Translator: Noodletown Translated Editor: Noodletown Translated
Zhen Congming ran into the school with his new backpack; he was too lazy to give Hao Ren a free lecture.
Hao Ren was going to ask him how it was going with Wu Luoxue. But since this kid appeared to be grumpy, that relationship was definitely not heading anywhere.
Hao Ren went back to East Ocean University and had breakfast in the cafeteria before going to his first class.
Xie Yujia and the Lu sisters were already in the classroom. They all waved at Hao Ren when they saw him.
Hao Ren sat down in the spot they saved for him, and Xie Yujia started to report before he could say anything. “I investigated Xu Ke. He got first place in the university entrance exams at City North First High School and sixth place amongst all students in the science programs at East Ocean City. He got full marks in Physics and Math, and his grades have always been very good at school. We don’t know why he applied for East Ocean University instead of the better universities in Beijing.”
“Um…” Hao Ren pondered for a few seconds and didn’t find anything suspicious.
“There are also some gossips about him,” Xie Yujia continued, “He was quite popular at high school, and there were many girls who were fond of him. However, he never really dated anyone. I feel like he didn’t spend much time studying. He participated in all the races but didn’t attend training very often. He also went to play baseball at a club every weekend, so there were usually a lot of girls watching him play.”
Hao Ren nodded, feeling like Xu Ke’s high school life was simple.
“Where does he live then? Does he have any family members?” Hao Ren asked.
“I’m not sure, but I think he is from a pretty well-off family. The girls in his grade say that he has a gentle, prince-like temperament. Also, baseball isn’t a popular sport in China. Some say that he used to live abroad and went to City North First High School after he came back with his family.”
Xie Yujia told Hao Ren everything she learned.
She was a little curious as to why Hao Ren would be interested in a first-year student who was from the same high school as him. She thought they had some unfinished problems.
“We need to look more into him. He claims that he is only at mid-tier Dui-level,” Hao Ren said.
“Dui-level?” Xie Yujia was a bit surprised since she didn’t think that Xu Ke was a dragon cultivator. She was a cultivator herself, and the Life-Death Notes that Old Grandma gave her could help her in comprehending nature. Even if she couldn’t tell the realm and level of the dragon cultivators on campus, she was able to sense that they were cultivators.
She didn’t sense Xu Ke’s nature essence at all and thought that he was an ordinary student.
“Is he the one who came to the classroom to see Gongzi? His dragon core is unstable, and we couldn’t figure out his realm,” Lu Linlin and Lu Lili interrupted.
“Yes.” Hao Ren gritted his teeth; he decided to try out Xu Ke’s strength if necessary.
Metal-elemental dragons were unique. Both their cultivation methods and social structures were completely different from the other four elemental dragon clans. They had their own system, so even the Dragon God Shrine couldn’t really interfere with them, let alone investigating one of them.
Also, Hao Ren didn’t want to use the Dragon God Shrine’s investigation system either. He hadn’t completely comprehended the Mystic Water Sword Techniques, and he would be in trouble if the Dragon God Shrine were to find out about it.
The Mystic Water Sword Techniques were very difficult to comprehend, and Hao Ren wasn’t able to see more content without enough power. He would never want to lose this set of techniques.
Also, it sounded like Xu Ke and his master were very interested in the Light Splitting Sword Shadow Scroll. This was related to Hao Ren and Zhao Kuo’s safety, so Hao Ren would never let them have it either.
Cultivation technique was like a cultivator’s life. If Hao Ren’s opponent could find a loophole from the technique, he would be defeated in a second.
Although Zhao Kuo had a bad temper, he was upbeat and generous just like Hao Ren. Therefore, having him practicing the Light Splitting Sword Shadow Scroll wasn’t a threat to Hao Ren. On the contrary, he could even teach Hao Ren, which was a great benefit.
In terms of other cultivators, Zhao Guang wouldn’t even let them close to the technique.
“Should I… ask more people?” Xie Yujia asked when she noticed Hao Ren’s serious look.
“That’s ok.” Hao Ren waves his hand.
Xie Yujia could only get information from the school, so it was very limited. He had already asked Huang Xujie to get more information from his channels.
That guy came over to apologize cautiously, so he must have been terrified. Therefore, he would be doing all he could to look into it.
As for if Huang Xujie would bother Xu Ke or offend Xu Ke, it was not Hao Ren’s concerns. The metal-elemental dragons were mighty, but they still had to abide by the rules; they wouldn’t kill mortals. Therefore, it might be a good idea to teach Huang Xujie a lesson this way.
Ring… Hao Ren picked up his phone.
“Brother Hao, the club’s general meeting is arranged at one o’clock in the afternoon. I also asked someone to look into that Xu Ke you mentioned yesterday. He is a first-year student and is from a metal-elemental dragon. He used to study at City North First High School, and he didn’t have any interaction with our circle. Therefore, there isn’t much more information that I can get. He didn’t register at the Calligraphy Club. I can send a few five-elemental dragons to keep an eye on him 24/7 if you want,” Lu Qi said on the other side of the phone.
