A Gilded Return and an Unexpected Encounter

Watching the five towering figures vanish swiftly into the night, I couldn’t help but let out a soft sigh. Then, I turned around, my gaze drawn to the imposing stone monument standing at the main entrance of Tianwu University’s East Campus.

In the dim, yellow light, I could faintly discern the eight grand characters etched upon it in flowing, calligraphic script: ‘Tianchao Martial Arts and Technology University’. Gilded in gold, the words still shone with a faint luster, even under the murky illumination.

Surveying these familiar surroundings, I couldn’t help but feel a surge of emotion. To be precise, my current mood could be perfectly summarized by Comrade Hu Hansan’s classic line.

“Dongfang Bubai is back!”

However, that old landlord Hu had, back in the day, outlasted the XX army, eventually returning to his hometown in glory. My situation, though, was not merely the sorrow of an old man returning home after leaving as a youth.

Instead, it was more akin to the proverb: ‘The male rabbit’s feet twitch and flutter, the female rabbit’s eyes are hazy and blurred; how can one distinguish between male and female?’

Such reflections carried a hint of desolation. After this wave of melancholy, I suddenly realized a very serious problem: in my current guise, it seemed I couldn’t enter the school!

Although Tianwu University had no curfew, entering or exiting the campus at night required a card swipe. While I did possess a campus card, the photo displayed upon swiping would be from when I was still a boy.

Hoping the gate guards would be too short-sighted to truly distinguish my gender seemed rather unrealistic. Moreover, even if I could get through the main gate now, with my current appearance, I likely wouldn’t be able to return to my own dorm room!

Frankly, the most pressing matter was to, as Master had instructed, first go to the principal’s office to find his so-called ‘Old Man Dugu’.

However, it was the dead of night. If Principal Dugu hadn’t gone home yet, nor gone out for some leisure or indulgence, but was still diligently working in his office, I doubted the old man was *that* dedicated.

After much deliberation, I felt there was no other recourse. With this current appearance, returning home was naturally out of the question for now.

I would simply have to find a nearby inn to stay for the night. Tomorrow morning, I would devise a way to sneak into the school and find Principal Dugu.

Having settled on a plan, I led my horse away under the suspicious gaze of the gate guards. I then headed towards the row of inns and hotels across from the school.

In a way, I had to thank both Master and my father. For whether it was the travel expenses my father provided for this journey of cultivation, or the gold ingots in Master’s satchel, both sums were considerable, generously given.

Otherwise, given my usual ‘cleaned out’ financial state each month, I would likely be sleeping on the streets tonight.

I randomly found an inn and booked a king-sized room. After having the attendant stable my horse, I grabbed a quick bite to eat.

I then hastily returned to my room, washed up, and collapsed onto the bed. After a full day of arduous travel on horseback, I quickly drifted off to sleep, only waking when the sky had fully brightened.

It had been a good night’s sleep, though, in the hazy depths of the night, I’d been vaguely aware of the bed next door creaking incessantly. Waking up the next morning, I couldn’t help but wonder who had been so diligent, doing sit-ups in the middle of the night.

After washing up, I had breakfast in the lobby. I then instructed the attendant to keep my room reserved and my horse temporarily stabled at the inn.

After all, I couldn’t be certain what the outcome would be when I went to the principal’s office to find that ‘Old Man Dugu’ today; it was always good to have a fallback.

After finishing breakfast, I returned to my room and tidied my appearance slightly. I fastened the satchel Master had given me to my back, but left my own in the inn room. Then, I turned and exited the room.

When I stood once more before the main entrance of Tianwu University’s East Campus, I frustratingly realized that the problem of how to enter the school remained unresolved.

I had originally hoped that in the early morning, the security guards might seize the chance to slack off, making it easier for me to slip in. However, that hope was ultimately dashed; the gate security at eight in the morning was just as stringent as at eight in the evening.

Racking my brain, I couldn’t find any good solution. I had considered showing the admission letter directly to the guards, thinking it might get me in.

However, the name ‘Dongfang Bubai’ was truly too conspicuous. Unless absolutely necessary, I didn’t want to cause a huge commotion and become known to everyone.

Just as I lingered outside the gate, my satchel on my back, I kept my head down to avoid being noticed by the guards, still at a loss for what to do.

Suddenly, a pair of men’s athletic shoes entered my field of vision. Following them upwards, I saw a somewhat awkward, slightly shy male face.

“Cl-classmate, is there anything, anything bothering you? Do you need help?” Seeing that I had noticed him standing before me, the person immediately stammered, asking with embarrassment.

The moment I saw this person, I inwardly felt a mix of amusement and exasperation. For this boy, who had appeared out of nowhere to strike up a conversation with me, was none other than Linghu Ruoxu, the third eldest in our dorm!

This fellow hailed from the illustrious Linghu family, a renowned lineage of the Mount Hua Sect within the Five Peaks Academy. His ancestor was none other than Young Master Linghu Chong, who became famous throughout the martial world for his Unrivaled Nine Swords, capable of breaking anything!

With such a prominent family background, Linghu Ruoxu should have been a dashing, charismatic figure. Unfortunately, this good fellow was gentle by nature and rather shy and bashful.

Aside from the troublesome affair concerning the ‘Mount Huang Five Peaks dispute’ previously, I had rarely seen him proactively stir up any trouble. Especially concerning girls, he was practically the polar opposite of the brazen Yang Laoer!

What wind had blown him here today? What had given this young Linghu, who was usually so proper and shy before girls, the courage to try and pick one up?

‘Pity you picked *me* of all people to hit on,’ I thought.

My eyes darted around. Suddenly, an idea for entering the school struck me. So I immediately smiled, feigning a hint of embarrassment.

“Oh, it’s nothing major, really. I just forgot my campus card in my dorm room, and now the security uncle won’t let me in. Could you possibly help me, classmate?”

My words were perfectly reasonable and watertight. Moreover, Linghu Ruoxu was likely attempting to chat up a girl for the very first time, so nervous he couldn’t even meet my eyes.

Thus, deceiving him would be a foregone conclusion, effortless!

Sure enough, upon hearing my words, Linghu Ruoxu cautiously replied, “Is that so? Uh, then, then, I, I can help, help you go, go get your campus card…”

Seeing that this fellow was overly nervous, his mind probably a bit muddled, he had stewed for a long time only to come up with such an almost laughable solution.