I, Herrscher Slayer

"…So, roughly speaking, it means that some animals only go into heat during specific times or seasons. And by cultivating this Mindful Essence, one can be in a state of heat anytime, anywhere, just like humans. Can I understand it that way?"

Shen Gonglin thought for a long time, then clapped his hands, suddenly enlightened. He felt his understanding was correct. Being able to adjust his body to a competitive state at any time, wouldn't that mean he could be in heat anytime, anywhere? His comprehension skills were truly top-notch.

"...Shen Gonglin, this is already considered harassment."

With mixed feelings, Fu Hua looked at Shen Gonglin's harmless face for a long time without speaking. How was his brain wired? Fu Hua once again doubted whether teaching Shen Gonglin was the right decision. How could he think of such a thing? The key was that she couldn't find a point to refute him for a moment. He was truly a martial arts prodigy, so much so that Fu Hua wanted to strangle him in her arms.

Was her understanding incorrect? Then what did it mean? Seeing Fu Hua's expression, Shen Gonglin dared not speak or ask. He could only lie on Fu Hua's lap, blinking his eyes and looking at her expectantly, begging his master for an explanation.

"Let's put aside the understanding for now. Mindful Essence is divided into four realms, and these four realms must be cultivated according to the Sword Heart Art. The Sword Heart Art is a sequence of meaningless syllables that cannot be recorded in writing. I will impart it to you now. Remember it and cultivate it well. As long as you can understand even a little within a year, it will not be in vain that I taught you the initial intention of this Mindful Essence."

Unconsciously placing her hand on Shen Gonglin's head, Fu Hua still felt a little worried about him. Adolescence was the best time to cultivate the Sword Heart Art and temper the sword heart. The earlier it was, the purer it would be. As one grew older, the effect of cultivating the Sword Heart Art would become smaller and smaller. Shen Gonglin's age was still suitable, but his state of mind was too chaotic. As far as Fu Hua knew, this kid was not a pure-hearted person. This kid was quite mischievous. Could such a person practice Mindful Essence well?

"...Why are all these peerless martial arts calculated in years? Class monitor, is there a faster way?"

The fact that it took at least a year to grasp the basics was hard for Shen Gonglin to accept. He was not a patient person by nature. It was too difficult for him to quietly comprehend the profound mysteries of martial arts. Watching TV dramas was fine, but he couldn't do this. Shen Gonglin looked at Fu Hua with a bitter face. Learning martial arts was too difficult.

"Don't be afraid. If you have talent, you might not need that much time. Kiana and the others all came through this step slowly. The Valkyrie's psychological training is a simplified version of the Mindful Essence I'm teaching you. If you have any questions, you can ask me or others at any time. Don't be discouraged. Next, I will impart the Sword Heart Art to you. Just cultivate it diligently."

Patting Shen Gonglin's head comfortingly, Fu Hua imparted the Sword Heart Art to him. Mysterious and unfathomable sounds echoed in Shen Gonglin's ears. Was this the Sword Heart Art? One could temper their heart by reciting or murmuring it.

"Remember this sequence of syllables well. Mindful Essence has four levels: Still Water, Pure Dust, Clear Mirror, and Great Void. As long as you cultivate to the Pure Dust realm, it will suffice. The merging of the mind into a lake is Still Water, the freezing of the mind lake is Pure Dust, the thorough transparency of the mind ice is Clear Mirror, and the formlessness of the mind energy is Great Void."

The highest realm for men cultivating Mindful Essence was the Pure Dust realm. This had been a fixed fact from the previous civilization to the present. However, even the Pure Dust realm would be of great benefit to Shen Gonglin. With his comprehension, he would definitely have no problem with Form Resonance. In this way, there would be no need to worry about the Honkai energy he unconsciously absorbed into his body.

Speaking of which, wasn't her initial intention to prevent Shen Gonglin from having impure thoughts and lusting after other Valkyries?

