Hu Liena felt her face grow warm as four of her junior schoolmates stared at her, especially Xiao Wu, whose eyes seemed able to see right through people. She couldn't exactly say she was tagging along to curry favor with this man and rack up membership experience, could she?
She cleared her throat and put on the airs of a vice president, offering a reason that sounded thoroughly respectable. "The academy has issued a special mission that requires us to go out and carry it out. Don't ask questions you shouldn't."
"Oh, all right." Xiao Wu nodded, only half understanding, and didn't press her further.
Though they said nothing, the four girls saw right through it.
What kind of mission called for dressing like that? What kind of mission required bringing along an ordinary man? And a whole set of fishing and barbecue gear?
It was obvious: she'd discovered the Claw Machine's secret and was heading out to rack up [Membership Experience] under the pretext of a "date"!
Xiao Wu felt a little sour. She'd worked so hard just to reach Silver Member, while this senior had gone straight for the prize and managed to get Brother Chuan himself to go on a date with her. If she pulled it off, wouldn't her experience shoot through the roof?
Ning Rongrong clenched her fists in secret. She'd only just figured out the trick to "earning the Shopkeeper's favor," and one kiss had gotten her 10 experience points.
Hu Liena was taking him straight to Star Dou Forest. Alone together, a man and a woman—who knew what "new scenes" they might unlock? Wouldn't her experience bar be overflowing?
No way. They absolutely couldn't let her have such a huge advantage all to herself!
The four girls exchanged a knowing look, each seeing the same emotion in the others' eyes: a sense of crisis.
But faced with the vice president's authority, they couldn't very well say anything. All they could do was watch Hu Liena and Qin Chuan leave.
"We'll head back, then," Xiao Wu said glumly, turning and pulling Ning Rongrong along.
"Goodbye, Brother Chuan. Goodbye, Vice President." Zhu Zhuqing and Bai Chenxiang offered their polite farewells and followed after them.
Watching the four girls walk away, Qin Chuan was still baffled. "Why are they acting so strange today?"
Hu Liena stifled a laugh but said, "Maybe they're a little nervous because I'm here as the vice president. We should hurry, or we'll miss the best time."
After the two of them left, Qian Renxue slowly emerged from the shadows at the street corner.
She watched Qin Chuan and Hu Liena climb into a carriage bound for the outskirts, then glanced toward the direction Xiao Wu and the others had stormed off in. Confusion filled her emerald eyes.
What was going on?
Why was this ordinary man named Qin Chuan so popular with women?
First Hu Liena had been head over heels for him. Now, when the four girls from Girls' Dormitory Room 666—who had been making waves lately—saw him with Hu Liena, they'd all worn unmistakable expressions of jealousy and disappointment.
Qian Renxue suddenly remembered the task Dean Bibi Dong had given her: investigate the reason for the four girls in Room 666's unusual strength, and find out whether they were colluding with outside forces.
An absurd, yet somehow plausible thought surfaced in her mind.
No way... Could this Qin Chuan be the so-called "outside force"?
But he was clearly just an ordinary man who couldn't even hurt a fly. He had no Soul Power fluctuations at all. What kind of force could he be? Was he supposed to be a force just because of his utterly ordinary face?
Qian Renxue felt as if her logic had been tangled into a hopeless knot.
The sun was bright, and the breeze was gentle.
The carriage carrying Hu Liena and Qin Chuan had already passed through the city gates, setting off on a "fishing trip" full of unknowns and anticipation.
What they didn't know was that, not far behind them, a figure dressed in ordinary gray civilian clothes was following silently.
Hidden beneath the roadside trees, Qian Renxue watched the carriage disappear into the distance. Complex yet resolute light flickered in her emerald eyes.
Hu Liena, Qin Chuan, Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing... All of you are connected to that Claw Machine Shop.
Star Dou Forest... Fine.
I want to see what kind of medicine you're selling in that gourd.
The carriage rolled along the bumpy dirt road, its wheels grinding over stones with a clack-clack sound.
Inside the carriage, Qin Chuan and Hu Liena sat facing each other. The space was cramped, and their knees nearly touched.
Qin Chuan held the fishing rod in his arms and steadied the barbecue grill beside him with his other hand. His face was bright with excitement at the thought of an outing.
Hu Liena, on the other hand, seemed a little distracted. She could smell the faint, pleasant scent of soapberry soap coming from Qin Chuan, mingling with his warm breath. It made her heart beat a little irregularly.
"Brother Chuan, you said earlier that you can't cultivate. Is that true?" Hu Liena asked, trying to break the slightly awkward silence.
"Of course it's true." Qin Chuan sighed, his voice carrying a hint of helplessness. "I was born without a Martial Soul. They couldn't even detect one when they tested me. In this world, I'm pretty much a good-for-nothing."
