Failed to Transmigrate, I’m Back Again - Chapter 25

“Sister Xiting, what nonsense are you spouting…?”

Tang Wuyun blushed crimson with embarrassment. Fortunately, her face was already flushed from running, or she would have died of shame.

She awkwardly stood up and moved slightly away from Shi Shuwu.

Shi Shuwu, still clutching the treasure chest, also shifted her posture, trying to avoid any lingering ambiguity between them.

Luo Xiting straightened up, releasing the hand propping herself up on her knee. With a blunt assessment of their reactions, he clicked his tongue. “Tsk, trying too hard to hide it. Fine, I won’t tease you anymore. Have some water.”

He took the water bottle from Lu Yangming and walked toward the two women.

Shi Shuwu: “……”

Luo Xiting was so openly shipping them, making no attempt to hide it. Tang Wuyun thought this segment probably wasn’t important enough to make the final cut.

Still uneasy, she turned to the cameraman, who was panting from exhaustion, and addressed the lens. “Please cut out this part, okay?”

She didn’t mind the chaos in her own comment section, but Shi Shuwu didn’t need to be dragged into this mess.

Luo Xiting’s approach faltered slightly, a guilty smile flickering across her face.

Sorry, sisters, with this bottle of water, this scene might get cut.

It was absurd, really. Their kiss had already been filmed and leaked online, yet they still hadn’t clarified anything. She couldn’t fathom what they were still trying to hide.

Tang Wuyun, wary of Luo Xiting’s movements, stepped forward to shield Shi Shuwu, preventing Luo Xiting from snatching the treasure chest.

When Luo Xiting reached them, she warmly offered the water.

“Drink some water. Look at all that sweat—why were you running so hard?”

Tang Wuyun, having caught her breath, glanced at Lu Yangming beside her. “If you hadn’t been chasing us, we wouldn’t have needed to run.”

She added, “Why is there only one bottle? Never mind, you should drink it.”

How considerate—too considerate, almost unsettlingly so.

Luo Xiting raised an eyebrow and decisively withdrew the bottle. “Fine, don’t drink it then. Suit yourself. I’m dying of thirst.”

With that, she twisted open the cap, tilted her head back, and took a deliberate sip without letting the bottle touch her lips.

Tang Wuyun licked her lips and turned to look at Shi Shuwu for approval. To be honest, she was parched from running, her throat dry and unbearably uncomfortable.

Shi Shuwu nodded in agreement.

Without hesitation, Tang Wuyun reached out to Luo Xiting. “Sister Xiting, water! Water! I’m dying of thirst!”

Lowering his guard, Luo Xiting grumbled, “Honestly, we could have stopped and talked properly like this. Why did you have to run?”

Luo Xiting: “……”

I thought she’d be harder to trick.

He generously handed over the water. “Here, drink.”

“Thank you, Sister,” Tang Wuyun said politely, twisting open the cap. She turned and offered the bottle to Shi Shuwu, who was standing behind her.

“Here, you drink first.”

Shi Shuwu accepted the bottle.

Luo Xiting’s eyebrow twitched.

This Tang Wuyun, being considerate now? What a manipulative little snake.

He could only assimilate the first person who drank his water. Though his initial target was Tang Wuyun, assimilating Shi Shuwu wouldn’t be a bad outcome either.

He could still find a way to make Shi Shuwu turn on Tang Wuyun.

Heh heh heh… Making young lovers turn on each other? That’s the kind of drama I live for.

After watching them finish their water, Luo Xiting couldn’t help but smirk inwardly.

“Seriously, there are treasure chests all over the place. Why are you chasing after us specifically?”

Tang Wuyun drank her water and felt her scattered soul return, though she was drenched in sweat and starting to feel a bit overwhelmed.

Curious, she asked Luo Xiting, who was checking her watch as if waiting for some kind of signal, “Is there something special about these treasure chests?”

Hearing Tang Wuyun’s question, Shi Shuwu, equally puzzled, couldn’t resist asking, “Yeah, what’s so special about them?”

“Ah… well, you see…” Luo Xiting drawled, stalling for several seconds as she desperately tried to come up with a plausible explanation.

“It’s just… haven’t you noticed there are fewer treasure chests today compared to yesterday?”

Tang Wuyun looked doubtful. “Really?”

They had only just started searching.

Luo Xiting nodded stiffly, stifling a laugh. She had no idea what she was talking about; she was just making things up.

“Besides,” Luo Xiting continued, tilting her chin defiantly, “with so many people watching us, how could I just give up halfway? That would be so embarrassing!”