The merging of the mind into a lake is Still Water, the freezing of the mind lake is Pure Dust, the thorough transparency of the mind ice is Clear Mirror, and the formlessness of the mind energy is Great Void… Shen Gonglin repeated these words in his mind. Fu Hua, at this moment, was preparing to get up. The benefits Shen Gonglin had received were enough. The rest depended on his own comprehension. However, at this moment, Fu Hua suddenly felt a strange flow, and this feeling was emanating from Shen Gonglin. She was too familiar with this realm, and Fu Hua looked at the young man lying on her lap with his eyes closed in shock.

This... Mindful Essence, had it reached great accomplishment?

Chapter Forty-Five: The Disciple Who Coveted His Master

It indeed felt like great accomplishment in Mindful Essence. Still Water, Pure Dust, Clear Mirror, Great Void. Fu Hua felt the changes in these four realms from Shen Gonglin. Fu Hua could feel the state of Shen Gonglin's body, after all, she was too familiar with this Great Void Sword Qi. But it was precisely because of this that she was so shocked. She had only verbally explained it to Shen Gonglin once, and thousands of years of experience told Fu Hua that men could at most cultivate this Mindful Essence to the Pure Dust realm…

Could it be that Shen Gonglin was actually a girl?

Fu Hua's gaze involuntarily moved down a little. The Valkyrie abruptly stopped herself. There was no dispute about this. Shen Gonglin was definitely a boy. She had already seen it in the bathroom yesterday. But why could he cultivate the Sword Heart Art to this extent?

Is this fake?

"Hoo… Class monitor, I think I've probably understood it. I should be able to get started soon… Class monitor? What are you thinking about? I'm talking to you."

He truly felt the changes in his body. Just as Fu Hua had said, Mindful Essence was a technique that allowed one to be in a competitive state at any time. After listening to Fu Hua's explanation, Shen Gonglin had indeed become calm. This should be the legendary state of a sage. Shen Gonglin felt that he had achieved enlightenment. When he opened his eyes, he found Fu Hua staring at him blankly. What was going on? Was the class monitor mesmerized by his unparalleled beauty?

If she kept looking, Shen Gonglin would have to charge her.

"Hmm… Hmm? What are you talking about?"

Shen Gonglin waved his hand in front of Fu Hua. Just as he was about to pinch Fu Hua's cheek, she finally came back to her senses. Even though her heart was full of shock, Fu Hua's expression remained calm, as if she had just spaced out for a moment. This Shen Gonglin had truly given her a surprise. It hadn't even been five minutes, and he had already achieved great accomplishment in Mindful Essence.

"I said, this is probably what you call Mindful Essence. It feels quite interesting. I guess I've made a little bit of progress now, right?"

He got up from Fu Hua's lap and sat opposite her. It wasn't an illusion. In front of Fu Hua, Shen Gonglin had once again entered the state of Mindful Essence. What was going on? This wasn't even considered getting started; it was already great accomplishment. Although it was still a little worse than his own state, this was undoubtedly the number one person below her. Is this fake? Is it really fake?

Fu Hua truly couldn't understand why the result was like this. However, learning Mindful Essence was ultimately a good thing. She believed that Shen Gonglin's state of mind had already changed. With this calming and tranquilizing technique, Shen Gonglin would no longer be thinking about useless things all day long.

"Yes, Shen Gonglin, your comprehension is quite good. However, even if you have entered the Sword Heart Art, you must not slacken. You must temper it throughout your life, otherwise, with the slightest waver, your sword heart will be broken."

She didn't want to tell Shen Gonglin that his sword heart had already been formed. Otherwise, this kid would definitely become arrogant. Since he thought he had only just started, she would let him continue to misunderstand. It was normal for young people to suffer a few setbacks… Fu Hua felt like rolling around. Why had Shen Gonglin learned it so quickly? She had thought it would be difficult for him. Fu Hua had planned to teach him herself when he didn't understand, so that her image as a master could be more firmly established. But with Shen Gonglin like this now, how could she play?

Mindful Essence and his realm were the same. How could she play?

