Lord of Prayer - Chapter 81 - 72: Final Exam

Chapter 81: Chapter 72: Final Exam

·

Zhou Chen tried to refuse politely several times, but he couldn’t hold out against Li Xiaoxiao’s pestering. Left with no choice, he “compromised” and agreed to go for a walk with her.

As expected, a large amount of Star Dust materialized in the Wish Bottle. It slowly gathered with the Star Dust he had accumulated over the past few days, fusing into a brand-new, brilliantly shining star.

This was now the fourth star in the Wish Bottle.

’His Soul integrity is already back above the warning threshold. Since it isn’t a good time to focus on restoring my Soul, I can use these stars for other things… like learning Alchemy…’ Zhou Chen mused. He decided to find an opportunity soon and get started on the basics of Alchemy.

’Then I won’t just be able to craft Flash Bombs by hand, but a whole range of Alchemy Creations, like High-Explosive Alchemical Bombs. On top of that, once I officially become an Alchemist, I can take commissions through the Alchemy Association’s platform and live a comfortable life among the elite, never worrying about food or clothing again…’

’Of course, while Alchemists make a lot of money, they also burn through it. But if I don’t pursue higher levels of Alchemy Knowledge and just choose to coast and be content with the status quo, then I won’t have to deal with that problem.’

Just then, Li Xiaoxiao, who was clinging to his arm, made a suggestion. “Senior, let’s go for a walk by the river. It’s cool there at night, and there are tour boats. We can also see the amusement park’s Ferris wheel…”

“I don’t mind either way.”

“To the river then! Let’s go, let’s go.” Li Xiaoxiao’s face instantly bloomed into a radiant smile as she pulled him toward the river.

Lights twinkled across the riverside plaza, where a musical fountain sat in the center. Its jets of water danced up and down to the rhythm of an elegant melody, but the music itself was barely audible, completely drowned out by the thumping beat of music for the square dancers nearby.

Next to the lines of dancers, a group of children played, zipping around on rollerblades or hoverboards and chasing each other in small, boisterous groups.

A crowd had gathered by the riverside railing, and naturally, there were plenty of anglers. You could spot one every few dozen feet. Whenever an angler reeled in a fish, it would draw a round of cheers from the onlookers.

Soon, the two of them descended the stairs at the end of the plaza. They strolled slowly along the bank, enjoying the evening breeze. It was as if they were suddenly cut off from the world, with only the faint, peaceful sound of lapping waves in their ears.

“Senior, we should go to the amusement park someday. A classmate of mine owns it, so I can get a couple of all-day passes…”

Li Xiaoxiao gazed at the brilliant, slowly turning Ferris wheel in the distance, a look of longing reflected in her eyes.

Before Zhou Chen could answer, she pointed to the river’s surface and exclaimed in delight, “Senior, look, look! It’s a duck! It’s so cute!”

CLICK, CLICK. She pulled out her phone and snapped several pictures in a row before turning to Zhou Chen excitedly.

“Senior, could you take a couple of pictures of me? It’ll be quick, please~? Senior~”

Li Xiaoxiao grabbed Zhou Chen’s hand, shaking it back and forth insistently as she pleaded in a cloyingly sweet voice.

’I can’t take this anymore. Can we please just fast-forward to the test…’ Zhou Chen sighed internally, but his expression was that of someone whose heart had softened and was about to give in.

He took Li Xiaoxiao’s phone, raised it, randomly snapped two pictures, and handed it back to her.

“Uh, Senior… your photography skills aren’t that great.”

Li Xiaoxiao wore a complicated expression. She’d never seen photography skills so abysmal they defied critique. ’Forget composition, angles, or any kind of technique,’ she thought, ’could you at least get it in focus?!’

“Excuse me, miss? Could you take a picture for us?” She stopped a girl who was walking by and asked for her help.

“…Okay.” The girl was startled for a moment but didn’t refuse. She took the phone and aimed it at the couple.

Li Xiaoxiao quickly looped her arm through Zhou Chen’s, pressing her body intimately against his. She beamed with the sweet smile of a girl deep in the honeymoon phase of a new romance.

“Got it.” A moment later, the passerby handed the phone back, feeling a mix of envy and bitterness. ’When will it be my turn to be this happy…’ she wondered.

“Thanks so much~” Li Xiaoxiao said politely. She watched the girl leave, then tapped the screen to look at the photos. “Wow, Senior, you’re really photogenic.”

“Am I? It’s fine, I guess,” Zhou Chen said casually after a quick glance.

They continued to walk along the bank, stopping here and there. Before long, a dark, abandoned warehouse loomed ahead. Li Xiaoxiao hesitated for a moment, then, as if mustering her courage, her cheeks flushed red and she began pulling Zhou Chen in that direction.

“Why are we going over there?” Zhou Chen asked, confused.

“I… I just… Oh, stop! Don’t you think this is exciting, Senior?” The blush on Li Xiaoxiao’s face deepened.

’This must be the place…’ Seeing that the time was right, Zhou Chen’s expression turned cold. He wrenched his arm from her grasp, instantly drew the Flintlock Pistol from inside his jacket, and pressed its muzzle to the center of Li Xiaoxiao’s forehead.

“Stop pretending. Who sent you?” he asked, his expression cold and emotionless.

Li Xiaoxiao looked terrified, trembling uncontrollably as tears welled in her eyes. “Senior… Senior, what are you saying…?”

“The campus belle of Jinzhu University suddenly starts throwing herself at me. You didn’t really think I’d buy that, did you? Tell me, what’s your real reason for approaching me?!” Zhou Chen’s gaze was frigid, his finger resting on the trigger, ready to shoot at a moment’s notice.

Suddenly, in the silence, Li Xiaoxiao let out a soft laugh. The Fear on her face and the tears in her eyes vanished without a trace. Her demeanor changed in the blink of an eye; one moment she was the picture of pitiful vulnerability, and the next she was calm and composed, giving him a smile that seemed to say, ’You’re not bad.’

“Birdman said you were very capable, and it seems he was right. I might have been a bit too obvious and given the game away, but you’re certainly decisive. To just pull a gun like that… aren’t you afraid of being seen?”

“You’re with Birdman?” Zhou Chen narrowed his eyes.

“That’s right. I’m here to conduct your final assessment.” Li Xiaoxiao pointed to the pitch-dark warehouse. “Your ’final exam’ is in there.”

“Final exam?” Zhou Chen put away his Flintlock Pistol. “If I pass this, will your group really accept me?”

“Yes. So, come with me.”

Li Xiaoxiao turned and pushed open the doors to the abandoned warehouse. It was pitch-black inside. She glanced back, gesturing for Zhou Chen to follow, before stepping into the profound Darkness.

The moment Zhou Chen stepped into the warehouse, dim lights flickered on.

The warehouse was cluttered with all sorts of junk, draped in cobwebs, and coated in a thick layer of dust. The air hung heavy with the stale, musty smell of decay.

Two young men, both strangers to him, had clearly been waiting for some time. A few seconds later, Jiang Che’s voice came through his earpiece, informing him that both men were students from Jinzhu University.

Right now, however, Zhou Chen’s attention wasn’t on the two men. Instead, it was fixed on the figure in front of them—someone tied to a chair with thick ropes, a black hood covering their head.

“Who is this?” he asked.

Li Xiaoxiao lifted her chin. Taking it as a command, one of the men stepped forward and pulled the hood off the captive, revealing a face Zhou Chen knew all too well.

—Yang!

“This is your final exam,” Li Xiaoxiao replied with a smile.