Chapter 121.1 Merfolk Shore
Avoiding felt wrong but was practical.
After Wen Shi showered, he glanced at the details on the attribute panel. After some thought, he decided to visit the school clinic as a good friend, to pay a visit to the Wandering Corpse. This way, it would be easier for him to make up stories using the Wandering Corpse’s name when others asked.
Unlike regular hospitals, the school clinic didn’t smell of disinfectant. It was quite big inside, about as large as a student dorm room. The clinic had all the tools needed, and sick students could stay there to rest. The school doctor could even do small surgeries.
From the moment the Wandering Corpse was brought in, he followed Wen Shi’s orders. When he was awake, he either stared blankly or murmured “King Asa.” His actions helped keep the school principal and others at bay.
When Wen Shi came in, he first noticed a bunch of white water lilies. Lily stood at the window, arranging a bunch of flowers and chatting calmly with the Wandering Corpse.
“Having a sudden improvement in your singing voice might be because you suddenly understood something or because of genetic changes or something like that,” Lily said, smiling. “Kids shouldn’t be fixated on old-fashioned superstitions.”
After she finished speaking, she seemed to sense someone outside and turned sideways.
Wen Shi naturally changed his posture from peeking by the wall to standing at the doorway and greeted confidently, “Hello, Ma’am.”
Lily nodded, gazing at the figure outside the door.
Having just showered, his hair wasn’t perfectly styled, but strangely, Wen Shi’s skin appeared even paler. From his neck to his collarbone, every connecting point boasted the perfection of artwork.
With such delicate beauty, it was no wonder Mr. Ruan chose him.
Later, she had to go guide the students in their play. First, she casually advised, “Visiting your classmates is good, but put more effort into rehearsals too. Everyone is racing against time now.”
Wen Shi: “I will do my best.”
In his heart, he thought a simple stone didn’t need any acting skills.
Not long after Lily finished speaking, she left.
Wen Shi walked up to the water lilies, lowered his head, and touched his nose to a petal, catching a faint scent of the sea.
He pulled out a flower, then smelled the water inside the vase. It was the same fragrance.
“Did Ms. Lily ask you about the matter concerning King Asa?”
The Wandering Corpse shook his head.
Wen Shi lowered his gaze, contemplating. “It seems she doesn’t care about King Asa, only about merfolk.”
Fertility and a good singing voice were typical traits of merfolk. Lily seemed more inclined to believe that the change in the Wandering Corpse’s voice was a mutation towards high-quality merfolk. The flowers she sent were probably meant to assist, an attempt to bring out more merfolk characteristics in the Wandering Corpse.
The Wandering Corpse’s body wouldn’t be disturbed by such things. Wen Shi put the flowers back where they were.
“Me, debut,” the Wandering Corpse repeated this phrase as if it were a habitual expression.
Wen Shi reassured him, “There’s a place for you on the concert stage.”
The first batch of names had been announced, and the Wandering Corpse was on the list.
Anyone excelling in the assessment would earn a chance to perform. This was one of the rules imposed by the game on Mingzhu Academy, a rule the principal couldn’t ignore.
This morning, Wen Shi had checked the list. The players displayed their talents, and in the end, seventeen new students were selected. The Wandering Corpse stood out, being the only solo act. Others managed to sneak into the collective performances of the senior students.
“Rest for one more day, and you’ll ‘recover.'”
Once there was another batch of people trusting in King Asa, the principal wouldn’t have time to focus on the Wandering Corpse.
After giving a couple of instructions, Wen Shi saw the school doctor walking back through the window. He left the school clinic in advance.
About halfway through the concert’s opening night, the instance reached a turning point. The activity of attending classes was cut out of the daily routines of some students.
Those selected to perform could skip classes to rehearse their acts.
The teacher rarely took attendance in class, but from today onwards, there were added bonus interactions during lessons. Players who were keen on gaining daily points and competing for audience seats all arrived on time.
Of course, there were a few who didn’t attend class or participate, adopting the same strategy as Ji Yuanzhi, wanting to swap in secretly.
After leaving the school clinic, Wen Shi lingered outside the dormitory door, hoping Ji Yuanzhi would go out hunting for prey, as he wasn’t in the room.
Once again, without permission, Arlon opened the door for him. Puzzled, he asked, “Little Brother, why aren’t you coming in?”
