Mentor Yu Xuan was indeed still angry, so she deliberately let him suffer a social death once.
Yan Zhen drank down the entire pot of tonic soup with a face full of grievance. Under Mentor Yu Xuan’s supervision, he even miserably chewed up every last bit of medicinal herbs and meat in it before swallowing them.
After finishing, he truly felt a warm, cozy sensation spreading through him, making his whole body comfortable.
After two straight days of one-against-two, a little replenishment couldn’t hurt. After all, he hadn’t enhanced his weapon yet. Once he advanced to Mystic Scholar and refined the second Heavenly Extreme Flame, the “Evil Spirit Dragon Breath Flame,” gaining a thread of Evil Dragon Power, taking on three or even four at once would be no problem.
Of course, true strength would come from body refinement plus dual cultivation. That way, there wouldn’t be any depletion—instead, it would be mutually reinforcing.
Yan Meng’er and Yan Ruyu were both too embarrassed to speak. They kept their heads down, slurping at their cold noodles, occasionally glancing across the table only to meet Mi Xue’er’s gaze, which was loaded with implication, as if silently demanding an answer:
Just how many times did you two drain Little Brother Yan Zhen?
Xiao Xinyan was muttering something under her breath about “saucy hooves.”
After breakfast, they should have headed to the academy by rights, but Yan Meng’er and Yan Ruyu suddenly spoke up in perfect unison:
“We have something to say to everyone.”
Mentor Yu Xuan nodded and said gently,
“What is it?”
The sisters spoke one after the other.
“To avoid disturbing everyone’s peace and quiet, we want to move out.”
“Including Cousin~”
At those words, the gentleness vanished from Mentor Yu Xuan’s face in an instant. She said flatly,
“No.”
“Of course not!” Mi Xue’er said excitedly. “If you move out, what’s the point of just leaving the rest of us behind?”
Not only would her heartthrob be gone, but even her best friends would leave her too. She’d instantly become the biggest loser!
In her previous life, she’d lost once, but at least her friendship with her besties had grown stronger. Reborn into this life, even if she couldn’t win Yan Zhen, it would be adding defeat upon defeat if she lost her besties too.
Absolutely not!
“But won’t we be too noisy for you?”
“Especially at night.”
Xiao Xinyan slapped the table and snapped angrily,
“Who told you to get all lovey-dovey every single night!”
“Exactly!” Mi Xue’er agreed with her for the first time. “Are you two that desperate? What if you wear Little Brother Yan Zhen out? He’s a student with limitless potential. Mentor Yu Xuan wouldn’t allow that—right, Mentor?”
Mentor Yu Xuan cleared her throat and said solemnly,
“As your mentor, I don’t forbid you from dating. After all, you’re adults now. But matters of intimacy should merely be a spice in life—you must exercise restraint. Indulging without limit will only hinder your cultivation and drain your body… Especially for Yan Zhen. Handling both of your demands at once takes a huge toll. Even if I brew tonic soup for him every day, it’s hard to make up for it.”
—Actually, it was three. She wanted a share too, so it really couldn’t be made up.
“We didn’t do that much,” Yan Meng’er said, feeling quite wronged. She always surrendered after just two or three rounds, letting Yan Zhen have his way with her without any resistance. How could she be the one demanding more? “It was Cousin who kept pestering him.”
The gazes of the three women across the table instantly zeroed in on Yan Ruyu.
Yan Ruyu’s face flushed bright red. She wanted to refute it but lacked the confidence to speak up, so she could only lower her head like an ostrich.
—She was actually admitting it!
Who would have thought? The usually prim and proper Ruyu was the greediest for pleasure. And she was the loudest too, keeping them all awake.
Yan Zhen stayed silent.
He’d just downed a whole pot of tonic soup, and now with this topic ringing in his ears, he had to focus his mind to keep the Second Master enshrined within him obediently in secluded cultivation.
But this was so awkward. They were talking about moving out—why had the conversation suddenly veered into this territory?
