Chapter 7 You look so good, look at your abs.
"I was wrong, I was really wrong."
Hua Deng sat on the bed, wrapped in a quilt, with a deep look of repentance on his face.
“I shouldn’t have slept in until noon after I had agreed to it, leaving you to face the apprenticeship ceremony alone.”
Shen Zhou leaned against the white wall, his gaze fixed on her face, heavy with emotion. Only after she finished speaking did he say insincerely, "It's alright, you're the employer."
The other party rejects your apology and throws taunts at you.
Hua Deng had no choice but to roll off the bed and present a lump of gold like a treasure: "Ta-da, look what this is?"
Shen Zhou didn't even glance at him: "Gold is worthless in the cultivation world."
"Oh." Hua Deng slowly withdrew his hand. "Never mind, I'll give it to Crescent Moon and Full Moon."
Shen Zhou remained expressionless.
Before the streetlights even saw him make a move, that lump of gleaming gold vanished from his palm without a trace.
She clapped her hands with a smile: "Tomorrow is my first class, remember to come with me and be on time."
Shen Zhou nodded coldly and turned to leave.
"Where are you going?" Hua Deng asked instinctively.
"Murder. You want to do it?" He gripped the hilt of the sword beside him.
Hua Deng shook his head repeatedly, making a gesture of farewell: "Have a safe journey."
According to the contract, Shen Zhou had two hours of free time each day, and Hua Deng really couldn't control him.
She sent Crescent Moon and Full Moon down the mountain to buy some necessities, while she herself looked through the immortal manual given to her by the sect leader to prepare for tomorrow's lessons.
Before dusk, Shen Zhou appeared in the courtyard, covered in blood, carrying a sword. He returned to his room without a word, and Hua Deng didn't even have time to greet him.
Shen Zhou did not come out again until night. The streetlights passed by several times, but the room remained quiet, without any sound of movement or even breathing.
At night, Hua Deng slept soundly, hugging her raccoon plush toy.
She had a dream in which she was being chased and finally found Shen Zhou, but he looked at her with completely unfamiliar eyes and said to her, "Do you think I'm any different from them?"
"Of course you're different..."
She mumbled incoherently, when suddenly a mechanical, alarm-like voice rang in her ears: "Host, wake up! You're in danger!"
The streetlights suddenly opened their eyes.
The view was dim, and the moonlight was mostly blocked by the dark shadow beside the bed. The shadow seemed to be alive, swaying and breathing heavily.
"Junior sister, shh."
That's Duan Yi's voice.
In the darkness, he smiled, his face flushed with excitement: "Senior brother will make you happy, you have to believe in senior brother..."
Hua Deng: "You bastard, go to hell!"
After uttering that curse, she pulled on the red rope hanging above the bed, and it jingled—
A crisp bell suddenly rang out, but its source was not the room with bright lights.
Duan Yi remained unmoved, smiling as he extended his hand: "What are you playing, Junior Sister? Whatever you like, Senior Brother can try."
"Get lost!" Hua Deng kicked, shouting as he did so, "Big boss, help me!"
"Junior sister, who are you calling? Your useless Daoist partner? He can't hear you. It's just you and me here..."
The words suddenly stopped, Duan Yi froze, and lowered his head in disbelief.
A sword tip pierced through his flesh and bone in his waist and abdomen, creating a fist-sized hole.
Blood dripped down his face, and he collapsed to his knees, yet still stubbornly crawled toward the edge of Hua Deng's bed.
The streetlights paid no heed, as if granted a pardon, and gazed at the tall, slender figure under the moonlight.
Night had fallen, and the man took off his outer robe, leaving only a snow-white undergarment. The soft fabric clung to his flesh, revealing his strong waist and long legs.
The big boss was probably sleeping, and being suddenly woken up made him irritable. He stomped on Duan Yi's wrist and broke it, saying with disgust, "You brainless idiot."
No one knows what kind of magic he used, but Duan Yi didn't even let out a scream, and was writhing on the ground, covered in cold sweat.
He watched coldly as the blood-stained sword hung at Duan Yi's neck, and asked Hua Deng, "What do you intend to do with him?"
Hua Deng, who could never tolerate being wronged, immediately jumped off the bed and kicked Duan Yi several times, saying viciously, "Hang him up at the entrance of Yaoqing Hall as a warning to all!"
Shen Zhou had no objection. The tip of the sword grazed Duan Yi's chin, the sharp blade cutting through his skin.
Duan Yi was forced to look up along the blade of the sword.
Bathed in the moonlight filtering through the window, he could see the eyes hidden behind Chen Zhou's mask.
Looking down from above, showing no pity, as if looking at a pile of mud.
The next moment, those dark eyes transformed into a vortex shape.
He couldn't utter a sound, only gaping in terror as a familiar yet chilling voice exploded in his mind, commanding him: "You, go to the entrance of Yaoqing Hall and hang yourself up."
The light in Duan Yi's pupils went out.
