Chapter 126

Chapter 126 A Guide for Background Characters to Survive in a Manga Chapter 126 Upon hearing this, Mo Xiaotian’s expression changed instantly. Su Bei couldn’t help but slightly curve his lips. Letting the Black Flash boss and the Saint live near the Endless Ability Academy—admittedly, that was quite amusing. But Mo Xiaotian clearly didn’t find it funny. He quickly shook his head: “No need, we’ve already found a new place to live!” He hurriedly changed the topic: “By the way, Feng Lan, when can we go out? I can’t wait to see your home!” “Nine o’clock officially starts.” Feng Lan glanced at the time. “Half an hour from now, you can move freely.” At that moment, Si Zhaohua arrived, not alone. Behind him were Ai Baozhu, Zhou Renjie, and a strikingly handsome middle-aged man with silver hair like Si Zhaohua’s. The two wore matching black formal attire. Behind them were others, some likely Feng Family members, who called Feng Lan out for a private chat after escorting the four. Si Zhaohua introduced to the middle-aged man: “Father, these are my Class S classmates.” Everyone greeted him appropriately. Si Zhaohua’s father was clearly astute, knowing this was the youngsters’ domain. He didn’t say much, exchanging brief pleasantries before leaving. “Why’d your dad come with you?” Zhao Xiaoyu, who’d been daydreaming in the corner, asked curiously. From Zhou Renjie’s earlier behavior, attending the Feng Family’s Open Day clearly required significant cost. Logically, one person should suffice—why two? “Our goals differ,” Si Zhaohua explained. “Father’s here to network and showcase the Si Family’s status—he comes every year. I’m invited by Feng Lan to gain experience. He wouldn’t skip just because I’m here, unless I become family head.” Right after, Zhou Renjie asserted his presence: “Don’t judge Uncle Si with your shallow views. Compared to the benefits, this cost is nothing. Only poor folks like you pinch pennies.” “Does Uncle Si know you’re hyping him up like this?” Zhao Xiaoyu retorted without hesitation, now confident enough to speak firmly. Her words silenced Zhou Renjie. If Uncle Si knew he was acting snobbish in his name, he might lose that uncle. Ai Baozhu glanced at him disdainfully: “Ignore him. Uncle Si isn’t like that.” “Then what’s Uncle Si like?” Li Shu, just escorted over by an attendant, asked with a sly smile. Even if praising, a junior commenting on an elder was rude. Despite Ai Baozhu’s usual arrogance, her etiquette was impeccable. She replied firmly: “Why do you ask?” “Just curious,” Li Shu said. In a pink evening gown, Ai Baozhu fanned herself lightly with a pink fan, her tone resolute: “Then don’t be.” “Pfft!” Zhao Xiaoyu laughed. “Well said—curiosity kills the cat, you know?” Li Shu, unfazed, found a seat. Soon, Lan Subing arrived, also in a gown. All the girls wore gowns, and the boys wore formal attire—appropriate for the occasion. Looking at their dresses, Su Bei sighed: “Dressed like that, you’ll be inconvenient today.” “What do you mean?” Qi Huang entered, completing Class’ attendance. “We’re just touring all day. High heels are a hassle, but that’s it, right?” Feng Lan closed the door, blocking outside eyes and sounds, then said gravely: “Su Bei’s right. I’m sorry—I only foresaw yesterday that trouble will start at five this afternoon. I’ve arranged a safe place. If you get there before five and stay until it’s over, you should be safe.” “What kind of trouble?” Jiang Tianming frowned, turning to him. “Don’t know,” Feng Lan shook his head. “But I foresaw chaos and conflict, and Prophecy Fragments of guards fighting in the estate.” This puzzled everyone. Jiang Tianming voiced their confusion: “Then why not cancel today’s event or end it before five?” From Feng Lan’s words, he intended to continue the event without warning others. After a pause, Feng Lan said flatly: “Because it’s an internal conflict.” Everyone understood. An internal conflict couldn’t be shared widely—leaking to the enemy’s side would endanger everyone. Nor could they stop guests from coming, or the enemy would suspect something. As outsiders with classmate bonds, Feng Lan trusted them enough to warn them for safe evacuation. “Need our help?” Jiang Tianming asked after processing. He wasn’t just being polite, adding: “We’re friends, right? Don’t refuse in such matters. If you need help, say so.” Feng Lan had helped him in many events, and Jiang Tianming wanted to repay him. Now was his chance. “Count me in!” Mo Xiaotian chimed in. Wu Mingbai shrugged: “If Jiang’s in, I’m in.” “Me too,” Lan Subing raised her hand timidly. Si Zhaohua was more assertive, with reason: “My father’s here—I can’t leave early.” “Then we’re