Keep Your Distance from Her

The person across from him, Hu Liena, was clearly the victim, yet there wasn't the slightest trace of resentment in her gaze as she looked at Mu Qian.

If anything... there was a hint of something strange in it...

Of course, Mu Qian didn't notice. Otherwise, he would have teased her again.

Back in his previous life, when he watched the anime, he'd felt that this girl had a bit of an M streak and seemed to enjoy being mistreated.

She was a sucker for good looks, but she also admired the strong.

Especially... strong men like Mu Qian, with his angelically handsome face.

Of course, there was nothing wrong with that. In this world, where the strong preyed on the weak, only strength could give you everything.

"Honored guest, the actual owner of this establishment is a senior member of the Worship Hall. Please show some restraint and refrain from hurting anyone in the shop."

Huang Shulang had finally recovered, and hurriedly tried to play peacemaker. He even invoked the power backing the establishment.

There was a faint hint of threat in his words, but Mu Qian didn't take it to heart. Besides, he'd intended to let them go anyway.

"If they don't provoke me again, I naturally won't make trouble for them." Mu Qian waved a hand, releasing his control over the three's souls.

"You!" Now that he had regained control of his body, Yan instinctively started forward. He'd made such a fool of himself; he had to win back some face.

"That's enough!" Xie Yue quickly stepped into his path.

"Have you not embarrassed yourself enough already?"

As the leader of the Golden Generation's trio, Xie Yue usually treated Yan like a brother, but when it mattered, he could still act like the eldest.

"Thank you for showing mercy, young brother." Xie Yue bowed to Mu Qian.

He knew how to recognize reason. And the helpless feeling he'd experienced while under control, as if his soul could shatter at any moment, had left him deeply afraid.

Mu Qian waved a hand. "It's nothing. If no one bothers me, I won't bother them. And I especially won't let anyone bully the people by my side."

"There's no deep-seated grudge between us, so I wouldn't go too far."

Hu Liena's eyes sparkled, and a subtle ripple stirred in her heart.

He's so handsome. He doesn't even look as old as me, yet he's already this powerful... Being the woman by his side must be wonderful, right?

At that thought, Hu Liena glanced at Zhu Zhuqing beside Mu Qian and couldn't help comparing herself to her.

Xie Yue turned to the attendant who had served them. "Here are thirty thousand Gold Soul Coins. We'll take it."

After speaking, he took the item the attendant handed him and nodded to Mu Qian. "We'll take our leave."

Mu Qian nodded in reply, then glanced at the item in his hand.

It was a black object that reeked of a fishy stench, as if it had been coated in some kind of gelatinous substance.

But its surface wasn't what mattered. What had truly caught Mu Qian's attention was what lay hidden inside.

That's actually a tail External Soul Bone from a top-grade fox Spirit Beast!

So this was how Hu Liena got her External Soul Bone. Thirty thousand Gold Soul Coins—what a steal.

Mu Qian thought to himself, feeling a little regretful.

Someone else had already bought it, so even if he'd wanted to make a move, he no longer had the chance. Judging by how readily they'd bought it, they must have already discovered what was hidden inside.

He'd missed out on a modest stroke of good fortune.

Watching his sister moon over Mu Qian, Xie Yue rubbed his hands helplessly, grabbed her by the arm, and dragged her away.

If they didn't leave now, he was afraid his sister would end up getting swept away too.

"No, I still can't swallow this. We can't just let them get away with humiliating us."

After leaving the shop, Yan spoke indignantly, his eyes flashing with unconcealed fury.

"How do you plan to get even?" Xie Yue asked helplessly.

"The three of us are among Spirit Hall's most outstanding young talents. We're called the Golden Generation. So what if a younger guy beat us in an instant? Are we supposed to find someone else to beat him up?"

"We've already embarrassed ourselves enough!"

"Besides, judging by his age, he's probably here to take the academy entrance exam. He might be our junior before long."

"Those strange abilities he's already shown are enough to attract the attention of the higher-ups, even His Holiness the Pope. He might even become this generation's Saint Son."

"Settle down and focus on your cultivation."

Xie Yue tried to reason with him, though he had no idea whether his friend would listen.

Hu Liena, at least, had taken his words to heart...

A junior here to take the entrance exam?

Could I ask my teacher to let me proctor the new students' entrance assessment?

On the shop's third floor, Mu Qian watched the three leave, lost in thought.

If the owner behind this shop was someone from the Worship Hall, there was no way they hadn't sensed the External Soul Bone inside that item.

If his guess was right, they must have left it there on purpose—and not out of some sudden burst of kindness while waiting for a worthy buyer.

But hadn't the Worship Hall always been at odds with the Pope Palace?

Why would they deliberately help the Pope's disciple, Hu Liena, who might even become the next Pope?

Mu Qian couldn't figure out the reason.

"They're gone..." Zhu Zhuqing said, looking at him with a faintly jealous note in her voice.

A chill ran down Mu Qian's back. He'd never felt this kind of danger, not even when facing the combined pressure of an eighty-thousand-year Earth King and a Soul Saint elder.

He had no choice but to hurry and explain. "Zhuqing, I was only trying to figure out who they were. They're probably students at Spirit Hall Academy—in other words, our seniors."

For some reason, Zhu Zhuqing grew a little nervous at that, as if something precious was about to be stolen from her.

The young girl tightened her grip on Mu Qian's arm. "Promise me you'll stay away from that vixen from now on..."

"Why?" Mu Qian asked, momentarily stunned. He hadn't understood right away.

"No reason. Just stay away from her..." It must have been hard for someone as cool and reserved as Zhu Zhuqing to say something like that.

Zhu Zhuqing couldn't help rolling her eyes. Mu Qian really was as dense as a block of wood.

And that was the truth.

Though Mu Qian had read the original story and understood everyone's personalities, he'd never experienced anything like this himself. When it came to romance, he was completely clueless.

As for what had happened earlier in the Far North...

Forget it. Snow Maiden was even more oblivious than he was.

"All right, Zhuqing. I promise. Let's see if there's anything here that could help us." Mu Qian played along.

After seeing the External Soul Bone Hu Liena and the others had obtained, he was even more interested in what this place had to offer.

Besides, from what Huang Shulang had just said, the shop was owned by a senior member of the Worship Hall. No wonder everything about it seemed so mysterious.

"Honored guests, the rules on the third floor are different from those below. This humble one isn't authorized to introduce the items to you. You'll have to judge their value for yourselves." Huang Shulang's tone grew even more respectful.

He hadn't missed what had just happened. He knew those three—they were peerless prodigies hailed as Spirit Hall's Golden Generation!