First Meeting with Hu Liena

The next morning, Lin Chen was basking in the sun on the training grounds.

Theory class had just ended. Too lazy to squeeze into the cafeteria for lunch, he leaned against a parasol tree at the edge of the grounds and rested with his eyes closed.

The autumn sunlight was neither cold nor hot. It filtered through the gaps between the leaves, warming his body and making him drowsy.

Xiao Wu had gone to the cafeteria to fight for braised pork. Before leaving, she had declared, "If anyone dares steal my meat, I'll fight them to the death." Lin Chen had agreed with a smile. He was not hungry anyway.

As he drifted off, he suddenly felt someone watching him.

The gaze carried scrutiny and curiosity, but it was not sharp. Lin Chen opened his eyes and saw a girl of eleven or twelve standing not far away, tilting her head as she studied him.

Golden hair.

Short hair.

A pair of light brown eyes, their corners slightly upturned, carrying an innate allure. Though she was still young and her features had not fully developed, it was already clear that she would grow into a great beauty.

Hu Liena.

Lin Chen recognized her at once.

Back when he had watched the anime in his previous life, this character had left a deep impression on him. The foremost member of Martial Soul Hall's Golden Generation, Bibi Dong's personal disciple, and the future Holy Maiden.

He had not expected her to come so soon.

It seemed Martial Soul Hall was moving faster than he had expected.

"You're Lin Chen?" Hu Liena asked, her voice crisp and carrying a young girl's unique innocence.

"That's me." Lin Chen sat up straight. "And you are?"

"My name is Hu Liena, an inspector of Martial Soul Hall." Hu Liena walked up to him and openly held out her hand. "Hello."

Lin Chen took her hand. It was soft and warm, like holding a ball of cotton.

"What does someone from Martial Soul Hall want with me?" he asked as he released her hand, though he already knew the answer.

"Nothing major. I was passing through Nuoding City, so I came by to take a look at this year's new students." Hu Liena sat down on the grass beside him without the slightest reserve. "I heard you were innately rank thirty, so I came to see for myself."

"And have you seen enough?"

"I have." Hu Liena turned to him with a smile in her eyes. "You're quite good-looking too."

Lin Chen froze for a moment.

Was this girl always so direct?

Seeing his expression, Hu Liena burst out laughing. "What, has no one ever told you that you're handsome?"

"No," Lin Chen answered honestly. Back in Holy Soul Village, Old Jack would only praise him for being "sturdy" and "having a good appetite." No one had ever called him good-looking.

"Then they have bad taste," Hu Liena said matter-of-factly. "You have very nice features. You'll definitely be handsome when you grow up."

Looking at her sparkling eyes, Lin Chen suddenly found it a little amusing.

This girl was already so good at flirting at such a young age. What would she be like when she grew up?

Then again, he had found Hu Liena very alluring when he watched the anime in his previous life.

That temperament balanced between innocence and charm, paired with that exquisite face, made her a natural temptress. Now that he had seen her in person, she truly lived up to her reputation.

"You're very pretty too," Lin Chen said, letting his gaze linger on her face for a moment. "Your hair color is especially striking, like gold."

Hu Liena blinked, and the smile on her face deepened. "You're quite sweet-talking, aren't you?"

"I'm only telling the truth."

"Then tell me some more truths."

After thinking for a moment, Lin Chen said seriously, "Your eyes are beautiful, like amber. Your nose is very elegant. The shape of your lips is lovely too. Overall, you have the makings of a great beauty."

Hu Liena was stunned by his string of compliments. Then her cheeks flushed slightly, and she turned her head away. "You... why are you like this? We've only just met, and you're saying so much."

"Didn't you ask me to?"

"Even if I asked, you shouldn't have said that much!" Hu Liena turned back and glared at him, but there was no anger in her eyes—only a trace of shyness and delight.

Watching her like this, Lin Chen laughed to himself.

She really was just a little girl, thin-skinned and easily embarrassed. Still, she looked rather cute when she was shy.

"How old are you?" Hu Liena asked.

"Six."

"You're already this good with words at six. You'll definitely be a womanizer when you grow up."

"What about you? How old are you?"

"Eleven."

"You became an inspector at eleven? Is Martial Soul Hall that short on people?"

"Hey!" Hu Liena smacked him unhappily. "I earned this position with my own strength! I'm already rank twenty-eight at eleven. What about you?"

"I'm rank thirty at six."

Hu Liena opened her mouth, but swallowed the words that had reached her lips. She glared at Lin Chen for several seconds before finally slumping her shoulders in defeat. "Fine, you win."

Lin Chen smiled.

The two chatted for a while longer. Hu Liena did most of the asking, and Lin Chen did most of the answering. She asked about his martial soul, his cultivation, and his life at the academy. Lin Chen answered half-truthfully, neither telling her everything nor deliberately concealing anything.

He could tell that Hu Liena bore him no ill will. She had most likely approached him on Bibi Dong's orders to test his attitude.

Since it was only a test, there was no need for him to be too tense. If he relaxed and showed a friendly side, it would be easier to lower her guard instead.

"Lin Chen," Hu Liena suddenly said in a different tone, looking at him seriously, "have you ever considered joining Martial Soul Hall?"

Lin Chen raised a brow. "Is that an invitation?"

"You could say that." Hu Liena said, "Martial Soul Hall has always valued geniuses. With talent like yours, if you join Martial Soul Hall, you can receive the best resources and training. Becoming a Titled Douluo in the future would not be a problem."

"That sounds good."

"Then are you willing?"

Lin Chen did not answer immediately.

Leaning against the tree trunk, he looked at the distant sky and thought for a while before saying, "I'm still young. I don't want to make a decision so quickly. But I can promise you this: if I ever decide to join a faction in the future, Martial Soul Hall will be my first choice."

Hu Liena looked at him and nodded. "All right, then it's settled."

She rose to her feet, brushed the grass clippings from her skirt, and pulled a token from her robes before handing it to Lin Chen. "This is my token. If you ever need help, take it to any Martial Soul Hall branch and ask for me."

Lin Chen accepted the token and examined it. It was made of silver, with Martial Soul Hall's emblem carved on the front and the character "Nana" engraved on the back.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome." Hu Liena smiled at him. "Then I'll be going. The next time we meet, I hope you'll have become even stronger."

"I will."

Hu Liena turned to leave, but after taking a few steps, she looked back. "Oh, Lin Chen."

"Hmm?"

"You really are quite good-looking."

After saying that, she winked at him and hurried away.

Lin Chen sat beneath the tree, watching her figure disappear at the far end of the training grounds. He lowered his head to look at the token in his hand, and a faint smile curled at his lips.

That little fox was quite interesting.

He tucked the token into his robes, rose to his feet, and stretched lazily.

In the distance, Xiao Wu was walking toward him with a lunchbox in hand, her cheeks puffed up in annoyance.

"Brother Chen! I brought you food! Where did you run off to?"

"I was here, basking in the sun."

"What's so great about basking in the sun? Come eat! It'll get cold if you don't hurry!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming."

Lin Chen walked over with a smile, took the lunchbox from her, and casually ruffled her hair.

Xiao Wu's hair became a mess from his hand, and she angrily slapped it away. "Don't rub my head! I won't grow taller!"

"You're short already."

"You're the short one! Your whole family is short!"

The two bickered as they headed toward the dormitories.