I suppressed the veins throbbing at my temple and stayed rooted to the spot. “What do you want with me?”
Nie Gaoming wore a radiant smile. He stepped forward quickly, bypassing me to set a food container on the table in the main hall. “I brought you something to eat.”
I turned around, watching him open the container and take out several plates of steaming hot dishes.
‘System, are these poisoned?’
【No poison. You can eat safely.】
Nie Gaoming noticed I hadn’t moved for a while and gestured warmly. “Come eat! It won’t taste good once it’s cold!”
Only then did I walk over. I picked up a piece of roast duck with my chopsticks, chewed it roughly a few times, and swallowed it whole. I wasn’t in the mood; everything tasted like wax. This table full of hot food didn’t trigger a single drop of dopamine in my system. I was just treating it as a chore to fill my stomach.
Nie Gaoming picked up his own bowl and chopsticks, smiling as he joined me.
Halfway through the meal, I said abruptly, “Now you are a Massacre member and I am a Hero. It’s not appropriate for us to be seen together anymore.” My tone was thick with the intent to see him out.
Nie Gaoming faltered, put down his chopsticks, and smiled evasively. “Brother Lu, I can see you are no ordinary talent. You should go out more, make friends, and not spend all day cooped up in this house…”
When did it become his turn to teach me how to live?
Thud!
I slammed my chopsticks onto the table, a thin layer of fury on my face. I raised my eyelids and stared at him. “Brother Nie, don’t you think your reach is a bit long?”
Nie Gaoming shuddered from the coldness in my expression. He carefully met my eyes, trying to peer deep into my soul. I lowered my gaze, breaking the contact, and silently picked up my chopsticks to continue eating.
Nie Gaoming shook his head with a look of slight injury. “Brother Lu, I am only thinking of you in the Eastern Wasteland, without connections, every step is difficult. Even if you are gold, if you are covered in dust, those crude people will only treat you like a stone.”
This expert actor is actually playing the part of a talent-spotter?
I sneered. Without looking at him, I said, “I am but a common stone. There is no gold here.”
“Brother Lu…” Nie Gaoming wanted to say more.
I interrupted him instantly. “If you have no other urgent matters, Brother Nie, please see yourself out.”
Seeing my stubborn attitude, Nie Gaoming sighed in regret. “A bright pearl covered in dust, a grand bell discarded.”
I took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to punch him, and kept my mouth shut. This guy is so determined to push me into the spotlight; it seems he’s dead set on turning me into a shield for that “Si” person. If I were an average person who didn’t know his true motive, I might have actually fallen for his enthusiastic support and heart-to-heart talk.
Nie Gaoming stole a glance at me and didn’t give up. “The cultural classes (Ya Ke) have opened. You should go try your luck, Brother Lu. Perhaps you’ll…”
“Enough!” I was annoyed to death, but I couldn’t just throw him out. In terms of martial power, I was definitely no match for this hidden master. But I couldn’t let this “dog-skin plaster” stick to me forever. I had to find a permanent way to gross him out so much so that he’d want to take a detour every time he saw me.
‘System, Nie Gaoming is straight, right?’
【He’s straight. Why?】
Excellent. Time to unleash my ultimate move.
I walked a few steps closer to Nie Gaoming with a faux-serious expression, my eyes deep as I studied him from top to bottom. Our “Blue-Robed Brother” felt his hair stand on end and instinctively took a step back.
I smiled, and using my height advantage, I pulled him into my embrace with one long arm. I leaned close to his ear and said ambiguously, “Brother Nie, did you come here just to talk about such trivial things? Did you know… compared to fame and fortune, I find you much more interesting.”
As I spoke, I let my hand slide slowly down his back until I reached his firm, rounded buttocks, giving them a firm squeeze. Not bad; quite “Q-elastic.”
Nie Gaoming’s entire face turned green. He turned his head back to look at me in disbelief.
I continued to pour on the pressure. Releasing my grip, I moved my hand to his chest and gave it a hard pinch. His entire rigid frame gave a massive shudder from the pinch.
“Brother Nie, you’re truly a rare find.” I moved my hand down to stroke his flat stomach. Hoh, his abs are well-trained.
