C39 What a Smart Guy!

"He managed to lose his clothes in a fight and still denies being a lecher?"

Zhi Jin scoffed, seeing right through Zhou Mu's facade. Despite Zhou Mu's outward decorum, he was no different at his core.

The only difference was that Zhi Jin was openly flirtatious, while Zhou Mu was a closet pervert.

"Fine, fine, I'll own up to it—I'm a pervert. But let me make one thing clear: I'm not old."

Zhou Mu cleared his throat, his expression tinged with embarrassment.

For years, he'd cultivated an image of innocence, and now that he'd been exposed, how could he possibly face the respected elders of Jiangdong?

Having tested his mettle against the Blazing Wind and the Iron Armored Dragon, Zhi Jin had a firm grasp of his capabilities, making the confrontation with Gao Shu even more effortless.

His Golden Essence Sword Qi whirled through the air, piercing through flowers with each strike.

Gao Shu shook violently under the assault, eager to retaliate against Zhi Jin, but the distance was too great, leaving him to collapse in defeat.

This battle was uneventful and straightforward, albeit draining.

Post-battle, Zhi Jin was nearly spent, his strength sapped, leaving him a dispirited bird.

"Boss, your bird..."

Zhi Jin began, but the warning glare from Zhou Mu quickly silenced him.

Any further sass, and he'd likely go hungry tonight.

It was only after joining Zhou Mu that Zhi Jin truly learned what it meant to live as a bird, to truly be alive.

His storage bag brimmed with an assortment of nuts, allowing him to feast at will without so much as a second thought.

A little cheekiness was usually harmless, but if he truly upset Zhou Mu, his favorite treats would be off the table.

"Come on, onto the next one."

Zhou Mu, pleased with Zhi Jin's compliance, nodded approvingly.

Three of the six tyrant beasts remained.

Setting aside other considerations, the points from these three locators alone topped three million.

Unless he dispatched the remaining three tyrant beasts, even rounding up every elite and leader within the Illusion Mirror wouldn't be enough to close the gap in points.

For the ordinary fiend beasts, they just weren't worth the effort.

A third-rank, five-star beast only netted 500 points. He'd have to take down a whopping 6,000 of them to match the score of just three third-rank, one-star tyrant beasts.

So, the optimal strategy was clear: eliminate the competition and seize their positioning devices.

Zhou Mu had no intention of vying with others for these points. The scores from the six tyrant beasts he'd defeated were more than enough to keep him comfortably in the lead.

But let's be clear, Zhou Mu wasn't one to shy away from conflict. The Freshmen Ranking Competition was all about the struggle for supremacy, and in this arena, there were no questions of morality. He was determined to claim all the top three rewards, and he was prepared to pull a few clever moves to do it.

As someone who had crossed over from another world, Zhou Mu had devoured all kinds of novels and had a firm grasp on their clichés and plot devices.

This time, he was going to take a page out of a classic feel-good story's playbook — he was going to sell those positioning devices!

By offloading the devices he'd acquired from the six tyrant beasts, he could secure the top three rewards for himself.

All Zhou Mu really wanted were the soul crystals and the wrinkled papayas; he'd leave the academic credits to the buyers.

After all, they were paying customers, and he wouldn't let them walk away empty-handed.

"I'm a genius!" Zhou Mu congratulated himself with a self-satisfied clap of his hands.

Just from the name, he knew the soul crystals were a significant upgrade from mere soul shards. They might even boost his soul intensity to 20 points in no time.

With that kind of power, he'd be ready to bond with a third spirit animal.

The wrinkled papaya promised to shatter the 100-point barrier of his basic attributes, fortifying his body and enhancing his stamina.

And when he next crossed paths with that wild woman, Zhao Qianqian, he wouldn't be on the receiving end of such a thrashing.

"Boss, we've got company!"

Goldie's voice at his ear snapped Zhou Mu to attention.

The man in black was gone, so who else was looking to stir up trouble?

It wasn't long before the figure Zhou Mu had been waiting for finally appeared.

The guy was in his early twenties, riding a large, flower-furred dog that was so exhausted its tongue lolled out.

"Pant... Pant... Pant..."

The man was out of breath, managing to 'pant' three times in the span of thirty seconds.

Zhou Mu was completely bewildered.

What in the world was happening?

Teeth chatter?

A human and dog soul swap?

Rabies transmitting from dog to human?

"Woof... Woof... Zhou Mu..."

After gasping for breath for over ten seconds, Zhou Mu finally grasped what he was trying to say.

"Take it easy, talk slowly."

Zhou Mu pulled out a water bottle and passed it over. He had a nagging feeling that he recognized the person but couldn't quite place where they had met.

"Zhou Mu, we've got a serious problem!"

The man took several gulps of water before he could collect himself. "Except for those you've saved before, all the new students have banded together. They're aiming to take you out first, then fight it out amongst themselves. Those of us who disagreed are now targets. We've been through hell, dozens have died just trying to escape."

His eyes reddened and tears started streaming down his face as he spoke.

"Is that so?"

Zhou Mu's brow furrowed as he listened, a cold sense of fury building within him.

That's why he seemed familiar—it was one of the new students who had stood by him in the battle against the Sinister Six.

"Lead the way. I'm going to see for myself who's got the nerve!"

With a contemptuous snort, Zhou Mu made up his mind without a second thought.

These were his comrades-in-arms, whose looks of admiration and gratitude he deeply appreciated. Plus, their refusal to betray each other, even when outnumbered by tens of thousands, spoke volumes about their character.

Zhou Mu was resolved to rescue them. They were in this mess because of him, after all. Besides, he was curious to see how his contemporaries measured up.

...

"Think Zhou Mu will actually show up?"

"Does it matter? The whole school is watching this competition. He's a dead man if he comes, and just as dead if he doesn't. The only difference is whether he's surrounded by a mob or not."

"???"

"What are you even saying? Why can't I follow?"

"You don't understand Mandarin? Are you even a Nosharian anymore?"

"Have I been stripped of my nationality already?"

"..."

The group buzzed with conversation. The new students caught in the middle wore looks of defiance on their faces.

A group was buzzing with heated discussions, and at the center of their circle, the newcomer stood with a face flushed with rage. It's only natural to be angry when you're being gawked at like a monkey in a zoo. And to add insult to injury, more than half of their original group of over two hundred had been slaughtered.

"This is the last straw! We're going to take them on!" A handsome young man with a clear-cut face shouted, ready to throw himself into a desperate struggle. But as he lifted his leg to charge, he was firmly held back.

"With fewer than a hundred of us against at least two thousand, what are you going to fight with? Just stay put!" another voice chided.

"What then? Are we supposed to just stand by and watch Zhou Mu be tricked by traitors?" the young man retorted, frustration evident in his tone.

"What choice do we have? If there was even the slightest chance to break out, I wouldn't be sitting here waiting to die. Meaningless sacrifices are just foolish. We'll wait for Zhou Mu to get here, then we'll make our move. Don't forget, his two spirit animals took down a Lord-grade Sinister Six with a single strike."

"That's right! Once Zhou Mu arrives, we'll be saved! We'll wipe out these scum and strip them of their dignity. They'll never be able to hold their heads high again!" With these words, a spark of hope was reignited in the young man's eyes.

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