Translator: AkazaTL

Proofreader/Editor: JWyck

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Chapter 307

Wu Mingbai likely wouldn’t return anytime soon. It was still early, not even lunchtime, so naturally, no one would stay quietly in their rooms waiting for him. After chatting in the dining hall, they decided to explore the castle together.

This was a privilege other tourists to Yafei Kingdom couldn’t enjoy. Most people couldn’t even enter the castle, only able to take photos from outside.

Since he had something to ask Feng Lan, Su Bei teamed up with him. It was free exploration, with no rule on group size, so after agreeing, they headed straight to the stairs.

“Did you make a prophecy?” In a secluded spot, Su Bei asked directly.

As expected, Feng Lan nodded. Without asking why Su Bei, who also had prophetic abilities, was asking him, he simply replied, “Yes, it’s dangerous. I saw landslides and earthquakes…”

Landslides and earthquakes sounded terrifying indeed. Su Bei’s eyes widened in surprise: “And you still came?”

If not for the comic’s threat, knowing there was trouble here, he’d never have come. Wasn’t staying home relaxing? If he wanted to travel, there were countless cities and countries to choose from. Why pick one guaranteed to have trouble?

While Feng Lan’s reason for avoiding danger differed from Su Bei’s, he was generally the type to steer clear of risks. Prophetic Ability users understood the principle of not standing under a crumbling wall best.

This wasn’t cowardice or selfishness; their Ability destined them to stay safe in the rear. Prophetic Abilities only create value when the users are alive, especially when they contribute less on the battlefield than an average Attack Track user.

But their paths converged—they weren’t the type to knowingly walk into danger. So why was Feng Lan willing to come?

“I came to make a prophecy for the King. Prophecies involving a nation carry more weight if I deliver them in person,” Feng Lan said, unusually talkative.

Su Bei understood immediately. This involved a national matter. If Feng Lan didn’t come himself, the Yafei Kingdom’s King might not believe him. In the Ability world, there were too many ways to fake information.

Even if they didn’t doubt the message came from the Feng Family, Yafei Kingdom might suspect the Feng Family was spreading false information. Only by having Feng Lan, the family head, take the risk himself could they fully trust the message.

What Su Bei didn’t expect was that Feng Lan’s personal visit also served another purpose. Even if Yafei Kingdom unconditionally believed him, without him as living proof, they might not allocate many resources to prepare for ordinary citizens’ safety.

The Feng Family, used to dealing with such figures, knew well that for many higher-ups, their own lives and wealth were paramount. Citizens? To them, they were expendable, dying as needed.

Since it was a future event, even if they got the message early, so what? As long as they didn’t admit to knowing, the citizens couldn’t blame them.

But Feng Lan’s presence changed that. If he was here, he was clearly here to tell the King something. If the King did nothing and the event happened, the Feng Family could use this as evidence to accuse Yafei Kingdom of inaction.

They didn’t risk their family head for a “nothing happened” outcome.

This was why the Feng Family, a prophetic clan, held international prestige. They didn’t just use their Abilities for personal gain. For matters involving a nation or the world, they provided information freely.

Saving the world was their creed.

At the staircase, Su Bei looked up and down. The stairs on both sides were similar, differing only slightly in color. Though he had a plan, he still wanted his teammate’s opinion: “Up or down?”

“Either’s fine,” Feng Lan said, indifferent.

Su Bei decided, “Then down it is.”

They were on the third floor, so it wouldn’t take long to reach the bottom.

He chose down based on Weather Butler’s earlier words.

First, he needed to clarify his goal: finding the guardian deity Gao Di An Zhuo. The most likely place was the castle, which was why he was willing to explore.

Weather Butler said the top two floors were off-limits. By conventional thinking, those forbidden floors were the most likely to hide traces of the guardian deity.

But anyone who heard that would think the same, meaning everyone exploring the castle would head to the top floors. How foolish would Yafei Kingdom’s royals be to actually hide the guardian deity there?

