The Wound Is Strange!

"Classmate Zhang Xiaojun, shall we go to the outhouse together? I refuse. Li Ming, shall we go eat Jinjiang cuisine at noon? I refuse. Chen Chong, help me bring back some pastries—Sorry, I refuse. Even funnier, Wang Ping from our class was sleeping in class, and the teacher asked him to answer a question. He propped his head on his desk and said, 'I refuse.' The teacher was so angry that she grabbed his ear and dragged him out—Hahaha, Brother, do you know how much influence you have at school now? It's a shame you're not in school anymore, otherwise, many people would consider you their idol."

Li Mu Yang hadn't expected that incident to have such a significant impact. He shook his head and said, "Wrong is wrong, and right is right. When I slept in class, the teacher asked me to leave, and I never argued. Because I knew I was in the wrong, and my condition would affect other classmates. My behavior was disrespectful to the teacher—"

"It's just that being falsely accused of cheating really made me feel wronged. But that matter is in the past. For now, I need to focus on how to catch up with my studies. Although I can learn some things now, my foundation is too weak. Xiaoxin is helping me catch up from the initial courses, which is also very hard for her. I'm afraid there won't be enough time—"

"Brother, I wanted to ask you something too," Li Sinian said, pulling Li Mu Yang's arm. "Sister Xiaoxin said there are many things she hasn't taught you, but you can still answer them—Knowing without learning, what's going on? Have you been secretly studying all this time?"

Li Mu Yang shook his head and said, "I don't know what's going on either. I just feel like there are many inexplicable things in my mind. Sometimes I feel like I've lived a whole life before. I can blurt out the background and origin of things I see for the first time. Like the exercises in the textbooks, some were explained by Xiaoxin, but some already exist in my mind—Although the thinking process is difficult and hidden deeper, I can eventually find them."

"Are you possessed by an immortal?" Li Sinian giggled. "Why would an immortal be so foolish? Possessing a dark-skinned person?"

"—"

"Alright, alright, my brother is the most handsome among the dark-skinned people—" Li Sinian looked at Li Mu Yang's face and said, "Actually, your facial features are quite good; it's the excellent genes inherited from Mom and Dad. Look at how beautiful I am, and you'll know. Once your skin tone becomes a bit fairer, you'll be a great handsome guy. How about I help you apply some Hundred Flower Powder before you go out next time?"

"Wouldn't that require applying it all over my body?" Li Mu Yang gave a wry smile. "Not to mention how much Hundred Flower Powder you'd waste for me to go out, but even covering my whole body would take several hours, right?"

"Just your face is enough. Who wants to cover your whole body?" Li Sinian said irritably. "Brother, don't interrupt; let's get back to business—"

"—" Li Mu Yang looked wronged. When had he interrupted?

"Brother, I didn't want to tell you this, or at least not at this time, but I think the sooner, the better, to avoid bearing a heavier blow later—You know Sister Xiaoxin's academic performance. Her goal is Xifeng University, and from what I know of her, it's not a difficult task. But what about you? Can you go to Xifeng? Can you follow them to Tiandu? Even if you go to Tiandu, even if you get into Xifeng University—with their family background and our background, do you have any hope?"

"I know," Li Mu Yang said in a deep voice.

"What?" Li Sinian's eyes widened as she looked at him.

"I understand everything you're saying," Li Mu Yang grinned and said, "When I went out to see her off earlier, I saw someone picking her up—The carriage she rode in was probably worth several years of income from Mom's pastry shop?"

"Brother—"

"I'm fine," Li Mu Yang said, putting his arm around his sister's shoulder. "Think about it, did the old me have a chance to be friends with Cui Xiaoxin?"

Li Sinian shook her head.

"That's right. In the past, I didn't even have the chance to talk to her and be friends, but now I've achieved it, and I can even have her help me with my studies every day—Compared to before, things have changed a lot, haven't they?"

"Mhm," Li Sinian nodded seriously. "Brother, you'll become smarter and smarter, and you'll become more and more handsome. Maybe Sister Xiaoxin will fall in love with you then."

Li Mu Yang nodded seriously. "Of course. By then, I'll be the most handsome man in the world."

The siblings looked at each other and laughed. Li Sinian's laughter was tinged with heartache, and Li Mu Yang's with sadness.

Actually, that sentence wasn't funny at all.

Li Sinian climbed out of bed and looked at her brother, Li Mu Yang. "Brother, it's late. I'm going back to my room to sleep. You should rest early too. Sister Xiaoxin will be here to tutor you tomorrow. You're not allowed to doze off then."

"Okay. Goodnight," Li Mu Yang said with a smile.

Li Sinian waved her hand and then turned to leave Li Mu Yang's room.

Li Mu Yang lay in bed, unable to sleep for a long time, his mood becoming increasingly restless.

