The Thirteen Trials of the Deceptive Monk

Lu Wenjun carefully considered the matter and decided that going around getting into fights just to get some divine tears was practically suicidal. If he got his leg broken by some hot-tempered senior and then the Thousand-Year Cave took advantage of him, even Mingxiao probably wouldn't bother to save him. So he simply abandoned the idea, bid farewell to Faris, and returned to the Water Mirror Pavilion.

Since resources are plentiful now, it's better to make the most of a drop of demigod's tear and learn a new technique as soon as possible.

But which technique should he choose...?

·

An hour and a half later, Mingxiao put down his knife and fork with satisfaction and sprawled out on the table as a fluffy ball.

"So happy~ I haven't eaten such delicious fish in ages~"

"The steamed fish at the school cafeteria is pretty good, isn't it?"

"There are too many thorns in that dish, I can't get used to it."

Old Fa caught a few live fish today, which he killed and sold on the spot, so tonight's dinner is sauerkraut fish with rice and a mixed vegetable salad. Lu Wenjun, who had just finished washing the dishes, heard this and laughed, "Senior, do you use a knife and fork when you eat steamed fish?"

"What can you do? Chopsticks are so hard to use. It's unbelievable that you eat with two sticks every day."

Senior Mingxiao was dressed in Eastern styles, and even her name had an Eastern feel, but at heart she was a thorough Westerner. She insisted on using a spoon and fork to eat pickled fish, avoided fish with bones, and didn't hesitate to use her hands to eat it during morning tea. Lü Wenjun guessed that her Eastern flair was inherited from Professor Ji; otherwise, it was hard to imagine that such a person would drink green tea.

Lu Wenjun brewed her a cup of tea and placed it a little further away so that it wouldn't be knocked over by someone who was constantly rubbing against her.

Mingxiao was about to speak when she noticed him pick up his schoolbag and sit down on the small sofa. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and saw that Lü Wenjun had taken out the original text of the urban legend and a notebook from class.

(Oh ho?)

Lu Wenjun was completely unaware that someone was spying on him; he was flipping through his notes.

Textbooks and other original texts are extremely damaging and should not be consulted casually, but notes taken in class are not a problem. According to Professor Ji, this is because students have limited "magic power" and weak comprehension abilities, and the partial information they write down is not enough to harm them.

He was currently reviewing the content of the first lesson of the semester, which covered the construction of speech magic. His notebook contained a equilateral triangle magic circle with a circle inside, resembling the "Eye of Truth" in occultism. Each of its three corners was marked with a label: "Original Prototype," "Inner Logic," and "Ability Tendency." Inside the circle was a question mark, next to which was an annotation marked with an arrow: Manifest/Implication/Sameness.

This magic circle describes the process of constructing a spell. First, the original text must be analyzed to summarize the story prototype that serves as the material for the spell. Then, the ability mechanism is constructed, and the basic logical chain from the prototype to the spell's ability is designed. Once the logical chain is established, the abstract ideas are fixed in place through diagrams, descriptions, carvings, and other means to deduce the details of the spell.

Once these three steps are completed, the outer triangle is finished. If the triangle is built precisely and stably, the specific category of the spell will naturally be determined, without needing further deliberation. The magician shapes the spell and then imprints it in their mind with their primal magic, thus creating a usable "spell." This is the Trinity Construction Method invented by Principal Trista.

After reviewing the theoretical foundations, Lü Wenjun retrieved his notes from the Urban Legends class and recalled Bill's process of constructing the spell using the eight-foot-tall figure. His demonstration was essentially based on this method: constructing logic from a prototype, and deriving ability from that logic. This process was somewhat akin to storytelling, like a "picture-based composition" exercise in the magical world.

"What kind of story you write is up to you..."

Lu Wenjun glanced at the cover of the original book, but ultimately didn't dare to open it himself. He turned to the last page of the notebook and began writing down names one by one: Spring Legs, UFO, Dwarf, Yeti...

He had already encountered many urban legends on the train, and had also hastily reviewed the table of contents during Bill's class while summoning a phantom, thus jotting down a great deal of material from the book. He went through the material he had memorized, his pen tip tapping lightly on the draft.

