Volume Two: The Youth of a Thousand Faces, Where False Seems True Chapter 113: The Arrival of the Grim Reaper

Lu Dingyuan has been feeling a bit tight lately, both in terms of money and Academy points. His own abilities are exceptional; in fact, if one were to judge solely by power level, he would be the top fire-element student at the Academy. However, he suffers from a fatal flaw: his behavior is far too detached from reality, and his logic is completely erratic. He constantly finds ways to ruin perfectly smooth situations, yet somehow manages to miraculously break through desperate dead ends. In short, his actions are entirely unpredictable.

Today, he arrived at a place rumored to have an explosion of points: the Star Club. Lu Dingyuan found it strange. Where did this "Star Club" pop up from? Wasn't the biggest and most powerful organization in the Academy supposed to be one of the "Seven Great Clubs"? What kind of club is "Star"? Could they possibly have more points than the Seven Great Clubs?

Following the map on his phone, Lu Dingyuan finally found the address for Star. He stepped out of the elevator and saw a group of people sitting around a row of sofas in the distance, seemingly in conversation. He shouted out directly, "Hey! Is this Star? I'm here for an interview!"

A man on the sofa turned his head. Seeing Lu Dingyuan, he wore a look of utter astonishment. Lu Dingyuan was equally surprised: "Hey! The Immortal!"

Huo Ye’s mouth twitched. Well, fine, at least it sounded decent—much better than "the guy with the long legs."

Lu Dingyuan was quite well-known at the Academy; practically everyone except Luo Jiajia knew him. Huo Ye skipped the introduction and gestured for Lu Dingyuan to sit. Once he had settled onto the sofa, Huo Ye spoke: "Let’s skip the small talk. 'Little Six,' you want to join our Star?"

Lu Dingyuan looked around, asking, "Yeah, yeah—hey, where’s your club president?"

"Er..." Huo Ye said, feeling a bit awkward. "I am the president." He was puzzled; their Star Club had been causing quite a stir lately, and most of it was due to the trouble he, as president, had stirred up. Logically, he should be famous throughout the school. Why was Lu Dingyuan asking such an ignorant question?

Lu Dingyuan had a sudden realization. "Oh, really? That’s impressive! So you’re the transfer student who’s the president. No wonder I suddenly heard about a super strong club appearing in the Academy."

"Heard about it? Have you not been checking the Academy news lately?" Jiang Feng asked. As an intelligence gatherer, he couldn't stand people who were cut off from information and always felt an urge to educate them.

"Academy news? I never look at that. I’m too busy working part-time; who has the time to care about that stuff?" Lu Dingyuan replied.

"I see." Huo Ye understood. He then asked, "I assume the Burning Mountain club tried to recruit you. Since you didn't agree back then, why do you suddenly want to join our Star?"

"Oh, that. They said I’d have to follow the club's schedule for everything and couldn't manage my own time. I need to work to save up for tuition—I don't have that kind of luxury. I heard you guys are small and probably don't have that many rules. My current... well, I don't have many points, so I thought I’d come here and give it a shot."

Lu Dingyuan was very honest, but he was curious. "You were in our group during the exam, weren't you? Didn't you get a thousand points? Did you spend them all that quickly?"

"No, I sold them!" Lu Dingyuan said casually. "My family situation isn't great, and I have to send money home every month. If I don't earn enough, I have to sell my points. You wouldn't believe it, but there’s no shortage of people willing to pay big money for points. I sold my thousand points for two thousand Sola!"

As soon as Lu Dingyuan said this, Alice, Shangguan Yudie, and Jiang Feng, who were all drinking tea, choked violently, their coughing echoing one after another.

Jiang Feng, still coughing, asked in disbelief, "Wait, how much did you say? Two thousand? You’ve got to be kidding me. Two thousand for a thousand points? Even if you sold them for twenty thousand, that would still be cheap, you know!"

Fengjian Liuli slowly picked up her teacup and took a sip. "So, he was scammed."

Huo Ye’s eyelid twitched. This idiot! Even he, who had only transferred here less than a month ago, knew how much points were worth in Bancroft. How dense could this guy be?

Lu Dingyuan was instantly unsettled. He sprang up and shouted, "What? I was scammed? That’s outrageous! No, I’m going to find them!"

"Hey, hey, hey, calm down. They’re still in the Academy; they aren't going anywhere. Let’s finish your interview first," Huo Ye said, trying to soothe him.

For some reason, after hearing this, Lu Dingyuan sat back down obediently, his face devoid of any anger. Huo Ye was surprised—was he really that easy to reason with?

Huo Ye turned to the others and said, "Usually, our rule is to decide qualifications through a duel, but for someone like Little Six, we can skip the fighting. Let’s just vote." No one had any objections; Lu Dingyuan’s strength was plain for all to see, so there was no need for a test.

