After helping Zhu Zhuqing with her body tempering, it was already the middle of the night.
At that moment, Lin Jie was lounging on Zhu Zhuqing's bed, clearly unwilling to leave. Zhu Zhuqing looked a bit helpless about it.
The two lay side by side like a pair of lovers. Lin Jie asked softly,
"How's the External Spirit Bone in your body feeling?"
Zhu Zhuqing answered in a low voice,
"It's hard to control... and every time I use it, it consumes a lot of energy."
Lin Jie nodded.
"I looked into that External Spirit Bone of yours. It's incredibly powerful, and the attached venom is no joke. You'll have to learn to master it. Understand?"
He added with a grin,
"I've decided to name it Eight Spider Lances. What do you think?"
Zhu Zhuqing replied calmly,
"I think it's a good name."
"I'll give you something tomorrow," Lin Jie said, then wrapped his arms around her gently.
Zhu Zhuqing didn't resist. Instead, she quietly lay in his embrace, her heart at peace. By now, she had grown accustomed to being held by Lin Jie—and realized she might actually like it. Like him.
After a while, Lin Jie looked down and saw she had fallen asleep.
He pulled the blanket up over her—and over himself—then held her close and drifted off with her.
At dawn the next day, Zhu Zhuqing opened her eyes to find herself in Lin Jie's arms. Lin Jie was grinning mischievously at her. She jolted upright, sitting up in bed with a bright red face. The shy look on her face made her look almost biteably cute.
"Go!" she said, flustered. "Hurry, or Xiao Wu and the others might find out!"
Lin Jie smirked.
"Sure, I'll go—if you give me a kiss first. Otherwise, let them see. I'm not scared."
He leaned in toward her face.
Zhu Zhuqing hesitated for a second, then gave him a quick peck on the cheek. Just as she was about to push him toward the window, they heard Xiao Wu's voice outside.
"Zhuqing? Are you up yet?"
The two inside the room froze for a moment. Zhu Zhuqing panicked slightly, while Lin Jie remained perfectly calm, casually pointing at his lips.
Zhu Zhuqing instantly understood—he wanted a kiss on the lips this time.
Blushing furiously, she gave him a quick kiss before shoving him toward the window. Lin Jie, satisfied, leapt out with ease.
Zhu Zhuqing smoothed out her expression and opened the door. Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong were already waiting outside. She said calmly,
"I was up late cultivating last night."
Ning Rongrong didn't suspect anything—but Xiao Wu sniffed the air, her nose twitching, then gave a knowing smile.
"Cultivating, huh?"
Zhu Zhuqing, unaware of how sharp Xiao Wu's nose could be, remained poker-faced but inwardly flustered.
"Of course," she said.
With that, the three girls walked off together.
Lin Jie had already returned to his room. Soon after, he heard Tang San calling from outside:
"Teacher says everyone needs to gather—he has something to say!"
Lin Jie made his way to one of the academy's old classrooms. "Classroom" was a generous term—it was really just a rundown room with a few wooden desks. Zhu Zhuqing and the others were already inside. Lin Jie was the last to arrive.
As he entered, his eyes fell on the man standing beside Flender at the front of the room. The man had short hair, a weary expression, and wore a long black robe.
Lin Jie frowned.
"That's Yu Xiaogang… no doubt about it," he thought. "Didn't expect to see him so soon. Wonder if he still remembers me. It's been six years... I used to just hold a grudge, but now? I honestly just find the guy annoying."
He shot a glance at Yu Xiaogang before quietly taking a seat beside Tang San, offering him a friendly smile.
Flender stepped forward to speak, introducing each of the teachers. Finally, he gestured to the man beside him and said,
"This is the man known for formulating the Ten Core Competencies of Martial Souls. He's been hailed as the top theorist in the Spirit Master world. You can just call him Master. He's also Tang San's teacher."
Hearing the word "Master," Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and the others perked up, their eyes turning toward Tang San. After all, a student as talented as Tang San must have an amazing teacher.
Only one person looked at Lin Jie—Zhu Zhuqing. She clearly remembered what Lin Jie had once told her: how he had tried to apprentice under this very man, only to be turned away because of his "low innate spirit power."
Sure, Tang San was excellent—but to Zhu Zhuqing, he still couldn't compare to Lin Jie. Not even close. Yes... she had to admit it now—she liked Lin Jie. Even if she never said it aloud, her heart had already made that decision.
Flender continued,
"Starting today, Master will be overseeing your training. The rest of us will assist him. Since you just returned from the Star Dou Forest, I know you're tired, so you'll have the day off. Classes resume tomorrow. And congratulations—this trip saw four of our students reach the Spirit Elder rank. As for those of you who haven't hit level 30 yet—Rongrong, Fatty—you'll need to work even harder."
He turned to Yu Xiaogang.
"Xiao Gang, do you have anything to add?"
Lin Jie didn't object to any of this, though he wore a faint, amused smile.
Yu Xiaogang gave Flender a nod, then turned his gaze to the eight students before him.
"Since there are only eight of you," he said, his tone stiff and detached, "I'll assign numbers by age. Number one, Dai Mubai. Two, Oscar. Three, Tang San. Four, Lin Jie. Five, Ma Hongjun. Six, Xiao Wu. Seven, Ning Rongrong. Eight, Zhu Zhuqing. I'll arrange training accordingly."
After that, he scanned them once more and added,
"You may go now. Just don't be late tomorrow."
A small laugh escaped Lin Jie's lips.
Tang San, sitting next to him, asked curiously,
"Lin Jie? What's so funny?"
Tang San remembered attending the same academy as Lin Jie years ago. Lin Jie had tried to become Yu Xiaogang's disciple but had been rejected. And yet now, Lin Jie had surpassed most of them in strength.
After their journey together through the Star Dou Forest, Tang San had come to admire Lin Jie greatly. It seemed like such a waste—that they hadn't become fellow disciples.
Yu Xiaogang's ears twitched at the sound of laughter. His voice sharpened.
"Is something amusing, student?"
Lin Jie's grin faded. Calmly, he replied,
"No, just remembered something happy."
As the teachers began to file out, Oscar leaned in and whispered to Tang San,
"Hey, your teacher seems super intense... and really powerful."
Tang San smiled slightly.
"That's just how Teacher is. He's always strict."
"Eh, whatever. I'll deal with it," Ma Hongjun said, waving it off.
"Anyone up for a trip into town? We've got a free day—might as well enjoy it."
Dai Mubai, looking a little pent-up himself, especially given his cold relationship with Zhu Zhuqing, said,
"Count me in."
Oscar yawned.
"I'm good. Gonna catch up on some sleep. Now that I've hit level 30, I can finally relax a little."
Tang San also said he'd come along—but he was planning to visit a blacksmith shop.
Ma Hongjun gave him a sly look.
"Oho? Tang San, you're finally catching on, huh?"
Tang San just smiled and brushed it off.
Soon after, the group left—leaving only Lin Jie behind, sitting alone in the room.
But just as he thought he was alone, Zhu Zhuqing quietly returned.
PS: Read Advance Chapters at https://www.patreon.com/c/ReadJin