108: Chapter 108 Is this punishment serious?

No one in the living room responded.

The black ink on the floor tiles of the entryway was still crawling inward, thin letters squeezing under the door crack, inching their way in, and finally piecing themselves together into a crooked string of text.

Lin Wanqing sat by the table, watching the black ink slowly seeping under the door crack, her finger tapping gently on the tabletop.

She didn't move.

She couldn't move.

This was home.

Su Yun was a "normal high school student."

They were a "normal family."

At least in this living room, whoever made the first move would be the one to reveal their true colors.

Su Jianguo swallowed, suddenly grabbing Lin Wanqing's arm and shrinking toward her, his voice clearly trembling.

"Honey."

Lin Wanqing tilted her head to look at him.

Su Jianguo continued to act, acting with such sincerity that it seemed he would burst into tears on the spot.

"I'm so scared!"

Su Yun: "..."

Su Qing: "..."

The dining table was terrifyingly quiet for a moment.

Su Yun put down his chopsticks and looked seriously at his own father.

No.

You are the dignified legendary Monster Hunter, Night Owl.

A moment ago, you were the S-Rank deserter guaranteed by the Queen of Great Britain on the news.

Now you're hugging your wife and crying that you're scared?

Where is your persona?

Where is your backbone?

Has your dignity as an S-Rank powerhouse been eaten by the English letters in the door crack?

Lin Wanqing stared at Su Jianguo, her eyes very calm, but within that calmness, there was already a hint of suppressed anger.

Su Jianguo shrank his head even lower, like a startled large dog.

"Honey, that thing outside can talk and it leaks ink."

"It's too scary."

"How about… we call the police?"

Lin Wanqing's temple twitched.

"Su Jianguo."

"Huh?"

"Can you have some backbone?"

Su Jianguo was stunned.

Lin Wanqing lowered her voice and snapped angrily: "There are children in the house. As a father, you hide behind me the moment you encounter a little trouble?"

Su Jianguo was completely dumbfounded.

No.

Honey.

You aren't afraid at all?

That's a rule-based Strange Tales outside.

Although its Rank doesn't look top-tier, it has already come to the door!

Shouldn't a normal housewife scream a couple of times first?

Why are you lecturing me?

Su Jianguo's brain had just reached this point when he suddenly met Lin Wanqing's excessively calm eyes.

The two stared at each other for a second.

The next moment.

Lin Wanqing also realized something was wrong.

Oh no.

She had been too steady just now.

Too steady to be a "normal housewife."

The atmosphere suddenly froze.

The dining room was deathly silent.

The next moment.

Lin Wanqing's expression changed abruptly.

She raised her hand to cover her chest, leaned her body against the sofa, and her voice shot up an octave.

"Oh my!"

Su Yun: "..."

Su Qing: "..."

Su Jianguo: "..."

Lin Wanqing's tone switched from calm to panic instantly, and even her acting had an extremely natural fluidity.

"What is this thing? How can it crawl in from the door crack?"

"Honey, I'm scared!"

As she spoke, she very smoothly pushed Su Jianguo half a step forward.

Su Jianguo was stunned.

If you're scared, be scared.

Why are you pushing me?

Outside the door, Chu Youwei's voice remained steady.

"Student Su Yun."

"The make-up exam time has started."

"Deductions for lateness."

Su Yun looked down at the black letters on the ground.

Those letters had already twisted into a complete line of text.

"Key Correction Target: Su Yun"

Su Yun's eyelid twitched.

Very good.

This Strange Tales not only showed up at the door.

It also called out names.

And it targeted him precisely.

Did it really take him for a soft persimmon?

Su Qing quietly moved half a step to the side, trying to stay away from the door.

But as soon as she moved, Su Yun suddenly gasped, his face turning pale at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The next second, the whole person looked as if his legs had gone weak from fear, and he sat down on the floor with a thud.

Su Qing looked down at him.

