponents to witness your wildness.”
Bit by bit, I saw the swords’ hilt slowly emerging from Yido’s palms, and that black branded mark on his palms became even more apparent. It then spread throughout his wrist, just like some type of virus spreading, looking rather disgusting.
Yado and Leido closed their eyes at the same time, and opened them. Then, Leido stopped smiling.
Now both him and Yado couldn’t be differentiated from one another. Both of them looked very murderous, comparable with the two Purple Robes on the stage.
I seemed to have seen redness appearing in their eyes again.
They stretched out their hands at the same time, slowly pulling out the two swords, they then turned around and walked out.
I subconsciously raised my hand, and looked at the pinky Yado and I had a pinky promise with. For some reason, it started to sting.
This time, I was really certain a bluish thing on finger had appeared, and it coiled around my hand — a blue snake totem.
* * *
I suddenly noticed something. Why did Leido said the dirty trick was conducted by the Evil Spirit Academy?
Turning my head around, I saw senior putting a finger on his lips, and it seemed like he was hinting at me to not ask this now.
“I also want to fight.” The five-colored rooster head generously found a spot to sit down, and his eyes shone as he stared at the four people on the stage.
You still haven’t fought enough!? Please do look at the bunch of injuries on your body, boss.
Huge silver wild beasts appeared on the stage, crouching and glaring like tigers ready to pounce on their prey while waiting.
There was some sort of commotion over at Yido’s side. It seems like Gasai couldn’t remove curse and motioned for senior to go to him. They both got together and started talking in a low voice. Although I couldn’t understand what they’re saying, it seemed like it was something important.
“Chu, come over here awhile.” Senior beckoned to me.
Looking for me? He is really looking for me? Could it be that I was imagining things?
“Do you want me to go over there and kick you here?” Senior was clearly even more impatient than usual.
I immediately rushed in front of him.
“I’ll tell you this first, Yido’s injury is not suitable to be treated here, so we are planning to move him to the lounge.” Senior bent his body and whispered beside my ears, as if he didn’t want Jieer and the others to hear this, “Earlier my hand was injured, so I need you to come over and help.”
Ah!? I took two steps back, wide-eyed. I think my ears were most definitely hearing things, since I heard such an impossible thing.
“Ziray is also injured, but we want him to stay here in case something else happened, but you should come with us.” Senior nodded at me, and his eyes had a ferocious light, “You still want to continue with your nonsense?”
“Uh, nope.”
Senior turned his head away and called out, “Ziray.” He threw a round object towards the five-colored rooster head, “We’re leaving first.”
“Ah? Yang is also tagging along?”
“Yes.”
Worthy of being called a senior, as soon as he opened his mouth, even the five-colored rooster head didn’t dare to contradict.
After Gasai had talked to Jieer, he walked back and supported Yido up, “The General Assembly has already agreed to Yido leaving first, but if there is any changes that might determine the winning or losing in the stage, you’re to be responsible for it.” He looked at Yido, waiting for him to agree.
Looking at the stage, Yido frowned slightly. Maybe he didn’t want to agree.
It was only then that I remembered Alis Academy did not have any backup members. According to them, Alis Academy had fallen, and due to this, there wasn’t any backup members.
“If you’re crippled by the incantation, even if you won, you won’t be able to continue.” Senior said coldly, and only then did Yido nod his head.
“Chu, come over here.” Gasai beckoned, and I quickly went over.
After waiting for everyone to gather at one place, senior stretched out his right hand facing the ground, and an array immediately appeared beneath our feet, a teleportation array.
I thought that during the match, we were not allowed to use magic and the like?
“It’s an exception due to special situation.” Senior withdrew his hand.
The surrounding area suddenly became very quiet, and in the blink of an eye, we had already returned to the players’ lounge.
Compared to the stadium, it felt really empty inside the lounge. Not even a tiny bit of sound could be heard, and it felt really weird.
