"Fatty, a word of advice," Ye Qiu said, the dangerous glint in his eyes softened by a playful smile as he clapped Ma Hongjun on the shoulder after pocketing the Dragon Beard Needle.
"Keep your eyes and your thoughts…respectful in the future. Otherwise, I can't promise I won't 'deal' with you again."
He leaned in slightly, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper, though everyone nearby could still hear. "Besides, there's no need for your 'evil fire' to ruin innocent girls. Learn some self-sufficiency, Fatty. Your time is still within a few seconds anyway; it shouldn't be a problem."
Ye Qiu straightened, his words hanging in the air.
Dai Mubai chuckled, completely disregarding Ma Hongjun's mortified expression. "Haha, Fatty, Ye Qiu's got the right idea! Handle your own… urges. No need to involve the innocent." He clapped Ma Hongjun on the back, a knowing smirk playing on his lips.
Privately, Dai Mubai wholeheartedly agreed with Ye Qiu's sentiment. With Zhu Zhuqing now at the academy – his fiancée – the last thing he wanted was Fatty's lecherous gaze lingering on her or any other woman. Even if Ye Qiu hadn't intervened, he would have found an opportunity to warn his portly friend.
"Fatty, did you hear him?" Dai Mubai prompted, his brow furrowed slightly.
Ma Hongjun's face was flushed a deep crimson. He nodded vigorously. "Y-yes, Boss Dai. I heard."
With the awkward little drama concluded, the group resumed their walk towards the academy cafeteria.
During their stroll, Tang San, whose very soul resonated with the art of hidden weapons, couldn't contain his curiosity any longer. He fell into step beside Ye Qiu.
"Ye Qiu, where did you get those needles?"
"Oh?" Ye Qiu feigned surprise, turning to Tang San with an innocent expression. "Xiao San, are you familiar with the Cow Hair Needle?"
"Cow Hair Needle?!" Tang San repeated, a flicker of confusion in his eyes.
"Yep, that's what I decided to call them. What do you think? Suits them, right?" Ye Qiu grinned.
"Well… it's… alright," Tang San replied, the corner of his mouth twitching almost imperceptibly. The name struck him as utterly pedestrian for such a remarkable weapon.
"Puff!" Xiao Wu, who was linked arm-in-arm with Ye Qiu on his other side, couldn't stifle a giggle. She knew Ye Qiu was likely spinning another one of his tall tales.
Tang San blinked, momentarily taken aback. He misinterpreted Xiao Wu's amusement, assuming she shared his opinion on the rather uninspired name.
Ye Qiu rolled his eyes playfully at Xiao Wu, a silent reprimand. He certainly wasn't about to reveal the true name and significance of the Dragon Beard Needle to Tang San.
He continued his fabricated explanation. "It was just by chance. I was browsing in a shop and accidentally knocked over a crystal. After reluctantly paying for the broken pieces, I discovered, while cleaning up the shards, that some of them could stretch into these… needle-like things."
He shrugged. "At the time, I thought of you, Xiao San. You're always throwing things around in a fight, so I figured I'd give these a try. Surprisingly useful, though I didn't find many."
"Throwing things around?!" A dark vein throbbed in Tang San's temple. He couldn't believe his meticulously honed skills with hidden weapons were being dismissed as mere "throwing things around" by Ye Qiu. It was an insult to the legacy of the Tang Sect!
But Ye Qiu was a native of this world, ignorant of such arts. Perhaps it was best not to elaborate. If Ye Qiu truly underestimated him, then perhaps he would be in for a rude awakening when faced with the true power of the Tang Sect's hidden weapons.
Ye Qiu's casual mention of "not many" effectively squashed Tang San's initial impulse to ask for one of the intriguing needles.
Thinking about Ye Qiu's seemingly endless string of lucky encounters, even Tang San couldn't help a twinge of envy.
"Ye Qiu, you really do have incredible luck, don't you?" he couldn't help but remark.
Ye Qiu tightened his embrace around Xiao Wu and laughed heartily. "Haha! Of course! After all, I'm handsome, perpetually cheerful, and I have this adorable little rabbit as my lucky charm."
Xiao Wu's cheeks flushed a delicate pink as she nestled closer to Ye Qiu. Even though his words were, in his own way, truthful, she still found his blatant self-praise a tad embarrassing.
"Bah! You're such a shameless liar!" Ning Rongrong interjected, spitting out the word with playful disdain and rolling her eyes at Ye Qiu.
