Calm at the Eye of the Storm
On the eve of the press conference, Rockefeller College City was like a pot of porridge placed on the crater of a volcano, bubbling with bubbles of "tension," "anticipation," "conspiracy," and "spectatorship," and you could smell the burning odor of it about to boil from afar.
The central square and its surrounding area had become the center of a massive vortex, relentlessly swallowing up attention and scheming from all directions. Nobles' luxurious carriages crammed the nearby streets, mercenaries and adventurers, weapons at their sides, engaged in heated debates in taverns, scholars from all over the land argued heatedly with heavy tomes in hand, and tabloid reporters and information brokers moved like ghosts through the crowd, trying to dig up any exclusive scoop that could fetch a good price.
When the academy's guards and the court's patrols unexpectedly met, the sparks flying between their eyes could almost ignite the air with gunpowder. Various barriers, detection spells, and surveillance eyes, some visible and some hidden, blanketed the plaza like a spiderweb, their density so high that any stray fly would instantly suffer from decision paralysis—which spell should it scan?
Amidst this extreme noise and commotion, the small building where Ling Yao was located, like the eye of a typhoon, presented a deathly stillness, almost eerily calm.
The small building seemed to be separated from the outside by an invisible boundary. Outside was a turbulent ocean, and inside was a bottomless, icy pool.
Professor Eleanor hadn't slept for three days straight, and now, sporting dark circles under her eyes like those of a metal-eating beast, she was checking tomorrow's flowchart, bill of materials, and contingency plan for the nth time, like the most obsessive quality inspector. She muttered to herself, occasionally jumping up in surprise at the thought of a possible oversight, then forcing herself to sit down again.
"The inspection of the Jingxie Powder is complete; its medicinal properties are stable..."
"The demonstration artifact is fully charged and in perfect condition..."
"No abnormalities confirmed at the key nodes..."
"Audience seating area division... Security personnel deployment... Emergency response procedures..."
"Oh! By the God of Light! Did I forget to consider a backup plan in case of a sudden downpour?!"
Finn tried to calm her down: "Professor, relax. I checked the weather forecast. Tomorrow will be sunny and cloudless..."
“Weather forecast?!” Eleanor’s voice suddenly rose, a cold glint in her eyes. “You actually believe those idiots at the meteorological bureau who can’t even predict whether it will rain tomorrow? They can’t even distinguish between cumulonimbus and cirrus clouds! What if? What if some bored mage happens to walk by and casually casts a cloud-making spell? What if a hostile force deliberately summons a downpour to cause trouble? What if…”
Finn was overwhelmed by this series of "what ifs" and quickly raised his hands in surrender: "Okay, okay! I'll go prepare a hundred umbrellas and waterproof sheets right away!"
Compared to the two downstairs, one extremely anxious and the other spinning like a top, Ling Yao, the person in question upstairs, was surprisingly calm.
She made no further preparations, did not check the pills, did not review the formation, and did not even wipe her precious flying sword like the legendary heroes before a great battle.
She simply sat quietly on the futon on the balcony—a futon that Finn had somehow found out of some corner, supposedly woven from magical plants with calming and tranquilizing effects. Although Ling Yao had been sitting on it for several days, she hadn't seen the futon emit the slightest magical fluctuation—her eyes were slightly closed, her breathing long and steady, as if she were an old monk in deep meditation.
A night breeze ruffled a few stray hairs across her forehead, and the bright moonlight bathed her in a cool, silvery glow. The restless energy particles in the surrounding air seemed to be soothed by an invisible force, becoming docile and orderly, when they came within three feet of her.
She is like a boulder buried deep beneath the turbulent current, remaining unmoved no matter how turbulent the water may be, silently observing the changes in the riverbed.
This extreme tranquility, ironically, made Finn, who occasionally went upstairs to deliver things, feel a strange pressure. He didn't even dare to breathe, and after putting down the things, he would tiptoe away, as if afraid that the sound of his footsteps would disturb the operation of some deep-seated law.
“Miss Ling…is she being a little too calm?” Finn couldn’t help but whisper to Eleanor, “Tomorrow is a matter of life and death for us! Why does she seem like she’s waiting for an ordinary sunrise?”
Eleanor looked up from a pile of documents, adjusted her glasses, and a complex light flashed in her eyes, a mixture of awe and incomprehension: "Perhaps... for someone like Miss Ling, what we perceive as tumultuous waves is nothing more than a ripple on a spring pond. Her level of understanding is beyond our comprehension."
She paused, then added in a low voice, as if trying to convince herself: "Absolute confidence stems from absolute strength. She is fully prepared; what she needs now is not anxiety, but to get into peak condition."
Finn understood the reasoning, but he still couldn't help feeling anxious! He peered through the crack in the window, watching the growing crowds in the square outside and the faint sounds of commotion. He felt his heart pounding wildly and his palms were covered in cold sweat.
