The Thirteen Trials of the Deceptive Monk

“This is truly unforgettable,” she said with a sneer. “Let’s go, Mr. Lazy Wine Jar.”

"Have you been getting increasingly venomous with me lately?"

"Why not look for the reason within yourself?"

Lu Wenjun deactivated his transformation, adjusted his breathing, and strode into the depths of the corridor.

At the end of this deep corridor stood a pair of heavy solid wood doors. The faded door knockers exuded an ancient charm, weathered by time, like an oriental treasure trove. Lü Wenjun grasped the door knockers and knocked twice. The doors immediately swung open, and the two stepped inside simultaneously. Then, they both looked up, dodging a howling pillar of crimson fire.

"I disagree!!"

"Objection overruled."

Giltan, breathing a pillar of fire, roared, "There has never been such an exception since the student council was founded! Don't you consider the opinions of the other members preparing for the test?! Even if you want to appoint someone yourself, at least follow the proper procedures—"

"Who cares? I'm the president," Ye Jinfa said.

"I can't stand it anymore, I want to impeach this violent madman!!!"

The fire pillar the vice president spoke of turned from red to gold. He donned a suit of armor and charged forward with a roar. Ye Jinfa casually conjured a giant sword as wide as a door panel, sat in a chair, and slashed at the fireball with one hand, not forgetting to add: "By the way, I've already told everyone that if you have any objections, go and challenge the newcomers to a duel. If you win, you can take their place."

"&%￥#@!!!"

"Wow, that's amazing! Vice President Giltan let out a roar like a monster from a tokusatsu drama." Lu Wenjun looked into the distance.

Pershka's lips twitched: "What on earth is this...?"

Xiao Qing was squatting on the sofa watching the fun when she saw the two of them arrive. She immediately started a cheap party and shouted, "Welcome to the party, newbies!"

Pershka was still struggling: "What...what's going on?"

This is a large activity room, comparable in size to a classroom. One entire wall on the left is a bookshelf piled high with ancient books and documents, while the right side is a display cabinet filled with trophies, newspapers, and other miscellaneous items. Small sofas for relaxation and desks for meeting and working each occupy one side of the room, and a large work desk stands in front of the window at the far end.

At that moment, the president and vice president were locked in a fierce battle around the desk, while the other members watched the spectacle from around the small sofa, occasionally turning their heads to dodge fireballs. The owl-man senior invited them to sit on the sofa and briefly explained, "Here's the thing, the president said that you two performed very well, and you can become core members immediately upon joining the association."

"Oh."

"However, according to student council practice, after joining, you have to participate in intensive training and take an internal competition test with other interested senior students before you can become a formal core member." Senior Lan Ting poured each of them a cup of tea. "The vice president felt this was too irregular, and the president said she was the rule, so they fought again~"

Lu Wenjun accepted the tea and politely smiled, "Thank you, senior... but were you coerced?"

This literature major beauty was now dressed in a light, flared maid outfit, looking like a maid forced into service in an indecent work. Lanting, holding a tea tray, said shyly, "You figured it out already... Actually, it's because the previous librarian couldn't stand it and ran away, so the president forcibly dragged me here to replace her..."

"I see, so this outfit is also..."

Lanting shook her skirt: "Ah, this is just my personal interest."

Lu Wenjun let out a long "oh," then sat up straight, holding his teacup. Pershka looked utterly bewildered.

"This is the kind of organization I want to join...?" Pershka muttered to herself. "Was I just feeling anxious about this kind of organization...??"

"Well, well, how should I put it?" Lü Wenjun laughed, "Let's accept reality!"

Ye Jinfa turned his head upon hearing this: "Did you hear that, Vice President? Just because you caused such a scene here, the newcomers are starting to doubt the Student Council."

Xiao Qing chimed in, "Disgraceful fellow!"

"Who is it?! Who is this disgrace?!" Giltan roared.

Ye Jinfa sheathed his greatsword, sat down at his desk, and nodded to the newcomers.

"Vice President, please introduce yourself."

Giltan struggled for a long time before finally swallowing the fireball. He quickly tidied himself up and cleared his throat.

