Huancheng Deep

Kapitel 8

He was imposing, with a bronze complexion and sharply defined, deep-set features, like a Greek sculpture. His dark, deep-set eyes exuded a wild, untamed, and alluringly seductive charm, especially his gold and silver eyes. He emanated an aura of supreme authority, inspiring awe and fear. Leaning against a pillar, Jing Xie Shang glanced at the two people who had just entered. A chilling coldness permeated his being; it was a sense of loneliness, a feeling of being too high to bear.

Feng Youhuang subconsciously touched her earring. Another opponent. She sneered at herself.

Yuan Yang remained an observer throughout, her white robes flowing gracefully, exuding an otherworldly aura. She simply stroked the verdant bamboo.

"Bamboo reflects the wind through the window in several slanting waves—a person sits in sorrow, lost in endless thoughts. Last night, I lingered on a dream of wandering the rivers and lakes, all because of the sound of dry leaves like reeds." (Selected from "Bamboo Wind Tang," by Tang Yanqian) The voice was slightly feminine, and a strong scent of perfume wafted through the air. The three people in the garden saw a man dressed in a white robe and thick-soled official boots, holding an antique-style fan. A matching ribbon fluttered behind his head, adorned with a dazzling, pure, and flawless purple-blue gemstone. His face was like jade, with white teeth and bright eyes—a handsome and dashing young man! His eyes had the lustrous color of black pearls, their light flowing and radiant. His nose was straight and proud, a symbol of noble lineage. However, unlike Yuan Yang, who gave off a pure and elegant impression, he possessed a carefree and cynical air.

"What a fine poem!" exclaimed the man who followed. His eyes were as clear as crystal submerged in water, yet slightly upturned at the corners, giving them a captivating allure. The pure pupils and alluring eye shape blended in a wondrous way, creating an exquisite charm. His thin lips were pale as water, yet they carried an understated imperial aura, not the oppressive force of Jing Xieshang, but an irresistible power. However, he diligently concealed his domineering presence, giving him an air of nonchalance.

"Brother Shen, you flatter me." The effeminate-looking young man unfolded his fan and replied humbly.

"The dream of wandering the world left behind by Qianmo at night makes one think deeply!" It is indifferent and detached.

"Please come in, gentlemen." The man in the blue robe smiled kindly, exuding an air of refinement. It wasn't hard to tell that he was the servant who had blocked their way earlier. The five men were taken aback. As the pride of heaven, they would have completely disregarded a servant's obstruction, but now, the servant standing before them had transformed into a teacher. They all sighed inwardly to varying degrees. However, they were eager to see the student who would become the first scholar to achieve first place in a thousand years. It was said that he was only 13 years old. One could imagine...

They felt a deep sense of injustice. Being overshadowed by someone younger was unpleasant. All five students from Chongru Academy were present, but one was missing. This first-place winner certainly had a big ego!

Yu Zhou was naturally prone to sleepiness, but despite his keen hearing, he often couldn't fall asleep. He took some anesthetic, but he overslept. He hurriedly ran towards the academy as if his life depended on it.

With a 'thud,' Yu Zhou fell to the ground rather unceremoniously, and all five of them stared at the fallen boy to varying degrees. Surprised and astonished gazes lingered on Yu Zhou, who quickly got up, scratching the back of his head. Just as he was about to speak, Jing Xieshang said in a low voice, "A mere page dares to trespass like this? Doesn't he know where he is?" Yu Zhou was about to speak, feeling wronged, when a woman in green slowly approached. The five of them and the man in green bowed respectfully, saying, "Greetings, Headmaster." But Yu Zhou remained seated, dumbfounded. It turned out that the woman playing the zither was the Headmaster of the Six Arts Academy. The Headmaster of the number one academy in the world was a woman! Yu Zhou was about to react when Qin Yan helped him up and introduced him, "This is your classmate, Yu Xuanyuan."

"Yu Xuanyuan!" Feng Youhuang stared at Yu Zhou in disbelief. She hadn't expected that the thirteen-year-old boy was referring to him. The person she had initially considered the least threatening had now become the most threatening—this sickly boy. He didn't look like the number one at all. The other three were also in an uproar, but Yuan Yang seemed to know the situation, only offering a faint smile.

"Didn't you say your name was Yu Zhou? When did you start using it...?" Feng Youhuang asked, completely bewildered. Was he lying to him? Was he making a fool of her?

