Six Senior Sisters

In a moment of desperation, He Xi’s two swift strikes embodied the essence of his skill. After the Monitor declared the defense successful, cold sweat poured down his face; if his opponent had been a seasoned martial artist, defeat would have been certain. Qin Hao approached Chen Jianqiu, helping him to his feet.

“You did your best, Old Chen.”

“Such a pity, just one misstep in the game.”

Then, suddenly, a line of words appeared before Chen Jianqiu’s eyes: “Are you willing to join my Sword Division of the Physical Arts Department?” It was clear the Sword Division within the Physical Arts had taken an interest in Chen Jianqiu, leaving him momentarily conflicted.

“Brother Ruyuan, I actually want to be with you.”

“How sentimental! Don’t you want to make waves in the martial world? Following me won’t cause any stir, so go ahead.” Chen Jianqiu nodded toward the words, and in an instant—whoosh!—he vanished right before the eyes of Qin Hao and Feng Lan.

“Wow, that’s incredible!” Qin Hao was stunned by such a move.

“Just a trick,” Feng Lan was unfazed.

Qin Hao didn’t step forward until the entire competition ended. A list appeared in the sky, with Chen Jianqiu ranked 15th on the Huangpu leaderboard. Qin Hao also saw the rankings; the top spot was none other than Gongsun Xiaoyue! After the initial shock, Qin Hao understood—who would dare challenge the princess? Second place was Huo Yuanyi, a Ding-level expert and a 39th term Huangpu student, one of the academy’s most senior attendees, as students were only allowed four years at the institution.

Naturally, Qin Hao was assigned to the Pharmacy Department. Unlike Chen Jianqiu, he did not receive the privilege of instant teleportation, but fortunately, Feng Lan agreed to guide him. Along the way, their companionship drew envious glances and whispered speculation.

“Who’s that chubby guy? How dare he joke around with the Celestial Fairy Tianhua?”

“They’re just flirting,” Qin Hao muttered, exasperated, “Who’s flirting? Did I laugh or anything?”

Qin Hao was naturally stout—not from indulgence, but due to a peculiar constitution; even plain water made him gain weight. This physique was the reason Gongsun Xiaoyue had probed him at the inn. Feng Lan seemed accustomed to such gossip and remained composed. Qin Hao, however, lacked such patience and responded with a smug expression to the onlookers: “My friend walks with a fairy—can you do the same?” His audacity finally provoked a reaction.

“Stop right there!” a sharp command rang out. A scholarly-looking gentleman stepped firmly before Qin Hao.

“I’m not running,” Qin Hao replied.

“Dare to challenge me to a duel!” The crowd murmured again: “This is Xu Jin, ranked 25th on the Huangpu list, a Ji-level master, and one of Feng Lan’s persistent suitors. He’s invited the Celestial Fairy Tianhua to view the blossoms multiple times but never succeeded.”

“Isn’t this just like a story from a novel?” Qin Hao thought. The protagonist usually tries to stay low-key, but someone always insists on provoking him. Qin Hao wanted no trouble and intended to keep a low profile.

“This brother’s skills are formidable; I can’t beat you,” Qin Hao said, bowing respectfully. Ignoring the crowd’s ridicule, he prepared to leave with Feng Lan.

“How dare you refuse to duel me? Then stay away from the Celestial Fairy Tianhua!”

“It was the fairy who led me here. Why don’t you tell her to stay away from me?” Qin Hao’s retort was somewhat rude, surely offending the fairy—intentionally so. Feng Lan pinched his waist.

“By the dean’s order, I’m to look after Junior Brother Qin,” Feng Lan said and began to walk away, leaving Qin Hao alone.

Xu Jin saw Feng Lan’s departure and seized the moment to strike—an ambush!

Feng Lan turned, and Xu Jin’s fist hurtled toward Qin Hao’s face—but missed completely. Before anyone could react, Qin Hao and Feng Lan had already vanished into the distance.

“You pushed the girl forward? That’s hardly gentlemanly,” Feng Lan asked, standing beside Qin Hao.

“Not used to it? I’m a rough type with no manners. If I open my mouth, it’s to curse.”

Her chuckle was genuine; no one had ever admitted to such a thing before her. Soon, Qin Hao reached the Pharmacy Department’s gate, where Feng Lan stopped.

“This is a special academy jade token. I’ve linked ours, so you can contact me through it. Farewell,” Feng Lan said, handing over a white jade token before departing.

“Wait! Celestial Fairy Tianhua, hold on!” Qin Hao hurried to stop her. Feng Lan was surprised, expecting a proper farewell or an invitation inside.

“Does Brother Zuo Qiao—the man who came with me—have one of these jade tokens? If not, please give him one for me.”

“You wish!” Feng Lan snapped and left without another word.

“Why so harsh?” Qin Hao muttered as he turned and entered the gate. Expecting some new student welcome, he was met instead by emptiness and dust—the department was deserted. With no one to attend to him, he wandered aimlessly to familiarize himself with the place. After some time, he came upon a vegetable garden where an old man was working.

“Good day, sir,” Qin Hao greeted.

The elder looked up and said, “You must be this year’s new student?”

“Yes, sir.”

“I’ll be your instructor. There are seven students in our Pharmacy Department, including you, and six senior sisters.”

“Oh!” Qin Hao was thrilled—six senior sisters!

“Don’t get cocky. You used to have a few senior brothers, but they all transferred to other departments.”

“Why?”

“They wanted the favor of the senior sisters and tried the experimental medicines themselves, but... ha ha ha,” the elder chuckled.

“What happened?”

“They can’t be men anymore.”

“Ah! What kind of medicine is so cruel?”

“So you best keep your wits about you and don’t let the sisters trick you into experimenting with drugs. I know why you came to Pharmacy—you’re not interested in pharmacology, so I won’t interfere. Just don’t disgrace the department.”

This was a dream mentor indeed! “Thank you, sir, for your understanding.”

Qin Hao then went to his quarters, tidied up simply, and prepared to eat. Someone asked, “Qin Hao, why not use the jade token to contact Chen Jianqiu immediately?”

“Because Chen Jianqiu and I share the Tai Chi Society’s jade token.”

Qin Hao entered the academy’s canteen, which was covered in dust. Realizing no one was around—the Pharmacy Department was practically empty—he had no choice but to eat at another department’s canteen. His department’s jade token contained fifty basic points, the currency for exchanging goods, meals, and training. Once depleted, nothing more could be done.

Qin Hao found the canteen within the Physical Arts Sword Division courtyard and met Chen Jianqiu at the entrance. After selecting their meals and sitting down, a slender figure took a seat beside Qin Hao—Feng Lan.

Seeing this, Qin Hao grabbed his belongings and moved to an adjacent seat, prompting Feng Lan to follow suit.