Ye Ziyun was a diligent student, and knowing that Nie Li beside her was a vault of knowledge, she asked him all sorts of questions about inscription patterns and martial arts. Nie Li answered each one of her questions with ease.
The sight of the two of them chatting and laughing made the surrounding boys feel nothing but envy.
To them, the beautiful Ye Ziyun was a goddess. However, due to her noble status, most of them didn't dare approach her. They'd even feel ashamed just standing near her. Moreover, her slightly cold demeanor made her seem distant and unreachable.
Although they admired Ye Ziyun deeply, they didn't even have the courage to start a conversation. But why was it that when Ye Ziyun talked with Nie Li, it looked so natural? That elegant smile of hers completely captivated the boys.
From behind, Chan Wei watched the scene and sighed to himself, wishing he could be with the goddess of his own heart. At the very least, Nie Li hadn't messed things up with Ye Ziyun yet, and since Xiao Ning'er was close to him, there shouldn't be too much to worry about.
The surrounding boys couldn't help but glance over at them repeatedly.
Seeing Ye Ziyun's gentle smile, Nie Li couldn't help but remember his past life. At that time, Ye Ziyun had been even more enchanting than she was now. Looking at the girl in front of him, he thought to himself, "When will she become that peerless beauty again?"
When she noticed Nie Li staring at her, Ye Ziyun couldn't help but blush. She lowered her head, clearly lost in thought. She recalled Nie Li's bold confession back in class. Back then, it had annoyed her. But now… she wasn't quite sure what she felt inside.
When she was with Nie Li, that memory from the library came back—when he had shown just how deeply he understood her.
Looking behind her, she noticed Chan Wei smiling at her and was reminded that Xiao Ning'er had returned to her side thanks to both him and Nie Li.
Just as Nie Li and Ye Ziyun were chatting, soul force waves rippled out from the forest, indicating a fierce battle underway. A fleeting smile crossed Chan Wei's lips—he could feel the moment approaching.
The three silver-ranked strangers had been surrounded by the five silver-ranked experts brought by Chen Linjian.
"Speak! Where are you from? What are your intentions? If you won't talk, don't blame me for being ruthless!" Chen Linjian shouted as he stood tall before them.
Due to the constant threat of demon beast attacks, all the families in Glory City were typically united. As such, they rarely ever killed members of other families. But the Dark Guild was a group of assassins. If they were confirmed to be members of the Dark Guild, Chen Linjian would never let them go.
The three silver-ranked experts exchanged glances. How could they dare reveal that they were from the Sacred Family? That would only bring greater trouble upon their family. Thus, all three remained silent and instead chose to charge forward.
"If you won't identify yourselves… don't blame me for being merciless!" Seeing that they still refused to talk, Chen Linjian was now convinced they belonged to the Dark Guild. He shouted, "Kill them!"
Chen Linjian's men charged forward. Both sides engaged in a fierce battle. After the clash, one of the three silver-ranked experts was killed, while the other two fled with serious injuries—only to make it about 500 meters before being utterly wiped out on the spot by Chan Wei's shadow beasts, unable to even put up a fight.
Chan Wei quietly approached the bodies. As expected, he couldn't extract their shadows—only their demon spirits and the soul force that hadn't yet dissipated after their deaths. Thanks to the remains of these three experts, Chan Wei finally advanced to Silver Rank, 5-star. There was nothing else of value to loot, as they had concealed their identities thoroughly.
The demon spirits were two Fire Wolves and one Magma Hedgehog, which had all reverted to Bronze Rank, 5-star. Due to his breakthrough, Chan Wei was able to promote 10 new shadow beasts to Silver Rank, though he would need to cultivate further to stabilize all his troops at their peak.
Upon hearing the news, Shen Yue nearly went insane. The three silver-ranked experts had been arranged by him specifically to take care of Nie Li, yet he never expected the plan to be ruined by Chen Linjian. What he didn't know was that it was Nie Li who had tipped off Chen Linjian, prompting him to take action.
"Looks like I'll have to do it myself!" Shen Yue muttered darkly. He had brought six men with him—three of them Bronze Rank, 1-star, and the other three Bronze Rank, 2-star. The last time he suffered at Nie Li's hands was only because he hadn't realized Nie Li was wearing bronze-tier armor. If he went for Nie Li's head from the start, he didn't believe Nie Li could dodge his attacks!
Noticing Shen Yue's dark expression, Nie Li immediately understood that the guy was plotting something.
Shortly after, Chen Linjian returned with the five silver-ranked experts.
"Chen Young Master, what was the identity of those three?" one of Chen Linjian's companions asked.
"My guess… they were from the Dark Guild," Chen Linjian replied.
"If they were from the Dark Guild, then they deserved to die!"
Just then, Chan Wei returned behind them, dragging the two remaining corpses, which were riddled with bite marks and missing several pieces.
"None of them escaped. Their injuries attracted a pack of wolves. Only a few wolves made it out alive, and they took some parts with them," Chan Wei said calmly, dropping the bodies.
Hearing this, Shen Yue's expression twisted. Chen Linjian had been so ruthless because he thought the three were from the Dark Guild. Otherwise, he might've just driven them off. But Shen Yue couldn't say a word. He couldn't very well tell them that those three had been sent by the Sacred Family, could he? And it seemed like Chan Wei had deliberately made sure the other two couldn't even get away by luring in wolves. He was sure this was Chan Wei's doing.
The three experts sent by his family had died for nothing. Shen Yue had no choice but to swallow his resentment.
Nie Li and Chan Wei… both bastards!
Now that it was clear Chen Linjian held Nie Li in high regard, Nie Li's status in the group started to rise. Some of Chen Linjian's friends even began striking up conversations with him.
