Hmm?
Zuo Lin'an found Feng Xingyun's proposal somewhat hard to understand.
“Follow me? Why?”
Feng Xingyun said thoughtfully, “Since the principal is letting all of you choose a puppet, it means you must control a dungeon yourself. Otherwise, we would be of no use to you.”
Zuo Lin'an's interest was piqued.
“Yes, and?”
Feng Xingyun continued, “Actually, I felt from the very beginning that you weren't ordinary. You didn't seem like the puppet natives created by the dungeon. It turns out my guess was right.”
Zuo Lin'an nodded. “Indeed.”
“I do control a dungeon, but to be honest with you, it's only a One-Star difficulty dungeon—the lowest tier possible.”
“A One-Star dungeon... doesn't have much of a future.”
“Meanwhile, Lingyang First High School is not only a National War Dungeon, but its difficulty is also Four-Star! Wouldn't staying here be better than coming with me?”
Feng Xingyun shook his head, remaining firm.
“I want to go with you.”
Zuo Lin'an did not reject him outright.
“Give me a reason.”
Feng Xingyun gave his reason.
“Just now... the principal's attitude toward you was different.”
Zuo Lin'an pressed further. “How so?”
Feng Xingyun pointed to the principal, who was talking with others not far away. The principal's expression and demeanor were clearly not as... approachable as they had been when he was with Zuo Lin'an.
“You are definitely different.”
He squinted slightly with a faint smile. “Besides, your performance in the Scarlet Dream was more than enough to prove your strength and potential. I don't think I need to say anything more.”
Zuo Lin'an stroked his chin.
Truth be told, he was indeed tempted.
After all, the state Feng Xingyun was in when he became a puppet was his absolute peak.
A young martial artist at the peak of the Xiantian Rank, who was also an old monster who had lived for a hundred and forty years.
He would undoubtedly be of immense help in the future.
However...
“Although you did it for revenge, you don't seem like a particularly good person yourself, do you?”
During his revenge, he had completely disregarded right and wrong. As long as someone belonged to the royal family, he killed them all.
The elderly, women, children, attendants, and servants—he hadn't spared a single one.
Feng Xingyun suddenly wore a bright, clean smile unique to a young man.
“I don't think supernatural dungeons need good people.”
“And someone like me is just right.”
The slight gravity on Zuo Lin'an's face instantly vanished, replaced by a satisfied smile.
Exactly!
Of course he didn't need a good person.
“Alright, then you're coming with me.”
“Thank you,” Feng Xingyun replied.
Zuo Lin'an suddenly thought of something. “Let me ask you, did you really not leave any backup plans against Xuan Jingyuan?”
The smile on Feng Xingyun's face became incredibly genuine.
“How could I not?”
Zuo Lin'an's eyes lit up. “Tell me!”
Feng Xingyun pondered for a moment, organizing his thoughts.
“Before this dungeon opened, I used a specter item to forcibly bind them to me so we would enter the same dungeon. I made a lot of preparations for that.
“But even so, I still wasn't a hundred percent confident that I could keep both of them here.
“Furthermore, since my time was limited, about half a shichen before entering the dungeon, I showed up in a certain place in my original elderly appearance, and happened to be spotted by someone!
“I even made sure they recognized me before I left. That person definitely won't keep it a secret, because simply reporting my whereabouts would earn them a bounty of a hundred taels of gold!
“And that place happens to be the nearest small town to the cave where the divine technique is hidden.
“Half a shichen wasn't enough time for Xuan Jingyuan to receive this news, so...”
Zuo Lin'an realized what he meant.
“So, if he ended up dying in the dungeon because of your schemes, then all the better. But if he managed to clear the dungeon by some stroke of luck, he will soon receive news of your appearance in that small town.
“And the place you appeared is highly likely not far from the cave where the divine technique is hidden.
“Even if he knows you've regained your youth while the report claims to have seen your elderly self—even if he knows it might be a trap—he will absolutely take the risk for the sake of that divine technique!”
The excitement in Feng Xingyun's eyes was impossible to hide. “Exactly! Although the cave entrance is highly concealed, if he doesn't hesitate to deploy tens of thousands of soldiers to search the mountain, they will eventually find it!
“And I've already erased all the side effects of the divine technique carved on the stone wall beforehand.
“When the time comes, even if that brat Xuan Jingyuan has other elderly martial artists practice the technique first, they won't detect any abnormalities!
“After all, anyone who masters this technique will not suffer any side effects during their remaining single year of life. But once that year is up, they will drop dead instantly.
“I refuse to believe he'll have the patience to wait a whole year after seeing the remarkable results of those elderly martial artists practicing it.
“Besides, his Dark Dragon Guard and Tianlong Guard suffered heavy losses this time, while the Crown Prince has already entered the Xiantian Rank and accumulated significant power.
“If he doesn't hurry, what awaits him will be... hmph.”
Honestly, Zuo Lin'an couldn't help but admire Feng Xingyun.
He truly was an old monster!
The backup plans he left behind were far from simple.
First, the specter item that forcibly bound the three of them to the same dungeon. Second, his relentless targeting within the dungeon. And in the final ten minutes, his constant chatter to stall for time.
Even if Xuan Jingyuan escaped this series of calculations and successfully cleared the dungeon, endless trouble and temptation still awaited him upon returning to the real world.
For instance, the Crown Prince whose martial arts had vastly improved and whose ambition to usurp the throne was written all over his face, the news of Feng Xingyun's appearance in that small town, and the divine technique!
One thing after another...
Satisfied!
He was truly beyond satisfied!
An NPC like this would probably sell for at least twenty Contribution points in the mall!
No, that wasn't right!
No one would be willing to sell him.
Just like himself, if anyone came across such an NPC, they would definitely keep him for their own use!
“Work hard under me from now on. Once I make it big, I'll get you an identification document for this world. At that time, you can break free from your status as a dungeon puppet and become a true member of this world.
“Of course, no matter what, you will always be my subordinate.”
Feng Xingyun's eyes lit up!
He really hadn't known such a thing was possible!
“Thank you... Young Master.”
Zuo Lin'an paused.
Young Master?
Well... that form of address worked.
Just then, Xu Youyou, who had run off to who-knows-where earlier, rushed over.
“Brother An, look who I chose!”
Zuo Lin'an turned to look.
“Oh?”
Wasn't that Xuan Jiu?
Xu Youyou nodded. “He's a Dark Dragon Guard, after all, and a Houtian Rank expert.”
Zuo Lin'an didn't say much, simply offering a brief compliment.
“Good eye.”
Xu Youyou scanned the sports field. By now, the original crowd of over one thousand six hundred puppets had already been reduced by nearly half.
“Shall we go? I asked the principal earlier, and he said we can leave whenever we want.”
Rate on N.U.
