Chapter Thirty-One: On the Journey

Chapter 31: On the Road

The next morning, Xia Zheng didn’t see his master, Shen Hua. He wondered if perhaps she wasn’t willing to come along. That thought made him even happier, so he bid farewell to his colleagues and set off alone for Bolante City to catch the high-speed train.

However, as he reached the subway entrance, he was startled to see the long-missed “Shen Hua”—to be precise, Shen Hua in her mature, elegant form.

She wore a beige knit hat, her hair neatly tucked up beneath it so that it looked almost like a short bob, giving her a crisp and efficient air. A pair of sunglasses perched on her nose, and a grass-green cartoon mask covered her face, lending her a youthful, mysterious aura—rather like one of those C-list celebrities who try so hard to look incognito that everyone knows exactly who they are.

She wore a short white down jacket, a leather skirt, and black thermal tights that looked much like summer stockings—the legendary “leg-warming miracle pants.” On her feet were white low-cut leather boots, and beside her stood a sleek silver suitcase.

“Why are you dressed like this? We’re not going on vacation,” Xia Zheng grumbled. He was fully geared up for action, but Shen Hua looked for all the world as if she were off to tour Hyde Castle.

“Mind your own business, kid. Carry my luggage,” she commanded haughtily, pointing at her suitcase before sitting down in front of him like a queen.

Fine, she’s my master after all—just bear it, Xia Zheng told himself, trying to self-hypnotize his frustration away.

When they reached the subway station, Shen Hua’s getup—along with her natural beauty—drew quite the crowd. Many people mistook her for some internet celebrity coming to slum it on public transportation. Xia Zheng wasn’t familiar with any of the names being whispered; he’d never paid much attention to the Federation’s entertainment scene.

A number of zealous fans clamored for photos. Shen Hua, playing along, agreed to take selfies with a few cute girls and even pulled Xia Zheng into the frame, looping her arm through his in a way that made them look very much like a couple. She offered no explanation, and Xia Zheng stubbornly refused to pose for any more pictures. Still, he was certain the ones already taken would end up online and gave him a headache. Hopefully, Nalan Sheng wouldn’t chance upon them.

At security, Xia Zheng, as a registered Ability User, was allowed to carry weapons; Shen Hua seemed to have brought none, though as a telepath, she probably didn’t need them.

To deflect attention from Shen Hua, Xia Zheng pulled her hat down over her face, making her harder to recognize. At last, they could board the train in peace.

An hour later, seated on the high-speed train, Xia Zheng felt weary. If he were alone, this would all be easy, but having this enchantress of a master by his side left him helpless.

“How about…you turn back into a primary schooler?” Xia Zheng suggested.

“Scram!” Shen Hua flicked his nose in annoyance, leaving him to retreat to his seat in defeat.

It was a fifteen-hundred-kilometer journey from Bolante City to Hyde Castle, an eight-hour trip on the Federation’s state-run high-speed rail. They’d arrive at night, so he’d already booked a room in advance.

“Master, let’s talk about this—I’m not exactly flush with cash. Didn’t you bring that white card with you? How about you cover all our expenses on this trip?” Xia Zheng handed her a cup of milk tea as she watched her idol drama.

Shen Hua took a sip, looked up at him, and snorted, “A great beauty like me accompanies you on your training journey, and you have the nerve to ask me to pay?”

“Aren’t masters supposed to look after their disciples?” Xia Zheng was unmoved and kept pressing his case.

She set the milk tea down and replied, “I could pay, but you’ll have to agree to one condition.”

“Oh? Let’s hear it,” Xia Zheng said with interest.

“If anyone asks about our relationship, you say we’re lovers, not master and apprentice,” Shen Hua said.

“What? That’s not right… I have a girlfriend, you know…” Xia Zheng eyed Shen Hua warily. She, annoyed, manipulated a balled-up paper with her telekinesis and sent it zipping at his face.

Xia Zheng jumped—never mind that it was just a paper ball; in the hands of a telepath, it was as dangerous as a bullet. He had to call on his own mental power to block it, and soon the ball hovered between the two of them, darting left and right as if in a tug-of-war.

Their seats were face-to-face, and Shen Hua had bought the adjacent seat for her luggage, not wanting to sit with strangers. She’d wanted a two-person compartment, but Xia Zheng didn’t want to change his ticket or pay the extra cost, so they’d settled for normal seats.

At that moment, no one else was seated nearby, so their little contest went unnoticed.

“That’s enough, Master—we’re out in public,” Xia Zheng pleaded first. It wasn’t that he couldn’t handle her pressure, but he didn’t want anyone to notice. Ability Users rarely showed off their powers before ordinary people, to avoid panic; this was mandated by both the Professional League and the Federation’s legal code.

But Shen Hua wouldn’t relent; she only increased her pressure, forcing Xia Zheng to respond in earnest.