"First of all, a formal welcome to our two new members to the 314th Student Council," he said solemnly. "Our Student Council is the oldest student organization at Trista College, and its purpose is to mediate conflicts within the school from the students' perspective, safeguard students' interests, and maintain campus security..."

"They're the school's black gloves, used to deal with troublemakers and monsters," Ye Jinfa said.

Giltan's forehead vein throbbed noticeably: "Student council members have a leading role; after joining, they should always pay attention to their appearance and set an example for their fellow students..."

"We've always relied on strength; as long as your fists are strong enough, that's enough," the president added.

"Shut up, President!!"

Giltan let out a roar that was far from exemplary, and Lu Wenjun muttered under his breath, "The vice president's hard work can already be seen after just three minutes of joining the association."

Pershka said sympathetically, "It must be tough for him to be both the brake and the accelerator."

Giltan took off his glasses and wiped them for a while before finally adjusting himself: "We'll talk about the purpose and tradition later. Next, let me introduce the core members. President Ye Jinfa oversees all decisions of the student council, and as vice president, I am responsible for organizing college activities, managing club funds, and communicating with the academic affairs office, the Contract Hall, and the library..."

"Vice President, aren't you taking on a bit too much business?"

Giltan swallowed the words "That's right" with difficulty, then pointed to the pink-haired girl with twin tails squatting on the sofa: "This is Asami Haru, a second-year student. As a member of the student council, she is responsible for handling small-scale armed conflicts."

"Oh!" Xiao Qing exclaimed.

"A vanguard? Is there such a position?" Lu Wenjun said.

Giltan took another deep breath and pointed to the owl: "This is John Smith, a sophomore, who is a student council agent responsible for covert operations and intelligence gathering."

"Coo coo!" The owl senior waved his hand... flapping his big wings.

“Such straightforward pseudonyms,” Pershka commented.

“I think the president’s name is much more fake than mine,” John said, sounding aggrieved.

"Add Lan Ting, whom you all know, who is currently serving as the librarian of the student council. He is a core member of this year's student council," Ye Jinfa continued. "Now that everyone knows each other, let's get down to business."

Giltan lamented, "This is only the first day of the student council for newcomers! You should at least organize some club activities to liven things up!!"

“No need, John.”

"Okay, now let me introduce our key tasks for the near future..."

John used his wings to pull over a large whiteboard, on which were drawn a menacing tree and many gopher-like holes.

“Not long ago, our school experienced a rampage by an unorthodox god, and the two new members should be very clear about it…” John’s pronunciation was a little off. “Although the god of wisdom has been defeated, it left behind many problems. Please look at these holes.”

He tapped the groundhog burrow with the tip of his wing: "During the rampage of the God of Wisdom, its instinctively growing root system dug out holes of all sizes, some of which are very close to the library's perimeter. Some of the phantom spirits inside the library took this opportunity to escape, and our urgent task is to retrieve them."

“A question,” Pershka raised his hand. “The library is on the campus up in the mountains, while the Jiujiu Tree is in the forest below. How did its roots grow upwards in reverse?”

"Sorry, I wasn't clear. I meant the Inner Library, which houses important original texts..."

Lu Wenjun and Pershka both let out a "whoosh," and John's beak clicked twice.

"President, um, did I just leak some information?"

"Never mind that, let's continue."

"It's not a matter of 'don't worry about it'!! At least come up with a decent excuse to fool me, you idiot!!" Vice President Giltan roared.

“Okay, so most of the Phantom Spirit Guild Masters have been recovered. There are still two targets left,” John said. “One is the swarm of insects that caused a disturbance among the female group, and the other is the thief gang that stole a large number of students’ magical tools.”

"Pershka, are you afraid of bugs?" Ye Jinfa asked.

Pershka responded with a smile: "What do you think?"

"Then you and Lanting go deal with the swarm. Xiaoqing, you take Lü Wenjun with you."

"oh oh!"

Asami Haru jumped up from the sofa and slapped Lü Wenjun with a cocky grin.

"Go out and chop people up, newbie!" she said.

Chapter 80 True Transformation Technique

Asami Haru-senpai is 1.5 meters tall. Because of her dreamy pink hair and cute twin-tail hairstyle, she is affectionately called "Haru-chan" by her acquaintances.