"My name is Huyan Lanruo, a friend of Young Master Chen, and I'm from the Huyan Family," Huyan Lanruo said with a radiant smile. She looked around 16 or 17 years old. Her figure was incredibly voluptuous and seductive—especially the twin peaks on her chest. They were simply overwhelming. Her white silk robe could barely conceal her deep cleavage, and they bounced slightly with every step she took. Her eyes glimmered with allure.
This woman was definitely a stunner!
Although the Huyan Family wasn't one of the Three Major Families, it was still a relatively powerful Noble household.
"Nice to meet you, you can call me Nie Li," Nie Li said calmly. As he looked at Huyan Lanruo, he wasn't swayed by her beauty. He vaguely remembered Huyan Lanruo—her talent was also quite outstanding. She was already a 3-star Silver rank now. In a few years, she would become the acting head of the Huyan Family.
"Hello, Big Sister," said Chan Wei from behind her, smiling.
When she turned around, Huyan Lanruo couldn't believe her eyes. "Little Chan? What are you doing here? You're going to worry Grandpa Kang and Grandma Wen if you get hurt." She then pulled Chan Wei into a hug, causing the surrounding boys to seethe with jealousy.
"Big Sis, I can't breathe," Chan Wei managed to say, struggling to pull himself out from her chest. "Besides, I'm already at Bronze rank, so you don't need to worry about my safety anymore," he added while flexing his bicep.
Huyan Lanruo chuckled a little and pinched his cheeks. "My adorable little brother's gotten brave, huh? So you don't need your big sis anymore when you have nightmares?" she teased him.
Chan Wei instantly turned bright red. Huyan Lanruo was known for being bold, and when he was younger, she used to sleep in the same bed with him and his little sister—much to their father's dismay, though he mostly laughed it off.
"Big Sis, that's private! And I was just a kid!" Chan Wei muttered, mortified, hoping Nie Li wouldn't tease him over this.
Nie Li looked at him with a big grin, clearly already planning a series of jokes for the poor red-faced teen.
If anyone thought Huyan Lanruo was just a weak, flirty girl, they'd be making a serious mistake. Climbing the ranks of a noble family—becoming even the acting head—wasn't something achievable without real skill.
After teasing Chan Wei a little more, her attention returned to Nie Li.
She was a bit surprised that Nie Li wasn't fazed by her beauty. Given his age, he should already understand the ways between men and women. Most boys would be blushing and tongue-tied in front of her, but Nie Li remained calm and collected.
Some boys would gawk openly at her chest or backside, but even though Nie Li looked straight at her, his gaze was clear, not clouded by lust. He didn't linger on her alluring body at all.
Huyan Lanruo started to take a liking to this boy.
"I'm only a few years older than you. You can just call me Big Sis Yan Ruo from now on," Huyan Lanruo said with a bright smile.
"Call you… Big Sis?" Nie Li looked a bit awkward. If Huyan Lanruo knew his true age, how would she even react?
"What's wrong? You can't do that?" Huyan Lanruo giggled softly.
Ye Ziyun, standing next to Nie Li, didn't have a good impression of Huyan Lanruo. Hearing her gentle, teasing laughter, she turned her head away in irritation.
"Big Sis, can you stop teasing my brother? Besides, I think I've found someone great for you," Chan Wei said with a sly grin.
Huyan Lanruo couldn't believe what she just heard. She turned and pinched his cheeks again, and Chan Wei let her do it. "You little rascal! So now you're trying to set your Big Sis up, huh? I'll see who you dare try to match me with when we get back!"
Although Ye Ziyun wasn't as voluptuous as Huyan Lanruo, the elegance that surrounded her was something Huyan Lanruo couldn't match. In just a few years, Ye Ziyun would become even more enchanting than Huyan Lanruo. Ye Ziyun had already raised Nie Li's standards for women to an exceptional level—so much so that even a beauty like Huyan Lanruo standing before him had little effect.
Huyan Lanruo blinked, still a little intrigued by Nie Li, but she held herself back under Chan Wei's quiet insistence. Instead, she shifted her attention toward her honorary little brother.
"So, Little Chan, I heard you became an inscriptionist? Is that true?" Huyan Lanruo asked with a warm smile.
"Of course, Big Sis! A grandmaster decided to teach me on a whim and said I had talent for it, so I've been studying seriously ever since and learning everything he shares with me," Chan Wei said proudly.
Huyan Lanruo could be playful, but she was still a thoughtful young woman. Seeing her little brother find such good fortune stirred no jealousy in her—only genuine happiness. She gently ruffled his black hair with affection.
"I'm so happy for you. Don't forget to come home during the next break. Grandma Wen really wants to see you, and your sister won't stop asking about you," she said sweetly.
"Are you… thinking about leaving the Huyan family?" she asked with a slight note of concern.
She had always seen Chan Wei's grandparents as her own and felt a deep sibling bond with their three grandchildren due to the time they'd spent together while her father managed the family's affairs. That's why the thought of him leaving worried her.
"Big Sis, I, Chan Wei, am not someone who forgets where he comes from," he said sincerely. "I want our family to stay just the way it is. I don't care about noble titles or anything like that, as long as I can live simply with my loved ones. Aside from contributing to the Huyan family and having a formal status rather than that of a servant, absolutely nothing will change. Grandpa and Grandma would be furious if I ever tried to sever our ties," he finished with a soft smile, placing a hand on her shoulder.
In response, Huyan Lanruo pulled him into another tight hug that nearly suffocated him—Chan Wei doing his best not to use too much force due to his current Gold-level strength.