Chapter 81: I Want to Fight Ten!
Under Instructor Yu Xuan’s watchful gaze, Yan Zhen forced himself to finish the nourishing soup. He felt a surge of heat through his body. No, “heat” wasn’t quite the right word. It was more like… burning!
He burped, setting the empty bowl aside. Looking at Instructor Yu Xuan, he suddenly felt his attraction to her intensify. He wanted to bury his face in her hair, to taste her exposed skin.
“How was it, Yan Zhen?” she asked softly.
“It was… alright. But not as good as your usual cooking.”
“Well, it’s a medicinal soup. I added some herbs. It might not be as tasty, but it’s good for you.”
Her gentle voice, however, sounded like a seductive whisper to his ears, sending shivers down his spine.
— This is too much!
He took a few deep breaths, struggling to control his urges.
What kind of soup is this? It’s way too effective!
“I should be going now. Just leave the dishes by the door when you’re done. I’ll collect them later.” She leaned closer, pressing a soft kiss against his cheek before departing, her cheeks flushed with a mixture of shyness and delight.
Yan Zhen barely managed to maintain his composure.
Instructor Yu Xuan is too good at this! He couldn’t understand what she saw in him. He was just a sixteen-year-old boy. Apart from his handsome looks, exceptional talent, kind heart, strong will, impressive acting skills, and refined manners, he didn’t have much else to offer.
Maybe she has a thing for younger men?
Or is it simply the protagonist halo working its magic?
The memory of their lunchtime activities resurfaced, sending another wave of heat through his body. He quickly swallowed a Calming Pill.
Focus on eating.
He picked up his chopsticks and finished his meal, feeling pleasantly full.
He wiped his mouth, drank his tea, gathered the dishes, and set them outside the door before heading to the bathroom for a cold shower.
The evening breeze, cool and refreshing, caressed his skin.
His body had calmed down, the restless energy dissipated. His mind, too, had returned to normal. He no longer saw suggestive shapes in every shadow.
Click. He opened the door to the changing room and stepped inside. At that moment, the bathroom door opened as well. A slender, white figure, wrapped in a towel, emerged.
They both looked up, their eyes meeting. A moment of stunned silence hung in the air.
“Miss High-and-Mighty?”
“Yan… Yan Zhen?!”
Xiao Xinyan’s eyes widened, and a wave of mortification washed over her. She instinctively covered her chest and let out a shriek.
She stumbled backward, her legs suddenly weak, and collapsed onto the floor, the towel slipping from her grasp.
Yan Zhen found himself staring at a very revealing “M” shape.
He had a clearer view than during their “treatment session.”
[Image of a naked woman on the floor]
His “dragon,” previously subdued, roared back to life, ready for battle.
Xiao Xinyan scrambled to her feet, her gaze meeting his from below. Her eyes held a mixture of shame, fear, and… submission? The remaining emotion was unreadable. There was no anger, which was strange.
“Yan Zhen, what… what are you doing? Don’t try anything funny! I’m not that kind of woman!”
Yan Zhen swallowed hard, about to respond when Mi Xue’er’s voice reached them from outside.
“Xiao Xinyan! If you’re going to scream while bathing, at least warn us first!”
She entered the changing room and froze, her eyes widening as she took in the scene before her. She rushed over to Yan Zhen, shielding him with her body.
“Little Brother Yan Zhen! What are you doing? How could you…?”
Yan Zhen’s head throbbed. This is a huge misunderstanding!
“Senior Sister Xue’er, it’s not what you think! It was just a coincidence–”
“I know, I know! Don’t look! Close your eyes! Looking at such filth will give you eye problems!” Mi Xue’er interrupted, her soft hands covering his eyes, plunging him into darkness.
Yan Zhen was stunned. Her tone was all wrong. Shouldn’t she be scolding him?
“Mi Xue’er! Who are you calling filth?!” Xiao Xinyan shrieked, scrambling to her feet and clutching the towel to her body.
Mi Xue’er, her face inches from his, her cheeks flushed, turned to face her nemesis. “Who else would I be talking about? Spreading your legs like that in front of a boy! If you’re not ashamed, I’m ashamed for you.”
“I tripped! I wasn’t doing anything!”
“Oh, please! A Seventh Star Mystic One tripping over thin air? You expect me to believe that? You did it on purpose!” Mi Xue’er glared at her rival. “Xiao Xinyan, I’m warning you, take your… urges elsewhere! Don’t pollute my Little Brother Yan Zhen’s innocent eyes! He’s so pure, so adorable! If you try to seduce him with your… pathetic excuse for a body, I won’t let you get away with it!” She punctuated her words with a huff.
“You–!”
