"Tang Sect? The Tang Sect that sells Hidden Weapons?"
"I remember it declined a long time ago, didn't it? There are still people in it?"
"Zhang Yang! If you want to join a sect, come to big sister! I'll feed you, house you, and take care of you!"
"What a shame, what a shame! Someone else beat me to it again. Why didn't I think of that..."
Zhang Yang had made no attempt to hide what he was doing.
Almost at once, the atmosphere erupted.
The senior sisters who had come because of his reputation were surprised or annoyed, and began discussing it among themselves.
Amid all the commotion, Tang Ya was delighted. Inviting Zhang Yang had been the right decision.
He had only just joined, and his handsome looks were already working their magic, greatly boosting the Tang Sect's prestige. It was a fine start!
Bei Bei swallowed his complaint...
As Tang Ya's boyfriend, he knew her well.
She seemed carefree and innocent, but she had a powerful goal-one that could even be called an obsession.
If he jumped out and spoke ill of Zhang Yang now, it would only have the opposite effect.
"Bei Bei, things don't look good." Xu Sanshi also came over and lowered his voice to warn his bro.
"What nonsense are you thinking? Itching for another beating?" Bei Bei looked back and glared at him. Way to bring up the one thing you shouldn't.
Just then.
Wang Dong walked up to Tang Ya.
She firmly volunteered that she wanted to join as well.
There was no reason to refuse such a request, and Tang Ya happily agreed on the spot.
Xiao Xiao's eyes widened as she belatedly came to her senses. "Me too, me too! Teacher Xiao Ya, you can't play favorites!"
Tang Ya's eyes and brows were full of joy. She had recruited three talented people in one go, doubling their numbers. "All right, all right, welcome, welcome! Come on in!"
[Tang Ya's affection +10, current: 80 (second check-in unavailable)]
Zhang Yang watched the system notification appear in his mind again. That was fast.
Appealing to her preferences and satisfying her needs, combined with max-level charm, was simply unstoppable.
If this trend continued, Bei Bei probably wouldn't have long to wait before he was single again. A two-second moment of silence for him.
"Zhang Yang, thank you!"
With the formalities complete, Tang Ya expressed her heartfelt gratitude.
A glimmer of moisture flickered in her azure eyes. It was hard to tell whether it was tears or a flirtatious look.
She made no further moves, nor could she actually give him any special reward in front of her boyfriend.
After a brief chat, she stopped talking to Zhang Yang, but this deliberate push and pull only made someone's heart ache all the more.
Things were getting more and more wrong...
They had only just met, after all!
Veins bulged on Bei Bei's forehead, but he couldn't find an excuse to lose his temper, so he could only feign composure and make a suggestion.
"Xiao Ya, it's getting late, and we have classes tomorrow. Let's go back and rest. We can all sit down and talk next time."
There was nothing wrong with what he said.
Tang Ya nodded and waved to the others.
She said goodbye and left, with Xu Sanshi naturally following along, his presence barely noticeable.
Zhang Yang glanced at the sky. There was still some time before curfew, but the grilled fish had sold so well that it was already gone.
"Let's go too."
Everyone was of much the same mind.
They pushed the grilled-fish cart back into the academy.
The lovestruck senior sisters and the senior brothers watching the fun didn't continue following them.
Instead, a few without prominent families or sects were pondering matters related to the Tang Sect. This round of advertising had indeed packed a punch.
"Zhang Yang, Xiao Xiao, our dorm is this way. See you tomorrow." Wang Dong'er gave Xiao Xiao a meaningful look, the corners of her mouth lifting.
"Mm-hmm, hurry along... I mean, see you tomorrow." Xiao Xiao was clearly distracted and remained standing beside Zhang Yang.
Soon, Wang Dong'er and Huo Yuhao left.
Their affection was still rather low, so he would have to keep working at it.
But Xiao Xiao was already at 90, the threshold for a second check-in. He couldn't let the chance slip by!
"I'll walk you back to your dorm."
"I'll walk you back to your dorm."
The two of them spoke in uncanny unison.
Afterward, Zhang Yang froze, an amused look on his face.
Xiao Xiao flushed bright red, her youthful, pretty face especially adorable with its rosy cheeks.
Before she could react, she felt herself grow slightly weightless. Something touched her back, and Zhang Yang drew her into his arms.
The night was like water, reflecting the lakeshore.
The scenery was just right, so what was he waiting for?
Zhang Yang decisively lowered his head. Xiao Xiao was just as unrestrained, lifting her face to confront the unknown "terror."
Although he would "get shocked quite a bit" this way, for the check-in reward at 100 affection, he maintained that more shocks were healthier.
His head lowered further.
The two soon collided.
Deep in his consciousness, system notifications kept popping up one after another, as though the system had broken. They were rather noisy.
[Xiao Xiao's affection +5, current: 95] [Xiao Xiao's affection +5, current: 100] [Xiao Xiao's affection +10! Current: 110] [Xiao Xiao's affection +20! Current: 130]
Xiao Xiao was a little dazed, but Zhang Yang wasn't.
He was even pondering how affection wasn't capped at 100 after all. That was merely the cutoff.
"System, check in with Xiao Xiao."
Handling the young girl was easy.
Zhang Yang didn't even need to pause for breath. He took a moment to communicate with the system and completed the second check-in on the spot.
[Check-in complete. Reward obtained: Law of Music] [Sound is the medium of transmission, and music is its carrier. Music will strengthen your ears and help you listen to the world]
Zhang Yang was genuinely astonished.
Good grief, the power of a law?
He had guessed that the second check-in reward would be more generous, and that it should give him a skill to protect himself.
But he had never expected the system to go so big. It sounded like a high-level law.
"Strengthen my ears and listen to the world."
"Added to my Body Martial Soul? Not bad, not bad."
Zhang Yang swept his consciousness over it and quickly understood. As he pondered, he nearly forgot his situation.
Muffled, plaintive whimpers came from Xiao Xiao's blocked mouth, and her face had turned as red as an apple.
He hurriedly raised his head and separated from her, letting her breathe again. She gasped desperately for air, having nearly suffocated on the spot.
"Honestly, if you couldn't take it, you should've said so." Zhang Yang teased her with a smile, still holding her in his arms.
"How could I say anything when you had my mouth blocked? You did it on purpose!" Xiao Xiao didn't fall for it this time and argued her case.
Knowing he was in the wrong, Zhang Yang chose to surrender.
As the price, Xiao Xiao took the initiative this time.
She shot up onto her tiptoes like a fledgling eager to feed, zeroing in precisely on her target.
But she was too inexperienced, and her movement was a little too big. Their foreheads knocked together.
Fortunately, they were both Soul Masters, so it didn't hurt much. It didn't delay the important business in the slightest; they carried on with what they were doing.
The moonlight still hung in the sky...
After quite a while, the romantic mood faded.
Xiao Xiao regained her senses, shyness replacing her wildness. Leaning against his chest, she asked, "Tell me, what are we to each other now?"
Well, whether big or small, mature or loli, they all seemed to care a lot about this question. Zhang Yang answered as though it went without saying, "We've kissed until our lips are swollen. What else could we be? You're my girlfriend, and I'm your boyfriend. Be good and listen to me from now on, got it?"
His voice seemed to carry a certain magic.
Hearing it, Xiao Xiao obediently nodded as though it were only natural.
The so-called [Law of Music] wasn't only useful for fighting or eavesdropping. It was also very handy for sweet-talking a little girlfriend...