Chapter 12: The Tunnel

That afternoon.

Because of their status as special recruits, Jiang Xiao and Jiang Chan rode a separate bus from Zhang Hai and the others.

On Jiang Xiao's bus, there were only about a dozen people, all teenagers around fifteen or sixteen years old. Their youthful faces were filled with anticipation for the future.

Heaven's Mystery Palace!

They were about to enter this ancient and mysterious institution, which had stood for over a thousand years. Everyone was excited and eager.

Jiang Xiao and his younger sister, Jiang Chan, sat together. She had her headphones on, her delicate and beautiful profile drawing the attention of several boys.

"Ahem."

Jiang Xiao shifted in his seat, deliberately blocking a boy who was sneaking glances at his sister.

Seeing the boy's disappointed expression, Jiang Xiao smirked internally.

"Kid, becoming my sister's boyfriend won't be easy. First, you need to be richer than Old Ma. Then, you must be smarter than Einstein. And finally, you have to be better-looking than me."

"Hey, what's your name?"

A short-haired girl sitting behind him suddenly interrupted his thoughts.

Seeing that it was a girl—especially one who was sitting alone—Jiang Xiao immediately put on his best sunny smile. "Hi, I'm Jiang Xiao."

The girl smiled, revealing adorable dimples. "I'm Xu Xuan. My parents are members of the Blue Night Spirit Master Corps."

Jiang Xiao's eyes lit up. "Wow, impressive! I've wanted to join the Blue Night Spirit Master Corps since I was a kid!"

"Really? Then do you know Xu Feng? He's my father—the one who handled the Night Ghost incident in Rong City."

Xu Xuan's eyes showed a hint of surprise, her attitude becoming noticeably warmer.

Jiang Xiao nodded vigorously. "Of course! I even saw your father on the news. I never expected to meet his daughter here. Xu Xuan, right? Can I call you Xiao Xuan? I really admire your father. Can you tell me how he became a Spirit Master?"

Xu Xuan hadn't expected to meet someone who knew about her father, and suddenly, she had more to talk about.

"You seem to know a lot! Then tell me, what was Xu Feng's first skill?"

Before Jiang Xiao could respond, Jiang Chan took off her headphones and coldly looked at him.

"..."

Jiang Xiao hadn't expected his sister to not only refuse to be his wingman but also deliberately expose him.

Xu Xuan blinked in confusion, glancing between Jiang Chan and Jiang Xiao as if she had just realized something.

The atmosphere instantly became awkward.

Jiang Xiao broke the silence first. "Sis, can't you be a little more friendly? We're all going to be classmates at Heaven's Mystery Palace."

"Funny how I never see you chatting this happily with guys," Jiang Chan shot him a disdainful look.

Jiang Xiao quickly turned back to Xu Xuan. "Xiao Xuan, well… I actually don't know what skill your father used to defeat the Night Ghost. Could you describe the scene for me?"

Shifting in his seat, he continued chatting with Xu Xuan, even giving her a nickname.

But Xu Xuan, sensing that Jiang Xiao wasn't entirely reliable, became less enthusiastic. "Jiang, which Spirit Master Corps are your parents in?"

"My parents? They're part of the Dawn Spirit Master Corps."

"What?!"

Xu Xuan suddenly gasped, then quickly covered her mouth, her big eyes filled with shock.

"The Dawn Spirit Master Corps?!"

Jiang Xiao was puzzled. "What's wrong?"

Xu Xuan's eyes sparkled with admiration. "The Dawn Spirit Master Corps is legendary! They've sealed multiple large-scale ghost domains! It's said that every Spirit Master in that group is at least Rank Six or higher! Jiang, I can't believe your parents are that powerful!"

Jiang Xiao grinned proudly. "That's right! My dream has always been to become a legendary Spirit Master like them."

Xu Xuan looked at him, her eyes reflecting the sunlight streaming through the window.

Jiang Xiao continued, "But your father is amazing too! My parents always spoke highly of the Blue Night Spirit Master Corps in their letters, especially Xu Feng's battle against the Night Ghost—it was truly inspiring."

"Really?" Xu Xuan's expression softened with emotion.

She hadn't expected that even the powerful members of the Dawn Spirit Master Corps had once praised her father.

She unconsciously leaned in closer, eager to hear more.

"Of course! If they weren't always busy with missions, my parents would have wanted to visit your family."

Jiang Xiao's eyes flickered toward Xu Xuan's chest, and he swallowed.

Wow, she's only sixteen, and already… impressive. Definitely has potential.

"I had no idea so many people respected my father..."

Xu Xuan's eyes glistened with emotion.

A parent's greatness was always a child's most precious treasure.

Jiang Xiao sighed dramatically. "It's a pity we didn't meet sooner. No wonder I felt an instant connection with you, like we were meant to know each other."

"It's okay, Jiang. Special recruits like us have a high chance of being placed in the same class," Xu Xuan reassured him.

"Really?" Jiang Xiao was skeptical. "But what if we get separated? Heaven's Mystery Palace is huge. If we lose contact, that would be such a shame. My father's biggest regret was not being able to attend your father's memorial…"

"Here's my WeChat."

Xu Xuan had already pulled out her phone.

Jiang Xiao's eyes brightened as he reached to add her.

"JIANG XIAO! I'M GOING TO RIP THAT LYING MOUTH OF YOURS APART!"

Jiang Chan finally exploded.

This guy didn't even know what a Spirit Master Corps was a few days ago, and now he was making up stories?!

Their parents had been missing for seven or eight years! And now he was using them to get a girl's contact information?

What was next? Duo-queue gaming sessions?

…

Time passed.

Thanks to Jiang Chan's "interference," Jiang Xiao didn't get to deepen his connection with Xu Xuan.

Before long, the bus entered a tunnel.

But strangely, no matter how long they drove, they never seemed to reach the end.

"Does our city even have a tunnel this long? We've been inside for nearly thirty minutes."

A buzz-cut boy frowned in confusion.

Jiang Chan also looked uneasy.

This world was full of ghosts and supernatural incidents—an endless tunnel like this couldn't help but feel ominous.

Jiang Xiao glanced out the window.

Pitch black. Not a single light.

Something's wrong. Seriously wrong.

One by one, the students pulled out their phones, trying to contact someone outside.

But to their shock, there was no signal.

Jiang Xiao turned to the driver. "Hey, sir! Is there a problem?"

"I… I don't know. This tunnel… something's wrong…"

The middle-aged driver was drenched in sweat, clearly panicking.

Even the longest tunnel should have some light at the exit.

But here, there was only darkness.

"What about the other buses?"

Jiang Xiao moved to the front, peering into the dimly lit road ahead.

The asphalt, lane markings, and curved ceiling all indicated they were still in a tunnel.

But the other buses that were ahead of them had vanished.

"They… they're gone! I don't know how, but they disappeared!" the driver stammered.

Jiang Xiao's expression darkened. "Looks like we've encountered something supernatural."

The students turned pale.

But thanks to their upbringing as Spirit Masters' children, they kept their composure.

Shing!

In unison, they summoned their Spirit Weapons—swords, shields, rifles, curved blades…

Jiang Chan gripped her high-grade spirit fan, her face tense.

"The fuel's running low. You should stop the bus," Jiang Xiao instructed.

"O-okay…"

The terrified driver complied immediately.

"Should we get off?" Jiang Xiao muttered.

Just then, eerie black text appeared in his vision:

"The dark tunnel is filled with an unknown terror. Hidden eyes are watching. You decide to step off the bus…"