However, Haru's behavior was completely at odds with her appearance. She always carried a samurai sword at her waist, wore a black kimono and a white haori, and the Y-shaped opening of her kimono's front revealed a large expanse of skin with astonishing force; only her flat figure prevented any wardrobe malfunctions. Her sweet voice was perfectly suited for voicing a timid, beautiful girl in anime, but most people didn't realize this because her voice was incredibly high-pitched and loud, just like now—

"Hey, you newbie!"

Lu Wenjun stopped: "What's wrong, Senpai Asami?"

"When you're with a senior, walk behind them." Xiao Qing said fiercely, tilting her head back. "And don't use those sticky, cheesy titles, just call them senior, senior!"

"Okay, senior~"

Lu Wenjun slowed his pace, leaving half a body space, and looked at the pink little head bobbing in front of him, feeling a gentle sense of watching over the little girl next door.

Looks really do matter. If it were a muscular guy with a menacing appearance saying that, I'd probably feel a bit rebellious, but someone like Xiao Qing can't bring herself to get angry...

The two were now leaving the campus and walking along the winding mountain road of Crystal Peak. Xiao Qing slung her katana over her shoulder and cast a fierce glance around. The surrounding students avoided her like the plague, as if law-abiding citizens were keeping their distance from the underworld.

Lu Wenjun, trying to make conversation and get to know this senior better, asked, "Senior, are you a magician from a samurai family?"

"You guessed wrong, you idiot!" Xiao Qing pulled up her eyelids and made a face. "I'm a 'ghost' from Mount Fuyue."

"The demon is dressed like a samurai..."

The Oni (鬼) in Japanese cultural sphere differs from the Oni in the conventional sense; they are a type of yokai pronounced "oni." They typically have horns on their heads, possess immense strength, wear animal skin skirts, and wield giant weapons. They either appear as jailers in hell or commit evil deeds such as banditry and robbery in the human world.

This clan often appears as villains in "samurai exorcising demons" stories. Famous members such as Shuten-dōji and Ōtakemaru have been killed by samurai, making them one of the samurai's mortal enemies.

"It's not like a thousand years ago," she said nonchalantly. "How much have you dealt with the Phantom Spirits before?"

Lu Wenjun knew that this was about to be a work discussion, and said seriously, "Aside from the entrance exam and classes, there's basically nothing else. All the people I've fought are at the Heterodox level."

"So you mean you have some experience, albeit barely." Xiao Qing tapped him with her scabbard. "Listen up. This time we're dealing with a Mysterious Spirit, a completely different kind of mob you've beaten up before."

"Very strong?"

"While I'm not quite at the level of an unparalleled god, beating up a few first-years shouldn't be a problem," Xiao Qing chuckled. "So you'd better follow my instructions obediently, understand?"

"Oh, well then, I'll have to rely on you, senior!"

Xiao Qing nodded in satisfaction, pointing to the irregular, milky-white building not far away. This massive building, located at the end of a side road, was entirely constructed of coral, with numerous holes of varying sizes on its surface. It was "Coral Fortress," a self-built student dormitory that was quite popular among female students.

As everyone knows, due to the persistent occupation of student dormitories by a certain villainous organization, most students at this school have no choice but to rent apartments around the school. Ordinary students, lacking the connections of someone like Mingxiao, cannot obtain comfortable and quiet places like Shuijingting, and are therefore forced to choose the school's unique self-built student dormitories.

These illegal buildings were constructed by some highly capable senior students, and their appearances often exhibit strong local cultural characteristics and a sense of amateurishness. For example, the "Screaming Apartment" where Faris rents is a classic haunted building from an American horror movie, where residents are cheerful to see zombies when they open the door and vengeful spirits when they close it. Persika's "Snow City" is an expensive detached villa, complete with a full set of automatic cleaning puppets.

These magically constructed buildings stretch from the edge of the forest all the way to Philosopher's Peak, resembling a long string of non-recyclable art trash hanging on the academy's facade from afar. Often, a wrong turn on the way down the mountain leads to an apartment building, making it easy for freshmen to get lost, even when going up or down the mountain.

"Whoever reported this, come out here!" Xiao Qing shouted.

