The distinct fragrance of a woman instantly filled Ye Xuan’s nostrils. Though his hand was held by Teacher Yun Aoxue—a woman adored by countless male teachers and students at the academy—Ye Xuan felt anything but thrilled.
His eyes widened in a pained and reproachful expression. "Teacher Yun Aoxue..." he wailed. "C-could you be a little gentler...? My... my... *hiss*... You’re squeezing... it really hurts..."
BANG BANG BANG!
A rapid succession of doors flew open, one after another. Heads poked out, and countless silent gazes, like ghosts in the dead of night, fell upon Yun Aoxue and Ye Xuan.
Everyone stared, dumbfounded, at Ye Xuan and Yun Aoxue holding hands. They were collectively petrified, and the entire dormitory area fell deathly silent.
"What are you looking at? Get back to your cultivation!" Yun Aoxue roared murderously.
SLAM!
All the dorm doors instantly slammed shut in unison, as if it had been rehearsed.
Shooting Ye Xuan a vicious glare, Yun Aoxue snapped, "You, come with me."
The two of them quickly walked out of the dormitory area and arrived at Yun Aoxue’s office.
’Dammit.’
Even after returning to her office, Yun Aoxue’s face was still flushed with anger. At the thought of Ye Xuan’s ambiguous words back at the dorms, she felt an overwhelming urge to slap him dead and then die of shame.
’This little bastard.’ Yun Aoxue glared at Ye Xuan, her beautiful eyes spitting fire. "What possessed you to say something like that back in the dorms?" she demanded.
In her anger, the flared nostrils of her delicate, fair nose only served to accentuate her luscious red lips, giving her a tempting allure. With each deep breath, her ample bosom rose and fell dramatically, tracing an enticing silhouette.
Rubbing his nose, Ye Xuan said innocently, "Teacher Yun Aoxue, you’re the one who dragged me out of there without getting the full story."
"And you think you’re in the right?" Yun Aoxue was so furious she felt her lungs might explode.
"Alright, alright, Teacher Yun Aoxue. I misspoke, okay? Please, calm down," Ye Xuan said with a cheeky grin, then nonchalantly sat down in the chair across from her.
"You...! Who said you could sit down?" Yun Aoxue seethed through gritted teeth. For some reason, Ye Xuan’s cavalier attitude stoked the flames of her anger.
Ye Xuan explained, "Teacher Yun Aoxue, you know I’ve been cultivating for a long time without any sleep. I’m about to collapse from exhaustion. If I have to keep standing, I’m afraid I’ll pass out at any moment. In fact, my head is already starting to feel a little dizzy."
"Ah?" Yun Aoxue said hurriedly. "Then just stay seated."
’The moment the words left her mouth, she felt a pang of regret. She felt a little guilty for scolding him like that. After all, he had been working incredibly hard, staying in the cultivation center for days on end without a break. He had just gotten back to his dorm, and she had impatiently dragged him right back out. He had to be exhausted.’
Thinking of this, Yun Aoxue said guiltily, "Since you’re so tired, why don’t you go back and rest first. You can come to my office tomorrow."
"That’s not necessary. Since Teacher Yun was in such a hurry to see me, it must be urgent. Please, tell me what’s on your mind. I can handle being a little tired," Ye Xuan said. Inwardly, he was laughing. ’This girl is way too gullible.’
Yun Aoxue felt even more guilty. "Actually, it’s not that urgent... It’s just about what happened at Black Wind Ridge. I’m very curious how you cured my poison. And how do you know so much about the principles of medicine?"
"So that’s what this is about." Ye Xuan nodded and explained, "It’s actually very simple. I like to read a lot of miscellaneous books in my spare time. I’m especially fond of books about potions and alchemy, and I have a photographic memory. The green-tailed scorpion poison you were afflicted with that day... I just happened to have read about the cure in a book, so I was able to treat it."
Ye Xuan had already prepared a story for this, and now was the time to use it.
Yun Aoxue was skeptical. She frowned and said, "Is that really true?"
’Just by reading some books, he could so accurately analyze that I was poisoned by a green-tailed scorpion, and even completely remove the toxin from my body in less than three minutes? That kind of thing only happens in stories, right? Is Ye Xuan that much of a genius, or am I just an idiot?’
"Of course, it’s true," Ye Xuan said with casual confidence. "Teacher Yun, I learned about the green-tailed scorpion’s venom from *Characteristics of Low-Tier Demon Beasts*. Mmm, I believe it was midway through the sixth volume. The treatment method was described in Master Ye Xiaoyao’s *Human Meridian Theory*. I was just copying what it said, and I guess even a blind cat finds a dead mouse sometimes. And the herbs—a mixture of Rolling Hemp Grass and Celestial Heart Seed—are detailed in the Xuanwu Calendar 2014 edition of *Basic Herb Properties*..."
Yun Aoxue narrowed her eyes. Ye Xuan spoke so methodically and with such an air of authority that it actually sounded believable.
"Hmph. You’d better not be lying to me, or you know what will happen." A sly smile suddenly crossed Yun Aoxue’s face. She opened a drawer and pulled out a book. The title was none other than *Basic Herb Properties*, Xuanwu Calendar 2014 edition, published by the Continental Alchemist Association. Editors: The Continental Alchemist Association Council of Elders.
