Hidden Intentions

Chapter 39: Hidden Intentions

"That bastard! How dare he lecture this young master on rules?" A disciple about the same age as me, but dressed in more luxurious attire, rolled up his sleeves. Instantly, his demeanor shifted from that of a noble to what one might call—vulgar. He was stopped by two people who seemed to know him well, each grabbing him by a shoulder.

I turned my head away to avoid attracting the wrath of this young master. "Young Master, please calm down. We cannot offend this newcomer yet. Wait until we can gather more people. Let's see how he survives then," one of the young master's cunning friends suggested.

The three of them huddled together, whispering something in hushed tones. I didn't have the strength to continue listening to their so-called "marvelous" plans. Carefully avoiding them, I moved toward the section where the skills I wanted were stored. My eyes scanned the seemingly infinite array of skill books and scrolls, though in reality, I was searching for specific techniques. The basics were the most important.

My eyes brightened when they fell on a dusty corner. A skill book was hidden there. My fingers reached out to pick it up, but my vision was obstructed when, instead of feeling the rough texture of the book, my fingers brushed against the smooth, warm surface of a human hand. I looked up and saw that someone else had also placed their hand on the skill book before me. It was a female disciple. In terms of appearance, she was a few points below Jin Meiyu, and her height was also slightly shorter.

"Excuse me, but I will be taking this skill," she said, striking a charming pose in an attempt to seduce me and soften my heart, hoping I'd let her have the book. I might have been infatuated with her if I hadn't already seen a true beauty like Jin Meiyu. Not that I still had feelings for her—neither now nor during the trial. It was more of an obsession, a desire to have everything belong to me.

She smiled, seeing that I was lost in thought as my eyes gazed at her. She grew more proud, thinking she had succeeded in making yet another disciple fall for her—this one more handsome than her past suitors. For a moment, even she seemed to get lost in my gaze. "What is your name, Brother~?" she asked, stepping closer until there was barely a hair's breadth between our chests.

I took a step back, creating what I deemed a respectful distance between us. I gestured with my fingers that I couldn't speak. At this, she covered her red lips, her eyes turning slightly red as if trying to resonate with what she assumed was my tragic past. Bleh! What tragedy? It wasn't that I had lost the ability to speak—I was just training.

"Sorry, I didn't know," she said, trying to close the distance again. I raised my palms to signal her to maintain the distance. I did my best not to hurt her feelings. It was convenient that others assumed I was mute—it saved me the hassle of explaining myself.

She wasn't offended by my avoidance. Years of experience had taught her that I was merely shy and likely unpopular with the opposite sex, given how I recoiled from close contact with her—a self-proclaimed beauty.

"Mei Xueyin~ where have you wandered off to again? I've found the skill book I need—" Another female disciple emerged from behind the opposite shelf. She was of average beauty, but her voice was soft and soothing. She paused when she saw her beautiful friend flirting with yet another male disciple. She had grown accustomed to Mei Xueyin's behavior, though she had warned her many times that one day it might lead to serious consequences. Mei Xueyin used male disciples like tissue paper, discarding them once they were no longer useful. Her friend had already been threatened by many such individuals, and being her companion was becoming increasingly difficult. While Mei Xueyin had the strength to keep her suitors at bay, her friend wasn't strong enough to protect herself from their retaliation.

"Goodbye, Handsome~ I hope our fateful encounters happen more often. Remember my name—Mei Xueyin~" she said, closing the distance between us once more. I was grateful for the trial, as it had trained my mental strength to resist such temptations. I wasn't a monk—I had feelings—but I used my brain to compare these seductresses to Jin Meiyu. Even though she wore a veil that hid half her face, she was still beautiful enough to topple an entire kingdom.

Mei Xueyin pressed the skill book she had picked up against my chest. I waited for her to move her hand so I could grab it, but she didn't budge. As I raised my hand to take the book, she let out a light laugh and slowly withdrew her hand, her fingers "accidentally" brushing against mine. Shiver— My body felt as if it had been electrocuted. She turned around, her long, loose hair swaying with each movement of her waist. Her friend took her by the hand and hurried her away.

What was that?

I questioned myself. It felt as though a storm had just passed. Every second had felt like minutes. I had heard stories of male disciples harassing young and beautiful female disciples, but this was my first time being harassed—and trust me, the feeling wasn't pleasant, even if the perpetrator was of the opposite gender and exceptionally beautiful by normal standards. I turned toward the windows on the ceiling and noticed the sun was about to set. I put the skill book back, as the time allotted for disciples to copy skills had ended.

"Have you chosen the technique you were trying to find?" I heard Xue Lingxi's voice and snapped out of my thoughts.