FRGNM -Chapter 88 No Retreat

“Wh-what is this…?” The trembling boy was completely paralyzed. Zhou Zhiwen fell to the ground, eyes wide with terror, staring at the massive magical beast before him—so frightened he had already wet himself.

Having read far more than most children, Yimeng instantly recognized the danger. Clutching Yizhui’s hand tightly, she shouted, “Brother Yizhui, run! That’s a Unicorn—it’s extremely ferocious!”

“W-wait for me!” Zhou Zhiwen panicked, unable to move. Instinctively, he grabbed the leg of Yizhui’s pants, shivering. “I-I tell you, you little brat… my father is a high-ranking minister at the Imperial Academy, a close aide to the emperor! Y-you must save me! A-and my uncle is a green-rank Dou Qi practitioner, a palace guard! You—you can’t leave me behind!”

“Still flaunting your status at a time like this?!” Yimeng spat disdainfully, grabbing Zhou Zhiwen’s clothes. “Take off your clothes! And your pants too!”

“Uh?” Zhou Zhiwen froze, confused, until the cold wind behind him finally registered. He quickly stripped off his clothes, tossing his pants behind him.

With Yimeng and Yizhui supporting him, he finally had enough strength to stand and run forward.

“Roar!” A deafening roar echoed as the Unicorn burst into the academy. From the huge hole in the ground, countless vicious magical beasts followed. Their towering forms threatened to tear the entire academy apart.

Locking onto the fleeing children, a fast-moving Azure-Winged Wolf shot forward, its green eyes glinting with bloodlust, claws slashing toward the children.

“Watch out!” Yimeng’s face changed dramatically. Quick to react, she let go of Zhou Zhiwen, raising her tiny hands. Orange Dou Qi flared, forming a protective barrier around her.

“Careful!” Yizhui shouted. At the instant Yimeng’s barrier appeared, he quickly grew his hands to shield her. He couldn’t form a barrier in seconds like Yimeng, but he knew that the small shield alone couldn’t stop the Azure-Winged Wolf’s attack.

“Crack…” Like shattering glass, Yizhui watched helplessly as the shield broke. His small hands clenched tightly, leaving himself vulnerable as the wolf’s sharp claws slashed toward his chest.

“You beast! Do not harm the children!” A deep, commanding voice suddenly boomed. The charging Unicorn shuddered, then was hurled dozens of meters away with a sharp “thunk.”

Suspended in midair was a frail-looking old man in simple gray cloth, standing firm. His eyes, gleaming with sharp intelligence, fixed on the front. With a wave of his hand, pale purple Dou Qi blocked the approaching beasts.

“Ah, that’s the old man who cleans the latrines!”

“What nonsense, kid! That’s the Headmaster—the Headmaster of the Sea of Books, a Purple Supreme Dou Qi practitioner!”

“Ah, he’s actually the Headmaster!”

“Headmaster’s here! Let’s follow quickly!”

“Brother Yizhui!” Yimeng’s eyes widened. Seeing him, her heart nearly leapt out. She couldn’t let her brother be harmed—she just couldn’t.

“Hmph! How dare a mere beast attack the young master and young lady!” Cold light flashed in the eyes of the man standing before Yizhui. Crouching, he shielded Yizhui with his body, while his right hand caught the Azure-Winged Wolf’s claws.

Blood ran down his hand, sweat dripping from his brow—he had clearly arrived just in time.

“Uncle Ting Hai, you…” Yizhui froze, smiling briefly, but when he saw the blood, his body trembled violently. “Uncle Ting Hai, you’re injured!”

“No matter. How could a single Azure-Winged Wolf hurt me?” Ting Hai said lightly, blue Dou Qi flashing in his palm. The wound healed instantly. Grabbing the wolf’s claws, he released Yizhui.

“Smack!” Like tossing noodles, Ting Hai slammed the wolf against the ground repeatedly, then spun and flung it far away.

“Awesome!” Yimeng blinked, sticking out her tongue. Her Dou Qi was too weak; otherwise, the wolf wouldn’t have broken through her barrier.

Ting Hai crouched, smiling as he patted Yimeng and Yizhui’s heads. “You two… even when I go to deliver a message, you can’t stay still. Tell me, how did you get into this mess with the beasts?”

“It’s not our fault! The beasts suddenly emerged from the ground. By the way, Uncle Ting Hai, you said you went to deliver a message? What message?” Yimeng tugged at his clothes, her big round eyes staring up.

