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Chapter 20: Love Will Only Slow My Sword
🕑 Added 2024-12-18 15:26:23 +0000 UTCStar City Academy, Library.
After a morning of intensive study, Feng Qi gained new insights into cultivation studies. However, his progress remained incremental; expecting to master everything overnight was unrealistic.
With no cultivation exchange class scheduled today and his stomach growling in protest, he decided to grab lunch before continuing his studies in the afternoon.
Just as he stood up, a figure stepped into his path.
The newcomer was a youth around 17 or 18 years old, strikingly handsome, with a gentle elegance to his features. His ebony eyes locked onto Feng Qi’s, and a warm smile spread across his face as he extended his hand.
“Hello, my name is Lin Ran. I had the privilege of attending your lecture yesterday. Your insights on body refinement were truly brilliant.”
“Hmm? Lin Ran?” Feng Qi raised an eyebrow, momentarily caught off guard.
The name immediately reminded him of the recently trending topic on the Star City forum—an exchange student from the Winterfell Academy who was garnering widespread acclaim.
“You’re Lin Ran, the exchange student from Winterfell Academy?” Feng Qi asked, piecing the connection together.
“I didn’t expect senior to have heard of me. I’m flattered,” Lin Ran said with a modest laugh, scratching his head. As he spoke, his gaze drifted to the book in Feng Qi’s hand, curious about what kind of material Feng Qi typically read.
When he saw the title Intermediate Research on Cultivation Techniques - Volume III written on the cover, Lin Ran froze for a moment.
From Lin Ran’s perspective, Feng Qi’s understanding of body refinement was so profound that it seemed he could pioneer his own system of cultivation. Yet here he was, poring over what appeared to be an intermediate-level textbook. The sight struck him as odd.
But almost immediately, Lin Ran devised an explanation.
“Of course!” he thought. “Only by having a rock-solid foundation can one truly pave new paths in cultivation studies. This senior is on a whole different level!”
His eyes now brimming with admiration, Lin Ran looked at Feng Qi with newfound respect.
“Senior, I’ve written down everything you taught about Tiger Fist yesterday, but there are still parts I don’t quite understand. I was hoping you could help clarify them,” Lin Ran said enthusiastically, pulling out a black leather notebook from who-knows-where.
“If you have questions, feel free to ask. But don’t call me ‘senior’… Also, I’m about to grab lunch. Come find me in the library this afternoon instead,” Feng Qi said, somewhat awkwardly. Lin Ran’s intense enthusiasm was a bit overwhelming.
Although Feng Qi didn’t know much about Lin Ran personally, the forum discussions painted him as a prodigy in cultivation technique research. Like Old Wang, he had been recruited by Tiger Soul Research Institute before even graduating.
Because of this, Feng Qi had a positive impression of Lin Ran and was willing to help him with questions about Tiger Fist, hoping it would aid Lin Ran’s growth.
“I’m hungry too. Why don’t we eat together?” Lin Ran suggested boldly, his natural charm shining through.
Since Feng Qi had already decided to connect with Lin Ran, he saw no reason to decline the invitation. Nodding, he agreed.
After returning the book to its shelf, the two left the library and headed for the cafeteria.
Along the way, Lin Ran was visibly excited, chatting non-stop about his admiration for Feng Qi.
Feng Qi, meanwhile, felt conflicted. His original intention was to befriend Lin Ran, but now it felt like he had somehow acquired a die-hard fan.
By the time they reached the academy cafeteria, it was well past the lunch rush. Most of the students had already left, but as usual, Mu Qing sat in her usual spot in the northern corner of the cafeteria, her table piled high with food.
Filling their trays with the dishes they wanted, Feng Qi led Lin Ran directly to Mu Qing’s table.
Lin Ran hesitated for a moment but quickly followed.
Placing his tray on the table, Feng Qi sat down across from Mu Qing. Lin Ran wasted no time sitting beside him.
Mu Qing glanced up. While she wasn’t surprised to see Feng Qi, the addition of another person at her table caught her off guard.
“Who’s this?” Mu Qing asked bluntly, her tone as cold as ever, her purple eyes narrowing slightly as she looked at Lin Ran.
“This is Lin Ran, an exchange student from Winterfell Academy. He’s my new little fan,” Feng Qi said with a smirk, shoving a large spoonful of rice into his mouth without a care.
“Senior, you’re joking. I just admire your insights and wanted to learn from you,” Lin Ran said quickly, waving his hands as his ears turned slightly red.
Mu Qing stared at the two of them for a moment, then returned her focus to her food without further comment.
Lin Ran, sensing Mu Qing’s indifference, decided not to press further and instead began eating in silence. But his curiosity about Mu Qing only grew.
As the trio ate, the contrast between Lin Ran’s politeness, Feng Qi’s casual demeanor, and Mu Qing’s frosty silence painted an oddly harmonious picture.
