Oblivious to Her Charms

As she watched Lin Shuguang plunge straight into the Blood Desolate Land, Song Wan grew worried.

To her understanding, the Blood Desolate Land was nothing short of a killing ground that could devour people without leaving even their bones at any moment. Even people from the Martial Arts School could not simply enter whenever they pleased.

She wondered doubtfully how Lin Shuguang had walked in so nonchalantly.

Gritting her teeth, she plunged in after him.

The wind cut to the bone. The bitter chill made Song Wan shiver, and she pulled her collar tighter.

The smell of excrement and the pungent stench of blood all around made this Young Miss of the Song family, who had never entered the Blood Desolate Land before, frown.

For a moment, she even thought she had mistaken him for someone else.

Otherwise, how could she explain how Lin Shuguang could ignore such a harsh environment?

She looked back. The exit was right there...

But when she thought of how Lin Shuguang had charged in without any hesitation,

Song Wan wrapped her clothes tighter around herself, endured the bone-piercing cold, and gritted her teeth, mustering the courage to keep going.

The countless questions that kept recurring also temporarily dispelled the fear rising in her heart.

But how could her constitution compare to Lin Shuguang's? Even on his first visit, he had already had the upgraded Basic Body Refining Technique backing him up, and his constitution had naturally been far beyond that of an ordinary person.

But Song Wan knew none of this.

After walking several hundred meters, she began to sway on her feet.

The wind howled, making her clothes flap and shake wildly.

Her Blood Energy Value was only a little over a hundred cal. Coming here was like someone who had only just started learning to swim suddenly finding themselves in deep water.

Her breathing grew labored, and her heart began to race!

Lin Shuguang had long since vanished from sight, and Song Wan suddenly began to regret her decision.

Both her family and her teachers had warned her never to enter the Blood Desolate Land before she could protect herself.

She had never understood why before. Only now did she finally understand firsthand: they had forbidden her from entering because she was not strong enough.

But what about Lin Shuguang?!

Song Wan looked even more bewildered.

She did not understand!

Someone whose Blood Energy Value had been only 9 cal at awakening could actually thrive here like a fish in water???

She could not figure it out, and she did not have the courage to keep taking risks here.

Dragging her exhausted body along, Song Wan kept heading back.

But suddenly, she realized she was lost.

Faced with an endless stretch of blood-red forest, she could not tell one direction from another.

Looking around, Song Wan gritted her teeth, told herself not to be afraid, and continued searching.

Half an hour later.

Song Wan's face was deathly pale.

She seemed to be wandering deeper and deeper into this Blood Forest.

The increasingly pungent stench of blood made the fear in her heart grow stronger.

Rustle!

Suddenly, a noise came from beside her, making Song Wan tremble all over in fright.

She turned to look.

It was Lin Shuguang!

He was looking at her with a strange expression.

At that moment, it was as though a ray of sunlight had suddenly shone into Song Wan's heart. The fear that had clung to her like a disease in her bones instantly vanished, and she hurried over.

"Why are you here?"

Lin Shuguang showed no particular warmth just because Song Wan was his classmate. He was as blunt as ever.

Looking embarrassed, Song Wan glanced away and said quietly, "I... I'm lost..."

She found it even harder to admit that she had actually followed him here.

Lin Shuguang gave Song Wan a couple more looks, seemingly not having expected that answer.

He had thought Song Wan had come to the Blood Desolate Land to hone her martial arts, just like him.

His tone was rather bewildered. "Lost?"

Song Wan's face flushed scarlet, and she wished she could bury it in a crack in the ground.

Fortunately, Lin Shuguang did not dwell on it. He merely glanced at the sky and asked casually, "It's getting late. Do you need me to take you out?"

Song Wan gave a soft "Mm." She pretended to be calm, but the quick little steps with which she followed close behind Lin Shuguang betrayed her fear of the Blood Desolate Land.

After they had walked for half an hour, the fear in Song Wan's heart gradually subsided.

Rustle, rustle!

Suddenly, a noise came from behind them. Song Wan turned and saw more than a dozen Desolate Ghost Apes charging toward them, shrieking wildly.

Her heart jolted again, and she cried out in panic, "Th-they're Desolate Ghost Apes! We need to run!"

