News Update:
Starting from Chapter 89 and 90, we have officially expanded the world-building beyond the Hidden Dragon Sect! To everyone who has stuck with me on this journey, I can only express my deepest gratitude. As a token of appreciation, I'll continue to release bonus chapters, just as I've been doing.
As a new author—and someone for whom English is only my fourth language—I was incredibly nervous about being judged. I feared harsh criticism in the comments or encountering haters trying to bring me down. However, aside from one or two rare instances, your overwhelming patience, support, and encouragement have meant the world to me. Your positive comments have drowned out any doubts I had, and I can't thank you enough for that.
Let's continue this journey together! 🚀✨
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Chapter 70: A Suspicious Encounter
"Are you stalking me?" Mei Xueyin asked while resting her chin on her knuckles, her elbows stretched outward slightly on the wooden table between us.
I couldn't help but scoff at Mei Xueyin's absurd claim.
"I am joking~" she said, stretching out her pale index finger—so white that the blue and green veins inside her skin were visible. I instinctively pulled my arms away from the table.
"So, what were you looking at?" She gazed out the window and saw Wei Rong, the man who had confessed to her yesterday. A frown unconsciously appeared on her beautiful face.
Seeing that frown, I couldn't help but become curious. What had happened between them for Mei Xueyin to react this way toward Wei Rong? On the surface, he seemed like a typical young master from a noble family. Could there be something I was unaware of?
"Xu Mo, do you know what type of people I hate the most?" She turned her gaze back to me, and without waiting for my response, she continued while slowly blinking her large eyes.
"The ones who act like gods in front of those weaker than them but become humble before those in power. That guy, whose face is currently red with anger, is one such person."
"You might think I'm overreacting, or even believe I'm an easy woman because of how I interact with you and many other male disciples. But honestly, all those male disciples lose control the moment they see someone as beautiful as me giving them attention. Some start fantasizing about me, and in the end, I have to break their fantasies with my own hands."
"But... you are different. Or maybe you're just a higher level of hypocrite." Mei Xueyin spoke a lot, and I just listened. There was no denying it—she was beautiful. So what?
It was best to be honest with oneself and not resist one's own thoughts. The more you resist, the more those thoughts impose themselves on you.
(A/N: Guess where the inspiration for the above sentences comes from? 😏)
I just laughed it off bitterly. My palms were sweaty. I didn't know why, but every time I encountered Mei Xueyin, I lost control, and strange thoughts about her started appearing in my mind.
'Excuse me, Destined Adversary System Sir… Are you there? Can you show me the same screen you showed for Jin Meiyu, but this time for Mei Xueyin?' I asked inwardly. I knew that Sir was inside me somewhere.
Scribble-
[Yes, you are right—I am a hypocrite.]
I wrote down my response in the notebook, then rotated it on the table, turning it to face Mei Xueyin so she could read it.
"Quite honest," she said after reading my words. "Hey, Xu Mo, don't do this, or I might just fall in love with you." Mei Xueyin spoke with a shy look, but I knew she was just teasing me again. If someone else had been in my place, or even Wei Rong, they might have melted under her gaze. But in a situation where my hands were sweating and my legs were shaking under the table, I really couldn't afford to have my heart flutter right now.
[What are you here for?]
I wrote on a new page of my notebook.
"I was just curious—did something happen between you and that lady who was with you in the Technique Hall?"
The moment Mei Xueyin finished speaking, the atmosphere became strangely chilly. I looked around to see if anyone else was affected, but it seemed like they weren't even aware I was sitting at the table beside them. Everyone was laughing and talking as if nothing was happening.
Well, it had been strange from the moment Mei Xueyin approached me. She was a famous goddess of the outer sect, yet she actively approached a male disciple who was neither well-known nor in the top 10 ranking of the outer sect. However, I had felt no glaring eyes drilling holes into me.
What was even stranger was the sudden sense of soothing warmth that spread throughout my body. I was strangely calm, even though my surroundings were anything but normal. Maybe my experience in the trial was helping me stay composed, but something like this hadn't happened even during the trial.
[There was nothing between us to begin with.]
I wrote a plain sentence in my notebook and showed it to her. My sweaty palms and trembling legs stilled, and—intentionally or unintentionally—my eyes became sharp, my hunched back straightened. The distracting thoughts instantly vanished.
"Oh? Really?" Mei Xueyin remained in a relaxed posture, gazing straight at me. I tilted my head slightly.
Her hand slowly slipped into the long sleeve of her other arm, where a sharp poison needle was hidden. And its effects… well—
Ding-
[System is at your service. Master, please don't call me Sir. 😑]
"Enough."
Mei Xueyin's friend suddenly appeared and firmly placed her hand on Mei Xueyin's arm.
Instantly, the strange pressure that had been building up vanished. I could once again hear the murmurs of the people around me.
Mei Xueyin had stood up from her seat, now standing beside the friend who had also come to fetch her in the Technique Hall.
"Sorry for interrupting your pleasant date, but I have something urgent to discuss with my friend here. So, we'll excuse ourselves first," her friend said, dragging Mei Xueyin away.
The others in the teahouse snapped back to reality. And, of course, they had heard what Mei Xueyin's best friend had just said.
"A Date?!" 😲