“Chu, go and get a few towels, there are some inside the cabinet.” Senior glanced at me. I looked across, and sure enough, there was a portable cabinet in the corner. I walked over to the cabinet and opened it; inside were many towels and medical supplies. I guess all of them would probably be used later on, so I dragged the entire tiny cabinet over.
Gasai cleared away the surrounding tables and chairs, opening up a large empty space. He pulled off the bed sheets and spread it on the floor, and then assisted Yido to sit down on the bed sheets.
The bed sheets were snow white, so white that the whole thing looked like too much detergent was used on it — the kind of feeling. It felt like it would glow if the lights are turned off.
Senior took out a square-like object from his small backpack he always carried with him. It looked weird but familiar.
“Take it.” He threw the object to me, I quickly caught it. However, regardless of whether or not I caught it, senior bent his body and laid down on the floor, and a chalk appeared on his hand. Then, he started writing many alien words and a bunch of weird shapes all around the bed sheet.
Wait a minute. Was he drawing an array?
I remembered someone saying arrays were supposed to be kept in a charm so that when one wanted to use the array he would be able to use it straight away.
Senior lifted his head, and ferociously glared at me, “Get lost, don’t block the way!” I was stepping on the floor he wanted to write on, and I quickly moved a little further away.
Gasai moved towards beside me, place where no interference would take place. He then took out a paper and pen. Looking at him, it seemed like he was drawing something, he kept drawing while looking on the floor.
He is drawing senior’s array?
“This is a dispelling array.”
Just as I was confused with both their actions, Gasai suddenly spoke, not too loud, just loud enough for me to hear, “For this type of advance incantation, the drawing is extremely complicated, not a single book can be found that teaches the most accurate method.”
“No book has the most accurate method?” Then where did senior learn this from?
Developed it himself? That’s too powerful, and rather abnormal!
“Dispelling arrays need to be coordinated with the casted curse, along with suitable changes and adjustments. Generally, if one is cursed by a strong incantation, no matter how fine the dispelling array is, there would still be some side effects. But this kind of adjusted array could, hundred percent without even leaving anything behind, completely remove the curse.” Gasai explained to me in great details.
No wonder there was no book that could teach this, because one needed to adjust it depending on the situation… If it possible to learn it from a book, that book wouldn’t be called as a book, but a prophetic book.
Gasai was still learning how to draw, meaning he has yet to learn this.
“This is a mutual drawing of Wind and Water array.” Senior, who was on the floor, suddenly opened said. He had already finished drawing a big part of the floor, very dense, some of them even looked like ant-like words.
Such a powerful person! Senior, you’re a ghost! He actually used something that suspiciously looked like a chalk to write ant-like words!
Ghost! There’s a ghost here!
A huge part of the array was also symmetrical, the whole thing almost looked really like a fine design done by a computer, standardized and neat, it didn’t look like something a person drew.
“The curse on Yido’s body is a sealing incantation of the Dark Ghost, the most basic thing to dispel, and also without making any errors, the first thing to consider is the Wind and Water Elves’ array.” Senior continued to explain while drawing.
I don’t understand very complicated thing.
Turning around, Gasai, who was standing on one side, didn’t stop writing, and had written a lot of words I couldn’t read on the paper.
Senior is guiding Gasai? Really? Aren’t they from the same year? The things they’d learn should be about the same, right!?
With a knock, Senior threw the chalk away. A huge, completely drawn, advanced and complex array was all over floor. To be truthful, looking at it made me dizzy.
“Chu, pass the thing to me.” Senior reached out his hand from the other side, in the middle was the huge magical array. I didn’t dare to casually step on it.
I was stunned for a moment, and then realized the object senior was asking to pass to him was the one I was holding in my hands. However, senior was standing quite far…
“Throw it here.”
Alright, since you already asked, I threw the square, angle object hard.
With a soft thud, senior leisurely caught that object, and he pulled out a blue string inside.
