Ye Xuan glanced at them, then at the blue and white robe he was wearing, and suddenly felt that his attire was actually the "low-key" one. At least the clothing Wang Quan Baye wore in his youth looked no different from ancient costumes; people unfamiliar with Wang Quan Baye wouldn't notice.
Shaking his head, Ye Xuan stepped through the school gate. The robe swayed slightly with his steps, and the Wang Quan Sword at his waist caught a glimmer of gilded dark patterns in the morning light.
Indeed, compared to other students, Ye Xuan’s attire could be considered "low-key." However, he forgot that the innate Swordsman aura, gained after merging with the Wang Quan Baye Template, made him the most conspicuous presence among the many "cosplayers" who were deliberately dressing up.
As he walked toward the school gate, two girls nearby who were arguing about the Breathing Technique from Demon Slayer suddenly fell silent when they caught him in their peripheral vision. The parasol shaped like a Nichirin Sword clattered to the ground; a boy posing nearby, holding the Anemo Sword "Vanessa" from Genshin Impact, flinched, nearly sending the glass bead on the hilt flying off.
Even the Zhuren himself subconsciously lifted his eye patch slightly, looking at Ye Xuan with a hint of confusion.
Is this a student from their school? Are they sure this isn't a character from some work invading reality?
This appearance, this temperament, this bearing—it doesn't look like acting at all.
“Which anime character is this? Why haven’t I seen him before?”
Someone muttered softly.
“Damn, how can someone be this handsome?”
“I always thought that so-called temperament was just hype before, but looking at this person, I feel like even if there wasn't a sword at his waist, I would instinctively think he was a Swordsman.”
“Wait a minute, I see it. There are words on his sword hilt, it looks like Wang Quan…”
“Wang Quan? Could it be Fox Spirit Matchmaker?”
“So is he dressed as Wang Quan Fugui? Or Wang Quan Baye?”
“It shouldn't be Wang Quan Fugui; it looks a bit like Wang Quan Baye when he was young, like when he first met Dongfang Huaizhu.”
“Seventh day of the seventh month, Huaizhu Pavilion by the Huaishui River.”
Someone recited softly, with a hint of melancholy in their tone, as if recalling something sad.
“The Bamboo Branch Arc is a bit too heartbreaking.”
“I still don't dare to watch it a second time.”
“Tell me about it.”
The boy next to him also sighed.
“When I first watched the Wang Quan Arc, I just thought Wang Quan Fugui’s father was a terrible person, but after watching the Bamboo Branch Arc, I actually understand the difficulties that old man faced.”
“He was also a spirited youth at the beginning.”
Talking about this, they couldn't help but feel a sense of regret.
After all, they were High School Students, at the age where they loved watching Anime, and Fox Spirit Matchmaker was one of the best Chinese animations, so they had naturally seen it. But precisely because they had seen it, they felt this way.
The brief companionship between lovers ending in separation and death ultimately had a profound impact on them, who yearned for love but had not yet experienced it.
With Ye Xuan's current Five Senses, he could naturally hear the students' discussions, which were deliberately lowered but perfectly clear, but he simply didn't care.
Just as the System's note stated before he merged with the Wang Quan Baye Template, he only acquired all of Wang Quan Baye's Talents and abilities; he did not merge his memories, personality, or emotions.
To him, Dongfang Huaizhu was merely a character from an Anime he liked; hearing about a story he had already seen wouldn't move him.
He walked past the fountain at the entrance of the teaching building. Behind him, there was a dull thud. A girl holding the bird-headed summoning staff from Cardcaptor Sakura tripped on flat ground, and her Mobile Phone traced a parabola in the air, heading straight for the fountain pool.
“Careful.”
He casually reached out, the tip of the Sword Scabbard lightly tapping the water surface. The falling Mobile Phone suddenly floated up, defying the laws of physics, and landed steadily on the head of the girl who was already sprawled on the ground.
*Thud.*
“Ow, that hurt! Wait, it didn't hurt?”
The entire maneuver was fluid, not even wetting the hem of his robe. If it weren't for the exclamation from the girl scrambling up from the ground, rubbing her head thinking it hurt but finding it didn't, it would have been Perfect World.
“Thank you.”
The girl stood up. Although the Mobile Phone landing on her head felt a bit strange, the fact that it didn't fall into the water was a good thing, so she still thanked him.
“You’re welcome.”
Ye Xuan’s tone was flat, but his gaze lingered on her head for a moment—hmm, it wasn't red; the force was controlled well.
He had indeed done it intentionally. For someone who had merged with the Wang Quan Baye Template, controlling his own power was a very basic matter; he wouldn't lose control of the force in his hand.
As for why he chose her head, he just felt that hitting other parts of the girl might not be appropriate.
After all, everyone seems to have certain sensitive spots that cause them to tremble as if electrocuted when touched. He himself didn't feel anything, but people around him did. He didn't know much about girls; what if the landing spot happened to be a sensitive part of her body? That might cause some issues.
So he chose her head, thinking no one's head would be sensitive.
And because a Human head is relatively fragile, he deliberately controlled the force, which is why the other person didn't feel pain.
The facts proved he did very well.
Ye Xuan thought to himself, then continued walking forward. The girl seemed like she wanted to say something more, but seeing Ye Xuan leaving, she quickly called out:
“Wait!”
“W-which class are you in?”
“Grade 12.”
Ye Xuan replied without turning back.
“My name is Lin Xue! I’m in Grade 11, Class 5!”
“I’ll buy you Milk Tea next time!”
The girl shouted from behind.
Ye Xuan didn't respond, just raised his hand in a small wave.
Not far away, several girls who witnessed the entire event were excitedly gripping each other's arms: “That was so cool! Even saving someone, he maintains that aloof demeanor!”
“It’s just a bit different from what I imagined. How could the Mobile Phone land on her head? It should have landed on her back.”
“What do you know! This is called contrast! It’s more interesting when it lands on the head. Besides, what’s the difference between landing on the back and landing on the head? It’s all landing on the body.”
“Hey, something seems off. Didn't you notice? That guy didn't say which class he was in, only that he was Grade 12.”
“That’s normal. Grade 12 students are the main focus of the Teacher right now. If he told her his class, what if she went to find him, and the Teacher warned them?”
“He clearly considered that point, worried the girl would be scolded by the Teacher, which is why he didn't tell her. He’s truly considerate.”
“…”
Ye Xuan listened to the voices reaching his ears, his mouth twitching slightly.
Are you doing a reading comprehension test?
And even if you were doing reading comprehension, after hearing him say he was Grade 12, shouldn't you interpret it as indirectly telling her not to develop feelings for him?
Worried the girl would be scolded by the Teacher? What kind of inspiration did you get from an idol drama? Speaking of which, do idol dramas even have plots like that anymore?
Are you sure you won't be scolded for being overly sentimental?
He saved a Mobile Phone, not a life.