Chapter 13 Late-Night "Tutoring"

Early morning, Jianghai City First People's Hospital, Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit.

"Don't come over! Don't open your eyes! It's all tentacles... it's all eyes! Ahhh!"

The shrill screams pierced through the soundproof glass, causing Zhao Tianba, who was standing in the corridor outside, to have a face so gloomy it looked like it could drip water.

Inside the ward, the gold-medal assassin 'Ghost Shadow,' who once struck terror into the Jianghai underworld, was now wearing a straitjacket, huddled in a corner and trembling. His crotch was soaked, and his eyes were vacant; he was clearly completely broken.

"Doctor, is there any hope?" Zhao Tianba took a deep breath, the two walnuts in his hand having been crushed into powder.

The attending physician tremblingly took off his mask: "Patriarch Zhao, the patient's mental defenses have completely collapsed. It's like... like he experienced some kind of extremely terrifying abyssal illusion. His cerebral cortex activity is abnormal, remaining in a state of 'extreme terror.' Unless a Divine Thought Master intervenes to soothe him, he'll spend the rest of his life in a mental hospital."

"Useless!"

Zhao Tianba kicked the hospital wall with a loud bang, causing the plaster to crack.

Last night, Ghost Shadow went to assassinate Jiang Chen, only to be found the next morning in a trash can in that slum neighborhood, completely insane. And Jiang Chen? Word was he went to school as if nothing had happened, swaggering along.

"That kid... is very strange," the butler standing behind Zhao Tianba whispered. "Patriarch, Ghost Shadow is at the Peak of the sixth level of Qi and blood, and he's an expert in stealth. To be scared insane without a sound suggests that behind Jiang Chen... there might be a master, or perhaps he himself has awakened some kind of terrifying mental talent."

"Mental talent..." A trace of wariness flashed in Zhao Tianba's eyes.

In this high-martial world, a Divine Thought Master was ten times more fearsome than a Martial Artist of the same rank. They killed invisibly, in ways that were eerie and unpredictable.

"Pass down the order: suspend all direct assassinations against Jiang Chen," Zhao Tianba said coldly. "Since direct methods won't work, we'll borrow a knife to kill. The city-wide practical martial exam is coming up soon, at the No. 03 Abandoned City. There, the death of a student or two is a perfectly normal 'accident.'"

"Contact the 'Black Snake Mercenary Group' and have them infiltrate. I don't believe that kid can evade a siege of firearms and high-level Martial Artists in a wilderness survival battle!"

...

Jianghai Third Middle School, Grade 12, Class 2.

When Jiang Chen walked into the classroom yawning, the originally noisy class instantly went silent as if someone had pressed a mute button.

Dozens of pairs of eyes stared at him in unison, their gazes filled with awe, curiosity, and even a hint of fear.

The image of him slapping Zhao Feng into the wall on the arena yesterday had left a massive psychological shadow on these students.

Jiang Chen ignored this, walking practicedly to the "throne" in the back row by the window. He tossed his backpack onto the desk, forming a perfect pillow shape, and was just about to lie down for a nap when a refreshing, soul-penetrating fragrance suddenly wafted over.

It wasn't the piercing cold scent of Mu Qingxue, but a warm fragrance with a faint hint of medicinal herbs.

"Jiang Chen."

A clear, cold, and pleasant voice sounded in his ear.

Jiang Chen forced one eye open to see Su Qingyue standing before his desk.

Today, she wore a neat school uniform, her pleated skirt revealing a pair of long, straight, beautiful legs. The sunlight spilled onto her exquisite profile, making her breathtakingly beautiful.

The hearts of the boys in the class shattered across the floor.

Previously, Su, the Campus Belle was as aloof as a snow lotus and never took the initiative to approach boys. Why was she hanging around this Sleep God every day now?

"Morning, Su, the Campus Belle," Jiang Chen said lazily, propping up his chin. "If there's business, speak; if not, the court is dismissed. If you want an autograph, it's ten bucks."

Su Qingyue ignored his banter and instead, with a blushing face, pushed an exquisite sandalwood box in front of him.

"This is for you."

"What's this? A token of love?" Jiang Chen opened it curiously.

Immediately, a rich medicinal aroma diffused through the air. Inside the box lay three round, solid crimson Medicinal Pills with faint pill patterns on them. Just one sniff made his blood and Qi surge.

"Second-grade Top-quality Blood-Qi Pills?!" a knowledgeable student in the front row exclaimed. "One of these costs fifty thousand Federal Credits! And they're rare even if you have the money! These are sacred medicines for assisting in breaking through to the Bone Forging Realm!"

Three of them meant at least a hundred and fifty thousand!

Jiang Chen raised an eyebrow and closed the box. "Such a grand gesture? Trying to keep me as a sugar baby?"