"Ah? That troublesome… Then, class monitor, since I've gotten started so quickly, shouldn't you give me a little reward?"

Shen Gonglin found lifelong practices like this the most troublesome. Were all peerless martial arts like this? Shen Gonglin was very helpless about this, but then he thought of happy things again. His deep purple eyes darted around and landed on Fu Hua again. Earlier, when he was willing to learn martial arts, she had given him a lap pillow. Now that he had gained a little insight, wouldn't he be able to take advantage of her again?

It was just taking advantage of her. The class monitor probably wouldn't mind, after all, she had taken so much advantage of him yesterday.

"Reward? What re… …Shen Gonglin, don't get any ideas. Didn't I already give you a lap pillow earlier? What else do you want?"

This great accomplishment in Mindful Essence was useless to Shen Gonglin. Why was he still thinking about taking advantage of her? Logically, shouldn't Shen Gonglin have seen through the mortal world and realized its vanity by now? Why was he still thinking about such things? Logically, when he first entered this realm, he should have had such feelings, and then through years of tempering, he would return to his original heart. Why was Shen Gonglin's state of mind jumping so fast? Fu Hua felt she was in danger.

What should she do when her disciple was constantly coveting her body?

"I don't care. That was then, this is now. When a disciple achieves something, the master should give them a reward. This time, just let me rest my head on your stomach. Class monitor, hurry up and lie down. I'll just rest for a bit, just once."

If persuasion failed, then force would be used. Shen Gonglin said as he moved closer to the class monitor. This made Fu Hua a little flustered. What was going on? They were talking fine, but why was Shen Gonglin about to make a move? And he was getting more and more excessive. Earlier, it was just a lap pillow, and now he wanted to rest his head on her stomach. Then, wouldn't his chest be next? For such a disciple who coveted his master's body, there was only one way: fight back!

"Inch Strength: Mountain Collapse!"

Fu Hua was also vengeful. She hadn't forgotten the losses she had suffered at his hands yesterday. She couldn't let Shen Gonglin think she was easy to bully. The master's dignity still needed to be maintained. Facing a disobedient disciple, beating him up was the solution.

"Inch Strength: Mountain Collapse."

As their fists collided, facing Fu Hua's attacking fist, Shen Gonglin instinctively used the same move to hit back. It was a skill he had learned entirely from Fu Hua. Their fists met with a bang. Seeing Shen Gonglin throw a punch, Fu Hua felt like she saw her own reflection in him. Seeing it again, she couldn't help but be surprised. Shen Gonglin had probably completely learned this Mountain Collapse.

Then Shen Gonglin fell down, clutching his fist.

There was no other way. Even though the strength, technique, and skill were all the same, Fu Hua's Valkyrie physique was not something Shen Gonglin could compare to. Shen Gonglin rolled around and whimpered. He really wasn't suited for close combat. His fist hurt so much from this punch. It would have been better not to resist and just let Fu Hua punch him, perhaps it wouldn't have hurt as much as this. Was Fu Hua's fist made of iron? Why did she not react at all after colliding with him like this? Shen Gonglin felt like his bones were about to break, the kind that required hospitalization!

"Are you alright?"

Fu Hua stepped forward to check. At the same time, she thought about what Shen Gonglin should train in next. She had to make him run at least ten kilometers every day.

Chapter Forty-Six

"Yes, I need a kiss to get up… Hehe, don't think about running!"

Shen Gonglin collapsed on the ground, whimpering. Fu Hua, worried, came to check on him, which was exactly what Shen Gonglin had hoped for. Seeing Fu Hua approach, he suddenly scrambled to his feet. "Get down! If I say I want to use you as a pillow, you'll be my pillow. It's already generous of me not to rip your clothes open to use them as a pillow!"

"It seems you're fine. Shen Gonglin, you haven't even eaten breakfast yet, can't you be a little more settled?"

