Chapter 29: The School Belle Wants to Woo Me

Soon, everyone began to disembark. Led by a young man with the air of a wealthy heir, the group made their way to a lakeside resort on the edge of Ming Lake. From the chatter among the crowd, Zhang Pu learned that this young man’s name was Wu Yu, a senior at Hope High School—a school on par with Modern High in Qingwu City. It was rumored that Wu Yu was the cherished son of Wu Changgui, one of Qingwu’s richest tycoons. The Wu family held shares in several tourism projects around Ming Lake.

For example, the resort they were about to enter, Sunlight Pavilion, was said to be one of the Wu family’s major holdings. At the front, the management staff of Sunlight Pavilion were personally welcoming Young Master Wu.

What followed was a string of arrangements fit for honored guests. Despite its modest name, Sunlight Pavilion was anything but small—it consisted of a cluster of exotic, overwater vacation villas. The “Sunlight” in its name was well-earned; the area was bathed in abundant sunshine, drawing countless tourists seeking sunbaths.

Inside Sunlight Pavilion, the villas themselves were divided according to status, much like the first, business, and economy classes on an airplane, catering to guests of varying means. Such divisions were everywhere—this was reality.

The row of overwater amusement park villas Wu Yu reserved for the group of student tourists were similarly ranked: upper, middle, and lower tiers.

To Zhang Pu’s surprise, he found himself assigned to one of the lower-tier villas. The villas were numbered; the lower the number, the more luxurious the decor, and vice versa. The upper-tier villas were furnished like miniature palaces, while the lower-tier ones resembled ordinary motel rooms.

These scattered little houses dotted the amusement park, interspersed among pavilions, towers, flowers, and trees, giving the place the feel of a garden.

While Zhang Pu was placed in a lower-tier villa, Wu Xiaomei and Hong Yingying were assigned to middle-tier ones. His keen observation revealed that the school beauty from Modern High, Liu Qingyan, was given an upper-tier villa. The fellow who had sat with him on the bus seemed to have a middle-tier villa as well.

Perhaps, Zhang Pu thought, he was the only one among them in a lower-tier villa—the remaining economy units likely rented out to other tourists.

Wu Yu seemed to be targeting him deliberately, though Zhang Pu had never met the young man before. The whole thing felt oddly sinister. If Wu Yu was simply being snobbish, Zhang Pu resolved to make him pay for it in due time.

Having calmed his mind, Zhang Pu found himself unconcerned. He noticed the aura of Ming Lake was denser than elsewhere, which was beneficial for cultivators. For one seeking tranquility, an unadorned room mattered little—the key was peace and quiet.

Being assigned to a villa at the far end meant the other students would mostly stay away from him—a perfect recipe for solitude.

During the day, everyone participated in the amusement park’s activities. Wu Xiaomei and Hong Yingying, as expected, had boyfriends and were now paired off. They wanted Zhang Pu to keep his distance.

He didn’t mind; instead, he watched them quietly from afar. Still, he thought nothing would happen during daylight, but the night worried him—he feared the girls might be tempted to taste forbidden fruit. He felt a great responsibility for the coming night.

The amusement park was vast, and other tourists mingled among them. Zhang Pu had little interest in the day’s activities; nothing on Earth could stir his heart now.

With the assurance that Wu Xiaomei and Hong Yingying were safe during the day, Zhang Pu sometimes wandered away from them, exploring the pavilions and towers.

The girls’ boyfriends seemed decent enough on the surface, but who knew if they’d turn into beasts at night? Zhang Pu was prepared: if those two revealed their true colors after dark and tried to prey on the girls, he would not spare them. It wasn’t just following Xu Huiping’s instructions—he felt a moral duty himself.

After a snack, Zhang Pu strolled idly through the water world’s maze of pavilions and towers. His senses grew increasingly keen.

Once he reached the Foundation Establishment stage, he thought, he should be able to cultivate spiritual awareness. With that, he wouldn’t have to linger near Wu Xiaomei and Hong Yingying’s villa; a sweep of his mind would reveal any lurking scoundrels. If someone entered their room with ill intent, he would know instantly.

The range of spiritual awareness, however, depended greatly on one’s cultivation. The higher the level, the further one could probe.

Lost in thought as he walked, Zhang Pu suddenly sensed something amiss.

Someone was about to drown.

There were many playing in the water, but accidents were always possible.

Without a second thought, Zhang Pu dove in.

It was a mischievous child, thankfully unharmed. The mother swam over in a panic, thanking Zhang Pu profusely.

He replied, “It was nothing.”

Then, he climbed ashore, saying he needed to change clothes. Soaked to the skin under the glaring sun, Zhang Pu felt no resentment, only a hurried desire to reach his villa.

“Stop—”

Suddenly, a girl blocked his path.

Looking up, Zhang Pu recognized the increasingly beautiful school belle, Liu Qingyan.

How odd—such a coveted presence, yet alone? Ah, yes, few could ever approach her. Even Wu Yu, for all his flair, was nothing more than a toad longing for swan’s flesh before the cool goddess.

Liu Qingyan possessed beauty and poise, but Zhang Pu, seasoned in the cultivation world and across star realms, had witnessed women more dazzling than her. Compared to his own boundless prospects, she was just another mortal; he had no interest in pursuing her. Cultivation was all that mattered now.

Yet, if she sought him out, he wouldn’t turn her away.

Strange! Was Liu Qingyan really trying to court him today?

Had she taken the wrong medicine, or had the sun risen in the west? He was so ordinary at the moment.

Even soaked, with his clothes clinging to his frame, he was hardly a handsome man—besides, even ordinary handsome men couldn’t catch Liu Qingyan’s eye.

He smiled, thinking it was time to leave. He needed to change out of his wet clothes; though a cultivator, he was, after all, not yet immortal.