Ye Xuan said in surprise, "Huh, Teacher Yun, you have this book too? That makes things easier. If I remember correctly, the treatment for green-tailed scorpion poison should be around page two hundred and sixty."
Yun Aoxue flipped through it skeptically for a moment, and sure enough, she saw this passage: Rolling Hemp Grass: a perennial herb with thick leaves, prefers shade, often grows in humid shrubbery and forested mountain areas, has multiple medicinal values... Among them, when mixed with Celestial Heart Seed, it can treat the venom of the Tier One Demon Beast, the green-tailed scorpion...
Yun Aoxue looked up at Ye Xuan, dumbfounded. ’This kid is simply incredible.’
Seeing her reaction, Ye Xuan chuckled inwardly. ’What a joke. I was the editor-in-chief of that book back in the day; how could I not know its contents?’
At this moment, only one thought filled Yun Aoxue’s mind: genius.
’I thought Ye Xuan had a certain aptitude for being a Soul Refiner and an Alchemist, but now it seems his talent in alchemy is simply astonishing. I may be a Tier One Soul Refiner, but I have no specialty in alchemy and would only hold him back. I should tell my mentor about this. Maybe he’ll recognize Ye Xuan’s talent and take him as an apprentice. Then I could finally rest easy.’
Thinking of this, Yun Aoxue asked Ye Xuan many more questions about alchemy before finally letting him go.
’Phew, finally handled that.’ Leaving Yun Aoxue’s office, Ye Xuan let out a long sigh of relief.
’That girl’s questions were far too detailed; she’s a tough one to handle. Thankfully, drawing on the astonishing talents of his past life, Ye Xuan managed to answer every question without slipping up.’
Just as Ye Xuan was about to reach his dorm, a figure suddenly blocked his path. It was Li Yue.
Ye Xuan’s brow furrowed. "Li Yue, what are you doing blocking my way?"
She stood there, wearing heavy makeup, and looked at Ye Xuan with a coy expression. Blushing, she fidgeted and said in a low voice, "Ye Xuan, I... I have something I want to say to you."
"Not interested."
"Hey, don’t go!" Li Yue hurriedly grabbed Ye Xuan’s arm, pressing her ample chest against it and rubbing back and forth. "Ye Xuan," she cooed, "the truth is... I’ve never stopped thinking about you..."
"Get lost!"
Meanwhile, outside the men’s dormitory, a figure hurried over to a few others lurking furtively. "Quick, quick," he whispered, "Ye Xuan’s back."
"Good, let’s move." One of them, his face alight with excitement, quietly approached Ye Xuan’s dorm.
TAP!
A light sound from outside the door startled Chen Xing, who was in the middle of cultivating.
’Could Young Master Xuan be back? Perfect, I’ll ask him to go out for dinner.’
Chen Xing opened the door to find no one there. Suddenly, a piece of light purple stationery on the ground caught his eye.
A few lines of elegant script, clearly a girl’s handwriting, were written on the paper: "Third Young Master Chen, this humble girl, Han Jing, has long admired you from afar. Today, I have finally gathered the courage to express my feelings. I hope that you might grant my wish. In the woods behind the mountain. I will be waiting. Han Jing."
The woods behind the mountain were the prime spot for secret rendezvous at Xingxuan Academy. Lovesick couples often lingered there, and setting the meeting in such a place was bound to stir the imagination.
"Ha, it’s Han Jing from the class next door! So she’s had a secret crush on me all this time! Haha, after Young Master Xuan, it’s finally my turn, Third Young Master Chen, to have some luck with the ladies!" Chen Xing laughed out loud, hurriedly changed his clothes, and rushed out the door.
As soon as Chen Xing left, two figures quietly emerged. One of them took out a piece of wire and, with a few deft flicks, picked the lock and opened the door.
"Keep up," he hissed at the bushes in the distance. Immediately, two more slender figures emerged, and the group tiptoed cautiously into the room.
The four consisted of two men and two women. The men were none other than Wang Yue’s two lackeys, Liu Tong and Ma Bing. The women were a delicate young girl and an old woman whose wrinkled, pockmarked face was caked in thick rouge and powder.
"Mama, I’m scared," the delicate young girl said to the old woman, her expression panicked.
"Hmph, it’s a bit late for that. Don’t tell me you’re thinking of backing out," Ma Bing stared at the old woman, his voice low and sinister.
"Young Master Ma, please don’t worry," the old woman said with a fawning smile. "How could we at the Spring Wind Tower possibly go back on an order from Young Master Wang Yue? Our livelihood depends on it." Then she turned to console the girl. "Xiaodie, don’t be afraid. You’re the victim here, a helpless girl. Xingxuan Academy won’t do anything to you. Once this is done and you’ve latched onto Young Master Wang Yue, I guarantee you’ll live a life of wealth and comfort."
After coaxing the girl onto Ye Xuan’s bed, Ma Bing suddenly chopped the back of her neck, knocking her unconscious. Then he tore at her clothes, leaving them in disarray, and hid her under Ye Xuan’s blankets.
Immediately after, Ma Bing took out a bottle, opened it, and sprinkled some powder on the girl. He then placed the bottle by the pillow.