Li Tianlan was of the opinion that outside the Sky Academy, both Li Baitian and Ning Qiancheng would either be holed up in some flashy, upper-cla.s.s public establishment the likes of the Garden Party where they would indulge in numerous displays of hedonism, or they would take their cavorting to some other places they deemed pa.s.sable.

After all, such entertainments were undoubtedly affordable to either of them considering their stature and affluence. This was especially true for Li Baitian, who was one of the Four Sword Masters of Mount Shu. Even for a man of his youth, being worthy of that famed sword was sure to grant him considerable seniority among his peers. And with that kind of rank, the guy could pretty much do whatever he wanted in almost any situation.

The Sky Academy did not entertain special treatments. But outside the academy, Li Baitian virtually had free reins over his wants and desires. If he wanted a gust of wind or a shower of rain, he could probably get it. He had them all, from luxury cars, to haute couture and exotic cuisines. And considering that he had always been a bit of a Don Juan, Li Baitian would naturally have a thing or two to say on the subject of women. Before the holidays, Li Baitian had told him that in Huating, he could get any woman with just a wave of his hand.

And Li Tianlan had no trouble believing what he had been told. Which was exactly why he had expected life to take an interesting turn for those two the moment they left the academy for the break.

Then again, reality turned out completely different from what Li Tianlan had imagined.

By the time his call got through to Ning Qiancheng, Li Tianlan discovered, much to his surprise, that Ning Qiancheng was having a game of pool with Li Baitian. And instead of some high profile establishment, they were both at Huating University.

To Li Tianlan, who had never experienced formal schooling in his entire life, Huating University was a place of novelty, a place he deemed worthy of awe and admiration. So after hanging up the phone, he had hailed a cab and was now en route to Huating University in an elated spirit.

Huating University was teeming with people. Hordes of bodies filled its interior, dense and compact, like threads on a fully woven cloth.

It was a complete contrast to the barren compounds back at the Sky Academy. In fact, the compounds in Huating University were comparable to the hectic streets of the city. Everywhere there were students and teachers gathering together in mobs, chattering and laughing. The entire scene bespoke liveliness and thriving prosperity.

In April, the temperature in Huating was far from sweltering. In fact, most would regard the weather this time around as the ideal weather, one that would best suit everyone’s needs. But now, as he stood at the entrance of the university, the weather was the last thing on Li Tianlan’s mind. No thought of the weather was possible when, before his very eyes stood so many pairs of black-stockinged legs, all of which peeking out from miniskirts. Even without considering the beauty that these ladies possessed in spades, the stocking-clad legs alone could have easily pa.s.sed off as ‘good scenery’ material. That thought then led him to start fantasizing about another image that would definitely fit the ‘good-scenery’ bill. It involved Qin Weibai in bed, wearing a pair of those black-stockings. Alas, the moment the idea had formed in his head, it got blown out of proportion in an uncontrollable manner. There was even a moment when he nearly turned around and hightailed it back to the mansion just so he could give the idea a try. Considering how submissive she had been when she was with him, he figured Qin Weibai probably would not say no to the idea.

There, at Huating Univesity’s main entrance, stood a camo-clad Li Tianlan who was still toying with the thought of turning around and heading back to the mansion. He giggled as his palm lifted up unconsciously to wipe the side of his lips.

A hand shot out of nowhere and smacked Li Tianlan’s shoulder.

“Whatcha thinkin’?” Li Baitian said, “look at you, drooling all over your face. Why? Have some beauties in Huating University caught your fancy? What say you? How about your big brother here take you around to get some beauties? I’ll still tell you the same thing. In Huating, as long as I wave my hand, there isn’t a single beauty around that I can’t get!” Li Baitian laughed low and deep, a wicked look plastered on his face.

Li Tianlan snapped to attention. Smiling, he said, “Thinking about what’s been delaying you guys. It’s already ten minutes past the agreed time.”

“And that got you drooling all over?” Li Baitian said.

Both Li Baitian and Ning Qiancheng were now standing in front of Li Tianlan with strange looks on their faces.

