Chapter 28: Wasn't I Forced by You?

Twenty meat buns were quickly brought over. The skinny waiter kept looking at Liu Qianqian with a hint of regret in his eyes, which puzzled her.

"Xiao Qin Xuan, why is that waiter looking at me like that?"

"How would I know? Hurry up and eat, aren't you hungry?" Qin Xuan naturally didn't tell her the truth, diverting the topic.

Liu Qianqian was indeed famished, so she didn't dwell on it, her attention entirely captured by the steaming buns before her. For two cultivators, ten meat buns each were hardly anything.

But to the two waiters in the bun shop, it seemed incredible.

"Fatty, look at how much those two can eat. Do you think they were up to something wild last night?"

"Seems likely. Hey, Skinny, that girl is so pretty, why would she be with a kid like that?"

"He must have money. These days, which pretty girl doesn't go after money?"

"But he doesn't look rich to me..."

They busied themselves while whispering, careful not to let Qin Xuan overhear. Just as their conversation grew increasingly exaggerated, a sharp sound suddenly cut through the air, followed by a crisp "thwack."

"What was that?"

They turned around and were dumbfounded.

A twenty-yuan bill was stuck diagonally into the table, a third of it buried in the wood. The sight of a banknote thrown from afar and embedded into a wooden table was so uncanny that the fat and skinny waiters fell silent at once.

"Gossiping about others behind their backs—be careful, or your days may be numbered."

It was Qin Xuan's voice.

They looked up, but the young man and woman were nowhere to be seen.

The two waiters were so frightened their legs trembled, nearly dropping to their knees.

"This is a living immortal, damn it, my foul mouth, I deserve to be punished..." The skinny one slapped himself without hesitation.

Smack!

The crisp sound echoed far and wide.

The fat one was utterly blank: It's over, it's over, we've offended a master. What should we do...

Only when the boss bellowed from inside, "What are you two idiots doing? Get in here and help!" did the two snap out of their daze. Thinking back, they were convinced they'd encountered a supernatural being. How else could someone drive a paper bill into solid wood?

After that, neither dared to gossip about others again—a blessing in disguise.

...

"I'm so full." After leaving the bun shop, Liu Qianqian sighed contentedly, patting her belly with satisfaction.

"Come on, let's get you some clothes." Qin Xuan glanced at the unreliable girl and finally decided to buy her some.

"Eh? Xiao Qin Xuan, I thought you were too stingy?"

"Of course I am, but what can I do? I'm a good person. Anyway, it's just a loan—you'll have to pay me back later." As he spoke, Qin Xuan inwardly cursed her master again; to send a disciple down the mountain with not a penny—how ruthless.

"Alright, then. I'll definitely repay you once I have the means." Liu Qianqian grinned, following Qin Xuan in high spirits.

At exactly six in the morning, a black-robed youth and a girl in red stood side by side at the entrance of Tenglong International. The morning breeze stirred plastic bags, soda cans, and old newspapers across the ground, painting a desolate scene.

"Business hours: 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m."

Reading the notice, Liu Qianqian clenched her tiny fists in outrage. "Why don't they open until eight thirty? That's way too late—what a waste of my time!"

Qin Xuan shrugged helplessly. "Why did you get up so early? Most malls don't open till eight or nine. I forgot about that..."

Just then, a garbage truck drove past, and in moments, all the trash around them was gone. The entrance of Tenglong International was spotless again, transformed from its prior mess.

Once the garbage truck left, the two stood before the empty mall, the desolation even more pronounced.

"So what now? Are we just supposed to wait here?" Liu Qianqian huffed.

"Well... you came to Jinling for university. Have you finished all your paperwork?" Even though his own master had supposedly arranged everything, Qin Xuan couldn't be sure, knowing how unreliable Liu Qianqian's master was.

"I think so. Master just told me to find some old man at Jinling University."

She frowned.

"Military training starts tomorrow, which means classes officially begin. You need to go to the school today, or there might be trouble," Qin Xuan reminded her.

"Then... shall we go to the school first?" Liu Qianqian ventured.

"I'm not going. You can go on your own—I'll tell you the way." Qin Xuan didn't want to go with her. He knew plenty of people at Jinling University now; showing up together would only cause unnecessary trouble.

Though Liu Qianqian was a little scatterbrained, she was a stunning beauty, no less attractive than Dongfang Qingwan in Qin Xuan's eyes.

Since Dongfang Qingwan had immediately been considered a campus belle on her first day, Liu Qianqian would likely be treated the same.

"No way, you have to come with me. I don't know the way," Liu Qianqian insisted, shaking her head vehemently.

"I can call you a taxi—will that do?"

"That works," Liu Qianqian replied slyly. "But if I get lost, I'll have to release the Blood Demon. You'll have to come get me, won't you?"

At those words, Qin Xuan put his foot back on the ground.

"Alright, I'll go with you, my little lady," he sighed in resignation. This girl was perfectly capable of doing exactly that—if she unleashed the Blood Demon at Jinling University, it would be disastrous...

"Hmph. Xiao Qin Xuan, you have no backbone at all. You don't act like a swordsman in the least," Liu Qianqian teased.

"Only because you force me to," Qin Xuan grumbled. "Come on, let's go to the school."

"How are we getting there?"

"By walking, of course. It's early, and this way we save money." Qin Xuan set off toward Jinling University. Over the past few days, he'd walked between the university, Tenglong International, and the villa several times, so he knew the route by heart.

Liu Qianqian nodded and hurried to catch up.

...

Though it was still early, the newly arrived freshmen were clearly excited. By the time the two arrived at the gates of Jinling University on foot, a crowd of students was already coming and going.

Most students lived in the dorms—unlike Qin Xuan, who enjoyed much more freedom.

"It's only seven in the morning. What's the name of the old man your master told you to find?" Qin Xuan guessed the man was likely the dean or university president; otherwise, no one could get Liu Qianqian admitted on a mere word. For an ordinary person, entering Jinling University through the standard exams was no small feat—it was the top university in Jinling, after all.

And a person of that rank would hardly show up this early.

"I don't know. Master just said to look for someone called Old Hua."

"Old Hua?" That nickname alone would make the search nearly impossible.

As Qin Xuan was feeling frustrated, someone finally noticed the two standing not far from the school gates.

"Look, over there—the dashing, elegant guy. Could that be Dao-ge?"

"Hey, it really is! Who's that girl with him? She's adorable! Oh no, my heart is racing..."