“No need; you can’t keep an eye on him. I’ll come over on time this evening. Thank you for doing this.” Hao Ren hung up the phone.
Lu Qi was a detailed person indeed. Hao Ren just mentioned it yesterday, and he went on and investigated Xu Ke. Only the Vice Shrine Master of the Dragon God Shrine, Yue Zilong, knew Xu Ke’s actual background. Lu Qi’s investigation would yield in nothing.
Right now, Hao Ren had set a few nets up for Xu Ke.
He believed that Xu Ke must have sensed it, and that was exactly what Hao Ren wanted.
The class began.
Hao Ren and Xie Yujia were paying attention to the class while Lu Linlin and Lu Lili were playing the chess game, Five in a Row, on their blank notebooks.
Time flew by, and it was noon already.
Suddenly, Zhao Yanzi’s number appeared on Hao Ren’s phone.
“Ling and I are coming over for lunch!” Zhao Yanzi said the second Hao Ren picked up the phone. Then, she hung it up immediately.
Hao Ren laughed with a shake of his head. He checked the time and realized that class was almost over.
“That’s all for today. Now, I’ll assign you several questions to think about…” The instructor put on the slides.
Xie Yujia picked up a pen to make notes, but Hao Ren only took a glance and remembered all the questions.
His memory had improved by five or six times since he started cultivating. It was good before, but he had a photographic memory now. Those tests and exams that required a lot of memorizations were as easy as a piece of cake for him.
The four walked out of this academic building and saw Zhao Yanzi riding over with Ling on the backseat of the bicycle.
Their uniforms, which were light blue T-shirts and short skirts, stood out in the crowd.
Shoo!
Zhao Yanzi stopped right in front of Hao Ren.
She turned to Hao Ren and blushed, but she immediately put on an angry face. “Buy us some food!”
Ling was only dragged over by her for an obvious purpose; Zhao Yanzi was too embarrassed to come on her own, so she asked Ling to come along.
Hao Ren remembered the sweet kiss from last night when he looked at her. He wouldn’t have been able to fall asleep if it weren’t for cultivation. That was what a first kiss was like; it kept people thinking back to it with their hearts thumping.
Zhao Yanzi couldn’t sleep all night after she went back to her dorm. So, she came to see Hao Ren as soon as the school gate was opened today.
“Ok, I’ll take you out for lunch.” Hao Ren smiled at her.
Xie Yujia looked at them. She sensed something weird between them, but she couldn’t tell exactly what it was.
The cafeteria was already crowded with students.
Ling secretly complained, “Is East Ocean University’s cafeteria that good? You literally pulled me here… I was going to have lunch with Liu Yuntao outside.”
She saw Zhao Yanzi’s eyes shine brightly and knew that her friend was coming here to see Hao Ren
“Humph, she claimed not to like him, but her eyes tell the whole story,” she thought.
She then looked at Hao Ren and wondered, “There are three other pretty girls with him at university, so he is not very loyal! Zhao Yanzi must have been crazy over him to accept this!”
She had no idea that although Hao Ren and Zhao Yanzi seemed to have been together for a long time now, they just had their first kiss yesterday!
Zhao Yanzi had been spacing out during the first two classes in the morning, and the teacher called her name a few times. However, she appeared to be happy during the last two classes in the morning, and it confused Ling.
“This was the reason for her sudden change of mood,” Ling thought.
“This is Hao Ren’s little cousin…”
“He had a fight at the middle school because of her…”
“I heard she is not his cousin. That’s his girlfriend… or something like a fiancée…”
“No way. They are middle school students, right?”
Zhao Yanzi sat down, and those gossipy girls soon started to discuss her.
“They are talking about you, Zi.” Ling nudged Zhao Yanzi’s arm.
“Let them talk!” Zhao Yanzi was not afraid of these university students at all.
Her parents accepted Hao Ren already, and even her class advisor, Luo Ying, couldn’t do anything about it. There was no way that she was afraid of the gossips.
“Hey,” Ling nudged her arm again. “Who’s that girl beside Uncle? She’s very pretty.”
Ling was looking at Xie Yujia who was standing in line beside Hao Ren.
Xie Yujia was wearing a light-colored dress without much makeup. However, her refreshing temperament and beauty were something middle school girls didn’t have.
“Her…” Zhao Yanzi pouted, not knowing how to explain.
“I think Uncle is kind of a playboy, Zi. You have got to be careful. Maybe he will only like you for a while…” Ling reminded Zhao Yanzi kind-heartedly.
Zhao Yanzi was very energetic and cute, but Ling knew that many guys would only like a girl before they got her. Once they did, they wouldn’t be as loving.
There were three pretty girls beside Hao Ren, and it seemed like they were very close. As Zhao Yanzi’s best friend, Ling was a little worried for her.
Zhao Yanzi was in a very good mood just now, and Ling’s remark brought her spirit down a bit.
“Xue, relax! I am familiar with East Ocean University!” Zhen Congming pulled Wu Luoxue into the cafeteria; they were both in their elementary school uniforms.