Chapter 14

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Xu Zhenyan sat in his room, eating Xian'er's roast duck. It was pretty good, similar to the spicy chicken dishes from life. However, if there was one problem, it was that the portion size was too small.

In thought, he didn't realize it was finished until his chopsticks struck an empty plate.

"Are you still hungry, young master? I can fetch something from the kitchen, if you wish."

Hua'er, standing next to Xian'er with her hands folded, immediately took notice of his predicament.

Xu Zhenyan nodded.

"Yes, please. There's no need to cook anything. Some jerky, hard cheese, nuts… oh, sorry—maybe a few eggs would be nice. They're not too troublesome to make. Ah, and some milk…"

As the list kept expanding, the two girls' expressions changed.

'Surely young master Xu can't eat that much?'

Such thoughts were written all over their faces.

However, his appetite wasn't unusual in the least. All cultivators consumed enormous amounts of food, which, among other reasons, is why only the rich could become practitioners.

"You should go with her, Xian'er. I don't think Ms. Hua's two hands will be enough."

Xu Zhenyan's tone was somewhat embarrassed.

The two girls nodded, departing after leaving a 'we'll return soon, young master' behind.

Sighing, he reclined in his chair, staring out across the courtyard. After Lee Shin reminded him, Qin Xiyue didn't leave his mind. He had some memories of her, but they only met once, when they were little kids.

How his supposed 'fiancé' looked now, he had no idea.

'According to the novel, she's even more beautiful than the protagonist's love interest.'

Predictably, she ended up falling for Lin Xi, refusing to pay attention to any other man. She even expressed her willingness to enter into a polygamous relationship with him, but out of consideration for his main love interest, he refused.

The corners of Xu Zhenyan's mouth quirked upwards.

Qin Xiyue was an interesting woman, that was for certain. However, that didn't necessarily mean he was going to try and grab her. After all, there was still the number one beauty, a girl he had more confidence in being able to obtain.

'I still don't get why Leng Qiuyu went with that loser, Lai Kaiyun. I mean, sending a letter now and then can't work that well, can it?'

The girl in question eventually partnered up with one of Lin Xi's friends, an unremarkable fellow, all things considered. Lin Xi was actually responsible for their relationship, given how much work he put in, playing wingman.

The aforementioned regular letters to her was one of his 'tips'.

'If that's all it takes to get a foot in the door, then surely my chances are good.'

Stroking his chin with a smile on his face, he barely noticed the passing of time. Eventually, the maids returned with his food, and he set about gorging himself while trying to maintain some level of decorum.

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"Young master…"

When Xu Zhenyan finished his meal, Xian'er stepped forward hesitantly, clearly having something to say.

The boy raised his head, glancing up from the story he was reading. This type of entertainment was available, but he found it wasn't quite to his taste—not this particular tale, at least.

"Yes?"

Xian'er bit her lip, mulling over her words carefully before speaking.

"This… I'm afraid it wouldn't be proper of me to sully your honor, given that I…"

However, before she could finish, Xu Zhenyan waved his hand from side-to-side irritably.

"All right, I know what you want to say. There's no need for you to stay tonight. In any case, I'm better, so I don't need a nurse anymore."

He stopped briefly, apparently contemplating something before speaking again.

"From now on, you don't need to attend to me all day. I'll be going about my own business, so it's not convenient for me either."

After saying his piece, he returned to his reading. While both maids were attractive enough, they were still in the realm of 'normal'. Given he was in a fantasy world, Xu Zhenyan had a craving for fantastical beauties.

Of course, that didn't mean he wouldn't enjoy himself.

While Xian'er stood there dumbly, having anticipated a confrontation, Xu Zhenyan spoke again, not looking up from his parchment.

"You should go ahead and lay down, Hua'er. I'd prefer if the bed was already warm when I decide to turn in."

His tone was free of any ambiguity, so the eldest maid didn't give it too much thought.

"…all right, young master."

Walking over to the bedside, she put her back to Xu Zhenyan before disrobing slowly. However, underneath wasn't her undergarments, but loose sleepwear.

