In the next few days, Tan Xiao went out to help Mao Mao record audio a couple more times. Mao Mao had originally said that after finishing the recording, she would gather with friends and then return to the provincial capital. But on the last day, Mao Mao made several phone calls outside and came back fuming.

"What's wrong, Sister Mao Mao?" Tan Xiao asked with concern.
Tan Chunying had already finished recording on her side, so she didn't come today. Only he was here.

Mao Mao sighed, "I just had a call with my aunt. You still remember my cousin, right? Recently his grades have improved, but my aunt has been unhappy. She even said his personality has changed drastically, that he's become studious and loves to fight."

Tan Xiao wanted to say something but stopped himself.
Loving to study is one thing, but according to what Lin Yang said, her cousin had probably loved fighting since middle school.

"He did fight before, but he basically always lost. He was bad at it and loved to play around," Mao Mao said exasperatedly. Tan Xiao felt relieved. He had thought Mao Mao didn't know.

"So now it can't really be considered a drastic personality change. I think his fighting skills have just improved.
"His parents are divorced. I heard last week when he went to his dad's side for a gathering, some people mocked my aunt. He beat up those few people on the spot and declared something like 'don't look down on the poor, I'll show you all'. He said he'd beat them every time he saw them."

"Tell me, isn't this some kind of misguided mastery of both pen and sword? I figure although fighting is not good and can be guided through education, even if he beat up some weird relatives, my aunt is being too dramatic, insisting my brother is possessed... It's ridiculous."

Tan Xiao recalled the brief glimpse he caught of Wu Tianyu last time. To be honest, he really didn't notice anything strange about Wu Tianyu.

Mao Mao had been in Nanchu these days. She rubbed her chin and said, "I discussed with other family members. We all think my cousin is indeed more agitated than before. Another thing is that he eats a lot but doesn't gain weight. Those are the only changes.

"But my aunt doesn't think so. She's become more and more superstitious over the years running her own business. Before, my cousin would still advise her and she would listen, he himself doesn't believe in these things. But now she keeps feeling my cousin is also possessed, saying she can tell something is off with her own son.

"Now my cousin refuses to go to the hospital, saying my aunt is the one who's sick. Not only has she told us this, she now wants to spend a lot of money to invite a swindler to perform an exorcism ritual. Anyway, it's a complete mess."

"You should still try to persuade her. The swindlers in Nanchu can be quite ruthless," Tan Xiao had some understanding of this.

Although Tan Chunying sometimes also called herself a jianghu swindler, she was still very different from real fraudsters.
They relied on performances and worked hard to make a living. In the past, their peers, like Lin Yang's uncle's Yin-gong drum troupe, also charged normal fees.

But there were some people who just swindled money. And because of the superstitious atmosphere lingering in Nanchu's folk customs, some jianghu masters charged quite high prices and had all sorts of tricks.

Tan Xiao knew there were even those who charged several hundred yuan each time to help people select WeChat profile pictures.

"Mm, actually I've thought of a solution. That is, find someone to come back and pretend, trick my aunt into thinking it's a great master, and stabilize her first. Then get my cousin to the hospital for a check-up to see if it's a hormone issue or something related to puberty that's causing the mood swings and increased appetite. Get him treated, then reveal the truth to my aunt. Wouldn't that solve it?"

As Mao Mao spoke, she started making eye contact with Tan Xiao.

Hmm...

Tan Xiao started laughing, "You thought of our family, didn't you?"

"Indeed, as I was talking, it came to me..." Mao Mao said sheepishly. After all, Tan Xiao's family were descendants of shamans. And she was well aware that Tan Chunying and her son were performers - of course, she would put it differently to her aunt.

"It's fine, my mom will definitely agree. We haven't had many jobs recently," Although Tan Xiao was now a real shaman, his family had been playing the role of mascots for a long time. This kind of job was nothing.

To be honest, his family had even been invited to cooperate with psychiatric hospitals for treatment before. There were also other trivial psychological massages and such.

It was just a matter of colluding to set up a scheme, no big deal.

"Great, I'll let Sister Tan know too. I'll calculate the performance fees for you based on your appearances." Mao Mao immediately called Tan Chunying.

After explaining, Tan Chunying indeed agreed. After hanging up, Mao Mao added, "Sister Tan reminded that since you two are in the same school, she wants you to pay attention to my cousin's situation at school. It'll also be convenient to discuss and plan how to trick my aunt."

