Chapter Thirty: We Meet Again

"Why hasn't that witch arrived yet? Didn't we agree to meet today?" As the sun climbed toward noon, Zhao Qing frowned, gazing up at the blazing sky.

A mentor, shielding himself from the harsh sunlight with a parasol, replied, "Since when has that witch ever been punctual? I think we'll be lucky if she shows up by nightfall. It could even be tomorrow, or several days from now."

Witch? Several of the young, inexperienced students were curious, but after Chen Long's earlier outburst had provoked the mentor's wrath, none dared to ask—except for Chen Bo.

"Uncle Mentor, who is this witch? The way you all talk about her, it seems like you're scared of her," Chen Bo finally ventured to ask.

The six others immediately exchanged schadenfreude-laden glances; the mentor had just lost his temper, and Chen Bo was now tempting fate. They were sure he'd get what's coming to him.

But Zhao Qing's reaction left them dumbfounded. He shivered, glanced around cautiously, and then, seeing only their small group nearby, spoke in a low voice. "That witch is a real scourge at Tianyang Academy."

"Her name is Yu Shifei. Don't let her gentle-sounding name fool you—never judge by appearances! She's the daughter of the headmaster, his flesh and blood. No one at Tianyang Academy dares cross her, and she's terribly mischievous. By now, she's tormented at least a thousand students and mentors, if not more."

"She's also a mentor in the Academy's Artificing Department, and her talent is unquestionable. If it weren't for her reluctance to leave her father alone in Tianyang Prefecture, she would have gone to the Imperial Academy years ago."

"Take heed, none of you want to get on her bad side. A few years back, a so-called royal scion tried to take advantage of her and ended up with his limbs broken. The royal family didn't blame her—instead, they locked up the prince, and he hasn't been released since."

"So, if you see her, your best bet is to steer clear. She also has a gifted student—what was her name again?"

"Yu Xin'er," someone supplied.

"Yes, that's it! Yu Xin'er! Eh? Who just spoke?" Zhao Qing froze, as if struck by a sudden thought. Mechanically, he turned around and saw a stunningly beautiful woman smiling at him, accompanied by a quiet, reserved-looking young girl.

"Ahaha! Mentor Yu! It's been too long—we've missed you dearly! Haha. And little sister, you must be Xin'er! Such poise and elegance—charming and dashing—no, wait, that's not the right word." Zhao Qing was so shaken he could barely speak coherently. He must have realized this breathtaking beauty was Yu Shifei, and the girl beside her, Yu Xin'er.

Among the six prodigies, five gazed at the two women with burning admiration—teenage boys in the throes of adolescence, hormones surging, but none dared to make a move after hearing Zhao Qing's dreadful tales about Yu Shifei. She was not to be trifled with.

The last of the prodigies, a girl herself, looked at them with undisguised jealousy; after all, women are often envious of those more beautiful than themselves. Men are no different.

"Mentor Zhao, I heard every word you just said. Of course, there is one way to keep me from hearing—if you know the rules," Yu Shifei said, extending a hand as flawless as white jade.

With a pained expression, Zhao Qing handed her a dozen or so spirit stones, nearly in tears. "Mentor Yu, that's most of my wages for half a month. Please, I have elders to care for and you to look after—spare me this once! Mentor salaries aren't what they used to be, and I have a family to feed!"

"You make a fair point," Yu Shifei mused, taking only one stone from the pile. "Since it's tough for you, and my father already deducts from your pay, I'll just take this little bit."

With that, she collected the rest of the stones into her storage pouch, returning a single one to Zhao Qing with a grave air. "Prices have been rising lately—make it last."

She then looked over at Chen Bo and the others. "You must be the new students. Not bad, though a bit older than usual. Hm? Weren't there supposed to be just six recruits this time? Why are there seven?"

Zhao Qing muttered something, and Yu Shifei understood. Pointing at Chen Bo, she said, "You there—come here."

Chen Bo lowered his head, bitterness filling his heart. He knew these two beauties all too well; their images were burned into his memory forever, because he had once spied on them while they bathed—and they had given him a sound beating for it.

Damn it, what a small world!

When the camera caught Yu Shifei and Yu Xin'er, the livestream chat fell silent for a moment, then erupted.

"Oh my God! My goddess!"

"A natural beauty—no artificial enhancements! Streamer, send them to me!"

"A generous tip of 520 gold coins for the streamer—don't get me wrong, that's for the two goddesses."

"BookishFool tips 520 coins—I'm a woman myself, but even I'm smitten. What should I do about my orientation? Should I come out of the closet?"

"Streamer, go for it! We want to see a live romance unfold!"

"Such lewdness from above, but I like it."

"The goddess is calling you! Why aren't you going over there, streamer?"

"I think the streamer is actually afraid of the goddess," someone observed.

Afraid? Of course I'm afraid! But Chen Bo would never admit that; with the pack of animals in the chat, they'd surely piece together the truth and make him a headline in no time.

But could Chen Bo refuse? He slowly raised his head, forcing what he imagined was a dazzling smile. "Hello again—fancy meeting you here."

"Wait, Chen Bo, you know them?" Zhao Qing asked in surprise.

"We do—and we're quite familiar," Chen Bo replied, his smile more a grimace.

"Oh, that's right! Your sister and Mentor Yu are as close as sisters themselves—no wonder you know each other," Zhao Qing chuckled, then whispered in Chen Bo's ear, "Chen Bo, from now on, the mentors are counting on you to look after us."

Look after you? I'd rather you booked me a nice coffin in advance!

Yu Shifei looked at Chen Bo, her expression a mixture of emotions. She seemed eager to lash out, but couldn't find a suitable pretext. In a fit of anger, she spat out two words: "Lecher!"

Beside her, Yu Xin'er recognized Chen Bo as well, and with a clang, drew her sword, pointing the blade straight at him. "Lecher, prepare to die!"

"Wait! Hold on, why do you both keep calling me a lecher?" Chen Bo protested.

"Because you—" Yu Xin'er began, but her mentor Yu Shifei swiftly covered her mouth. This was not the sort of thing to discuss in public!

"Your name is Chen Bo, right? It sounds familiar. Listen up—since there are so many people here today, I'll let you off for now. But you'd better hope I never catch you alone," Yu Shifei warned.

Watching the three face off, the others were bewildered, but from their words they'd already conjured up their own mental images of what had happened.

Chen Bo kept silent. At times like this, it was best to say nothing, to avoid provoking this madwoman. Otherwise, he was sure she wouldn't care a whit for decorum and would finish him off on the spot.