“Taking all that into account, you don’t need to move out at all. Just restrain yourselves properly and stop sneaking into Little Brother Yan Zhen’s room for a midnight snack every night!”
Mi Xue’er delivered her verdict.
“But Xue’er,” Yan Ruyu said with a face full of apology, “won’t it bother you, watching us?”
“Who said I’m bothered?” Mi Xue’er pursed her lips. “You’re my best friend, and Meng’er is like a little sister to me. How could I be upset seeing you two happy?”
“Xue’er…”
Yan Ruyu was deeply moved. She was right—she had to share happiness with her bestie.
But she couldn’t bring herself to say, “Why don’t you join us?” Besides, she hadn’t asked Yan Zhen’s opinion yet.
“Still, I won’t give up,” Mi Xue’er said earnestly. “As long as you two aren’t married, I’ll keep pursuing Little Brother Yan Zhen until he likes me!”
Yan Meng’er giggled.
“Then you better step it up, Sister Xue’er. I’m waiting for the day you come through the door and have to call me Sister Meng’er~”
Mi Xue’er crossed her arms and rolled her eyes at her.
“Who’s calling you Sister Meng’er? You’ll always be Little Sister Meng’er to me!”
“Ahem, if you call me Sister Meng’er, I’ll put in a good word for you with Cousin.”
“No thanks—I have Ruyu for that. She’s way better at it than you.”
—Sigh. In her previous life, Ruyu had been such a tsundere she died single. How had she gotten so bold this time? And even greedier than Meng’er.
Listening to the two women’s banter, Yan Zhen’s head throbbed. Mentor Yu Xuan was eyeing him with clear displeasure, as if warning him not to touch Mi Xue’er.
As if he had any intention of that. Right now, he just wanted to focus on cultivation, master new skills, hit Eight-Star Mystic Practitioner, claim first place in the fourth Monthly Assessment, then head into the city for some casual face-slapping against thugs and ruffians.
—His plans had no room for hanky-panky!
“Alright, topic of moving out is closed. And don’t bring it up again,” Mentor Yu Xuan said, her face softening once more. “Everyone, off to the academy. After this Monthly Assessment, we’ll all head into the city and outskirts for a proper outing.”
Yan Meng’er and Mi Xue’er bounced up happily. Yan Ruyu and Xiao Xinyan smiled too. Mentor Yu Xuan turned to Yan Zhen, her eyes full of anticipation.
In the days that followed, Yan Zhen trained his movement technique with Mentor Yu Xuan every day, his speed growing faster and faster.
During that time, he received a few challenges, but none threatened his spot at first on the Nine Stars Ranking. Instead, they became stepping stones for practicing his movement technique, while also helping him refine his protagonist persona. His persona completion degree climbed back above 90%.
Then the fourth Monthly Assessment arrived. Yan Meng’er took first in the beginner class with Four-Star Mystic Practitioner cultivation and smoothly advanced to the intermediate class. Yan Ruyu and Mi Xue’er claimed joint first in the intermediate class with Seven-Star Mystic Practitioner cultivation, advancing to the advanced class. After moving in, Xiao Xinyan received more guidance from Mentor Yu Xuan and made big strides, securing a spot in the top ranks this time.
Yan Zhen naturally took first again. Xiao Mie could still participate in the Monthly Assessment the month after advancing to Mystic Scholar, but not the next.
Without Xiao Mie, no one could compete with him. Yu Yue, second on the Nine Stars Ranking, and Lan Ke, third, weren’t up to the task.
Right now, only three Mystic Scholars in the academy could go toe-to-toe with him.
Xiao Mie from Silver Moon City’s top clan, the Xiao family.
Mingkong Heir from the capital.
Ye Si, from the slums of “Outer Capital City,” Garo Kingdom’s second-largest city.
Ye Si—judging by the name, she sounded like a girl. But she had a plump figure, with an ass that could squash a pig flat. Her flesh was innately tough, and her skin was on the darker side, earning her the private nickname “Black Pig Sis.”
She was the dean’s personal disciple.