Tan Xiao nodded. To set up a scheme, they definitely needed to scout out the place first. Him being in the school was perfect for covertly observing and inquiring about Wu Tianyu's situation.

"Got it, I'll discuss it with my mom." In an instant, Tan Xiao even figured out what kind of rhetoric to use to deceive Mao Mao's aunt. He couldn't stand seeing those unethical fake peers.

After returning to school, Tan Xiao was still pondering over this matter. Hmm, to observe Wu Tianyu, first he needed to recognize which one was Wu Tianyu...

......

The afternoon dismissal bell had already rung. Tan Xiao was deep in thought. Kong Xuan decided to give him a chance, after all, he had complimented him today, "What are you eating?"

"Eating at the cafeteria," Tan Xiao didn't understand why Kong Xuan was asking him. He had never seen Kong Xuan eat at school. He himself also frequently ordered takeout.

Maybe Kong Xuan did too, but he didn't know where he got his takeout from. Tan Xiao had never seen him when he secretly got takeout. However, No. 1 Middle School prohibited takeout, so everyone had their own clever ways of getting it, with many methods.

Kong Xuan was extremely disdainful. The cafeteria, how annoying. But if Tan Xiao invited him, he could still force himself to eat there.

Tan Xiao: "I'm off, bye."

Kong Xuan: "..."

Tan Xiao picked up his rarely used meal card and walked out. He saw Kong Xuan's expression. Sigh, there are people who dislike the cafeteria even more than me. Today, the takeout shop he had planned to order from was closed for a day, so he might as well go to the cafeteria for a change of pace.

Actually, the cafeteria at Nanchu No. 1 Middle School was quite good. It had several floors and a wide variety of flavors. If Tan Xiao wasn't so picky, he would have gone with the flow too.

It was rare for Tan Xiao to appear in the cafeteria. Lin Yang was eating with his head down with a few friends at the same table. Someone at the next table nudged him, "Look, isn't that someone from your class..."

Lin Yang raised his head and saw quite a few people eating in the cafeteria glancing at Tan Xiao. He quickly swallowed his food and waved, "Brother Xiao, together?"

Tan Xiao's gaze fell on the person calling him. He also waved and nodded. After getting his food, he sat down next to this person and noticed that the portion on his plate was less than the others' and he had almost finished eating.

So Tan Xiao concluded that this should be Lin Yang.

"You eat so fast," Tan Xiao said.

"He's not just eating fast, look at that guy." A student next to him pouted in a direction, "Like a whirlwind."

Who?

"The new boss of No. 1 Middle School." Lin Yang suddenly winked at Tan Xiao, "That's Wu Tianyu, you know he's not only made leaps and bounds in his grades, but also beaten everyone in the school and surrounding areas? They say this is simply unprecedented, a first-year student counterattacking to become the boss."

Tan Xiao looked in the direction he mentioned. Near the door sat a young man, very tall but thin, even thinner than the last time Tan Xiao saw him. Just based on appearance, he didn't quite match the rumors of being the "boss of No. 1 Middle".

...Who would have thought that Wu Tianyu not only fought with relatives, but also fought his way to the top at school.

Wu Tianyu's school uniform was still loose and his pants were rolled up, revealing a few small bruises on his calves, probably from fighting.

The tray in front of him was piled high with rice, as if he had gotten two portions, with a bowl of soup and two steamed buns on the side.

The young man looked gentle and refined, but swallowed a big mouthful of rice, chewing with a very enjoyable expression. This enjoyment was tinged with a bit of urgency, as if he was hungry. But most students, after half a day of classes, were starving.

The rice stuck in his throat, so he took a big gulp of soup to wash it down and continued shoveling food into his mouth. His movements weren't crude, but the speed was particularly fast and he ate a particularly large amount.

This appetite made students at several nearby tables can't help but glance at him a few more times.

But Wu Tianyu had always been known as a hooligan. Even his academic progress was due to betting with someone to call him dad. Sensing people looking at him, he half-raised his head and gave a few flat looks, and those people didn't dare to peek at him anymore.

"He's so skinny, yet can eat so much?" Looking at Wu Tianyu, besides eating a lot and being thin, Tan Xiao indeed didn't see anything else.

"I feel like he wasn't this skinny before." Now that it was mentioned, Lin Yang also hesitated, scratching the back of his head, "Could he have some thyroid problem?"

