Chapter 47: Arrangements

The sharp sword light was deeply reflected in Gao Wu’s eyes, pulling him from his stupor. With his exceptionally strong physique—fifteen points—he easily withstood the attack from the spirit, though his mind was momentarily shaken. The chilling, razor-edged light of Frost Moon Sword also left an impact on him, but after silently reciting the Azure Dragon Divine Qi Mantra, he swiftly regained control of his body.

He had deliberately withheld a recitation of the Azure Dragon Divine Qi Mantra to preserve some strength for emergencies.

In his arms, Song Mingyue’s body was limp and weak, her condition seemed far from well. Gao Wu couldn’t sense the spirit’s presence anymore; there was no time to ponder, so he hurriedly carried Song Mingyue up onto the ice.

With the lake water gone, Gao Wu could see Song Mingyue’s pupils shining with a brilliant black, almost like they radiated divine light—bright as stars in the night.

It was the first time he’d seen such beautiful, luminous eyes. He paused, then said, “Hey, your eyes are glowing!”

Song Mingyue was utterly exhausted and had no desire to respond to such trivial remarks. Gao Wu thought for a moment and added, “They’re really quite lovely!”

The main thing was, Song Mingyue seemed clear-headed and in good spirits, which left Gao Wu in the mood for idle conversation. He didn’t expect her to interact with him.

After a few minutes, Song Mingyue managed to sit up.

“Did it work?” Gao Wu asked, unable to wait.

Song Mingyue shook her head. “It got away.”

Gao Wu was somewhat disappointed; after risking so much, they still hadn’t managed to slay the spirit.

“It’s complicated,” Song Mingyue said weakly, lacking the energy to explain further. “Let’s talk tomorrow.”

“Alright,” Gao Wu replied, putting the ice slab back in place. From the surface, nothing seemed amiss.

He had cut large, neatly edged blocks; they fit securely and had enough buoyancy. Even if someone stepped on them, they wouldn’t fall through.

After seeing Song Mingyue off, Gao Wu returned to his dormitory. It hadn’t changed much in the days he’d been away. He took a hot shower—the lake water wasn’t just icy, it was muddied and filthy.

Changing into clean pajamas, Gao Wu lay in bed, silently reciting the Azure Dragon Divine Qi Mantra.

He had mastered it to the point where a full cycle took just twenty seconds. Every ten recitations, he’d pause to rest. In forty minutes, he’d recited it a hundred times.

The Azure Dragon Divine Qi Mantra washed away, again and again, the lingering imprint left by the spirit on his mind.

That imprint felt like a thorn stuck in his brain—deeply uncomfortable.

Once it was purged, Gao Wu felt utterly refreshed, a comfort he could hardly describe.

He checked his phone; Song Mingyue hadn’t messaged him. She probably thought electronic communication wasn’t secure.

Gao Wu sent a message to his grandfather, letting him know he was resting in the dorm so the old man wouldn’t worry. He also chatted briefly with Shang Qingjun.

Once he finished his usual routines, he fell into a peaceful sleep.

Early the next morning, Gao Wu considered going to White Dragon Mountain to practice his sword, but thought better of it—better safe than sorry.

Wearing a weighted vest and carrying his sword, he ran six laps around the campus.

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The campus of Ninth High was somewhat remote, bordering the old city district. It used to belong to a large factory but was later converted into a school.

Though the buildings were old, the grounds were vast. Almost half of White Scale Lake was within the campus, making it the school’s best scenic spot.

A single lap around the lake was about four kilometers. Running on flat ground was nothing like climbing hills, so Gao Wu added two more laps for good measure.

Finally, he ended up on the lake itself, practicing his forms and swordplay several times. These weren’t secrets; he wasn’t worried about being watched.

The true techniques lay in muscle control, breathing, and mental visualization. Without guidance, watching from the sidelines wouldn’t teach you much more than the outward form.

Now that martial arts flourished, basic training methods were taught for free by the school.

For ordinary students, even the teacher’s lessons were more than enough; no one had the spare energy to try and steal someone else’s skills.

Though Gao Wu was quite famous at Ninth High, the chilly morning meant no one would bother to come and watch him specifically.

After practice, Gao Wu went to the cafeteria for breakfast. The moment he entered, he drew everyone’s attention.

Teachers and students at Ninth High had all seen the video of his duel with Zhang Hao, knew he’d been detained, and knew he’d been released.

Knowing was one thing—but seeing Gao Wu in person was something else. He was the one who had sliced another in two with his sword, shockingly brutal!

Regardless of Zhang Hao’s identity, the act of killing itself was terrifying.