“Xuanyuan is my courtesy name, which I only adopted yesterday. I didn’t mean to deceive Brother Feng.” Yu Zhou was sweating profusely. When Feng Youhuang got angry, he could rival Lin Lie.

"Why are you wearing a straw hat? Are you afraid to show your face?" Hua Qianmo looked at Yu Zhou with a sneer. In what way was her talent inferior to this sickly fellow? He was unconvinced; no one had ever stood above him. His pride wouldn't allow anyone to be better than him.

"Yes! Could it be something... Dean, doesn't the academy have a rule against wearing straw hats in class?" Feng Youhuang added fuel to the fire, clearly enjoying the spectacle. Qin Yan was somewhat conflicted, and after a long while, she finally said, "Xuanyuan, your straw hat."

"This..." Yu Zhou hesitated, feeling caught in a dilemma. He steeled himself, removed his bamboo hat from his head, and slowly raised his head. Everyone present stared wide-eyed. The five men present were already exceptionally handsome, almost otherworldly, but the young man before them defied description. He was stunning, alluring, and handsome; his beauty transcended gender. Such a young man made one admire the greatness of the Creator. Beautiful... inhumanly beautiful. Especially his deep, captivating eyes, which seemed to draw everything in, powerfully piercing the depths of the soul, faintly emanating a delicate fragrance. Subtle and elusive, they captivated his gaze.

A 'thud' was heard as the fan fell to the ground.

[introduce]

A man in a white robe was seen frantically groping the man in black.

Hua Qianmo's hand moved from Yu Zhou's neck to his chest, giving it a few squeezes. Yu Zhou was taken aback, staring blankly as Hua Qianmo sat on him. "Hey buddy, have you had enough?" Yu Zhou had originally wanted to scold him, but it seemed that it didn't matter if men touched each other a little. His frustration wouldn't dissipate no matter how much he was touched. And those breasts, no matter how much he touched them, they were still flat.

But Hua Qianmo said, "Not enough," and then reached down to touch Yu Zhou's genitals.

Yu Zhou, his face flushed, managed to say, "So this gentleman actually likes this. Alright! I'll take the loss, you can touch it." Such selflessness! Yu Zhou thought to himself that he could be a Communist.

Hua Qianmo froze at first, then jumped up quickly, her face flushed, and she was inwardly groaning: "I was being disrespectful. I just thought Brother Yu was exceptionally handsome and wanted to see if he was a woman."

"Does that gentleman think I'm a woman?" This was the second time she'd fallen to the ground, and Yu Zhou was certain she'd fall again today. Xiu Mei half-raised her head, looking at Hua Qianmo with a mournful expression.

"Brother Yu is very thin, there's not an ounce of extra flesh." Hua Qianmo emphasized the word 'flesh.' He looked dejected. Today, he, Hua Qianmo, had actually touched a man, and a man even more handsome than himself. He felt it was a pity that the man smiling so brightly in front of him wasn't a woman.

"That's good. Xuanyuan has already taken off his hat, so please introduce yourselves," Qin Yan said gently. However, she still seemed to intentionally or unintentionally avoid contact with Teacher Qingshan. Could there be some secret between these two? Yu Zhou slumped to the ground, secretly wondering.

"Well then, I'll go first. My name is Feng Youhuang, courtesy name Yuyan." Her purple eyes held a peculiar emotion as she stared directly at Yu Zhou as she spoke. Yu Zhou thought to himself, 'I'm beautiful, but I don't need you to look at me,' but she just kept staring intently at him. A gaping mouth appeared at the corner of her lips. Yu Zhou initially thought it was because of a toothache, but according to Feng Youhuang's later account, it was a flirtatious glance. But what did her mouth and eyes have to do with each other?

“Jing Xie Shang, courtesy name Cang Shi.” Jin Yin’s eyes were full of hostility. He had been stunning when Yu Zhou took off his hat, but now he was like a fighting dragon, exuding a terrifying aura. “Hua Qian Mo, Qian Mo as in crisscrossing paths, courtesy name Xi Meng, I apologize for my earlier offense.” Yu Zhou felt that this guy was doing it on purpose. Didn’t he see that he was still sitting on the ground? It wouldn’t be too much trouble to help him up.