He obediently rolled out, even rolling quite happily, turning and turning around along the path in a rather regular manner.
The scene was so comical that Hua Deng burst out laughing, which eased her unease considerably, but her hands and feet were still cold, and she had not yet recovered from the shock.
This surprise attack was not accidental; on the contrary, according to the original work, it was something more normal than eating and drinking.
After sitting quietly for a moment, she lifted the blanket and wiped the cold sweat from her forehead.
Shen Zhou ignored her gaze, standing beside her meticulously wiping the immortal sword, as if this was cleaner than any cleaning technique.
Hua Deng rested her head on her knees, silently watching him.
Compared to his appearance, Shen Zhou's physique is actually much more mature. His muscles are firm but not bulging; when he's dressed, he only appears tall and slender, but when he takes off his clothes, his distinct and smooth muscle lines are revealed.
This was the first time Hua Deng had seen him without his outer robe. Even in the carriage before, he had slept fully clothed, wrapped up tightly.
Never before had his undergarment been so open, revealing his tanned skin beneath, the shadow of his collarbone and his broad chest bathed in moonlight, shimmering with a rippling glow.
For some reason, he seemed to be in a bad mood. After letting out a sigh, he ran his fingers through his hair and roughly ran them back.
As he moved, his long hair fell from his cheeks, his Adam's apple bobbed, his shoulders and back relaxed, and his abdominal muscles were faintly visible, making it impossible for the streetlights to look away.
These shoulders and neck, these waist and abdomen, these long legs.
Tsk tsk.
"If you keep looking, I'll call your senior brother back." The cool words interrupted Hua Deng's supposedly discreet glances.
She angrily rebuked, "You stingy person!"
"You're not stingy, take one off and let me see." Shen Zhou scoffed lightly.
"It's your own fault for dressing like this in the middle of the night; you're not a man of virtue," Hua Deng shouted loudly.
Shen Zhou was too lazy to argue with her. He just looked her up and down with a disdainful look, as if to say: And what about you?
Hua Deng glanced down and realized that she wasn't much better off.
Before going to bed, her neatly made-up pajamas had become loose halfway around the waist due to her argument with Duan Yi, revealing her snow-white shoulders and the neckline that was wide open to her chest, showing a noticeable mole under her collarbone.
"Don't look!" She clutched her chest, glared at him, and quickly tidied her clothes.
Shen Zhou took the immortal sword, crossed his arms, and commented, "You stingy guy."
Hua Deng declared confidently, "I'm your employer, and I'm in charge!"
Shen Zhou raised an eyebrow slightly, neither confirming nor denying, and simply waved his hand, saying, "I'm leaving. Don't call me unless it's absolutely necessary."
As he turned around, the bloodshot in his eyes receded like a tide.
After being interrupted by her a few words, the demonic energy created by forcibly interrupting his cultivation technique dissipated silently, even more effectively than his previous half-hour meditation.
Go back and try interrupting again.
However, Hua Deng stopped him: "No, I'm scared to sleep alone!"
Shen Zhou turned around and weighed the sword in his hand: "Aren't you afraid to sleep alone? I can help you."
Hua Deng choked on her words, and after a long pause, she finally managed to utter the truth: "If you leave, what if someone else comes?"
She emphasized, "I can't handle stimulation; it can really kill someone."
Shen Zhou looked bewildered and said, "Then die."
Hua Deng closed his eyes, no longer expecting any sympathy from him, and revealed his true intentions: "In short, I don't want to sleep alone!"
Shen Zhou suddenly realized, his expression remained indifferent, but his legs honestly took a step back.
Hua Deng: "..."
I always felt that Shen Zhou's eyes were saying: Hello, please don't covet my innocence.
She tried to argue, "That's not what I meant. Anyway, the house is big, I'll just buy you another bed."
Chen Zhou: "Heh."
Hua Deng clasped her hands together and said, "Please, I'm really scared to sleep alone."
She spoke pitifully, but Shen Zhou's expression remained unchanged, as if he were lost in thought.
As he fell silent, Hua Deng gradually changed from "Can't I even give you more money?" to "Whatever, I don't really need you anyway, lol."
Perhaps amused by her vulnerable remarks, Shen Zhou's expression finally changed, and his eyes returned to her face.
After a moment of eye contact, he said slowly, "I can pay more, but today..."
"You'll be sleeping on the floor today!" Hua Deng immediately chimed in.
"You can sleep on the floor," Shen Zhou said calmly.
Hua Deng: "...Aren't you used to sleeping in the open and eating outdoors all the time?"
Shen Zhou: "So now I should enjoy myself even more. You sleep on the floor."
Miss Hua endured it for a long time, and finally she really did endure it: "Fine, since you're willing to be so ruthless, then I'll hit you!"
Shen Zhou deftly grabbed a quilt and got onto the bed: "I'm willing."
Hua Deng endured the humiliation and got out of bed with her blanket, for the first time in her life, she slept on the floor.