Su Jianguo looked up at him.

Lin Wanqing also looked over.

Su Yun sat on the floor, his expression terrified, his acting skills turned up to the max, even more convincing than Su Jianguo just now.

"Sis!"

Su Qing's body stiffened.

She had a very ominous premonition.

The next second.

Su Yun reached out and hugged Su Qing's thigh.

"Save me!"

"I'm so scared!"

The dining room was dead silent.

Lin Wanqing: "..."

Su Jianguo: "..."

Su Qing looked down at Su Yun, who was hugging her leg, her entire face starting to contort bit by bit.

Her fist hardened.

It really hardened.

"Su Yun."

Her voice was squeezed out from between her teeth.

"Let go."

Su Yun hugged even tighter, even rubbing against her leg, his movements very professional—neither looking like an expert nor being annoying enough.

"No."

"There's a bad teacher outside trying to catch me for make-up lessons."

"Little sister, protect your big brother."

Su Qing's scalp was about to explode.

"You damn flirt, get lost!"

She lifted her leg, wanting to shake him off.

It didn't work.

Su Yun held on firmly, even intentionally pressing down, as if he were truly terrified, almost hanging off her leg.

Su Qing's face turned red.

"Mom! Look at him!"

Lin Wanqing's lips twitched very slightly, seeming almost unable to hold back, but she forcibly suppressed it.

Su Jianguo also almost laughed out loud, but held it back.

He didn't dare laugh now.

His family status didn't allow it.

Outside the door, Chu Youwei finally quieted down for a second.

Then.

The doorbell stopped ringing.

The black ink on the floor of the entryway began to flow backward; the letters that had been lying under the door crack were pulled by something, simultaneously shrinking and gathering back.

Su Jianguo's eyes narrowed.

It wasn't a physical unlocking.

It was the rule bypassing the door lock.

Lin Wanqing's eyes darkened, but the next second she quickly returned to that slightly panicked appearance, her actions as natural as if she were truly frightened.

Su Qing also sensed something was wrong.

She almost instinctively summoned her shadow.

But Su Yun was still hanging on her leg, so she could only freeze in place, like a normal middle school student trapped by her own brother.

The doorknob turned slowly.

Click.

The door opened.

Cold wind immediately drilled in along the door crack, bringing a damp chill.

Chu Youwei stood outside the door.

She was wearing a professional outfit, draped in a black long coat, her straight long legs wrapped in black silk, and the originally black tips of her hair had now faded to a nearly blinding gold.

She stood there, the hem of her coat moving without wind, the pointer in her hand hanging loosely, as if she were about to take roll call the next second.

Her whole demeanor exuded a cold, upright, yet instinctively intimidating pressure.

Su Yun looked at her, his Adam's apple bobbing.

What the hell...

Doesn't this scene look too much like a movie plot?

A thought flashed through his mind.

You're using this to test a cadre?

Which cadre can withstand this kind of test?

Su Qing stood to the side, her eyes already changing from shock to disgust.

She looked Chu Youwei up and down, unable to help but speak:

"No, Teacher Chu, what is this situation?"

"Are you here to reward him?"

Chu Youwei's gaze slowly shifted over.

The atmosphere turned cold instantly.

She didn't answer immediately, just looked at Su Qing first, then at Su Yun, as if rescanning some data.

A few seconds later, her brows furrowed little by little, and the calmness originally suppressed by the rules in her eyes began to surge.

"Your foreign language proficiency..."

She paused, her tone actually carrying a hint of obvious confusion.

"Almost the same?"

Su Qing was stunned.

Su Yun's heart skipped a beat.

The next second, the expression on Chu Youwei's face changed completely.

That calmness, which had seemed to be suppressed by rules, was suddenly ripped open by something.

Her hand gripping the pointer tightened slightly, her golden hair drooping silently, and her voice grew colder by the second.

"Student Su Yun."

"Student Su Qing."

