"Gurgle..." An untimely rumble broke the intimate, enchanting atmosphere.
Qin Chuan glanced down at his stomach, his old face turning red.
After working all morning, he was genuinely hungry.
Hu Liena laughed at the sound. She took Qin Chuan's hand and said, "How about we make lunch?"
"Sure. I'll make grilled fish." At the mere mention of food, Qin Chuan perked up.
Qin Chuan took a large fish from the net bag, then pulled out a sharp dagger and began preparing it.
He scaled it, gutted it, and removed the innards... His movements were neat and efficient. It was obvious he did this kind of thing often.
Hu Liena started a fire nearby. She didn't use flint. Instead, she simply extended her delicate hand, and a small cluster of pink flames gathered at her fingertips. This was the Fox Fire that came with her Martial Soul, the Demon Fox. Its temperature was extremely high, and she could control its size at will.
Soon, a campfire crackled to life.
Qin Chuan skewered the prepared fish on a wooden stick and set it over the flames. Then he brought out the huge assortment of seasonings he'd packed in bottles and jars.
First, he brushed an even layer of oil over the fish to keep its skin from burning.
Once the flesh had turned a faint golden brown, he sprinkled on fine salt, followed by cumin, chili powder, five-spice powder...
Under the heat, the spices mingled with the fish's oils, releasing an indescribably bold aroma.
Carried by the wind, the scent drifted deep into the forest.
Hidden in a tree, Qian Renxue caught a whiff, and her stomach betrayed her with a growl.
She'd only eaten half a dry, hard bun that morning and was already ravenous. Now the rich aroma of grilled fish made her mouth water uncontrollably.
She watched the pair by the lake, chatting and laughing around the campfire. The man expertly turned the fish, sprinkling on seasonings from time to time. The woman gazed at him with admiration, like a little wife waiting to be fed.
Qian Renxue's feelings were a jumble.
She scorned Hu Liena for "falling into depravity," yet couldn't help envying her for getting to eat such delicious grilled fish.
A while later.
"All right, it's ready!" Qin Chuan took the golden, crispy fish off the fire, cut off a large piece with his dagger, and handed it to Hu Liena. "Here, you try some first."
The fish was fragrant and crisp on the outside, yet tender and white within, with steam rising from it.
"Wow, that smells amazing!" Hu Liena took the fish. She couldn't even wait for it to cool; after blowing on it twice, she took a huge bite.
"Mmm... delicious!" Her eyes lit up at once.
The fish melted in her mouth, its flavor incredibly rich. The spices blended into it perfectly. They didn't cover up the fish's natural sweetness at all; instead, they gave it a far more complex flavor.
Most importantly, as the fish went down, a pure, gentle energy spread through her body, quickly replenishing the Soul Power and stamina she'd expended earlier.
"Brother Chuan, I had no idea you were such a good cook!" Hu Liena praised him between bites, her words muffled.
Qin Chuan tore off a piece of fish too and stuffed it into his mouth, nodding with satisfaction. "Of course. This is a basic wilderness survival skill!"
As he spoke, he dug in with gusto.
Qin Chuan felt warm all over. His fatigue vanished, and he seemed to have endless strength.
"Mmm, this fish really is nourishing." He smacked his lips, assuming it was just the effect of the fish itself and giving it no further thought.
They ate their grilled fish and chatted.
"I feel so happy today," Hu Liena said, gnawing on a fish bone, her face radiant with joy. "I've been alive for nineteen years, and this is the happiest day of my life. Before, all I knew was cultivating, soaking in medicinal baths, then cultivating again. I'd almost forgotten what it was like to live."
"Yeah." Qin Chuan nodded in heartfelt agreement. "You have to watch where you're stepping, but you also have to look up and see where you're going. When you've been cultivating for too long, you need to get out, take a look around, and relax. You might suddenly reach enlightenment."
He'd just casually repeated some "chicken soup for the soul" he'd seen on Blue Star.
But when Hu Liena heard it, it struck her like a bolt of lightning. She froze.
[You have to watch where you're stepping, but you also have to look up and see where you're going...]
Her mentor, Bo Saixi, and Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang, the Academy's theoretical expert, had both taught them to cultivate diligently and remain single-minded. But no one had ever told her that cultivation, too, required a balance between tension and ease.
Sometimes, a bottleneck that had troubled you for a long time wasn't because you hadn't worked hard enough. Maybe you'd just been going down a dead end. A change of scenery and a change of mood might suddenly clear things up.
"Wow, Brother Chuan, that makes so much sense!" Hu Liena looked at Qin Chuan, her eyes sparkling with admiration. "I think that's more useful than all the big ideas Teacher Yu Xiaogang talks about! That's right, exactly! You can't keep your head down and cultivate all the time!"
Qin Chuan felt a little embarrassed by her admiring gaze and modestly replied, "Well, yes, yes. It's just a shame I don't have a Martial Soul or any Soul Power. Otherwise... otherwise, I'd want to become a Titled Douluo, or even reach level 100 and become a god."