Uh, the thing was very familiar, so familiar that I couldn’t take it anymore. Wasn’t it the legendary woodworking ink marker!?
Gasai put away his notebook, and walked towards the other side forming a triangle with us.
After Senior took out the string, he threw the square case to Gasai. Gasai fixed the string, and threw the case to me.
… I should fix the string and then throw the case back to senior? Turning his head, senior reached out his hand, so I fixed the string and threw the case back to him.
On top of the array was a huge triangle made by the string.
“Chu, listen carefully. Stand on that exact same spot, don’t even move 0.1cm from there.” Senior moved into the array and supported Yido until both of them were standing face to face.
“Oh, okay.” I guess I also couldn’t move anywhere, right?
Although I didn’t know how they were going to go about it, a whiff of white smoke suddenly floated by beside me.
Ghost Child! The Ghost Child appeared! The Ghost Child, who has been away for quite a long time, actually appeared!
Floating in midair with not even a strand of hair out of place, the Ghost Child politely bowed at me, floated towards the place senior was standing in, and held his position.
“Sir Tong Lang.” Gasai was actually so reverent and respectful towards the Ghost Child. He even bent his body to salute!?
And the Ghost Child returned the salute.
“Chu.” Senior, who was in the center, held onto his forehead, “When we start using the array, if it’s possible, I would trouble you to please try to keep your six roots of sensations empty.”
…To put it simply, he wanted me to keep my thoughts empty and go into a trance, right…
“That’s right.” Senior didn’t it and actually nodded!
But then why do you keep on listening…
Senior didn’t reply to me.
* * *
“Chu, follow our movements later on.”
Gasai wore his white mask, put his palms together, and made some hand seals. It really looked like those yin and yang practitioners in the manhuas.
Not very difficult, just the fingers bending here and there, and clasped together. Even a super layman like me could easily learn it.
The thing I’m most curious about was the Ghost Child. His sleeves were longer than his body, so I was curious how he would make the hand seals.
The Ghost Child slowly raised his hands, and with two quick movements, his sleeves actually connected together, and his did the hand seals inside his sleeves.
He was really good, hand seals could be done this way, too?
At the same second, the three of us humans (one of us wasn’t) had a shining thing suddenly appearing below our feet. A small silver array spread out from our feet, and magically started to rotate.
Senior stretched out his hand, his right hand was placed together with Yido’s palm. The first thing I thought of was…
ET the Extra-Terrestrial… That’s not right, I shouldn’t think of nonsense.
Gasai changed another hand seal again, and I followed suit. The huge array in the middle started to slightly light up.
The chalked used earlier wasn’t fluorescent, was it?
The Ghost Child and Gasai were chanting something in a very low voice, I wonder if I needed to follow suit?
The problem was from the start of the school till now, I’d only learn three basic incantations, and were completely irrelevant to this. Don’t tell me I needed to chant those “Has the younger generations (children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, etcetera) done their duties of filial piety.” type of damn thing?
[Author’s Note: This is a Taiwanese phrase, when someone passed away and was to have their coffin nailed shut. Every time the hammer hits the nail, they would say out some auspicious words.]
I saw senior glaring at me! I better not chant anything.
After the array started to light up, the small arrays under our feet started rotating even faster, and became something that will cause one to feel dizzy.
It’s better if I don’t look at it.
Lifting my head, small dots of lights started appearing beside the huge round array, each of them were glowing, looked rather like fireflies.
It looked very dreamy.
The dots of light followed suit and rotated as well. At the same time I felt a chill coming from the floor. There was fog, I didn’t know when it appeared, but it had already covered the entire floor. Also, at the bottom, water seemed to have appeared…
In fact, as long as there won’t be a skeleton’s hand suddenly emerging from the fog and pulling my leg, I wouldn’t start screaming, and run away.
There was a slight sound coming from the water under the fog.
Then, there was an icy thing sliding past beside my leg. Appearing on top of the fog, a I-don’t-know-if-it-was-a-snake-or-fish thing, followed by some transparent objects, flew out and rushed into the huge array, followed the dots of lights. Then, it started rotating.
