I'm Afraid Senior Brother Jiang Will Misunderstand

As soon as Jiang Tian said this, the baby-fat face of Tan Hongyu turned deathly pale.

This was something only she and Zhou Mu knew; how could Jiang Tian possibly know?

But there was no time for her to dwell on it. Jiang Tian's potential was far greater than Zhou Mu's, and she absolutely could not let him have any misunderstandings.

"Senior Brother Jiang Tian, you've misunderstood." She hurriedly explained, her voice growing quieter as her head gradually lowered. "There is nothing between Junior Brother Zhou Mu and me; we are merely fellow disciples..."

After Jiang Tian finished that sentence, he ignored her completely, setting his stance on his own and continuing to practice his punches.

Tan Hongyu stood where she was, biting her lip, her gaze gradually turning resolute.

Senior Brother Jiang Tian must dislike women who are fickle. From today on, I will ignore Zhou Mu and focus entirely on him.

I will no longer pay any attention to Zhou Mu from now on.

With this thought in mind, she stopped pestering him, murmured a delicate "farewell," and turned back to practice her own punches.

Night fell.

After the medicinal bath, the disciples bid farewell to Yuan Long in twos and threes and left the Martial Arts Hall.

At this moment, only a few scattered individuals remained in the courtyard, practicing punches under the dim light.

At the entrance of the Martial Arts Hall, Li Batian kicked a pebble on the road, looking impatiently into the gate. "Why hasn't this Jiang Tian come out yet? He's already reached Body Tempering in three days, why is he still working so hard? Isn't that enough?"

"Boss, think about it." Follower One leaned in, grinning. "Isn't it precisely because he works this hard that he managed to reach Body Tempering in three days?"

"Hmm..." Li Batian pondered for a moment and nodded. "That makes sense. But we're about to miss our window, go and urge him."

"Alright."

Follower One trotted into the Martial Arts Hall.

Just as Follower One left, a figure cautiously approached from the shadows.

It was Zhou Mu.

"Brother Batian." Zhou Mu approached with a beaming smile. "Didn't you say you were going to take me out for some fun today? Look..."

"Enough, enough." Li Batian squinted at him with a frown and waved his hand impatiently. "Another day. I don't have time today."

The smile on Zhou Mu's face froze instantly, and a flash of malice crossed his eyes. But he dared not show any dissatisfaction, muttered a "farewell," and retreated to the side.

Just then, Tan Hongyu walked out of the Martial Arts Hall.

She had originally intended to explain her relationship with Zhou Mu to Jiang Tian properly, but seeing that Jiang Tian showed no signs of finishing anytime soon, she abandoned the idea and decided to look for an opportunity tomorrow.

If I can marry Senior Brother Jiang Tian in the future, I won't have to worry about the rest of my life.

Just as she was thinking this, a figure suddenly blocked her path.

It was Zhou Mu.

He wore a faint smile, his tone frivolous. "Junior Sister Tan, didn't we agree to go watch the lanterns by the river today? Why are you coming out so late?"

With that, he reached out to touch Tan Hongyu's shoulder.

"Slap!"

Tan Hongyu's palm struck the back of Zhou Mu's reaching hand without mercy. Her willow-leaf eyebrows arched, and her tone was cold and distant. "Junior Brother Zhou, why haven't I noticed before that you are so lacking in decorum? I arrived two months before you, why do you keep calling me 'Junior Sister Tan'?"

She paused, her voice rising a notch. "Don't be so frivolous, touching people the moment you approach—I'm afraid Senior Brother Jiang might misunderstand."

Having said that, she walked away without looking back.

Zhou Mu stood frozen in place. It wasn't until Tan Hongyu's figure disappeared into the night that he snapped out of it, his face turning shades of green and purple, his features twisted together.

It's Jiang Tian again.

It's Jiang Tian again!

Li Batian told him to leave because of Jiang Tian, and now Tan Hongyu turned on him because of Jiang Tian!