“Not drooling. But definitely swallowing. Swallowing his own drool,” Ning Qiancheng said with a straight face, throwing another stab at Li Tianlan’s already wounded dignity.

.

.

“Ahem,” Li Tianlan harrumphed before forcibly changing the subject, “why are you guys here, anyway? To experience college life?”

Li Baitian perked up immediately at the shift in topic. A look of glee flitted across his skeletal face. And for a moment, it seemed as though his brows were dancing on his forehead. Even Li Tianlan’s ‘drooling’ incident seemed to have been forgotten. Li Baitian laughed, and then he said, “Brother Drunbility has a cousin studying here. And that lad is the unpretentious, straight shooter type, ya know. Says he’s gonna introduce me to a fair chick. And I heard she’s the beauty queen around here. So here I am, awaiting my harvest. Li Baitian perked up immediately at the shift in topic. A look of glee flitted across his skeletal face. And for a moment, it seemed as though his brows were dancing on his forehead. Even Li Tianlan’s ‘drooling’ incident seemed to have been forgotten. Li Baitian laughed, and then he said, “Brother Drunbility has a cousin studying here. And that lad is the unpretentious, straight shooter type, ya know. Says he’s gonna introduce me to a fair chick. And I heard she’s the beauty queen around here. So here I am, awaiting my harvest.

“Tianlan, let me tell you something. Don’t let Huating University’s B-list ranking fool you. Because when it comes to the quality of chicks, this university is right up there. There’s even a saying that goes, ‘women in Huating University are a mash-up of beauty, talent and poetry.’ Heard of that before? Yeah, and if that applies to just the average girl around here, then, well, I don’t suppose there’s any need to mention how attractive the friggin’ beauty queen would be at this point.”

Inadvertently, Li Tianlan shook his head.

Nope. He had not heard of that saying before. Neither had he felt the truth of those words so far. The entire journey, starting from his leaving the borders to his arrival at the academy, Li Tianlan truly felt as if he was wading through a dense thicket. A dense thicket of delicate flowers, including Qin Weibai, w.a.n.g Yuetong, Qin Ke, Flaming Fire, Yu Qingyan, the w.a.n.g family’s Enchantress and even Liu Dongyu. All of them were beautiful women in their own right. And to suddenly have these extraordinary beauties popping up in his life like that? Well, it was more than enough to have his head spinning.

Now, standing at the university’s entrance, watching these ordinary women pa.s.s by him, Li Tianlan actually felt as if he had just descended from a realm where angels lived back into the ordinary, earthly world.

As pleasant as it was to see an entire parade of beautiful women before him, it still paled in comparison to the bliss he felt at seeing the diversity and the miscellany of everything before him.

Li Tianlan pulled out two cigarettes, pa.s.sing each to Li Baitian and Ning Qiancheng. “Come on,” he said, smiling, “let’s go see this chick you were talking about.”

“By my count, she should be arriving soon. Come, come, come. I’ll bring you there,” Li Baitian said, laughing merrily as he took a drag on his cigarette.

“Hmm?” Li Baitian said, staring at the cigarette between his fingers. “This isn’t bad at all,” he went on, “saw one of my seniors smoking them once. This is a special product of the w.a.n.g family. Did Yuetong give you this?”

The smile on Li Tianlan’s face wavered slightly. “Nope,” he said flatly, shaking his head.

“Ignore him,” Ning Qiancheng said, walking up to Li Tianlan’s side, “that guy’s been walking around with his head up. Completely clueless to what other people are feeling.”

Lowering his voice, Ning Qiancheng asked, “We met Yuetong yesterday. She looked a little shaken up. You guys alright?”

“We’re fine,” Li Tianlan answered.

After a brief pause, Li Tianlan said in a low voice, “We don’t owe each other anything, now. We’re even.”

“Even?” Li Baitian said, turning his head.

“What’s that supposed to mean,” Li Baitian asked, frowning.

