Chapter 264: Test

Zuan's face darkened. He knew just how slim the chances were of drawing a skill. After finally drawing one, it turned out to be such a worthless skill. His luck didn't seem to be on his side today!

Sure enough, everything he drew next was "Thank you for participating," with the exception of Vitality Fruits. Not a single bottle of medicine was drawn. What he desperately wanted now was a "Believe in Brother Chun" red potion. Chen Xuan could launch a surprise attack at any moment, and knowing that guy's character, he wouldn't strike unless he was sure of a decisive outcome. If he had a "Believe in Brother Chun" red potion, he could instantly recover even if he were unlucky enough to be incapacitated by an initial sneak attack. But now there was no hope for that; he could only remain constantly alert.

After the drawing session, he tallied his gains and found he had acquired a total of 320 Vitality Fruits. Considering the probabilities, his luck today had actually been quite decent. His expression softened slightly. While unobserved, he consumed all 320 Vitality Fruits one by one.

Then, as he performed internal inspection, his expression suddenly froze. What was happening? Why was the magical array within his body only a little over ten percent full? He knew this was the most Vitality Fruits he had ever consumed at one time. He examined it closely and finally pinpointed the issue.

He was now at the peak of the third grade, eighth rank. The number of Vitality Fruits required for each magic array followed the Fibonacci sequence; thus, the ninth array alone would need a total of 2584 fruits to be fully charged. Since he had only consumed 320, it had, of course, filled only about a tenth of the array. In fact, the seventh array had required 987 Vitality Fruits, and the eighth, 1597—amounts he couldn't have amassed solely through his anger points. He largely owed it to his grueling combat against Mi Li—though, truthfully, it was more Mi Li unilaterally grinding him down. With the assistance of the "Rich Lady's Joy Ball," he was knocked down countless times and rose from pools of blood time and again. His body endured an unknown number of fatal injuries, eventually triggering the Phoenix Nirvana Scripture's effect of increasing power through taking hits, which propelled him up two minor ranks consecutively.

Solely relying on consuming pills to fill the array would likely be an extremely slow process. If it was this challenging at only the third rank, reaching higher levels would require an astronomical, almost impossible, number of Vitality Fruits. He pondered for a while but couldn't find a solution, so his procrastination took over, and he simply gave up. He decided to take things one step at a time and deal with it later.

Before he knew it, class was over. Wei Suo, unable to restrain himself any longer, immediately leaned in. "Boss," he whispered, "how was the courtesan last night?" He had wanted to ask during class, but seeing Zuan frown and then clench his jaw, he hadn't known what was wrong and hadn't dared to speak. Only when class ended and Zuan's expression finally normalized did Wei Suo eagerly pose his question. Wei Suo was self-aware enough to know that a woman like Qiu Honglei was beyond his reach. But he could at least indirectly experience the goddess's allure through his boss!

Hearing Wei Suo's question, a group of classmates also crowded closer. The news of the courtesan selecting him the previous night had clearly spread, and they all regarded him with eager, gossiping eyes. Seeing their expectant faces, Zuan felt awkward admitting he'd done nothing the previous night, so he immediately began to brag. "Of course, it was utterly ecstatic," he declared, "a truly divine experience..." He casually spun a tale, drawing from plots he'd encountered online in his previous life, almost verbatim from *The Plum in the Golden Vase*.

While many students at Bright Moon Academy came from prominent families, a significant number, especially in the Yellow Class, were from commoner backgrounds. Moreover, being young, most were inexperienced in such matters. They listened, blood rushing to their faces, their expressions flushed and their eyes filled with envy, jealousy, and resentment.

Anger points from the Yellow Class students: 666666...*These guys are really ungrateful,* Zuan thought. *They're getting angry even while enjoying my free storytelling.* *Hmph, never mind,* he decided. *For the sake of the anger points, this young master will overlook your petty misbehavior. You're forgiven.*

Just then, a classmate ran over to inform him, "A'Zu, someone's at the door looking for you." By now, his nickname had become customary among everyone. The group, captivated by the story, grew annoyed at the interruption, wondering who would dare disturb their listening at such a moment. Instinctively, they turned to look, spotting a classically beautiful woman in a flowing gown standing at the doorway, smiling as she gazed at Zuan.

