Looking at Zhou Qin’s distant figure, Ruan Hongling sighed softly. “Unexpectedly, Zhou Qin, who is usually so cold, can still be so warm-hearted. However, she almost caused a catastrophe. If Meiduo had really said that she didn’t want to be Banda Lam, I’m afraid we wouldn’t have been able to just sit by and do nothing. If we did, the Esoteric Sect and the Taoists would have to have a fierce battle again…”
Zi Yuan also sighed. “Even though Meiduo doesn’t know much about the affairs of the Cultivation World, she knows that if she doesn’t agree, Zhou Qin would probably have died there, so she agreed. However, what impressed me was that Zhou Qin was able to remain calm and composed when faced by several mountain protection monks. Regardless of anything else, just her kung fu skills and bearing already make her superior to many cultivators who have cultivated for a long time.”
“No matter what Cultivation Quotient Li Yundong reaches in the future, he can rest assured. His Cultivation Quotient and kung fu will definitely be inherited by Zhou Qin someday! She will become a world-shaking female cultivator! With Li Yundong and Zhou Qin in the sect at the same time, it’s impossible for the sect to not be glorious!”
For some reason, Ruan Hongling suddenly thought of her own Linggong Sect and began to feel morose about its degression. She couldn’t help but mutter jealously, “There is no use in just having a powerful disciple. If the disciples he takes in the future are all powerful, that’d show his true power!”
Zi Yuan smiled and said, “I don’t know where Li Yundong’s next disciple will come from.”
While Zhou Qin was building the Zhuji phase at Kari Holy Mountain, many miles away, a girl called Kris, who had been to Tiannan city as an exchange student, was wandering around under the warm sunshine of the campus, preparing her graduation thesis at Pennsylvania State University.
Pennsylvania in December was suffering from a harsh cold snap, and the students were all usually dressed up in thick clothing, wrapping their faces tightly with scarves to prevent the cold wind from sneaking down their clothes.
But today was a rare sunny day. The sun was shining warmly down over the evergreen lawn of campus, and many beauty-loving female students had removed their thick down jackets, showing off their graceful figures to their heart’s content.
Kris was wearing a yellow hand-made sweater and a plaid velvet dress. There was a pair of warm, flesh-colored, close-fitting trousers covering her legs. She looked exquisite and sexy as her golden hair scattered down over her shoulders. No matter where she went, with her porcelain, doll-like face, she would inevitably attract the admiration and love of men.
She carried a few books over to a relatively clean spot of grass. Then, while enjoying the warm winter sunlight, she began flipping through the books in her hands.
However, not long after she had started reading, she suddenly heard someone shouting loudly at her, “Kris, hey, Kris!”
She raised her head and looked in the direction of the voice. At this moment, the sunlight was slightly glaring and she couldn’t help but tilt her face to one side. Her beautiful golden hair fell over her cheeks, making her face, which was already beautiful, look even more feminine and soft.
Using her hand to shield her eyes, she squinted slightly. It was John, who she hadn’t seen for two or three months. She suddenly laughed and cried, “It’s you, John! I haven’t seen you for a long time. How have you been recently?”
Even though John and Kris, these two good friends, were in frequent contact on weekdays, John was still shocked by her beauty. He slowed down as if he was afraid to disturb the loveliness of the scene, which was like an oil painting.
He could not help but sigh. “Kris, ever since you returned from China, you’ve only become more and more beautiful!”
She smiled faintly and tucked a curly strand of hair behind her ear. “Really? But I don’t think there’s any difference.”
John shook his head. “No, you have a mysterious and quiet aura around you now. It’s enough to really make people hold their breath!”
She closed the book with a smile and said, “John, are you here just to compliment me today? If so, thank you. If not, please get to the point, because,” she shook the book in her hand, “I still have to prepare my graduation thesis.”
John took a closer look and found that what was held in Kris’s hand was a Chinese book filled with Chinese characters. He smiled and said, “Ha, I know these words…”
As he spoke, he positioned himself next to Kris and carefully squinted at the words in the book.
He stared at them for a long time. Though he felt that the characters were familiar, he couldn’t speak the words, which made him so anxious that he scratched his head.
Kris pursed her lips into a smile and said in Mandarin, “I already said that your Chinese is far from good, you still don’t believe me!”
John stared at her suspiciously. Unconvinced, he also retorted in somewhat stunted Chinese, “Nonsense, I am now the student who has made the fastest progress in the Chinese classes at the Confucius Institute. Even the teachers praise me for my fast progress!”
Kris chuckled. “Well, Mr. Fastest Improver, why can’t you recognize these four simple words?”
Out of anger, English came out of John’s mouth. “Why do they look so strange? Damn it, what exactly are these four words?”
Kris could se that John was so worked up that the veins on his forehead were sticking out and she couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m kidding you. These words are ’huangdineijing‘, which means Canon of the Yellow Thearch. They are written an ancient seal script. Even many Chinese can’t recognize them! It’s my grandmother’s treasured book. Back when she gave it to me, I couldn’t even recognize these words.”
