"Here, over here!"
When Li Changsheng had just arrived downstairs at the girls' dormitory, he hadn't spotted the Seven Absolute Zither Master at first. He stood there waiting for a while, but then a familiar voice rang out, making him freeze for a moment. He turned around with his usual smile...
But Li Changsheng's smile suddenly stiffened. The corners of his mouth twitched, and his eyes widened.
At the dormitory entrance, a white-haired girl with her hair tied in a bun approached with graceful steps. Her petite figure and the clothes she wore had clearly been carefully dressed up, but Li Changsheng ignored all that, because the Seven Absolute Zither Master wasn't wearing her mask today! She wasn't wearing her mask!
At last, for the first time, he saw the Seven Absolute Zither Master's petite, exquisite face.
He made no other move. He only felt his breathing stop.
The Seven Absolute Zither Master slowly approached, closing the distance little by little.
Her hair was still the familiar silvery white. Unlike when it hung loose or fell in two braids, the bun at the back of her head was especially eye-catching. And the face that had been hidden beneath her mask was breathtaking—though she was only a child not yet seven years old.
Her exquisite face seemed to radiate fragrance from every pore. Her nearly transparent skin, tinged with the faintest milky white, was utterly flawless.
Her features were especially striking, as if carved from stone. Her pair of watery blue eyes were as clear as crystalline gems, framed by long eyelashes.
Below them, her lips, curved like a gleaming streak of light, seemed to have a delicate film over them, as if she'd applied lipstick. She didn't need to do anything; her cherry-red lips were simply pressed together, as though fashioned by the heavens themselves. Her faintly pink earlobes seemed to grow redder with shyness.
The sunset was so brilliant. It should have been stealing the show, yet now it seemed more like a gauzy cloak draped over the Seven Absolute Zither Master.
She wore a dress trimmed with lace ruffles. This world had clothes similar to dresses, but Soul Masters were a group of fighters, so they generally didn't wear such things.
She was much taller than other children her age!
The neckline of her dress had been altered to fit her closely. Even though her chest hadn't developed, it still showed off her perfect figure and accentuated her slender waist.
Her exposed limbs were snowy white. Her arms were even thinner than Li Changsheng's, giving her an almost snow-spirit-like quality.
The long dress was paired with this world's unique kind of stockings, made from a very sheer fabric.
"What's wrong? Aren't you always saying you want to see what I look like? Now that you have, why are you making that face?" The Seven Absolute Zither Master walked up to Li Changsheng with graceful steps, raised a hand, and waved it in front of him.
"Y-you're the Seven Absolute Zither Master?"
Even though Li Changsheng had lived for ten thousand years, seeing such an almost otherworldly beauty left him astonished and shocked. His chest even felt warm, as if a ball of fire had suddenly been lit inside him.
"If I'm not, then are you?" The Seven Absolute Zither Master blushed a little under Li Changsheng's stare. Almost as if in a daze, she raised her hand and pushed at Li Changsheng's stiff face.
"Damn, so cute..."
Li Changsheng blurted out the compliment without thinking.
"You..."
"Ah, no, no. I just didn't expect you to be so cute. Honestly, if you weren't wearing a mask, just looking at your face might have kept me under your control for an hour." Li Changsheng scratched his head and smiled.
The Seven Absolute Zither Master gave a soft huff. "Boys really are all perverts."
At that, Li Changsheng put on a cold expression. "What do you mean, pervert? You've got quite a mature way of thinking. I just appreciate beauty. Anyway, why did you suddenly take off your mask today?"
"Guess."
"I can't. Is there some kind of holiday?"
Li Changsheng thought that the first semester at the Pre-Education Academy was supposed to end tomorrow. That was why Zi Buyu had taken him to the Star Dou Great Forest to obtain a Soul Ring. Once they got his Soul Ring, the two of them would be on break.
The Seven Absolute Zither Master nodded. "Mm... You could say it's a holiday. But it's a holiday that came from the Sun Moon Empire in recent years. The God Sacrifice Festival."
