“Exactly!”
Wang Xingkun quickly stated his position.
He actually hadn’t thought this matter had anything to do with Tang Weimin, but he usually was quite close to Zhang Shuai, so he helped him speak up.
“The reason?”
Jiang Shan asked.
“Uh…”
Zhang Shuai got stuck, unable to say anything.
“Because of the copper coins. Without those things, we couldn’t have gotten in!”
Xu Shuo interjected.
“690, how did you figure out that copper coin was the key item to get in?”
As Li Yinuo asked this, everyone looked toward Lu Jiuling.
They were all curious.
Xu Shuo was embarrassed. Clearly, no one had taken his answer seriously. It was Lu Jiuling who had discovered the function of the copper coin.
“There’s only three months left until the college entrance exams. Generally speaking, everyone would seize every minute to study, let alone students from a key high school like us. We’d really wish to squeeze in a practice question even when eating or using the toilet.”
Lu Jiuling’s words directly made everyone laugh self-deprecatingly.
It wasn’t that everyone wanted to study, but they had no choice. If they wanted to leave the Rust Belt and go to a big city, they had to compete like their lives depended on it. Besides, No. 2 High School’s academic pressure had always been immense.
“Didn’t the class teacher say he wanted us to come out and relax? Besides, looking at those Jinshi commemorative arches is also a kind of motivation!”
Feng Xiu spoke up for Tang Weimin. She felt the class teacher was doing it for everyone’s good; at least she felt encouraged. “And all the expenses were paid by the class teacher. Counting it up, it probably cost several tens of thousands.”
“This isn’t about money. Traveling is very troublesome. Once something happens, the leading teacher and school definitely bear responsibility.”
Lu Jiuling glanced at Feng Xiu. “People in leadership positions fear trouble the most. It’s always better to have one less thing than one more!”
“Of course, there’s one more crucial point. If some student had an accident and missed the college entrance exams, what then? Tang Weimin is usually such a steady person. Why did he insist on taking everyone out to travel at this exact time?”
Everyone thought about their impression of Tang Weimin over these past three years.
He often reminded students to be careful on the road and not to get into conflicts with classmates. He was clearly the type of person who hated students causing trouble for him.
“I’m not questioning the class teacher’s character, but he usually didn’t show much concern for us either. Also, spending several tens of thousands in one go this time—doesn’t it seem abnormal?”
Li Jiayao liked Lu Jiuling, so she unconditionally followed his train of thought.
Although Tang Weimin hadn’t reached the point of despising poor students, by the latter half of sophomore year, he basically stopped managing them. As long as they didn’t disturb other students, they could do whatever they wanted.
Also, No. 2 High School teachers’ annual salary plus various benefits was only around one hundred twenty to one hundred thirty thousand.
Tang Weimin spending several months’ salary to treat the whole class to an outing—thinking carefully, it indeed wasn’t very reasonable.
“You’re doing the ‘suspect the neighbor of stealing the axe’ thing, painting the target first and then shooting. Can’t the class teacher act on impulse once for the sake of teacher-student affection?”
Xu Shaowei argued.
Tang Weimin had been good to her, so she subconsciously defended him.
“Brother 69, any other reasons?”
Tang Lei asked in a low voice.
“Coming out to travel is one thing, but Tang Weimin insisted on night-touring the Fan Family Mansion. Tell me, what kind of activity is this?”
Lu Jiuling looked at Xu Shaowei.
“Right, why tour at night?”
The more everyone thought, the more something felt off.
“Think again. From half a month ago, when it was decided in the class meeting to come to the Fan Family Mansion, didn’t the class teacher remind us repeatedly that the whole class had to be here, not one person missing?”
Lu Jiuling had previously asked for leave, not wanting to participate in this trip, but Tang Weimin hadn’t approved it. Now looking back, Tang Weimin had long been plotting this conspiracy.
But what exactly did he want to do?
Could it be…
Jiang Shan’s delicate brows furrowed slightly as she looked at Lu Jiuling. “You suspected the class teacher, so naturally you checked the red envelopes he gave everyone. When you discovered there was a copper coin inside, you decided to test it…”
Lu Jiuling shrugged his shoulders. “Facts proved that the copper coin is indeed the invitation to enter this Linglong Courtyard.”
“But why would the class teacher do this kind of thing?”
Xu Shaowei couldn’t understand. So what if he tricked everyone?
“Could it be revenge against society?”
Li Yinuo guessed.
“Stop guessing blindly. It’s probably just a coincidence!” Li Dongxuan rubbed his nose. “Shouldn’t we hurry up and think of a way to get out?”
“I think 690’s analysis is very correct!” Ning Qian was also on Lu Jiuling’s side. “Xinyi, Yinuo, don’t you think so?”
Before the two best friends could respond, a crisp clapping sound rang out.
Clap! Clap! Clap!
Tang Weimin clapped his hands and walked out from the main hall.
“Jiuling, I hadn’t expected that the first person to discover clues and question me would be you. I originally thought it would be Jiang Shan, or Xu Shuo!”
Tang Weimin’s eyes burned as he looked at Lu Jiuling, full of appreciation. “Thanks to you, bringing them in promptly. Otherwise, my advancement ritual would have failed!”
When Lu Jiuling heard the words “advancement ritual,” his brows rose, and a hint of surprise appeared on his face.
So Tang Weimin was also a Transcendent?
Then what Sequence was he at?
Or perhaps, like himself, he was also a Quasi-Transcendent?
If it was the former, then this time, survival was nearly impossible. If it was the latter, he might still have a chance to turn the tables and kill him!