John breathed a sigh of relief and patted his chest. “That’s good. That means it’s not a problem with my level of Chinese. Kris, you scared me just now. I thought my Chinese must suck, but if it were really that bad, my teacher would have to give up on me!”
Kris looked at John with a smile. Her beautiful eyes suddenly revealed a trace of puzzlement. “John, do you really want to learn kung fu?”
He nodded forcefully and without hesitation. “Of course! Kris, when you came back a few months ago, you were obsessed and wanted to learn from your master. Why are you asking me such a question now?”
A troubled expression came over Kris’ face. “I’ve been thinking about it. My grandmother supports me, but my father won’t allow me to go and my mother wants me to finish my studies first. After thinking about it by myself, I also feel that it’s a bit unrealistic…”
John said with exaggerated expression, “Gosh, Kris, you’re still doubting my master’s ability, aren’t you? Have you ever seen anyone in the world who can dodge bullets within a distance of five meters? Have you ever seen anyone who can jump down from the fourth floor with a person in their arms like it’s nothing? Have you seen anyone who could send me, who weighs nearly 200 pounds, flying through the air with only a punch?”
All of a sudden, his expression turned serious. “I know that your parents wish for you to inherit the family business in the future and that’s why they want to keep you by their side, but I’m definitely going to China again. Plus, I’ve already arranged my visa! The reason I’m here now is just to ask if you want to come with me?”
Kris lowered her head with a complicated expression on her face. She couldn’t help but recall the memories of attending Tiannan University as an exchange student.
In Kris’s opinion, Tiannan University was far behind the University of Pennsylvania in every aspect. The quality of students and teachers varied as well. Even the teachers and officials of the place had given her a bad impression of bureaucracy.
However, what had impressed Kris the most was that incredible Chinese man. Every time she closed her eyes, it was as if she could see Li Yundong dodging bullets like some sort of demon or god.
It was a memory that she would never forget for the rest of her life!
Especially when her grandmother had told her that Li Yundong might be a cultivator from the legends and that he might have the art of immortality Kris’ heart had thumped even harder, and she had wished that she could beg Li Yundong to teach her the art of immortality.
But as the days had gone by, this impulse had gradually calmed down. In the end, she had chosen to study instead of doing cultivation.
However, just when Kris had thought she was about to forget all about it, John had appeared again. As always, he worshipped the mysterious and powerful Eastern man, and was still determined to go to the far East to learn from him!
The memory that Kris had almost forgotten was once more brought to the fore. Her heart suddenly began to pound. She lowered her head and remained silent, quietly caressing the exquisite cover of the book in her hands.
Seeing the excitement in Kris’ eyes, John tried to convince her. “Kris, what are you hesitant about? Do you know how old you are? Please, you’re only twenty years old, but you act like an 80-year-old grandma who’s always overly cautious!
“Do you know what being twenty means? You’re at the right age for wandering around. We still have the courage to travel around while we’re young. If you don’t go out now, when will you? Will you regret it when you’re old and can’t walk anymore?”
Kris’ heart suddenly trembled. She remembered what her grandmother, Lin Guoying, had once said to her. “Kris, if you meet Zhenren, don’t hesitate. You must think of every way possible to get him to be your teacher. Otherwise, in the future, you’ll be like me, watching your youth drift away from you until it’s out of sight. By that time, it’ll be too late for regrets!”
Her words had caused the adventurous spirit inherited from her grandpa, a sailor, to be ignited in her veins. She slowly raised her head, her eyes sparkling.
John saw the look in her eyes. “Kris,” he exclaimed in surprise, “have you decided to come with me to China?”
She smiled and sighed. “Oh John, you ought to be a politician in the future. Your eloquence is stunning!”
John’s lips formed into a grin. “Hey, I’m no Arnold Schwarzenegger!” he said.
“That’s right, he is not as good as you at fighting!” Kris said, pursing her lips and smiling.
John imitated the movements of a bodybuilder, then did a few combat moves. He was so excited that his eyebrows seemed like they might fly off his forehead. “Kris, when are we going to set off? I can’t wait to get to China and start a new life!”
Kris shook her head and smiled. “You’re really an optimist! You have to learn Chinese better. I’m sure you know, that b*stard doesn’t seem very willing to accept us as his disciples!”
John waved his hand, not taking her seriously. He said word by word in Chinese, “Kris, as the saying goes, when sincerity rises, even gold and stone can be torn asunder! I don’t believe that my sincerity can’t move my master! I will definitely make him take me on as his disciple!”
Kris smiled and spoke back in Chinese, “Praise be to God. These few sentences are pretty standard, it seems you have practiced for a long time!”
John laughed and switched back to English. “I have to practice dozens of times a day! Damn it, it’s too difficult to learn Chinese! But I’m going to continue studying in China soon, hahaha!” As he said that, he excitedly flipped over. He was as excited as a child and shouted with joy, “Haha, we are going to China. Kris, let’s… go to the East together!”
Kris smiled. Just as she was about to speak, a voice suddenly rang out from beside them, “Go to the East? What East? Are you guys going to elope? Haha, if you’re going to elope, you should take me with you!”