Fu Hua sighed helplessly, pressing him down onto the ground by the back of his head. Thankfully, she had been cautious. Seeing him so energetic, she knew he was perfectly fine. The Mindful Essence had been successfully imparted. Although the progress was a little unexpected, now that it was finished, there was no way she would let Shen Gonglin take advantage of her again. Did it really have no effect on him at all?

Fu Hua had hoped that with the boost from Mindful Essence, Shen Gonglin would become a little more normal.

"Class monitor, now that you mention it, I am feeling hungry. Let's go, we can get some breakfast and then discuss the reward... By the way, class monitor, do you prefer sweet or savory tofu pudding?"

As Fu Hua held him down on the grass, Shen Gonglin's stomach let out a timely growl of hunger. He wasn't like those delicate fairies who could sustain themselves on dew; pitiful, weak, and hungry, that was his accurate description.

"I prefer savory... Let's talk about it when we get there. I haven't had food with that Shenzhou flavor in a long time."

Shen Gonglin's words seemed to stir Fu Hua's memories. She released his head and walked towards the Valkyrie cafeteria. Soybeans, sesame seeds, crushed peanuts, plus pickles and chili oil... She did miss it. Unfortunately, she had no chance to eat such food at St. Freya. But how did Shen Gonglin know about it? Could it be that he had eaten it before he lost his memory?

"Heh heh, I finally caught my chance, didn't I, Class Monitor? I'll tell you, I'm the strongest!"

Just as she turned around to ask Shen Gonglin, she was forcefully knocked to the ground by him. Shen Gonglin had never given up on this plan. The Mindful Essence he had just practiced was now used in actual combat, instantly preparing his body. The moment Fu Hua was distracted, he launched his attack. A mere Fu Hua, just lie down obediently.

"Shen Gonglin, get up quickly. Didn't you say you wanted to eat? Hurry up and get up."

After being pushed to the ground by Shen Gonglin, before she could even resist, the guy had already comfortably rested his head on her lower abdomen. His golden hair poked through her black dragon-patterned shirt, tickling Fu Hua's stomach. This guy really didn't see her as a master. What kind of disciple treated their master like this... She hadn't expected him to succeed again; she had been careless this time.

"No, just let me lie here for a bit longer, just a little while."

Shen Gonglin let out a comfortable sigh. The Mindful Essence he had just practiced had made him feel refreshed, and it was indeed comfortable to rest his head on the girl's slightly undulating abdomen beneath him. As he lay there, he didn't want to get up. A girl's body was truly the most comfortable pillow in the world. Even the flat-chested Class Monitor was so comfortable to lie on. If this were Kiana or Mei... He would definitely have to try it if he had the chance another day.

"...Just for a little while. You say, how long will you lie here before getting up?"

Looking up at the clear blue sky, Fu Hua hesitated for a moment before still not getting up to push Shen Gonglin away. She decided to treat it as a reward from a master to a disciple. To achieve mastery of Mindful Essence so quickly, such a gifted genius truly deserved a reward. If it was only for a little while, Fu Hua felt she could compromise and it wouldn't be entirely unacceptable.

"Hmm... How about an hour?"

"Do you want me to pull you up, or will you get up yourself?"

"No, no, no. How about this, if an hour isn't okay, then half an hour. That's my bottom line."

"Ten minutes. If not, get up right now."

"Twenty minutes. That's my bottom line, Class Monitor, don't push it!"

"...Fifteen minutes. That's it, or I'm getting up right now."

"Deal."

And so, after a heated discussion, Shen Gonglin and Fu Hua both quieted down. Fu Hua thought about it more and more, and it didn't feel right. How did it turn into her obediently lying here to be used as a pillow? She hadn't thought of it this way at the beginning, had she?

Meanwhile, Shen Gonglin comfortably nuzzled into the supple abdomen beneath him. People were like this; after refusing one request, they would subconsciously be more accommodating to the second. Fifteen minutes was fifteen minutes, but next time it wouldn't be so simple. What was the point of a bottom line if it wasn't meant to be broken?