He got up, filled a large tub with water, and immersed his body in the hot water. Only then did he feel a little more comfortable.

Sleeping in class and taking baths at home were the two things Li Mu Yang did most often.

His right hand was still bandaged because it had been pierced, so he couldn't put his right arm in the water. This caused him some inconvenience.

Li Mu Yang looked at his arm. This fist, which was originally powerless, had sent Zhang Chen flying and also the assassin Crow flying. One had to know that at the time, the knife in Crow's hand shone with a silver light, like a huge lightsaber—

His fist went towards the sword light. Shouldn't his fist have been severed by the sharp blade? How could he have sent Crow flying with one punch?

Li Mu Yang stared at his fist for a while. Driven by a strong curiosity, he decided to peel off the bandage to see how his injury was.

The bandage was unwound layer by layer, and the dark, bruised bloodstains became thicker.

When he removed the bandage, his injured palm was revealed.

He washed his palm in the hot water and then examined it under the candlelight.

It was completely intact!

He remembered clearly that his palm had been pierced by the assassin's blade.

But now, why was there no trace of it?

No wound, no scar, not even a slight red mark.

"What's going on?" Li Mu Yang exclaimed.

He jumped out of the bathtub, got a mirror, and carefully examined himself.

The assassin had clearly placed a fruit plate on his head at the time. Li Mu Yang had been hit and bled profusely, but now there wasn't the slightest trace of an injury on his forehead.

What had happened?

It was only then that Li Mu Yang truly realized that his body had undergone some strange and unfathomable changes.

"I'm going to transform," Li Mu Yang said to himself.

—

Li Mu Yang got up when it was barely dawn. Ever since he was injured last time, he had broken the bad habit of sleeping in every morning.

Perhaps it was because he had slept too much before, but now he only needed to sleep for a few hours to feel energetic.

After a simple wash, he mimicked the postures of the "Body-Breaking Technique" his sister practiced daily and walked a few laps around the room. Then, he picked up a book and sat by the window, reading silently.

In a little while, his parents would wake up. His father would be exercising in the courtyard in just a thin shirt, and his mother would be busy in the kitchen preparing breakfast for the family.

Half an hour later, there was still no movement from his sister Li Sinian's room.

Li Mu Yang smiled. The family's day had truly begun.

These were all trivial, small matters, yet they made Li Mu Yang feel happy and fulfilled.

When he was plagued by illness and possessed by the God of Sleep, he rarely had the state of mind or mood to observe everything happening around him.

At this very moment, he realized just how much he truly possessed.

Cui Xiaoxin still came every day to tutor Li Mu Yang, and she still chatted and laughed with Li Sinian after school, sharing fruit with her, as if nothing had happened.

The events of that night and his conversation with Li Sinian had made Li Mu Yang realize the immense gap between himself and Cui Xiaoxin.

He now poured all his time and energy into his studies; he needed to absorb the most knowledge in this most limited of times.

In between studying, he would occasionally look up and meet Cui Xiaoxin's gaze, smiling as he felt her gentle smile. At those moments, such thoughts would surface in his mind: a young man and woman walking side-by-side along the shores of Weiming Lake at Xifeng University, the setting sun like blood, casting their entwined figures infinitely long, as if they could stretch to the ends of the earth.

He had merely hidden it deeper.

Cui Xiaoxin didn't come today. This had been arranged the day before; she had said that an elder in her family was going to Yongqing Temple to worship Buddha, and she needed to accompany them.

Li Mu Yang did a practice test at home, and suddenly remembered that Cui Xiaoxin had mentioned a very important reference book, urging him to find and read it.

Li Mu Yang immediately went out, heading towards the Scripture Repository at the end of Hubu Alley.

The Scripture Repository was ancient and simple, looking very old. An old man in a cross-collared jacket sat at the entrance, smoking a water pipe and sunbathing.

"Excuse me, sir, do you have the book 'Zi Yu'?"

"Go in and find it yourself," the old man replied without looking up.

Li Mu Yang entered the bookstore and began searching row after row on the bookshelves.

"Do you think reading is useful?" a voice suddenly sounded behind him.

Li Mu Yang turned around and saw a distinguished young gentleman standing behind him.

"Are you talking to me?" Li Mu Yang asked, scanning his surroundings uncertainly.

"Of course," the young gentleman said with a smile. "Tell me, is reading useful?"

"It is useful," Li Mu Yang replied. Although he didn't understand why this strange person was asking him such a peculiar question.

"In books, there are houses of gold; in books, there are beauties. Through reading, one can conduct business, enter officialdom, and ascend to high places to see far. Reading is of great use," the young gentleman said with a profound smile. "However, sometimes reading can also bring disaster. What do you think?"