The specific methods for branding spells hadn't been taught in class, and he didn't know them at all. For now, if he wanted to learn magic, he still had to rely on the Eye of the Living Sacrifice. He'd had incredible luck on the train, drawing a spell that perfectly suited his temperament—the Spring Leg Transformation—but he couldn't rely on luck for spells anymore. What if he randomly drew a spell that "makes your head bigger" this time? Who could he complain to?

Although it's still unknown whether Eye of the Living Sacrifice supports custom spellcasting, we should at least give it a try...

Therefore, Lü Wenjun wanted to try choosing his own topics, but it wasn't very successful. Many of the materials didn't interest him at all; the bizarre and frightening abilities of characters like the Eight-Foot Man and the Slit-Mouthed Woman didn't suit him, and it was difficult to come up with useful abilities from the clumsy and uncouth materials like the Yeti and the Jersey Devil. He scanned the half-page list, becoming increasingly frustrated.

At that moment, a strand of chestnut hair fell down and brushed past his ear.

Senior Mingxiao arrived at some point, bending down to look at his notes: "How can you do it like this? You should look up the book before you start making the incantation."

Lu Wenjun was a little nervous, afraid of touching her but not daring to move: "How dare I look around with my little bit of magic..."

"You should have said so earlier, I would have helped you."

Mingxiao casually opened the original text and placed his other hand on Lu Wenjun's shoulder. Lu Wenjun felt a cool magical power coming from his fingertips, and his eyes immediately became clear, with no more obstacles in looking at the original text.

Mingxiao helped him turn to the table of contents and asked, "What kind of spell do you want to try?"

Lu Wenjun's gaze followed her fingertips, and he immediately forgot about lying: "My magical power isn't enough for high-damage output, so I'm planning to create a support spell... something like interference or guidance..."

“That’s assimilation.” Mingxiao thought for a moment, then flipped to a pumpkin icon with a mischievous grin. “How about this? A Jack-o’-lantern, it has a very historical little story.”

"It's good, it's good."

"Also, the gingerbread man story is worth seeing."

"well……"

Lu Wenjun hurriedly began to write down what he saw, but his mind was completely elsewhere, not even on the matter of the incantation. They were too close; Mingxiao's hair could touch the book on his lap. Her fingertips occasionally brushed across the words, and her warm breath wafted past his ear as she explained. He tried his best to write, not wanting to disappoint his senior's kindness, but though his pen moved, his mind couldn't settle down. He kept thinking that if he turned his gaze even slightly, he could see the focused expression on her face.

He stared intently, his eyes practically piercing the pages of the book. But Mingxiao suddenly stopped and whispered to him, "Are you tempted?"

"No! How could that be! I didn't—"

Lü Wenjun nearly jumped up, only to see Mingxiao smirking as she looked at his notes. The handwriting and drawings were initially neat, but towards the bottom, they became increasingly messy and fragmented. The last line was empty, containing only crammed-together tiny characters:

Too close, too close, too close...

Lu Wenjun covered his face with the notebook, trying to play dead. Mingxiao lay down on the large sofa next to him and burst into laughter.

"hahahahahahahahaha!!"

"Please don't make fun of me..."

He had never felt his words so powerless, while Mingxiao had already laughed so hard he fell off the sofa to the floor: "Really?! A super little boy! How did you do that?"

"Don't blame me! I've been single since birth and haven't even held a girl's hand more than a few times. Senior, you're so beautiful, isn't it natural for me to be a little nervous?!"

Mingxiao burst into laughter and pounded the ground for a while, then got up and reached out to him: "Come on, give me your hand."

"What is this?! Dog training?! I still cherish my human form and don't want to become a dog for the time being!"

Mingxiao burst into laughter again, leaning against the sofa and sitting on the floor, laughing so hard she could barely breathe: "I can't take it anymore... Lü Wenjun, you really are... a guy who can easily make the opposite sex feel accomplished!"

"Senior, you don't need to go on and on. The four words 'pathetic virgin' are enough."

Mingxiao tapped the back of his hand with her ear and said with a mischievous smile, "Especially when it comes to this kind of personality where one joke is worth ten, it makes people especially want to tease you."

Lu Wenjun slumped on the sofa, his voice barely audible: "Can I surrender? I surrender..."

Mingxiao, like a noble young lady, covered her mouth with the back of her hand and gave a fake smile: "Oh ho ho ho! It seems that my charm is still as strong as ever, and winning over a boy like you is definitely not a problem."

"If you keep doing this, we'll just have salad for breakfast."

