Chapter 11: The Price of a Secret Art

“Which one to choose?”

Bai Yu gazed at the list in her hand, utterly unsure of her selection.

“What’s wrong, Xiaoyu? Are you having trouble deciding? I was exactly the same back then.”

Lu Xingyao chuckled, now finally no longer a newcomer herself.

“Let me help you take a look. For a beginner, an offensive secret art is usually the best choice.”

“Oh, why?”

Bai Yu had been considering a support-type secret art, thinking it might prove useful in the future.

“Secret art masters inevitably encounter dangers. Offensive secret arts are not only quick to master and straightforward to use, but also the most direct in application.”

[She makes a valid point, but I’ve already found the perfect one for you. It’s on the fifth line of the eighth page—that’s the one.]

Moweila’s voice drifted over, her confident, composed words always inspiring an unconscious trust.

“Is that so? Then I’ll choose this one!”

Bai Yu indicated the secret art Moweila had mentioned.

“Hmm, excellent. You have good taste; this secret art is indeed quite formidable.”

The Principal nodded, seemingly approving Bai Yu’s choice.

Lu Xingyao also leaned closer, scanning the secret art’s description.

[Kin of Night]

Learning Materials: Luminous Moth dust, Night Stone x3

Function: Increases comprehensive amplification for the user during nighttime, with varying degrees of effect based on the learner’s spiritual core’s connection to the night.

“It’s an all-around skill! Such an ability is genuinely rare, but Xiaoyu, your spiritual core is [Witch], isn’t it? What connection does that have to the night?”

“Logically, [Witch] cores do have some ties to the night, but the extent of it, I’m not entirely clear on. After all, there are only a handful of Witch spiritual cores left today, and records concerning them are scarce. Those specifically related to night secret arts are even fewer.”

The Principal shook her head. While the secret art was potent, whether it truly suited Bai Yu remained uncertain.

“Xiaoyu, are you sure about this?”

Lu Xingyao glanced at the girl, yet Bai Yu showed no inclination whatsoever to change her mind.

‘Please, she had the assistance of a powerful figure from the previous epoch; how could her profound potential be so easily discerned by mere mortals?’

Bai Yu made her choice without hesitation.

“Then it’s settled. The school will provide the learning materials for your first secret art free of charge. Xiaoyao, please take her to retrieve them.”

The Principal said with a jovial laugh.

“Here is the method for learning your chosen secret art. Take it, but remember to return it on time and do not lend it to anyone.”

“Mhm, thank you, Principal.”

Bai Yu murmured softly, accepting the book with her hand.

“Eh?”

Bai Yu found she couldn’t pull the book free, only to realize the Principal was still gripping it tightly.

“My apologies, my apologies. I was momentarily distracted.”

The Principal quickly offered an excuse.

“Mhm, goodbye, Principal.”

Bai Yu took Lu Xingyao’s hand, then turned and followed her out the main door.

****

However, the moment Bai Yu exited the room, the Principal’s smile vanished, replaced by a chilling grimace. Her wrinkled face, no longer benevolent, twisted into a mask of utter malevolence.

‘That damned brat, actually taking such precious materials from me!’

The Principal cursed inwardly. She had subtly hinted to Bai Yu not to choose that secret art, but that little scoundrel hadn’t understood her implication at all. How much would that Night Stone cost her?!

‘Damn it!’

If not for the influential family behind Lu Xingyao, how could she possibly have included such a valuable secret art on the list?

She furiously pounded the table, as if desperate to unleash her pent-up frustration.

Her demeanor was utterly unlike that of a kindly old woman; instead, she resembled a madwoman.

“Hmph, I may not be able to offend you, but can others not offend you either?”

The Principal abruptly ceased her actions, pulled out her phone, and dialed a number.

“Hello, regarding the Witch core owner I mentioned to you yesterday, I met her today. The information is accurate.”

A sinister smile spread across the Principal’s face, as if she eagerly anticipated what was to come.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the ocean, in Italia, a man puffing on a cigar hung up his phone.

“Haha, this is big business!”

He was merely a novice information broker, newly engaged in selling intelligence. A new Witch had emerged, and he wondered just how much this bombshell news would fetch.

After compiling the information and selling it simultaneously to two organizations—the Holy Church and the Hunter’s Guild—he took another draw from his cigar. The thrill of such quick earnings intoxicated him.

These two organizations were constantly at odds, each harboring spies within the other’s ranks. This strategy allowed him to maximize his profits.

Sometimes, he genuinely believed himself a genius.

Leaning back in his chair, amidst the swirling clouds of smoke, Hu Yun seemed to glimpse his own prosperous future.

*Click!*

A mechanical sound rang out, followed by the clang of metal on metal, instantly jolting the man with closed eyes awake.

“Who’s there!”

Before he could even turn his head, a chilling sensation crept across his neck.

In an instant, he saw his own body.

With a dull thud, a round object tumbled down, striking the floor heavily.

The man’s severed body gushed blood, the crimson spray splattering onto the hunter’s coat of the woman standing behind him.

Yet, she showed not the slightest concern; her profession invariably involved dealing with blood.

With a forceful lift, the saw-toothed knife in her hand instantly transformed, retracting before she slowly walked out of the room.

The man had learned, at the cost of his life, which money could be earned and which could not.

However, he would never have another chance to rectify his mistake; new information brokers would continue to arrive here.

****

At Xiqian International High School, Bai Yu followed Lu Xingyao to the school’s secret art materials room to collect her supplies.

“Xingyao, what exactly is a Luminous Moth? I’ve never heard of such a creature before.”

Bai Yu was rather curious, having never encountered any mention of it.

“A Luminous Moth? Oh, it’s just a very common Shadow Beast. Come to think of it, I haven’t actually told you about them yet.”

“Shadow Beast? What’s that?”

Bai Yu looked up at Lu Xingyao, her height now more than a head shorter than her companion’s.

“How should I explain it? The concept of Shadow Beasts is quite broad. In essence, they are creatures that possess special abilities due to their spirituality.”

“Xiaoyu, most Shadow Beasts are extremely dangerous. They cannot control their intake of spiritual energy, which is to say, their desire to feed, so they mostly attack humans. Currently, the official secret art organizations have largely contained these creatures within the Inner World.”

“The Inner World? What’s that, then?”

“It’s a space that only secret art masters can enter, similar to a projection of the real world.”

Lu Xingyao explained, using a special secret art to open a hidden passage within the warehouse.

“There’s a door here too?”

Bai Yu was utterly astonished, never imagining that her familiar school harbored such a hidden place.

Truly, the mysteries of secret arts were profound.

She retrieved the materials for learning the secret art from within. The individual guarding the secret art materials was also an old man, though Bai Yu had never seen him before.

With the materials in hand, Bai Yu didn’t linger. After all, she had nothing pressing to do that day; it was merely a bit troublesome to enroll under a new identity.

Despite having the same name, she assumed no one would recognize her, as her specific situation had never occurred previously.