Duan Ming hesitated for a moment, then accepted the friend request.
[Zhang Hongji: Hello, you're Duan Ming, right?]
[Duan Ming: Yes. And you are?]
[Zhang Hongji: You don't even know who I am?]
[Duan Ming: ...]
[Zhang Hongji: Look at the stairs by the court on your left.]
Duan Ming looked toward the stairs by the court.
A tall, skinny boy with fair skin was sitting there.
He looked like a third- or fourth-year student, with a roguishly handsome face.
When Duan Ming turned to look at him, the boy waved back.
[Duan Ming: I see you. What do you want?]
[Zhang Hongji: I just wanted to ask if you're free tonight. Could we have dinner together?]
[Duan Ming: Sorry, I'm not interested in men.]
[Zhang Hongji: ...]
The man sitting on the stairs not far away looked utterly baffled.
Did he look gay?
[Duan Ming: If there's nothing else, I'm going to eat.]
[Zhang Hongji: Wait, who said I wanted you for that? Do I look like someone who's interested in men?]
[Duan Ming: Yes.]
[Zhang Hongji: ...]
It seemed this conversation couldn't go on.
[Zhang Hongji: I have something important to discuss with you. I saw you sparring with someone earlier, and I want to invite you to join our Demon-Slaying Alliance.]
[Duan Ming: Demon-Slaying Alliance?]
Black lines appeared on Zhang Hongji's forehead.
This guy hadn't just never heard of him; he didn't even know about the Demon-Slaying Alliance.
As one of the two largest factions at Divine Power School, did it really have so little presence in the eyes of the new students?
[Zhang Hongji: The Demon-Slaying Alliance is one of the two largest factions among our school's students. If you join, you can exchange pointers and learn from other members, improving your strength faster. You can also help each other out when something comes up. Most importantly, new students generally aren't qualified to train in the wilderness, but our alliance organizes wilderness training trips every so often. You can come along when we do. You won't have to worry about safety. With several of the alliance's experts accompanying us, nothing will happen.]
[Duan Ming: Hmm, that sounds like it makes some sense. I don't seem to have any reason to refuse.]
[Zhang Hongji: So you agree?]
[Duan Ming: No, I refuse.]
After typing his reply, Duan Ming got up and left.
Watching Duan Ming leave, Zhang Hongji blinked in bewilderment.
What was going on?
He'd been rejected?
Normally, getting into the Demon-Slaying Alliance was a tremendous honor for a new student.
Yet Duan Ming had rejected him!
And so decisively, too!
The Demon-Slaying Alliance and all that sounded pretty impressive.
But Duan Ming had no desire to join.
He didn't want to be tied down by any group.
He thought class one was just fine.
There was no need to get involved in any other messy organizations.
After dinner, everyone returned to the classroom for lessons.
Tonight's lesson wasn't a foreign language class.
Instead, Lin Qiao personally taught them about the various monsters commonly found in the wilderness.
After all, knowing a monster's weaknesses would make it easier to deal with if they encountered one later.
After school, he reached the school gate and saw his third uncle had come to pick him up in his car.
"Kid, I remember you never learned saber techniques before, did you? So how come I hear your saber skills are so good?"
"I picked them up chopping vegetables while cooking." Sitting in the back seat, Duan Ming gazed quietly at the scenery outside the window.
His third uncle was speechless.
Even a dog wouldn't believe that!
"Fine, I won't ask where you learned them, but you still need to be careful. Remember, if something happens in the future, don't just rush in blindly. Let someone else go first. Don't always charge ahead yourself. Safety first-your life is what matters!"
From his third uncle's point of view, he was saying all this entirely for Duan Ming's sake.
Back home, Duan Ming sat down at his computer and continued searching for information about Dual Divine Marks.
Just then, another friend request popped up.
The note read "Peng Sisi."
Hmm?
That name sounded like it belonged to a beauty.
Accept!!
[Peng Sisi: Excuse me, are you Duan Ming?]
[Duan Ming: Yes.] He added a grinning emoji at the end.
[Peng Sisi: I'm Peng Sisi from fourth-year class one. Would you have time to have a meal together?]
[Duan Ming: Now?]
As they chatted, Duan Ming browsed the woman's photo album.
He had to admit, she really was a beauty.
She could give Zhou Yao from his class a run for her money.
No, her maturity definitely gave her extra points for sexiness!
[Peng Sisi: Yes. If you're free now, we can go now. If not, tomorrow is fine too.]
[Duan Ming: Where are we eating?]
[Peng Sisi: Where are you? My boyfriend and I will come pick you up.]
Duan Ming fell silent.
[Duan Ming: Sorry, I probably can't tonight. My dog is missing.]
[Peng Sisi: ...]
Leaning back in his computer chair, Duan Ming pondered.
Could this woman's boyfriend be Zhang Hongji?
If the man didn't work, were they trying a honey trap?
[Peng Sisi: Then how about tomorrow?]
[Duan Ming: Tomorrow... that depends on whether I can find my dog.]
In fourth-year class one's classroom at Divine Power School.
A man stood behind a woman dressed in a sexy outfit. "He refused?"
Peng Sisi turned and asked, "Could it be because we didn't tell him we're from the Heaven and Earth Society?"
The man shook his head slightly. "That shouldn't be likely. There's no one in all of Divine Power School who doesn't know us."
"But he's only been here for a week or two."
The man stroked his chin with one hand and said, "This kid's interesting. We have to recruit him into our Heaven and Earth Society. We can't let Zhang Hongji beat us to him. When I was watching the kid's spar in secret today, I noticed Zhang Hongji was hiding and watching too."
"Are his saber skills really that impressive?"
Peng Sisi was extremely curious.
The man nodded gravely and grunted in affirmation.
"Then how does he compare to you?"
The man shook his head slightly. "In overall strength, he definitely can't compare to me. But when it comes to saber skills alone, he's definitely above me! In that slash he made, he didn't even use Qi, let alone his Divine Mark. I couldn't produce that much power and such speed without using Qi."
The man thought for a moment, then said, "At first, the kid seemed somewhat interested in having a meal, but as soon as you said you and I would pick him up, he refused. Tell me, is it possible he's a lecher?"
"If I'd known, I wouldn't have said you were coming to pick him up with me. I'd have gone by myself."
"It's not too late. He hasn't turned down our invitation yet. How about this? Tomorrow, ask him out on your own. Better yet, go straight to his classroom to find him. I believe he'll go out to eat with you."
"All right, I'll try tomorrow. As for whether it'll work, I don't know. I keep feeling like he's a bit of a loner, the sort who doesn't much like groups."