C6 Clear the Boundary

The pair left their room and made their way to the front desk to check out. The clerk, a middle-aged man, couldn't help but notice Ann Xin's flushed cheeks, her long dress damp with water, and the disheveled state of her clothing. He gave Ye Luo a knowing thumbs-up and let out a wistful sigh, "Ah, to be young."

Ye Luo was at a loss for words, thinking the man had read too much into the situation. Yet, trying to clarify things seemed pointless—the more you try to explain, the worse it gets.

Ann Xin, on the other hand, kept her head down, too embarrassed to utter a single word.

They picked a clothing store at random and got Ann Xin a new outfit. Just as they were about to head to the hospital, Ye Luo's phone rang unexpectedly.

"Hello?" Ye Luo answered, somewhat surprised. It had been a millennium, but fortunately, he still remembered how to use a phone. Who could be calling at this hour, though?

"Hey, Ye Luo, where are you?" It was the voice of Hsu Danian, Ye Luo's classmate.

"I'm out and about. What's up?" Ye Luo replied, sensing something was off in Hsu Danian's tone.

"Just stay away from school today. Actually, scratch that—don't come back for the next few days."

"Why? What's going on?" Ye Luo pressed for answers.

"It's Zhu Jian. He's rallied a bunch of guys to hunt you down. They even stormed your dorm, and your roommates... they got beaten. He's out for blood, saying he'll break your legs. Stay away for now; it's too risky."

Ye Luo's memory flashed back to the afternoon's events—he had indeed given Zhu Jian a swift kick. Now it seemed Zhu Jian was out for revenge.

But Ye Luo wasn't concerned about Zhu Jian. His recent training in the Nine Heavens Reincarnation Art had boosted his strength to the early Houtian level, with a punch packing over 1000 kg of force—far surpassing an average mid-Houtian fighter.

With such power, Ye Luo feared no confrontation, not even against a cadre of underground fighting aces, much less a mob of students.

"Ye Luo, what's going on?" Ann Xin noticed a subtle shift in Ye Luo's expression and asked with concern.

"Oh, it's nothing major, just some issues at school. I'll drop you off at the hospital first, then head back to take care of it."

"There's no need for that. Go handle your business; I can grab a taxi to the hospital," Ann Xin suggested, detecting from Ye Luo's gaze that the situation was likely more complicated than he let on.

Ye Luo had initially dismissed Zhu Jian and his group as unworthy of his attention. However, upon learning from Danian that they had attacked Ye Luo's roommates, he felt compelled to intervene—after all, they had been inadvertently dragged into his problems.

"Okay, just be safe. And remember to call me if you need anything. I'll come to the hospital as soon as I've sorted everything out," Ye Luo assured her with a nod.

Outside Linhai University, Hsu Danian hung up his phone, his anxiety palpable. Zhu Jian's group was seething with hostility, and it was clear that the conflict wouldn't be easily resolved.

"Hsu Danian, I've been looking everywhere for you," a woman said, rushing up to him in a flurry.

She was clad in a striking red coat, her curly blonde hair setting a fashionable tone, and her features were notably attractive—a standout even in a technical institution like Linhai University.

"Little Ping, what brings you here?" Hsu Danian asked, genuinely surprised. Wang Ping was his girlfriend, whom he had pursued with great effort, finally winning her over after nearly two years.

"Hsu Danian, do you know where Ye Luo is?" Wang Ping cut straight to the chase.

"Ye Luo?" Hsu Danian shook his head in confusion. "Why are you looking for him? I have no idea."

"Hmph, better for you if you don't know," Wang Ping said with a dark expression. "So, Ye Luo is your friend, isn't he?"

"Yes, he is. What about it?" Hsu Danian confirmed, puzzled.

"Starting today, you need to cut off all ties with him," Wang Ping demanded.

"Why? Ye Luo is my best friend," Hsu Danian replied, bewildered by his girlfriend's sudden and inexplicable demand.