Between Li Baitian and Ning Qiancheng, they had guessed that the w.a.n.g family would do everything in their power to bring Li Tianlan into their ranks. Even more so, considering the Wind and Thunder Veins which ran in Li Tianlan’s body. Of course, it might be just as likely that due to Li Tianlan’s unremarkable martial phases, he would not be deemed worthy enough for the w.a.n.g family to trade their little princess for his allegiance. But still, it would be an entirely different story if w.a.n.g Yuetong herself were to show interest in him.

If w.a.n.g Yuetong were to attach herself to Li Tianlan, who not only possessed the Wind and Thunder Veins but also held the potential to enter the Invincible Realm, n.o.body would say that she had done herself a disservice.

And yet now, Li Tianlan was saying something about things being even between the two of them. Just what on earth happened when they were alone yesterday?

“It doesn’t mean anything,” Li Tianland said slowly, “I’ve repaid my debt to her. The less favor you owe to the people from w.a.n.g family, the better. It’s best if we see less of each other from now on.”

Ning Qiancheng and Li Baitian looked at each other in disbelief.

No wonder w.a.n.g Yuetong was acting weird yesterday. Could it be that those two had burned all bridges between them?

But that made absolutely no sense at all.

“For real?” Li Baitian asked, glancing at Li Tianlan. “w.a.n.g Yuetong will be thrown into action together with us at some point. How are you planning to face her when the time comes? Have you thought this through?”

Li Tianlan kept walking without saying a word.

“Actually, if you think about it carefully, being with w.a.n.g Yuetong might not be such a bad thing after all,” Li Baitian said, “I mean, it’s the w.a.n.g family we’re talking about here. Do you know just how big that tree really is? For centuries it stood tall in Zhongzhou, and not once did it fall off the list of the greatest wealthy families in the nation. If you and w.a.n.g Yuetong really end up together, all of w.a.n.g family’s resources would lean towards you. Plus, you’ll have the strongest warrior in Zhongzhou as a father-in-law. That kind of prestige is totally worth it.”

All of a sudden, a wave of emotions flooded Li Baitian’s countenance, as if he was bemoaning his fate through his facial expressions.

“Well, there’s certainly nothing wrong with that reasoning, I’ll give you that. But if Tianlan really becomes an item with w.a.n.g Yuetong, you can’t really expect w.a.n.g Yuetong to take Tianlan’s side completely,” Ning Qiancheng said out of the blue, “more likely is that Tianlan would officially become a full member of the w.a.n.g family, I’m afraid.”

Truth be told, Ning Qiancheng had mixed-feelings regarding the falling-out between Li Tianlan and w.a.n.g Yuetong. Naturally, there was a part of him that felt a sense of loss for his friend, but there was also a part of him that felt relieved.

Just thinking about a monolith like the w.a.n.g family was enough to suffocate a person. And a prodigy like Li Tianlan was certainly worthy of joining their ranks. Plus, for a family this resourceful, it would not take much at all for them to swallow Li Tianlan whole. But right now, at least Li Tianlan was keeping his distance from them, which to Ning Qiancheng, was certainly not a bad thing.

“But they both possess the Wind and Thunder Veins,” Li Baitian said, breaking his own silent spell.

Li Tianlan frowned but said nothing.

An air of reticence descended upon all three companions at the same time. To follow through with Li Baitian’s train of thought would pretty much amount to opening a can full of worms.

Li Tianlan took a drag on his cigarette. “If w.a.n.g Tianzong is the strongest fighter in Zhongzhou, then what about Dongcheng Huangtu? How would he fair up against w.a.n.g Tianzong?” he asked all of a sudden.

“Sorry, who?” Ning Qiancheng and Li Baitian asked at the same time.

“Dongcheng Huangtu!” Li Tianlan said, adding a bit more force into his tone.

Deep down, Li Tianlan felt a little bewildered as he uttered the name. It was a name he had only heard yesterday from the mouth of Qin Weibai herself.

But from Qin Weibai’s tone, not only had Li Tianlan felt the weight of Dongcheng Huangtu’s terrifying, and invincible combat power, but at the time, he had also detected the pain sorrow in her voice. That kind of emotion was impossible to conceal.

Of course, Li Tianlan would not go so far as to start feeling jealous of a dead man. After all, he had already taken away Qin Weibai’s most precious possession while they were on the couch last night. Still, he would not mind at all to know more about the dead Heavenly Son.