“Technically, you haven’t graduated yet. Consider this a little pre-graduation test,” she said slyly.

As he resisted her psychic pressure, Xia Zheng complained helplessly, “Master, you’re cheating!” He could have used a special variation of his own power to negate the effect, but that would spoil their little competition.

“Ha! Who told you to be so unchivalrous? Asking a beauty to pay for you—stingy brat! I don’t know what that little Nalan girl sees in you,” Shen Hua taunted as she tested him.

“Mind—your—own—business!” Xia Zheng forced the paper ball back, word by word. Shen Hua, not to be outdone, launched a counterattack, and the contest continued, victory still undecided.

“Mommy, that big sister and brother are playing a game with a paper ball! It looks so fun, I want to play too…” At some point, a little girl had noticed them. In an instant, both master and disciple withdrew their mental power, and the paper ball split in two, flying left and right to smack them each on the forehead, leaving matching red marks.

“Ow…” Both of them clutched their foreheads, trying not to make a sound. Despite cutting their power, the backlash still hurt.

“Don’t mind her, dear. They’re just a young couple flirting,” the girl’s mother said with a smile of apology toward Xia Zheng and Shen Hua. They managed embarrassed smiles in return. Shen Hua seemed quite pleased; Xia Zheng, on the other hand, ignored her for a while.

As the train journeyed on, the carriage filled up. Then, without so much as a word, a middle-aged woman marched up, moved Shen Hua’s luggage onto the table, and took the seat.

“That seat is taken,” Shen Hua said, frowning.

“Where? I don’t see anyone,” the woman sneered, glancing around. “Trying to trick me, girl? Nice try, but there’s no one here—why hog the seat with your bag?”

“Even if no one’s sitting here, I bought the seat. What right do you have to take it?” Shen Hua was getting angry now. If the woman had been polite, she might have let it go, but such arrogance was intolerable.

Hearing this, the woman grew even more belligerent. She stood and pointed at Shen Hua, shouting, “So you’re rich, huh? Buying two seats, are we? I hate you rich types—if you’re so wealthy, why take public transportation? Go drive your car or fly your plane, don’t steal seats from us regular folk! I’ve seen girls like you before, pretty faces who latch on to rich men and forget themselves. Shame on you!”

Xia Zheng’s anger flared. This woman was outrageous—taking someone else’s seat, then attacking her character? The nerve!

“That’s enough out of you, you shameless old hag. I am her boyfriend. My girlfriend bought two seats because she doesn’t want strangers next to her—what’s wrong with that? Your seat-grabbing shows your lack of morals, and you dare slander us? Anyone who can insult others so freely must be used to being rude and overbearing. You’re the one who should be ashamed!” Xia Zheng’s voice rang out, drawing scattered applause from some passengers. Shen Hua, grateful, squeezed his hand, signaling him to calm down. She’d been agitated herself, but seeing Xia Zheng so worked up, she found her composure.

The woman was stunned, then her face flushed with rage. She’d never been so insulted. She jumped to her feet, shouting, “Oh, I see—kept a pretty boy, have you? What a pair, ganging up to bully me! I can’t take it anymore…” She plopped down and started making a scene. The other passengers divided into factions—some sided with the woman, accusing Xia Zheng and Shen Hua of disrespecting their elders, while others, mostly younger people, blamed the woman for being unreasonable. Yet those siding with the woman were in the majority, since many young and middle-aged passengers stayed neutral. Xia Zheng and Shen Hua suddenly found themselves cast as the villains, and the disturbance soon attracted train attendants and police.

“I’ve had enough—someone’s about to see what I can do,” Shen Hua muttered, her eyes flashing as Xia Zheng sensed a surge of mental energy.

Almost immediately, the woman shrieked as if her seat was on fire, leaping up and slapping her backside, insisting there were needles in the seat. She accused Xia Zheng and Shen Hua, saying they’d planted the needles. But the more she pointed at them, the more her backside hurt.

When the attendants and police arrived, they conducted a careful investigation—even the attendant tried the seat herself and felt nothing. But whenever the woman sat, she cried out in pain, unable to stay seated. With no explanation, the attendant led her to the medical car for examination. The police, finding nothing, had to let it go.

The loudest supporters among the older passengers now fell silent, cowed by Xia Zheng and Shen Hua’s mysterious retaliation. The farce ended, and the two exchanged a fist bump and toasted each other with a can of cola in celebration. From then on, no one dared take that seat again.

When they finally arrived in Hyde Castle that night, Shen Hua clung to Xia Zheng’s arm, complaining of hunger and pouting for him to take her out to eat.

Resigned, Xia Zheng searched for restaurants near their hotel on his phone and called a cab.

Hyde Castle—one of the Federation’s ten great cities—was a place where skyscrapers bloomed like flowers, and yet, beneath the dazzling surface, hidden currents of darkness flowed.