And so, they voted on the spot, and Lu Dingyuan was accepted unanimously.

"Congratulations, Little Six. From now on, you’re a member of Star." As soon as Huo Ye finished speaking, Lu Dingyuan bolted out of the room toward the elevator. It didn't take a genius to know he was off to settle his debts.

Everyone looked at each other in silence. Had they been a bit too rash in their decision to let such a person join the club?

Later, they learned that Lu Dingyuan had indeed managed to get his money back. He was just a bit scatterbrained, not truly stupid. When words failed him, he simply resorted to force, and there were very few people in all of Bancroft who could beat him. Regardless, from that day on, Star had gained another powerful asset.

***

In Principal Old Jack’s office, he was leisurely sipping coffee while reading a book titled *Rhapsody of a Rainy Night*. "Young people these days, both cultured and formidable. Good, truly good."

"Knock, knock, knock." Hearing the sound, Old Jack set down his book and said, "Come in." He had expected the visitor to be Jiang Tong. The recent arrival of Eddie’s son had caused a series of ripples, leaving Jiang Tong, the director, scrambling in a frenzy, constantly coming to him to discuss matters.

But to his surprise, the person who walked through the door left Old Jack stunned with joy. "Oh, Eddie! My God, how did you get here?"

The person who entered was none other than Old Jack’s star pupil, the Disaster Reaper, Eddie Halls. Following behind him was his wife, Vivian Halls.

Eddie greeted him with solemn respect: "It has been a long time, Principal. How is your health?"

Vivian, meanwhile, greeted him with a lively bounce: "Hi! Principal Jack, how have you been lately!" Although Vivian was over forty, she was remarkably well-preserved, looking as if she were in her early thirties. With long, shoulder-length white hair, clear blue eyes, a refined nose, and skin as smooth as cream, her cheerful smile was just as radiant as it had been in her youth. She had possessed this vibrant personality since her student days, and Alice inherited her mother’s cuteness entirely.

"Good, good, good, everything is fine. It’s wonderful to have you here! Come, sit down!" The pride of the Academy had returned, and Old Jack was overjoyed, rushing to seat them. Remembering the coffee he had just brewed, he prepared to get up and pour them a cup.

Vivian insisted, "Principal, please sit. Let me do it." She agilely went to fetch the cups and the coffee pot, pouring three servings.

Old Jack joked, "To what do I owe the pleasure of the Grand Commander finding time to visit me?" Though he said this, he was secretly delighted. Ever since Eddie became the strongest human on Earth, he had spent more and more time dealing with administrative duties and combat. Facing so many dangers and faces, he hadn't returned to his alma mater to visit privately in a long time. As both his principal and his mentor, Old Jack naturally hoped to see Eddie more often; after all, their bond ran deep.

"These last few years have indeed been filled with many things to attend to, and I have neglected you. I hope you can forgive me." Eddie was humble in front of his elders. When dealing with Shangguan Qingcai, he was more like a long-time friend with whom he could bicker without hesitation, expressing his frustrations without fear of damaging their bond—a relationship built on mutual mockery from the very start.

Thinking of Shangguan Qingcai, Eddie felt a flare of irritation. That old man had insisted on getting his personal approval before he would forge a weapon for his son. "Get your approval? Isn't the approval of the Black Death God enough?!"

Old Jack understood. "I understand, I understand. You’re a Grand Commander; it’s only natural that your duties are heavy. This old man isn't worth much of a visit, so I’m satisfied just seeing you occasionally. However, I suspect you didn't come here just to visit me." As they say, wisdom comes with age, and Old Jack saw through Eddie’s intentions instantly.

"You really do know Eddie best. Let me explain. Our Eddie is worried about our two children. Even though they’ve been in boarding school since they were young, we’ve always taught them a lot during the holidays. Now that Huo Ye has transferred to Bancroft, he wants to take advantage of the time they have left at the school to teach them everything we can. Since Bancroft has the best training conditions, we decided to come here temporarily as teachers, specifically to instruct our two children." Vivian explained their true purpose.

"Oh, oh, oh! That’s a wonderful thing! But what about the Hunting Group?" Old Jack asked.

Eddie replied, "Before I came, I handed over my work to Janos. He will handle things for me while I am away. Besides, I won't let Huo Ye stay at Bancroft for the full three years. His strength is already sufficient to become a warrior of the Disaster Hunting Group. I am only here to help him complete his final sprint. In one year, or a year and a half at most, I will have him officially become a soldier."

Upon hearing this, Old Jack sighed and wore a melancholy expression. "Each generation produces new talent; these vibrant, heaven-gifted youths keep emerging one after another, making an old man about to retire forget just how old he really is. There has truly never been a genius in Bancroft’s history who could meet the graduation requirements ahead of schedule. Very well, teach them if you can. A fledgling eagle must eventually spread its wings and soar, especially your child—he belongs in a much higher, much further sky."