Halfway through the meal, Lin Ran couldn’t resist his curiosity anymore and whispered to Feng Qi, “Who is she? She seems… different.”
“She’s Mu Qing,” Feng Qi replied nonchalantly. “Don’t mind her; she’s just not much of a talker.”
Lin Ran nodded but made a mental note to learn more about this enigmatic girl. There was something about her presence that was hard to ignore.
As lunch ended, Feng Qi leaned back in his chair, rubbing his full stomach. Glancing at Lin Ran, who seemed equally satisfied, he said, “Alright, I’ll meet you in the library this afternoon. I’ll explain what you didn’t understand about Tiger Fist.”
Lin Ran’s face lit up with gratitude. “Thank you, Senior! I’ll see you then.”
With that, Feng Qi stood, picked up his tray, and left the cafeteria, leaving Lin Ran and Mu Qing behind.
Mu Qing watched his retreating figure for a moment before turning back to her plate, a faint flicker of thought crossing her usually impassive eyes.
Having grown accustomed to solitude, Mu Qing seemed slightly uneasy about having others join her table. However, her expression remained unchanged as she lowered her head and continued eating without so much as acknowledging Feng Qi.
“Hello, senior sister! I’m Lin Ran, pleased to meet you,” Lin Ran said before Feng Qi could speak, introducing himself with a polite smile and extending his hand.
Mu Qing briefly glanced at Lin Ran before lowering her gaze again, coldly resuming her meal.
Lin Ran’s outstretched hand froze mid-air, his enthusiasm visibly deflating. Awkwardly withdrawing his hand, he turned to Feng Qi with a slightly embarrassed expression.
“Senior, are you sure you can finish all this food? The academy offers free meals, but wasting food is—”
“Shut up and eat,” Feng Qi snapped, shooting him a glare before grabbing an egg tart and shoving it into his mouth.
Noticing that neither Feng Qi nor Mu Qing were inclined to engage with him, Lin Ran directed his attention to his tray. Unlike the wild, almost predatory way Feng Qi and Mu Qing devoured their food, Lin Ran ate with elegance, holding his chopsticks with perfect etiquette and chewing slowly.
However, his composure didn’t last long.
The sheer volume of food consumed by Feng Qi and Mu Qing shocked Lin Ran. The mountain of food on the table seemed to vanish at a speed visible to the naked eye. He couldn’t help but suspect that the two people beside him were not human but rather domain creatures in disguise.
When Feng Qi finally emptied his tray, he casually reached over and grabbed the steak from Mu Qing’s plate, stuffing it into his mouth without hesitation before finally stopping.
Mu Qing, unsurprised, didn’t even bother to look up.
“Senior, are you full now?” Lin Ran asked tentatively, his curiosity piqued as he watched Feng Qi finally halt his eating spree.
“Eating too much is bad for digestion. This is enough,” Feng Qi replied, leaning back with a satisfied expression.
Lin Ran, unable to hide his amazement, looked at Feng Qi as though trying to decipher the mystery behind his seemingly bottomless appetite.
“Well, heavy mental work must burn a lot of energy. Makes sense,” Lin Ran reasoned aloud, nodding to himself as he crafted an explanation in his mind.
Feng Qi: "..."
In that moment, Feng Qi was convinced that Lin Ran’s tendency to idolize others made him a full-blown sycophant. Any resemblance to Old Wang’s intellectual demeanor had completely evaporated in Feng Qi’s eyes.
“Senior sister, we’re done eating. Let’s have dinner together later,” Feng Qi said, rising to his feet and picking up his tray.
Lin Ran immediately followed suit, standing up as well.
Mu Qing, still focused on her food, didn’t bother lifting her head. Her cheeks puffed slightly as she chewed, giving her a surprisingly adorable appearance. Yet her icy demeanor remained firmly intact, projecting an air of aloofness that kept others at bay.
To Feng Qi, however, this cold exterior was nothing more than a protective shell Mu Qing had built for herself.
Leaving the cafeteria, Feng Qi and Lin Ran headed toward the library. Along the way, Lin Ran couldn’t resist prying into Feng Qi’s intentions.
“Senior, are you pursuing that senior sister? She doesn’t seem to like you very much,” Lin Ran asked, his curiosity outweighing his sense of propriety.
Feng Qi sighed inwardly at Lin Ran’s nosiness.
His interactions with Mu Qing were purely for the sake of building a friendship. His goal was to change her perspective and snuff out the destructive thoughts that might one day lead her to become humanity’s enemy. There wasn’t the slightest trace of romantic intent behind his actions.
After all, Feng Qi still had his grand dream of saving the world. He couldn’t afford to let emotions become a stumbling block on his path.
“Love,” he thought to himself, “will only slow down my sword.”
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