ALL NOVEL Chapter 66: Bump on Forehead
Time flew by, and finally, on the third day, Ran Yuming returned to meet them.
The Blood Flame Bees had been completely dealt with.
However…
During his battle with the Blood Flame Bees, an unexpected incident occurred: in a moment of carelessness, Ran Yuming was struck by the dying counterattack of the ten-thousand-year-old queen bee, whose venomous stinger pierced his body. Although he quickly removed the venom, the spot where he was stung inevitably swelled.
And the stung area was his forehead.
This left him with a fist-sized bump on his head, and his eyes, due to the swelling, had narrowed even further. No matter how hard he tried to open them, they remained squinted into narrow slits. His entire appearance had become as comical as one could imagine.
Though Su Luoheng felt sympathy for his teacher's plight…
The moment he saw Ran Yuming's hilarious appearance, he nearly burst out laughing.
At that moment, he quickly lowered his head to suppress his emotions, recalling all the saddest things he could think of. But even after adjusting himself and lifting his head again, he immediately broke into laughter.
He knew he shouldn't laugh, but he just couldn't help it...
If he kept holding it in any longer, he felt like he might get internal injuries...
"Teacher, how come you— Pfft—"
"Hahahaha~~"
"…"
Su Luoheng laughed so hard that tears almost came out, and he could barely speak. After stammering for a long time, he finally managed to get out a somewhat coherent sentence.
"Teacher, y-your bump on your head... pfft~"
"Brat! I only got stung because I was protecting you. Otherwise, do you think I'd let a little Blood Flame Bee sting me?"
Ran Yuming's face instantly turned as black as the bottom of a pot, and he glared at him fiercely.
However, the originally intimidating expression now looked even more ridiculous on his swollen face. Su Luoheng couldn't hold back and laughed again.
Ran Yuming's face was covered in black lines, and he glared at him angrily.
"Brat, if you laugh again, I'll make sure you get a bump like this too!"
"N-No more laughing, I swear."
Su Luoheng waved his hands repeatedly, doing his best to suppress his laughter and reassure his teacher.
"…"
After the playful exchange, Su Luoheng finally got serious, though he kept his head down to avoid looking at Ran Yuming's face.
Otherwise, he really couldn't handle it.
"Teacher, are you not going to do something about the bump on your head?" Su Luoheng asked with concern.
"I've already treated it. It'll go down in a few days," Ran Yuming said, reaching up to touch the large bump on his forehead…
Feeling its hardness, he instantly felt a sense of despair.
He wished he could dig up the entire hive of Blood Flame Bees and kill them all over again!
While the teacher and disciple were chatting, Xu Jinyu approached them after hearing the noise.
"Luoheng, who is this?"
"Xu Jinyu. We've met before. Three days ago, he was seriously injured, so I lent him a hand."
In just a few words, Su Luoheng explained the situation.
"Xu…"
Ran Yuming squinted as he sized up the young man in front of him.
Xu—that was the royal surname of the Sun Moon Empire.
This expression would have seemed normal under usual circumstances, but now, with the prominent bump on his forehead, it was more of a mood breaker. No matter what expression he made, he just looked comical.
"Pfft~"
Xu Jinyu almost burst out laughing after the first glance.
He thought to himself, 'When did the academy hire such a... unique teacher?'
If this person were walking down the street, they'd surely have a 100% head-turn rate!
But thankfully, Xu Jinyu quickly composed himself, walking up calmly, though he avoided making direct eye contact with Ran Yuming.
After a brief pause, Ran Yuming spoke. "You're from the royal family, aren't you?"
Xu Jinyu took out his identity token and cupped his hands in respect. "I am Xu Jinyu from the Marquis of Heng's household. May I ask which teacher of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy you are?"
"I am Ran Yuming."
"Y-You're Teacher Ran?!"
The moment Ran Yuming introduced himself, Xu Jinyu looked up in shock.
Though Xu Jinyu had already graduated from the academy, he had still heard of Ran Yuming, a well-known honorary teacher at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy.
However…
How could his current appearance be so different from the rumors?
Was this really the famous Teacher Ran?
Ran Yuming noticed the doubt in Xu Jinyu's eyes and snorted coldly, then put on his teacher's insignia.
Seeing this, Xu Jinyu no longer had any doubts. The Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy's teacher insignias were made from a special material that couldn't be forged.
"Teacher Ran, I deeply apologize for my disrespect."
Xu Jinyu bowed in apology, then curiously asked, "But how did you end up… like this?"
"Ahem, I encountered a soul beast attack on the way," Ran Yuming casually brushed it off, not wanting to reveal that he had fallen victim to a ten-thousand-year-old Blood Flame Bee.
For Ran Yuming, this was truly embarrassing.
"…"
After a moment of contemplation, Ran Yuming had already figured out the likely reason behind Xu Jinyu's request.
"Why are you waiting here for me?" he asked.
Xu Jinyu looked troubled and bowed in request, "To be honest, Teacher Ran, I'm currently facing some difficulties. I can't mobilize the people in my estate, so I'm hoping you could accompany me back to Mingdu."
"Hmm."
Ran Yuming nodded lightly. He had already guessed most of the reason behind Xu Jinyu's troubles and, in respect for the old Marquis of Heng, decided to help him out.
"In that case, it would be my honor to assist you, Teacher Ran."
"Don't mention it."
Xu Jinyu's face lit up with joy, and he quickly bowed in gratitude.
With Ran Yuming's protection, he no longer needed to worry about returning to Mingdu safely.
…
…
Time passed swiftly.
As they left the Jingyang Mountain Range, they encountered several checkpoints.
However, with Ran Yuming's abilities and the Concealment Soul Tool at their disposal, these checkpoints posed no real threat. In just two days, the trio had exited the mountain range and arrived back in Mingdu.
(Due to the need to avoid being tracked by soul masters, the exit process was slightly delayed.)
At the city gate, they parted ways.
Having escaped from danger, Xu Jinyu repeatedly expressed his gratitude to the master and disciple, even inviting Su Luoheng to visit the Heng Marquis Mansion when he had the time.
After that, Xu Jinyu quickly reunited with his trusted confidants from the Heng Marquis Mansion and returned to the estate. Judging by the stern and murderous aura surrounding them, it seemed like Xu Jinyu was planning a thorough purge of his inner circle.
On his way back, Xu Jinyu thought about many things.
Only a handful of people had been informed about his trip. After eliminating the most unlikely suspects, the true traitor had now come to light.
What he needed to do now was confirm his suspicions…
Then, it would be time to settle accounts with those within the mansion!
After Xu Jinyu's hasty departure, Su Luoheng and Ran Yuming also made their way back to the academy.
During the two days of rest, the large bump on Ran Yuming's forehead had significantly reduced in size. Though it hadn't completely healed, his appearance was now much more presentable.
The slight swelling on his forehead no longer drew unwanted attention on the streets.
Upon returning to the academy's laboratory, Su Luoheng finally demonstrated the ability of his second soul skill to his teacher.
Earlier, during their journey back, he hadn't mentioned it due to Xu Jinyu's presence.
"..."