"That person over there sitting with Lord Fu Hua, is he that legendary guy? I heard his skills are on par with Lord Fu Hua's."

"Yes, yes, I saw him yesterday. It was him who Kiana carried in a princess carry around the school... So romantic. If possible, I'd also like to carry... No, be carried around the academy."

"Do you think it would be too abrupt if I went up to strike up a conversation with him... And the clothes he's wearing now should be Kiana's, right? What's his relationship with Kiana?"

"Does that even need to be asked? It must be that kind of relationship... So embarrassing!"

"Blah blah blah blah blah..."

In the Valkyrie cafeteria, Shen Gonglin and Fu Hua sat by the window, enjoying their breakfast. Fu Hua had specifically looked around, but since she couldn't find any Shenzhou delicacies like tofu pudding, they could only choose milk and bread. Normally, they ate breakfast made by Mei in the dorm. It had been a long time since they had eaten in the cafeteria. The other things were fine, it was just a bit noisy.

And the reason it was so noisy was probably because of Shen Gonglin in front of her.

Fu Hua looked up at Shen Gonglin. Fifteen minutes had been stretched to a full half hour. In the end, if she hadn't grabbed him by the neck, he probably would have stubbornly refused to get up. He had done such excessive things, yet he didn't seem ashamed at all. And he had ordered so much food... All of this was paid for with her own academic credits!

At St. Freya Academy, various facilities required academic credits or money. This kid had ordered a table full of food for breakfast. The key was, if he ate it all, it would be fine, but he only ordered it to taste. He had put down several dishes after just a few bites. For Fu Hua, who had OCD, this was unbearable.

"Shen Gonglin, you ordered so much, can you finish it?"

Seeing Shen Gonglin about to order more, Fu Hua finally couldn't stand it and pressed him back into his seat. There were still many areas where Shen Gonglin needed to be taught, and not wasting food was also very important.

"Uh... I don't think I can finish it, but it's okay. I have a feeling someone will come over to help us eat it soon."

Chapter 47: Eating Together

As Shen Gonglin had predicted, just as Fu Hua was worrying about the table full of food, the Kiana trio appeared at the entrance of the cafeteria. Shen Gonglin's eyes lit up. He propped himself up on the table and waved towards them. Here they were. With their help, he could taste more varieties of delicious food.

"Kiana, over here, over here."

He was already attracting a lot of attention, and with Shen Gonglin waving, it drew everyone's gaze to Kiana and the others. There really was a relationship between them. Yesterday, they had seen Kiana carrying Shen Gonglin around the academy. Were they meeting up to eat together now?

Then why was he with Class Monitor Fu Hua at first?

"Hey, you! What were you doing this early in the morning? We searched everywhere for you, and we haven't even eaten yet. I'm so hungry!"

Leading the way, Kiana put her hands on her hips and glared at Shen Gonglin. After waking Bronya, Mei had taken them to find Shen Gonglin. Normally, Mei was responsible for breakfast, but today they had gone out to find Shen Gonglin without even eating. Finally, when they heard that there was a boy in the cafeteria, they came to look. And it turned out to be this guy. They had been searching everywhere, only for him to be leisurely eating with the Class Monitor here. The eldest daughter of the Kaslana family couldn't stand this!

"I knew you were hungry, so I already ordered for you. Come, sit down quickly. These xiaolongbao are especially delicious."

He picked up a half-eaten xiaolongbao and offered it to Kiana's mouth. This foolish girl opened her mouth without any suspicion. Shen Gonglin also didn't have the habit of wasting food. It was great that Kiana and the others had arrived. They could help him finish what he couldn't eat.

"I guess you have some conscience... These xiaolongbao are so delicious! Are all these ordered for me?"

Not noticing the bite marks on the bun, Kiana, who was starving, took the chopsticks from Shen Gonglin's hand and prepared to help herself. From this point of view, Shen Gonglin wasn't completely devoid of decency; at least he had prepared a table full of food for her... Although it seemed like everyone had tasted it.

