53: The seal is loose

His cautious demeanor made Jiang Cen chuckle again, but in the next moment, he reined in his smile.

“No.”

“...”

Are you messing with me, you old geezer?!

The Consultant cursed inwardly, but on the surface, he still forced a smile.

Jiang Cen seemed to have seen through his thoughts. With a mysterious smile on his face, he stood before the Consultant with his hands behind his back and slowly said:

“However, I can reveal some things.”

“Please tell me, I promise I’ll forget it as soon as I hear it!” The Consultant reacted quickly.

Jiang Cen nodded, then asked:

“Consultant, have you heard of the evil omen?”

“What in the world?” The Consultant subconsciously retorted, then quickly changed his words after noticing Jiang Cen’s expression:

“No, I mean... what do you refer to? Disaster? Or demonic beasts?”

Jiang Cen carefully observed the Consultant's expression, and after a long moment, he asked:

“You haven’t heard that name?”

Isn't that obvious?!

The Consultant grumbled inwardly, but on the surface, he still respectfully shook his head, “Reporting, Dean, no!”

“Is that so...” Jiang Cen nodded, waved his hand, “Then it’s nothing, you can go.”

“???”

This time, it was the Consultant's turn to be bewildered. He looked at the old man, his mouth twitching slightly, and finally resigned himself.

“Alright then, Dean Jiang, have an early rest, I’m off!”

Jiang Cen remained alone in the Deans Office. After watching the Consultant turn and leave, the smile on his face gradually faded.

He turned halfway, his aged hand gently caressing an ancient book on the table, and muttered:

“The seal is loosening... not much time left!”

While Jiang Cen sighed softly in the room, outside the Deans Office, the Consultant pressed his ear tightly against the door, listening to the movements inside.

What exactly was that old man Jiang Cen up to?

What did he want to say, or rather, what was he testing just now with that remark?

Also... the seal loosening? What exactly was running out of time?

The Consultant's mind was filled with questions, but just then, a series of footsteps gradually approached.

He quickly left the Deans Office, tidied his clothes and expression, cleared his throat, and walked towards one end of the corridor.

After only two steps, the Consultant saw a figure appear around the corner.

It was a girl, wearing a black robe, beneath which seemed to be the academy's uniform.

That person... damn it!

As soon as the Consultant saw her clearly, his heart inexplicably tightened!

It was Jiang Banxia, Jiang Cen's granddaughter!

Come to think of it, ever since the exam ended, this woman had been looking at him with a very strange gaze.

That look held an unnatural enthusiasm, almost as if she wanted to devour him... The Consultant felt a shiver down his spine just thinking about it. He immediately lowered his head, intending to slip away.

But when Jiang Banxia saw the Consultant, a smile appeared on her face.

She took a few light steps, leaving an afterimage, and blocked the Consultant's path.

“Brother Gu, good evening, what are you doing here?”

Her voice and address carried a hint of deliberately feigned sweetness.

The Consultant was nervous: “Uh... nothing, I... I’m just strolling!”

Strolling in a place like this, that statement was so fake that one wouldn't know how to respond.

But Jiang Banxia's face remained smiling, she nodded thoughtfully, her eyes sparkling in the dim corridor.

“Brother Gu, it’s late, you should rest early. Don’t overwork yourself.”

“Uh, thank you for your concern.”

The Consultant truly didn't know how to respond to a girl like Jiang Banxia, so he could only answer awkwardly.

Jiang Banxia, on the other hand, seeing the Consultant's somewhat flustered look, smiled even more intensely, and a blush even crept onto her cheeks.

“Alright, I have something to go to the Deans Office to see Grandpa about. Do you want to come with me?”

“No, no, no!”

One Jiang Banxia was already giving him a headache, let alone going back to face that old man Jiang Cen again.

The Consultant immediately shook his head like a rattle-drum, mumbled his goodbyes, and quickly left.

But from the Deans Office to the corridor exit, the Consultant could vaguely feel Jiang Banxia's fervent gaze constantly fixed on him from behind.

If it weren't for what happened before, the Consultant might have thought Jiang Banxia had a crush on him.

But now, he only felt that Jiang Cen's granddaughter... had something wrong with her mind.

In fact, she might have ulterior motives!

After returning to the dorm from the office building, the Consultant didn't rush back to his room. Instead, he first glanced at Zuo Dao's dorm room door.

This grandson seemed to have gone straight to bed and fallen asleep after coming back, as there was no movement at all in the room.

The door was tightly shut, and the Consultant couldn't get in, so he returned to his own room.

That night, the Consultant slept restlessly.

He dreamed of that strange place again.

War, smoke, the smell of blood.

The Consultant wandered aimlessly there but saw no living creature.

Neither humans nor demonic beasts.

After an unknown amount of time, the morning sun shone into the room through the window, falling on the Consultant's face, and he awoke from his dream.

The Consultant felt a bit tired. He yawned, stretched, sat up, and stared blankly out the window, his mind a complete blank.

But this tranquility did not last long before a violent knocking sound rang out.

Thump, thump, thump!

“Who is it?”

The Consultant scratched his messy hair and walked to the door to open it.

Standing outside was Zuo Dao, still with a bag slung diagonally across his waist, but wearing the academy's uniform.

A black top, linen trousers, and a red cape with the character ‘Zero’ on it.

The Consultant had seen this outfit in his own wardrobe yesterday.

Before he could speak, Zuo Dao, looking somewhat anxious, walked into the room.

“Brother, I need to tell you something!”

“What is it?” The Consultant looked at Zuo Dao warily.

Zuo Dao had two dark circles under his eyes, and his brows were tightly furrowed: “Brother, I had a dream last night.”