This Fox Looks Like She Needs a Good Shocking

Yan slammed open the gates to Xie Yue's courtyard.

With a bang, the short blade in Xie Yue's hand froze in midair.

"What are you going crazy over this time?"

Xie Yue withdrew his martial soul and picked up a towel beside him to wipe his hands.

Yan's face looked awful. "Where's your sister?"

"She hasn't come back."

"She's still with that Li Zha?"

Xie Yue looked at Yan for a few seconds before sitting down in a chair in the courtyard.

"Do you need something from her?"

"Of course I do!"

Yan clenched his fists and recounted everything that had happened in the archives from beginning to end.

The more Yan spoke, the angrier he became.

"You tell me, is that fair?"

"Li Zha struck first, but His Excellency Ghost Douluo punished me by making me organize the archives!"

"His Excellency Chrysanthemum Douluo didn't say a single word for me either!"

"And your sister—she took Li Zha's side the whole time! She even used a soul skill on me!"

After listening, Xie Yue set the towel aside.

"Finished?"

"Finished!"

"Then you can leave."

Yan froze where he stood.

"Xie Yue, what do you mean by that?"

"You want the truth?"

"Of course!"

Xie Yue shook his head.

"There's a reason my sister doesn't like you."

"Li Zha had only just appeared, yet you already treated him as some imaginary rival and wanted to suppress him.

"In the end, you made a fool of yourself, then kept throwing yourself at him to make trouble again and again."

"What happened in the archives—if we really looked into it, do you think you were in the right?"

Yan immediately retorted.

"Li Zha attacked me first with the Flaming-tipped Spear!"

"Then why did you snatch his book?"

"I just wanted to take a look!"

"Do you need to snatch a book from someone's hands just to look at it?"

Xie Yue pressed on.

"You threatened him too, didn't you?"

The anger on Yan's face stalled.

"I..."

"You don't need to explain."

Xie Yue raised a hand to cut him off.

"Nana has always been clever. Do you think she wouldn't know that you've been driving away the students who get close to her behind her back?"

"A few male students at the academy merely spoke to Nana a little more than usual, and the next day, you cornered them at the training grounds."

"There was even a support-type student whose two ribs you broke."

"Nana didn't settle the score with you only because she couldn't be bothered to deal with you."

Yan took half a step back.

"Those people were up to no good!"

"Whether they mean well or not is for Nana herself to judge."

Xie Yue's tone remained calm.

"She doesn't need you deciding who she should associate with."

"I was protecting her!"

"She's level twenty-four, has the Demon Fox martial soul, and is Teacher's personal disciple.

"How many people in the academy could actually hurt her?"

Xie Yue's few words shut down every excuse Yan had.

Yan held it in for a long while before suddenly raising his voice.

"What about Li Zha?"

"He's only been here for one day!"

"Nana held his hand, took him to the third floor of the archives, and even attacked me because of him!"

"We've known each other for so many years. Why does she get to treat me like this?"

Xie Yue looked at Yan.

"Knowing each other for years only means you share the bond of teammates."

"Nothing more."

"I advise you to give up."

"My sister is stubborn. Once she sets her mind on something, it's hard to change."

"As for you, she has already decided that you are absolutely not her type."

"Even if you change now, it won't matter."

Yan shook his head outright.

"Impossible!"

"How could the feelings we've built over all these years be cast aside so easily?"

Xie Yue sighed softly.

"What feelings?"

"You, me, and Nana—we're the core team of Spirit Hall Academy."

"The bond between teammates is indeed important."

"But what you want is something she can't give you."

Yan wanted to argue further, but Xie Yue had already sat back in his chair and closed his eyes.

"Here's some advice."

"If you want to maintain the status quo, stop doing things that make you look even uglier."

"That's all I have to say, Yan."

Yan stood before Xie Yue, his breathing growing heavier and heavier.

"Xie Yue, even you're taking Li Zha's side?"

"I'm taking my sister's side."

"I've been your friend for years!"

"She's my biological sister."

Xie Yue never opened his eyes again.

He merely blew gently across the tea in his cup.

And he had poured only one cup—for himself.

Yan still complained about Li Zha a few more times while standing there before Xie Yue.