The dots of lights turned silverish blue.
To be honest, this made me think of a Taiwanese song… Turn on the disco ball!
The fish (snake?) inside the array suddenly fell down, turned into water, and disappeared.
White fog gathered together, circling around the array with tremendous rotation. I had the feeling of being inside a typhoon, and because it was white all around, I couldn’t see Gasai and the others, so I didn’t know what to do with the hand seals. However, I had a feeling I shouldn’t loosen my hands, but because my hands were in one position for too long, it was getting numb. However, letting go of the hand seal now would cause my hands to tremble, so it was better to maintain it as is.
There were some white and red things glowing in the fog.
I wasn’t sure if I was seeing things, but I clearly saw… two Seniors… One had silvery white hair, and the other had complete red hair. Was this the legendary cloning technique!?
The two Seniors and Yido’s palms were put together forming a triangle.
Was I seeing things?
The red one and white one, due to the strong wind, their hair was standing up. In some way, it feels like a Saiyan’s transformation.
In the blink of an eye, senior turned back into one, the original one. Was it just my eyes being dazzled?
The wild wind blew, and the white fog completely covered my sight, unabling me from seeing senior and the others.
A fine sound came from nearby, very much like the sound of bells, but it wasn’t. It felt like the musical sound of crystals, “ding, ding, dang, dang.”
In my pocket. I remembered I put the royal illusionary soybean inside my pocket.
* * *
The white fog suddenly dispersed. It didn’t disperse slowly, but it dispersed in an instant.
I don’t know when we were surrounded by walls of water, if you want me to describe it, it was like standing in the middle of a round sprinkler. On the huge array and small arrays, there were water flowing, and it kept gushing up.
I saw a lot of black objects being pumped up by the water, and the water turned completely black. The dots of lights floated down from above, very much like it was snowing.
Then, the water pillars stopped, and started to flow down. I noticed all the water went into the small arrays and huge array’s frame, as to where it actually went, I had no idea either.
After about a few dozen of seconds, the entire room quieted down, and the light from the huge array and small arrays slowly disappeared bit by bit.
Gasai and the Ghost Child had already put down their hands.
Finally, it was done! My hands were numb and started having cramps…
Inside the huge array, senior and Yido withdrew their hands, and the array on the floor instantly disappeared, not even leaving a trace of the chalk used to draw the arrays. The floor also didn’t have any trace of being drawn on at all.
“Chu, you can move now.” Gasai was the first one to move, and went to help Yido to sit down on a chair.
Yido looked much better compared to earlier. The injuries on his body were almost completely gone, even his palms were healed. This can be compared to the medical team!
I waited until my hands recovered, then I took out the illusionary soybean from my pocket. I didn’t know why, but the bean was shining only for awhile, and after a few seconds, it dimmed and turned back into its original color. It felt rather weird, but the bean didn’t suddenly bloom or turn into popcorn, so I put it back into my pocket.
Senior leaned on the wall with his eyes closed and rested, without uttering a single word.
Very unusual, I thought that he would come over and smack my head due to the disco ball though, but he didn’t.
The Ghost Child floated in front of me. He was holding onto a black ball with his long sleeves, “I will be heading back to report this incident, Chu Ming Yang please wait here for awhile.” He then passed the black ball to me.
One blackish round thing, I couldn’t make out what the hell it was.
“This is…” I lifted my head, but the Ghost Child had already disappeared to God knows where.
“That is the original form of the curse inside Yido’s body. You better hold it properly and not drop it. If you drop it and it breaks, the curse will climb onto your body.” With his eyes closed, senior said.
My hands shook, and the round ball almost fell down. This can’t be happening!? Letting me hold this kind of thing?
I had a I-am-very-unlucky-and-will-break-it kind of premonition…
“If it breaks, you better watch out.” Senior issued a ferocious warning.