Eating so ravenously yet losing weight, it seemed like some disease such as hyperthyroidism.

Tan Xiao also felt that rather than being possessed, Wu Tianyu looked more like he was sick.

"Anyway, he really eats a lot. My mom always says I'm a glutton during puberty, but even I don't eat as much as him." Lin Yang muttered to himself. He stood up unsteadily, "I can't hold it, I need to go to the bathroom. Straight intestines, straight intestines."

"..." Tan Xiao recalled that Tan Chunying had also joked about it, but Tan Chunying didn't know that was for two people's portions together with the Peacock God.

What Wu Tianyu ate seemed to be more than even two people's portions.

Tan Xiao took another look at Wu Tianyu.

Others guessed if Wu Tianyu had a thyroid problem, but Tan Xiao felt he didn't quite look like it from the outside. There was another possibility - bulimia, eating a lot and then inducing vomiting.

When Tan Xiao was about done eating, he saw Wu Tianyu also stand up unsteadily. His belly was even bulging from eating so much, looking a bit comical with that scrawny figure.

Seeing Wu Tianyu head out, Tan Xiao also followed. He wanted to take a closer look at Wu Tianyu. After observing carefully, he could then more pointedly deceive Wu Tianyu's mother.

After going out, Wu Tianyu walked towards the back of the cafeteria where there weren't many people, a small path leading to the sports field.

Tan Xiao kept close to Wu Tianyu, pretending to pass by him, wanting to look at his knuckles and the corners of his mouth. Usually for people who induce vomiting, the corners of their mouth will be ulcerated, and their fingers will have tooth marks from sticking them down their throat.

But without even turning his body, Wu Tianyu seemed to be aware. As soon as Tan Xiao walked over, he stuck his hands in his pockets, conveniently covering them.

Tan Xiao wanted to take two more steps forward to look at the corners of his mouth, but Wu Tianyu turned his head to the side.

It's as if he knows what I want to do? Tan Xiao was startled.

Right at this moment, Wu Tianyu suddenly turned his head, accurately grabbing Tan Xiao's collar with his hand. Bringing his face close, he stared straight at Tan Xiao with a half-smile, "Did you get a good look, whether I have signs of inducing vomiting?"

Tan Xiao's first reaction was to look at the corners of his mouth up close. Glancing down, he also saw Wu Tianyu's hands were completely unharmed.

Following that, Tan Xiao's heart jumped in shock. His idea was just a temporary whim and he hadn't even said it out loud, so how did Wu Tianyu know his intention?!

Tan Xiao's mind went a bit blank.

Something's not right.

Wu Tianyu tugged the corner of his mouth in a contemptuous smile, "Don't meddle in levels you can't reach, little shaman." His hand forcefully patted Tan Xiao twice.

Tan Xiao raised his hand to block in disgust. The two stared at each other in a standoff as he looked at Wu Tianyu with probing wariness. This arrogant tone was also very suspicious. He was a grade above Wu Tianyu after all.

Wu Tianyu threateningly squeezed Tan Xiao's wrist. Although skinny, his strength was immense--

At this time, a third hand reached out from the side, easily pushing Wu Tianyu away.

Wu Tianyu steadied himself after staggering a couple steps. Seeing the person's face, he was also stunned. Although he didn't know him and the person didn't say his name, as soon as Wu Tianyu saw this face, he knew it must be the recently rumored second-year transfer student Kong Xuan.

Tan Xiao turned his head and saw a male classmate.

This male classmate said to Wu Tianyu in disdain, "Why are you touching his hand?"

Wu Tianyu: "??" Are you crazy!

Not to mention Wu Tianyu, even Tan Xiao was very shocked. This classmate, although you came to the rescue... what touching! We were clearly about to fight!

What kind of scene did this person depict our tense confrontation as.

Wu Tianyu looked at Kong Xuan with some surprise, not expecting his appearance at all, and astonished that he could push him away with one hand. This made him a bit uncertain. Especially when he carefully sensed but couldn't detect anything unusual about Kong Xuan.

However, Wu Tianyu already looked down on these ordinary people. He just said disdainfully, "It's none of your business. He asked for trouble himself."

When Wu Tianyu revealed his intention and identity, Tan Xiao felt something was off. He had clearly come to investigate, but ended up being investigated instead.

He put his hands behind his back, making a hand seal, openly making the "shackle" seal at Wu Tianyu, relying on others not recognizing it.