Xiao Xinyan was furious, but with her clothes disheveled and her composure shattered, she couldn’t win this argument. Unable to retaliate physically, she could only grit her teeth in frustration.
Yan Zhen remained silent, standing motionless like a piece of furniture, pretending he was completely irrelevant to the situation.
“What’s going on here?”
Yan Ruyu and Yan Meng’er arrived, followed closely by Instructor Yu Xuan.
One look at the scene, and they understood. Yan Zhen had obviously walked in on Xiao Xinyan.
Yan Meng’er quickly took Mi Xue’er’s place, covering his eyes from behind and pulling him away. Yan Ruyu gently pushed him from the front, the sisters working together to guide him to a safe corner, away from the brewing storm.
Instructor Yu Xuan stepped between Mi Xue’er and Xiao Xinyan, preventing them from tearing into each other.
“That’s enough, you two! Stop arguing! It’s late, and you’re disturbing the neighbors. Go to bed.”
“Fine. I’ll let you off easy this time, for Instructor Yu Xuan’s sake.” Mi Xue’er was genuinely angry. She hadn’t even had the chance to show Yan Zhen that part of her, and this shameless hussy had already stolen the first look! “But if it happens again, I’ll see you on the dueling arena. And I’ll make sure you regret it.”
“You and what army? You’re just a measly Sixth Star Mystic One! Bring it on!” Xiao Xinyan retorted, her pride refusing to back down. When it came to strength, she wasn’t afraid of Mi Xue’er. “Why wait for the dueling arena? We can settle this right here, right now! Come on!”
“You think I’m scared of you?”
“Whoever backs down is a dog!”
Instructor Yu Xuan’s eye twitched. “Xue’er! Xinyan! Go to your rooms!”
Neither girl dared disobey their instructor. With a final huff, they turned and stormed off in opposite directions.
Instructor Yu Xuan sighed, massaging her temples.
These two… even after facing life and death together at the Sacred Land Academy in my previous life, they still fought constantly. What am I going to do with them?
Her gaze fell on Yan Zhen, still sandwiched between Yan Meng’er and Yan Ruyu. Her mood brightened slightly. “Alright, Yan Zhen, go take your bath… I’ll deal with these two. Meng’er, Ruyu, let’s go.”
She turned and left, Yan Ruyu following close behind. Yan Meng’er, however, lingered, her mischievous side resurfacing. “Cousin, do you want me to scrub your– Hey! Cousin, stop dragging me! I can walk on my own!”
Left alone, Yan Zhen blinked, bewildered.
He took a bath in a daze, dried off in a daze, and returned to his room in a daze.
He sat on his bed for a long time, his mind replaying the events of that evening.
Finally, he snapped out of his stupor and entered the Crystal Stone Space.
The stone table had been lowered. His Beautiful Sect Master sat behind it, a space left open beside her, clearly intended for him.
Seeing her beloved disciple, Chen Xi patted her thigh invitingly.
Yan Zhen, determined to maintain his composure, quickly sat down, only to find himself enveloped in her embrace, her wide sleeves trapping him like a hunter’s net.
The fiery energy he had thought he had suppressed flared back to life, his “Armstrong Cannon” primed and ready.
Chen Xi immediately sensed his reaction, but she chose to ignore it for now. As before, she kept her hands on his waist, occasionally interrupting his attempts at drawing squares and circles, disrupting his focus.
Yan Zhen quickly reached his breaking point, his face flushed, his eyes glazed over.
Finally, unable to endure it any longer, he turned to her, his voice a pathetic whimper.
“Master~”
His pleading tone and pitiful expression melted her heart. However, she wanted to tease him a little longer. Feigning ignorance, she asked, “What is it, Zhen’er? Your face is so red. Are you feeling ill?”
“Master, I… I…”
“Hmm?”
— I want you to take care of me, Master.
The words were on the tip of his tongue, but he abruptly regained his senses. This didn’t fit his protagonist persona.
No, I can’t say that! I have to hold back!
Chen Xi, however, couldn’t resist. She leaned closer, her lips brushing against his ear. “Do you want Master to take care of you?” she whispered.
“Mmm.”
He didn’t dare answer, only managing a noncommittal sound.
“How do you want Master to take care of you, Zhen’er?” she asked softly, her hand moving suggestively. “Like this?”
“…”
“You’re not saying anything, Zhen’er. Does that mean you agree?”
“…”
His lips pressed together, he stubbornly continued drawing his shapes. To his surprise, despite the chaotic desires swirling in his mind, he managed to maintain a sliver of clarity, slowly completing his square and circle.
Chen Xi’s eyes widened. She hadn’t expected him to make a breakthrough at a time like this… Well, there was even less reason to deny him now.
