Sharing a Room, Farewell

Shi Yan was awakened by a burst of fragrance.

When he opened his eyes, what met them was not Zhang Yunya's sports car, but a familiar room.

It was his one-bedroom, one-living-room apartment. The walls had yellowed somewhat, things were scattered about in disarray, and quite a few items were already coated in a layer of dust.

And the place where he had slept was the wooden sofa in the living room.

He got up and glanced at the door. The lock had already been chopped open by a sharp blade, and there was now a pair of girls' canvas shoes by the entrance.

He suddenly remembered something and hurried into the bedroom, only to find that the mattress had been changed to pink, with a pink bedsheet as well. His own things had been neatly folded in one corner of the bed.

"Reversing the Heavenly Dipper!"

Zhang Yunya had actually tossed the owner of the place onto the sofa to sleep while taking over the bed herself... Well, girls ought to sleep in beds.

It was just that this Senior was a little too bold.

Was it really appropriate for a lone man and woman to share a room?

When he walked into the kitchen, Shi Yan saw Zhang Yunya stir-frying, her movements exceptionally practiced.

The fragrance of her cooking was what had awakened him.

"You've slept for a full day and night. Go take a shower, then come out and eat."

Zhang Yunya spoke without turning her head, her face equally expressionless. Anyone unaware of the situation might have thought she was the owner here.

"I couldn't find your key, so I chopped the lock with an axe. You can replace it later."

"Uh... thank you, Senior."

Although Zhang Yunya's words and actions were unlike those of the girls he had imagined, she had brought him back after all. Shi Yan still had to thank her.

Not long afterward, Shi Yan came out after showering to find more than a dozen dishes laid out on the table, both meat and vegetables.

That was enough to feed a pig to bursting.

"I have a storage ring, so I carry a lot of things with me. Come try some Level Three demon beast meat."

Zhang Yunya was already seated at the table and waved at Shi Yan.

Not one for ceremony, Shi Yan activated his ability to steam his hair dry, then sat down and began eating.

It had to be said that Zhang Yunya's cooking was excellent. Shi Yan ate until he was almost reluctant to stop.

Only after a plate of demon beast meat had gone into his stomach, warmth circulating through his abdomen, did he finally pause.

"Senior, do you often cook for yourself?"

"Mm. I'm an orphan. I got used to cooking for myself."

Zhang Yunya also put down her chopsticks and looked at Shi Yan with an unusual expression in her eyes.

They were both orphans.

Shi Yan, however, was greatly shaken. The sight of Zhang Yunya driving a sports car simply did not fit with the identity of an orphan.

Prejudice in people's hearts truly was a great mountain. He had thought she was some genius girl from a powerful family.

"Senior, there's still some alcohol in my fridge."

"Don't drink when driving."

Zhang Yunya raised a fair, slender finger and wagged it.

"I'm leaving tonight."

She paused. Seeing the faintly unusual look in Shi Yan's eyes, she continued:

"School starts on September 1st. You have three choices. First, play around for two and a half months, then take the high-speed rail to register at school. Second, start school early, go over there, and devote yourself to cultivation. Third, kill your way there with me."

"Senior, I'll rule out the first option right away. What do you mean by killing our way there?"

"Very good. Your choice is the same as that of the vast majority of Magic Martial University students. University isn't the finish line—it's a new beginning, and you'll have to work even harder." Zhang Yunya revealed a gratified expression. "As for the third option, naturally, we'll kill demon beasts as we make our way to Shanghai. But the risks are high."

"I see."

Shi Yan understood. This Senior truly never played by the rules.

He also understood the danger of killing their way to Shanghai. This was the era of small bases, not an age of peace. Demon beasts still lurked in the open stretches between base cities.

If he did not take transportation like the high-speed rail, where experts offered protection, and instead went to Shanghai on his own, he would have to face demon beasts that could appear at any moment.

And perhaps not only demon beasts—he might even face attacks from martial artists.

"Senior, if I go with you, what safeguards will we have?"

After pondering for a moment, Shi Yan asked cautiously.

The last time he had accompanied Zhang Yunya on a mission, he had earned over a thousand Martial Virtue Points. He wanted more.

With a Fifth Order Peak powerhouse acting as a bodyguard, he did not want to let this opportunity slip away.

Of course, it would depend on the circumstances.

Lin Ye had protected them last time, so their safety had been assured. If there were safeguards this time as well, then taking a risk would not be impossible.

"You want to choose the third option?"

This time, it was Zhang Yunya's turn to be surprised. To be honest, she hadn't held out any hope that Shi Yan would choose the third option.

With Shi Yan's talent, as long as he cultivated seriously, becoming an expert in the future was as certain as nails driven into a board. There was no need for him to take a risk for such little gain.

Shi Yan was even less conventional than she was?

