Chapter Sixteen: Senior, You’re Incredible! I Can Barely Catch My Breath!
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That shameless bastard had gone too far. Right in front of them, he had openly flirted with the girls they liked, even taking liberties with them. There was only so much anyone could tolerate—even an uncle might endure it, but no aunt could possibly put up with it...
So Ma Hongjun’s appearance today was no coincidence. He had come intending to teach Gu Chen a lesson. What he had not expected was to witness Zhu Zhuqing seemingly betray Dai Mubai.
Yet Gu Chen showed not the slightest trace of guilt or embarrassment. Instead, he mocked Ma Hongjun for being single, which immediately enraged him.
What he had never expected was for Zhu Zhuqing to nearly fall out with him over Gu Chen, even joining Gu Chen in teasing him. His heart sank straight to the bottom.
He decided to seek Cuihua out again that very day and see whether their old relationship could be rekindled.
The idea was beautiful, but reality was cruel.
When he returned to the place where he and Cuihua had once shared happy memories, he discovered that she had already married.
She was nursing a young child, and the child’s father was none other than A-San, the man who had once helped Ma Hongjun deliver little notes.
A-San was short and dark, had a missing tooth, and enjoyed relieving himself and spitting wherever he pleased...
Ma Hongjun felt certain that his eyes must have deceived him. What he was seeing could not possibly be real!
But all of that was a story for later.
At that moment, Gu Chen and Zhu Zhuqing were in a small grove, locked in a passionate embrace. Their feelings burned fiercely, as though they wished to merge completely into one another.
After a long while, both were breathing heavily. They gazed deeply into each other’s eyes. With imposing confidence, Zhu Zhuqing lifted Gu Chen’s chin and stared into his clear, mirror-like eyes.
“Junior Gu Chen, this is your punishment for stealing a kiss from me. I won’t take responsibility for you!”
“Senior Sister, that was a wonderful punishment! Entirely deserved! Someone like me is unworthy of sympathy. Come on, torment me as much as you like!”
Amused by Gu Chen’s exaggerated performance, Zhu Zhuqing burst into laughter. She threw herself into his arms and leaned against his shoulder, speaking with playful annoyance.
“You’re such a terrible man! I really can’t do anything with you. You’ve already taken every advantage there is to take. Tell me, how are you going to make it up to me?”
“Senior Sister, how about I devote myself to you and take responsibility for the rest of my life?”
“Dream on!”
“All right, let’s talk about something serious.”
“Very well. Do you want a boy or a girl?”
“What do you mean, a boy or a girl?” Zhu Zhuqing asked, looking at Gu Chen in confusion.
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“I mean...” Gu Chen whispered a few words into her ear.
Zhu Zhuqing’s cool, jade-like complexion instantly flushed crimson.
After a long moment, she lightly kissed Gu Chen on the cheek.
“When you become strong enough, you can decide whether we have a boy or a girl. For now, it’s still too soon.”
Gu Chen did not press her for an explanation. As the young heir of the Spirit Hall’s intelligence bureau in Notting City, he knew far more than ordinary people.
Zhu Zhuqing’s identity was extraordinary. If he wanted to stand beside her forever, he needed strength and influence that surpassed Dai Mubai’s.
“Senior Sister, don’t worry. I’ll work toward that goal. I won’t make you wait long—I promise.”
“Mm. I believe in you.”
“By the way, Gu Chen, why did you deliberately provoke Ma Hongjun today? You may have placed yourself in a very difficult position.”
Zhu Zhuqing finally voiced the question that had troubled her all day.
“I did it for you, Senior Sister. That chubby fellow is clearly the sort of person who is never satisfied. If you yield an inch to him, he’ll demand a mile.”
“I confronted him openly to make it clear that I’m not afraid of him. If he has a problem, he should come to me instead of ruining your reputation.”
“Gu Chen, you may not understand what kind of person Ma Hongjun is. He is the sort who always takes revenge. Let me tell you something, and you’ll understand.”
“All right.” Gu Chen showed great interest.
Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never lose a battle.
“Once, there was a lecherous middle-aged man with the strength of a Soul Elder. He stole the woman Ma Hongjun intended to pursue, beat him until his face was swollen, and mocked him for being inadequate. That was enough to make an enemy of him.”
“Afterward, Ma Hongjun brought me, Tang San, Xiao Wu, and the others to track the man down. Xiao Wu used her charms to lure him in while the rest of us watched from hiding.”
“That lecherous man thought Xiao Wu was an innocent, sweet young girl who would be easy to deceive.”
“After Xiao Wu successfully lured him in, she led him into the darkness and struck without warning. With her Soft-Boned Rabbit martial spirit, she unleashed an Eight-Stage Throw—swift, powerful, and relentless—leaving the man grievously injured. He could not get out of bed for several months.”
“After the man was seriously wounded, Tang San suggested that we eliminate the threat completely. None of us had ever killed anyone, so we all hesitated.”
“In the end, we couldn’t bring ourselves to do it. Ma Hongjun told us to leave first, then returned alone and used fire to destroy the man’s future as a man forever.”
After hearing this, Gu Chen took a deep breath and raised a thumb.
“Ma Hongjun is vicious enough. How old were you at the time?”
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“Dai Mubai was fifteen, Oscar was fourteen, Tang San was thirteen, and Ma Hongjun, Ning Rongrong, Xiao Wu, and I were all twelve.”
“To have such a temperament at twelve or thirteen... He really is ruthless.” Gu Chen narrowed his eyes, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
His words were directed at Ma Hongjun, but they also carried an implied reference to Tang San.
“Still, you don’t need to worry too much. Teacher Zhao is protecting you at the academy, and Ma Hongjun won’t dare go too far. Outside, you only need to stay close to me, and nothing will happen to you.”
“Zhuqing, thank you. But as a man, I can’t always rely on a girl to protect me. I’ll improve my strength as quickly as possible and become your steadfast support.”
“Mm, Gu Chen. I believe in you.”
Seeing the emotion in Zhu Zhuqing’s eyes, Gu Chen kissed her again. Their affection deepened as they held each other beneath the trees, as though lost in a beautiful melody.
...
The following afternoon, a gentle breeze stirred the withered willow branches, making them sway in the air with a soft rustling sound.
Following Zhu Zhuqing, Gu Chen arrived at the shore of Sacred Heart Lake. The vast surface of the lake was crystal clear, reflecting the blue sky while fish darted joyfully through the depths. Gu Chen felt completely refreshed.
Although it was already autumn and the lake water had grown somewhat cold, many people could still be seen standing in the water with sacred porcelain jars, scooping up water to wash themselves.
Every one of them wore a smile, their faces filled with delight and intoxication.
If Gu Chen had not been cultivating the Mysterious Heart Art, he might have thought that the lake water was simply extraordinary. But now, he no longer believed that.
After this period of dedicated effort, he was already close to touching the second stage of the Mysterious Heart Art—the Mirror Realm.
They said that the eyes were the windows to the soul. As his spirit grew stronger, his eyes had also become increasingly bright, allowing him to perceive things ordinary people could not.
At that moment, he saw that every person bathing in Sacred Heart Lake was surrounded by a mass of black vapor.
The dark vapor was drawing energy and vitality from their bodies before converging toward the center of the lake.
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