Wu Tianyu showed no reaction at all, still standing tall against the wind.

Although Wu Tianyu had no response to the hand seal, Tan Xiao could be certain this person was definitely not sick, and was very unusual.

Kong Xuan coldly said, "Even so, you can't just casually touch my..." He swallowed the words "my shaman", "my classmate."

So he's my classmate. Tan Xiao collected himself and said, "Thank you, forget it, it was just a misunderstanding."

Now was clearly not the time to resolve this matter. He still hadn't noticed anything unusual about Wu Tianyu, like the strangeness he sensed from Xiong Hui and the others. But combined with the earlier conversation, it instead proved that Wu Tianyu's issues were even more serious.

The enemy was in the dark while he was in the light. He would deal with it later. Sister Mao Mao, this job was a bit difficult.

When Tan Xiao made this request, Kong Xuan grunted in displeasure but didn't make an issue of it. After all, Tan Xiao was the spiritual shaman he had almost chosen at first sight.

"Sorry about that, classmate." Tan Xiao looked at Wu Tianyu and said word by word, "Goodbye."

"With your cultivation level, you can only say goodbye." Wu Tianyu leaned close to him again and said softly before turning to leave.

Tan Xiao frowned as he watched Wu Tianyu's departing figure for a while, then glanced at the classmate who had helped him. He carefully considered the person's hairstyle, height, and behavior, and suddenly fell silent.

After a long while, Tan Xiao called out dryly, "...Kong Xuan?"

Kong Xuan snickered unsurprisingly, "Recognized me?"

Tan Xiao: "..."

He had guessed correctly. It really was him.

...This sarcastic guy was actually quite kind-hearted and protective of his own. Even though they had some minor conflicts, he wouldn't allow students from other classes to bully his classmates.

And he was no longer surprised that he couldn't recognize people. This slightly temperamental remark seemed a bit cute.

He also hadn't expected that Kong Xuan's combat power was quite high, able to suppress Wu Tianyu.

Tan Xiao smiled. This time, he didn't retort back but instead said again, "Thank you."

This time, he clearly said it to Kong Xuan as a person. There was a subtle difference from the earlier thank you.

Kong Xuan lifted his head proudly.

Tan Xiao: "..."

Sigh, you...

Tan Xiao noticed that he wasn't wearing any accessories and asked, "Why aren't you wearing the things I gave you?"

Because Tan Xiao had specifically requested it, their classmates were basically all using the things Tan Xiao had given them. If Kong Xuan had worn the keychain, Tan Xiao would have definitely recognized who he was at a glance.

How could Kong Xuan give him the chance before Tan Xiao was able to recognise him by himself! He had kept the keychain for himself. Kong Xuan glanced at Tan Xiao with hooded eyes, not speaking. He was still holding a grudge that Tan Xiao had actually gone to eat in the cafeteria without inviting him.

Hmph, but Tan Xiao had also figured it out. He didn't like eating in the cafeteria.

Tan Xiao couldn't help but laugh.

This laugh was clearly different from the earlier grateful one. Kong Xuan didn't know what he was laughing at, but instinctively bristled, "What are you laughing at?"

"Nothing, I just think you're a bit similar to someone I know." Tan Xiao was reminded of the Peacock God at his home.

"Oh, who?" Kong Xuan stared at him intently.

"It's... it's my friend," Tan Xiao couldn't say it was the god he worshipped, so he said tactfully. Sigh, it wasn't good to make big moves at school. Otherwise, he would summon the Peacock God. How could he allow Wu Tianyu to be so arrogant? He couldn't help but say, "Just a very powerful friend whose combat power is even higher than yours."

Kong Xuan's phoenix eyes widened, "?!"

Who could have combat power higher than his?!

Oh, wait... he should be talking about himself. Kong Xuan reacted after being angry for two seconds.

Kong Xuan should have been proud, but this time, with Tan Xiao treating him so differently, with such wording, after coming back to his senses, he inexplicably felt unhappy...!

Seeing Kong Xuan's expression changing unpredictably, Tan Xiao remembered his temper and added another compliment, "But you're more handsome!"

After all, there were people surrounding Kong Xuan in class, but no one surrounding the Peacock God.

Kong Xuan: "............"

Author's note:

Kong Xuan: Is there a problem with being jealous of yourself? I'm originally a normal bird, but I was forced to develop a split personality!