"Isn't that Zheng Dan, the ninth beauty on the Scarlet Radiance List?""She's truly a goddess! Just standing there, she outshines all the plain girls in our class.""Her demeanor is truly exquisite. Such a gentle, well-bred young lady would make a perfect wife.""Stop fantasizing; she's already engaged to Young Master Sang. You wouldn't stand a chance.""Then why is she looking for A'Zu? It seems it's not the first time, either.""Wow, hearing you say that, it sounds like there's something going on between them."

As the whispers reached her ears, Zheng Dan's cheeks flushed crimson, and she shyly lowered her head, perfectly embodying the bashful demeanor of a well-bred young lady. Zuan walked to the doorway, observing the long-gowned girl whose face was flushed with shyness. He silently mused that, by the standards of his past life, this woman was definitely a high-level "green tea." Yet, he couldn't deny her genuine beauty! It was no wonder that in his previous life, it was rarely men who found "green teas" disagreeable...

"Miss Zheng, what brings you here?"

Zheng Dan pursed her lips, then cast a hesitant glance at the others. "Could we speak somewhere else?" she asked. "It's a bit awkward here."

"Alright, let's go for a walk." Zuan had initially considered taking her to his dormitory, but realizing the time after class might not be sufficient, he dismissed the idea. They watched the two walk away, shoulder to shoulder, like a couple.

Wei Suo couldn't help but be utterly impressed. "Boss truly lives up to his name," he exclaimed. "Last night he was with the courtesan, and today Miss Zheng is practically delivering herself to him."

"Hmph, it might not be as sordid as you're making it out to be," another classmate retorted, unable to hold back. "Miss Zheng is engaged; she must have something legitimate to discuss with him." He was already seething with envy and resentment over Zuan's intimate time with Qiu Honglei last night, and now another stunning beauty was practically throwing herself at him. His heart couldn't possibly endure it.

"Are matters between men and women inherently improper?" Wei Suo shot back, eyes wide. "Besides, what's wrong with an engagement? Doesn't conquering a fiancée offer even greater satisfaction?"

Another person nearby burst out laughing. "You talk a good game," he chuckled, "but since you can't do it yourself, you live vicariously through A'Zu. Aren't you ashamed?"

Wei Suo's face flushed. "Nonsense," he retorted. "I'm simply happy for the Boss."

Noticing the steady stream of anger points in the system's backend, Zuan wondered what those guys were up to and why they still felt so much anger.

"A'Zu, I heard Chen Xuan ambushed you on your way here. Were you injured?" The two found a secluded spot. Zheng Dan abandoned her earlier dignified and reserved demeanor, gazing at him with concern. As she spoke, she nervously took his hand and began examining it.

"Keep touching and I'll have to charge you," Zuan joked. If he hadn't already suspected her intentions, he might genuinely have been swayed, for her act was incredibly convincing. She perfectly emulated a maiden worried for her beloved.

"You really are something..." Zheng Dan's cheeks flushed as she lightly scoffed. "Judging by your tone, you must be unharmed, which is a relief."

"Thank you for your concern, Miss Zheng." Zuan took the opportunity to grasp her hand. He wondered how she maintained such soft, tender, and smooth hands—perhaps she'd been bathed in milk since childhood.

Zheng Dan awkwardly withdrew her hand, a memory resurfacing in her mind: the last time she had guided his hand to caress her thigh. She couldn't fathom what had possessed her then, playing with fire and going too far. Zheng Dan secretly warned herself not to repeat that mistake. She also didn't forget the reason for her visit. "A'Zu," she said, "I hear that Chen Xuan is a sixth-rank practitioner. If he's truly determined to kill you, you could be in grave danger."

"What can I do?" Zuan replied. "At worst, I'll just stay hidden in the academy every day. I doubt he'd dare to come here."

"Actually, you're also safe at the Chu family estate," Zheng Dan said with a charming smile, feigning a casual tone. "Duke Bright Moon is an eighth-rank expert, and the Chu family has masters aplenty. Plus, you have a master you can turn to for help."

My eyes are barely staying open; good night, everyone.Wishing everyone a Happy National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival in advance!