So as he was mentioning Dongcheng Huangtu’s name, Li Tianlan had deliberately glanced at Ning Qiancheng’s expression, hoping to catch some kind of reaction from his friend. The Commander of the Border Praetorian Corps, Dongchen Wudi, was the current leader of the Dongcheng Clan. And since Ning Qiancheng was Dongchen Wudi’s protege, it was reasonable to a.s.sume that he would know more about the ins and outs of the Dongchen Clan than anyone else.

“Dongcheng Huangtu?” Ning Qianchen muttered under his breath before his eyes met Li Baitian’s.

“Who’s Dongcheng Huangtu?” Ning Qiancheng asked, his face a muddled haze.

“Never heard of it in my life,” Li Baitian said candidly, “is there even a person with that name in the Dongcheng Clan?”

A look of surprise formed on Li Tianlan’s face, “You guys don’t know Dongcheng Huangtu?”

“No such person exists in the Dongcheng Clan,” Ning Qiancheng said, shaking his head, “that I can be sure of.” The calmness and steadiness in his voice bespoke truthfulness.

“I can’t say I know much about the Dongcheng Clan,” Li Baitian said, “but Tianlan, did you hit your head somewhere? Seriously? You’re comparing this Dongheng Huangtu with w.a.n.g Tianzong? Dude, you’re out of your friggin’ mind. Who’s w.a.n.g Tianzong? Yeah. Lemme tell you who he is. Number one warrior in Zhongzhou. Nicknamed the Sword Emperor of Zhongzhou. I don’t care how many prodigies the Dongcheng Clan produces, but in terms of combat strength, they don’t even have a single fighter who’d entered the Invincible Realm. Comparing them with w.a.n.g Tianzong? Give me a break.”

Then, Li Baitian threw Li Tianlan a strange look, “Where’d you hear that name from? The name does sound pretty bada.s.s.”

“…”

Li Tianlan went absolutely quiet. He knew that Qin Weibai would not lie to him. In fact, she had no reason to. Yet, one after the other, Ning Qiancheng and Li Baitian were claiming that they had never even heard of the man before. All of that proved one thing. A cover-up was at play. Somehow, everything related to the man had been deliberately wiped clean.

Why was that the case?

Even the treason that his father, Li Kuangtu, had committed all those years ago had been brought up at some point by Gu Yunxia. So why were things related to Dongcheng Huangtu concealed to such depths? So deep that not even rising stars like Ning Qiancheng and Li Baitian knew nothing about the name.

Besides, Dongcheng Huangtu could not have been dead too long. Based on Qin Weibai’s age, one would estimate that when Dongcheng Huangtu was at his prime, both Li Baitian and Ning Qiancheng were already in their adulthood. Or, at least, they would have been nearing the age of adulthood. And given their respective statuses, how could they be anything other than fully knowledgeable about Dongcheng Huangtu’s life?

“Just heard it from someone,” Li Tianlan said, smiling, “don’t know much about it either.”

Li Tianlan had initially wanted to go on a rant about Dongcheng Huangtu’s battle exploits. But then again, everything having to do with the man seemed to have turned into some kind of taboo in Zhongzhou. If that was the case, it was best if he kept his mouth shut.

The three companions arrived at a four-storey building located inside Huating University’s internal region. Laughing, Li Baitian pointed at a sign up ahead. Then he said, “Here it is.”

Li Tianlan raised his head. His eyes swept across the area once, and then he nodded without saying a word.

Up ahead, the small, green block looked old and decrepit. Vines snaked over its walls, and parasol trees stood tall and majestic in the entire vicinity. Standing amid such a milieu, the building did seem peaceful, and perhaps a tad idyllic. Even the plaque that hung over the entrance of the clubhouse seemed a little remote and secluded.

Inside the building, it was a completely different world.

All four storeys were organized in a neat and reasonable fashion. The sports centre occupied the first floor, where various sports equipment and courts were arranged: basketball, ping pong, tennis, badminton. The second floor housed a bowling center whereas the third was filled with rows of pool tables. The most popular floor in the building would be the fourth, which accommodated a regular gym and a yoga studio.

