The Perilous Encounter in Huangshan

Given this man’s bristling beard and wide, staring eyes as he spoke, his words were frankly unconvincing. Beside him, Guo Hao, who had finally snapped out of his lecherous daze, was nodding frantically in an exaggerated show of innocence, only making himself seem more suspicious.

Though I knew in my heart that most male students from Tianwu University were typically lewd in demeanor and vulgar in speech, their fundamental moral character was generally sound; genuine villains and thugs were rare. However, since I was putting on an act, I had to commit fully to the performance.

Seeing me continue to eye them both with wary suspicion, Guo Hao finally realized his vigorous nodding was proving counterproductive. He stopped awkwardly, yet his somewhat shifty eyes continued to wander over my entire body, lingering from my face, across my chest, and down to the fair, slender calves exposed beneath my rolled-up pants.

Catching his dishonest gaze, I deliberately retreated a few steps, hastily using my package to shield my calves. Upon realizing I had noticed his lecherous stare, the fellow’s face flushed crimson, and he immediately averted his eyes, feigning an interest in the moon above.

The other burly man beside him, clearly annoyed, discreetly elbowed Guo Hao. He then offered a fawning smile. “Little sister, please don’t be scared. We, we really aren’t bad people…”

“Then what are you doing here? I, I was just taking a bath, and then I heard you two approaching with ill intentions. You must, you must be… you must be perverts!”

I spoke timidly, feigning annoyance, yet unable to hide my feigned weakness.

“No, no! We, we didn’t know you were here, little sister, uh, bathing…”

As they spoke, a look of disappointment simultaneously flashed in both men’s eyes. Based on my understanding of Yang Laoer’s habits from the dorm, I surmised they were regretting not having rushed faster and thereby missing a splendid sight.

“Hmph! And you still say you’re not perverts? You, you two rascals, what exactly are you thinking?”

I didn’t bother to hide the fact that I’d caught onto their lewd thoughts, letting out a huffy, annoyed snort.

“Ah… we, we really aren’t… not perverts… we, we are…”

The burly man had been lost in fantasy, but my blunt exposure of his shameful little thoughts filled him with immense embarrassment. Moreover, the label ‘pervert’ was truly too unpleasant; if word of it reached Tianwu University, with its disproportionate male-to-female student ratio, his four years of bachelorhood would surely be sealed.

“We’re second-year students from Tianwu University! Little sister, you must have heard of Tianwu University, right? Our school rules are very strict, so there’s no way we could be bad guys!”

In that critical moment, it was Guo Hao, their leader, who reacted a beat faster, immediately invoking his identity as a Tianwu University student.

‘Thinking that these two big oafs had finally hit the mark,’ I nodded, still feigning skepticism.

Seeing that my gaze still held a hint of wariness, Guo Hao quickly continued to explain. “Really, we truly are Tianwu University students, specializing in the Five Tiger Breaking Door Blade from the Green Forest Academy. We’re here in Huangshan for a short-term修行 [TL: cultivation/training]!”

Feeling that the act of suspicion had run its course, I subtly loosened my grip on the cultural shirt I had been clutching tightly. This revealed the Tianwu University emblem originally printed on the left side of my chest.

As expected, the other party was also a practitioner! The other burly man, sharp-eyed, immediately recognized the emblem on my shirt and exclaimed in surprise. “Li-little sister… uh, you, you’re also a Tianwu University student? No, that can’t be, you, you… how old are you?”

I glared at him, feigning a hint of indignation, and retorted with a touch of petulance. “Why not? I, I’m eighteen this year! I’m a first-year student at Tianwu University’s Carefree Academy!”

This was the truth, but coupled with my shrunken, girlish appearance—a result of the so-called body reconstruction that had depleted my essence—I hardly looked eighteen. It was entirely possible someone might believe I was only eight.

Hearing my words, both men were momentarily dumbfounded. After a long silence, Guo Hao, their leader, finally reacted. “Oh, I see. Yes, it was our third brother who spoke out of turn. Li… ah, no, I should say… junior sister… junior sister does look a bit small…”

As he spoke, his gaze once again drifted over me, only to be met with a fierce glare from me.

“Yes, yes, junior sister, you… uh, but… judging by your figure, it really, really doesn’t look like… ah, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I, I spoke out of turn…”

The other burly man had been echoing his leader’s words, but his dishonest eyes drifted to my slightly budding chest, and he seemed to lose himself in a daze.

Noticing the atmosphere had grown slightly awkward again, Guo Hao quickly changed the subject. “So, junior sister, you’re also here in Huangshan for self-guided修行 [TL: cultivation/training]?”

I nodded truthfully, my eyes still vigilant, my demeanor stern.

“What a coincidence, what a coincidence, just, just like us…” the other burly man eagerly interjected in a fawning tone, only to be subtly stepped on by Guo Hao.

“I already told them that!”

Though it was a hushed whisper, I heard it remarkably clearly for some reason, perhaps a benefit derived from the previous cleansing of my marrow and essence by the so-called Innate Extreme Yin True Qi.

Hearing his leader’s words, the burly man immediately grew flustered.

Watching from the side, I secretly found it amusing, thinking it was time to employ a strategy of feigned retreat to lure them in. So, I interjected, picking up on their conversation. “Since you’re also senior students from Tianwu University, then, then I’ll tentatively believe you’re not bad people!”

“Of course! We are indeed not bad people!” Guo Hao immediately replied, hearing my concession.

“Mmm, well then, since you seniors aren’t bad people, I have nothing to worry about. Uh, that saying, ‘Green mountains never change, clear waters flow forever,’ two seniors, I, I shall take my leave here. Another day, hmm, another day at Tianwu University, we shall meet again!”

This was a common polite farewell at Tianwu University, but spoken by me with such stuttering, delicate timidity, it immediately took on an unusual flavor.

The other burly man on the side paused, already cupping his hands in a respectful bow according to Tianwu University’s unspoken rules, ready to bid farewell. However, Guo Hao, their leader, reacted swiftly, immediately saying, “Junior sister, wait!”