But Xie Yue merely took a sip of tea and did not respond again.

In the end, Yan stopped making a fool of himself.

He turned and left Xie Yue's courtyard.

The courtyard fell quiet once more.

Only then did Xie Yue slowly open his eyes and retrieve his short blade.

He and Yan had indeed known each other for many years.

But he could not force his sister to accept someone she found tiresome for the sake of a friend.

Especially since Yan's recent actions had become increasingly excessive.

If this continued, he might even tear their team apart.

Gui Mei's residence.

After the Flaming-tipped Spear dispersed, Li Zha's body temperature finally began to drop.

The energy awakened by the Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Glue was repeatedly washed through by the Undying Lotus Root, gradually merging into his limbs and meridians.

The restless sensation faded, replaced by abundant strength.

Li Zha slowly exhaled and opened his eyes.

Yue Guan withdrew his aura barrier.

"It's finally over."

Gui Mei walked into the room and clasped Li Zha's wrist.

The moment his soul power entered Li Zha's meridians, it was repelled by the Undying Lotus Root.

Gui Mei did not force an inspection and immediately withdrew his hand.

"How do you feel?"

Li Zha flexed his fingers.

"Good."

"Just one word?"

Yue Guan walked over and pressed a hand against Li Zha's shoulder.

"Whale glue is no weak body-strengthening substance, and that was a whole chunk of Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Glue."

Li Zha tried to circulate his soul power.

His total soul power had not increased, but his body's capacity to bear soul power had clearly risen by a considerable amount.

Nourished by the Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Glue, his meridians had become tougher as well.

"From now on, your ability in bed might even be stronger than Old Ghost's."

Yue Guan chuckled.

Gui Mei's face darkened. "That kind of ability isn't something you can make up for just because you want to!"

Li Zha smiled.

He did not care much about matters in bed.

The strong remained strong.

He had been strong in his previous life, so there was no need to put special effort into that in this life either.

"Li Zha, where are you staying tonight? Has the academy arranged a place for you?"

Gui Mei suddenly asked.

Li Zha shook his head. "Nothing has been arranged yet."

He had not reported in at all.

The moment he entered the academy, he had gone straight to the archives.

What teacher would have arranged anything for him?

"Nothing has been arranged yet."

Gui Mei nodded slightly and thought for a moment.

"There's still a detached residence in the academy's eastern district, not far from the archives and the training grounds."

"It was originally prepared for the family members of red-robed bishops, but no one lives there now."

"You can stay there for the time being."

Hu Liena poked her head in from outside the courtyard.

"I'll take him there!"

The moment Li Zha saw her, his body stiffened for half a beat.

Although the effects of the Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Glue had faded, his memories had not.

He remembered perfectly clearly what had happened in the room.

Hu Liena had forced her way in and insisted that he open his eyes to look at her...

And the awkward scene afterward, when he stood up, was still etched in his mind.

Though he had lived two lives.

He still found this sort of thing somewhat embarrassing.

Especially since Hu Liena still had that adorably clueless air about her.

It made a sense of guilt rise within him.

"No need. I'd better go by myself."

Li Zha chose to refuse Hu Liena.

Before Hu Liena could speak again.

He hurriedly turned to Gui Mei.

"Senior Gui, please take me over first. I'm a little tired."

Gui Mei understood what Li Zha meant.

In this state, he naturally didn't want to get too close to Hu Liena while trying to ease his own awkwardness first.

"Nana, go play with Grandpa Ju first. I'll take Li Zha to rest."

After saying that, without waiting for Hu Liena to protest,

he turned into a cloud of black mist, swept up Li Zha, and hurriedly vanished.

Yue Guan rubbed his forehead.

"That old ghost ran off by himself and left me behind..."

After arriving at his new residence,

Li Zha tidied up the bed, took a quick shower, then collapsed into sleep.

The next day.

Before he had fully woken up,

he felt as though someone were smashing his head with a sledgehammer.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The knocking continued without pause.

"Little Brother Li Zha, get up!"

Li Zha opened his eyes and abruptly sat up.

That fox came looking for me this early? Is she really that obsessed with her little brother? I think she needs another shock.

He quickly got dressed and went to open the door.