He was so consistently immodest that she instinctively felt he was fabricating yet another story. It was a woman's intuition, her sixth sense tingling with suspicion.
Ye Qiu glanced at Ning Rongrong, deciding against engaging her further. 'Tonight will be a different story,' she thought with a smirk.
Tang San's expression remained stiff, unsure how to respond to Ye Qiu's unabashed self-aggrandizement.
'Xiao Wu still has this… feature? It's a pity she's not mine,' a fleeting, absurd thought crossed his mind before he quickly dismissed it, and offered a wry smile.
Changing tack, Tang San decided to at least attempt to correct Ye Qiu's ridiculous nomenclature. "Ye Qiu, I think 'Dragon Beard Needle' sounds… more fitting for something like that. What do you think?"
Ye Qiu readily agreed. It was just a name, after all. As long as Tang San didn't ask for one, and he certainly wouldn't offer, especially not to someone whose future actions would directly threaten Ah Yin.
Not long after, guided by Dai Mubai, Ye Qiu and the others arrived at the academy cafeteria.
The "cafeteria" turned out to be a simple arrangement between the academy and the local village. Several villagers were employed to prepare meals for the students – basic fare, but plentiful, ensuring no one went hungry.
As they entered, Zhu Zhuqing was already seated at a table, eating her breakfast in solitude. Perhaps remembering Ye Qiu's intervention the previous day, she offered a subtle nod in acknowledgment to Ye Qiu, Xiao Wu, and the others.
Ma Hongjun, despite his recent injuries, was utterly captivated by Zhu Zhuqing's presence. His gaze was fixed, undisguised admiration causing him to swallow audibly.
Dai Mubai nudged him sharply with his elbow. "Fatty, behave yourself. Don't go asking for another beating."
Ma Hongjun winced and immediately tried to compose himself, though his eyes still flickered towards Zhu Zhuqing.
Seeing his continued reluctance to look away, Dai Mubai jabbed him again, harder this time.
"Damn it, Boss Dai! Be gentle, you're hurting me!" Ma Hongjun hissed, clutching his side.
Dai Mubai gritted his teeth, a storm of frustration brewing behind his eyes. 'Did this fat oaf have no filter between his brain and his… lower regions?'
Ignoring the barely concealed amusement of Ning Rongrong and the other two girls, Dai Mubai surreptitiously glanced at Zhu Zhuqing. She seemed oblivious to their arrival, eating her breakfast with quiet composure, her expression as cool as ever.
They collected their simple meals. Xiao Wu settled down beside Ye Qiu, while Ning Rongrong perched opposite them, picking at the meager offerings on her plate and muttering about the food's blandness and unappetizing appearance.
Dai Mubai more or less deposited the injured Ma Hongjun onto a nearby bench before breaking the silence with a few dry coughs.
"Alright, it looks like everyone's here except for Xiao Ao, who's probably still asleep. Since we'll all be living and studying together from now on, I figured we should properly introduce ourselves."
He clapped Ma Hongjun on the shoulder, perhaps a little too forcefully, and announced loudly, "Let me introduce you all to this… enthusiastic fellow. This is Ma Hongjun, and his Martial Spirit is a… well, it 'evolved' into a Phoenix."
Upon hearing the word "Phoenix," Zhu Zhuqing's head lifted. She cast a brief, almost imperceptible glance at Ma Hongjun, a slight frown creasing her delicate features. When her gaze flickered over Dai Mubai, an almost tangible chill seemed to emanate from her.
Next, Dai Mubai introduced Ma Hongjun to Ye Qiu, Xiao Wu, and Ning Rongrong, briefly mentioning their Martial Spirits.
After the initial introductions, Dai Mubai continued, "We're all going to be classmates, so I don't think we need to be too formal with names. You can call me Mubai or 'Dai Lao Da' like Xiao Ao and Fatty do."
Xiao Wu immediately scowled. She had never referred to Ye Qiu as "big brother," and the idea of calling someone else "Dai Lao Da" was preposterous. "Absolutely not! Xiao Wu doesn't a have big brother! From now on, I'm calling you… Dai Lao Hu." (Big old tiger)
"Alright… that name… has a certain ring to it," Dai Mubai said, a muscle twitching in his jaw. He couldn't argue with her, and he certainly couldn't fight her. He was forced to plaster on a weak smile and accept his new moniker against his better judgment. At least she hadn't called him "Sick Cat."