Myriad Realms Gatekeeper

Chapter 148: Chapter 140 Song Qingyun

Did Xiao Mengyu prepare the clothes?

"Great! Thanks a lot." Shen Ye said.

"I'm having a meal in the dining hall. Before the assembly on the sports ground, I'll come find you first," Xiao Mengyu said.

"Then I'll wait for you to come."

"Hmm, see you in a bit."

The phone call ended.

The phone rang again.

"A Yi?"

"We're group buying that soldier uniform; you can wear it tonight. Do you want one?"

Soldier uniform?

Shen Ye recalled the uniforms of ancient soldiers on the sports ground.

Its style was quite convenient, but there was a "Bravery" character on the chest, which was a bit too showy.

My Chaotic Heaven Gate prefers to keep a low profile, better not.

"Forget it, no need. I've got clothes," Shen Ye said.

"Okay, see you at the assembly!" Zhang Xiaoyi said.

The phone call ended.

The phone rang again.

"What's up?" Shen Ye answered the phone, puzzled.

"I just saw a message—Song Qingyun said she wants to explain everything to you, tonight at the welcome party!" Xiao Mengyu said.

Her tone was laden with intense murderous intent.

"I've been insanely busy these past two days, so I forgot to mention this to you, but how did you find out?" Shen Ye asked.

"It's spread everywhere, seems like everybody already knows!" Xiao Mengyu said.

"But I didn't tell anyone—could it have been her?" Shen Ye said.

"No! She released a video, saying she's very sorry to trouble everyone, that this matter wasn't meant to become public knowledge." Xiao Mengyu immediately replied.

Shen Ye fell silent for a moment, then said, "I understand."

"What?" Xiao Mengyu asked.

"When she talked to me on the phone, she was climbing a mountain, and there were other people around," Shen Ye pondered.

—Her companions must have spread the word.

"Hmph, must be deliberate. Last time she confessed she liked you, and now this. What is this woman really up to?" Xiao Mengyu said.

"Where are you?"

"The dining hall!"

Shen Ye glanced at the untouched takeout on his table.

"I'll come to you!"

His actions followed his words; he immediately left his place and headed to the dining hall.

In the dining hall.

Xiao Mengyu sat alone in the corner, two long swords placed on the table beside her, giving off a clear keep-out vibe.

Shen Ye walked over and sat down beside her.

"Have you eaten?" Xiao Mengyu asked.

"Not yet, now that you mention it, I'm feeling hungry." Shen Ye looked towards her plate.

Today's lunch consisted of stir-fried tomatoes with eggs, sautéed cabbage with vinegar, and hot and sour shredded potatoes, plus a portion of brown rice and a bowl of vegetable soup.

Xiao Mengyu was eating with relish and casually slapped a meal card on the table.

"Here, go get some food first. We can eat and talk," she said.

—The meal card read "Xiao Mengyu, remaining copper coins: 509 points."

"How come I don't have a meal card?" Shen Ye wondered aloud.

"You don't have one? That can't be," Xiao Mengyu said incredulously.

Shen Ye stood up, walked over to the food-serving window, and waved at the chubby uncle inside:

"Hello, I didn't receive a meal card. May I know what's the situation?"

"You're Shen Ye, the successor of the Chaotic Heaven Gate," the fatty in a soldier's uniform scrutinized him.

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"Ah, yes, that's me."

"Didn't they deliver takeout to you? Wasn't it tasty? Do you want to try our special dishes here?"

"I just want to know why I don't have a meal card."

"Well, as a guest from the Chaotic Heaven Gate, you're considered a VIP here. You don't need to recharge anything; we'll take good care of you!"

The chubby uncle shouted, "Prepare a meal for the VIP!"

"Got it!"

A bustle of activity echoed from the kitchen.

Shen Ye was stunned.

He hadn't expected this...

"Never mind, don't trouble yourself, just help me with a few dishes," he said quickly.

"How could we do that! Just wait, it will be ready soon!" the uncle's head bobbing like a Chinese bobblehead.

Shortly after.

Shen Ye's meal was served.

Three fruit plates were prepared.

For meat dishes, there was a variety, including chicken, duck, fish, goose, beef, lamb, and pork, prepared by steaming, pan-frying, deep-frying, boiling, stir-frying, and stewing.

There were six bowls of thick soups: shark fin soup, eight-treasure soup, longevity soup, crab meat soup, dragon and phoenix soup, and hundred flowers soup.

Three kinds of main dishes: multicolor quinoa, clear soup noodles, and meat vermicelli bun.

Four plates of snacks were arranged for after the meal, featuring sweet glazed, salty sour, seasonal, and dried preserved dishes.

A lineup of over two dozen dishes, with plates and bowls stretching in a long array.

"..." Shen Ye.

"..." Xiao Mengyu.

Both of them forgot the topic they had planned to discuss.

"Please enjoy your meal, VIP."

Two chefs in ancient attire—notified Shen Ye with a slight bow before retreating back to the kitchen.

Xiao Mengyu extended her chopsticks and picked up a yellow croaker from in front of Shen Ye, then looked at him.

"Help yourself," Shen Ye said.

Xiao Mengyu thought for a moment, put the fish back on the plate, and then used her chopsticks to slide the entire plate toward herself.