Lin Shuguang stopped and gave them a casual glance. "No problem."

Song Wan froze, seemingly stunned to hear that reply.

No problem?

Those were Desolate Ghost Apes!

Then, under her astonished gaze, Lin Shuguang calmly went to meet them.

More than a dozen Desolate Ghost Apes descended from above, all roaring as they lunged at Lin Shuguang.

The sight made Song Wan's heart lurch in fright.

She hurriedly formed hand seals.

Before a Wind Wall could descend, Lin Shuguang's saber had already slashed down with the force of thunder.

Three breaths later, every last one of the dozen-plus Desolate Ghost Apes was dead!

Song Wan froze completely, her gaze blank.

The Wind Wall she had summoned shattered with a crack.

She stared dumbly at Lin Shuguang, who had effortlessly killed all the Desolate Ghost Apes, her mind filled with the brilliance of that slash.

Was this still the Lin Shuguang she knew?

"You?!"

Lin Shuguang had already turned back and begun dealing with the Desolate Ghost Apes' corpses.

Seeing how practiced he was at handling the corpses, Song Wan swallowed the rest of her words, her large eyes studying his back in utter shock.

She finally understood!

The Wind Wall breaking that day had not been an accident. It had shattered so cleanly because Lin Shuguang was far stronger than she was.

Shock! Confusion! Bewilderment!

At that moment, Song Wan was lost in a daze.

"All right, let's go." Lin Shuguang picked up his bundle and spoke casually.

As though what he had just killed were not the ferocious Desolate Ghost Apes described in their textbooks, but feeble chickens?

Song Wan's mouth felt dry.

Walking beside Lin Shuguang, she was full of curiosity, yet also felt frightened for a time.

"Classmate Lin..."

Unable to hold back after all, Song Wan called out tremulously.

Lin Shuguang raised his eyelids slightly. "What is it?"

Song Wan did not dare meet his eyes and feigned composure. "Your strength..."

Seeing that Lin Shuguang remained expressionless and silent, Song Wan hurriedly said, "Don't worry. I won't tell anyone. I know you must not want everyone paying attention to you before the College Entrance Examination and disturbing your cultivation. I'll keep my lips sealed!"

Lin Shuguang was slightly taken aback.

Then, after collecting herself, Song Wan said rather sheepishly, "I misjudged you before, too. I thought you were skipping class because you'd given up on yourself. I never imagined that not only hadn't you given up, but you were actually working even harder than everyone else... I really admire you!"

As they spoke, the two had already walked out of the Blood Desolate Land.

Lin Shuguang did not explain anything. Song Wan, with her wildly active imagination, had already said so much that he felt anything he said would only drag things out further. He simply listened as she marveled and expressed her admiration all the way.

At last, they reached a street where people could be seen.

Lin Shuguang stopped. "Do you know the way home? Do you need to contact your family?"

"I know the way." Song Wan turned and suddenly thanked Lin Shuguang very earnestly. "Thank you so much. You not only saved me, but taught me a lesson, too. From now on, I'll work even harder at cultivating and strive to catch up to you someday."

Lin Shuguang: "..."

After a long silence, he came out with, "Then do your best. But I won't wait for you."

Song Wan's gaze was resolute. "I'll work even harder!"

Lin Shuguang glanced at the sky, intending to end this slightly ambiguous conversation.

But then Song Wan suddenly asked, "If I have questions about martial arts in the future, could I ask you for advice?"

Lin Shuguang frowned slightly.

Song Wan hurriedly said, "I won't ask you to advise me for free..."

Lin Shuguang raised an eyebrow and said solemnly, "I'm absolutely not doing this for the money!"

Song Wan immediately smiled beautifully. "Thank you, Classmate Lin. I certainly won't take up too much of your valuable time, either."

Lin Shuguang waved. "I'm off."

"Mm, see you the day after tomorrow!"

"Oh, right!"

Lin Shuguang suddenly called Song Wan back.

Song Wan immediately stopped and looked over, her eyes full of delight.

Without the slightest embarrassment, Lin Shuguang said, "Sorry, could you do me a favor and finish my homework for the next few days?"

The next second, Song Wan's gentle smile, which could have captivated thousands, froze in the cold wind.