Blinking dazedly, Xian'er watched this happen. Though she was excused, she didn't leave immediately.

Xu Zhenyan didn't bother with her either. Yet, although he appeared immersed in his reading, his eyes glazed over. He was thinking of other things.

Time passed and the sky soon turned dark. Far in the distance, muted sounds of thunder could be heard—rain was on the way.

The flaming wick on his desk wavered, buffeted by a sudden wind. The scent of moisture roused Xu Zhenyan from his stupor and, looking up he saw Xian'er still hadn't left.

"Since you're here, would you mind closing the shutters?"

Rolling up his parchment, he stood and put it away.

When he did, Hua'er suddenly spoke from her where she lay, bundled up in the middle of the bed.

"Is that Wang Shi's autobiography, young master? I haven't read it yet, but I heard it's very interesting."

Her tone was excited, clearly wanting to get her hands on the story.

Xu Zhenyan's lips twitched.

"Well, if you want to, feel free."

To be perfectly honest, the tale read like a bad fanfiction. Though it was an autobiography, there was simply no way the events were true. However, in this day and age without internet, there was really no way to confirm or deny what the author wrote.

For example, 'Wang Shi' devoted multiple chapters to a chance interaction with an old immortal. Having provided the old cultivator with aid in time of need, the man shared some secrets of the arts with Wang Shi.

However, being a cultivator himself, Xu Zhenyan was able to tell it for the nonsense it was. Yet, cultivators were in short supply—most people lived their lives without ever seeing one, or believing they were just fairytales. Such was the case for the protagonist before he enrolled in Green Luan Academy.

It was unlikely that one would take time out of their day to debunk some story, no matter how popular it was.

Sighing, Xu Zhenyan lifted the sheets and got on his bed. It was nice and warm indeed, especially during the cooling seasons.

"Put the lantern out when you leave, Xian'er."

He didn't know why the girl hadn't left yet, neither did he care. Although having some fun was indeed on his mind, the moment he felt the soft sheets against his skin, a sudden sleepiness beset him.

'Thinking about it, I did work hard today, didn't I?'

Surprisingly, the process of expelling ki was a lot more exhausting than anticipated. In a matter of seconds, he could feel himself getting drowsy, drawing ever closer to sleep.

He barely noticed when Hua'er touched her back against his, nor when Xian'er extinguished the light and left.

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As days turned into weeks, Xu Zhenyan continued his meditations, refining his ki like hammering and folding metal. Although there would be less final product, it would be stronger and higher quality.

Though it was exciting it first, like anything else, as time passed, cultivation became a mundane act. However, Xu Zhenyan wasn't disappointed or frustrated. No matter how passionate one was, discipline was the key to success in any practice—that much he knew from his past life.

Fraternizing with the maids also lost its novelty. Like anyone in his position, having gone from an average guy to a person of status, Xu Zhenyan felt the allure of power. Yet, the girls, although pretty, wouldn't compare to the academy's fairies. For that reason, heeding Lee Shin's advice, he kept his mischief to a minimum.

Ironically, as he withdrew, the maid's attentions increased. Xu Zhenyan could only shake his head—even the reticent Xian'er seemed to be trying hard to curry favor.

Currently, he was having his daily bath, the two maids hard at work, washing his body. He'd gotten rid of Jing, the girl being far too young for his tastes.

"…are you angry with Hua'er, young master?"

The eldest maid, because of his silence and stony expression, timidly probed. To her, young master Xu seemed to be getting colder and colder.

Xu Zhenyan didn't look at her. He wasn't angry. Rather, he'd gotten used to his 'young master' lifestyle. In the beginning, he was nicer to the servants out of a sense of morality, but he'd come to realize it wasn't worth the effort.

Of course, that didn't mean he mistreated them.

He didn't reply, instead thinking about Green Luan Academy.

'It took me quite a while to travel to Eastern Forest Province. On top of that, I was in a coma for six months. The road to Green Luan Academy isn't short either.'

In a week or two, he'd have to leave. However, given his increasing skill in meditation, he didn't dread the journey. Most likely, it would pass before he knew it.

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