Pinching her nose, Ting Hai nodded. “I knew you were thinking of the Young Master, so I sent a signal. We just received a response from the Young Master. Your parents will be here soon. Excited?”

“Long live! Parents are coming!” Yizhui jumped in excitement.

Meanwhile, Zhou Zhiwen sat on the ground, horrified by the scene, utterly bewildered at how the three of them could remain so calm. Even more frustrating, he realized that Ting Hai had just used Blue-rank Dou Qi—a Blue Supreme Dou Qi practitioner!

“That kid… isn’t he Zhou Zhiwen? Why is he like this?” Ting Hai frowned slightly. He didn’t want his young master or young lady to pick up this boy’s attitude or vanity.

Helplessly shrugging, Yimeng pouted. “When the beasts attacked, his legs went weak, so we had to carry him along. Uncle Ting Hai, isn’t that the Headmaster? He came out too?”

“Headmaster? Wasn’t he just cleaning the latrines?” Zhou Zhiwen’s hairs stood on end. How strange everything was today—even the latrine cleaner turned out to be the Headmaster!

Tapping Zhou Zhiwen’s head, Yimeng made a face. “Dummy, the Headmaster not only cleans the latrines but also the entire academy. He even cooks and boils water for you. And the Headmaster said he helps as many as he can. The academy’s extravagance cannot be explained in words—he proves it through actions. Yet you kids throw stones at him every day!”

“Headmaster!” Yizhui waved his hand excitedly.

The figure in the sky nodded, smiling at Ting Hai. “Luckily, you’re here, Guardian Ting Hai. Protect the young master and young lady. This… might be the biggest disaster in the history of the Sea of Books.”

“Oh?” Ting Hai’s eyes narrowed as he scanned the front. The cracked ground continued spreading outward. Sharp claws stretched from the fissure, touching the outer ground. Perhaps because the beast was so enormous, the earth outside still shifted.

“Boom!” Its massive wings shot into the sky as the hidden beast burst from the ground!

Yimeng’s face turned pale. Ting Hai inhaled sharply. “A Wyvern! How did it get into the bamboo forest? Wyverns—even Purple Supreme practitioners struggle against them!”

“Quick! Follow me!” Ting Hai bent down, scooping up Yizhui and Yimeng. Zhou Zhiwen, too terrified to move, was lifted using blue Dou Qi, and Ting Hai ran toward safety.

The flapping Wyvern’s gaze swept the surroundings, claws flexing. Nearby magical beasts ran frantically, but it remained unmoving, like a master planner.

“Stop the beasts! Protect the children!”

“All senior students, assemble immediately!”

“Dou Qi students, ready! Formation students, take positions! Beast instructors, on station!”

The panicked younger students stood behind the teachers. Older students, aged sixteen or seventeen, stepped forward, releasing multicolored Dou Qi, forming protective lines.

The charging beasts roared like thousands of galloping armies, smashing toward the students.

Bloodthirsty instincts revealed themselves as the academy, soaked in blood, merged with the sound of rustling bamboo, forming a grim battle hymn.

“You beast! You’re courting death!” The old Headmaster shouted, brandishing a silver-white spear. Purple Dou Qi formed around him like a tiger pouncing forward.

The Wyvern flapped violently, sending gusts racing forward as if the end of the world had arrived.

Crying and screaming echoed. The fashionable children finally realized the burden of their heavy, ornate clothing, which slowed them. The academy could only save most of the children; those left behind faced the beasts.

Severed limbs littered the ground, the stench of blood filling the air.

“Listen! You two must stay close to the teachers. I’ll help the Headmaster—he can’t face the Wyvern alone!” Ting Hai said, placing the children down. The Headmaster was old now; using Dou Qi was exhausting. He was no longer the dragon-slaying warrior of the past.

Zhou Zhiwen, shaken by the commotion, hid among the students, trembling in fear.

“Uncle Ting Hai, be careful. Our parents will be here soon!” Yizhui said, holding Yimeng’s hand. “I’ll protect my sister, don’t worry.”

“Good, I trust you.” Ting Hai smiled. Turning, he leapt, blue Dou Qi slicing like a blade into the advancing beasts.

“Boom!” Brilliant light exploded. The Wyvern staggered backward as Ting Hai grabbed the Headmaster’s arm, retreating.

“No retreat!” Gritting his teeth, the old Headmaster panted heavily. “If we retreat, what about the children behind us?!”

They could not retreat. Even if it meant death, there was no retreat. They were the heroes in the children’s eyes—the warriors who could save them. If they fled, every child’s dream of becoming a hero would shatter. The Headmaster could not personally crush that dream.