This differed from the widely known fact that the guardian deity was in the castle. A castle was vast, much harder to search than two floors.

The castle stood openly, giving an impression of fearlessness. While sealing off the top two floors seemed like stricter confidentiality, to Su Bei, it felt like a deliberate misdirection.

Most importantly, Weather Butler said one form of the guardian deity was a face protruding from a stone wall. Assuming he wasn’t lying, where would a stone wall be? Likely underground.

Su Bei planned to check the castle’s basement. If there was anything there, his Ability would find it.

“You’re going out?” Feng Lan asked, surprised, clearly misunderstanding.

“No way,” Su Bei smiled, shaking his head meaningfully. “Compared to outside, the castle’s much more interesting.”

Though he aimed for the basement, Su Bei didn’t rush. He leisurely explored the second and first floors, checking every open room, acting full of curiosity.

After finishing both floors, he approached a maid on the first floor, asking curiously but politely, “Hello, is there anything in the castle’s basement?”

He paused deliberately. Seeing wariness in her eyes, he continued naturally, “Like the underground prisons you see in fairy tales!”

Maid: “…”

Su Bei’s mischievous, curious boy persona was firmly established. The maid found it amusing and let her guard down: “Sorry, guest, Yafei Kingdom sends criminals to external prisons through the judicial system. We don’t need underground prisons.”

“Oh, like that…” Su Bei looked disappointed, then asked, “Is there a basement? We’d like to see it.”

Still not giving up, the maid thought. She nodded helplessly, figuring they’d give up once they saw no prison: “Of course, but the staircase is hidden. If you want to go, follow me.”

She was willing to take them to the first basement level because it wasn’t a place that needed secrecy. According to Weather Butler, the staircase was concealed because the basement was a storage room for miscellaneous items, unattractive and uninteresting, so they hid it to prevent curious visitors on open days from going down and being disappointed.

She often cleaned the first basement level, so she knew he was right—it was just a storeroom.

The staircase was behind a large vase. Moving the vase revealed the entrance. In the first basement level, they saw brown cardboard boxes and broken furniture, clearly a storeroom.

The maid had no intention of staying to accompany them, as she had her own work. After bringing them down, she bowed and left.

Feng Lan didn’t ask why Su Bei wanted to come here, quietly walking along the walls. Su Bei didn’t mind him, using his Ability to observe, occasionally tapping boxes to check for contents.

After a round, finding nothing but a small rat, Su Bei sighed. He’d prepared himself for not finding the guardian deity on the first day, but the lack of clues still disappointed him.

“Let’s go up,” he said, not lingering, and led Feng Lan back.

Only then did Feng Lan speak: “What about you? What did you foresee?”

The question was abrupt, but Su Bei understood and answered, “There might be something I want here.”

When he asked Feng Lan about his prophecy, he was ready for the reverse question. Feng Lan hadn’t asked then, so he didn’t say. Unexpectedly, he asked now.

Feng Lan’s eyes showed a thoughtful look, then he asked, “Need help?”

Su Bei was briefly tempted but shook his head: “Thanks, but no. Save your Ability for a more critical moment.”

Feng Lan’s [Prophecy] had a long cooldown. If used now, he might not get another prophecy before they left Yafei Kingdom.

Finding the guardian deity wasn’t urgent for Su Bei. The driver revealed that royal members needed the guardian deity’s approval, meaning Wu Mingbai would definitely see it.

Since the guardian deity would appear, Su Bei would have a chance to find it. So he wasn’t in a hurry. Using Feng Lan’s precious prophecy now felt like a waste.

Wu Mingbai returned in the evening, having eaten lunch and dinner with his family, with no chance to check in. At seven p.m., he finally joined everyone.

Su Bei was lying in bed, browsing the “Destiny” organization’s database, when his Mental Energy sensed movement in the corridor. He opened the door and saw Wu Mingbai approaching.

