Chapter Thirty-Seven: The Second Step of the Plan

That’s right, this was the plan that Wang Hui and Xiao Zi had devised.

As soon as Wang Hui spoke, everyone looked at him as if he were insane. Clearly, no one was bored enough to attempt such a reckless adventure.

But Wang Hui had anticipated this reaction—he already had someone in mind. He turned to Li Dongxu and said, “Li Dongxu, as the know-it-all of our school, don’t you want to go see for yourself?”

Indeed, the title of “know-it-all” was one that Li Dongxu had given himself. He believed there was nothing happening at the school, big or small, that escaped his notice, and he took great pride in that moniker. Although everything he learned would inevitably become common knowledge, and so people stopped confiding secrets to him, he continued to call himself by that title. In his mind, if he didn’t know about it, it simply didn’t exist—such was his philosophy. At the same time, his curiosity was insatiable.

Wang Hui deliberately reminded him of his “school know-it-all” status before extending the invitation, making it hard for Li Dongxu to refuse.

Yet, to everyone’s surprise, Li Dongxu refused immediately and with no hesitation. “I’m not going.”

It was true that his curiosity was strong, and he was proud of his title, but even truer was the fact that he was a coward at heart.

“Oh, what a shame,” Wang Hui replied, feigning regret. “It’s just an old legend anyway. We’d only be taking a look around. If you’re not interested, I’ll ask someone else. Just imagine—after the adventure, you could tell the story to the girls at school. Picture them clinging to you in fright—now wouldn’t that be something?”

Li Dongxu blinked twice, involuntarily picturing himself recounting the tale, embellishing it until he sounded almost superhuman, with all the girls in class vying for his embrace...

Truth be told, he was starting to waver.

“And that’s not all,” Wang Hui continued. “I’ve got some spare cash these days. After we’re done, we could grab some barbecue, and then hit Sincerity Internet Café for an all-night gaming session.”

That offer struck a chord. After his disastrous performance in the last mock exam, Li Dongxu’s home internet had been cut, his pocket money withheld, and he hadn’t played any games in ages. Now, with his favorite game holding a special event, Wang Hui’s proposal was all the more enticing.

As for Sincerity Internet Café, there was a popular saying among the students: “Sincerity Internet Café is truly sincere—any minor can get in.” It was the go-to spot for students to get online.

“You’re sure we’re just taking a look?”

“Don’t worry,” Wang Hui replied, wearing a sincere smile.

At last, Li Dongxu nodded. “Well, with our friendship, how could I refuse you?”

Wang Hui’s attention then shifted to another student—a tall, burly figure named Yuan Zhikong. Though he was usually quiet, that very trait made others trust his words implicitly. If Yuan Zhikong helped spread the story, it would be far more effective. Wang Hui had already prepared for this.

He walked over and clapped Yuan Zhikong on the shoulder. “I won a prize yesterday—a Rem figurine. Aren’t you a big anime fan? Do you know what that is?”

Indeed, Yuan Zhikong was a hardcore anime enthusiast. Coincidentally, Wang Hui was too, and had bought a figurine previously, not expecting it would come in handy now.

The moment he heard the name “Rem,” Yuan Zhikong sat up straight, his eyes shining. “That thing isn’t worth much. I’ll give you ten bucks for it.”

Wang Hui’s face twitched—he’d spent over five hundred on that figurine, and now it was suddenly worth ten.

But he let it slide, patting Yuan Zhikong’s shoulder. “We’re friends, aren’t we? Forget the money—just take it.”

He handed over the figurine he’d brought from home. Yuan Zhikong immediately began examining it, while Wang Hui stood by and said, “Tonight, Li Dongxu and I are going to explore the school. Want to come?”

Li Dongxu looked perplexed—what was there to explore in such a rundown school? But having just accepted a gift, it seemed a bit ungracious to refuse.

He glanced at Wang Hui, racking his brain for everything he knew about him, and came to a conclusion: someone with that kind of intelligence couldn’t be a bad person. Compared to that, the figurine was nothing.

So he nodded. “Alright.”

That night, Wang Hui and Xiao Zi went straight home and interrupted the Clown, who was in the midst of a gaming marathon.

The Clown’s grin was twisted and grotesque, his face twitching, the game controller slick with blood.

“Honestly, this game is much harder than I thought.”

It was nearly midnight when they set off, the Clown in tow, ready to move on to the third phase of their plan: tonight, no matter what, they were going to scare Li Dongxu and Yuan Zhikong to tears.

Their rendezvous was at the school gate; by the time Xiao Zi and the others arrived, the other two were already there.

Li Dongxu, having recovered from the fright of the earlier story, was now all smiles, showing not a hint of fear.

“What’s with that lecherous grin?” Wang Hui asked.

Li Dongxu glanced at Wang Hui. “I just saw Si Liren. Man, she looks gorgeous tonight. I told her you were treating us to barbecue and invited her along. She agreed right away, ha ha ha!”

He gave Wang Hui a sidelong look. “Si Liren is so beautiful, but there’s something odd about her eyes. Why is she interested in you? What do you have that I don’t?”

Wang Hui’s face was all smiles, but inwardly he was cursing. If he didn’t need this guy to spread the story tomorrow, he’d have ditched him already. The guy was absolutely shameless!

“Let’s not waste any more time. Shall we go in?” he suggested.

At that moment, Xiao Zi, with her extraordinary senses, suddenly detected something amiss inside the school. There were at least seven exceptionally powerful supernatural beings on the premises, and Si Liren was among them. Each of these entities was far stronger than Xiao Zi—at least C or B rank.

Why were these beings gathering at the school? It had to be connected to that so-called Immaculate One. But what was Si Liren doing there? Were these creatures planning to unleash chaos upon Qianyou Town?

If so, it would actually work in his favor.

Moreover, the Immaculate One’s attitude toward him was still unclear; he wasn’t sure if that being would target him. So, the current plan remained the priority. If he could gain control of the Forbidden Domain, it would greatly enhance his fighting power.

With that in mind, Xiao Zi turned to Wang Hui and said, “Let’s begin—spread our fear.”