Mysterious Water Pill

Xu Sanshi opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but it ultimately dissolved into a bitter smile.

"I'm done. I concede."

As those four words left his lips, Xu Sanshi felt his pride shatter along with them.

He was a core student in the fifth year of the outer courtyard, the successor to the Mystic Turtle Shell Shield, and a genius hailed as the strongest defense in the outer courtyard.

Yet today, he had been knocked off the Arena by a first-year freshman in just two moves. If this news got out, he would never be able to hold his head high in the outer courtyard again.

But a loss was a loss. Although Xu Sanshi was thick-skinned, he wasn't the type to be a sore loser.

Mu Chen nodded and turned to walk toward the center of the Arena. He retracted his martial soul, and the four soul rings at his feet vanished along with the Trident, the suffocating pressure dissipating instantly.

The silence in the stands was broken by a burst of cheers.

Tang Ya was the first to jump up, her face flushed with excitement: "We won! Mu Chen won!"

Bei Bei shook his head with a smile, leaped down from the stands, and crouched beside Xu Sanshi: "Hey, Xu Sanshi, are you still alive?"

Xu Sanshi glared at him irritably: "Bei Bei, you bastard, you set me up! You knew he was this much of a freak, didn't you?"

Bei Bei shrugged, looking innocent: "I didn't force you to fight; you agreed to it yourself. Besides, three Mysterious Water Pill, you said it yourself—no backing out now."

Xu Sanshi's mouth twitched. Three Mysterious Water Pill—those were precious items he had saved up for a long time. He had hoped to trick Bei Bei today, only to end up being the one tricked. The thought of handing over three Mysterious Water Pill made his heart ache as if it were being sliced by a knife.

But in the end, he gritted his teeth, took three exquisite jade boxes from his storage Soul Tool, and shoved them into Bei Bei's hands: "Take them, take them! And don't let me see you again!"

Bei Bei grinned as he took the jade boxes and patted Xu Sanshi on the shoulder: "If you want to give away more pills next time, just come find me."

"Get lost!"

Xu Sanshi climbed up from the ground, picked up his shield, and limped toward the exit. Halfway there, he suddenly stopped and looked back at Mu Chen.

"Kid, you're strong." He paused, baring his teeth, "But next time, I won't lose again."

Mu Chen looked at him, a faint smile curling his lips: "I'll be waiting."

Xu Sanshi snorted and walked away without looking back.

Jiang Nannan stood in the stands, watching Xu Sanshi's retreating figure, then glanced at Mu Chen on the Arena before turning to leave quietly. Her long golden hair traced a graceful arc in the air, quickly disappearing into the crowd.

Bei Bei walked up to Mu Chen with the three jade boxes, his smile impossible to hide: "Junior Brother Mu Chen, you really helped your senior brother vent some frustration today."

He handed two of the jade boxes to Mu Chen: "Here, as agreed, the spoils are yours. Take two of these three Mysterious Water Pill, and give one to Huo Yuhao."

Mu Chen took the two jade boxes; they felt warm to the touch, and even through the boxes, he could sense the pure medicinal power contained within.

The Mysterious Water Pill was a high-quality water-attribute pill that provided a decent boost for soul masters with water-attribute martial souls; for Mu Chen, it was a welcome prize.

"Many thanks, Senior Brother."

Bei Bei waved his hand: "Don't thank me. If you want to thank someone, thank Xu Sanshi—he's the one who paid for these pills."

He walked over to Huo Yuhao and handed him the final jade box: "Yuhao, take this Mysterious Water Pill. Your cultivation is still low, and this pill will be a great help to you."

Huo Yuhao took the jade box, his fingers trembling slightly. He knew the value of a Mysterious Water Pill; with his current financial situation, he could never afford a pill of this caliber. He looked up at Mu Chen, then at Bei Bei, his eyes turning red.

"Thank you, Brother Bei, thank you, Brother Mu..."

He opened his mouth to say more, but found himself choking up.

Ever since the day he left the Duke's Mansion, no one had ever spoken a warm word to him.

Bei Bei and Tang Ya were the first to offer him a helping hand, and Mu Chen, though they hadn't known each other long, had stood up for him today.

Huo Yuhao silently etched this kindness into his heart.

"Alright, alright, don't get all sentimental." Tang Ya ran down from the stands and threw her arms around Huo Yuhao's shoulders: "We of the Tang Sect are supposed to help each other! Come on, come on, I'm happy today—my treat for late-night snacks!"

"Teacher Xiao Ya, where will you get the money?" Huo Yuhao asked subconsciously.

Tang Ya's smile froze, and she immediately knocked Huo Yuhao on the head in embarrassment: "None of your business! Bei Bei can pay, can't he?"

Bei Bei sighed helplessly, patted his coin purse, and looked as if he were in physical pain.

Mu Chen watched this scene, his lips curling upward involuntarily.

These people, despite their individual quirks, truly felt comfortable to be around when they were together. This was a feeling he had never experienced back in that small place, the Coastal City.

"Brother Mu Chen, what are you smiling at?" Huo Yuhao noticed Mu Chen's expression and asked curiously.

"Nothing." Mu Chen suppressed his smile and tucked the two Mysterious Water Pill away: "Let's go. Didn't you want a late-night snack?"

The four of them left the Arena, chatting and laughing.

From this night on, the name Mu Chen would be remembered by every student in the outer courtyard.

The night grew deeper.

After a brief gathering with Tang Ya and the others, Mu Chen excused himself, claiming he had things to attend to. Tang Ya wanted him to stay longer, but seeing that he was indeed busy, she didn't press him.

When he returned to the dormitory building, the hallway was already empty. Most of the freshmen, exhausted after a day of Zhou Yi's hellish training, had long since collapsed onto their beds, unable to move.

Mu Chen pushed open the door to his room, and a faint, refreshing fragrance wafted toward him.

Wang Dong was sitting cross-legged on his bed, still in his school uniform, eyes closed as if in deep meditation.

Hearing the door open, he snapped his eyes open. Seeing it was Mu Chen, a flicker of uncharacteristic panic crossed his face, before he quickly reverted to his usual haughty expression.

"Back so late, where have you been fooling around?" Wang Dong spoke with a sharp tongue, but her gaze kept sweeping over Mu Chen, as if checking to see if he was injured.

Mu Chen closed the door and sat down on his bed. He glanced at Wang Dong; it was quite amusing how this fellow insisted on putting on a sour face despite clearly being worried about him.

"Went to the Arena for a fight."

Wang Dong froze for a moment, then widened his eyes. "A fight? With whom? Why didn't you call me?"

He fired off several questions in rapid succession, his tone laced with a hint of nervousness he hadn't even noticed himself.

"With a senior from the fifth grade." Mu Chen took a jade box from his storage Soul Tool and tossed it to Wang Dong. "Catch."

Wang Dong instinctively reached out and caught it, looking down to see an exquisite jade box. He opened it, and a rich medicinal fragrance instantly filled the air.