Chapter 144: The Unusual Shi Ji

Shi Ji was a smart person, and Lin Xinyan could confirm this. For him to say such things, he must have experienced something significant.

Indeed, they’d known each other for quite some time now, yet neither knew much about the other’s family background. She had never asked Shi Ji about his past, and he had never asked about hers.

Hearing Shi Ji’s words, Lin Xinyan couldn’t help but feel concerned.

“Shi Ji… did you experience something unpleasant in the past?”

Shi Ji didn’t avoid the question. He gave a faint smile, but this smile had a hint of bitterness.

“Everyone has unpleasant experiences. I’m no different. But… I’m sorry, Lin Xinyan, I don’t want to talk about it. Maybe someday in the future, I’ll tell you.”

Since Shi Ji didn’t want to explain, Lin Xinyan didn’t press further. Everyone has their own secrets, and Shi Ji needed his own space.

Seeing Shi Ji now feeling somewhat down and not as carefree as usual was very unusual. To Lin Xinyan, Shi Ji was always a cheerful, carefree, and sunny young man. Whatever unhappy experiences he had might have impacted his whole life. She hoped he could let it go.

However, many people wish they could let go of painful memories. The more they try to let go, the more they realize that such experiences are deeply etched in their hearts. The more they try to forget, the more they end up dwelling on them.

Noticing the atmosphere becoming tense, Lin Xinyan quickly responded.

“Oh right, we’ll be comrades from now on. Let’s work hard together!”

At this, Shi Ji suddenly laughed, the bitterness disappearing from his face.

“We’ve been comrades since we faced Gesila, haven’t we?”

Shi Ji was right. From that moment on, they had indeed been comrades.

For a moment, they both smiled at each other.

That afternoon, Lin Xinyan and Shi Ji contacted Xing Yuxiu and Chi Yang.

Xing Yuxiu and Chi Yang were respectively B-rank and C-rank heroes. Given Chi Yang’s strength, moving up to B-rank wouldn’t be an issue.

After the battle at the amusement park, the group grew even closer. They decided to rest for a night at the academy and head to the city on alert the next day.

Shi Lin was aware of their plans. Since she wasn’t a hero yet, she could only wish Shi Ji and the others a safe return.

Even though there were no classes the next day, Shi Ji didn’t stay up late. He went to bed early.

Lin Xinyan’s question earlier in the day had brought back memories. Thinking about Lin Xinyan, Shi Ji suddenly smiled.

“Enthusiastic, generous, gentle, caring… Xinyan is really a lot like her.”

***

Under the night sky, under the moonlight, a solitary figure stood alone yet not lonely.

Deep into the night, the bright moon hung high, and a cool breeze blew gently.

Divine Hunter’s style was to act alone, hiding in unexpected places and waiting for the right moment. He was often by himself, and often out of sight, impossible to find. Divine Hunter disliked being constrained, so his communication device was usually turned off.

Divine Hunter now stood on top of a tall building, staring into the distance, lost in thought.

Yesterday’s failure was a stain on his record. How could a mere student from Yinshuang Academy have beaten him?

“I was too careless. I underestimated that kid. He actually dared to ambush me and steal my bow and arrows. Next time we meet, I’ll show him.”

Divine Hunter had considered going to Yinshuang Academy to find Shi Ji yesterday. But going there openly would mean people would think he was petty for holding a grudge against a student, which would ruin his reputation. After some hesitation, he gave up on the idea.

“Forget it. I’ll let that go for now. I heard there were some anomalies at the amusement park during the day. Missed that too. I should have kept the Star Alliance communicator on to get the latest updates in real-time.”

As he spoke, he took out the communicator from his pocket and pressed the power button.

The communicator quickly turned on. It immediately started receiving various messages. Among them, there were several notifications in the private notice section.

Curious, Hunter opened them.

“Congratulations to A-level Hero Hunter for successfully killing a Nether-level aberration. Hero points awarded…”

“Congratulations to A-level Hero Hunter for successfully killing multiple anomalies of Human, Demon, and Nether levels. Hero points awarded…”

“Congratulations to A-level Hero Hunter for reaching the promotion threshold for S-level Hero. Please proceed to the Star Alliance for your promotion test.”