Mingxiao's eyes darted around: "Then I'll start seducing you tomorrow morning."

Lu Wenjun was completely breathless: "Please, have mercy and kill me..."

Chapter 30 The Conman's Turnip Lamp (Double update today)

The bright moon hung high in the sky, and the night was deep. Mingxiao had gone up to the second floor an hour earlier. Lu Wenjun lay on the bed with his eyes wide open, feeling exhausted but wide awake.

He muttered to himself grimly, "I'm going to get my revenge..."

At this moment, Lü Wenjun's thoughts were completely divided. His conscience, like an angel, was gently persuading him, saying that we should be conscientious as human beings. What's wrong with Senior Sister Mingxiao providing you with refuge, giving you treasures, and teasing you a bit? Little Lü, you should be more proactive in making fun of her!

A heartless devil is easy to deal with; just lie down next to his ear and say: "Little boy, little boy, little boy, little boy..."

"no--!"

Lu Wenjun sat up abruptly, clutching his head. His senior was clearly excited tonight, as if she'd discovered a great toy; if this continued, she might intensify her mockery.

If he gets teased by female upperclassmen every day, he might develop gynophobia from the embarrassment and be confined to a bleak campus life devoid of any romantic feelings, like a monk practicing asceticism. Therefore, he absolutely must find a way to get back at them and never be mistaken for a boy again!

Think! Lü Wenjun, think! Show your manly demeanor and masculine charm! You're just a little shy, hesitant to look women in the eye, prone to overthinking when you see a girl with a good figure, and get nervous and stiff when you're too close to a woman. How can you call yourself a little boy!

"I'm beyond saving..."

Lu Wenjun closed his eyes and lay down on the bed, feeling utterly dejected.

It turns out he was just a little boy.

What's wrong with an inexperienced virgin not being able to handle a pretty senior?

Now, he probably has no choice but to accept his miserable situation. During his stay, he'll be constantly teased and ridiculed, losing his confidence and becoming listless. In a week, he'll become Mingxiao's dog; in another week, he'll probably be her stepping stone. Unless…

Unless he can prove that Senior Mingxiao isn't as mature as she appears...

"uh-huh……"

Lu Wenjun got out of bed, grabbed his notebook from tonight, and carefully examined it under the lamplight. This page had a simple pumpkin drawing as a marker, and the note read "Jack-o'-lantern."

The protagonist of this story is a cunning Irishman who is skilled at deception. He once tricked the devil into getting stuck in a tree. Some say that his mischievousness angered the angels, so neither Heaven nor Hell would accept him after his death. He was forced to wander the world alone, carrying a turnip lamp all by himself.

The turnip lantern in this story later evolved into the pumpkin lantern, becoming a representative element of Halloween. Therefore, the Jack-o'-lantern is also known as the Jack-o'-Pumpkin.

As Lü Wenjun tapped on his notes, driven by the terrible idea he had just come up with, the concept of a brand-new technique gradually took shape. He tried to draft a technique according to textbook standards, drawing inspiration from urban legends.

[Parse? (Cost 1)]

This time, he tried reciting it in his mind: (Analysis: Jack-o'-lantern.)

The single eye on the back of his hand tilted to one side, the first slot of Divine Tears was cleared, the original text was automatically activated, and the page containing the Jack-o'-Lantern was turned.

[Divine Essence Nourished/Divine Power Manifested/Divine Will Assimilated]

Lu Wenjun placed the draft of the technique under his palm and said: (Assimilation.)

The words on the draft instantly turned into ink droplets that flew up and entered the eyes of the living sacrifice. Lü Wenjun felt a sudden heat in his mind, and then a series of unfamiliar images flashed through his mind:

A demon howls in the tree, an angel with a disappointed face, a lonely, dark road, a lamp carved from turnips in his hand... He plays with the children, watching them carve turnip lantern after lantern...

The image froze, melting into a massive flow of information that flooded his mind. Lü Wenjun got out of bed and turned off the light. After a moment of silence, a faint light suddenly appeared in the room.

The light illuminated the malicious smile.

·

The next day, in the morning.

"Ooh hoo hoo~"

Mingxiao walked out of the room with a smug smile, preoccupied with how to tease his junior this morning.

Interesting. Extremely interesting. Compared to those juniors who scream and run around at the slightest joke, or those who are scheming to get something for nothing, this junior is much more interesting, jumping around like a frog at the slightest touch.