Li Tianlan and his companions headed to the third floor. To Li Tianlan, observing his surroundings was second nature regardless of where he was. Hence the stark emptiness and quietness of the third floor did not escape him. Around ten pool tables were set across the entire floor, all of which were empty. Only a delicate-looking young man stood at one of the tables, polishing cue sticks.

“Business hasn’t been going well, it seems,” Li Tianlan muttered.

“Oh, no. Business is terrific,” Ning Qiancheng said, “just that we’ve had the entire floor reserved.”

Ning Qiancheng smiled. Then he turned to the young man who was polishing cue sticks not so far away. “Houlong, come, let me introduce you to a friend.”

The young man raised his head and threw them a glance. Then, with the cue stick in hand, he sauntered over. There was a candid and unpretentious flavor in his smile. Like clear water, pure and transparent. It was a quality that was in short supply these days.

“Tianlan, this is my cousin, Zhang Houlong, the owner of this clubhouse,” Ning Qiancheng began the introductions in a methodical manner, “Houlong, this is a buddy of mine, Li Tianlan. My roommate at the academy.”

Li Tianlan smiled and offered his hand, “It’s good to meet you.”

“Good, good, good.”

Zhang Houlong held Li Tianlan’s hand tight and pumped, a natural smile plastered on his face. “Brother Li,” he said, “you never have to stand on ceremony with me. As long as you are in Huating University, you can order or request anything you want, and I’ll absolutely have it covered. Yesterday, Brother Baitian said he’s got plans to hook up with chicks here. She’s about to get here soon. We have truckloads of hot chicks here in Huating University. Brother Li, if you ever fancy anyone, let me know. I’ll have her for you anytime you want.”

“Yo, Little Throat, don’t you go acting like a poser,” Li Baitian said, “don’t let the cousin of yours corrupt you. Oh, and stop being all talk and bring her to me first. If I’m not satisfied, then tonight’s activities are all on you.”

When he finished, Li Baitian laughed and yanked Zhang Houlong over to his side as if they had known each other their entire lives.

“Little Throat my a.r.s.e,” Zhang Houlong grumbled. That moniker had always managed to p.i.s.s him off.

Zhang Houlong glanced at the time and said, “You guys make yourselves at home. I’ve gotta make a call. We’ve agreed to meet here at this time. She should be here soon.”

“Well, you go do whatever you gotta do,” Li Baitian said, flicking his palm.

Then he picked up a cue stick and took aim, “Tianlan, come. One game with me.”

“Nah, don’t know how,” Li Tianlan said nonchalantly, “and not interested. You and Qiancheng should play. I’ll just watch.”

Li Baitian laughed, “Dude, I say you should really start getting your a.s.s into stuff that young people actually do. You watch closely. Next round, you’re up…”

A sweet and lovely female voice rang out before Li Baitian could finish.

“Houlong, why’d you call me?”

All heads turned back at almost the same time.

And in their line of sight, a teenage girl looking about seventeen or eighteen emerged from the stairway.

The girl looked to be around 165 centimeters tall. Slightly pet.i.te, but extremely pretty and delicate. With a gait that was lithe and supple, she slinked towards the men. Beneath the curtain of her long eyelashes, her beautiful eyes blinked. Cute, like a priceless doll.

But the most striking aspect of the entire meeting was her voice. Tender and delicate, like the voice of a child. It was music to the ears.

A girl of her caliber could only be described as the perfect blend between a ‘Loli’ and a teenager. From head to toe, she radiated a kind of exotic allure.

Li Baitian shot the girl a glance, “Poetry. Poetry indeed,” he muttered to himself.

Li Tianlan, too, allowed himself a peek, though he had failed to see anything poetic. He only knew that the girl was definitely beautiful. Maybe not as much as Qin Weibai or w.a.n.g Yuetong, but certainly pretty enough to be worthy of the beauty queen t.i.tle.

