Volume 1, Chapter 102: Assembly

"Is everything packed?" Mu Qing leaned against the doorframe, asking Mo De with gentle concern as he dragged his suitcase. It was a pity that her sunglasses obscured her expression, preventing her from fully unleashing the lethality of her watery, autumn-gaze stare.

Mo De felt his scalp prickle under her scrutiny. He had to rush to school today to assemble with the other winter camp members before departing Qin City. Out of concern that the black fire within Mu Qing might flare up during his absence, he had spent all of last night channeling a significant amount of energy to suppress it. Now, the black fire lurking inside her had largely dissipated, which should be enough to sustain her until his return.

"Everything's packed. I'm off then," Mo De said, patting his suitcase, which contained the travel kit Mu Qing had meticulously prepared. Just in case, she had also made him take the Boundary Stone scabbard with him. However, before it was packed into his backpack, Mu Qing had slipped into her room with the scabbard, though he had no idea what she had been doing in there.

"Have a safe trip and enjoy yourself!" Mu Qing acted so considerate that it was as if she had become a different person. Watching Mo De walk down the stairs, she turned and hurried to the balcony. Once she confirmed that he had boarded the bus heading toward the school, the corners of her mouth slowly curled into a smile.

"Have a safe trip, enjoy yourself, and... see you later." Mu Qing returned inside to change into a black trench coat, humming a tune as she composed a text message. She needed to tell her landlords, the sisters Li Yanxi and Li Dongdong, that she wouldn't be coming over for meals these next few days. After checking that the water, electricity, doors, and windows were all secure, she hummed a song and locked the front door. Once downstairs, she hailed a taxi and headed straight for the Air Navigation Center.

***

Meanwhile, on the other side of the story, Mo De had already arrived at the gates of Tianshui High School. At the sight of the school entrance, a flood of knowledge points from yesterday's lessons surged into his mind. He shook his head, doing his best to bury those points deep in his heart. He couldn't let them scatter; otherwise, Class Monitor Su, who had poured her heart and soul into teaching him for the past two weeks, would surely skin him alive.

"Morning, Class Monitor." Su Ziwen lived right across from Tianshui High, so she had walked over. She wore a pale yellow top paired with dark jeans and a white baseball cap. She carried a backpack, and the silver-gray suitcase in her hand was several sizes larger than Mo De’s—it even contained a set of winter cotton clothes and a few short-sleeved shirts.

Before they could exchange more than a few pleasantries, a black van slowed to a stop at the school gate. The passenger window rolled down, and Feng Shichu’s head poked out. "Get in, get in," Old Feng gestured to the two of them.

After loading their luggage into the trunk, Mo De opened the door and found Yu Jiuchuan already seated, quietly reading a "Gaokao History Quick-Reference Manual."

"Good morning, Senior Yu," Mo De greeted. Yu Jiuchuan set down her manual, nodded in acknowledgment, and exchanged greetings with Su Ziwen behind him. In the back row, Yu Jiuchuan sat on the left, Mo De in the middle, and Su Ziwen on the right. The girl on the left flipped through her study guide with relish, while the girl on the right, the moment she sat down, pulled a blanket, earplugs, and an eye mask from her bag, immediately entering "corpse mode."

Sandwiched in the middle, Mo De couldn't strike up a conversation with either, so he just stared ahead blankly.

"Oh? Ziwen is already asleep? Then, Little Mo, you can go over the instructions with her once you get off," Feng Shichu said, turning from the front seat to brief the two who were still awake on the winter camp arrangements. Mo De perked up his ears, and Yu Jiuchuan also put down her manual to listen.

"We are going to pick up Little Feng first, and then we'll rendezvous with the convoy waiting at the Security Bureau. That convoy will escort the four of you to the capital city."

"Is 'Little Feng'... a relative of yours, sir?" Mo De suppressed the "Old Feng" that had almost slipped out, asking with curiosity.

"The winter camp slots Tianshui received aren't just for you three; a first-year student has been specially invited," Old Feng lowered his voice to explain, careful not to wake Su Ziwen. "Ivanoti Feng transferred into our first-year division midway through the first semester. The little one hasn't lived in the Central Continent for very long and isn't used to many things yet, so you all need to take care of your junior."

The Heterogeneous University Management Committee attached great importance to this winter camp, as every selected student was a top talent among their peers. For every city with selected members, the committee dispatched a specialized convoy to bring them to the capital before they flew to their next destination. In Qin City, besides Tianshui High in Qinghe District, Longting High in Qingshan District had also received two spots. The members from both schools would assemble at the Qin City security exit to board the committee's convoy.

By then, Feng Shichu would no longer be with them, and the rest of the journey would be handled by the committee.

"I originally wanted Ziwen to be the team leader for this trip, but I didn't expect her motion sickness to be this severe." Feng Shichu looked helplessly at the curled-up figure of Su Ziwen beside Mo De and sighed. "Jiuchuan doesn't like dealing with trivial matters, and Little Feng hasn't been in the Huaxia Region long. So, for the rest of the winter camp, you need to be more attentive and make sure everyone stays safe and together."

Feng Shichu had no choice but to settle for second best, designating Mo De as the temporary leader to ensure the Tianshui students stayed united while away from home.

"I don't like these kinds of troubles either..." Before Mo De could finish, Feng Shichu glared him into silence. With no other choice, he had to bite the bullet and accept the tedious task.

The van slowed to a stop in front of a villa in Qingshan District, where Ivanoti Feng was waiting. After greeting Old Feng and stowing her luggage, she climbed into the van. Because the last row of seats had been removed to accommodate their oversized suitcases, Ivanoti had to squeeze in with Mo De and the others. Fortunately, she was petite, and Mo De didn't feel particularly crowded even after she settled in.

Although he had seen people with silver hair and silver eyes like hers before, with the porcelain-doll-like girl sitting right next to him, Mo De couldn't help but steal a few glances. For this trip, Ivanoti wasn't wearing her usual school gothic dress, opting instead for more practical attire. A black turtleneck sweater accentuated her snow-white neck, and a charcoal gray jacket complemented her cascading silver hair. Her black trousers and dark brown leather shoes made her look even more delicate and refined.

Yu Jiuchuan, holding her manual, suddenly coughed, signaling to the distracted Mo De that she was sitting between him and Ivanoti. It was clear that she had sensed his wandering gaze.