Before long, Follower One ran out of the Martial Arts Hall with a bitter face, trotting up to Li Batian, panting. "Young Master Li, that Jiang Tian won't pay me any mind at all... No matter what I say, he doesn't even acknowledge me. I told him it was you who sent me; isn't he just showing a lack of respect for you? Was the lunch we bought him a waste?"

"Hiss—" Li Batian drew a sharp breath, his eyebrows knitting into a knot, his expression shifting uncertainly.

At this moment, Follower Two leaned in, his eyes darting around. "Young Master Li, do you think this Jiang Tian is a genius?"

"You damn fool, stop talking nonsense!" Li Batian kicked Follower Two to the side of the road, annoyed. "Body Tempering in three days—you can't find a second person in all of Blackwater County faster than him! If he isn't a genius, are you?"

Follower Two scrambled up from the ground, rubbing the spot where he was kicked while wearing a fawning smile. "Think about it, a genius's way of thinking must be different from ordinary people, and their personality is bound to be arrogant. If you invite him so abruptly, he's sure to refuse. Why not wait a few days? You can send him meals every noon, and if that doesn't work, add a Blood Vitality Pill to the food. After a few days, he will naturally agree."

Li Batian's eyes rolled as he thought about it; it seemed like a reasonable plan.

Those geniuses, aren't they all incredibly arrogant with their own tempers? He had tried to build a relationship with just one meal after the guy reached Body Tempering in three days? That was unlikely.

"Good idea!" Li Batian patted Follower Two heavily on the shoulder, smiling. "Go to the accounting office in a bit and collect a Blood Vitality Pill."

"You got it!"

In a dim alleyway in Blackwater County.

Xiao Shan followed silently behind Jiang Tian, his gaze locked firmly on the figure ahead, his eyes filled with irrepressible excitement.

He had specifically scouted the location during the day and caught a glimpse of Jiang Tian's sister-in-law from afar—hmm, she was indeed as succulent as Zhang Qingfeng had described.

The moment he thought about how he could go... once this job was done...

A surge of lust rose in his lower abdomen, and his pace quickened.

However, as he followed, he suddenly felt that something was wrong.

This isn't the way to his house!

He had obtained the address of Jiang Tian's home from Zhang Qingfeng, but the direction Jiang Tian was heading now was not his home at all.

Could this brat have discovered me?

Just as he was thinking this, Jiang Tian up ahead suddenly sped up, turning into an even narrower alleyway in a few strides. Xiao Shan hurried to catch up, but when he rounded the corner—

The alley was completely empty; there wasn't even a ghost in sight.

"Where is he?"

Xiao Shan stood at the entrance of the alley, looking left and right, his brows furrowed tightly.

In the span of just a few seconds, a living person had just vanished like that?

"Forget it, I'll just go straight to his house," he muttered, turning to leave.

At the mere thought of the figure of Jiang Tian's sister-in-law, he couldn't help but chuckle lecherously.

Blinded by his lower instincts, Xiao Shan didn't realize one problem at all—Jiang Tian had only joined the Martial Arts Hall a few days ago, so how could he shake off a veteran in the Body Tempering Realm?

"Go to my house? Who told you my address?"

An ice-cold voice suddenly came from behind him.

Xiao Shan's pupils constricted sharply, and he whirled around.

In the dim alleyway, a slender figure stepped out from the shadows.

Jiang Tian.

He leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, looking at Xiao Shan expressionlessly, his eyes as cold as midwinter ice.

Xiao Shan was stunned for a moment, then the corners of his mouth slowly curled up, revealing a cruel smile on his face.

"Brat, since you've stopped running and delivered yourself to my doorstep—"

He cracked his neck, his joints popping with a crisp sound, and stepped toward Jiang Tian one pace at a time.

"Then I'll finish you off first, and then go have your sister-in-law!"