Lu Yangming nodded solemnly beside them.

Yes, yes, let them misunderstand! If they keep asking, I’m going to blow my cover.

Shi Shuwu: “……”

Tang Wuyun: “……”

What is going on here?!

Now that they had finished questioning, it was Luo Xiting’s turn. She snapped, “I still don’t understand why you two were running around like madwomen. Couldn’t you share information like yesterday?”

Yesterday, they had eagerly invited her to cooperate, but today they bolted the moment they saw her.

What’s the catch?

Of course, the catch was that all the information they had given her yesterday was false.

Remembering their misdeeds from the previous day, Tang Wuyun immediately tried to shift the blame onto Shi Shuwu.

She pointed forward without daring to turn around. “It was her idea!”

Shi Shuwu glanced at her and passed the buck right back. “Because you were being chased! Why wouldn’t you run if you were being chased?”

The argument circled back to square one. “Okay, okay, let’s drop it. Let’s open the treasure chest first.”

Tang Wuyun turned back, her eyes meeting Shi Shuwu’s. She gave Shi Shuwu a subtle nod.

“I think I can run a bit longer!” she said in a rapid-fire voice.

Before the words had even left her lips, she grabbed Shi Shuwu’s wrist and bolted off again, leaving Luo Xiting no chance to react.

Luo Xiting stared after them, speechless.

Lu Yangming watched the fleeing figures, his voice tinged with resentment. “Sister, should we still chase them?”

He had only come to slack off on this variety show. Running for over twenty minutes already exceeded his workload for the day.

Luo Xiting waved her hand dismissively. “Chase what? They’re just a couple of fools.”

Her mission was already complete.

Still, something felt off.

Why hadn’t she received the assimilation success message yet? When she assimilated Lu Yangming, it had been instantaneous.

The two fugitives found a spot under a sunshade, right by the stream where they had played the day before. They climbed onto the bamboo raft by the shore and settled into the bamboo chairs to rest.

Tang Wuyun tugged at the combination lock. “I’m exhausted! I’m dying to see what’s in this box. It better be something good.”

“Done,” Shi Shuwu said, looking up from her calculations. The box could only be opened by solving a math problem.

Tang Wuyun’s eyes lit up, and she straightened up. “The code?”

“Zero,” Shi Shuwu said.

Tang Wuyun looked confused. “Huh?”

“It’s all zeros,” Shi Shuwu explained.

Tang Wuyun blurted out, “Well, I’m still at one!”

Shi Shuwu froze, then snapped back to reality after a couple of seconds. She clicked her tongue.

“Stop joking around and hurry up and open it.”

Tang Wuyun awkwardly pursed her lips and obediently opened the box.

“Oh, it’s another note in a bottle.”

Tang Wuyun poured out the note and unfolded it.

Some Whispers Carried by the Wind

“The end of the River of Time? Hmm, I’ve never heard of it. But the Four Great Academies, situated along the River of Time, might know something. They say only the Time-Favored Ones can become teachers at the academies.”

“With only one day left, do we still have a chance to escape this place?”

“We’re all going to die anyway. Can I borrow your armor for a bit?”

“Ms. Anrenia said the Time-Favored Ones are just lucky enough to have obtained energy crystals that overflow from the River of Time. They aren’t tainted by time itself. With these crystals, they can resist assimilation three times.”

“What’s that foreigner babbling about? Can’t he speak Mandarin, for crying out loud?!”

“Our Four Great Academies have been searching for ways to resist Ephemeral Manor for ages. One day…”

“So even the Teachers can be corrupted?” Tang Wuyun muttered. “Then, besides the Envoy, the 24-hour countdown is useless even for the Teachers? And they can resist assimilation three times, right?”

“I knew it! This game isn’t as hard as it seems!”

This made sense. Otherwise, in just two more hours, the Envoy’s assimilation skill would refresh, and they would all be assimilated.

As the new information appeared, Shi Shuwu and Tang Wuyun’s watches vibrated simultaneously.

Notification: A key clue has been discovered. The special markers of the Four Great Academies have been activated, and the four “Teachers” have finally awakened.

Teachers can resist the Envoy’s assimilation up to three times.

Note: By obtaining the Time-Favored Ones’ absorption devices, Teachers can eliminate the Envoy.

This was public information visible to all sixteen players.

Tang Wuyun read it repeatedly, muttering, “If the Teachers can eliminate the Envoy, then what are the Students for?”

Are we just here to be assimilated and used as cannon fodder?

Why am I even bothering to worry about this?

She could either wait for the “Teachers” to carry her to victory or join the “Envoy” faction and help take down the Teachers.