Nie Gaoming began to shake like a sieve I couldn’t tell if it was from rage or shame.
‘By the way, what kind of type is “Si”?’ I asked the system in a gap.
【Like the perennial snow on Mount Kunlun cold and heartless.】
I understood. My smile deepened as I continued to mess with Nie Gaoming. “Besides your type, I also like cold beauties. If you have any resources, Brother Nie, feel free to recommend them. I wouldn’t mind us going together you’ve surely never tasted the flavor of ‘two dragons playing with a pearl,’ have you?”
Nie Gaoming seemed to have forgotten how to make a sound; he just stared at me blankly. I continued with a mysterious air: “Do you have any, Brother Nie? Ideally someone of high status it’s only fun when you’re pinning them down!”
Nie Gaoming looked like he was in a daze. After a long while, he finally came to his senses and took a giant step out of my embrace.
“You… you spend your days thinking about these things?” Our blue-robed brother’s eyes were wide, looking as if he’d been struck by a heavy blow.
My smile widened. “Life is short; if one doesn’t seek pleasure in time, what’s the point? As the saying goes: ‘To die beneath a peony and be a romantic ghost.’“
Nie Gaoming’s face looked like a tipped paint can red, blue, purple, white, and yellow shifting colors rapidly.
“Brother Nie, if you’re tired of standing, you can rest on my bed for a while.” I reached out as if to grab him again. “I just wiped it down with wine; the scent is quite intoxicating right now.”
Nie Gaoming retreated several large steps with an expression of pure constipation. I stood still, looking at him with a hurt expression. “Brother Nie, have you grown tired of me?”
“Brother Lu, I have an urgent matter today. I’ll take my leave.” Nie Gaoming turned and fled as if he’d seen a ghost. In his haste, he even tripped over the threshold. Fortunately, his footwork was solid and he didn’t hit the ground. Our traumatized blue-robed brother didn’t look back as he used his movement techniques to vanish in a few leaps.
I stood there and touched my face. ‘System, am I that scary?’
System: 【…You aren’t scary when you’re being serious.】
‘And when I’m not serious?’ I pressed.
System: 【Imagine a bag of bones asking for your favor.】
‘Got it.’ I smiled with satisfaction and returned to the table to enjoy the now-cold roast duck. When it comes to being shameless, how can these conservative natives compare to the loose lips of us modern people? I crossed my legs with pride. ‘How was my acting?’
System: 【You’re just good with your mouth. A classic straight-man trick.】
I dawdled over the meal until evening. With nothing else to do, I gave the door a basic repair, jammed it back into the frame, and walked onto the street. It was again a bustling scene of lights and people. This time, however, everyone seemed to be moving with purpose in one direction.
“Hurry up! If we’re late, there won’t be any seats left.” “The boat is about to leave!”
I followed the crowd and hopped onto a galley out of curiosity. Following the masses is rarely a mistake perhaps I’d trigger an encounter mission. The boat was truly packed; people were shoulder-to-shoulder with nowhere to sit. My feet were stepped on several times, but since the shoes were provided for free by the sect, I didn’t mind the dirt.
The boat traveled for nearly an hour until it reached a small island. From a distance, I could smell the thick, sweet fragrance of peach blossoms. The island was brightly lit; beneath the night sky, the blossoms were like a mist and the moonlight was like water, illuminating a world of varying shades of red. It looked like a fairy-tale paradise. A cool breeze happened to blow by, knocking a tree full of pink petals into the air until they drifted like a sea of fragrant snow.
The people landing on the island were covered from head to toe in the falling petals. “It’s so beautiful here!” someone said, unable to suppress their admiration even while sneezing.
“Yeah, I’d love to live here.” “Hahaha! Do you have the money to buy a house on this island?” “No money, just one lowly life.” “Hahahahaha! Then keep dreaming!”
Everyone was laughing and chatting as they shook the petals from their sleeves; the atmosphere was as warm as a festival. I caught a friendly-looking guy and asked, “What are you all doing here?”
The guy looked at me strangely. “You don’t know? A notice was posted in the restaurant. The cultural classes (Ya Ke) on Peach Blossom Island are recruiting students limited to a hundred per day.”