...
Half an hour later, Hua Deng lay on the cold floor, wide awake, turning over to look at the figure on the bed.
He sat cross-legged, palms facing upwards, sideways to the edge of the bed, his spiritual energy circulating throughout his body, and the small heart sword in front of him flickering on and off.
Hua Deng internally roared: It doesn't matter where you roll up the bed, if you don't want to sleep, just give her the bed!
But since she was the one who insisted on keeping him there, she couldn't say it out loud. So she could only probe indirectly: "Chen Zhou, don't you usually sleep?"
Shen Zhou didn't open his eyes: "I'm not sleeping."
Hua Deng raised his eyebrows in surprise: "Practicing martial arts all the time, never resting?"
Shen Zhou: "Hmm."
Hua Deng: "So you don't have any hobbies or entertainment?"
Shen Zhou: "No."
Hua Deng: "Besides practicing martial arts, you really don't do anything else? Look at me every day—"
Shen Zhou: "Shut up."
Hua Deng: "Oh."
She had originally wanted to ask if sword cultivators, being in such a miserable state, were prone to mental illness, but now it seemed there was no need to ask; they were definitely somewhat affected.
A while later.
Half-asleep, Hua Deng asked, "Chen Zhou, are you asleep?"
No one answered.
“Chen Zhou, let me tell you a secret.”
No one answered.
She continued, seemingly oblivious to her surroundings: "It's a very important secret, and nobody knows it except me."
She longed to reveal her origins and the contents of this book, a secret she had kept hidden for eighteen years, a secret that constantly made her feel lonely.
“…Never mind.” She sighed, pulled the blanket tighter around herself, turned over, and muttered, “We’ll talk about it later.”
*
"A new mission has been issued. Please check it, host."
The next morning, Hua Deng was still half asleep when he was caught off guard by the notification.
Task: [Cultivate with the Sect Leader for three days] Not completed.
Time limit: Five days
She suddenly sat up.
The cultivation method described in the book goes without saying, and Hua Deng nervously swallowed: "System, is dual cultivation mandatory?"
"Don't worry, host. Your tasks are all simple and have no detailed requirements. You can exercise some autonomy."
Hua Deng breathed a sigh of relief: "That's good, I don't want to sleep with the old man."
Still reeling from the shock, I turned around and was startled again.
Why are you still here?
Shen Zhou, who was always elusive, was still in her room at Chen Shi (7-9 AM), and instead of practicing his martial arts, he stood by the bed with his sword in his arms, frowning and staring in her direction.
Why are you looking at me like that?
She felt a chill run down her spine from being stared at, clutching her clothes and looking at them again and again, only looking up again when she was sure there was nothing wrong.
Shen Zhou leaned closer, his face expressionless, and asked, "What secret?"
Hua Deng: "..."
Hua Deng: "You haven't been thinking about this all night, have you?"
Shen Zhou remained silent, staring at her with the same look he had for a dead person.
Hua Deng's eye twitched. The moment of confusion passed, and she knew she would never reveal the time travel story. She immediately said, "The secret is, you're really good-looking!"
That's true, which is why she spoke so sincerely, hoping to fool Shen Zhou.
However, Shen Zhou's gaze towards her did not lessen at all; instead, it became more complicated.
"—Beautiful?" he murmured repeatedly.
In his long yet short life, some people did tell him he was "handsome." But those were malicious mockery, which he interpreted as provocation.
After he had thoroughly beaten up all those who had provoked him, no one dared to comment on his appearance anymore.
But now, he looks at the smiling eyes of the city lights.
The black and white are distinct, the surface is smooth and translucent, and there is not a hint of provocation.
"Don't you think it's ugly?"
He blurted out those words instinctively, his fingertips touching his cheek, only to feel the cold mask.
Hua Deng: Ugly? Who? He's ugly? ???
This person actually said their own flawless face was ugly?!
The chaotic streetlights made me question my existence, and I opened my mouth but couldn't utter a word for a long time.
"Never mind, it's not important." Shen Zhou said indifferently, turning away indifferently. "This question was meaningless anyway."
"How is it meaningless?"
Hua Deng finally realized what was happening and grabbed him... Well, they didn't bump into each other again.
In short, she said earnestly, "You're so beautiful, it makes me feel so good."
After thinking for a moment, she pointed to the mask on Shen Zhou's face and said in an unquestionable tone, "From now on, you don't need to wear a mask in front of me!"
I like looking at you.
After saying this, Hua Deng felt light and refreshed, and urged Chen Zhou out of the room to get dressed and wash up.
Despite her shoving, the man's dark eyes remained indifferent as he returned to the house to hone his sword intent, just as he always did.
After a long time, he broke free from his consciousness, got up, and walked outside.
As he passed the table, a ray of light reflected from the mirror facing the window. He paused, and as if possessed, walked up to it, his eyelashes slightly lowered.
nice?
...How could that be?
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