169: kiss

Above the Outer Academy of Jia Nan Academy, two figures streaked across the sky like meteors, finally landing steadily on the central plaza of the academy.

“Look quickly! It's Dean Lei Tian!”

“And Elder Mo Xuan! Isn’t that Jiang Donghua he’s carrying?!”

“Hiss~ It really is him! That ruthless person who won first place in the Alchemy Department competition!”

The students on the plaza all looked up, their eyes filled with shock and envy.

Dou Qi Transformation Wings, soaring through the nine heavens—this was a realm countless cultivators dreamed of achieving!

“Is that the power of a Dou Wang Expert? It’s too cool!”

A young man clenched his fists, his eyes burning with fervent fighting spirit.

“Heh, stop dreaming. Throughout the entire Outer Academy, to reach the Dou Wang realm, one would have to be an extremely powerful Elder.”

The person next to him shook his head and sighed, but his gaze remained fixed on the Lightning Light wings that had not yet dissipated.

“That Jiang Donghua, he actually got Elder Mo Xuan to personally fly him back.”

Someone said sourly.

“Nonsense, he’s an Alchemist, and Elder Mo Xuan’s personal Disciple. If it were you, would you have that ability?”

“Tsk, true. Not only is this guy strong, but his alchemy talent is ridiculously high. It’s truly infuriating how much better he is than others!”

Discussions rose and fell, and in the center of the plaza, Jiang Donghua was casually tossed aside by Mo Xuan. He stumbled two steps before standing firm, then couldn’t help but roll his eyes.

“Master, can you, an old fellow, be a bit gentler?”

Mo Xuan stroked his beard and said with a smile.

“What, you think I’m not thoughtful enough? Then next time, you can run back yourself?”

Jiang Donghua’s mouth twitched.

“I’ll pass on that.”

Red Silk stood to the side, her expression still cool and aloof, but the corner of her eye swept over the whispering students around her, and her brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

“Hmph, a bunch of mediocre talents who only know how to envy.”

She sneered inwardly, but when her gaze fell on Jiang Donghua, a peculiar light flashed in her eyes.

This guy, he seems to quite enjoy being the center of attention?

Lei Tian retracted his Dou Qi wings, stood with his hands behind his back, and scanned his surroundings before speaking calmly.

“Everyone, disperse. The path of cultivation relies not on looking up to others, but on being down-to-earth.”

As his voice fell, the students immediately fell silent, bowed their heads in salute, and then dispersed, but the yearning for power had already taken root deep in their hearts.

Jiang Donghua stretched lazily and said with a languid smile.

“Dean, what you said is right, but sometimes, letting people have a dream isn’t a bad thing.”

Lei Tian glanced at him, a half-smile playing on his lips.

“And you? What is your dream?”

Jiang Donghua grinned, a hint of slyness flashing in his eyes.

“My dream! Of course, it’s to first surpass Master, then surpass the Dean, and finally see if I can run rampant across the Fighting Qi Continent!”

Hearing this, Lei Tian merely laughed heartily. To be able to run rampant across the continent, one would at least need to be a Dou Zun Expert.

He just took it as a dream of youthful exuberance.

Mo Xuan stroked his beard, nodding with a smile.

“Having a dream is naturally a good thing.”

He deliberately drew out his words, his gaze sweeping between Jiang Donghua and Red Silk.

“But don’t just talk the talk without walking the walk.”

Red Silk lightly snorted, twirling a strand of hair around her finger, and said faintly.

“I should also return to the Inner Academy’s Qi Cultivation Tower to cultivate. I don’t have time to mess around with you all.”

She turned to leave, but Jiang Donghua took a quick step forward, grinning as he blocked her path.

“Hey, Senior Sister, don’t be in such a hurry to leave!”

Red Silk paused, cast a sidelong glance at him, a faint Lightning Light flickering in her eyes.

“What, is there something else?”

This scene was perfectly witnessed by Mo Xuan and Lei Tian.

“Tsk tsk, youth is truly wonderful.”

Mo Xuan shook his head and sighed with emotion.

Lei Tian laughed heartily, patting Mo Xuan’s shoulder.

“old fellow, let’s not be in the way here.”

Before his words finished, a flash of Lightning Light enveloped him, and he instantly disappeared like a bolt of lightning, leaving only a teasing echo.

“Little Donghua, keep it up, don’t make this old man wait too long!”

Mo Xuan also chuckled, winking at Jiang Donghua.