Most people looked at Gao Wu with awe, mingled with curiosity and scrutiny, wanting to see what was so different about him—that he could act with such boldness and ruthless skill.

Gao Wu greeted everyone with a friendly smile, skillfully took two large plates of food from the serving counter, and found an empty table to eat alone.

Though curious, no one dared approach him.

At 7:50 in the morning, Gao Wu walked into Class 2 of the senior year. He was attending mainly because he and Shen Yue had discussed it—it was best to show up publicly.

He wasn’t coming to show off to his classmates…

The noisy classroom seemed to pause; everyone stared wide-eyed at Gao Wu, the silence so deep you could hear people breathing.

“Good morning, everyone,” Gao Wu grinned broadly, waving to his classmates.

Shen Yue waved from his seat. “Stop pretending, just come sit down!”

As Gao Wu took his seat, the students in front couldn’t help but turn and size him up. Gao Wu was familiar with them and said irritably, “Why are you sneaking peeks?”

“Hey, did you really kill someone?” the student in front whispered.

“That wasn’t murder; I was slaying demons and upholding justice!” Gao Wu declared solemnly. The boy stared, then nodded quickly, “Right, right!”

He pulled out his phone with a sheepish smile. “Bro, can I get a photo?”

Gao Wu laughed, “Want a signature, too? It’s free.”

The boy was delighted, snapping selfies with Gao Wu. He even dared to sling an arm over Gao Wu’s shoulder, asking Shen Yue to record a short video.

With him leading the way, soon a crowd of boys surrounded Gao Wu, clamoring for pictures.

There was no other reason—Gao Wu was a sensation online right now. Especially in Dongjiang, he was the top celebrity.

Plenty of people had killed before, but to do so and walk away scot-free—that was truly remarkable!

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The thoughts of the young were simple; they just wanted to bask in Gao Wu’s fame, snap a picture to show off—nothing more.

The girls wanted photos too, but were too shy to crowd over like the boys, so they whispered and gossiped nearby.

“He’s really back, and his smile is so bright—as if nothing happened!”

“He’s got nerves—he’s not even afraid of killing…”

“The more I look, the more handsome he seems!”

“He feels more charismatic now…”

Gao Wu’s senses were sharp; he could hear most of the girls’ whispers. He couldn’t help but feel pleased.

Tens of thousands of online compliments couldn’t compare to the admiration of a few familiar faces nearby.

He’d always been a star in the class, but now it was different—his classmates regarded him with genuine respect.

He had to admit, the feeling of being admired and revered was intoxicating. Even his bones tingled with delight.

Unfortunately, the teacher’s arrival broke up the crowd and shattered the atmosphere.

Still, Gao Wu saw shock—and even a hint of fear—in the teacher’s eyes.

That left him conflicted. He wasn’t some madman, just forced to kill a villain.

He did wonder, though—he felt oddly normal, almost too calm, after killing Zhang Hao. No reaction at all.

All morning, people came by to gawk at Gao Wu.

He took it in stride, greeting everyone with his usual cheerful demeanor.

Seeing him joke so easily, without any airs, people felt even more warmth toward him.

At noon, after lunch, Gao Wu made a point of visiting Monkey and the others.

With the Azure Dragon Divine Qi Mantra mastered, he gave each of them two recitations. Whether it helped or not, at least he tried his best…

Monkey and Wang Tiesong knew what Gao Wu had been through; they treated him with more respect, more reserved in speech and action.

By afternoon, Gao Wu went to the Martial Arts Hall for training. Huang Long and the rest of the martial arts team greeted him with ingratiating smiles, each treating him with care.

As team members, they understood just how deadly that sword strike was. Looking at Gao Wu now, their hearts were full of awe!

Coach Huang Hai publicly praised Gao Wu, commending his courage and decisiveness, saying he embodied the heroic spirit of a martial artist and was a role model for all.

After training, Huang Hai called Gao Wu to the office.

“I see your martial skills have advanced rapidly, and you’ve used up your Blood Dragon Elixir. You can even slay followers of the demon god—your edge is at its peak.”

Huang Hai spoke slowly, “Now is the time for you to step onto the arena and hone your craft. What do you think?”

Gao Wu had promised Huang Hai he would compete in the arena to earn the Blood Dragon Elixir. Now Huang Hai was asking again; Gao Wu couldn’t outright refuse. He thought for a moment and said, “A lot of people are watching me lately. It might not be wise to step onto the stage right now.”

Huang Hai, usually grim-faced, managed a rare smile. “Precisely because you’re in the spotlight—the arena will draw crowds. That’s how you’ll earn more prize money.”

“I’ll think about it…” Gao Wu didn’t immediately refuse. After all, Huang Hai couldn’t force him; he could simply delay for a while.