Realizing this, Lin Yan unconsciously took two steps back, putting some distance between himself and Dugu Yan.
He'd only meant to strike up a casual conversation with her and get a little closer, so he could plot to get the Immortal Herbs later.
He hadn't expected her to come right out with a bombshell.
Across from him, Dugu Yan saw him deliberately avoiding her. Instead of getting angry, she stepped forward and hooked her arm around his.
"What are you doing? Afraid your big sister's going to eat you?"
"You sounded so bold just now. Why are you suddenly getting shy?"
There was no denying that Dugu Yan had a very curvy figure, and that seductive air of hers was especially striking. When she suddenly pressed close, Lin Yan was caught completely off guard.
"It's not that. I... I'm a little allergic to the smell."
"Allergic? Oh, give me a break!"
Seeing the awkward, clearly insincere expression on the little boy's face, Dugu Yan pulled him into her arms. Her gesture was exceptionally affectionate.
"Come on. You're still unfamiliar with the academy, right? Big sister will take you to get something to eat."
It wasn't that Dugu Yan was boy-crazy. Lin Yan's appearance was simply too deceptive.
All women had a maternal glow about them. When they saw a handsome, adorable little boy, they couldn't help wanting to get close to him. Dugu Yan was no exception.
What teenage girl wouldn't want to give a handsome, adorable, powerful little brother with a powerful background a good squeeze?
With Lin Yan in her arms, Dugu Yan smiled and started toward the classroom door.
But, as expected... Yu Tianheng spoke up again.
"Dugu Yan! Stop right there!"
Yu Tianheng roared from behind them.
"Do you even know what you're doing? What do you take me for?"
Dugu Yan paused, then turned around impatiently, still holding Lin Yan.
"Will you quit being such a nuisance?"
"Don't you know perfectly well whether you like me or not?"
"Hm? If he didn't like you, why would he pursue you?"
Lin Yan looked up at Dugu Yan with an innocent expression.
Dugu Yan:
"For the sect's interests, obviously. What else?"
The girl stated the reason openly, without the slightest attempt to hide it.
It was clear that Dugu Bo doted on her, which was why she'd grown into someone who dared to say anything.
Quite a few students had stayed behind to watch the commotion.
With his intentions exposed in front of everyone, Yu Tianheng's face flushed slightly.
"Who says I don't like you? You can't read minds! I... I like you."
"Oh!" Dugu Yan replied, her face as cold as ice.
"I don't like you."
"Pfft—"
Lin Yan couldn't hold back a laugh. It drew Yu Tianheng's attention right back to him.
"What are you laughing at? If you've got the guts, fight me one-on-one!"
"Yu Tianheng, that's enough! How old is he? You really have the nerve to say something like that? Have you spent all these years living like a dog?"
Dugu Yan's brows shot up. This time, she was genuinely angry.
Yu Tianheng had been jealous over a little kid from the very start. It was downright petty.
And under Dugu Bo's tutelage, the kind of man Dugu Yan hated most was a petty one.
"Why do you keep taking his side? You only met him today!"
"Is it just because he's good-looking?"
Dugu Yan couldn't stand Yu Tianheng's pettiness, but Yu Tianheng found her behavior just as bizarre.
He looked utterly confused. Just as he said, the two of them had known Lin Yan for less than half a day. How could Lin Yan matter more to her than someone who'd pursued her for so long?
Dugu Yan answered his question with action.
She tightened her arm around Lin Yan and, without the slightest hesitation, pressed his little face against her chest.
"You're right! I like him because he's good-looking!"
Dugu Yan's clothes weren't particularly revealing, but with them pressed so close together, Lin Yan's little face couldn't help brushing against her soft flesh.
The sight made Yu Tianheng's eyes bulge with rage.
He pointed at the two of them with a trembling finger.
"You..."
"What? Can't stand it? Then stop pestering me. I'm never going to be with you."
Dugu Yan lifted her chin. Her words left no room for compromise, grinding Yu Tianheng's pride into the dirt.
Lin Yan was a little confused.
Weren't the two of them a couple in the original story? Why were things so strained between them now? Was it because he'd appeared?
No, wait! From the way Dugu Yan had put it, neither of them had been interested in the other from the beginning. Had they fallen for each other later, after spending more time together?
Lin Yan couldn't make heads or tails of it, but he didn't dwell on it.
After all, memories of his past life were only memories. What mattered was what he was experiencing right now.
The real thing was what counted~
Back in the present, Yu Tianheng saw how decisively Dugu Yan had rejected him. He could no longer bring himself to pursue her.
After holding it in for a long while, he could only grit his teeth and throw out a threat.
"Lin Yan, you just wait!"
The watching students immediately booed.
They'd thought they were about to see a good show. They hadn't expected Yu Tianheng to let things end so hastily, even after Lin Yan had "stolen" Dugu Yan from him.
What a letdown!
Deeply disappointed, everyone turned to leave.
But...
"I don't really want to wait."
The boy's childish voice rang out, clear enough for everyone present to hear.
Those about to leave stopped in unison and turned to look again.
Yu Tianheng furrowed his brows.
"What do you mean?"
Lin Yan rested his little face against Dugu Yan's chest and fixed his gaze on Yu Tianheng.
"Exactly what I said."
"Find somewhere we can fight. I'll beat you up, and then you can stop bothering me."
"Deal?"
The moment he said that, the whole place erupted.
"Holy crap! That brat's got some nerve!"
"Wahaha~ He's a little wolf pup! He's so handsome!"
"Sis Yanzi, please, let me touch him!"
"..."
The crowd burst into a frenzy, like willow fluff set alight.
Meanwhile, Yu Tianheng, the main character in this whole affair, had a face as black as the bottom of a pot.
He was level 26, one of the most outstanding members of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, and one of the Blue Lightning Twin Stars alongside Yu Tianxin.
Having a brat who'd only just awakened his Martial Soul challenge him was nothing short of a tremendous insult!
Yu Tianheng laughed in fury, his lips curling in scorn.
"Big talk! Do you even know what level I am?"
Lin Yan:
"Doesn't matter! The way you act makes you look weak."
Lin Yan straightened up. Dugu Yan was so stunned she seemed to have gone blank as he wriggled free of her embrace.
Then he continued.
"Before a Soul Master turns twenty, they're in the golden age for cultivation. Everyone's working hard to get stronger, but you're wasting your energy on romance."
"How strong could someone like you possibly be?"
His words rang out across the whole room.
That one line had taken aim at every student who wasn't working hard at cultivation.
Everyone's faces turned pale, then flushed.
Yu Tianheng, especially, clenched his fists until they creaked. His expression was savage, as if he were about to pounce on someone and tear them apart.
"Hahaha! Good! Good!"
Yu Tianheng laughed, then pointed at Lin Yan.
"Heaven's wide open, but you won't take the path. Hell has no door, but you insist on barging in."
"I couldn't do anything to you today, out of respect for the imperial family and Dugu Yan. But now..."
"Hahaha!"
All expression vanished from his face, replaced by a dark, menacing look.
"Lin Yan, I, Yu Tianheng, a level-26 Power Attack System Battle Spirit Master, formally challenge you!"
"Do you dare?"