In the bustling city of Tiandou, within a quiet courtyard house, Lu Yuan sprawled lazily across his bed with a wine jar.
Though he was nominally an exchange student at Tianshui College, there was one rule set in stone:
Lu Yuan was not allowed to live in the academy dormitory.
The dean herself had drawn the boundary—no matter how they indulged him during lessons, letting a drunken wolf openly stay among a campus filled with young women would be reckless beyond reason.
But Lu Yuan felt no pity. In fact, it was perfect.
This way, the little cat or girls like Rongrong and Chenxiang can come stay over if they want. No need for dorm monitors or deans to meddle.
Chuckling to himself, he tilted his jar for another drink. "Mmm… what a good arrangement…"
Just as the warm buzz of wine lulled his mind, something pricked at his senses.
Lu Yuan's eyes lit up. "Eh? Now this is interesting…"
In the blink of an eye, his body vanished from the bed.
…
One street away, Shui Bing'er moved cautiously under the moonlight. Every step was measured as she paused to glance over her shoulder. She had followed the threads of curiosity here and finally confirmed it—this was Lu Yuan's residence.
All day long she'd watched him drink like an unrepentant scoundrel. Surely at night, after all the nonsense, he would begin his true cultivation. Otherwise, how else could such strength possibly grow?
She knew this was wrong. She knew spying violated every oath of a soul master. But temptation itched at her pride as a captain and a cultivator. Just one glance wouldn't hurt.
Heart pounding, she aligned herself beside the courtyard wall, pressing her ear close.
But before she could even draw breath—
A wave of force surged behind her, yanking her forward. In a flash, she was shoved straight into the room.
The door slammed shut behind her.
"Ha—caught my little voyeur at last."
Lu Yuan blocked the entrance casually, his grin sharp with mischief. White teeth flashed as his finger tilted up against her chin.
"Bing'er, come on—fess up. Where did you stash the clothes you stole off my drying line yesterday?"
Shui Bing'er's crystalline blue eyes widened in panic. "I did not!"
To her shock, not only had her stealth failed—this man had assumed she was… stealing his laundry.
She would sooner die than stoop to such disgrace!
Lu Yuan smirked, brushing his fingertip upward, holding her chin firm. "Careful now. Struggle too much, and I'll call for help. Imagine what they'll think when they see you breaking into my place during the night?"
Her face filled with exasperated question marks. Wasn't it supposed to be me calling for help? How did he turn it around?!
But guilt gnawed at her chest. No excuse could erase the shame of being caught sneaking here.
Why? Why was I so foolish? Her pride urged her to bolt, but her conscience kept her rooted.
"Ah, I see it now." Lu Yuan's eyes gleamed with sudden mock astonishment. "Did Yue'er tell you I invited you sisters to drink tomorrow? Couldn't wait, so you rushed over at night?"
"What?! No!"
"Then…" He leaned closer, his wine-warmed breath brushing her ear. "You came here to sleep."
Her face instantly flushed red.
"Wrong again!"
Pinned firmly against the wall, her body trembled beneath the pressure of his aura. Half a year ago, she might have resisted. But his growth since then had been absurd. It was like trying to push against a mountain.
"I… I just…" Shui Bing'er's voice faltered lower and lower. Her pride screamed at her not to expose herself, but Lu Yuan's eyes stripped away her defenses. "…I wanted to see how you cultivate."
He grinned triumphantly. "So you admit—you're a peeper."
Shui Bing'er bit her lip, her denial dying unspoken. Her head lowered with shame.
"Yes, fine! I admit it. Now let me go."
"No chance." Lu Yuan shook his head, tone nonchalant. "You rarely bother seeing me—even Yue'er drops by more often. Now that you've delivered yourself to my door, do you think I'll let you slip away?"
Her heart hammered faster, caught between outrage and panic. "I already admitted fault! I didn't see anything—why not just wait until tomorrow if you want to talk?"
"Pfft. If you didn't see anything, then you should stay longer this time until you do." His logic dazzled her into silence.
"…Is he insane?" she muttered under her breath.
"I heard that."
He leaned back with a chuckle, grabbing two massive wine jars from his soul tool. His eyes gleamed. "Since you're so curious, watch carefully. My cultivation method is simple—wine."
"Wine?" Bing'er nearly choked. "As if cultivation could be fueled by drinking!"
"You think I'm lying? Sit, and I'll prove it."
"I refuse."
"Suit yourself." He shrugged, taking a heavy gulp, the sound of swallowing echoing in the quiet.
The room fell still, only broken by his hiccuping sighs.
Bing'er's eyes darted, at first in confusion, then in sharp attention. She realized her gaze had drifted not to him, but to the blade resting against the wall nearby.
Her pupils dilated. She could feel it—an icy current bleeding from the sword, biting into the air.
A shock ran through her veins. That aura—it resonated faintly with her Ice Phoenix Martial Soul.
"Bing'er, what's wrong?" Lu Yuan asked, noticing her expression.
She pointed, her voice hushed. "…That sword. What's going on with it?"
Lu Yuan followed her gaze and chuckled. "Ah, that. Funny story. I found a very cold medicinal herb in Old Poison's garden. My sword went berserk—devoured it whole. From then on, it's been like this."
He traced a finger along the blade's edge said with a faint grin. "Since then, its power has grown sharper. Hungrier. To be honest, I still don't know the limit yet. Haven't found someone worthy to test it on recently."
Bing'er's breath quickened. Merely standing close, she found her spirit power circulating faster, smoother, as if guided invisibly. But beneath that gift lurked a terrifying weight—darkness wrapped around that icy aura like chains, whispering danger.
The resonance stirred something deep, both awe and fear.
"Can I… can I examine it?" she asked at last, the pull undeniable.
Lu Yuan's eyes narrowed and his face turned serious. "You can look. But don't touch."
She nodded quickly. Even from where she stood, she could sense that blade carried a temper. To cross it carelessly would be foolish.
For long moments she stared, feeling the ebb of frost press against her, coaxing her Ice Phoenix. It resonated deeply, yet something about the darkness entwined with the chill kept her wary.
Her chest rose and fell. At last, she tore her eyes away, fearful of how dangerously tempting it felt.
"I—…I should go." Her voice was sharp, trying to mask her unease. "Don't tell anyone about tonight!"
She shot him a glare, half warning, half flustered retreat.
Lu Yuan just laughed, tipping his jar once more. "Girls' minds really are strange. Forget it—too much thinking ruins the drink."
Under the fading glow of moonlight, he raised his jar and let the fire burn free down his throat.
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