Chapter 140 - 126: This Doesn’t Count!

Just as Long Yi and his group were about to leave, a small team of three arrived outside the mission hall. They wore silver armor and pure white capes, ceremonial swords adorned with the royal emblem hanging at their waists. They stopped a student to ask a few questions, indicating Long Yi’s location. Consequently, the three headed straight for Long Yi and Ai Lin.

"Are you Mr. Long Yi and Miss Ai Lin?" asked the handsome middle-aged man leading the trio, an archetypal image of suave charm and vibrant charisma.

"Yes, are you royal guards?" responded Long Yi.

"Indeed, we are royal guards. His Majesty the Emperor has entrusted us with inviting you to the royal banquet on New Year’s Eve."

With that, he produced a golden invitation from his robes, bearing the names of Long Yi and Ai Lin. Judging from the ink, it seemed to be freshly written.

"Why are we being invited?" Long Yi asked again.

The handsome man paused for a moment, seemingly taken aback. Who react with suspicion rather than excitement at a royal invitation? Nevertheless, he answered earnestly, "His Majesty is hosting a New Year’s banquet at the palace, inviting the top three teams in merit for dinner. It is an honor for distinguished students."

"I see, please thank His Majesty for us! We will certainly attend!" declared Long Yi.

"Very well, we will take our leave then!" The leader held back a laugh, while inwardly chuckling. "Please thank His Majesty," he mused, "as if they were being invited for dinner by the neighbor next door. And ’we will certainly attend,’ as if they had the audacity to decline!"

After watching the trio leave, Long Yi could not help but smile, flipping the invitation in his hand a few times before passing it to Ai Lin, who carefully put it away.

"Today is the last weekend before New Year’s Eve, and there are five days left before the big night. The academy is on winter break, where should we go?" Long Yi asked Ai Lin for her opinion.

"Why don’t we go to the Imperial City first... I... I miss my grandfather." Ai Lin hesitantly suggested.

"Sure! Let’s rest first and leave tomorrow!" Long Yi remembered that Ai Lin had a family to consider, unlike him who was all alone.

"Okay!" Ai Lin blushed at his words. They might be taken out of context, but she didn’t seem to mind nor correct him.

"Hey? Wait, where did the Fairy Dragon go?" Long Yi suddenly noticed the small creature, usually cradled in Ai Lin’s arms, was missing!

Bajie chuckled as he raised a paw and retrieved a sleeping Fairy Dragon from his storage space.

"Damn it, you just threw the Fairy Dragon into that space like it was no big deal? Is that safe?" Long Yi showed concern as he glanced at the creature, feeling its faint breath. She was sound asleep, seemingly unconscious of the relocation.

"It’s fine. Fairy Dragons have a unique affinity for spatial energy. We don’t really know why, but it seems more comfortable in Bajie’s storage space," chimed in Little Zi.

"Impressive!" Long Yi gave her a thumbs up.

"Thank you!" Little Zi graciously accepted the praise.

At that moment, Long Yi stared at Little Zi, appearing lost in thought. Little Zi grew uncomfortable under his gaze and blew a chilled breath at him, "What are you looking at, Brother Long?"

"I was thinking. As a life form of pure energy, you might be able to utilize the energy of the Crystal Core. There might be other ways to use it. But let’s have the Old Master research it first. I wouldn’t let him take you away from us, Little Zi!"

At Long Yi’s light-hearted jest, Little Zi immediately smacked him with her small fists. The group laughed as they left the hall.

"Wait, did I forget something?"

Long Yi pondered briefly.

"Nevermind, let’s just head back and sleep."

Early the next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Long Yi was deep in a dream. He dreamt that he was fighting in mid-air, the changing gravity made his heart pound and breathing difficult. Then, he dreamt that he was falling into water after being ejected, gasping for breath despite gulping down mouthfuls of water. Lastly, he dreamt that he was being smothered with a big, soft pillow as he lay pinned to a bed; being suffocated alive!

"Bastard! You’re a spy sent by Country X, aren’t you?"

In his struggle, Long Yi managed to snatch a breath, grabbing the pillow and pulling the "spy", flipping her under him.

"I don’t know what you’re talking about, Mr. Long Yi, but if you continue to harass me, your teacher might not be able to restrain her cries."

Sweet voice, familiar intonation!

A primal fear coursed through Long Yi as he shot up from the bed, crashing onto the floor.

Struggling to open his eyes, he saw a disheveled Elf Yavenny lying on the bed, her face flushed, watching him with a mischievous grin. On Yavenny’s right breast, clearly incongruous with the physique of an elf, was a discernable scratch. Her clothes had been ripped, leaving a red mark on her delicate skin!

Holy crap!

I remembered what I forgot!

I forgot the date with Elf Yavenny!

"Professor..." Long Yi got up from the floor, awkwardly wrapping the blanket around his lower body. At this point, it wasn’t an issue of using the Dragon Scale armor for cover, but the manly morning issue that had happened, further stimulated by certain influences, it was a bit hard to cool down.