"Do you think that as long as you can write your names in English, you've passed?"

Su Yun: "..."

Su Qing: "..."

Chu Youwei's voice still echoed in the living room.

"Target one, Su Yun. Foreign language vocabulary test progress: 0.1 percent. Exam papers are blank all year round, and Chinese characters are used in essays. Foreign language potential rating: Hopeless."

"Target two, Su Qing. Foreign language vocabulary test progress: 0 percent. Logical thinking is extremely chaotic; not only is English a zero, but even science thinking like mathematics is in a primitive state. Comprehensive IQ rating: Not recommended to continue receiving education."

Su Qing was still maintaining the posture of standing on one leg with Su Yun hugging her thigh.

Hearing this last sentence, her whole body froze completely.

What do you mean by primitive state?

What do you mean not recommended to continue education?

How come this Strange Tales curses people even dirtier than Su Yun?!

The fire on top of Su Qing's head flared up instantly; Dark Blade's temper could barely be suppressed, and she gritted her teeth, ready to explode.

"Who are you calling a primitive? If I don't rip up that piece of trash you're holding today, I won't be surnamed Su!"

Just as she was about to break free, Su Yun hugged even tighter.

"Sis! Don't be impulsive!"

Su Yun looked up, with a painful expression, his voice especially loud.

"The teacher is right! You can even draw function graphs as watermelons; how many foreign language words can you have? Hurry up and apologize to the teacher, recite a word and let her hear it!"

Su Qing looked down, her eyelid twitching.

"Su Yun, do you believe I'll kill you first, then her?"

"Teacher Chu, help!" Su Yun yelled at the top of his lungs, "She wants to beat up an honor student!"

Chu Youwei looked at the two fighting, expressionless, her demeanor as cold as a piece of glass freshly taken from a refrigerator.

The paper tape on her wrist wound tighter and tighter, and the black cross phantom behind her also flickered frantically, as if the core logic of the Strange Tales was in serious conflict with the poor academic performance of these two.

Finally.

The pointer in Chu Youwei's hand whipped through the air fiercely.

"Crack!"

A bang exploded.

The coffee table in the center of the living room was instantly split in two, the fruit plate shattered all over the floor, oranges rolled everywhere, and one rolled right to Su Jianguo's feet.

Su Jianguo shrank his feet in fear, and then, as if an instinct had kicked in, he immediately imitated Su Yun and hugged Lin Wanqing's thigh.

"Written test canceled."

Chu Youwei's voice was devoid of any human emotion. "Detected that the targets' foundation is too poor, conventional exams are meaningless. Proceeding directly to mandatory punishment and tutoring process."

Su Qing was dumbfounded.

"You can skip levels?"

Su Yun immediately let go of Su Qing's leg, patted his pants, and stood up, moving so fast that it was as if the person hugging her leg and crying just now wasn't him.

"Should've said so earlier. If you had said so earlier, I wouldn't have pretended."

He raised his head, righteous and stern.

"Whatever the punishment is, bring it on!"

The veins on Su Qing's temple throbbed, staring at him intently.

"What exactly are you looking forward to?"

Su Yun looked righteous.

"I am looking forward to a fair education."

"Fair my foot!" Su Qing picked up a throw pillow and wanted to smash it at him, but as soon as she raised her hand, she was glanced at lightly by Lin Wanqing, and her movement froze instantly.

Lin Wanqing leaned against the sofa, swept a glance at the broken fruit plate on the floor, and then looked at her son's expression, which was actually genuinely expectant, and sighed lightly.

"Old Su, look."

"You've taught the children bad habits."

The ink on the floor exploded suddenly.

Hundreds of black letters crawled up from the cracks in the floor tiles, like a swarm of ants, instantly wrapping around Su Yun and Su Qing's ankles, climbing all the way up their calves.

Su Qing was just about to move, her shadow flickering.

