A Chance Encounter

The afternoon sun was so bright.

Even without wearing his thick black cloak, Xian Wu didn't feel cold at all. In fact, he felt a little stuffy below the waist.

Xian Wu walked along the main road of Sacred Orchid Academy, looking dejected and keeping his head down.

He'd wanted Ye Sheng to take him in as a godson, figuring it was good to have a powerful backing, but Ye Sheng had told him:

"Get lost!"

Could it be that happiness had come too suddenly, and the old man just couldn't accept it right away?

It was no exaggeration to say that taking Xian Wu in as his godson would be a sure win for Ye Sheng.

Perhaps Ye Sheng thought Xian Wu, with a Soul Force of only 1, wasn't qualified yet.

Heaven rewards the diligent. Once he got the basic cultivation method for Soul Force after school started tomorrow, he'd definitely drive his Soul Force way up.

"Hmph. Today you treat me like I'm nothing. Tomorrow, you won't be able to reach me." Xian Wu kicked a pebble off the roadside.

Before entering Sacred Orchid Academy, commoners' children had no way to obtain cultivation methods.

But the clans of Xiao Ning'er, Lu Piao, and other children from prominent families and noble houses provided them with cultivation methods and resources according to their aptitude.

That was why City of Brilliance was shrouded by the law of the jungle: the strong grew stronger, while the weak grew weaker.

The fittest survived and the weak were eliminated. Under the deadly threat of the demonic beast tide, it was nearly impossible for commoners' children to change their fate.

Sacred Orchid Academy, however, offered commoners' children a chance—a chance to rise above their station.

Many commoner families chose to send their children to Sacred Orchid Academy to study.

Even if they couldn't change their fate, they could still learn useful skills and improve their family's circumstances.

On the way back to the dormitory, Xian Wu ran into someone he'd rather not see.

Hu Yan Lan Ruo.

"Well, well~ Little brother, where are you headed? Come keep us ladies company for a while~~~" Hu Yan Lan Ruo sauntered over, acting all flirtatious.

A group of upperclasswomen surrounded her, chattering like a flock of magpies.

"Lan Ruo, who's this little guy? A relative of yours?"

"I don't think so. They don't look alike at all. I bet he's a little lover Lan Ruo's been keeping on the sly."

"A little lover? How about lending him to us for a couple of days?"

They were all women from noble houses and prominent families, and close friends of Hu Yan Lan Ruo.

Anyone who got along so well with Hu Yan Lan Ruo was naturally no angel.

The women's remarks grew more and more suggestive, and Xian Wu's face turned redder by the second.

He wanted to get away from this trouble at once, but the women surrounded him, blocking him from every side and looking ready to take advantage of him.

"Ooh~ You're blushing~~~" Hu Yan Lan Ruo leaned close to Xian Wu, grabbed his arm, draped hers over his shoulder, and breathed warm air into his ear.

Xian Wu got hard.

His fists, that is.

He squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his fists, teetering on the verge of losing it.

He was a young man, pure as the driven snow. If they teased him like this, how was he ever supposed to find a wife?

"Get—away—from—me," Xian Wu ground out.

His Demon Left Hand wasn't just for show. If they pushed him too far, he'd make sure those tigresses regretted it.

"Ooh~ You've got the nerve to curse at me? Go on, say it again." Hu Yan Lan Ruo grinned cheekily, shameless beyond belief.

"I'll f—" Before Xian Wu could finish his curse, he caught a strange fragrance.

After charming Xian Wu, Hu Yan Lan Ruo lifted his shirt and showed him off to her friends. "Look, what do you see?"

"Six-pack abs?"

"A pale belly?"

"A belly button?"

The women had no idea what Hu Yan Lan Ruo wanted them to see, so they all offered different answers.

"Can't you see the drawing on it?" Hu Yan Lan Ruo asked, puzzled. Were they all blind?

"What drawing? His skin's completely clean."

Huh???

Hu Yan Lan Ruo turned around and saw that her surrealist masterpiece, Dog King's Revenge, had disappeared.

How could that be? Had this kid already reached the Silver Spirit Master level?

No, if he'd reached the Silver Spirit Master level, she couldn't have charmed him so easily.

Could it be that strange left hand of his?

That was probably it!

Hu Yan Lan Ruo let Xian Wu's shirt fall and waved a hand. "Forget it. If it's gone, it's gone. Maybe he washed it off himself."

Just then, a fat woman walked over. She eyed Xian Wu greedily from head to toe, then reached out with a grabby hand.

"What are you doing?" Hu Yan Lan Ruo slapped her hand away and scolded her angrily.

Xian Wu was her toy and hers alone. Letting them look was generous enough; now they wanted to lay hands on him too? They'd better not push their luck.

The fat woman rubbed the back of her hand and complained, "You say he's not your little lover, but you won't even let me touch him. You're awfully possessive."

"He's a young man, pure as the driven snow. You can't just touch him whenever you feel like it. Men and women should keep their distance. Didn't your parents teach you that?"

Someone spoke up for Hu Yan Lan Ruo before she could answer.

"Okay, okay, stop arguing." Hu Yan Lan Ruo stepped in to smooth things over. "We'd better get going. The instructors are waiting!"

"What about your little lover?" the fat woman asked, still unwilling to give up.

Hu Yan Lan Ruo's lips curled into a smile. "Let him stand here and take his punishment. The Art of Charm will wear off on its own when the time is up."

"Could something go wrong?" someone asked worriedly.

Hu Yan Lan Ruo waved it off. "What could go wrong at the academy? If anything happens, I'll take responsibility. Don't go sticking your nose where it doesn't belong."

"Find a shady tree to stand under, so you don't faint in the sun." Before leaving, Hu Yan Lan Ruo reminded him.

Xian Wu nodded woodenly and mechanically moved beneath a tall, broad-canopied maple tree.

After making sure Xian Wu was settled, Big Sister Hu Yan led her friends away in a lively, laughing group.

The sun sank in the west, the sky filled with rosy clouds, and in the blink of an eye, evening had come.

"Brrr..." Xian Wu shivered and woke from the charm. His legs gave way, and he sank to the ground.

"Hu Yan Lan Ruo, you little bitch. Just wait. I'll make you kneel before me and blow me until you surrender."

There was no need to think twice. Hu Yan Lan Ruo had cast a spell on him again.

How exactly had she cast it? Did she use Soul Force directly?

Soul Force was similar to magic power, but it had no offensive power of its own.

Before reaching the Silver Spirit Master level and fusing with a demonic spirit, Bronze Spirit Masters had only one way to attack.

They could blast their Soul Force into an enemy's Sea of Soul and make it burst.

After fusing with a demonic spirit, however, Silver Spirit Masters could expend Soul Force to use the innate spells their spirits had possessed in life.

Blizzard Spirits could summon wind and snow, Flame Demonic Spirits could create and control fire, and Berserk Demonic Spirits had berserker combat techniques...

During the days he'd spent working before enrollment, Xian Wu hadn't been idle. He'd occasionally stopped by the bookstore.

He'd picked up some basic knowledge about Spirit Masters and the history of City of Brilliance.

Recalling what had happened before he lost consciousness both times, Xian Wu realized there was one crucial detail—the fragrance.

"That slut Hu Yan Lan Ruo seems to cast her spell using that fragrance. As long as I don't smell it, she can't do anything to me."

Having figured out how to counter her, Xian Wu immediately felt much more at ease.

"It's getting late. Time to go get 'punished' in the cafeteria." Xian Wu dusted off his backside and stood up.