He even started having wild thoughts: Could Silas have already planted explosives under the plaza? Could there be hidden snipers already aiming at this place? Could a legendary mage suddenly jump out and shout "Monster, take this!"
In contrast to Finn's paranoia, the leaders of various factions made their final arrangements and engaged in strategic maneuvering that night.
The inquisition compound was brightly lit. Inquisitor Silas listened expressionlessly to the final intelligence summary. When he heard the sentry report, "The target building is unusually quiet, with no energy fluctuations," a cold smile curled at the corner of his lips.
"Pretend to be calm, just bluff." He concluded. "Pass down the order: all personnel will proceed as planned tomorrow! If any signs of 'evil forces' are discovered, or if she cannot explain herself, immediately carry out the purification! There's no need to wait for a signal!"
"Yes!" the judges under his command responded in unison, their eyes gleaming with fervent faith.
The college council meeting room was filled with smoke. The former dean, Maurice, and several core council members had also been up all night. Before them lay more than a dozen plans for handling various emergencies, but each one looked like walking a tightrope.
Has Professor Yinrui confirmed that everything is ready?
"It's confirmed, but Dean... are we really going to put all our eggs in one basket with that Ling Yao? What if..."
"There's no room for 'what ifs'!" the old dean interrupted firmly, unusually. "Things have come to this point, we have no way out! The academy's security team must ensure absolute safety on site! In particular, they must prevent the courthouse staff from resorting to desperate measures!"
Inside a penthouse suite at a luxury hotel, several elegantly dressed, discreet figures gazed at the night view of the plaza through a crystal ball.
"Heh, Rockefeller College really went all out this time."
"That Eastern girl is quite interesting. That mad dog Silas has probably bitten off more than he can chew this time."
"Give the order that tomorrow our people will only observe and record, and will not interfere with either side."
"Yes, sir."
The undercurrents surged and churned under the cover of night.
At this moment, Ling Yao, sitting in meditation, silently covered the entire square and even further beyond, with her divine sense flowing like mercury. The hidden barriers, the whispered conspiracies, the curious or malicious gazes... everything was within her perception, yet it was like dust brushing across a mirror, failing to cause the slightest ripple.
Her state of mind was indeed as calm as a still well.
This scene, compared to the "final exam" where Wanxiang Sanren forced her to simultaneously control ten alchemy furnaces to refine different pills and deal with the interference spells thrown at her from time to time, was simply child's play.
She even felt a pang of nostalgia for her master's boisterous yet unwavering protectiveness at crucial moments. She wondered if that scoundrel was up to his old tricks again, perhaps swindling and cheating in some corner, or maybe taking some unlucky student as his apprentice.
Her thoughts drifted slightly away, but she quickly pulled them back.
His divine sense swept over Eleanor downstairs, who was still chattering away while checking the procedures; over Finn, who was fidgeting and frantically biting his nails; over the guards and judges standing guard in the distance; and over the many ordinary people who had come purely out of curiosity and anticipation...
With a slight twitch of her fingertips, a smooth, dull black pebble appeared. She had casually crafted it a few days ago from scraps; it wasn't very useful, its only effect being—to calm one down a little.
She flicked her finger, and the pebble silently passed through the window crack, landing precisely on Finn's forehead downstairs.
"Ouch!" Finn was startled. He touched his head and picked up a pebble. A cool sensation instantly flowed into his head, miraculously calming his agitated mood.
"This... was given to me by Miss Ling?" He was stunned for a moment, then grinned foolishly, clutching the pebble tightly as if he had grasped some kind of talisman.
Ling Yao withdrew her divine sense and stopped paying attention to the outside world.
She slowly adjusted her breathing, gradually perfecting her state. Although the nascent soul within her dantian was suppressed by the rules of this world, it remained seated with its eyes closed, yet it radiated a lustrous and translucent glow, resonating with the meridians throughout her body and merging with the primordial energy of heaven and earth.
Tomorrow is not a war that requires serious preparation.
For her, it was more like a... teaching demonstration lesson.
Silas and his court are probably like those unruly, disruptive students in the classroom who desperately need a good beating.
As for others, she doesn't mind giving some pointers to those who are willing to learn; and those who just want to watch the show, then let them watch to their heart's content.
As night deepened, the commotion in the square did not subside; on the contrary, it seemed to intensify. Countless people stayed up all night, waiting for the dawn to arrive.
As the first hint of dawn finally appeared on the eastern horizon, Ling Yao slowly opened her eyes.
His eyes were clear and calm, reflecting the rising sun, without sorrow or joy, without fear or anger.
She stood up and stretched her wrists, like an artist about to take the stage.
"Finn."
Her voice carried clearly downstairs.
"Bring enough candy."
Finn, who was dozing against the cool stone downstairs, jumped up with a start, grabbed the cloth bag full of colorful "candies" in a flurry, and shouted:
"Alright! Plenty!"
The eye of the storm is about to move.
The show is about to begin.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