staying too,” Ai Baozhu declared, unwilling to leave Si Zhaohua alone. Zhou Renjie had to agree. Leaving now would ruin things with Ai Baozhu, and Uncle Si wouldn’t be pleased later. Qi Huang refused to leave: “You know my personality. Since I know, I won’t stay out.” Mu Tieren was resolute: “I’m Class Monitor. I can’t abandon classmates in trouble.” Indeed, after the final exam, Mu Tieren became Class Monitor. Meng Huai had favored him, as he was Class’ most reliable and least troublesome student. But his strength wasn’t convincing enough until the exam, where he saved many classmates, earning Meng Huai’s appointment. “...I can help if truly needed,” Ling You said coolly, aware her [Illusion] Ability wasn’t suited here. Li Shu glanced at Jiang Tianming, smiling gently: “I can help too. My Ability should be useful.” Seeing so many classmates stay, Zhao Xiaoyu, who’d planned to leave early, joined: “Include me.” With such support, she figured Feng Lan wouldn’t lose. Staying could earn a Feng Family favor—why not? Wu Jin, the least noticeable, struggled before saying softly: “I can call my dad.” Only Su Bei hadn’t spoken. He looked around, knowing this was a plot point, and shrugged: “Don’t mind me. I’ll leave when it’s time.” Seeing all classmates stay to help, Feng Lan stood stunned, his expression briefly dazed. After a long pause, he opened his dry lips, whispering: “Thank you...” Since Jiang Tianming and the others chose to help, Feng Lan shared his intelligence: “I foresaw conflict during the event yesterday. The Prophecy Fragments showed my cousin attacking me from behind. I suspect she and her backers aim to seize control of the Feng Family.” “Tell us about your cousin and her backers,” Jiang Tianming asked calmly. “My cousin’s Ability is [Weather Prophecy], predicting future trends via weather. She’s the only other in our generation with a prophecy Ability.” Feng Lan paused, continuing, “She works at the weather station. Family calls it a waste, but she’s persistent. I don’t know why she’s doing this.” “You’re close with her,” Wu Jin suddenly looked up, his gray eyes peering through purple hair, stating confidently. Su Bei saw it too. If they weren’t close, how would Feng Lan know so much about her? Feng Lan lowered his eyes, neither confirming nor denying, and continued: “Her backers are my uncle’s family. He could’ve been family head, but my [Prophecy] Ability made me head. Now he manages clan affairs as deputy.” This gave them ample reason to usurp power—a near-head father and a prophecy-gifted cousin relegated below. No wonder Feng Lan was certain their goal was control after seeing her attack. But knowing Feng Lan had [Prophecy], this move seemed unwise to Su Bei. Feng Lan had many escape chances. Likely, they only cared about seizing the family, not whether he escaped. If he returned, he’d walk into a trap. “Let’s grab your cousin now?” Zhou Renjie suggested. “With our numbers, we could catch her and her parents.” Feng Lan glanced at him, asking sincerely: “Are your family that easy to catch?” Zhou Renjie choked, understanding. As a prophecy clan, the cousin’s family had more life-saving items than him. His plan was nearly impossible. Realizing, Zhou Renjie sat back sulkily: “Then what do we do?” “I plan to play along,” Feng Lan said, ignoring his tone, sharing his idea earnestly. “They chose today to act, likely using the guests. I wanted to use an item to see their plan, but with you here, we can play along directly.” Seeing Feng Lan speak so much was novel for everyone. Playing along meant following the enemy’s plan. Knowing the plot, dodging their schemes was easy. True, but too passive. Feng Lan could foresee danger, but knew too little. Following their plot risked failing to turn the tables. Jiang Tianming’s group preferred proactivity: “Show us your cousin’s family photos. We’ll investigate during free time.” Feng Lan hesitated. Proactive investigation could break the situation but was riskier. As guests, the enemy wouldn’t dare act due to their status. But openly supporting Feng Lan would make them targets. Si Zhaohua patted his shoulder: “Don’t worry, we’ve got this. Shame Father’s likely in talks now, or I’d tell him to help.” Without summoning Si’s father, Si Zhaohua wouldn’t mention it. It was Feng Family internal strife—he could help as a friend but not involve his family. But with his father here, it was different. At minimum, it was a mistake; at most, an attempt to harm the Si Family head, giving them reason to intervene. But with the cousin’s side likely among the gathered, rashly alerting them would tip them off. No signal on the mountain prevented contacting family. Si Zhaohua