Li Luo admitted that he'd gotten a little too carried away with his acting just now and hadn't managed to hold back.
That didn't fit Immortal's image.
So Li Luo called out, "Director, cut that slap from the final edit. Keep only the part where we each go our own way."
That was what fit Immortal's image.
Tang Wulin was on the verge of tears.
But Li Luo's performance wasn't over yet.
On the Soul Guidance camera's screen, Li Luo descended the mountain unhurriedly, with autumn leaves swirling all around him.
He recited softly, "Those who abandon me—yesterday is gone, beyond recall!"
From then on, the mainland gained a swordsman with a sword in hand and wine at his waist. Li Luo sampled every fine wine, befriended the most beautiful women, and put on the most outrageous airs.
He encountered the green tea girl again.
At the mainland finals.
Li Luo swept aside a host of prodigies.
He stood with his hands behind his back atop the high platform, his robes fluttering in the breeze.
Tang Wulin's eyes brimmed with tears. "Brother Li Luo, have you been well all these years?"
Li Luo smiled calmly and pointed his long sword into the distance. "Show me your Blue Silver Entanglement."
At last, the image froze on Li Luo gazing up at the sky.
Those words—"Three thousand deities dwell in heaven; even they must lower their brows when they see me"—once again drew a cheer from Principal Gao.
"Splendid!"
Principal Gao genuinely felt like he'd struck gold.
Li Luo's idea for Immortal was brilliant.
And he'd acted it beautifully.
The female student had also given a commendable performance.
Red Mountain Academy's rise from Aolai, its fist poised to strike East Sea, was just around the corner.
"Li Luo, you did great. And you too, young lady," Principal Gao said happily.
After offering a few words of encouragement to Li Luo and the others, Principal Gao announced that filming had wrapped up perfectly.
Everyone dispersed.
Principal Gao also made good on part of the promise he'd made Li Luo before filming.
Thirty thousand Federation Coins would be deposited into Li Luo's account first.
As for the promised Century Soul Spirit, once Li Luo truly reached level ten, he could go to the Spirit Pagoda and choose one himself.
The Spirit Pagoda would issue a Soul Guidance receipt.
It would be made out to Red Mountain Academy.
Li Luo could then bring it to the academy for reimbursement.
As for the maximum amount they'd reimburse—
Fresh from filming and flushed with excitement, Principal Gao had boldly told Li Luo that a Century Soul Spirit couldn't cost all that much.
As long as it was a century-old one, the academy would cover it.
"Principal Gao really is a good principal," Li Luo praised as they walked along a path on campus.
Beside him was Tang Wulin, who had already removed his makeup.
"What's so great about the principal?" Tang Wulin muttered. "He couldn't even tell I was a boy."
Li Luo suddenly felt like laughing.
But he held it in.
"Ding-dong!"
His Soul Guidance Communicator chimed.
Li Luo glanced at it.
[Federation Bank—Your account 1298 has received a transfer of 30,000 Federation Coins. Please check your balance.]
The principal was certainly quick.
Li Luo was in a great mood.
Looking at Tang Wulin beside him, who seemed like a pitiful sucker, Li Luo remembered that he'd put quite a bit of force into that slap earlier.
Even if Tang Wulin was the Golden Dragon King and had a tough body, getting slapped by him must have hurt.
"Wulin, I hit you too hard during filming just now," Li Luo said sincerely. "I'm sorry."
"Did it hurt a lot?"
Boo-hoo.
Tang Wulin wanted to cry.
Not because the slap had hurt.
But because Li Luo had shown him rare concern.
Tang Wulin was instantly fired up. "Brother Luo, it didn't hurt at all. If anything like that happens again, just call on me."
"Your brother won't even so much as furrow his brow."
Tang Wulin thought silently, If we're brothers in this life, I'd be happy to be spouses in the next.
Li Luo said, "Actually, Wulin, you acted really well today."
"You nailed the green tea girl's look, too."
"You really got into the role."
Hearing Tang Wulin say that, Li Luo did him the courtesy of offering a few words of praise.
Tang Wulin's eyes shone even brighter. He understood now: Brother Luo still liked his type after all.
That was wonderful.
Maybe they wouldn't have to be brothers in this life. They could just become spouses.
"Thanks for the praise, Brother Luo," Tang Wulin said coyly. His manner had more than a hint of the green tea girl he'd just played.
Li Luo shivered.
Once again, he marveled at how irresistibly attractive the Rainbow Dragon King, Wife of the Dragon God, was to the Dragon God.
He was practically turning gay.
No, no.
That was terrifying.
He couldn't be nice to Tang Wulin again.
Time to get out of here.
"I'm heading home," Li Luo said, and vanished from Tang Wulin's sight.
"Is Brother Luo embarrassed?" Tang Wulin wondered, then sighed.
"Ah, if only I'd been brave enough to invite Brother Luo to celebrate my birthday with me."
"Maybe he would've said yes."
He went home.
He called out for his parents.
"Huh, nobody's home," Tang Wulin muttered.
He went back to his room.
He couldn't help thinking again about what he'd looked like in a skirt today.
"Should I try it on again?"
In front of the Soul Guidance mirror, Tang Wulin put on the pale pink slip dress again and admired himself in the reflection.
He was completely absorbed in it.
But he didn't know that Tang Ziran and Lang Yue were staring wide-eyed from inside the wardrobe behind the Soul Guidance mirror.
It was Tang Wulin's birthday today.
The two of them had hidden away.
They'd wanted to surprise him with a birthday celebration.
They hadn't expected to see something like this.
Their son was wearing a pink dress, standing in front of the mirror and...
And they were right behind it.
They didn't dare make a sound.
They were afraid that if they exposed themselves,
they might hurt Tang Wulin's young heart.
But they absolutely couldn't allow their son to become effeminate.
Late that night, Tang Ziran and Lang Yue spoke in hushed voices in their room.
Lang Yue's eyes were red, as if she'd been crying. "Ziran, what should we do?"
"We can't let Wulin become like that!"
Tang Ziran pondered. "Maybe only something more masculine can catch Wulin's attention."
"What is it, Ziran? Hurry up and tell me!" Lang Yue urged.
Tang Ziran's voice came again. "We should go see old Mang. He's a blacksmith, a naturally masculine man. We can ask if he has any ideas to set Wulin straight."
"True. It looks like we can only go see Master Mang Tian. As Wulin's teacher, he may be able to get through to him about some things better than we can by speaking to him directly."
Their voices gradually faded away...
Meanwhile, at Li Luo's home.
Inside the room.
Na'er lay on the big bed with all four limbs in the air.
Li Luo lay on the small bed.
Na'er was exhausted today.
First, she'd spent half the day delivering food. Then she'd gone to apply for an apprenticeship at Mang Di Workshop, and after that, she'd spent half the day hammering metal.
At first, Mang Di hadn't thought much of her at all.
He'd said she was a little girl.
Learning to smith? Wasn't that just fooling around?
This was what Mang Di had said: "What little girl learns blacksmithing? Go home and play with mud."
Those were Mang Di's exact words.
He was taking on an apprentice because his older brother, Mang Tian, had taken one.
Mang Di and Mang Tian were brothers, but they'd never gotten along.
They'd always competed with each other.
Ever since Mang Tian had taken on an apprentice named Tang Wulin, he'd kept showing off to Mang Di.
He said his apprentice, Tang Wulin, was incredibly talented.
He'd reached Hundred Refinement in just three months.
So Mang Di also wanted to take on a talented disciple.
Before you continue