"The God Sacrifice Festival?"
Li Changsheng first froze, then understood.
As the saying went, customs changed every ten miles, and traditions changed every hundred. At the border between the Sun Moon Empire and the original empires of the Douluo Continent, customs blended together. The God Sacrifice Festival the Seven Absolute Zither Master had mentioned was one such holiday from the Sun Moon Empire.
On that day, people brought their families to temples to worship a deity called the Sun God. Those who worshipped could make a wish to the Sun God, and if their devotion was sincere enough, their wishes might come true.
It was a custom from the Sun-Moon Continent. Compared to the Douluo Continent, the Sun Moon Empire was more like a place that came close to the world of Li Changsheng's previous life. With all kinds of festivals and traditions, the people of the Sun Moon Empire seemed to lead very rich lives.
"Weren't you saying we'd buy ingredients and cooking utensils? Why are we suddenly going to worship the Sun God?" Li Changsheng asked, teasing the Seven Absolute Zither Master, who had dressed up so carefully and finally taken off her mask.
The Seven Absolute Zither Master clearly wasn't bothered by Li Changsheng's teasing. She raised her head and asked, "So, are you going or not?"
"I'm going. We're on break tomorrow anyway."
If the Seven Absolute Zither Master hadn't reminded him, Li Changsheng really would have forgotten that Two-Part City was holding a festival to worship the Sun God today.
Tomorrow, they would be leaving the Pre-Education Academy and taking a detour to the Star Dou Great Forest. Once Li Changsheng obtained his second Soul Ring, the first school year would be over, and all the students would have to leave campus.
Li Changsheng still hadn't figured out where to go. Maybe he'd work on some exploration missions, heading to the Far North or exploring around the Star Dou Great Forest.
The two of them left the Pre-Education Academy. They didn't use the main gate, since going through it without a mask would definitely invite trouble.
It was Li Changsheng's first time really taking a good look around Two-Part City.
Because of the festival, and because nightfall was approaching, this was the busiest time in Two-Part City.
It truly lived up to its reputation as an important transportation hub linking the Sun Moon Empire and the Star Luo Empire. As far as the eye could see, no matter which street they looked down, it was packed with people.
The moment Li Changsheng arrived, he froze.
"So many people?"
Seriously, weren't there far too many? Seeing the crowded streets, Li Changsheng immediately lost interest and looked at the Seven Absolute Zither Master beside him.
The Seven Absolute Zither Master was far too eye-catching. The moment she stood there, everyone nearby was drawn to her. Besides, her outfit was a little... suggestive. It wouldn't be good to squeeze through the crowd dressed like that.
"Let's find somewhere to sit first and wait until there are fewer people before we look around. The time of day doesn't matter when it comes to worship; if your heart is sincere, the gods will answer. Besides, you haven't eaten yet, have you? There's a street vendor selling barbecue over there. I'll get us some."
Li Changsheng made the suggestion first. The Seven Absolute Zither Master nodded and edged closer to him, seeming a little wary of the people around them and their stares.
Li Changsheng finally understood why she wore her mask all the time. She seemed afraid of crowds too. There hadn't been many people around at the Pre-Education Academy when they left. If they had run into anyone, it might have caused trouble, since the Seven Absolute Zither Master was simply too beautiful.
Li Changsheng practically bought out the whole barbecue stand. Then he took the skewers, which tasted pretty good, and brought them with the Seven Absolute Zither Master to sit on a stone bench.
After taking a skewer, Li Changsheng saw the Seven Absolute Zither Master eat without her mask for the first time. Her posture was elegant, and her expressions were wonderfully lively. In short, she was incredibly cute.
As he ate his skewers and watched the endless stream of people, Li Changsheng felt a little bored.
Just then, the Seven Absolute Zither Master beside him asked, "Where are you planning to go during the break?"
"Huh?"