The latter sounded a lot more fun.

Shi Shuwu didn’t reply, still studying the information on her watch.

Tang Wuyun poked her arm. “Does one sentence really need that much reading time?”

Shi Shuwu glanced at Tang Wuyun and said casually, “I’m a Teacher.”

Tang Wuyun gasped. “What! How?!”

Originally, she had just been making a sarcastic remark, but now jealousy began to gnaw at her.

I want to be a Teacher too! Why can’t I be one?!

Shi Shuwu frowned. “But I only have one resistance left.”

She had only learned from the information she obtained that Teachers could resist assimilation three times. Yet, she had already been targeted twice without even realizing it.

It must have been two different people.

The first attempt failed, and the perpetrator likely sensed something strange about her. They wouldn’t waste such a rare opportunity on her again.

Alternatively, it could have been that two people used assimilation skills on her yesterday.

She had only encountered one person yesterday.

Based on their deductions, Pei Yinxi and Bai Jin could be ruled out, as their assimilation skills should have been exhausted by the time they met her.

Tan Hao, who was paired with Pei Yinxi, could also be temporarily excluded.

That left Ji Mingyin. Yesterday, she was the only one capable of assimilating others.

But what about today?

After analyzing the situation, the two exchanged a knowing glance.

In unison, they declared, “Luo Xiting!”

It had to be her! Today, they had only interacted with Luo Xiting and Lu Yangming.

Based on their analysis, Lu Yangming seemed to be Luo Xiting’s lackey.

Tang Wuyun was puzzled. “Just running after us all this way is enough to assimilate someone? Her assimilation condition is so… leg-intensive?”

Had Luo Xiting run all that way to assimilate someone yesterday too? Why hadn’t they heard about it?

“The water,” Shi Shuwu recalled. “It must be the water we drank.”

She suspected that Lu Yangming, who had carried the water and run alongside them, had already been assimilated by her yesterday.

Tang Wuyun nodded hesitantly. “That makes sense.”

She craned her neck to glance at Shi Shuwu’s watch. “Has the countdown on your watch stopped?”

Her own watch still showed over ten hours remaining.

Shi Shuwu lowered her wrist, keeping the watch hidden from Tang Wuyun.

She pushed Tang Wuyun’s head away and replied, “It hasn’t stopped. It’s already disappeared.”

Tang Wuyun pouted and sat back down.

So stingy. If you don’t want to show me, fine. I won’t show you mine either.

“Being the Teacher is so convenient, huh?”

Does being a Student mean we don’t get any special abilities?

Shi Shuwu crossed her arms and suddenly sighed. “Now we have a very thorny problem.”

Tang Wuyun, who had been bending over to massage her legs, paused and turned to look at Shi Shuwu, puzzled.

The situation is clear now. What problem could there be?

She blinked at Shi Shuwu, her expression blank.

Shi Shuwu thought Tang Wuyun looked rather dim-witted.

“Idiot, my identity has likely been discovered.”

Perhaps other “Teachers” who had resisted assimilation, like herself, had also been exposed.

Tang Wuyun nodded thoughtfully. “You’re in grave danger now.”

She lowered her head and began counting on her fingers, muttering to herself, “If each Envoy group has one assimilator, they could have assimilated four times last night and another four times today, totaling eight. You’ve resisted two of those attempts.”

“Worst-case scenario: if they successfully assimilate all six remaining times, their camp will have ten members while we only have six, two of whom are just students.”

After calculating on her fingers, Tang Wuyun threw her head back and declared, “I don’t want to play anymore…”

She was still one of those two useless students.

What’s the point of playing? It’s like none of this even matters to me.

Shi Shuwu grabbed Tang Wuyun’s arm, trying to pull her up. “Don’t be so defeatist! You’re going to support me.”

She was determined to win.

“Fine, fine,” Tang Wuyun said listlessly, letting Shi Shuwu pull her up. Her voice was drained of energy.

They had rested long enough. It was time to find that time-absorption device.

Ding! Tang Wuyun’s watch suddenly chimed.

Notification: Zhang Rui has successfully used a Time-Reduction Card. Tang Wuyun’s time has been reduced by one hour.

With a creak, the bamboo chair groaned under Tang Wuyun’s weight as she sat back down.

“I’m done playing!” she snapped, furious. “This isn’t fair! Only the Students’ time is still counting down!”

Shi Shuwu clicked her tongue and tugged at Tang Wuyun again.

“Come on, get up,” she coaxed, pulling. “I’ll give you all my Time-Extension Cards. I can’t use them anyway.”