Su Qingyue's pretty face flushed slightly as she glared at him. "In your dreams! This is... to thank you for saving me in the forest. Also, the martial exam has been changed to survival mode, and we need to form a team. This is... the team entry fee."

In truth, Su Qingyue wasn't being entirely honest.

After returning home last night, she had actually suffered from insomnia.

Without that unique aura of tranquility Jiang Chen provided, the phoenix blood in her body became restless, leaving her unable to sleep all night.

She now urgently needed to stay by Jiang Chen's side to "recharge."

This wasn't just about repaying a debt; it was a physiological dependency.

"Teaming up, huh..." Jiang Chen rubbed his chin.

Teaming up with Su Qingyue had obvious benefits.

Besides her being a powerful combatant, more importantly, she was a "humanoid phoenix blood power bank." In the dangerous abandoned city, having a high-quality pillow that could provide buffs at any time was practically a survival necessity.

"Fine, approved," Jiang Chen said, unceremoniously putting away the pills. "But since we're teammates, we need to cultivate some chemistry."

"Wh... What kind of chemistry?" Su Qingyue looked at Jiang Chen's mischievous smile, and alarm bells instantly rang in her heart.

"Come to my house tonight after school," Jiang Chen whispered mysteriously. "I'll give you one-on-one special tutoring. On how to... rapidly recover Mental Energy while sleeping."

"Huh?" Su Qingyue was stunned.

Go to his house? At night? One-on-one?

Isn't... isn't this progressing a bit too fast?

Although she wanted to repay him and indeed wanted to "inhale" Jiang Chen's aura, this was too...

"Su Qingyue!"

Just as Su Qingyue was in a mental tug-of-war, a voice as cold as frost came from the doorway.

Mu Qingxue was dressed in a black professional suit, leaning against the doorframe with her arms crossed, staring sharply at the two of them—specifically at the sandalwood box Su Qingyue had given him.

"The martial exam is almost here. Instead of reviewing at your desk, what's with all this running around?"

Mu Qingxue strode in, her aura so oppressive the whole class didn't dare breathe. She walked to Jiang Chen's desk, grabbed him by the collar, and sneered, "And you, Jiang Chen. I told you to come to my office for special training yesterday, and you slipped away pretty fast, didn't you? Come with me!"

"Eh? Teacher, class is about to start..." Jiang Chen tried to struggle.

"It's my class; I call the shots," Mu Qingxue said imperiously. "Your Physique is special and requires targeted 'deep conditioning.' Now, immediately, at once!"

With that, ignoring the shocked gazes of the entire class, Mu Qingxue dragged Jiang Chen out of the classroom like she was carrying a chick.

Before leaving, she gave Su Qingyue a deep look, her eyes carrying an imperceptible trace of... hostility.

...

Faculty building, private office.

*Click.*

The door was locked, and the curtains were drawn.

Mu Qingxue let go of Jiang Chen and leaned against the door. A faint, abnormal flush suddenly appeared on her originally cold face, and her breathing became hurried.

"Teacher, you're..." Jiang Chen tidied his collar and, seeing Mu Qingxue in this state, his heart stirred.

[Ding! High-quality female (Mu Qingxue) detected in a weakened state.]

[Nine Yin Cold Poison outbreak period.]

[Requirement: Neutralization with Pure Yang aura.]

[Suggestion: Hold her tight!]

As expected.

Mu Qingxue bit her lip, her body trembling slightly. "Stop talking... come here. The Cold Poison is acting up... I need to use your Yang Qi."

She walked to the sofa, sat down, and patted her thigh. "Lie down."

"Ah?" Jiang Chen blinked. "Teacher, is this appropriate? What if someone sees..."

"Shut up!" Mu Qingxue glared at him, but her eyes were already somewhat blurred. "This is treatment! I'm the doctor, and you're... you're the Medicinal Catalyst!"

Jiang Chen shrugged helplessly (but inwardly delighted) and walked over, practicedly lying down on Mu Qingxue's long, shapely thighs.

*Hiss—*

So cold!

The moment they touched, Jiang Chen felt as if he were resting his head on a block of ten-thousand-year-old profound ice. But immediately after, the System inside him began to run frantically, converting this bone-chilling cold into pure energy.

[Spiritual Charm Resonance activated!]

[Absorbing Cold Poison spiritual power... converting into Blood-Qi points...]

[Current Blood-Qi: +1/second...]

As the cold was absorbed, Mu Qingxue's furrowed brows gradually relaxed, and the bone-deep pain was replaced by a warm flow of heat. She couldn't help but reach out and press her hand against Jiang Chen's temples, stroking him gently like one would a cat.

"Mmm..."

Inside the office, a highly suppressed yet comfort-filled moan sounded.

Jiang Chen closed his eyes comfortably, sighing in his heart: This is the right way to live life.

"Teacher, your technique is pretty good. Next time, use a bit more pressure."

"Shut up! Sleep!"