Unlike those miniskirts and black-stocking-clad legs outside, this girl wore a pair of jeans and a sweater with cartoon characters printed on it. Her feet were clad in a pair of Converse. All in all, her attire looked simple, clean, and comfortable. Although she stood there in a quiet and taciturn manner, there was a certain poise in her, a type of gentleness and grace which made her endearing. Such a beautiful girl. Was she really about to end up as another one of Li Baitian’s conquests?

“Literally sending a flower to its ruin,” Li Tianlan thought, shaking his head.

Zhang Houlong raised his head from his phone.

“Err, haha, Xinyan, there you are,” Zhang Houlong said, “I was just about to ask when you’re getting here.” An unnatural awkwardness flashed across his face before it vanished.

The look went unnoticed by Li Baitian who, with a cue stick in hand, was about to step forward and begin working his magic.

Zhang Houlong shuddered slightly. And then he held Li Baitian back, laughing softly. “My dear brother. Relax. We still don’t know what’s going on in that girl’s head. Let me talk to her first. You just pick a spot and strike a cool pose or something. I’ll handle it, don’t worry.”

Nodding, Li Baitian cleared his throat, feigning indifference. Then he schooled his features into a look of seriousness before he bent down to take aim with the cue stick.

“Xinyan. I’ve got something to tell you,” Zhang Houlong said, “let’s talk in private.”

Zhang Houlong smiled awkwardly. Without delay, he pulled on the girl’s arm and together, they headed to another corner of the room. The act made it seem as though he was on quite good terms with the girl.

Once the two of them were a good ten meters away, they stopped. And then Zhang Houlong seemed to be saying something to the girl in a m.u.f.fled voice.

Xinyan shot a glance at Li Baitian, brows raised. It was true that she had seemed like an agreeable girl before. But that facial maneuvre of hers, that sharp jerk of her brows, took all that gracefulness away and replaced it with a s.p.u.n.ky, tenacious vibe.

Li Baitian remained oblivious. Still, he kept at his pose, his face utterly focused.

Zhang Houlong spoke again.

“So?” the girl’s voice rang out all of a sudden. At the same time, she took another glance at Li Baitian.

Li Baitian remained focused…

“So…”

Zhang Houlong’s highly vexed voice trailed off.

Li Tianlan’s interest was thoroughly piqued at this point. He stared at the scene before him. Something in him told him that things were not as simple as they seemed.

And then, he saw a change in the girl’s face. A sweet smile emerged, like a flower that had just blossomed.

Li Tianlan’s mind went slightly blank.

In the next second, the girl ripped the cue stick from Zhang Houlong’s hand and smashed it down on Zhang Houlong’s skull. At the same time, she began yelling, “Zhang Houlong, you b.a.s.t.a.r.d! I’ve always treated you as a friend, and now you’re handing me over to become one of your friend’s f.u.c.ktoy? Are you even human? You’re a despicable piece of trash! You son of a b.i.t.c.h!”

Zhang Houlong yelped once. And then he turned around and ran for dear life.

The girl ran after him with the cue stick. Her sultry voice, one that could bring out the wildest fantasies of any man, was now tinged with a murderous aura. “Get back here! Run? You dare run from me?! Son of a b.i.t.c.h! If you take even one more step, I swear to G.o.d I’ll have a bunch of guys tied you up and stomped on your d.i.c.k until it turns into mush.”

Li Tianlan and Ning Qiancheng just stared, both of them slack-jawed.

Li Baitian, who had been focusing on striking his pose throughout the entire scene, gave the cue stick a quick jerk. The stick poked the cue ball in a snap. Through all that, the intense, focused look on his face had not once wavered.

“What a nice shot,” Li Baitian thought.

The cue ball flew off the surface of the table and, as if it had suddenly grown eyes, smashed itself against Zhang Houlong’s skull.

Zhang Houlong released yet another yelp and fell on his back. Before he could even scramble to his feet, a cue stick walloped him from behind, knocking him down a second time. A look of resignation crossed Zhang Houlong’s face as he realized the futility of his attempts to get away. He curled up on the floor and covered his head. “Li Baitian! Han Xinyan! f.u.c.k you all!”