Caught Between Two Women (Thanks to "Tomorrow Kai" for the Monthly Pass!)

"Um, Zhu Zhuqing... Zhuqing, why are you here?"

Outside the courtyard, Zhu Zhuqing's quiet eyes had been silently fixed on him, her expression revealing neither joy nor anger.

So Xu Peinian immediately changed his address to "Zhuqing," but another death ray shot over from beside him. He could also feel the soft flesh at his waist being pinched and twisted one hundred and eighty degrees.

The little man in Xu Peinian's heart roared madly:

This isn't how it was supposed to go! Wasn't I supposed to develop separate storylines with each heroine before everyone finally got along happily?

No, what heroine? One of them is an ordinary friend I've only met a few times, and the other is a scheming senior. What does that have to do with dating?

Xu Peinian reasoned with himself internally and ultimately decided to shut up and follow his heart.

In this situation, the less he said, the fewer mistakes he would make. If he said even one extra word, he might die without a burial ground.

"The dormitory the academy assigned me is here."

Zhu Zhuqing pointed at a small courtyard, which happened to be the other vacant courtyard right next to Xu Peinian's.

Come on, officer, it can't be that much of a coincidence... Xu Peinian's vision went dark, and he nearly fainted on the spot.

"A-Nian, are you okay?"

Hu Liena held Xu Peinian's arm and asked with concern, looking nothing like someone who had just been jealous and angry.

"I-I'm fine."

Xu Peinian waved his hand.

Right now, he only wanted to find whoever assigned the dormitories, grab them by the neck, and fiercely demand to know why, in such a huge dormitory area, Zhu Zhuqing had been assigned right beside him.

From now on, these two women would be living on either side of him. How was he supposed to cultivate diligently? How was he supposed to pursue the path to godhood? His ears would probably be filled with death whispers every day.

"Achoo!"

At that moment, the female student at the academy entrance registration desk suddenly sneezed.

"Who's thinking about me? Could Demon King Xu be thanking me for arranging for his friend to live beside him?"

"Hehe." At the thought of Xu Peinian being caught between two women, the female student could not help revealing a wicked auntie grin.

"A-Nian, didn't you say she was just an ordinary friend? How about you ask her to move away? She shouldn't disturb our time alone together."

Hu Liena was the first to launch an attack, filling the air with gunpowder.

Zhu Zhuqing pursed her lips and simply stared at Xu Peinian with her quiet eyes, without saying a word.

Xu Peinian: "..."

"How about I move somewhere else?" Xu Peinian proactively suggested changing dormitories.

Perfect. That way, I won't have to deal with either of them... Xu Peinian thought the plan was brilliant, practically killing two birds with one stone.

Unfortunately, reality was cruel and did not go as Xu Peinian wished.

Feeling two deathly stares, Xu Peinian was on the verge of tears.

Ladies, this little temple of mine can't accommodate two great bodhisattvas like you... Xu Peinian would rather fight all the gods of the God Realm right now than remain here for even one more second.

"Peinian, then perhaps I should move away. I'll go speak to the person in charge."

"Oh my, little sister Zhuqing, how could we let you do that? Do you even know how to find the person in charge? Would you like your senior to help you get in touch with them?"

Hu Liena was never one to fear making trouble worse, and she even fanned the flames from the side.

"Enough!"

Xu Peinian shouted, and the two women immediately fell silent and looked at him.

If a real man doesn't show his strength, do they really think I'm some lapdog? Xu Peinian held his head high and puffed out his chest as he said firmly:

"You two, both go back to your own rooms. Stop standing around here."

With that, Xu Peinian looked at Hu Liena first.

Seeing that her A-Nian was truly angry, Hu Liena stopped making a fuss. She pressed a jade-like hand to her lips and blew Xu Peinian a kiss, then swayed her waist as she elegantly returned to her room.

Zhu Zhuqing had no real reason to remain either. As Hu Liena started walking away, she too returned to her room to unpack.

Whew, I finally got them to leave... Xu Peinian wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and let out a long breath.

Glancing at Hu Liena, who lived on his left, then at Zhu Zhuqing, who had just moved in on his right, and thinking of how he might have to live here for several more years, Xu Peinian suddenly felt ten years older.

Forget it. I'll deal with the future when it comes. The boat will straighten itself when it reaches the bridge.

Xu Peinian returned to his room and sat cross-legged on the soft bed.

The Qili Belt at his waist flashed, and four purple soul rings surrounded his body.

Feeling the rate at which his soul ring lifespans increased gradually slow, Xu Peinian's mind kept turning as he considered his future development.

Simply tempering his body and consuming Whale Rubber now offered him very little help. He could almost only rely on raising his Soul Power Level to increase the lifespan of his soul rings.

If he wanted a qualitative leap, the only feasible method was to absorb a soul bone.

Soul bones might not grant abilities like soul rings did, but they greatly enhanced the soul master themself.

More importantly, soul bones could grow, making them even more precious. Many soul masters could not obtain even a single ordinary soul bone in their entire lives.

Although Qian Daoliu had promised that he could choose any soul bones he wanted, Xu Peinian was a little greedy. Those Ten Thousand Year Soul Bones could not satisfy him. If possible, he wanted something better.

If he remembered correctly, there was a one-hundred-thousand-year soul bone on the back mountain of Holy Soul Village.

In that case, even if he did not want it, he could not leave it for the enemy. If Tang Hao was there, he could also eliminate a major threat while he was at it.

With that thought, Xu Peinian turned his gaze to his fourth soul ring.

This was the soul ring he had chosen from three options when he broke through to Soul Ancestor a year ago.

Its specific effects were:

[Western Region Blade Sheep:

Soul Skill: Flying Flower Shattering Leaves (a blade-type soul skill; Soul Power became scallion blades, cutting down every enemy before him. If used alongside a blade-type weapon spirit, its power would increase severalfold).

Passive: Prairie Flower (when the illusory Cangxiao Flower above the user's head fell, the soul master entered a berserk state, overdrawing all Soul Power in exchange for combat strength beyond their limits).]

It had to be said that this was practically a soul ring tailor-made for Xu Peinian. Especially when paired with his first martial spirit, the Netherworld Blade, he would truly become a Western Region mad blade that attacked without defending.

The soul skills granted by the first two soul rings of the Qili Belt had both leaned toward support and control. Xu Peinian had no choice but to attach soul rings to the Netherworld Blade so that he would have the strength to fight.

But now, since the Qili Belt's third and fourth soul skills were both offensive abilities, Xu Peinian was not in a hurry to acquire the Netherworld Blade's third and fourth soul rings.

Wouldn't it be wonderful to leave those slots open for more precious soul beasts with higher lifespans?

Having settled on a plan, Xu Peinian did not want to linger amid the two women for even another second. He immediately turned and left without mercy, heading straight for the Elder Hall halfway up the mountain.

Hearing Xu Peinian's retreating footsteps, Hu Liena let out an angry snort, then buried her head in her blanket and pounded her pillow with both fists to vent her dissatisfaction.

Zhu Zhuqing's room on the other side was much quieter, but its owner's heart was no less unsettled.

She had experienced too much that day.

There was the overwhelming joy of reuniting with the figure etched deep in her heart, and a slight dissatisfaction at seeing that fox being intimate with him.

There was also an indescribable emotion that turned into lingering tenderness, constantly winding around her heart.