Casting a Long Line to Catch a Big Fish

My memory was suddenly pulled back to my high school days by Lin Wan’s words.

Everyone’s high school years are weighed down by academic pressure, endless study sessions that seem to never exhaust us, as if we’re tirelessly battling through a sea of questions. We fall asleep reciting vocabulary and formulas, only to forget them all upon waking the next morning.

We hated that we didn’t have memory bread from Happy Planet, nor the magical gadgets of Doraemon. We memorized and forgot, forgot and memorized again.

Those three years were the most painful and difficult of our lives.

Yet they are also three years we can never return to, and when we think back, they seem so beautiful.

Back then, we were versed in astronomy and geography, could solve algebraic equations and recite classical poetry and ancient texts fluently. But once we entered university—this so-called paradise—we seemed to become dull, unable to do anything, even the English we learned was given back to our middle school teachers.

But to say we truly knew nothing would be wrong. As university students, we could cram a semester’s worth of material into a week before exams.

The Elite Training Camp was a special pre-exam program run by D University’s affiliated high school and D University’s Foreign Language School. Since I wasn’t a student at either institution, I wasn’t eligible to join this legendary program. Almost everyone who attended would be guaranteed admission to D University. But I had a close friend who stood out at the Foreign Language School and successfully got into the Elite Training Camp there.

I remember vividly: I was preparing for the college entrance exam, with a hundred days to go. She called me, her happiness so palpable I could feel it through the phone.

She told me she had made it into the Elite Training Camp, and I knew what that meant.

In other words, she could skip the college entrance exam and be directly admitted to D University—the prestigious institution every family dreamed of as a pathway to the upper echelons of society.

Not just her; every family hoped their child would live up to expectations and be admitted to D University.

She took that first step before us, entering the joyful life of university.

At the time, I thought she was blessed. But after she joined the Elite Training Camp, we lost touch.

I called her phone many times, but no one ever answered, and eventually the number became void.

I went to her house several times, but her parents always refused to discuss her situation.

I wanted to report it to the police, but my family stopped me. They warned me not to meddle in other people’s affairs; let them handle their own issues, and I should focus solely on getting into D University.

Later, I did get into D University. I thought I would find her there.

But after the opening ceremony, the club fair, class meetings, sports day—one event after another filled my schedule, and gradually I forgot about it.

Everything remained calm until that night I came home drunk, when all those strange events changed my life.

Only then did I truly remember why I had come to this university.

If she managed to get into D University from the Elite Training Camp, perhaps I might encounter her in these games.

If she is still alive.

The day before I reported to D University, I remember the child downstairs excitedly telling me,

“Brother Zijian, I got into the Elite Training Camp’s backup class at D University’s affiliated high school. My parents were so happy.”

I didn’t know whether to congratulate him or pity him.

Anyway, all of us kids were basically abandoned pawns. I remember when I went to school, my parents didn’t even see me off—they stayed home to amuse my younger brother.

If I ever get the chance, I want to escape from D University and visit that little rascal at the affiliated high school. Maybe things are better there.

“Zijian?”

Lin Wan’s words brought me back to reality.

“Why are you staring off into space?”

“I remember you’re not a local student, so you never attended the Elite Training Camp, right?”

I shook my head, and Lin Wan continued.

“I recall Lu Ling told me he came from there.”

“But the Elite Training Camp doesn’t teach the knowledge found in textbooks.”

Hearing Lin Wan mention Lu Ling, I felt a sudden tightness in my chest, but seeing Lin Wan remain calm, my anxiety eased.

“If they don’t teach textbook knowledge, do they make them work in the fields?”

I joked.

Lin Wan’s expression darkened; he withdrew his hand from the table and seemed to pull something from his pocket.

It was the Square 3 card representing Lu Ling. I didn’t know why Lin Wan took out this card now, so I just watched him quietly, waiting for him to continue.

“Lu Ling said…”

Lin Wan swallowed, as if it took great effort to speak.

“On the first day at the Elite Training Camp, they were required to participate in a special mission.”

“Most of them died during the mission. Afterwards, everyone was sent to different places for further training. Lu Ling was sent to Phoenix Ancient Town.”

“Phoenix Ancient Town?” I was shocked. Isn’t that Carbonhead’s hometown? It seems there really is something wrong with that place.

“Based on what we’ve discussed, I suspect Phoenix Ancient Town is one of the so-called Four Major Sects.”

“And it represents the Square card sect.”

“You mean the Tomb Keepers of the Tibetan Corpse Mansion.”

I nodded in agreement, but I still had questions. If Lu Ling was sent to Phoenix Ancient Town for training, why did he later come to D University? Why hadn’t he mentioned any of this before?

According to Lin Wan, Lu Ling said he only recovered these memories after gaining the Square 3 Iron Body ability. When he left Phoenix Ancient Town, his memories were tampered with.

In those altered memories, he believed he got into D University through his own merit, leading to the life he has now.

Listening to Lin Wan recount Lu Ling’s experiences, I felt that not only D University but also its affiliated high school and the Foreign Language School were extremely dangerous places.

“Lin Wan, let’s do this. You go check the information on these.”

I handed Lin Wan a sheet listing the names of the demon beasts and divine beasts I had just organized, asking him to handle it.

“I’ll go see Carbonhead later. I feel I need to ask him about Phoenix.”

Lin Wan had no objection to my arrangements, but suddenly he leaned in and whispered,

“Zijian, haven’t you noticed? You’ve been under surveillance for a long time.”

His words startled me.

Surveillance? Really? Why hadn’t I noticed?

Lin Wan covered himself with his clothes, then pointed with his finger to a corner behind him.

I didn’t shift my gaze, but secretly activated my Ancient Mirror ability, summoning its physical form.

Under my control, the Ancient Mirror floated quietly to the ceiling, then moved slowly towards the corner Lin Wan indicated.

Through its reflection, I saw a person hiding behind the bookshelf.

It was him!

Seeing that familiar figure, memories flooded back.

I always felt watched in the dormitory, and every time I moved, someone followed me.

When Fatty Qian first came to school and bumped into me at the store, I sensed something, but couldn’t figure out who it was.

But this time, I finally saw the person’s true face.

Maybe the nightmare demon’s previous attack was related to him.

Thinking this, my heart sank. I, Lin Zijian, have never betrayed a friend.

Why did you betray me?

Li Yuan!

Suppressing my surging anger, I whispered to Lin Wan,

“What should I do?”

My emotions were turbulent—I feared I might do something irreversible. Betrayal at a time like this is no small matter. Lin Wan looked into my eyes and said,

“Calm down first.”

“I can’t be sure if this is the same person who watched us in the store before.”

“You’d better not confront him yet.”

“Maybe he has reasons he can’t reveal.”

“Let’s wait and see.”

Lin Wan’s words helped me regain my composure. I gazed thoughtfully in Li Yuan’s direction.

But when I finally looked over, the corner was already empty.

I withdrew the mirror spirit fragment floating on the ceiling and said meaningfully,

“Cast a long line to catch a big fish.”