"Shen Si, courtesy name Wuyue." His gentle demeanor concealed his inner brilliance, yet he couldn't escape Yu Zhou's gaze. The ninth prince of Gengyue Kingdom, Shen Wuyue. Yu Zhou smiled broadly; his future master would, of course, require special treatment.

"My name is Yuan Yang, courtesy name Xingzhi." Clad in white, his eyes shone with a dazzling brilliance, an undeniable wisdom. Every movement was executed with a formulaic precision. Unlike Jing Xieshang's cold aloofness, he possessed a detached pride from the world, an extraordinary charisma. Yu Zhou suddenly realized that he was like himself—a man of talent. Different from the other four, he exuded a reassuring aura, not the domineering, kingly air of someone who could command the world at will.

“Xuanyuan, Xingzhi had a nickname before entering the academy: Young Phoenix.” Qin Yan smiled as she helped Yu Zhou up, then looked at the jade pendant on Yuan Yang’s waist and said. Then she pointed to the dragon jade pendant on Yu Zhou’s waist and said, “Then Xuanyuan is Young Crouching Dragon.”

"Wolong and Chufeng are fine names. I never expected Brother Yuan to be the renowned Chufeng Gongzi." Feng Youhuang looked as if he had long admired the name, but his brows were furrowed, revealing his displeasure.

"I dare not accept such praise; it was merely out of courtesy from the people of the martial world." Is that so? Young Master Phoenix has utterly destroyed the largest Black Wind Stronghold in the Sun Cang Kingdom within five days, capturing and releasing its leader, Black Whirlwind, seven times. His name is legendary!

"Brother Xingzhi, you're too modest," Shen Si replied with a smile. He wanted to win over Yuan Xingzhi, but the number one was right in front of him, so why didn't he try to win him over? Yu Zhou was sulking. He had given him a big smile, but Shen Si just ignored him.

“Then, Xuanyuan is just missing you.” Qin Yan patted Yu Zhou on the shoulder.

"My name is Yu Zhou, courtesy name Xuanyuan. I hope you will all guide me in the Six Arts." Indeed! Life in the Six Arts will no longer be dull. Qin Yan looked at these six spirited young men. Adding to that the six formidable talents of the Martial Arts Academy, she couldn't help but sigh.

"Young Master, Young Master, your luggage!" Panting, Yingxue stumbled and fell onto Yu Zhou, once again making intimate contact with the ground due to gravity. He fell to the ground again; his premonition had come true once more. Embarrassed, Yingxue got up from Yu Zhou. But Yu Zhou was still unable to get up, weighed down by a huge pile of luggage. To make matters worse, a pair of underwear that had accidentally fallen from the luggage and read 'Yu Zhou is Bing Ning's husband' was hanging on Yu Zhou's head. Unexpectedly, Bing Ning hadn't even spared her underwear.

Yingxue, feeling embarrassed, took the underwear off Yu Zhou's head, afraid he would throw it away.

"Young Master, you...you're not...right?" Yu Zhou's face was ashen, he hadn't expected Bing Ning to be so ruthless.

Although Yingxue felt that the young master was very pathetic, when she thought of the young lady crying and sobbing that night, she felt that the young master was not so miserable.

"Xue~ Isn't the young master handsome?" Xue nodded.

"Isn't the young master charming?" Xue nodded again.

"So, do you think I'm good enough for the young master?" Xue shook her head stupidly at first. But when she saw Bing Ning's murderous gaze, Xue had no choice but to nod obediently. Bing Ning said with satisfaction, "Then you know the pain of being a child bride. I'm old and faded. If he takes a concubine, how am I supposed to live?"

Mou Xue's eyes were brimming with tears.

"Alright, Xue, you have to keep an eye on him for me. If he does anything, tell me as soon as possible. If—if he dares to throw away those things with my mark on them, you have to tell me too, understand? Here's a notebook. Take it." Xue obediently took the notebook.

Bingning has once again successfully tricked an innocent child into becoming her lackey. But Xue solemnly vowed to protect the young master and never let the young lady suffer any injustice.

This is how Yingxue was abducted. However, Yingxue believed it was her mission to protect her marriage. The most pitiful one was Yuzhou, who was kept in the dark.

Qin Yan and the others really didn't want to laugh, but when they saw the underwear, the whole classroom erupted in laughter, with Hua Qianmo, that playboy, laughing the loudest. He could barely straighten his back.