“Disciple, your master will also take his leave first. You’re on your own!”

With that, he waved his sleeve, his wind wings unfolded, and he soared into the sky in the blink of an eye.

On the plaza, only Jiang Donghua and Red Silk remained.

Jiang Donghua watched Red Silk’s retreating back, suddenly feeling a little anxious.

He scratched his head, a rare hint of awkwardness appearing on his face, his earlobes slightly warm.

“Senior Sister, wait a moment!”

He quickly caught up, gently tugged at her sleeve corner, his voice softer than usual, with a hint of pleading.

Red Silk paused, turned her face, her brows slightly raised, the faint Lightning Light in her eyes appearing and disappearing, looking at him with a half-smile.

“What? Something else?”

Under her gaze, Jiang Donghua’s heart inexplicably quickened a few beats.

He cleared his throat, feigning composure, and rummaged in his storage ring. In an instant, a handful of smooth, crystalline fire spirit pills appeared in his palm. The crimson pills glowed with a gentle luster under the sunlight, and a rich fire-attribute energy subtly fluctuated, clearly indicating their high quality.

“Here, these are for you.”

He grabbed Red Silk’s hand, stuffing a dozen fire spirit pills into her palm without explanation, his fingertips deliberately brushing against her soft palm, the warm, soft touch making his heart flutter.

Red Silk froze, looking down at the pile of fire spirit pills in her palm. The scent of the pills was rich, the energy abundant, and each one was quite valuable.

She blinked, her long eyelashes trembling slightly, seemingly a little disbelieving.

“You, where did you get so many? Didn’t you give most of them to that Bai Xiaofeng?”

Jiang Donghua grinned, his eyes showing a hint of pride and a touch of indulgence.

“I made them for fun, I can’t use them all anyway. Senior Sister, aren’t you going to cultivate in the Qi Cultivation Tower? Such a place definitely consumes resources. These should be enough for you for a while.”

Red Silk stared at him for a few seconds, then suddenly burst out laughing, her usually cool face instantly melting like ice and snow. Her eyes curved, and the curve of her lips held a rare softness.

“You rascal?”

She murmured softly, her voice carrying an almost imperceptible tremor.

The next second, she suddenly stepped forward, stretched out her arms, and directly wrapped them around Jiang Donghua’s neck, pressing her entire body against him.

Jiang Donghua hadn’t reacted yet when he felt a weight on his chest, two soft and full sensations pressing tightly against his chest. Her warm body temperature permeated through the thin fabric, making his breath hitch.

“S-Senior Sister?!”

He widened his eyes, his throat tight, his heart almost leaping out of his chest.

Red Silk didn’t speak, only hugged him tighter, the strength of her arms making him slightly breathless, but he didn’t want to break free at all.

Her hair carried a faint, subtle fragrance, brushing against his cheek, ticklish, making his whole body tense up.

Just as he was feeling dizzy, Red Silk suddenly looked up, her beautiful eyes gazing directly into his, a mischievous smile playing on her lips.

Before he could react, she suddenly leaned in, her soft lips directly pressing against his.

“Mmm—!”

Jiang Donghua’s mind went blank instantly. He only felt a warm sensation on his lips, incredibly soft, with a faint, sweet fragrance.

The kiss was brief yet passionate. Red Silk’s tongue even playfully licked his lip lightly before slowly pulling away.

When their lips parted, a thin silver thread was drawn out, looking especially ambiguous in the sunlight.

Jiang Donghua was completely frozen, his cheeks burning, her warmth and scent still lingering on his lips, his heart beating so fast it felt like it would explode.

Red Silk looked at his stunned expression and couldn’t help but giggle, a blush coloring her cheeks, her eyes brighter than usual, with a hint of triumphant slyness.

“Idiot.”

She lightly snorted, tapped his chest with her fingertip, then turned and ran, her long hair fluttering in the wind, her figure as light as a dancing butterfly.

Jiang Donghua stood rooted to the spot, stunned for a long while before coming back to his senses. He raised a hand to touch his lips, a foolish smile unconsciously spreading across his face.

“Senior Sister, that was too sudden!”

He murmured softly, but his heart felt as sweet as if it had been filled with honey.

In the distance, after running for a while, Red Silk gradually slowed her pace. She secretly glanced back, and seeing him still standing there in a daze, she couldn’t help but bite her lower lip, the blush on her face deepening.

“That blockhead.”

She whispered, but couldn’t hide the smile on her lips, her heart still beating incredibly fast.