Hearing the word "good-for-nothing," Hu Liena's heart jolted. She hurriedly waved her hands. "No, no! How could you be a good-for-nothing, Brother Chuan? You're such a good person, you're good at business, and you can fish. You're much better than those Soul Masters who only know how to fight!"
She meant every word. To her, Qin Chuan was a walking "gift pack," the embodiment of a divine opportunity. How could anyone call him a good-for-nothing?
Qin Chuan was a little embarrassed by her sudden praise. He scratched his head. "Haha, you're probably the only one who thinks so. By the way, you said you're the vice president of Spirit Academy? You must be really impressive, then?"
"I'm all right." Hu Liena smiled modestly, making sure to add, "I'm a level 79 Soul Saint. At the academy, apart from the president and a few teachers, I don't think anyone can beat me."
"Level 79!" Qin Chuan drew in a sharp breath.
He didn't know much about cultivation, but he'd heard the basics. Level 70 and above meant being a Soul Saint, one of the top figures on the mainland. He hadn't expected the beautiful woman before him, who looked so delicate, to be such a terrifying powerhouse.
"Does that mean you'll become a Titled Douluo someday, or even a god?" Stars appeared in Qin Chuan's eyes, filled with admiration for the strong.
"Become a god..." Hu Liena's eyes dimmed for a moment.
That goal felt impossibly far away. If she hadn't met Qin Chuan and found his Claw Machine Shop, even breaking through to the next level would have remained a distant dream—let alone the ethereal prospect of becoming a god at level 100.
But now, as she looked at Qin Chuan, hope flared anew in her heart.
As long as she kept him happy and earned his "favor," then forget becoming a god—even becoming a God King might not be out of reach!
At the thought, Hu Liena unconsciously edged closer to Qin Chuan, her voice turning soft and alluring. "Becoming a god is so difficult. But if you could stay by my side and support me, Brother Chuan, then maybe... I really would have a chance."
Her warm breath brushed against Qin Chuan's neck, tickling him. A scent combining rose wine and a woman's fragrance slipped into his nose, making his thoughts waver.
"I... I'm just an ordinary man. How could I support you?" Qin Chuan asked, stumbling over his words.
"Just supporting me emotionally is enough." Hu Liena's peach-blossom eyes blinked, her gaze rippling like a hook. "As long as you're happy, I can feel my strength growing."
Qin Chuan could barely make sense of what she was saying. He just thought the powerhouses in this world all spoke in such mysterious ways.
Outside the carriage, Qian Renxue moved soundlessly through the forest like a gray shadow.
She kept a moderate distance, using the carriage's bouncing and the tracks left by its wheels as signs to follow.
She couldn't hear their conversation inside, but she could imagine it.
Alone together, a man and a woman in a cramped carriage. That vixen Hu Liena was surely using her usual tricks to seduce the ordinary man again.
An ill-defined irritation and disdain welled up in Qian Renxue's heart.
She looked down on the way Hu Liena lowered herself for a man, fawning on him like a dog wagging its tail.
To Qian Renxue, strength was everything. Men would only slow her pursuit of power.
And yet Hu Liena's strange behavior was tied tightly to those two words: strength.
That Claw Machine Shop and that ordinary man, Qin Chuan—they must be hiding a secret that could make people's strength soar.
The secret might even be more astonishing than the Angel Inheritance she herself possessed.
Otherwise, there was no explaining how Xiao Wu had jumped from level 62 to level 70 in such a short time, or how Hu Liena's Soul Power had noticeably improved in a single day.
Qian Renxue quickened her pace.
She had to figure it all out.
If the secret really existed, she would find a way to claim it for herself.
She wouldn't let anything that could make her stronger slip through her fingers.
After about an hour, the carriage finally stopped at the entrance to Star Dou Forest.
Hu Liena paid the fare, then got down with Qin Chuan.
A wild, ancient atmosphere swept over them.
Towering trees blotted out the sky, and enormous vines coiled around their trunks like pythons. Thick layers of fallen leaves covered the ground, soft beneath their feet.
The air was heavy with damp earth and rotting vegetation. Now and then, the distant roar of an unknown Soul Beast echoed from deep within the forest.
Looking at the spectacular scene before him, Qin Chuan couldn't help exclaiming, "Wow, so this is Star Dou Forest? It's even more... primeval than I imagined."
"This is only the outer edge." Hu Liena hoisted the tent onto her shoulder and led the way. "Brother Chuan, stay close to me from here on out. Make sure you don't get separated. We still have to walk about a kilometer to reach Star Dou Lake."
"All right." Qin Chuan hoisted the barbecue grill and fishing gear, hurrying to keep up with Hu Liena.
One ahead of the other, they entered the fantastical forest.