He spoke half-jokingly about his "dream."
Hidden nearby, Qian Renxue heard him and curled her lip.
[A mortal wants to become a god? What a ridiculous dream.]
Yet for some reason, she also thought that, despite his mediocre strength, this man knew quite a few truths, and his ambitions were lofty enough.
Before she knew it, her rating of Qin Chuan had risen from zero to five.
The fish, over a meter long, was soon devoured by the two of them, leaving only a skeleton.
Full and satisfied, Qin Chuan yawned as sleepiness washed over him.
"I'm a little sleepy. I want to take a nap," he told Hu Liena. "I usually nap at this time."
"Sure, sure." Hu Liena nodded eagerly. "Go sleep in the tent. I'll keep watch for you!"
Qin Chuan didn't bother being polite. He turned and ducked into the tent.
A soft sleeping pad covered the tent floor. Qin Chuan lay down and soon fell into a deep sleep.
Outside, Hu Liena sat by the fire, watching the flames dance, but her thoughts wouldn't settle.
She touched the flower crown on her head and remembered the excited prompt that had appeared in her mind earlier.
[Silver Member!]
[Experience: 30/100!]
[High-Tier Zone unlocked!]
It all felt like a dream.
And the man sleeping in the tent was the one who'd given her all of this.
She could now try her luck at the claw machine five times a day, and she'd even gained access to the mysterious High-Tier Zone. That meant she could grow stronger even faster!
Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, and the others must know about this secret too. They were probably working hard to earn one extra try each day, right?
And she was already far ahead.
A powerful sense of superiority surged through Hu Liena, but it wasn't enough.
Her experience was at 30/100, leaving her seventy points short of the next level.
She'd tasted the benefits and wanted more.
She wanted to know what kind of incredible privileges came with Gold Member—or even the legendary Supreme Member.
How could she gain experience quickly?
Hu Liena closed her eyes and recalled the instructions on the Crystal Ball.
[Helping the Shopkeeper with chores and winning the Shopkeeper's favor will both increase experience.]
The chores route would probably be slow, and she had no way to do that right now.
That left winning the Shopkeeper's favor.
She'd treated him to a meal and gone fishing with him, making him happy and earning a few experience points.
He'd given her a flower crown, and she'd kissed him. That had earned her fifty points outright!
That meant the more intimate the act, the more experience she'd get!
Then... what if she did something even more intimate than kissing?
A daring, reckless thought took root in Hu Liena's heart, then grew wildly.
She glanced at the quiet blue tent.
Qin Chuan was inside, fast asleep.
They were in the Star Dou Forest, with no one around.
The right time, the right place, the right person...
Hu Liena felt her heart pounding wildly in her chest. Her cheeks grew hot with excitement and nerves.
Reason told her this was too risky, too outrageous. She was a girl, and the vice president of the Spirit Academy. How could she do something so shameless?
But another voice was screaming in her ear.
[Go on! What's a little sacrifice if it makes you stronger?]
[Think of Qian Renxue's icy face! Do you want to spend your whole life beneath her?]
[Think of the far-off dream of reaching level 100 and becoming a god! This is your only chance!]
[This man is just a mortal. He won't even know what happened. You'll gain strength, and he won't lose out. It's a win-win!]
In the end, desire triumphed over reason.
Hu Liena rose to her feet, took a deep breath, and steeled her resolve.
She straightened her clothes, then padded toward the tempting blue tent, light-footed as a cat.
She gently unzipped the tent. A warm breeze, carrying a mix of masculine scent and fresh grass, drifted out.
Qin Chuan lay on the sleeping pad, fast asleep, his chest rising and falling steadily. A contented smile played on his lips, as if he were dreaming of something pleasant.
Hu Liena looked at his defenseless sleeping face and licked her dry lips.
She slipped inside without a sound, then slowly pulled the zipper closed behind her.
The tent darkened at once.
Only a faint light filtered through the blue fabric, revealing two blurry silhouettes.
Hu Liena knelt beside Qin Chuan, looking at his face, so close to hers.
Her Martial Soul was the Demon Fox, naturally imbued with Charm. She bent slowly over him, and a strand of rose-gold hair fell across his face.
Qin Chuan had only just cracked his eyes open when he plunged into utter confusion.
"First Soul Skill, Fox Charm!"
Against a mortal like Qin Chuan, it left him completely defenseless.
Fox Charm worked by bewitching the eyes. Those struck by it lost their senses, their bodies went rigid, and they couldn't break free.
"Don't be afraid," Hu Liena said. She extended a slender finger, gathered a barely visible thread of pink Soul Power at its tip, and gently touched Qin Chuan's brow.
When she was done, Hu Liena smiled, sly and seductive.
[Brother Chuan, I'm sorry.]
[If I want to become stronger, I'll have to... trouble you a little.]
She began slowly removing her clothes...