Wen Shi managed a forced smile.
Can’t you guess why I’m not entering?
“My king has returned.” Just then, a soft voice floated out from inside.
The prayer failed. Ji Yuanzhi hadn’t left.
“……” A classic scene replayed. For a moment, Wen Shi felt like he was back in the moment he woke from hypnosis.
Wen Shi walked in with a strained smile, making an effort to salvage the situation. “The information on the panel states that the High Priest candidate’s code name will soon change from【Apostle】to 【High Priest】. It’s just a transitional phase.”
“The High Priest is the King’s first prophet,” Ji Yuanzhi recited the information from his own panel. “I have a complete promotion path here, indicating that after becoming a priest, the code name will indeed change.”
Wen Shi let out a sigh of relief.
“To become【Beneath One Person】.”
Wen Shi: “……”
If priests also had loyalty levels, Wen Shi believed Ji Yuanzhi could match the Wandering Corpse.
“There must be some benefits, right?” he cautiously asked.
“My status and power within the kingdom are considerable,” Ji Yuanzhi calmly countered, “but may I ask, what does this current kingdom have to offer?”
After listening, Wen Shi felt like burying his head in the table. Dad, I’m in trouble.
As the tension grew, Jian Qingrong got to the point. “What priest?”
In a hushed voice, Wen Shi explained briefly. Essentially, he registered a kingdom, got it officially certified, and now Ji Yuanzhi was forcefully appointed as an Apostle.
Jian Qingrong expressed undiscriminating resentment toward Ji Yuanzhi’s stroke of luck. “Could there be such good fortune?”
“……” Do you ever listen to what you’re saying?
Ji Yuanzhi could be a bit eerie when he stayed silent. Wen Shi sneakily glanced over and noticed he was scrolling through a forum on his conveniently obtained smartphone.
Just as Wen Shi was about to say something, Ji Yuanzhi’s focus shifted to the screen. “The school has issued serious warnings to five students who have consecrated themselves to King Asa. They’ve also set up a reporting system.”
Wen Shi paused, his expression suddenly growing cold. “Even with reporting, there’s no substantial evidence.”
Ji Yuanzhi placed his phone on the table. “Among them, four students were caught on camera worshipping the King Asa’s altar. The remaining student lacks evidence, but they’ve been frequently praised by teachers lately. After the report, everyone believes they were secretly worshipping what they shouldn’t have.”
After such a thunderous approach, it was no longer a matter of believing or not, but whether one dared to believe it.
After a brief silence, Wen Shi checked his panel and saw that the number of believers had decreased.
If things continued like this, he feared he’d soon revert to being the false King Arthur.
“There’s another thing,” Ji Yuanzhi mentioned the missing class representative, “I consulted with his roommate. There’s crucial information hidden in the principal’s dorm.”
“The principal somehow managed to extract the heart of the Merfolk King,” Wen Shi added, completing the information. “Perhaps there are clues related to the heart in the principal’s dorm.”
The place where the principal resided was undoubtedly one of the most perilous spots in Mingzhu Academy. If they planned to pursue this lead, they needed to brace themselves for a storm.
Arlon rubbed his chin. “Though the principal is getting old…”
Wen Shi was totally shocked. “Big Brother, you…”
When he heard the mischievous laughter, he realized it was intentional.
Indeed, Arlon was teasing him. Sometimes, when he saw Wen Shi react like a startled cat, it was rather amusing. Once the laughter subsided, he got back to business. “What are you looking for? I can help you with that.”
After careful consideration for a few seconds, Wen Shi shook his head. “I’ll go there myself.”
Critical items could only trigger the system’s identification through touch. This mystical aspect of the game needed to be taken into consideration when dealing with high-information areas. Relying on others’ hands probably wouldn’t yield much in explorations.
“However, I do want my Big Brother to help me with something else,” he looked at Jian Qingrong while adding, “It might require both of your assistance.”
Jian Qingrong asked, “To be an apostle?”
To assist the kingdom.
Wen Shi nearly bit his tongue. He had better not mention that word again. Didn’t he notice Ji Yuanzhi’s face turning dark?
He subtly adjusted his sitting position, avoiding Ji Yuanzhi’s gaze, and calmly revealed the tasks he planned to undertake later.
