"It's So Good to Have Someone to Be Bad With"

Chang Hanshan spoke as if her brain did not need to process words before they came out.

She replied instantly, "Ranan, Your Highness Zhe, don't you two worry!"

"I already thought it through!"

"If I die someday, I'll donate my heart, liver, spleen, lungs, kidneys, corneas—all of it—to disabled children!"

"Anyway, I'll donate everything that can be donated!"

"I'll definitely have contributed something to society! At least I won't have come into this world for nothing!"

Silence. A deathly silence.

Chang Hanshan cautiously poked one eye out from beneath the blanket and secretly glanced at Zhou Zhe. Her scalp instantly went numb, and chills ran all over her body.

"This look feels so familiar..."

"Holy crap! Isn't this the look I give that guy Dugu Xiu?"

Chang Hanshan swallowed and forced herself to stay calm. "Don't be like this! I won't die in the Cosmic Arena!"

"At least, I definitely won't die within the next ten years!"

Why did Your Highness Zhe's aura feel more and more terrifying...

The pressure was overwhelming whenever she stood before him!

When she spoke, it even felt like her tongue would not obey her.

Clearly, the 3 points of "Dignity" provided to Zhou Zhe by the three apprentices acknowledged by the mysterious notebook were taking effect.

Chang Hanshan had originally wanted to crack a few jokes, but now she did not even dare to fool around.

"You definitely won't die in the Cosmic Arena within ten years?"

Zhou Zhe gave Chang Hanshan a meaningful look and said teasingly, "Confidence is a good thing."

As he spoke, Zhou Zhe turned his head. "Miaoran, you don't need to worry too much about her."

"This best friend of yours has more secrets and trump cards than you imagine."

Even without the apprentice list in the mysterious notebook, Zhou Zhe had long sensed that something was off about Chang Hanshan.

Her aptitude was obviously extremely low. The talent she had tested for could be said to be the lowest among all the apprentices, bar none.

And yet...

Her growth in strength had not lagged too far behind. She could even barely be considered mid-tier, not much different from Jinuo before.

What was even harder to understand was Chang Hanshan's combat experience!

She could almost perfectly turn her on-paper strength into actual combat power. Whenever the apprentices sparred with one another, she handled it with effortless ease, as though she were humoring children playing house.

Sometimes, Zhou Zhe even felt that in a life-and-death battle, Chang Hanshan could unleash 120 percent of her strength—or even more.

This had nothing to do with talent or brilliance anymore. Unless she possessed an ability similar to Self-Configuration, or she was an old killer with years in the trade, an ordinary girl could never perform like this.

However, since Chang Hanshan bore no ill will toward Zhang Miaoran or himself, and wanted to keep her secrets hidden rather than lay her cards on the table, Zhou Zhe would not casually step forward to expose her.

Hearing that, Chang Hanshan burrowed beneath the blanket and played dead.

She had no idea where she had revealed a flaw for her idol to become suspicious of her...

This time, she had truly Split Open!

After giving Zhang Miaoran a reassuring look, Zhou Zhe said to Chang Hanshan, "Your Wind Riding Blade Technique is quite well practiced. Although you don't have the corresponding extraordinary attribute, in terms of technique alone, you're already very close to the second level."

"Even with the guidance of a famous teacher like me, an ordinary person would need at least ten times longer than you to reach your current level."

After shamelessly praising himself, Zhou Zhe continued, "Don't be nervous."

"I'm saying this because I think highly of your talent with the blade."

"Stay in the apartment for now. Don't go anywhere."

"I'll arrange for someone to gather your physical data and custom-make a weapon for you."

"A weapon meant for killing, in the truest sense."

At this point, Zhou Zhe added with interest, "Once the weapon is finished, there'll also be a slaughter trial. Basically, you'll go chop up some living things to adjust your mindset."

"Don't count on getting lucky."

"This is a tradition of the Swift Wind Pavilion. Everyone has to go through it once."

Once he finished, Zhou Zhe examined Zhang Miaoran and Chang Hanshan.

The latter was fine, calm as an old dog. The words I've weathered great storms, why would I fear this? were practically written across her face.