“Class teacher, what do you mean?”
Xu Shaowei’s voice trembled.
Tang Weimin’s words were equivalent to directly admitting that he had arranged all of this.
“Xu Shuo, your brain is usually quite good. Why isn’t it working this time?”
Tang Weimin had been a teacher for over a decade. Even now, at the most critical moment of his life, he still couldn’t resist lecturing Xu Shuo.
He had been worried for several months.
These students in the class were the relatives and guests he had selected. Once they couldn’t enter this Linglong Courtyard, then this ghost marriage couldn’t be held, and his advancement ritual would naturally fail.
Luckily there was Lu Jiuling!
He hadn’t expected this usually taciturn student to find the key to entering so quickly, without missing the auspicious hour.
Xu Shuo’s expression was awkward.
The others looked at Lu Jiuling in astonishment.
Indeed!
Who would have thought Lu Jiuling would become the key player?
Xu Shaowei, Jiang Shan, and the others admired Lu Jiuling even more.
Because while others were at a loss, he had already realized they needed to follow the big red lanterns. Then he keenly discovered those female ghosts feared fire, and was even bold enough to burn several of them to death.
This performance was too stunning.
“Class teacher, what exactly do you want to do?” Xu Shaowei pressed. “What is an advancement ritual?”
“You don’t need to know. Just obey my instructions and participate in this wedding!”
Tang Weimin snorted coldly.
“What will happen to those who didn’t get in?”
Zhang Shuai was the type who couldn’t stand seeing others do well. If he ate shit, others had to drink urine, otherwise he felt uncomfortable.
“When the incense in the lantern-bearing joy children’s censer burns out, if they still can’t enter this courtyard, they’ll be made into human-skin lanterns!”
Tang Weimin chuckled. “Of course, without the copper coins I personally gave out, they definitely can’t get in!”
“They’re dead for sure!”
Hearing these words, everyone thought of the girl in jeans and her boyfriend who had turned into human-skin lanterns, floated into the sky, and exploded. The blood instantly drained from their faces.
“I… as long as we listen to you and participate in this wedding, you’ll let us go, right?”
Zeng Hong panicked, stammering.
“Want to live? Then obediently listen to me!” Tang Weimin glanced at Zeng Hong, turned, and walked toward the main hall. “Come in!”
Zhang Shuai and a few good friends exchanged glances, wanting to join forces to take down Tang Weimin.
“Zhang Shuai, are you preparing to make a move?”
Tang Weimin didn’t turn back, but his words were filled with crushing pressure. “If you want to become human-skin balloons, by all means, come at me!”
Hearing this, Zhang Shuai and the others thought of that couple’s miserable state. They immediately shivered, not daring to act rashly.
They’d observe and act according to circumstances for now!
The great hall of Linglong Courtyard had already been decorated to look like a wedding hall.
When everyone entered, what they saw was an entire hall of red symbolizing good fortune and prosperity.
The entire wedding hall was decorated with large amounts of red silk, double-happiness characters, colorful balls, and several dozen large red wedding candles carved with dragon and phoenix motifs placed all around. Each one was as thick as an adult’s arm.
In the due north, there was a Heaven and Earth table made of red sandalwood. On it was enshrined a memorial tablet bearing the five characters “Heaven, Earth, Monarch, Parents, Teacher,” representing that this wedding had received the consent and blessings of heaven and earth, the monarch, parents, and teachers.
Before the memorial tablet sat a celadon porcelain censer with eight-treasure patterns, used to burn incense and offer sacrifices to heaven, earth, and ancestors.
Besides these, there were also offerings of braised pig heads, sheep heads, and cow heads, one each, as well as eight plates each of seasonal fruits and pastries.
Crackle! Crackle!
The beef-tallow red candles around the wedding hall burned, occasionally flaring up, illuminating the wedding hall magnificently and nobly.
Everyone didn’t dare to breathe.
This scene was festive and solemn. At a glance, it was clearly a wealthy family holding a wedding.
Tang Weimin walked to the Heaven and Earth table, offered three sticks of incense, then adjusted his garments and bowed reverently three times toward the memorial tablet. Then he stood to the left of the Heaven and Earth table.
The entire class of students looked at Tang Weimin.
Tang Weimin’s expression was solemn. He took out a golden bell about the size of a jelly orange from his briefcase and gently shook it.
Ding-dong! Ding-dong!
As the golden bell sounded, a hundred ghosts came to pay homage.
After several dozen breaths, a team of joy children dressed in red auspicious clothes filed in from the side hall on the right, holding red wooden wedding trays in both hands.
On these trays were placed all sorts of wedding items: gold pots and jade cups, the bright red auspicious clothes for the bride and groom to wear, phoenix crowns and rosy cloud mantles, and the three letters and six betrothal rites.
Once all eight joy children had entered, Tang Weimin’s gaze swept over these students in the wedding hall who had followed him for nearly three years.
‘I’ve finally reached this step. As long as I complete the advancement ritual and ignite my soul fire, I can step into the Divine Sequence and become a Transcendent.’
Tang Weimin suppressed the excitement in his heart, looked at Lu Jiuling, and spoke an order.
“Lu Jiuling, come here and change clothes!”
Shwoosh!
Everyone looked at Lu Jiuling, faces full of astonishment.
Change clothes?
What did that mean?
Those with quick minds like Jiang Shan and Xu Shaowei had already thought of it. Could it be that in this wedding, the one who would be the groom was Lu Jiuling?
Then who was the bride?