“There, there. You’re Master’s only disciple. Of course, I’ll take care of you. Just leave everything to me~”
She tilted his chin up with her free hand, forcing him to meet her gaze. She leaned in, her lips meeting his.
Clothes rustled, and a fire ignited.
…
The next morning, Yan Zhen entered the dining room, feeling refreshed and invigorated. However, the atmosphere was even more awkward than the day before.
“Good morning, everyone! What’s for breakfast?” he greeted them cheerfully.
“Porridge today, Cousin,” Yan Meng’er replied.
“Oh, chicken and mushroom porridge? Sounds good.”
“…”
“Why aren’t you eating? Waiting for me? Don’t be so polite! Dig in!”
He demonstrated by taking a large gulp, nearly emptying his bowl.
“Mmm~ Perfect balance of flavors! Delicious! You should eat too.”
As if suddenly released from a spell, the girls picked up their spoons and began eating.
…
The next few days passed in a similar fashion. After school, Yan Zhen would immediately retreat to the Crystal Stone Space to practice splitting his focus.
Finally, on the fifth day, he grasped the key. He could now successfully divide his attention three ways, drawing his shapes while simultaneously dealing with his Beautiful Sect Master’s distractions.
It was time to put his newfound skill to the test in actual combat.
Left hand forceful, Yang energy. Right hand gentle, Yin energy. He channeled his Mystic Power according to the “Tai Chi Shock” technique, unleashing both forces simultaneously, aiming to neutralize the Mystic Power his Beautiful Sect Master had gathered in her palm.
However, she easily outmaneuvered him, her single hand more than enough to keep him on the defensive. He couldn’t even touch her sleeve, let alone neutralize her Mystic Power. Their training sessions usually ended with him bruised, battered, and exhausted.
Afterward, his Beautiful Sect Master would prepare a medicinal bath for him, her touch, imbued with the five-colored glow of the Starry Glass Fire, soothing his wounds.
Under her dedicated tutelage, his strength grew by leaps and bounds. Finally, after half a month, he achieved a breakthrough, successfully neutralizing her Mystic Power and even managing to tear a piece of her sleeve.
“Well done, Zhen’er! Congratulations!” Chen Xi beamed, her praise genuine.
Yan Zhen breathed a sigh of relief, his heart soaring. “It’s all thanks to your guidance, Master! Thank you!”
With this new skill, he was confident he could hold his own against Xiao Mie. However, he wasn’t satisfied yet.
While “Tai Chi Shock” was a valuable trump card, “Eight Extremes Explosion” was the key technique for his protagonist role. He needed to master the Triple Burst before moving on to the next arc, as it would play a crucial role in many future scenarios.
The only way to achieve this was to endure some beatings.
Ever since he had claimed the third spot on the Nine Star Rank, the other top contenders had been eyeing his position with envy. Over the past half month, he had received no less than ten challenge letters. However, he had ignored them, choosing to focus on his cultivation, as the script dictated.
Now, it was time to put those challenges to good use.
…
One morning, Yan Zhen entered the dining room in high spirits, only to find Mi Xue’er embroiled in another argument with Xiao Xinyan.
That’s right. Even after half a month, Xiao Xinyan was still stubbornly refusing to move out.
Mi Xue’er, naturally, was furious, demanding she pack her things and leave.
Xiao Xinyan, however, had an excuse. She claimed her old room had been assigned to another family member, leaving her with nowhere to go.
Mi Xue’er didn’t care. She told her to find her own place.
Xiao Xinyan, of course, refused. At this point in the year, there were no vacant rooms for rent in the North City District. Besides, she insisted on staying wherever Instructor Yu Xuan lived.
Mi Xue’er was ready to throw down, but Yan Ruyu and Yan Meng’er intervened.
“Are you leaving or not?”
“No.”
“Xiao Xinyan, you’re the eldest daughter of the Xiao family! Aren’t you ashamed of acting like such a shameless freeloader?!”
“No.”
Ever since Mi Xue’er had mocked her in front of Yan Zhen, calling her “filth” and claiming she would give him “eye problems,” Xiao Xinyan had adopted an attitude of utter indifference. Nothing Mi Xue’er said could faze her anymore.
Mi Xue’er: Combo attack!
Xiao Xinyan: HP -1 -1 -1!
Instructor Yu Xuan, accustomed to their bickering, ignored them. Seeing Yan Zhen enter, she beckoned him to sit down.
The two girls immediately ceased their argument, straightening their postures, as if unwilling to appear unladylike in front of him.
Yan Zhen, however, paid no attention to this subtle shift. “Instructor Yu Xuan,” he announced, “I want to accept all the challenges I’ve received in one day. Can you arrange it?”
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