It's obvious that guy with that inexplicably high ego is plotting his revenge. But a boy is a boy, and even if he tries to maintain a mature demeanor, he'll crumble in less than three seconds. So, this time, let's go all out and tease him until he blushes!

Mingxiao descended the stairs with an incredibly wicked smile, her claws outstretched in a predator's stance. However, at that moment, her gaze suddenly shifted to one side.

She saw a ball of fire.

A flickering, indistinct will-o'-the-wisp.

The eerie blue will-o'-the-wisp floated at eye level, a few streaks of deep blue dancing within it, outlining a strange smile. That smile was as enigmatic as the Mona Lisa's, compelling one to turn their gaze and contemplate its meaning.

Mingxiao couldn't help but stare at the will-o'-the-wisp, only to see his smile grow wider and wider until the entire ball of will-o'-the-wisp exploded with a bang!

In the fading firelight, a portrait of a ghost woman dressed in extremely revealing attire was revealed!

While described as revealing, not an inch of skin was actually exposed; she was simply draped in a bed sheet, like a Halloween ghost. However, the woman's figure was incredibly hot, and the white sheet was so thin and translucent that it practically clung to her body, making one's imagination run wild. Mingxiao blushed and blurted out, "Eek!"

"Hey! You just said 'hey,' didn't you!"

Mingxiao turned her head stiffly and saw Lü Wenjun leaning against the wall, laughing wildly: "I never thought that the experienced and mature senior Mingxiao would make such a girlish scream! If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would have doubted my own ears, hahahahaha!"

Mingxiao finally realized what was happening: "You little brat! You actually used erotic pictures to frame me!"

Lu Wenjun looked completely bewildered: "What are you saying, senior? I just wanted to call you for lunch, but I saw you staring intently at erotic pictures early in the morning, lost in your own world and screaming to yourself. I'm just as confused as you are..."

The true face of that ghostly image was none other than Lü Wenjun's phone screen, which sat on the shoe rack. Mingxiao pointed at the phone and shouted, "Still claiming ignorance! If this phone isn't yours, then whose is it?"

Lu Wenjun's eyes darted around: "This phone is indeed mine. I heard that people, regardless of gender, are more interested in borderline content when they lack experience. I originally wanted to use these erotic pictures to lure young girls and monsters, but I didn't expect to catch a senior student instead—ah, it hurts so much, I surrender and beg you to let go."

Mingxiao grabbed his head and gave it a good rub, saying sullenly, "You're petty and vindictive!"

"I have a personality that refuses to give up."

"You're quite capable for managing to fool your senior. Tell me about your technique and thought process, you unyielding fellow."

Lu Wenjun brushed his bangs aside and laughed, "Actually, it's based on my senior's suggestion last night. The technique is based on the 'Jack-o'-lantern.' The protagonist of this story is a silver-tongued conman, and a crucial aspect of the trick is diverting people's attention."

He flipped his hand and conjured another ball of will-o'-the-wisp: "Therefore, I created an illusion in the form of turnip will-o'-the-wisp. This technique can attract other people's attention and make them look at it involuntarily."

"What restrictions were added?" Mingxiao raised an eyebrow. "You can't fool me with just that."

"It can only work on one target at a time. Because the same illusion won't work if used again." Lü Wenjun put away the will-o'-the-wisp. "Different Theory: Assimilation, Jack-o'-Lantern. What do you think, senior?"

Mingxiao gave him a hard knock on the head and exclaimed, "Lu Wenjun, you're a real genius!"

Lu Wenjun covered his forehead and laughed, thinking to himself, "I'm a genius, my foot! I'm cheating!"

Chapter 31 There are too many problem students

10:30 a.m., teachers' lounge.

The faculty and staff at Trista College enjoy a very good working environment, with all teachers at the level of teaching assistant having their own office. However, most teachers spend their free time in the faculty lounge, a large room accessible only to teachers, which features the most comfortable armchairs in the entire school, a magical tea tray with a selection of snacks, and a magical beverage jug that can randomly generate drinks.

One of the teachers' favorite pastimes outside of teaching was discussing the students' recent performance based on what they were drinking that day. The types of unusual drinks were believed to be closely related to the user's personality; for example, Earl Welton could pour out a different strange concoction from his pot every day, while Professor Ji Chuanjun had never poured out anything other than tea.