"Of course. Not only that, but I've tasted a little bit of every dish for you, guaranteeing that every dish is delicious. Mei, do you want some soy milk? It was quite hot earlier, but now the temperature is just right."

Shen Gonglin picked up the cup and handed it to Mei. Mei didn't know whether to take it or not. She had a lot she wanted to say when she hadn't seen Shen Gonglin, but now that she saw him sitting there with the class monitor, she was speechless. This guy, he just disappeared this morning and now he's trying to fob me off with a cup of soy milk?

"Bronya needs to replenish her energy."

Bronya, who had been standing quietly beside Mei, reached out and took the soy milk in front of her. The silent loli expressionlessly bit the straw and began to drink. Although her gray pupils remained the same, Shen Gonglin seemed to sense a hint of resentment from her. Of course, there was resentment. It was because of this guy that Bronya didn't get her planned sleep time, and she hadn't eaten anything yet. Beautiful girls get hungry too.

Did Shen Gonglin drink this soy milk earlier?

Noticing the teeth marks on the straw, Mei frowned. But seeing Bronya quietly drinking soy milk, she held back from saying anything. Fine, since they're both happily eating, I shouldn't butt in. Mei noticed the food on the table. This wasn't ordered for them at all; it was purely because they ordered too much and couldn't finish it. Honestly, we can't waste food.

"Shen Gonglin, what were you and the class monitor doing this morning? You two disappeared early. If you go out in the future, you should at least say something."

She also helped herself to the food, after all, she couldn't waste a single grain of rice. She didn't have the habit of not talking while eating or not talking while sleeping. Mei finally had the chance to ask about it. Why would Shen Gonglin go out with the class monitor? The class monitor had been acting strange since she returned yesterday. Could it be that there was some hidden animosity between them, and they went out to compete again?

Besides that one fight, they didn't have much interaction.

"Mei, you don't need to worry. I just had some questions I wanted to clarify, and I needed Shen Gong's help. I'll inform you in advance in the future."

Fu Hua explained. Why does this feel like explaining to the family of a kidnapped girl? Mei really had a lot of motherly affection. She felt like she was Shen Gonglin's guardian. It was her fault for taking Shen Gonglin out without saying anything today, but it was better not to mention teaching Mindful Essence in this kind of situation.

"Mhm, if it was with the class monitor, then I don't need to worry... Shen Gong, are we still going to tour St. Freya today? What should we do with you? We'll have to go ask the Headmaster."

She smiled gently at Fu Hua. When it came to the most reliable person at St. Freya, besides Fu Hua, Mei couldn't think of anyone else. If she was with Fu Hua, nothing would go wrong. Finding Shen Gonglin was the main thing. Mei was usually very gentle. Kiana just ate, but she was now thinking about what to do with Shen Gonglin. They should be able to let him enroll too.

Looking at the girl's beautiful smile, Fu Hua was somewhat silent at the moment. She didn't seem as reliable as Mei said. Taking Shen Gonglin out this morning was a huge loss for Fu Hua. Not only did she give away her first kiss, which was who knows how many years ago, but a series of other things also happened...

To summarize, Shen Gonglin was still toxic.

"Mhm mhm, we'll go find Auntie later... Shen Gonglin, these noodles are delicious. You should try some too. I didn't know the restaurant's food was this good, but it's still not as good as Mei's cooking."

While devouring her food, Kiana interrupted. She didn't forget about Shen Gonglin when she ate something delicious. Her eyes lit up, and she brought the food to Shen Gonglin's mouth. Shen Gonglin accepted it without hesitation, opened his mouth, ate the noodles Kiana offered, and then set his sights on the small cakes on the table. Neither Kiana nor Shen Gonglin felt anything strange about this intimate interaction. Mei, on the other hand, found it quite awkward. Should she say their relationship was good or not? Kiana was really something, with no feminine reserve at all. Doing something like feeding someone in front of so many people... I could never do that.

"Hm? Mei, why are you just sitting there? You eat too. Have a steamed bun, they're really tasty."