"If you truly want to come with me, I'll report it to my teacher. We'll try our best to avoid mountains and marshlands, and in a while, we'll go to the Extreme Martial Arts Hall to exchange for some supplies as a precaution."

"Alright. I choose the third option."

Shi Yan was not one to hem and haw. He made his decision at once.

Since Zhang Yunya would report it to her teacher, nothing major should happen. Besides, as long as they did not enter the true depths of the mountains and marshes, they would not encounter dangerous demonic beasts. With Zhang Yunya's strength, she could handle it completely.

"Alright. Consider this trip your reward for helping me complete my mission." Zhang Yunya nodded lightly. "We'll slow down a little. You can fight while practicing the Breathing Technique. That's the fastest way to improve."

She did not mention that such an arrangement would tire her out the most.

But since she had promised Shi Yan a benefit, he lacked neither physical goods nor money. The best reward was for her to personally step into the fray.

Very soon, after a whirlwind swept through fallen leaves, every scrap of food on the table had been cleared away.

Martial artists required an enormous amount of energy. If the main course had not been Third-Order Demonic Beast meat, this much would not even have been enough to fill the gaps between their teeth.

After tidying up, the two went off to handle their own affairs. Zhang Yunya went to purchase the things needed for their "trip," while Shi Yan needed to wrap up his matters in Baiyun City and bid farewell to his relatives and friends.

First came collecting his rewards. The College Entrance Examination results had already been released, and as expected, Shi Yan had become Jiangnan's Top Scholar. Jiangnan awarded him two million in prize money, Baiyun City gave him another million, and there were also gifts from the school, various companies, and private individuals.

Of course, Shi Yan accepted only the official rewards. He declined everything offered by other organizations or individuals.

After receiving the rewards, Shi Yan could now be considered moderately well-off. At Baiyun No. 1 High School's request, he left behind several handsome photographs before treating his uncle's family to a lavish meal.

By coincidence, his cousin Gu Feng also wanted to treat him to a feast, because Gu Feng had received his admission notice from Jiangnan Martial School today as well.

And just like Shi Yan, Gu Feng planned to leave for school early and begin his true martial journey. The date was tomorrow.

The two sides hit it off immediately and went to Baiyun City's largest restaurant to feast to their hearts' content.

That evening, Shi Yan bid farewell to his uncle's family and arranged to meet the fat man, Liu Wang, at a roadside food stall not far from the school for another round of eating and drinking.

"Stone, I'm not kidding—I feel like I could eat an entire pig right now."

Liu Wang's family circumstances were fairly good. After learning that he had been admitted to Jiangnan Martial School, his family had immediately gotten him a dose of intermediate Body Tempering Medicine.

Liu Wang was now a martial artist. His red certificate was lying right there on the table.

"I already ate a whole cow today."

Shi Yan grabbed a handful of cilantro and began chewing on it.

"My cousin Gu Feng is at Jiangnan Martial School too. Want to get acquainted and exchange pointers?"

"No. You're you, and your cousin is your cousin. Everyone has their own martial path to walk. If there's no reason, it's better not to disturb each other."

Liu Wang had always been clear-headed about such matters, and he declined Shi Yan's goodwill.

"But you—my eyes are red with envy. You're handsome and talented. Once you get there, lots of beautiful girls will come bothering you."

As Liu Wang spoke, he leaned closer to Shi Yan and lowered his voice.

"Magic Martial University has plenty of Goddesses, but there are some traps you need to avoid too—especially the most beautiful one among them."

"The most beautiful one?"

"That's right, Zhang Yunya. She's so beautiful she could bubble over, but you'd better stay away from her."

"Oh? What intelligence have you gathered?"

"She doesn't play by the rules. Other women are delighted when people pursue them, but when Zhang Yunya was pursued, she gathered more than a dozen of her pursuers together. Guess what happened?"

"What happened?"

"She beat them all up by herself. The lightly injured ones spent three months in the hospital, while the severely injured ones nearly lost the ability to have descendants. Some parents came to demand an explanation, and she chased them down with an axe, hacking at them. Tsk, tsk."

Liu Wang wore a terrified expression, then grabbed a pork elbow and gnawed on it to calm his nerves. After a few bites, he added, "Remember to avoid her when you get there. She's easy to recognize too—the one driving a red Yaoguang Sports Car is her. It's a limited edition, with only a few in the world. You'll recognize it at a glance... Look, just like that one."

Suddenly, the fat man pointed at a red sports car parked by the roadside near the food stall, then looked puzzled.

"Strange. Why would a Yaoguang Sports Car appear in a backwater corner like Baiyun City?"

Shi Yan smiled without speaking, simply continuing to eat meat and drink.

Liu Wang, on the other hand, kept shivering in the blazing summer heat.

"How eerie. Why does it feel like a chill is running down my spine?"