chsdbacks Chapter 26 Recognizing the Master
Chapter 26 Recognizing the Master
A girl wearing overalls, with an almost unreal, exquisitely beautiful face, stood quietly in the doorway. Her face was expressionless, her eyes vacantly scanning the classroom before she stepped inside.
Her steps remained the same—straight, unhurried yet purposeful—as she walked directly to the third-to-last row under the watchful eyes of everyone.
Zhang Chulan also noticed the unusual situation behind him, and his heart skipped a beat, a sense of foreboding rising within him. He slowly and somewhat stiffly turned his head.
Then he saw the face that had been wielding a shovel and a kitchen knife in the cemetery just hours before, a face that had left him with a deep psychological scar.
Feng Baobao walked to the empty seat next to him, pulled out a chair, and sat down. Her movements were so natural, as if she were meant to sit there.
Zhang Chulan's body stiffened, his blood seemed to freeze, his throat was dry, and he couldn't utter a single word. He tried to force a "Who are you looking for, classmate?" smile, but the muscles in his face simply wouldn't obey him.
After sitting down, Feng Baobao didn't look at him. Instead, she took out a bag of spicy strips from her brand-new backpack with cartoon patterns. She skillfully tore open the packaging, and the rich aroma of chili oil and spices immediately filled the air. Then, she picked up a strip, put it in her mouth, and began to chew it slowly.
The whole class fell silent.
On the podium, the elderly professor with gray hair pushed up his reading glasses, paused his explanation of the Book of Songs, and looked at Feng Baobao through his glasses. He cleared his throat and said, "Ahem... New student in the back, please do not eat during class."
Upon hearing the sound, Feng Baobao looked up at the professor, her face still expressionless. She simply nodded and replied, "Oh."
Then, very obediently, she rolled up the spicy snack packaging and stuffed it back into the side pocket of her backpack. Next, she took out a slightly dry-looking white steamed bun from her backpack, which was wrapped in a plastic bag. She opened the plastic bag, held the bun in both hands, lowered her head, and took a serious bite.
The old professor: "…………"
Zhang Chulan: "…………"
The students who witnessed the whole thing nearby: "…………"
An eerie and awkward silence fell over the classroom, broken only by the old professor's somewhat disordered breathing and the soft sounds of Feng Baobao taking small, determined bites of her steamed bun.
Zhang Chulan felt that he probably wouldn't be able to hear a single word of his "History of Ancient Literature" class. He felt extremely uncomfortable, as if the person sitting next to him wasn't a person, but a wooden box containing unknown dangers that could explode at any moment, and the key... seemed to be in the hands of this strangely strong woman who ate steamed buns.
The long class finally ended, and the bell rang.
As if granted a pardon, Zhang Chulan grabbed his books and phone from the table, sprang up from his seat like a startled rabbit, and rushed out of the classroom through the back door without looking back, blending into the flow of people leaving the classroom, wanting only to get away from that strange "transfer student" as soon as possible.
Feng Baobao calmly rewrapped the remaining half of the steamed bun, put it back in her schoolbag, zipped it up, slung it over her shoulder, stood up, and followed with her signature straight stride. Her pace didn't seem fast, but the spacing and frequency of each step were just right, keeping the fleeing figure firmly within her sight.
The rooftop of a teaching building in the School of Information Engineering.
Nie Lingfeng held a freshly bought iced milk tea with double tapioca pearls in his hand—this was the first time in ten years (including his previous life) that he had tasted such a sweet yet blissful drink, and he was so moved that he almost burst into tears—and leaned leisurely against the railing. From this height and angle, he could overlook most of the main roads and several green areas of the campus.
He narrowed his eyes slightly. The enhanced vision brought by the Ice Heart Manual allowed him to easily spot Zhang Chulan rushing out of the Literature Department's teaching building, and behind him, Feng Baobao, who seemed to be programmed with a tracking function.
"It's starting..." Nie Lingfeng took a big gulp of milk tea, the cool sweetness rushing to his head. He sighed comfortably, ready to enjoy this campus chase scene.
Zhang Chulan was clearly terrified. He used his fastest speed within the normal range, dashing left and right through the crowd, trying to use the terrain and the crowd to shake off the tail behind him. He crossed the corridor between the teaching buildings, bypassed the bustling basketball court, and plunged into the quiet grove of trees in the southwest corner of the campus, known for its tranquility (and many couples).
Feng Baobao maintained a steady pace, like a silent shadow, precisely following Zhang Chulan's escape route. She seemed completely unaffected by the terrain and the occasional pedestrians, always finding the shortest and most direct path, steadily shortening the distance between herself and Zhang Chulan without him even realizing it.
Nie Lingfeng watched with great interest, and even took out a small bag of melon seeds that Xu Si had given him from his Qiankun bag (pretending to take them from his backpack) and started eating them.
Deep in the grove, there was a relatively open meadow.