Wu Mingbai was surprised to see him: “Why’d you come out?”

“My Mental Energy sensed you,” Su Bei shrugged, walking beside him. “Did you see the guardian deity today?”

Compared to family he’d just met, Wu Mingbai valued his friends more, so he didn’t hide anything: “No, but I learned some info. After the recognition banquet in two days, I should see it in person.”

“What info?” Su Bei’s interest piqued.

But Wu Mingbai didn’t answer immediately, instead directing, “Help me gather everyone first. I think they’ll be interested too. Also, I have some plans for the next few days. I specifically told… Mother I’d tell you myself.”

The castle rooms were well soundproofed; shouting outside wouldn’t be heard. They had to knock on each door.

After finally gathering everyone in Jiang Tianming’s room, Wu Mingbai, among friends, got straight to the point: “For the next few days, I’ll be taking crash courses in etiquette, so I can’t join you. But Mother said the butler will arrange your food, lodging, and travel, so don’t worry. You’re all invited to the recognition banquet the day after tomorrow. Just eat and drink—no photos, please. If anyone mocks me with photos afterward, I’ll sneak into your room at night to assassinate you. After the banquet, I’ll see the guardian deity. Mother said no photos or bringing you along, so I can’t help it. But I can tell you what it looks like afterward.”

After spilling everything, he let out a relieved breath, smiling naively: “Don’t be nervous, I’ll…”

“Nervous? You’re the nervous one, right?” Jiang Tianming interrupted, stepping forward to pinch Wu Mingbai’s cheeks, flattening his smile. “What’s got you so nervous?”

Lan Subing also noticed her friend’s anxiety, her blue eyes filled with concern, following Jiang Tianming: “Feeling out of place here? Or are your siblings bullying you?”

It was obvious to everyone that the King and Queen genuinely accepted him, but his siblings’ feelings were less certain, with many showing hostility.

Caught off guard by their directness, Wu Mingbai paused, pursed his lips, and admitted honestly, “I feel a bit out of place. They haven’t done anything to me, just tested me. I’m nervous mostly because… I’m not used to this castle, the servants, Yafei Kingdom’s language, and… these relatives.”

Since they’d called him out, he spoke with a touch of recklessness. In short, he wasn’t used to the new home. He’d once fantasized about having family when he was an orphan, but now that they appeared, it felt strange.

His siblings’ probing wasn’t a big deal to him. Despite blood ties, they were strangers after over a decade, especially with potential conflicts of interest. Probing was normal. In fact, it was what he was most used to.

Jiang Tianming calmly patted his shoulder: “Take these days to adjust. Talk to them more. If you really can’t adapt, it’s fine. You’ll be back by the start of school at the latest, right?”

That made sense, and Wu Mingbai felt enlightened. He had no plans to stay here, no matter what his parents or siblings were like. He’d always return. His home country was where he truly fit in, and these friends were the ones he acknowledged. Even if Yafei Kingdom was great and his family was wonderful, he couldn’t abandon over a decade of his past to stay.

While they comforted Wu Mingbai, Su Bei sat in a corner, asking Feng Lan, “When are you telling the King?”

“Tomorrow,” Feng Lan replied, clearly having planned it. “While you’re out sightseeing.”

Su Bei thought but didn’t say much. He’d considered asking Feng Lan to inquire about the guardian deity, as landslides and earthquakes likely involved it. Everyone knew Gao Di An Zhuo’s primary ability was stabilizing Yafei Kingdom’s land. A prophecy of disaster likely meant something was wrong with it, and asking could yield answers.

But on second thought, there’d likely be another comic update before the event, probably covering this plot. Even if Feng Lan didn’t ask, the author’s habit meant related topics would arise, and Su Bei could get answers from the comic without needing to prompt.

“What’s that about?” Zhao Xiaoyu, who’d been listening, asked curiously.

Though they kept their voices low, at this distance, Ability users could hear even whispers.