"From now on, I'll follow you for meals," she said, picking at the fish.

"Sure."

"Had I known the treatment in Chaotic Heaven Gate was this good, I would've taken the test too."

"You would've died."

"Is it really that hard?"

"Yeah, I was just lucky. I honestly couldn't beat the Human Figure who assessed me."

Xiao Mengyu became slightly serious and lowered her voice,

"I used some Strength to look into Song Qingyun."

"Did you find anything?" Shen Ye asked.

"She's the most outstanding person to come out of the elite families in the last decade, extremely talented, studying at Azure High School, and has always been top of her class."

"Everything else is in this folder."

Xiao Mengyu handed over her phone.

On the screen was a photo album; upon clicking it, there were various photos of Song Qingyun.

There were newspaper headlines:

"Genius girl ranks first and gets into Azure High School! A stunning debut for the Song Family's daughter!"

There were live reports:

"Dharma Realm Newcomer Battle! Song Qingyun is invincible, capturing the championship!"

And charity auctions:

"The call is answered! Song Qingyun donates antiques, and the crowd swarms to bid!"

Xiao Mengyu flipped to a photo and said,

"This is the key one."

Shen Ye looked at the photo, which was a cover of a magazine called "Dharma Realm," featuring the elegantly dressed Song Qingyun in a simple white dress.

Below the portrait was a line of text:

"Among the Thirty-Six Families of the Zhenshi Lineage, will she be the next helmsperson?"

Shen Ye read the sentence and could not help but ask,

"What does 'Zhenshi Lineage' mean?"

"The Song Family ancestors possess a peerless Divine Artifact whose purpose is to stabilize the world and prevent its destruction."

"Over the last decade, a master proficient in prophecy has foretold that this Divine Artifact will reemerge soon," Xiao Mengyu said.

"The so-called Thirty-Six Families are thirty-six elite families that rely on the Song Family's Strength to make their living in this world."

"Does the Song Family wield great power?" Shen Ye asked.

"Yes, they are a super elite household with a myriad of connections to the Dharma Realm, having produced many heroes who saved their kind throughout history," Xiao Mengyu explained.

Shen Ye said, "That Divine Artifact—"

Xiao Mengyu knew what he meant and directly said, "Everyone is waiting for the emergence of that Divine Artifact."

"As it stands now, the prophecy might likely pertain to Song Qingyun. If she receives the Divine Artifact's acknowledgement, she naturally becomes the next Head of the Song Family, commanding the Thirty-Six Families with tremendous authority."

After thinking it over, Shen Ye sighed and said,

"Only now do I realize the enormous pressure you were facing back then."

Xiao Mengyu gave him a glance and softly said, "In elite families, the cruelest aspect is that they only compare Strength; the winner takes all!"

"But I did notice one very odd thing—"

"Song Qingyun has never been tainted by scandal, not even the slightest bit of gossip news."

"That is indeed quite strange," Shen Ye nodded.

"I've said all there is to say. How do you plan to handle tonight's situation?" Xiao Mengyu asked.

Shen Ye shrugged and said, "Play it by ear, I suppose."

"I've made inquiries about her power from various sources, but her Strength level has been concealed; nobody knows which Layer of the Dharma Realm she has reached now," Xiao Mengyu said.

She looked at Shen Ye with concern.

"No worries, I was going to confront it sooner or later anyway," Shen Ye said.

...

Afternoon.

Everyone assembled on the sports grounds.

Shen Ye was thinking about the Nightmare World and also about Song Qingyun, feeling somewhat restless.

Song Qingyun.

Song Yinchen.

What exactly had happened between these two sisters?

A figure suddenly appeared in the square.

The history museum guide, Yang Yingzhen!

She seemed like the person in charge here, akin to a high school grade director, instantly attracting everyone's attention upon her arrival.

"Welcome everyone to the joint new student welcome party for the three schools!"

"The party venue is on the Floating Island above the city. You need to find a way to get invited and attend," she said.

"No further hints. Please figure it out on your own," she added with a smile.

"Let's set off right now. Please stand still, everyone; the large-scale teleportation is about to start."

A few mages dressed in ancient robes stepped out and took positions at the four corners outside the formation, starting to activate the Teleportation Array.

In the short interval, Yang Yingzhen continued,

"The welcome party is being held in Zhongzhou City within the Dharma Realm. There will be various performances, new student task rewards, and friendly competitions. I hope everyone will explore on their own, make many friends, as you all will become comrades-in-arms in the future!"

"By the way, Zhongzhou City is under the Technique of the Jiangnan Song Family—the Song Family has sponsored this three-school welcome event."

All eyes turned to Shen Ye.

Shen Ye suddenly realized.

No wonder Song Qingyun wanted to meet him at the joint new student welcome party for the three schools!

Yang Yingzhen gave Shen Ye a nod, and seeing his astonished expression, was content to leave it at that.

"Fellow students, let's set off!"

The sports grounds lit up with waves of light, and a buzzing sound emanated from the void.

The Teleportation Array was activated!

In a flash.

Everyone vanished from the sports grounds.

Only Yang Yingzhen remained.

And Officer Wu.

"Has the selection already begun?" Officer Wu asked.

"Yes," Yang Yingzhen said with a trace of a smile, "I hope they have fun tonight and also put on a good show."