Zhang Chulan's path was blocked by several thick camphor trees. He turned around, panting heavily, and leaned against the tree trunks, watching the figure slowly emerge from the shade of the trees. His face was filled with fear, anger, and a deeply hidden wariness.
"What...what are you trying to do!" His voice was hoarse from running and tension. "You're like a persistent ghost!"
Feng Baobao stopped five steps away from him, tilted her head, and looked at Zhang Chulan with her empty eyes, saying in a calm tone as if stating a fact, "Recognize master."
"What the hell?!" Zhang Chulan wondered if he had misheard.
"You," Feng Baobao said, pointing a finger at Zhang Chulan and then at herself, "recognize me as your master."
She said it so naturally, so matter-of-factly, as if she were saying something as ordinary as "I'm having rice for lunch today."
"Are you fucking crazy?!" Zhang Chulan finally couldn't hold back and blurted out a curse. The pent-up fear and resentment turned into rage. "Why should I acknowledge you as my master! Who do you think you are! I haven't even settled accounts with you for digging up my grandfather's grave! And now you're causing trouble at the school—"
He hadn't finished speaking.
Feng Baobao moved.
There was no starting stance, no gathering of power, and not even a noticeable exertion of her leg muscles. She simply stepped forward lightly with her left foot, and her right leg, like a supple yet terrifyingly powerful whip, lashed out from below with lightning speed!
Target: Zhang Chulan's abdomen.
Zhang Chulan's pupils constricted sharply! The instant Feng Baobao moved, the Qi within his body reacted instinctively! A pale golden light suddenly surged from his body, instantly condensing—the Golden Light Mantra!
However, the speed of Feng Baobao's kick exceeded the speed at which his golden light condensed!
boom--! ! !
A dull thud echoed through the woods.
Zhang Chulan felt an overwhelming force slam into his abdomen. The golden light protecting his body cracked instantly, like fragile glass, and then collapsed with a bang! He felt as if he had been hit by the side of a speeding car, his feet leaving the ground as he flew backward!
"Snap!"
His back slammed solidly into a camphor tree as thick as a bowl. The trunk groaned under the weight, its bark cracked, and leaves rustled down. Zhang Chulan slid to the ground, clutching his stomach. His internal organs felt as if they had shifted; the intense pain made his vision blur, and a metallic taste rose in his throat, which he forced down. The protective golden light completely dissipated, unlikely to reform anytime soon.
Feng Baobao walked over, her footsteps so light they made no sound. She knelt down in front of Zhang Chulan, looking directly at his face contorted with pain, and asked again, "Still pretending?"
Zhang Chulan gritted his teeth, a hint of humiliation and ruthlessness flashing in his eyes. He suddenly leaped to his feet, this time without pretense! He circulated his weak yet pure Qi to its fullest extent, clenched his right fist, and a pale golden light once again covered his fist. Although it was not as solid as the previous protective golden light, it carried a sharp penetrating intent!
"Screw your cult of faith!"
He roared and punched Feng Baobao in the face! The wind from the punch was whistling, and there was a faint sound of air being torn apart. He was obviously using his real skills, no longer the passive defense he had been forced to do in the graveyard!
Feng Baobao remained squatting in the same spot. Facing a punch powerful enough to shatter stone, she simply raised her right hand, her fingers slightly spread, as if to catch a falling leaf.
Snapped.
A soft sound.
Zhang Chulan's powerful fist, imbued with a portion of the Golden Light Mantra's power, was easily and effortlessly slapped away by her slender, fair hand. The golden light clinging to the fist seemed to have struck an invisible barrier, instantly dimming and dissipating.
Feng Baobao's hand slid down smoothly, gripping Zhang Chulan's wrist like a nimble snake. Her fingers seemed to be using no force, yet they were locked in like iron clamps, the pressure from her fingertips precisely pressing on a certain joint and acupoint.
"Ah—!!!" Zhang Chulan cried out in pain, feeling his entire arm instantly go numb and weak, his fist involuntarily loosening, and the condensed Qi completely dissipating.
Feng Baobao twisted her wrist.
"Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!!! Let go! Let go!" Zhang Chulan felt like his wrist was about to be broken, and cold sweat poured down his forehead.
"Do you acknowledge a master or not?" Feng Baobao's tone remained calm, as if she were asking, "What are you having for dinner?"
"I admit it! I admit it! Master! Master, please let go!" Zhang Chulan winced in pain, no longer caring about saving face, and begged for mercy repeatedly.
Feng Baobao seemed satisfied with the answer and released her grip.
Zhang Chulan immediately withdrew his arm, rubbing his red and sore wrist while looking at the woman with superhuman strength in front of him with an extremely complex expression. Fear, confusion, anger, and a hint of something else...curiosity?
"Who...who are you?" he asked in a hoarse voice.
"Feng Baobao." Feng Baobao stood up, gave her name, then turned away from him and walked out of the grove, leaving Zhang Chulan standing alone amidst the fallen leaves and dappled shadows, completely bewildered.