Tang Wuyun pouted, then froze as a thought struck her.

She slapped Shi Shuwu’s arm twice, her voice suddenly urgent. “Wait! Wait!”

“Hmm?” Shi Shuwu replied.

Tang Wuyun grabbed Shi Shuwu’s bag, rummaging through it as she explained, “These Time-Reduction and Time-Extension Cards don’t work on the Envoys or Teachers anymore. They only affect the Students now.”

“We’ll test them one by one. If the card works, that means the student hasn’t been assimilated yet.”

Shi Shuwu raised an eyebrow slightly. “That makes sense. If we keep testing like this, the situation will become clearer.”

Ding!

Tang Wuyun’s watch chimed again.

Notification: Zhang Rui successfully used a Time Extension Card, adding one hour to Tang Wuyun’s remaining time.

The time that had been deducted was restored. Tang Wuyun blinked in surprise.

Shi Shuwu mused, “Zhang Rui using this card on you at this critical moment… she’s probably trying to figure out your identity.”

Tang Wuyun nodded. “She’s really sharp. I wouldn’t have figured it out without this.”

Since Zhang Rui had at least restored her time, Tang Wuyun decided to give her the benefit of the doubt for now.

They resolved to find Zhang Rui first.

There were plenty of clever people on the field. With these two notifications, anyone with half a brain would quickly realize what was happening.

They didn’t waste any time on their way to find Zhang Rui, testing students one by one with the cards. Only Qiao Mian and Shi Zhimiao successfully used the cards.

“Wow, Miaomiao’s still on the good guys’ team? Sister Pei and Jin Jin didn’t take her down?” Tang Wuyun teased before calling Shi Zhimiao.

Shi Shuwu borrowed a notebook from a staff member and wrote down everyone’s names.

Pei Yinxi, Bai Jin, Luo Xiting, Lu Yangming, and Ji Mingyin were confirmed to be on the Envoy team.

Tang Wuyun, Qiao Mian, and Shi Zhimiao were the only remaining students who hadn’t been assimilated.

After excluding the four teachers, that left four more people on the Envoy team.

Tang Wuyun took the notebook and explained the situation to Shi Zhimiao. “So, based on our analysis, there are currently nine people on the bad guys’ team and seven on the good guys’ team.”

“Do you want to come join us? We’re heading to find Zhang Rui and Qiao Mian now.”

Tang Wuyun figured that since they’d analyzed the situation this thoroughly, even someone as smart as Shi Zhimiao would realize that joining them was the safest option.

But Shi Zhimiao asked, “Why do you assume there are only two teams?”

Tang Wuyun froze. “Huh?”

Shi Zhimiao continued, “Could there actually be a third faction on the field?”

Tang Wuyun froze completely, daring only to glance at Shi Shuwu’s expression.

She had a deeply ominous premonition.

Remembering how Shi Shuwu had just shown her the list, that feeling intensified.

She looked down at the names Shi Shuwu had neatly arranged on her palm, divided into three groups…

At the time, she had assumed it was simply based on identity.

Now it seemed it was based on faction.

But what exactly was the significance of being a Student?

Shi Zhimiao must have discovered some crucial information Tang Wuyun had missed.

Tang Wuyun swallowed hard and silently took several steps away.

She stole another glance at Shi Shuwu, who was looking at her with a strange, almost mocking smile.

Tang Wuyun’s heart sank.

The atmosphere suddenly thickened.

On the other end of the line, Shi Zhimiao continued sarcastically, “As one of my only two remaining teammates, your recent actions have completely exposed Qiao Mian and my identities.”

Tang Wuyun retorted loudly, “But… but I found teammates too, didn’t I?!”

She immediately turned to Shi Shuwu and asked bluntly, “So you’ve been deceiving me all along?”

Shi Shuwu dropped the pretense and shook her head. “Not before the identity abilities came into play.”

Then, she reassured Tang Wuyun, “Don’t worry. We can still work together. After all, the Envoy is the only one who can directly influence the Students.”

Tang Wuyun was still processing this when Shi Zhimiao’s voice cut through the phone line.

“I’m begging you, stop sticking with Shi Shuwu from now on. Being around her is like being hit with a stupidity debuff—you’re acting like a complete idiot.”

Shi Shuwu turned her head away, stifling a laugh.

Tang Wuyun gritted her teeth. “I just haven’t found any useful information yet! Or any good clues!”

Shi Zhimiao scoffed. “Then try using that pig brain of yours for once. Would the show really assign such a useless role?”

Tang Wuyun was left speechless, unable to retort.