Su Yun suddenly reached out and pressed her shoulder, whispering:

"Don't mess around."

Su Qing gritted her teeth: "It's already riding on our faces!"

Su Yun lowered his voice: "You don't want Mom and Dad to know about your relationship with Dark Blade, do you?"

Su Qing forcibly suppressed her shadow back down.

Almost forgot.

Mom and Dad are still here.

She is just a normal middle school student who draws watermelons in math.

She can't turn into Dark Blade on the spot and chop the teacher.

Too unfilial.

Su Yun didn't move either.

He just looked down at the letters climbing up his calves, his expression even carrying a hint of almost calm scrutiny.

The black letters gathered more and more, finally winding into two huge ink cocoons on him and Su Qing, revealing only their heads.

Su Qing looked down, the whole person feeling terrible.

"What is this thing?"

Su Yun's commentary was very calm.

"Looks like an English version of zongzi."

Su Qing: "You're still in the mood to joke?"

Su Yun: "Already wrapped up, if I don't joke, should I open a can?"

Su Qing: "..."

Chu Youwei raised her pointer.

"Crack."

The air vibrated violently.

The two ink cocoons were dragged by the power of the rules, moved directly to the center of the living room, and placed neatly side by side.

Su Jianguo stood by the dining table, his eyelids twitching wildly, his mind filled with: Is this thing really just "tutoring"?

He subconsciously looked at Lin Wanqing.

Lin Wanqing didn't move.

Su Jianguo didn't dare move either.

His persona now was having a bad back, being afraid of his wife, and being an old corporate hand, not the legendary Monster Hunter, Night Owl.

But the problem was, this had already tied his son and daughter into cocoons.

If he kept pretending, wouldn't it be a bit too absurd?

Su Jianguo whispered: "Honey, are we really not going to do anything?"

Lin Wanqing looked at Chu Youwei, her eyes flickering.

"Watch first."

Su Jianguo was anxious: "Still watching?"

"But I always feel this punishment isn't proper!"

Lin Wanqing didn't answer.

Chu Youwei had already walked in front of Su Yun and Su Qing.

The black silk on her legs squirmed slightly under the erosion of the rules, and then, the black silk threads wrapped around the side of her legs suddenly peeled off, turning into dense letters that floated up.

Those letters were not fabric, but rather more like strings of wrong answers that had been crossed out with a red pen and forcibly rewritten, floating coldly in mid-air, carrying a sense of order that made one instinctively uneasy.

Subsequently, these black letters split into two streams, approaching Su Yun and Su Qing respectively.

Su Qing's face changed.

"Don't come over!"

Chu Youwei's voice was terrifyingly calm.

"Punishment Item One."

"Pronunciation correction."

Su Yun raised an eyebrow.

"How to correct?"

The next second.

A string of letters drilled directly into his mouth.

Su Yun: "Mmph?"

Another string of letters also rushed into Su Qing's mouth.

Su Qing's eyes instantly widened.

"Mmmph mmmph mmmph!!!"

Su Jianguo stepped forward on the spot, blurting out.

"Holy crap!"

Lin Wanqing pressed him down.

Su Jianguo was anxious.

"Why are you pressing me?"

"They've stuffed it into their mouths!"

"Look, I told you this wasn't proper!"

Lin Wanqing looked at Su Yun.

Su Yun's mouth was blocked by the letters, but there was no pain on his face; instead, his expression was somewhat complex, as if he were seriously considering what kind of new torture device this actually counted as.

As for Su Qing, it was much more miserable.

Her eyes were spitting fire, her face flushed red, and muffled sounds of being forced to practice pronunciation kept coming from her throat, as if the whole person had been forcibly dragged into some kind of voice correction course.

Chu Youwei nodded slightly, her gaze falling on Su Yun.

"Student Su Yun, detected that you possess normal pronunciation ability."

"But you have been maliciously slacking off for a long time."

"The nature is more serious, punishment intensified."