Proofreader & Editor: Peter Pan
"Custom skin badge?"
Chronicle muttered to himself as he carefully stowed away the iron box.
It seemed to be a kind of badge used for "disguising," perfect for those like the sneaky Six who preferred to remain anonymous while casting blame on others.
"I, Chronicle, a model student from the Land of Peach, certified by the Alliance as 'morally upright,' am certainly not the type to stir up trouble."
"But as the old saying goes: 'In fierce storms, some commit arson and murder, some saves the suffering and the distressed'…"
"No, that's not right. The Taoist scripture says: 'The timid live a thousand years, the brave do not gain a head start.'"
"The world is treacherous, and human hearts are complex."
"Yes, I am of good character, 'never' the one to provoke others, but that doesn't mean others won't provoke me."
"Nowadays, the world has gone bad, with scoundrels in power and Rampage running amok, picking on 'honest' folks like me."
"For self-preservation, having multiple disguises is indeed necessary."
"Especially with the finals approaching, Goldman that kid has the look of a 'cultured thug,' a 'wolf in sheep's clothing,' and Ren Wang is tall and fierce-looking, who knows how they might plot against me."
Thinking this, Chronicle couldn't help but feel righteous indignation:
What a terrible world.
Considering himself straightforward, he had lived for many years without doing anything against his conscience.
Just participating in a competition, and barely reaching the semi-finals, those villains had already started scheming against him in their speculations.
"This is intolerable, utterly intolerable."
"If heaven is blind, then let me uphold justice and restore order!"
With these thoughts, Chronicle's face showed determination.
Seeing his reaction, Xie Wenyuan couldn't help but smile.
As one of the shrewdest people in Qingshan, just by observing the change in Chronicle's eyes, he could roughly guess the boy's thought process.
"Pretending to be the victim after pushing others into the gutter, then self-righteously kicking and punching them while standing on a moral high ground…"
"Such thick skin, harder to find than top-tier card-making talent."
"Land of Peach in Qingshan… truly a place 'where outstanding people gather.'"
With that thought, Xie Wenyuan couldn't help but laugh.
At this moment, Chronicle noticed the black lines on his arm and couldn't help but ask, "Uncle Yuan, what's that…"
How long has it been since you bathed?
Considering he had just accepted a favor, he swallowed the second half of his question.
"Scenic poison."
Xie Wenyuan answered succinctly, then pulled his sleeve back down.
Seeing Chronicle's solemn expression, he added, "It's not contagious."
"Ah," Chronicle pretended not to hear clearly, asking with concern, "It's not serious, is it?"
"Yep, almost healed."
Xie Wenyuan nodded, sweat dripping down his glasses.
With his cultivation level, he could battle an opponent of similar strength for three days and nights without using Legion, Domain, or Territory cards and not be particularly tired.
But now, just a few minutes of fighting a small fry had given him a headache and pain deep in his bones.
Such was the power of Scenic poison.
Once afflicted, even the toughest of men would be worn down to nothing.
And the Scenic poison in Xie Wenyuan was no ordinary kind, but a terrifying curse imbued with the will of the Scenic gods.
Besides the endless pain, every midnight he would hear chaotic whispers mixed with the howling of the forest and the cries of beasts.
It was a grand and eerie experience, with every word trying to unravel his sanity.
If it weren't for the protection of the "Yellow Belt," with his current level of cultivation, he might have already needed the funeral package that Chronicle had prepared for him.
"Alas, if this old body succumbs to Scenic poison, death is but an end. Just dig a hole in any of the hundred thousand green hills and bury me."
"But you're different."
"You're young and have a bright future. Don't rashly kill a major Scenic demon or a Scenic god without the protection of emotional support cards, just for a moment of satisfaction."
"Otherwise, even if you remove the Scenic poison, your body will be corroded beyond repair, your luck in the secret realms will plummet, and all sorts of disasters will come one after another, making it difficult to take even a step."
Chronicle nodded solemnly upon hearing this, "I understand, Uncle Yuan."
Xie Wenyuan waved his hand, unable to suppress a laugh, thinking his worries were superfluous.
Even if Chronicle got angry, he'd probably use tricks to make those who opposed him kill the major Scenic demons.
Killing two birds with one stone.
The likelihood of him taking action was almost zero.
"Go back and rest early."
"I see that the other kids competing with you are about to arrive in this area, I'll go check on them first to prevent any accidents."
With that, he flung his coat and vanished into the clouds.
Seeing this, Chronicle decisively activated the skill effect of Colorful Play – Fairy Rope, grasping the rope and sliding down quickly, landing steadily on the ground.
Looking up, he arrived by the artificial lake of the hotel.
"This skill is really suitable for escaping."
Chronicle nodded to himself, retracting the skill card with a wave of his hand.
Under the protection of Seven Brothers and Eight Brothers, he entered the hotel.
***
Despite it being past one in the morning, the Qingshan Cup contestants' group, the Land of Peach unified training group, and the Third High School elite class group were all chatting.
"Did you guys hear the commotion in the south of the city just now? I saw someone in a small group saying that the Scenic Order has made a move."
"Ah, can we still go home these next few days? I saw the association has cut off all the recent transport services."
"Then let's stay here a few more days. The organizers just announced that we, the top sixteen contestants who haven't left the city yet, are allowed to watch the semi-finals. I'm actually quite interested."
"Damn, I got turned into a porcupine by a cavalry team during 'Desert Capture the Flag' and got eliminated early, so I don't qualify to watch the semi-finals."
"Hey, the next round's pairings are out: Goldman vs. Lü Re, Ren Wang vs. Chronicle… Eh, who's this Lü Re?"
"During the thirty-two to sixteen round, he seemed to rank seventh or eighth, not very good at making Legion cards, only started to stand out in the last two rounds."
"He's also lucky. If Yu Anran and Yan Lou hadn't run into Chronicle, he probably wouldn't have made it to the top four."
"Stop being sour, luck is also part of strength. Besides, anyone who makes it to the top eight is strong, there's no luck involved there."
"He's strong, but this is as far as he goes. Goldman's performance in the previous rounds was second only to Chronicle, and his Domain card level is also quite solid, with few able to contend."
"Ren Wang is the real unlucky one, facing the 'demon king' Chronicle in his weakest event, it's just too sad."
"Sad? There's plenty of experts in creating Domain cards in his circle, knowing that the semi-finals will be about this, wouldn't they help him in advance?"
Chronicle brushed his teeth while scrolling through the group chat history.
The chat bubbles, long and short, flowed past, and a wealth of information flooded into his mind.
"Ren Wang… that guy dressed like a Kamen Rider?"