"Best friend? Are you aware of who he crossed today? He got into a fight with Zhu Jian—surely you know who that is. If you want to keep your place at Linhai University, you'd better distance yourself from Ye Luo immediately," Wang Ping insisted, her frustration evident.

"How can you possibly blame Ye Luo for this? Zhu Jian is notorious for being a bully, and he's made Ye Luo's life miserable on more than one occasion. The guy's a total jerk. Plus, it was Zhu Jian who sicced his goons on Ye Luo first today. When Ye Luo hit back, Zhu Jian had it coming. If his dad wasn't a school director, I'd..."

"Hsu Danian, shut your mouth!" Wang Ping cut him off before he could finish. "Who do you think you are? Knowing full well that Zhu Jian's father is the school director, you should be smart enough to keep a low profile. Do you really think you can stand up to Zhu Jian? Does it even matter who's in the right? What matters is who has the stronger backing. Is your support anywhere near as solid as Zhu Jian's?"

At this, Hsu Danian fell silent. When it came to family backgrounds, he wasn't much better off than Ye Luo. Sure, he wasn't an orphan, but he was still leagues behind Zhu Jian.

"Hey, Pingping, doesn't your family run a business too? You must know Zhu Jian's dad. Could you maybe put in a good word for Ye Luo? It's not like it's a major incident. Maybe there's a chance to smooth things over?"

"Have you lost your mind? I can understand if you're fed up with your own life, but dragging me and my family into this mess?" Wang Ping gave Hsu Danian a look of utter disbelief. "I'm going to ask you one more time, are you going to listen to me and cut ties with Ye Luo?"

While Hsu Danian hesitated, a taxi pulled up to the school's entrance, and Ye Luo quickly emerged from the vehicle.

Seeing Ye Luo, Hsu Danian was startled and hurried over. "Ye Luo, I told you not to come back. Why wouldn't you listen?" he said with urgency. "Zhu Jian and his crew are out looking for you."

"Looking for me? Good." Ye Luo's expression grew stern. In his past life, Zhu Jian had never stopped tormenting him. But after a millennium of experiences, Ye Luo had long since stopped dwelling on Zhu Jian's petty antics. He hadn't even considered seeking revenge—unless Zhu Jian was foolish enough to provoke him again. In that case, Ye Luo wouldn't hesitate to teach him a lesson.

"You're Ye Luo, right? Maybe you're sick of living, but why drag others down with you?" Wang Ping suddenly stepped forward and confronted Ye Luo.

Ye Luo's brow furrowed at her words.

He remembered Wang Ping from his past life. Hsu Danian had sacrificed a lot for her, but as far as Ye Luo recalled, their relationship hadn't lasted. It seemed that Wang Ping eventually ended up with some wealthy heir.

But Ye Luo wouldn't bring up such matters without cause. Some experiences were for Hsu Danian to go through on his own. As for the way she was speaking to him...

"Wang Ping, what kind of way is that to talk?" Hsu Danian interjected, visibly upset by his girlfriend's harsh words to Ye Luo.

"Ye Luo, Little Ping tends to be blunt. Please, don't take it to heart," Hsu Danian added, his discomfort evident.

Ye Luo nodded in acknowledgment. Hsu Danian was one of the few true friends he had in his previous life, someone who had genuinely helped him, and for that, Ye Luo was deeply appreciative. So, a few sharp words from his girlfriend weren't a big deal to him.

"How did I speak out of turn? Isn't what I'm saying the truth?" Wang Ping retorted with a cold huff, fixing her gaze on Ye Luo. "You're just an orphan with no influence, and you don't even know how to keep a low profile. To think you had the audacity to strike Zhu Jian—you must be tired of living. If you really consider Hsu Danian a friend, you'd do well to keep your distance from now on. Otherwise, you won't just be putting him in danger—you'll be dragging me down too!"

"Wang Ping, enough is enough. Just stop talking!" Hsu Danian finally reached his limit and snapped.