The former, however, surprised Zhou Zhe. She showed none of the worry, fear, or reluctance one would expect from an ordinary young girl. Instead, there was even a faint... anticipation?

Zhou Zhe smelled no fear. He only sensed a trace of excitement.

He suddenly felt a little guilty.

It felt as though he had led Zhang Miaoran astray.

What a good girl she had been!

Now, in both personality and values, she was growing more and more like him.

Over the past two days, Zhang Miaoran had even changed her phone ringtone to "Hit and Run."

"You always liked the taste of blood."

"And I get off when I point the gun."

"It's so good to have someone to be so bad with."

Those were some of the lyrics from "Hit and Run."

A casual stroll through the Earth section of the Myriad Heavens Forum would tell anyone that Master Zhou was absolutely no kindhearted soul in the minds of most Earthlings nowadays.

Zhang Miaoran's meaning was obvious—if you were the publicly acknowledged big bad guy, then she would work hard to follow in your footsteps and become a qualified little bad girl!

In the words of a certain mundane best friend, that was called...

Strong couple vibes.

After dealing with Chang Hanshan's issue, Zhou Zhe returned to his office and transformed into an emotionless work machine. With Triple Focus, he continued his daily studying, teaching, and research.

But trouble always followed like a shadow. After half a month of peace and quiet, a massive projection brimming with malice suddenly descended!

The uninvited guest stood a full four meters tall, with an exaggerated build and muscles swollen as if forged from steel.

His entire body was covered in grayish-white scales. His teeth resembled sharp little daggers, his eyes were like blood-red rubies, and the pair of spiraling horns atop his head looked especially savage!

This appearance bore a five- or six-tenths resemblance to the already dead Super Horned Demon Roxstar, except he looked more mature and older.

"I am Hansenelton, a Silver Gladiator, and Roxstar's father."

The other party stared at Zhou Zhe as though looking at a dead man. His words squeezed out from between his teeth, brimming with the stench of blood.

If looks could kill, Zhou Zhe would probably have been killed dozens of times already.

"Hello, old sir."

Zhou Zhe calmly lifted his teacup and took a light sip. "The name Roxstar sounds somewhat familiar..."

At those words, the scales on Hansenelton's forehead suddenly bulged, flickering with black-red bloodlight as his fury erupted. "Despicable Earthling! Do you think you can muddle through this by pretending?"

"My son was the one-in-a-hundred-million, legendary Super Horned Demon! Roxstar!"

"He was the hope and future of the Sigma Civilization!"

"The moment you killed him, I swore that I would make you feel the pain I felt!"

"No!"

"I will repay the pain I suffered to you tenfold, a hundredfold, a thousandfold, ten thousandfold!"

Zhou Zhe set down his teacup and said with a half-smile, "You spent quite a few Gladiator Points on this conversation, didn't you?"

"To be honest, I can't understand your behavior."

"If you truly want revenge..."

"Why don't you go find 'Dao'?"

Hearing that, the light in the old Horned Demon Hansenelton's scarlet eyes dimmed somewhat, as though fear had arisen in his heart.

The next moment, all that cowardice transformed into rage.

"I will torture you to death!"

Hansenelton's teeth ground with crackling sounds. He wished he could immediately torture Zhou Zhe to death, skin him, pick his bones clean, pull out his tendons, and burn his corpse. "A Black Iron Five Stars newcomer..."

"The day you advance to Bronze Cosmic Gladiator will be the day you die!"

"And..."

"You have already made an irreparable mistake!"

"This mistake will become a regret you cannot make up for even if you regret it until death!"

(Burning Cold Light: Starting tomorrow, the update time will tentatively be between noon and 1 p.m. As for why... so you can read while eating?

Ah! Right!

Please give me some votes! Votes are still very useful during the new-book period. Thank you!)

A tiny bit of characterization.

Mr. Zhou had clearly overthought things. Zhang Miaoran had never been some pure white lotus. Her values had always aligned well with his; there was no question of one leading the other astray.

The female lead's personality may be a little different from what everyone guessed...