She did not dwell on his absence for long, simply adjusting her pace as she continued her steady trek out of the tranquil borders of the Inscriber Division. Even though the veil of darkness had already settled heavily over the academy grounds, the sprawling area was still teeming with life, filled with students moving busily to and fro between the various divisions and dormitories.

Bai Xifeng made her way toward the restaurant at a relaxed, unhurried pace. From a considerable distance, she easily spotted the familiar group waiting for her at an outdoor table. It appeared that her arrival was a significant event, as several other members of the Xie Family were also in attendance, adding to the size of the gathering.

"Xifeng... over here!" Xie Lanying shouted, waving her arm energetically the very moment she caught sight of her friend’s silhouette in the moonlight.

Bai Xifeng walked over to their table, noticing that the restaurant was already quite crowded and exceptionally lively for this hour. The moment she was recognised by the other students, hushed whispers immediately began to ripple through the room once again, all centred on the sensational and morbid rumours regarding her supposed demise. She ignored the stares and the gossip without the slightest outward reaction, calmly pulling out a chair and taking her seat as if she had not been the subject of a campus-wide funeral watch.

"I knew it. It is simply impossible for someone like Xifeng to die so easily." Xie Jingguo declared confidently, his face splitting into a wide, triumphant grin.

"Can you try to speak properly for once in your life?" Xie Lanying retorted sharply, punctuating her words by smacking Xie Jingguo firmly on the shoulder.

"Ouch! Lanying, you really do not know your own strength. That hit actually hurt." Xie Jingguo complained, already rubbing the sore spot while wearing an exaggerated, wounded pout.

"What exactly happened out there?" Xie Zixin asked, cutting through the bickering to look at Bai Xifeng with a serious and searching expression that demanded the truth.

A heavy, expectant silence gradually fell over the group as everyone leaned in, waiting for Bai Xifeng to speak. It was not only Ning Shoukai and the Xie Family members who were hanging on her every word. Even the students seated at the neighbouring tables had quieted down significantly, their ears subtly angled toward her as they waited to hear the true account of the incident.

"I went out to complete a simple quest. The objective was merely to collect Xien Stone, which seemed straightforward enough at the time." Bai Xifeng began, her voice remaining perfectly steady as her fabricated story flowed as smoothly as water over stone. "I reached the cave and dealt with the beasts guarding the entrance. After that, I felt a strange and unsettling sensation deep in my gut. My instincts warned me not to venture any deeper into the tunnels. At first, I did not think much of it and decided to rest outside for a while before heading in later. However, while I was waiting, the ground suddenly began to shake violently. I went to investigate the source and discovered a massive, yawning hole where the cave had once stood. It looked as if a giant, heavenly hand had reached down and scooped the entire cavern straight out of the earth. Seeing that there was nothing left for me to do there, I simply turned around and left."

"Then how did the rumours of your death manage to spread across the school so quickly?" Ning Shoukai asked, his brow furrowed in genuine confusion.

"I honestly do not know. I wonder myself who would spread such a baseless thing?" Bai Xifeng replied with a careless and indifferent shrug of her shoulders.

In truth, she already had a very good guess as to exactly who had started those rumours. However, she had no intention of entertaining the matter or wasting her energy seeking that person out for a confrontation. It did not affect her reputation in the slightest, and she had far more important matters to focus her attention on.

"That person is probably just miserably jealous of our Xifeng." Xie Lanying chuckled lightly, dismissing the phantom rumour-monger with a wave of her hand.

"Xifeng, you mentioned a giant hole earlier. Do you mean to say the entire Xien Stone Cave has just... disappeared entirely?" Xie Zixin asked, her curiosity clearly piqued by the bizarre description.

"Yeah... like I said... it was a massive, empty hole. It was as if someone had scooped the entire cave out of the place." Bai Xifeng nodded, picking up a pair of clean chopsticks.

She reached for a dish of vibrant, stir-fried greens. ’Hmm... not bad at all... I should try to cook this myself later,’ she mused silently, chewing thoughtfully while evaluating the balance of flavours.

"Hmm... I suppose the school administration will send a specialised investigation team there soon. We do not need to worry too much about those anomalies ourselves." Xie Lanying said, finally relaxing.

After finishing their hearty meal, the group began to disperse, intending to return to their respective rooms for the night. However, Bai Xifeng suddenly remembered something of great importance. She quickly turned around and rushed toward Ning Shoukai before he could disappear into the crowd.

"Shoukai, are you busy with anything urgent right now?" Bai Xifeng asked with smiling eyes.

"No... not immediately, but I plan to head to the armament room later to get some extra study in." Ning Shoukai replied, looking a bit surprised by her sudden approach.

"I have something good for you. Do you want it?" Bai Xifeng leaned closer, whispering the tempting offer softly into Ning Shoukai’s ear.

***This novel is a contracted work with w e b n o v e l. c o m. If you do not read this novel on w e b n o v e l. c o m, that means it has been stolen. Thank you, from your shameless author, ZerahNeko*