Chapter 96: The Jiang Siblings

At this moment, the surrounding students kept their distance from the few of them, well aware that they were not to be trifled with.

“Who are you? Quite arrogant, aren’t you?”

Jiang Puti clenched his teeth, his bright eyes fixed on Zhong Zimo, his fists tightly balled.

“I am Zhong Zimo, the most outstanding disciple of the Earth Origin lineage of the Celestial Way Sect. Don’t think I’m unaware of how you noble disciples and those from lesser sects want to root out the heretical disciples here at Dragon Emperor High School and kill them to elevate your family’s or sect’s status within the Daoist world. But I warn you, if these heretical disciples were so easy to kill, they’d have been dead long ago, not still around now. You insignificant little fry, coming here is just a death sentence. Better off going home to wash up and sleep it off,” Zhong Zimo spat out harshly.

Jiang Puti could no longer restrain himself. With a fierce punch, he struck Zhong Zimo’s nose. Zhong Zimo snorted coldly, reaching out with one hand to grab Jiang’s fist. Jiang Puti smiled faintly, and with a crackling sound like frying beans, his entire arm seemed to thicken considerably, veins bulging beneath the skin. Zhong Zimo’s palm tingled as he was thrust back by the force, glaring at Jiang Puti in disbelief. “Isn’t the Jiang family always renowned for their Daoist magic? How come your martial arts are so formidable?”

“Don’t look down on people with dog eyes!” Jiang Puti snapped, waving his arm. His arm gradually returned to its normal size as he crossed his arms and looked arrogantly at the enraged Zhong Zimo.

Zhong Zimo was about to unleash the Earth Origin Daoist magic when Zhang Shouzheng intervened: “Zhong Zimo, this is a school. If you want to prematurely alert those heretical sect members, go ahead. But if you use magic, it will inevitably cause fluctuations in your spiritual energy. If those heretics notice, I guarantee your death will be miserable.”

“Hmph! So what if your martial arts are strong? If you’ve got the guts, fight those evil spirits with your fists!” Zhong Zimo muttered curses as he returned to his seat.

Everyone present, except Zhang Shouzheng, wore sullen expressions. Even Fan Xiaopang forced a smile as he looked at Zhang Shouzheng.

“Ignore him. That arrogant fool will get his comeuppance sooner or later,” Zhang Shouzheng said with a faint smile. Zhong Zimo clearly didn’t know his place. He probably had no idea that the school was secretly guarded by the Nine-Directional Soul-Stealing Formation.

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“Little brother, do you know him?” Fan Xiaopang plopped down beside Zhang Shouzheng, grinning widely.

“Yes, I am Zhang Shouzheng, a disciple of the Azure Dragon lineage of the Celestial Way Sect.”

“Impressive! Two disciples from the Celestial Way Sect in one class. Looks like these heretical disciples are doomed this time,” Jiang Mingyue smiled gently, her presence as refreshing as a spring breeze. She glanced out the window, then suddenly her smile faded, her expression turning serious.

“According to my family’s intelligence, many teachers at this high school are affiliated with heretical sects. We must be cautious. Our homeroom teacher, Ms. Qian Hui, is very suspicious. We need to unite. How about a temporary alliance?”

“Ms. Qian Hui? An alliance?” Zhang Shouzheng was slightly startled. Iron Bull hadn’t mentioned her. If Iron Bull didn’t know, it probably meant Qian was a recent transfer. Could she be connected to the Qian family the ancestors spoke of?

Jiang Mingyue was a clever girl. Though Zhang Shouzheng was unsure of her strength, judging from Jiang Puti’s display, Mingyue was likely formidable too. Collaborating with her could be worthwhile. With allies, breaking the deadly formation might become easier.

“Yes, it’s Ms. Qian Hui. Our information shows our homeroom teacher should be Ma Yingzheng, so we must be on guard. I’m sure she will try to gather information to confirm if we are righteous disciples. We’ll find out this afternoon. Cooperate with the Jiang family; you won’t regret it. After all, we are Jiang disciples,” Mingyue said, blinking her big eyes at Zhang Shouzheng.

He nodded, and Fan Xiaopang agreed as well. For him, being the sole disciple from the Mountain Moving Sect felt lonely. Seeing them agree, Mingyue returned to her seat like a goddess on high, casting a sweet sideways smile at Zhang Shouzheng.

“You’re lucky, Shouzheng! The Jiang family’s most beautiful woman has taken a liking to you. Heh heh, let me tell you—”

“Fatty, stop talking nonsense. It’d be terrifying if my sister liked you. She’s the kind of woman who’s not what she seems. Don’t be fooled by her looks; she’s violent. Watch out or she’ll beat you into a pig’s head!” Jiang Puti warned, clearly wary of his sister, giving the two comrades a word of caution.

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Zhang Shouzheng had lost interest in the chatter. Clearly, this school was far more complex than he had imagined, with heretical sect members already embedded in its upper echelons. How would they next test them?

“Students, the school has assigned cleaning areas. We are responsible for Great Mirror Lake. I will take you to familiarize yourselves with the place,” Qian Hui said, smiling sweetly at the class, a faint sinister gleam flickering behind her glasses.

“I heard Great Mirror Lake is the holy place for high school romance.”

“Yeah, it’s in the back mountain, surrounded by dense trees. Once you hide there, no one can find you…”

“They say many senior girls do their morning readings there, and they’re all very pretty.”

Chatter erupted, excitement sweeping through the students as they urged Ms. Qian Hui to lead them to Great Mirror Lake.

Zhang Shouzheng and the others trailed behind the group, frowning. The lake’s location was perilously close to the deadly formation.

“Looks like the test is about to begin. Let’s not get separated,” Jiang Mingyue said, a sharp gleam of intelligence in her eyes, as if everything were under her control.

The surface of Great Mirror Lake was as smooth as a mirror, its water crystal clear. Lotus flowers floated atop the lake, and several ornamental rock formations rose several meters above the water. Small boats moored along the shore carried nets for collecting debris. The oddly shaped boulders and the lush green grass made the area appear clean, with only occasional litter.

Great Mirror Lake was the largest on this half-mountain, nearly circular with a diameter close to two hundred meters.

After scanning the area, Zhang Shouzheng’s gaze settled on a quiet path nearby, his expression turning dark and foreboding.