Caught off guard by the question, Li Changsheng clearly hadn't expected it. "After I get my Soul Ring in the Star Dou Great Forest, I'll probably rent a room in Two-Part City and wait for the Pre-Education Academy to reopen."
Of course, he didn't say that he wanted to explore the Star Dou Great Forest or the Far North. Those places were far too dangerous for a two-ring Soul Grandmaster.
"You're not going back to Spirit Soul City?" The Seven Absolute Zither Master ate a piece of fried meat and puffed out her cheeks. She didn't seem to like the taste, but she swallowed it anyway.
"Ah, I guess not. There's no reason for me to go back."
That was right. How could he go back looking like this? Besides, what would be the point of returning?
The Seven Absolute Zither Master blinked at Li Changsheng, then suddenly said, "If you really have nothing to do, why don't you come home with me after you get your Soul Ring? Look, you don't have anywhere to go anyway, and I'll be bored at home. We could spar together. What do you think?"
Li Changsheng was surprised by the Seven Absolute Zither Master's invitation.
He remembered that her home seemed to be near the Far North. That sounded pretty good...
If the Seven Absolute Zither Master had invited Li Changsheng at the beginning, he would definitely have suspected she had some ulterior motive. But after spending a whole semester together and studying side by side nearly every day, even Li Changsheng, with his slightly old-fashioned way of thinking, had come to trust her. And with a pretty girl inviting him, he hadn't really considered turning her down. He could also work on some missions in the Far North while he was there.
"Sounds good," he said with a smile.
"Then it's a promise. My mom and dad will definitely give you a warm welcome." The Seven Absolute Zither Master smiled too.
After making their plans, Li Changsheng and the Seven Absolute Zither Master continued eating their skewers.
"By the way, now that you've shown me your face, shouldn't you tell me your name too? 'Seven Absolute Zither Master' is such a mouthful."
The crowd gradually thinned. People had probably finished worshipping and gone home.
Li Changsheng and the Seven Absolute Zither Master were still sitting on the stone bench. He sipped the freshly squeezed berry juice they'd just bought and said,
"My name?" The Seven Absolute Zither Master was sipping berry juice too. She had specifically ordered a sweet one, while Li Changsheng's was more sour.
"Shen Yueliang."
"Shen Yueliang? That's a lovely name." When Li Changsheng heard the word "moon," his expression clearly faltered for a moment. "I think I understand why you asked about my title back then."
Shen Yueliang smiled faintly. "Then why did you choose a name like Xiangjian Yueliang?"
"I told you already, didn't I? I miss someone."
"You're clearly just a child... How mature." Shen Yueliang lightly pressed her cherry-red lips together, her tone carrying a particular meaning.
Li Changsheng glanced sideways at Shen Yueliang and gave her a small smile. What did she mean, child? Who was a child? Who was she calling a child?
"Does your berry juice taste good?" Shen Yueliang held her sweet drink and blinked curiously at the purple berry juice in Li Changsheng's hand.
"Want to trade?"
"Sure."
Li Changsheng and Shen Yueliang traded the berry juices they'd already started drinking.
Taking Shen Yueliang's sweet berry juice, Li Changsheng took a sip. It tasted a little like strawberry juice from his previous life. He'd had this kind of berry juice before, which was why he'd chosen a different flavor this time. But for some reason, today it tasted a little different.
Glancing at Shen Yueliang, he saw her eyes narrow into thin slits. Her little face was full of surprise as she said, "It's good. A little sour."
The two of them sat there like that. About an hour later, the crowd finally thinned out.
Li Changsheng stood up first. After a moment's thought, he held out his hand where Shen Yueliang could see it.
Shen Yueliang first froze. Then she heard Li Changsheng say, "If you get lost, I'll have nowhere to stay during the break." Her brows furrowed, then relaxed again, and she smiled. "That's right."
Then she placed her hand in Li Changsheng's, gently curled her fingers around his, and stood up.
Everything was so simple, and yet everything was so complicated.
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