Dangerous Classmate!

"Ha ha ha—"

Li Sinian laughed so hard she doubled over, gasping for breath.

She sprawled across the hospital bed, then lifted her head and asked Li Mu Yang between ragged breaths, "Big brother, what made you—what made you develop such a deep misunderstanding of yourself?"

Li Mu Yang's dark face was wrapped in white gauze, making it impossible to tell what color his skin had turned. His eyes darted away. Reaching out, he viciously mussed Li Sinian's hair in retaliation and said, lacking any confidence, "I told you, how could I possibly be a giant dragon? I don't look like one at all, do I?"

"Big brother—" Li Sinian whined coquettishly, yet let him ruffle and tug at her hair. She blinked her seemingly innocent, clear eyes, untainted by any impurity, at Li Mu Yang and asked perceptively, "What happened? Why would you ask such a strange question?"

"Nothing." Li Mu Yang shook his head with a bitter smile. "I had a dream. I dreamed of a dragon. I wanted to see what it looked like, but then I discovered that its eyes were the same as mine—so I wanted to ask whether I look like a giant dragon."

A faint worry stirred in Li Sinian's heart. She had heard that every dream held a true omen. For example, dreaming that one became a powerful person or animal meant that deep down, one was plagued by low self-esteem and a lack of confidence.

Thus, Li Sinian tightly clasped Li Mu Yang's hand and comforted him, saying, "Big brother, in my heart, you're a giant dragon. Right now, you're a dragon swimming in shallow waters. Because you were always sick as a child, you haven't been able to bring your abilities and wisdom into play—but once your body recovers, you'll definitely be able to command clouds and rain like a giant dragon, turn rivers and seas upside down, and soar beyond the Ninth Heaven."

Li Mu Yang reached out and flicked Li Sinian on the nose, saying indulgently, "Silly girl, you're playing the spiritual mentor again? Don't I know my own situation? Your big brother is a good-for-nothing now, and he'll definitely still be a good-for-nothing in the future, so I'll have to rely on my little sister to take care of me."

"Big brother, don't worry. From now on, your little sister will take care of your food and lodging and even help you find a wife." Li Sinian wrapped her arms around Li Mu Yang's neck and spoke with a giggle.

"I want two wives."

"That won't do."

"Why not?"

"I'm already furious just looking after one. How could you possibly have two? Every minute of every day, I'd be thinking about poisoning them to death."

"—Then I won't marry even one, all right?"

"That won't do." Li Sinian refused. "If you don't marry, Mom and Dad will be terribly sad. If Mom and Dad are sad, I'll be sad too. —So, within the limits of what I can tolerate, there can only be one. You can marry only one wife, and you absolutely must marry one wife."

"—"

Li Mu Yang glanced at the sky outside and asked, "How long was I asleep?"

Li Sinian's expression darkened as she said, "Two days and two nights."

"What?" Li Mu Yang was startled. "How could I have slept that long? What about Cui Xiaoxin? Did she come by?"

Li Sinian's eyes sparkled, the flames of gossip blazing as she asked in a whisper, "Who's Cui Xiaoxin? What's your relationship with her?"

"Cui Xiaoxin is my classmate." Recalling the clash at the Beast-Faced Pavilion, Li Mu Yang failed to notice the change in Li Sinian's expression. Back then, he had punched the black-clad killer away. Lowering his head to look at his bandaged fist, he wondered how he had managed to send that killer flying with one punch.

Although Li Mu Yang knew nothing about the path of cultivation, he understood that the black-clad man was an expert.

He had used a light sword and summoned crows with the Void Gate. He had looked utterly impressive and intimidating.

Li Mu Yang had sensed that something about him had been off lately. He always felt as if there were a beast inside his body trying to burst out.

He was quick-tempered and prone to anger, and he possessed that inexplicable, tremendous strength—the time he sent Zhang Chen flying with one punch while boating on the lake was a clear example.

Later, he heard someone shout, "Brute!" Then a sphere of light as dazzling as the sun rose above his head—

By the time the crows had dispersed and the sphere of light vanished, Cui Xiaoxin had disappeared as well.

"What happened to Cui Xiaoxin? Was she rescued, or was she kidnapped? Who was the person who shouted 'brute'?"

Li Mu Yang was frantic. He desperately wanted to know the answers to those questions at once.

