Qing Linyun quickened his pace without realizing it. After all, he didn't want to get into a chase with the gate guard.
They had barely gone any distance when Gu Yue abruptly shook Qing Linyun's hand off her shoulder and took two steps back.
Putting some distance between herself and Qing Linyun.
Her face instantly turned bright red, the blush burning from her ears all the way down to her neck.
The shy little expression on her face stunned Qing Linyun for a moment, because that gesture, that look, was so much like Na'er when she was little.
"Pervert!"
She squeezed the word out through clenched teeth.
Qing Linyun came back to his senses and raised an eyebrow.
Gu Yue's thoughts were in complete disarray.
First of all, she was angry. Extremely angry.
That shameless Qing Linyun had actually put his arm around her just now. Around her. Who did he think she was? The dignified Silver Dragon King herself had been held by a human child, trapped in his embrace in such a humiliating way, no less.
It wasn't that Lady Gu Yue hadn't thought of breaking free just now. It was just that all her power was sealed, and Qing Linyun had held her in place to keep her from moving, so she hadn't succeeded.
In Na'er's memories, this man was never serious. He really was a pervert.
...Wait.
When he had put his arm around her just now.
He hadn't actually used much force...
That feeling... how should she put it...
Gu Yue's thoughts drifted.
It was... like being wrapped up by something. A little... a little... actually, being held by him hadn't felt bad. How should she put it? Being controlled... felt kind of good?
"!!!"
Gu Yue shuddered, startled by her own thought. What had she just been thinking? Good?
She, the Silver Dragon King, had been held by a man and thought it felt good?
Had she gone mad?
There had to be something wicked about this man.
Yes, that had to be it.
It had nothing to do with her. There was no way she thought being controlled like that felt good.
Impossible. Absolutely impossible.
Gu Yue coughed softly twice, as if to ease the awkwardness, drawing a sidelong glance from Qing Linyun beside her.
Qing Linyun had no idea an entire drama had just played out in Gu Yue's head.
Grinning, he withdrew his hand.
"Hey, don't get worked up."
"I was..."
He cleared his throat and deliberately put on a serious expression.
"I saw the gate guard stopping you, and I was worried a young girl like you might get the short end of the stick."
"So I reluctantly sacrificed my own reputation to cover for you."
"You should be thanking me."
Gu Yue glared at him.
"..."
"What's with that look?" Qing Linyun spread his hands innocently. "I'm telling the truth."
"Think about it. People like that gate guard never listen to reason. If I hadn't said those things, would he have let you in?"
"Besides, you'd already missed registration, and I'm just some random outsider. How else could I have gotten in? Wasn't my idea a good one?"
"Look, we got in, didn't we?"
Gu Yue: "..."
She actually thought he had a point.
No. She couldn't let him lead her astray.
This guy was best at pulling the wool over people's eyes. A trace of wariness quietly rose in Gu Yue's heart. Keeping her expression unchanged, she edged back, trying to put some distance between herself and Qing Linyun.
Seeing Gu Yue's obvious little movement, Qing Linyun was somewhat pained.
"Even so, you can't... can't..."
Gu Yue couldn't finish the sentence for a long time.
Couldn't what?
Couldn't put your arm around me.
She couldn't bring herself to say it.
Saying it would be admitting she cared.
Gu Yue took a deep breath and decided not to get tangled up with him over the subject.
"...What exactly do you want?"
"Me?"
Qing Linyun pointed at himself.
"What could I want?"
"I'm just here to find someone."
"Of course, you can also take me for someone here to register."
Qing Linyun offered a few casual words of explanation. Then he changed the subject.
"What about you? Weren't you here to register? How are you planning to do that?"
Gu Yue snorted.
"None of your business."
That was what she said, but her mind was racing.
She'd missed the registration deadline. All the formalities were held up at the gate. She couldn't just reveal her Martial Soul right now, could she? As soon as the thought crossed her mind, she casually blurted out:
"With your strength, do you even need to enroll?"
