Ignoring Zhang Ming's gloating, Xian Wu walked straight to the windowsill and sat down on the little stool someone had used before him.
It was still warm.
For some reason, his stomach felt chilly.
He was wearing a cloak. It shouldn't be this cold.
Facing the sunlight, he lifted his cloak and suddenly noticed a huge tear on its left side.
He didn't need to think twice to know the Left Hand was responsible.
He couldn't remember when it had been damaged. Could it have happened during the time he'd lost his memories?
He still had no idea what Hu Yan Lan Ruo had done to him.
Damn it, that tigress could actually erase people's memories. He'd have to be twice as careful around her from now on.
Coming back to himself, Xian Wu held up his cloak and looked down at his stomach.
He hadn't known until he looked—and then he nearly jumped out of his skin. Who the hell had drawn that donkey?!
Huh??? There was even a signature? "Dog something..." What kind of grudge—
It had to be that little tramp, Hu Yan Lan Ruo!
Damn it, just you wait. A gentleman always avenges himself!
That was so humiliating. She'd seen him naked, the shameless hussy! Just you wait—he'd get a good look at her in return!
"Xian Wu, what are you doing?" Zhang Ming sauntered over with a sleazy grin.
Xian Wu hurriedly covered himself with his cloak and snorted. "What's it to you? If you've got the guts, you can sun yourself too!"
With that, Xian Wu got up and went back to his bed to lie down.
Zhang Ming and Zhu Jun Xiang exchanged rueful smiles. Xian Wu had probably been raised on gunpowder; he couldn't talk without being prickly.
But since he'd stood up for them, they weren't going to hold it against him.
On his bed, Xian Wu faced the wall with his back to his roommates.
As the Demon Left Hand moved over his skin, the doodles were gradually erased.
He didn't know what kind of paint Hu Yan Lan Ruo had used, but as it was being removed, his stomach felt strangely hot.
He'd never felt anything like that before.
The Demon Left Hand's method of removal was simple and crude: it broke matter down directly into atoms. It shouldn't have felt hot.
Could Hu Yan Lan Ruo's paint be rich in metal ions? Oxidation of elemental metal released heat?
The paint was silvery white. It probably contained sodium or magnesium.
For some reason, amid the burning sensation, Xian Wu kept rubbing his stomach until he fell asleep.
Hearing his faint snores, Zhang Ming and Zhu Jun Xiang consciously moved more quietly so they wouldn't disturb him.
"Knock, knock, knock..."
A flurry of urgent knocking woke Xian Wu from his sleep.
Before he could get up—he was the closest to the door—Zhu Jun Xiang was already there, pulling back the door bolt.
"Who are you?" Zhu Jun Xiang stood in the doorway, warily watching the two people outside without letting them in.
Xian Wu had offended too many people. Who knew if they'd come looking for revenge?
Besides, he'd already acknowledged Xian Wu as his big brother. He couldn't just stand by and watch him get hurt.
"I'm Lu Piao, and he's Nie Li. We're friends of Xian Wu," Lu Piao explained with a smile.
Still blocking the doorway, Zhu Jun Xiang turned around to ask, "Xian Wu, are they your friends?"
Xian Wu had friends? Unbelievable!
"Yeah, let them in." Xian Wu sat up in bed and nodded.
After waking, he rubbed his stomach with his left hand. The marks Hu Yan Lan Ruo had left should have been completely erased.
The burning sensation had disappeared too.
For some reason, Xian Wu felt especially clearheaded after waking up, and his vision seemed much sharper.
At Xian Wu's words, Zhu Jun Xiang let the two of them in. "Hello, I'm Zhu Jun Xiang, Xian Wu's roommate."
"Hi, nice to meet you." Lu Piao shook his hand.
Frowning, Xian Wu asked, "What do you want?"
"Good news!" Lu Piao said with a cheeky grin.
Nie Li emerged from behind Lu Piao, holding a cloth bundle in both hands.
"What's that?" Xian Wu asked suspiciously. Could it be pants? He needed pants most of all right now.
Xian Wu had guessed right. The owner of Pockmarked Wang's shop had given him two pairs of pants to repay him for saving his daughter.
Holding the two pairs of heavy hemp pants, Xian Wu pursed his lips.
Two cheap pairs of pants, and that settled it? The shopkeeper's daughter's life sure was worth a lot.
Oh, well. It was better than nothing.
Besides, Xian Wu hadn't saved her for a reward.
Lu Piao sat on the little round stool and asked, "I heard you beat up some upperclassmen. Is that true?"
He and Nie Li had originally planned to eat in the cafeteria, but they hadn't expected it to be a complete mess, with several groups fighting inside.
When they asked around, they found out it had all been started by a new student wearing a black cloak.
No need to guess. It had to be Xian Wu; there weren't many people who fit both conditions.
Things had escalated, and even the Vice Dean had been drawn in. Everyone involved in the brawl had been arrested and put in confinement.
Vice Dean Ye Sheng had even promised everyone that he'd make sure the culprit in the black cloak was brought to justice.
"Who told you that? Don't accuse me. I didn't hit anyone," Xian Wu denied flatly.
He wasn't stupid. Going around bragging that he'd beaten people up would be asking for trouble.
Luckily, Lu Piao and the others had brought him pants. He'd better not wear his cloak for a while.
Besides, the Left Hand had damaged it. A huge hole in the front let in the wind, so it no longer kept him warm.
"Cut it out!" Lu Piao scoffed. "You're the only new student wearing a black cloak. Who else could it be? Besides, Nie Li and I saw you run out of the cafeteria with our own eyes. You can't deny it."
"Let's not talk about that." Xian Wu changed the subject, picked up the pants with his right hand, and struggled to put them on.
"Hey, you guys, quit watching the monkey show and give me a hand." The pants were so thick that putting them on one-handed was a struggle.
Lu Piao blinked. "Brother Wu, I have a question. Why aren't you wearing underwear?"
"I'd have to have some first. How about giving me yours?" Xian Wu said irritably. The kid had no idea how easy he had it.
"I've got some!" Zhang Ming tossed him a brand-new pair of yellow underwear. "I may not have much, but I've got plenty of underwear."
Xian Wu didn't stand on ceremony. He kicked off the thick hemp pants and struggled into the underwear one-handed.
Zhu Jun Xiang helped pick up the pants that had fallen beneath the bed and asked curiously, "Xian Wu, what's wrong with your left hand? Why don't you use it?"
"Congenital disability. Polio. Don't let it fool you—it looks like a normal hand, but it has no strength at all. I can't hold on to anything."
Xian Wu wasn't lying. Anything he grabbed with his left hand was crushed in an instant.
Hearing this, everyone looked at Xian Wu sympathetically. Who knew how an orphan with a disability had managed to scrape together more than three thousand in tuition?
Before Xian Wu could say a word, the three of them rushed over to help him put on his pants.
After he'd put them on, Xian Wu took off his cloak.
He didn't toss it aside. Instead, he spread it over the bed boards as a cushion.
To keep the Left Hand from causing trouble, he'd specifically asked the tailor to make the cloak as thick as a mille-feuille when he bought it.
Spread over the bed, it was wonderfully soft.
"Classes start tomorrow. Let's take a look around the academy and get familiar with the classrooms. Staying in the dorm is pretty boring," Lu Piao suggested with a yawn.
"Zhang Ming and I took a quick look around the academy this morning. I can show you around," Zhu Jun Xiang volunteered.
Lying on his bed, Zhang Ming waved them off. "I'm staying here. I'm tired and want to sleep."
Before you continue