His heart felt like it had been tickled by something soft, a feeling that was new and strange. (1)

Principal Pei tapped the cover of the book on the table with his long, wrinkled fingers and looked through the glasses on the bridge of his nose with his grey eyes, saying, “This is an ancient book passed on from Chief Mu’s clan. I’m afraid it’ll be difficult to find another old-age book like this anymore. According to reason, I should personally handle it, but I’m already old and not as strong as I wish to be....”

He coughed a few times and waited for his breath to settle before looking at Shi An, saying, “What is your thought about it?”

Shi An: “....”

He looked at Mu Heng, standing by with an unreadable expression, turned his head to look at the kind-hearted old principal, and finally looked at the book he had been searching for a long time on the table.

What else could he do?

Shi An reluctantly nodded and said dryly, “N-No problem.”

Principal Pei smiled kindly.

He looked carefully at the young man standing before him and said, “That’s good then. I will let the assistant look at your school timetable and arrange the time.”

Mu Heng looked at Old Principal Pei and said, “Sorry to have bothered you.”

Principal Pei smiled and shook his head. “Chief, you don’t need to be so polite. If you didn’t help with the incident last time, I’m afraid we were unable to end it quickly, yet I haven’t thanked you officially.”

Mu Heng nodded at Principal Pei and turned to say goodbye.

Shi An was still standing in the same place, his eyes fixed on the ancient book not far away, seemingly lost in thought.

Mu Heng dropped his eyes, and his gaze fell on Shi An for a moment.

He naturally lifted his hand, and his palm fell on the top of the young man’s soft hair with firm pressure. “Let’s go.”

“Oh.... Oh!”

It was then that Shi An came back to his senses.

He turned his head and cast one last glance at the ancient book that had been left inside the principal’s office before sighing and reluctantly following Mu Heng’s lead.

The tower where the principal lived was narrow and tiny, with curved and steep steps; going up the tower was difficult enough, and going down was even more arduous.

Shi An hung his head, a little absentminded, and stepped on empty air in a moment of unawareness.

His eyes widened slightly, and he lost his balance instantly, plunging forward.

He was about to hit his opponent’s straight, broad back when Mu Heng halted his step as if he had eyes in the back of his head.

He turned his body slightly to the side and gently lifted his hand to scoop up Shi An.

Mu Heng loosened his grip around his thin waist and dropped his eyelashes, covering his dark blue eyes.historical

“Pay attention to your steps. Don’t be absent-minded.”

Shi An’s heart and lungs stopped in shock, and he nodded with trepidation. “O-Okay.”

Mu Heng slightly narrowed his eyes and looked at Shi An thoughtfully.

What was going on here?

Shi An’s heart was pounding, and his back tensed up subconsciously.

Only to see Mu Heng frown, saying, “Too thin.”

Shi An: “....?”

Huh?

“Besides, too lacking in physical strength.” Mu Heng’s merciless gaze fell on Shi An’s body with an undertone of rational assessment.

He said, “Give a copy of your school timetable to Wen Yao later.”

A sudden feeling of foreboding came over Shi An, and he asked warily, “For what?”

Mu Heng withdrew his eyes and turned to continue down the path. “Training.”

Shi An: “....”

His expression went blank, and he fell into a daze.

No, I don’t want!

He just wanted to sleep and roll around in a bed made of treasures while eating snacks and playing games in passing!

Soon, the two left the principal’s tower and established themselves downstairs.

“It’s not that I’m unwilling to, but I just entered the school recently. I’m super busy....” Shi An tried to argue.

Mu Heng pondered for a few seconds.

“That’s true.”

But before Shi An could breathe a sigh of relief, he saw the man before him sweep him a faint glance. “In the morning then.”

Shi An: “....”

???

*

Six o’clock the next day.

A sleepy-eyed Shi An was picked up by Mu Heng and brought to the training ground on time.

The academy had assigned Mu Heng a private training ground with a complete set of equipment, which was not less thoughtful.

The young man drooped his dishevelled head, looking as if he hadn’t woken up.

Mu Heng glanced at him. “Do you need a demonstration?”

Shi An struggled to keep his eyelids up and nodded.

However, when Mu Heng finished the demonstration, he turned his head to find that the person was gone.

After looking around for some time, he finally found the familiar figure on a bench nearby. The young man had curled himself into a ball, his dark eyelashes drooping quietly, his breathing steady and his expression peaceful, having fallen into a deep sleep long ago.

Mu Heng’s outstretched hand paused and eventually slowly withdrew.

By the time Shi An opened his eyes again, it was already lunchtime.

He rubbed his eyes and sat up as a pitch-black overcoat slid off his shoulders.

Shi An blinked and spent two seconds before reacting to where he was.

-- Boom!

A loud bang rang out not far away.

Shian was taken aback and looked in the direction where the sound had come.

The man was slender and tall, his long silver hair tied up in a high bun, looking calm and cold, and his five fingers in black gloves held a long sword made of magical power. He was surrounded by a circle of demons, the highest level ones that the entire training system could simulate, superior to real demons in attack patterns and strength.

They looked fierce, as tall as a small mountain, and let out a deafening roar as they lunged at the human in the centre!

Mu Heng’s eyes were dark blue, and his demeanour was calm and indifferent, barely hinting at his murderous aura. Still, there was an inexplicably strong aura and sense of oppression that was as compelling as a magnetic field even when he stood still.

The sword blade brought up a harsh wind sound.

His style was unlike that of an educated man trained in a proper academy; it was precise and ruthless, extremely efficient, not for show or display, only for killing.