sighed, then recalled, looking at Wu Jin: “You said you could contact your father? Why not...” “No,” Feng Lan calmly interrupted. “Our mountain’s entrance formation is intricate. Without a token and route, it’s nearly impossible to enter, and guards would detect intruders.” Si Zhaohua had forgotten, frowning: “Then we’re on our own.” “Let’s look around first,” Jiang Tianming said. “If they want to trap us, they’ll set checkpoints. Finding them early helps us escape later.” No objections—hours remained until the plot, so they could explore without much danger. Su Bei had no intention of helping much. With so many protagonists, he wasn’t needed. His sole reason for coming, despite knowing trouble awaited, was the Feng Family’s library. Feng Lan had promised its vast collection held various records, likely containing what Su Bei sought. He had plenty to investigate. The school library had nothing on the Nightmare Beast world—only mentioned briefly by teachers as an extracurricular topic, then forgotten. Having asked Feng Lan about the library’s location, Su Bei headed there upon leaving. After a few steps, he turned to Wu Jin following him: “Why’re you following me?” Wu Jin, quietly trailing, looked up: “I think sticking with you might let me contribute.” Unsure how his Ability could help due to its uniqueness, Wu Jin rarely used or trained it. He figured staying with Su Bei, who knew his Ability, might offer a chance. Su Bei had no issue. Wu Jin’s low presence when not flipping his hair made him unobtrusive. Plus, Su Bei’s research wasn’t secret, and Wu Jin could help find materials. They reached the library—a massive nine-story wooden tower filled with neatly arranged books, some ancient but well-preserved. Finding what he wanted in such a vast library was daunting, but Su Bei wasn’t alone. He looked at Wu Jin: “Let’s split up. I’ll search from the top down, you from the bottom up. I need books on Nightmare Beasts with unknown information and... on Ability Users’ origins.” The latter was a new thought. Initially focused on Nightmare Beasts, Su Bei realized Ability Users were closely tied. In his memory, Ability Users appeared around the same time as Nightmare Beasts, suggesting a deep connection. “Got it,” Wu Jin said, never questioning, and began searching. Su Bei climbed to the top floor. Though a prophecy clan, the library held more than Ability-related books, including rare ancient texts and famous calligraphy. Finding nothing Ability-related on the ninth floor, Su Bei prepared to move down but paused, brow raised. Logically, higher floors held more confidential items. For an Ability clan, Ability-related materials were the most confidential. Why, then, did the top floor have only ordinary books? Smirking, Su Bei gently turned his Gear, boosting luck. After multiple uses, he no longer maxed the Gear, having mastered precise luck control to save Mental Energy. With luck boosted, he re-explored the ninth floor. He accidentally knocked off a book. His eyes flickered, bending to pick it up. Flipping through, it was just a calligraphy collection, nothing special. He glanced at its original spot, now a gap. Instantly, he saw the trick. The gap revealed a seam—not between shelves but like a door’s. He found the secret but didn’t know how to open it. Force was impractical—he lacked destructive Abilities, and damaging the library would trigger alarms. There had to be a way to open it. His gaze returned to the book. Examining its side, he noticed one page darker, frequently flipped. Opening it, he found an original poem. Voice-activated? Su Bei read it uncertainly—nothing happened. He read again, considering all tropes, then laughed. It was an acrostic poem! The first characters formed: “As you wish, as you wish, follow my heart’s desire.” “As you wish, as you wish, follow my heart’s desire,” Su Bei recited. After seconds of no response, he doubted himself but added hesitantly, “Manifest quickly?” “Rumble—” The bookshelf split, revealing a secret room filled with books. Seeing it open, Su Bei was baffled. Who designed this passphrase? So... creative. He entered, scanning titles, eyes lighting up. These books were exactly what he wanted, nearly all about the Ability world’s origins. But then he hesitated. Which to read? With only today, no taking books out or photographing, from now to five, minus lunch, he could thoroughly read one book or skim two. Either way wasn’t much, so he’d rather read one carefully. He needed the most comprehensive book on Nightmare Beasts and Ability Users’ origins—not detailed, but clear. With a goal, he scanned titles, finding one after five minutes: Study on the Birth of Nightmare Beasts.