"Of course I know she's your classmate. I also know that she's the famous beauty at our school, an all-around academic prodigy across the entire senior class, ranked first in every subject—I, Li Sinian, have roamed the sea of learning for years, and this is the first time I've encountered someone who can stand against me. Big brother, I heard someone brought you from the Beast-Faced Pavilion at the school gate, and it was during class, too. You two weren't—dating, were you?"

Li Mu Yang denied it. "How could we have been dating? Look at my face. Could I possibly be worthy of someone else?"

Li Sinian shook her head, then nodded. "But I've heard that a good man may end up with a bad wife, while a worthless man can marry a beauty. Big brother, don't worry about being ugly. Just be afraid that Cui Xiaoxin isn't blind enough. How about I go poke her eyes out for you?"

"—"

Li Sinian shook her head and said, "Forget it. Maybe she'll become my sister-in-law someday, so I should show her some respect."

Seeing Li Mu Yang's anxious expression, Li Sinian stopped deliberately teasing them and said, "I haven't met Cui Xiaoxin, but the Zhuge Medical Hall where you're staying now, as well as the famous doctor Old Mr. Zhuge who treated you, were both arranged by someone else. If I'm not mistaken, it should have been that Cui Xiaoxin—after all, our family doesn't know any major figures in Jiangnan City."

"Could you go to school and ask around for me—see whether she's attending class?" Li Mu Yang grasped his sister's hand and pleaded in a low voice.

Li Sinian's heart turned bitter, as if a treasure that had originally belonged to her were about to be snatched away by someone else. Pouting, she said spitefully, "Well, well, are you two inseparable now?"

Li Mu Yang shook his head. "The situation was dangerous at the time. I'm worried about her safety."

"I understand." Li Sinian looked into Li Mu Yang's eyes and said, "I'll go to school and ask around for you today."

"Thank you." Li Mu Yang grinned.

"Don't smile," Li Sinian said. "When you smile, you look like a huge black bear. Other than your teeth, nothing else is visible—"

"—"

Li Mu Yang knew he had somehow managed to anger this young lady again.

--

Creak—

A luxurious carriage wrapped in brocade, painted with peonies and birds and hung with a bead curtain, stopped outside the medical hall. Just as the young girl in a purple, brightly painted hibiscus-patterned, fitted front-opening gown was about to push the door open, the blue-robed man seated in front spoke up to stop her. "Miss, are you truly going to take this risk?"

"Risk?" The girl arched her brows slightly. "This is our Cui family's private medical hall. Where's the risk? I merely want to visit a classmate—and also the person who saved my life."

"Miss, we've arranged the best medical hall for him and summoned the finest doctor in Jiangnan City to diagnose him. At your request, we even brought the most renowned physician from the Imperial Hospital in Tiandu to examine his brain and see how much damage being struck by lightning as a child caused him. He did save your life, and the Cui family will naturally repay this debt of gratitude slowly—but, Miss, I believe you shouldn't involve yourself any further."

"You're worried someone will assassinate me again?" The girl arched her brows slightly and said softly, "Aren't all of you guarding me?"

"Miss, we're worried about a real danger—the patient you're going to visit." The blue-robed man had hesitated all the way here, but finally voiced the concern in his heart.

"Li Mu Yang?" The girl frowned. She disliked hearing others speak that way about her friend.

"Yes." The blue-robed man nodded. "The person who attacked you at the Beast-Faced Pavilion this time was Killer Crow, one of the top twenty assassins in the Empire. His cultivation is unfathomably deep, and he excels at summoning all kinds of birds to attack. The dark world calls him the 'Bird King.' Yet that classmate of yours blocked his Cherry Blossom Slash twice in a row, and on the third time, he actually punched Killer Crow away—Miss, this classmate of yours is dangerous."

Cui Xiaoxin burst into helpless laughter. "If he heard that assessment, he'd be overjoyed, wouldn't he?"

"Miss—"

"Uncle Ning, I've thought about it all. I know." The girl cut off the blue-robed man's next attempt to persuade her. "But I can't selectively forget that when the killer swung his blade at me, he bravely rushed over and used his bare hands to seize that long saber again and again—"

Crack—

Cui Xiaoxin pushed open the door and stepped down from the carriage, then lifted her face to look at the small building hidden among the cherry trees.

The cold Crimson-Scarlet cherry blossoms bloomed in splendid clusters, as red as the blood that had flowed from Li Mu Yang's palm that day.