At this call, several familiar heads immediately popped up in the coral cave.

"Ah, it's Asami-senpai." "Senpai, there have been thieves these past few days!" "Haru, please help!"

The female college students hurriedly jumped out of the window and surrounded Xiao Qing, chattering excitedly. Lü Wenjun listened carefully and quickly caught up with most of what was going on.

It turns out that since last week, there have been frequent cases of magical item thefts around Coral Castle. At first, it was just miscellaneous items sold in shops, such as magic combs and small mirrors. Later, the thieves became more brazen and started stealing weapons, entertainment items, and so on. And yesterday, they even started stealing textbooks.

"Senior, my 'Introduction to Druidry' has been stolen!" Ariel wailed. "What am I going to do? I have Druid class tomorrow, and Professor Merdin will kill me!!"

"Eriel-chan, aren't you and the Druid class a bit incompatible...?" Lu Wenjun couldn't help but say.

Xiao Qing comforted her, "Don't worry, at most he'll just cast a curse on you."

Hearing this, Ariel cried even harder. Xiao Qing clicked her tongue in surprise: "Don't make such a fuss about a lost book! Why did you only report it to the student council now?"

"I originally planned to solve it myself..." a senior student said with a wry smile, "but the barrier I painstakingly prepared was completely useless, so I had to ask Xiao Qing for help."

Lu Wenjun asked, "If I may ask, what kind of barrier is it? Does it protect the entire dormitory or just the doors and windows?"

"Doors, windows, and other entrances... after all, everyone has different beliefs, so the overall protective barrier around the dormitory is still a bit..."

“No wonder,” Lü Wenjun said. “Thieves can walk through walls.”

Xiao Qing's katana suddenly made a soft "clang" sound, and almost at the same time, Lü Wenjun raised his head.

A wisp of smoke drifted across the top floor of Coral Castle, emerging from a tiny hole in the roof and taking the shape of a human figure wearing a turban and holding a sharp knife. The bizarre scene was as if an extremely thin dwarf had squeezed through a crack in a door and then blew himself up to appear larger.

The thief wore a turban, gold shoes, and carried a bulging bag, looking every bit the part of the Western Regions. Ariel, with her sharp eyes, spotted the familiar book cover and exclaimed, "My textbooks!"

Upon hearing the sound, the thief turned around, his eyes meeting the crowd for a moment before he kicked the roof and leaped into the mountains like a hawk spreading its wings.

"Go, newbie!" Xiao Qing shouted. Lu Wenjun, clad in white, leaped up, closing in on the thief with lightning speed. The two crossed the rooftop of Coral Fortress one after the other. The thief, after jumping off the fortress, didn't land on the ground, but instead, as if courting death, crashed into the steep cliff face… and then kicked at the rocks again! Like a monkey, he moved with agility between the cliffs and rocks!

His agile movements were comparable to light-footed martial arts, something that ordinary mages would find extremely difficult to imitate without using incantations. However, a white shadow swept past the thief's side, and Lü Wenjun, like a white whirlwind, chased after him, landing in front of the thief and delivering a swift spinning kick.

The thief crossed his arms in defense, but he couldn't dodge the swift attack in time. Lü Wenjun's kick made his arms tremble violently. "You brat!" The enraged thief drew his dagger and thrust, but Lü Wenjun easily dodged and countered with a punch. "Too slow." "Damn it!"

The thief parried with the back of his knife, then thrust forward. Both maintained a high level of offense and defense while running at high speed, like birds skimming over mountain rocks. However, Lü Wenjun's reaction speed was superior. After only four rounds, the thief was kicked in the center. He used the impact of the kick to retreat, then took the opportunity to transform into smoke and escape into the mountains.

"If you want it, come and chase me!" the thief boasted.

Lu Wenjun landed back on the main road, but did not rush to act.

He hadn't used his full strength earlier, but now his magical power was far greater than when he first entered the academy, and his combat experience was also much richer. The fact that the thief could exchange blows with him for several rounds was proof of his strength in itself.

This power, while not quite matching that of Pershka's Beast Witch, is still superior to phantom spirits like Brighton's Beast. And if we take into account her ability to transform into smoke and her intelligence…