Feng Lan didn’t hide it. Seeing others look over, he spoke at normal volume, explaining the prophecy.

Hearing a major disaster was imminent in Yafei Kingdom, everyone’s expressions changed. Class Monitor Mu Tieren frowned, standing up: “Should we tell the teachers first?”

Before anyone else spoke, Si Zhaohua shook his head: “This is Yafei Kingdom’s matter. Telling our teachers or even our country’s Ability government won’t help. Like Feng Lan, telling Yafei Kingdom’s leaders directly is the right move.”

That made sense. Mu Tieren sighed, uncertainly looking at the others and Wu Mingbai: “So what do we do next?”

His question was clear: knowing Yafei Kingdom faced danger, should they stay? If it was a Nightmare Beast attack, they could be useful. But for a natural disaster, except for Wu Mingbai with his Earth Element, the rest seemed to be of little use.

After thinking, Mu Tieren added, “I want to stay, maybe help with rescue work, but it depends on your opinions.”

“…I want to leave. I’ll tell Teacher Meng when I get back. Maybe you’ll see me in the follow-up rescue team,” Zhao Xiaoyu said after a second’s silence, speaking before others could. She knew if others spoke first, it’d be harder for her to say.

After over a year together, she knew her classmates well. Most would want to stay. As Mu Tieren said, they could help with rescue. Ability users had strong physiques and self-preservation skills, making them ideal for this. Her hot-blooded classmates wouldn’t retreat.

But Zhao Xiaoyu didn’t want to stay. Though [Happiness] could be useful here, her Mental Energy couldn’t cover a wide area or inspire many. A disaster like landslides and earthquakes was dangerous, and she didn’t want to die abroad. As a realist, even as an Ability user, she wouldn’t sacrifice her life for others. Facing unknown dangers, she prioritized her safety.

Follow-up rescue would be safer, with the danger mostly over. She could do logistics, which she was fine with.

She spoke first because she knew many would choose to stay. If they all said they’d stay and she said she’d leave, it’d seem out of place.

So it was better to speak first. That way, even if others stayed, she wouldn’t feel awkward. Plus, opening the “leave” option might get others to follow.

Sure enough, Zhou Renjie immediately agreed: “I don’t want to stay either. I can organize a fundraiser back home for money or supplies for the victims here.”

Li Shu glanced at Jiang Tianming, sighing dramatically: “I’ll stay. Otherwise, not seeing interesting friends for over a month would make me lonely.”

No doubt he wanted to leave, but Jiang Tianming would stay. Feeling he could protect himself, Li Shu decided to stay. As he said, a week or two apart was fine, but over a month was too long. What if Jiang Tianming secretly improved during that time?

Jiang Tianming: “…”

Speechless for a moment, he gave his answer: “I’ll stay. Anyone else not staying? Most of us are probably staying.”

Indeed, no one else raised their hand. Except for Zhao Xiaoyu and Zhou Renjie, everyone wanted to stay.

After a moment, everyone’s eyes silently turned to Su Bei. He knew what they wanted to ask, flashing a fake smile: “What’s wrong with me staying?”

No one bought it. Ai Baozhu asked bluntly, “Why would you stay? To save people?”

Of course, it was to find the guardian deity. Su Bei figured, per the author’s plot, he’d likely see Gao Di An Zhuo around the time Yafei Kingdom’s incident occurred, so he had to stay.

But he couldn’t say that. Maintaining his fake smile, he said grandly, “Of course to save people!”

“Thanks for treating us like idiots,” Ai Baozhu rolled her eyes.

Jiang Tianming studied Su Bei for a moment before turning to Wu Mingbai: “The rest of us want to stay. After Feng Lan tells the King, he might want us to leave. Can you help persuade him?”

Seeing Wu Mingbai hesitate, Lan Subing said quietly, “You don’t think we’ll actually leave, do you?”

Wu Mingbai immediately dropped the idea, saying helplessly yet touched, “I’ll talk to him.”