Shi Zhimiao’s logic was irrefutable. Tang Wuyun had indeed suspected something was off, but she hadn’t considered the possibility of a third faction. She had simply wondered if the Student role had some hidden purpose.

Feeling guilty, she could only mumble weakly, “Why are you being so mean…”

Shi Zhimiao: “Hmph.”

Tang Wuyun glanced furtively at Shi Shuwu and edged away, but when her gaze landed on the bag in Shi Shuwu’s arms, she quickly moved back.

Shi Shuwu blocked her outstretched hand.

Tang Wuyun: “Give me back my prop!”

The fragile ship of friendship capsized in an instant.

Shi Zhimiao asked in disbelief, “You actually gave away your own prop?”

What other surprises could she possibly be unaware of?

Where did this useless teammate come from?

Shi Zhimiao seethed, “Can you please get your head out of the clouds!”

Tang Wuyun nearly blushed, still tugging at the bag while retorting, “It’s not because I’m lovesick!”

Her decision had been carefully considered, a deliberate act to demonstrate her trust in Shi Shuwu.

Hearing Tang Wuyun’s indignant reaction to Shi Zhimiao’s blunt criticism, Shi Shuwu found the whole situation amusing. She struggled to suppress her laughter.

Tang Wuyun really is the most entertaining.

As the two women continued their tug-of-war over the bag, Lu Ya noticed them from afar and curiously approached.

“What’s going on here?” Lu Ya asked, stepping between them.

The two temporarily paused their struggle. Tang Wuyun, still clutching the bag, turned to Lu Ya. “What do you want?”

Lu Ya crossed her arms, circling them with a scrutinizing gaze. “Nothing, just find you two rather… interesting.”

Earlier, they had been running around hand-in-hand, drawing everyone’s attention. Now…

Did they have a falling out?

Lu Ya patted the bag wedged between them, offering a sharp critique: “Still fighting over this? Looks like you’re just deliberately dragging this out, huh?”

Tang Wuyun: “……”

Shi Shuwu blinked.

Shi Zhimiao’s voice came through the phone, cold and detached: “Perhaps. They’ve been fighting over it for almost four minutes now.”

“Huh? Miaomiao!” Lu Ya exclaimed, glancing down at Tang Wuyun’s phone in surprise. “You’re still on the phone with Miaomiao?”

Tang Wuyun opened her mouth to speak, equally bewildered. Why hasn’t Shi Zhimiao hung up yet? she wondered. Is listening to us fight over this bag really that entertaining?

Shi Zhimiao: “Mm, they’re quite amusing.”

Tang Wuyun suddenly felt embarrassed, a flush of shame creeping up her cheeks.

Seizing the moment while Tang Wuyun was distracted, Shi Shuwu yanked the bag with all her might.

Realizing the bag had slipped from her grasp, Tang Wuyun’s heart sank. She lunged forward with lightning reflexes as Shi Shuwu tried to flee.

Lu Ya clapped enthusiastically. “Ooh! Wow!”

Shi Zhimiao: “What’s happening?”

Lu Ya took on the role of live commentator.

“They’re fighting again! This time it’s intense. Tang Wuyun has Shi Shuwu pinned down, not letting her escape.”

“Heh~ Probably just using the opportunity to hug her.”

Tang Wuyun: “……”

Lu Ya continued teasing, “Aiya, she’s holding on so tight!”

Tang Wuyun gritted her teeth in frustration.

She whirled around, snapping at Lu Ya, “Do you even know how strong she is?!”

“She ran away with her early!” Lu Ya shrugged. “I know, probably about the same as you. You two were wrestling for four minutes.” She held up four fingers as she spoke.

Tang Wuyun froze.

That’s right, Shi Shuwu is so strong. How could I have overpowered her?

Was she letting me win?

Seeing both of them stop fighting, Lu Ya pointed at Shi Shuwu’s arm and boldly ordered, “Why aren’t you fighting back? Stab her!”

Shi Shuwu choked.

Tang Wuyun glared at Lu Ya, who was watching the spectacle with glee, clearly enjoying stirring up trouble.

“You’re really afraid your sister will beat you to death!”

If she let Shi Shuwu fight back, would she even see the sun tomorrow?

Lu Ya winked mischievously, her face innocent. “She won’t. She’s too fond of you to hurt you.”

Shi Shuwu: “……”

As expected, being around Tang Wuyun requires a strong heart—or at least the ability to tolerate the teasing from her friends.

Shi Zhimiao’s voice cut in from the other end of the phone. “Hmm? You’re so good at courting death, yet you’re afraid to die?”

Tang Wuyun: “……”