While Feng Lou was thinking about meeting Xiao Meiying's parents, Xiao Meiying suddenly asked an important question, "Who were these assassins that want to kill me?"
In response, Lin Xiaohong shook her head and said, "I'm clueless too. These have been trying to kill you ever since I began guarding you, miss."
"Did my father not tell you about who these people are?" Xiao Meiying inquired, her brows furrowing in concern.
"No, he never did," Lin Xiaohong replied bitterly. "Every time I report an attack from these folks targeting you, your father simply nods and orders me to withdraw."
Upon hearing Lin Xiaohong's words, Xiao Meiying's lack of surprise struck Feng Lou. He speculated silently that perhaps her relationship with her father is not good.
"Have you ever attempted to interrogate these individuals?" Xiao Meiying asked once more, her tone had some amount of curiosity and frustration.
Lin Xiaohong hesitated briefly before responding, "Most of the time, the people targeting you are hired thugs like today. But there was one time when I captured a man who was a genuine member of that sect. Unfortunately, before I could extract any information from him, he ingested poison."
"However, I did search his body, and I believe I stumbled upon some materials about the sect, although only the name," Lin Xiaohong added. "The sect is called Maleficae Obscuritas Sect. I like to call it the MO sect"
"Does my father know about this?" Xiao Meiying inquired. Lin Xiaohong replied bitterly, "Yes, I did report it to him, and he simply responded with 'I know'."
"After informing the leader about that sect, I also conducted some research on the MO Sect on the side, but unfortunately, I couldn't find anything," Lin Xiaohong added.
Xiao Meiying was still not surprised by her father's behavior, but she was surprised that Lin Xiaohong was not able to find anything related to the Mo sect.
"You know," she remarked, "in this day and age, you can find almost anything on the internet, even the most obscure information. The fact that they're completely invisible suggests they have some serious connections."
Feng Lou wanted to say, "You seem to be invisible on the internet too," but he did not. He sensed that if he did, Xiao Meiying might question why he had been searching for her name even before they had met.
Lin Xiaohong's expression shifted suddenly, a weird kind of devotion gleaming in her eyes as if she were under some magic. "Miss," she declared with an almost trance-like fervor, "It doesn't matter how strong they are, I will always protect you even if that means sacrificing myself,"
Both Xiao Meiying and Feng Lou were taken aback by Lin Xiaohong's sudden declaration. However, only Feng Lou, with his almost superhuman vision, managed to catch the peculiar gleam in Lin Xiaohong's eyes.
Xiao Meiying, though surprised and somewhat weirded out, still managed to muster a sincere, "Thank you."
As they conversed, a sudden loud ring echoed through the school speakers, broadcasting the principal's voice. "Attention, everyone," it rang out, "You may come out now. Security has thoroughly searched nearly every hall and room, and it's confirmed safe. The individuals in question have not been located."
Just as the announcement echoed through the school, a security guard spotted them in the room and hurried in. "Kids, you should head back to your rooms," he advised, his voice firm yet understanding. "It seems like it was just some pranksters using the speakers to mimic gun noises."
All three of them, including Lin Xiaohong, nodded in agreement and exited the room. As they walked, Lin Xiaohong leaned in close to Xiao Meiying and whispered softly, "I should depart, miss. I'll be watching over you from the shadows." With a gentle smile, she vanished into the corridor.
After Lin Xiaohong disappeared—or so it seemed—Feng Lou still sensed her nearby, hearing her quiet breaths from the rooftop as she followed them. "I think Lin Xiaohong handled those assassins even before anyone noticed them," he remarked.
Xiao Meiying hearing his words was a little surprised, but not overwhelmingly so, given the whirlwind of events she had already experienced.
Soon both of them came to the class, the class was almost empty, with only half the usual number of students present. Many had opted to leave for home out of fear for their safety.
Just as they stepped into the classroom, another announcement blared from the speakers, still the principal's voice. "Attention, everyone. Due to the sudden events, we've decided to close the school for the day. You're all dismissed. See you tomorrow," he declared.
After the announcement, almost everyone in the class got up and rushed out to go home. Xiao Meiying turned to Feng Lou and said, "I should go home too."
Feng Lou offered, "Should I walk you home?" Yet to his surprise, Xiao Meiying declined, saying, "No, no, you've already done so much for me. I'll go home by myself. I need some time to think about what happened. See you tomorrow." With that, she gathered her belongings and exited the room, leaving Feng Lou sitting there alone.
Feng Lou sighed inwardly, murmuring to himself, "Guess saving her wasn't enough to earn her trust completely. But hey, at least she said 'See you tomorrow'."
Feng Lou pondered to himself, "I should head back home and focus on reaching the second level of Witch Body cultivation as quickly as I can. With this world's spiritual energy, advancing to the second level would allow me to harness spiritual energy and wield the spells I obtained from the skeleton mage."
As he said that, he stood up from his seat and departed from the school.
...
A Few Minutes Ago
The Principal Office
Zhang Wei sat in his office, eyes fixed on the CCTV cameras. He watched in horror as terrorists launched their assault on the school. Before he could even reach for the phone to call the police, he witnessed them collapsing to the ground, their necks gruesomely torn open.
Zhang Wei was surprised by this unreal scene, he quickly started to skin through the footage, desperate to understand what had just occurred. Just as he reached the clip showing Feng Lou confronting Lin Xiaohong, suddenly there was a knock on his table and when he looked up to see who it was, Zhang Wei was surprised he saw a person with a mask standing in front of him.
"Delete this footage, Principal," the figure demanded abruptly.
Startled, Zhang Wei stammered, "Who are you?" as he instinctively began to back away.
The figure continued, "Who I am doesn't matter. What matters is that I'm a friend of Xiao Lei. I handled those assassins attacking the school. Since you're acquainted with the leader, I'm asking you politely to delete the footage, Principal."
Upon hearing the name Xiao Lei, the Principal's demeanor shifted. Aware of Xiao Meiying's father's connection to the mystical martial world, he began to delete the footage without hesitation.
Observing the Principal's earnest compliance, the figure's demeanor softened. "I believe it would be wise to cancel school for the remainder of the day," the figure suggested. "Given the traumatic events that transpired, many students are likely deeply affected."
Principal Zhang Wei wanted to say, "Nobody even saw those terrorists," but ultimately decided against it. "Alright, I'll make the announcement," he replied instead. As he spoke, the figure in front of him disappeared without leaving a trace, as if a mere illusion.