The air fell silent for a moment. Gu Yue herself froze.
What had she just said? With his strength, did he even need to enroll?
How did she know how strong he was? By all rights, she was just a Two-Ring Soul Master right now.
Two rings.
She shouldn't even have been able to sense the Soul Power fluctuations of the person in front of her. But what she'd just said had been entirely instinctive.
It was as if... as if she'd known his exact measure all along.
...Oh no.
Her cover was blown.
I'm done for, I'm done for, I'm done for. I got too carried away talking just now and forgot about that. I'm not the Silver Dragon King or Na'er right now, just an ordinary two-ring girl.
He's a Seven-Ring Soul Sage right now. I shouldn't have been able to tell how strong he was at a glance. I need to find a way to bluff my way through this.
Qing Linyun looked at her, a hint of understanding in his eyes. Of course he knew why Gu Yue had said that. She shared Na'er's memories, after all.
Actually, that was both right and wrong. With Gu Yue's discerning eye, she should have been able to see his true Soul Power. After all, God King-level spiritual power was nothing to scoff at, though he didn't know whether Gu Yue still retained that spiritual power.
Qing Linyun pondered this to himself.
Gu Yue realized it too.
Her face turned even redder.
Mm, like a monkey's butt.
"I-I didn't mean it like that..."
She hurriedly tried to cover for herself.
"I mean... you're so tall and mighty-looking... anyone can see you're impressive... you shouldn't need to go to school at all..."
Even she felt awkward saying it.
Tall and mighty-looking.
She had clearly just thought he was a little handsome.
How had that turned into tall and mighty-looking when it came out of her mouth?
Qing Linyun held back a laugh.
Of course he wouldn't expose her.
What fun would that be?
"Oh... I see."
He drew out the words, wearing an expression that said, "I believe you."
Gu Yue: "..."
She had the distinct feeling he was holding back a laugh.
"All right, then." Qing Linyun shrugged. "I'll be straight with you."
"I really didn't come here to study."
"I came to find someone."
"Who?" Gu Yue asked instinctively.
"You'll know when we get there."
Qing Linyun didn't answer directly. He was also pondering how he could stay at Eastsea Academy with a legitimate reason.
As he saw it, Wu Changkong most likely wouldn't leave with him, and he could use that as a pretext to stay in Eastsea City.
Go straight to Wu Changkong?
Wouldn't that be a little too abrupt?
Though his coming here was already a little abrupt, so it didn't really matter.
Tsk, how should he find Wu Changkong?
As he was thinking, his gaze swept across the field. Gu Yue followed his gaze and looked over too.
A person stood at the edge of the field.
He was dressed entirely in white. His long, lake-blue hair hung all the way to his waist. When the wind blew, strands of it drifted gently.
He looked to be over 1.9 meters tall, with a lean figure, broad shoulders and a narrow waist, an ape's back and a wolf's arms, and a pair of long, straight legs.
He stood there with his arms folded, his ice-blue eyes calmly surveying the students running laps around the field.
His face was expressionless, his gaze icy.
His whole body gave off a keep-strangers-away presence.
It was none other than Eastsea Little Changkong himself.
The students running around him unconsciously lightened their steps as they passed him, like a large feline passing through a group of rabbits.
A few bolder girls stood at a distance, stealing glances at him, their eyes full of little stars.
Qing Linyun looked at that figure from behind, the corners of his mouth slowly curling up.
Wu Changkong, my dear senior brother.
This really came without the slightest effort. How did I forget? When Gu Yue enrolled, Wu Changkong happened to be teaching Tang Wulin and the others on the field.
Qing Linyun thought to himself.
"Hey, do you know that teacher?"
Gu Yue asked curiously.
But before Qing Linyun could answer, trouble came for them.
"Yes, those two. They barged into Eastsea Academy for no reason. The man seems to be a lunatic. Hurry and catch them."