“A limit on numbers?” I was puzzled.
“Not many spots. Today’s entry is decided by drawing lots.” He hurried off as soon as he finished speaking.
I stroked my chin. Drawing lots, huh? Then I have nothing to fear.
‘System, help me cheat.’
System: 【Yinchen, are you “duplicity” personified? You were so unwilling when Nie Gaoming mentioned the classes, but now you’re fighting to get in.】
I gave a small smile. ‘I didn’t understand the situation before. Now that I see so many people rushing here, I’m just joining the fun and hoping to trigger a mission.’ Generally speaking, as long as a “bystander” stays with the crowd, they are safe.
At the drawing stall, I realized you had to pay for the lots. One tael of silver for a sachet containing a slip of paper. I took a 100,000 RMB advance from the system. It converted to 10,000 taels in my inventory—more than enough. Silver is the least valuable item to the system, which is why the conversion rate is so high.
Many people stood at the stall; some who had just arrived at the sect had no money and had to leave in disappointment. I finally squeezed to the front and dropped a tael of silver. The old man tending the stall looked at me, took the silver, and let me choose.
There were six colors of sachets: Green → Yellow → Orange → Red → Blue → Purple. These represented the six ranks; the higher the rank, the lower the chance of drawing a winning slip. Drawing a purple sachet was equivalent to winning a five-million-dollar lottery, as there was only one spot. If you were lucky, you might even meet a high-ranking “Purple Jade.”
I noticed most people chose Green and Yellow sachets. Everyone tacitly ignored the high-ranking ones. Even if you drew a purple sachet and met a “Purple Jade” in person, what could you do? You’d spend the entire time prostrate on the ground, not daring to breathe or raise your head. Did you really think they’d admire the back of your head and take you under their wing? It was unrealistic.
People came here to build connections and find a way forward. It was much better to find people at your own rank to befriend than to be a “show-off” at a higher rank. While there were people who tried to use high-ranking connections as a shortcut, most of them ended poorly. Their stories had spread far and wide, serving as effective warnings. That’s why people were so wary of high-level cultural classes. Besides, the odds were too low, and no one wanted to waste a precious drawing opportunity.
As for me, I naturally followed the crowd and chose a plain Green sachet. I opened it: inside was a slip of paper with the character for “Culture” (Ya). I had won a spot. I showed the slip to the island-tending boy. He smiled, his eyes crinkling, and cleverly led me inside.
“What is taught in the cultural class?” I asked as we walked, brushing a peach petal off my shoulder. The boy’s eyes were bright and his voice was sweet. “Today’s Green Jade class is painting.”
I see. It seems each rank learns something different every day.
“Are these classes always available?”
“No,” the boy blinked. “Each session only lasts a month before it ends.”
“And the next one?”
“You’ll have to wait for the restaurant notice.”
I understood. No wonder everyone cherished this opportunity.
The Green Jade class was held in a traditional red building. The entrance led to a winding corridor with pebble-paved paths. At the end was a spacious classroom filled with over a dozen low tables and chairs. In the center of the hall was a large rosewood-marble table piled with scrolls of famous calligraphers and painters, dozens of ink trays, and various brush holders. The brushes were made of wolf hair, standing straight like a forest.
On each of the ten low tables, clean white paper was laid out, along with two palettes and several brushes. A few people were already seated, some of whom clearly knew each other and were whispering. One person was resting his chin in his hand, staring out the window without blinking.
I followed his gaze. The beauty that hit me in that instant caused my breath to stop for a second.
The classroom was connected to a rectangular water pavilion. In the pond beneath the pavilion, lotus flowers were in full bloom—the colors a delicate, pale pink and the leaves a vibrant, rounded green. A bright moon was reflected in the center of the pond; as the evening breeze blew, the water rippled and sent waves of lotus fragrance toward us.
However, what caught my eye wasn’t the beautiful scenery.
Six men with different eye colors were either sitting, standing, leaning, or lying along the railing of the pavilion. All were in relaxed, elegant poses. Looking at their eyes good lord: purple, pink, green, gray, amber, and silver. If one more showed up, could we collect seven Dragon Balls and summon a dragon?