At the very moment Zhang Wen began attempting to cultivate, he knew his judgment had been correct once again. The flow of combat energy within his body not only brought back the familiar sense of comfort he had experienced while previously practicing the Spring Water Technique, but also heightened his five senses far beyond their usual sharpness.
Zhang Wen focused on maintaining this state, continuously cycling through the cultivation method described in the Spring Water Technique. However, he suddenly heard faint footsteps approaching from a distance. The footsteps were so light that it was clear the person didn’t want to be noticed.
Zhang Wen’s small cottage was located in a remote area, and there were no other residences nearby. It was obvious that whoever was approaching had come specifically for him.
Could it be Linoah? Had she discovered that I was the one spying on her in the library? No, that can’t be right! If Linoah wanted to silence him, she wouldn’t come alone. Zhang Wen quickly dismissed the thought.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Sure enough, not long after, the visitor arrived at the door and began knocking forcefully.
Before the visitor reached his door, the pulsing sensation of combat energy within Zhang Wen had already begun to fade. Without that energy, he knew further cultivation would yield little benefit. He decided to stop.
When Zhang Wen finally opened his eyes, he noticed it had already grown dark outside. This only deepened his curiosity—who would visit him at this hour?
Could it really be Linoah? As he pondered, he casually responded, “Coming!”
However, when he opened the door, the visitor was not the Linoah he had expected. “Amelie?” Zhang Wen exclaimed in surprise, recognizing the girl and looking at her with interest.
Amelie was still wearing the same outfit she had worn during the beauty pageant earlier that day. Her left sleeve had slipped off her shoulder once again, revealing a soft, delicate patch of skin. Under the dim yellow light of Zhang Wen’s dormitory, the subtle cleavage at the top of her tight-fitting top became even more noticeable due to the play of light and shadow.
“Teacher Zhang!” Amelie smiled sweetly.
“Something I can help with? Come in,” Zhang Wen gestured for her to enter.
“Okay,” she nodded with a smile and stepped inside confidently, closing the door behind her.
Once inside, Amelie didn’t immediately sit at the table. Instead, she curiously examined everything in Zhang Wen’s room, occasionally walking over to his bed and picking up some unfinished wooden crafts. Although Zhang Wen and Amelie had always been on good terms, this was her first time visiting his private quarters.
“That’s a guitar,” Zhang Wen chuckled as he saw Amelie curiously inspecting the stringless instrument.
“A guitar?” Amelie repeated the word, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.
“Exactly. It’s a musical instrument. I haven’t finished making it yet,” Zhang Wen explained as he took the guitar from her and hung it back on the wall.
“Is that so?” Before Zhang Wen could finish speaking, Amelie playfully rose onto her tiptoes, leaning forward to examine the strange object more closely.
Amelie’s attention was fixed on the guitar, but Zhang Wen’s gaze was drawn to her instead. Amelie herself seemed unaware of just how seductive her current pose was.
Even on ordinary occasions, Amelie’s legs had always been her most confident feature. Today, she was wearing athletic shorts, revealing her perfectly shaped, smooth, and fair legs—flawless in every way. As she stood on her toes, those long, shapely legs became even more captivating.
In addition to her legs, as she leaned forward, her already slightly tight top stretched even tighter across her chest. The left strap, which had been loosely resting on her shoulder, slid down, further accentuating the fullness of her chest. What’s more, the light yellow top she wore had a faintly translucent quality. From Zhang Wen’s angle, he could see not only the smooth skin exposed above the top but also the white bra peeking through the fabric.
At that moment, Amelie’s sensuality rivaled even Linoah’s when she wore that seductive low-cut cheongsam. Zhang Wen felt his combat energy begin to pulse rhythmically within him once again.
“This thing can’t possibly be a musical instrument,” Amelie said after inspecting the guitar for a while, frowning skeptically.
“Why not?” Zhang Wen replied casually with a smile.
“Teacher Zhang is just trying to trick me again! I’ve seen this thing before. It’s clearly meant for lifting weights to build arm strength, like this!” Amelie proudly grabbed the guitar’s neck and mimicked swinging an energy blade.
“Believe it or not, it’s your loss. I told you—it’s a musical instrument,” Zhang Wen shrugged, snatching the guitar back before she could do more damage.
“Hmph! Cheap!” Amelie glared at him for a moment, then tilted her head up smugly. “Ha! You insist it’s a musical instrument? Fine! Let’s make a bet then—let’s bet whether this guitar of yours is actually a musical instrument!”
“Why bother? I already know you’ll lose,” Zhang Wen replied coolly, shaking his head.
“Haha! So even the fearless Teacher Zhang gets nervous sometimes! If it really is a musical instrument, then why won’t you bet? I’m the one who’s sure to lose, and yet I’m still willing to bet. You, who are sure to win, won’t even accept? Come on, Teacher Zhang, admit it already!”
“Fine. If you’re so eager to lose, I’ll play along. But don’t say I didn’t warn you,” Zhang Wen said with a slight smile, accepting the challenge. Although he often teased Amelie, he had no intention of lying just to make her happy.
“Great!” As soon as Zhang Wen spoke, Amelie nodded enthusiastically. Then, she suddenly extended her hand with a grin, “Even though it’s just the two of us here, you still have to keep your word if you lose!”
“No problem,” Zhang Wen smiled and shook her hand. Whether the guitar was a musical instrument or not was a no-brainer.
“Perfect!” Amelie, unaware of Zhang Wen’s thoughts, pointed at the guitar confidently. “So if you can’t prove it’s a musical instrument, you have to agree to two conditions! First, you have to give me this thing. Second, you have to teach me that martial arts technique you used against Zack and Cloud this morning!”
Oh! So that’s why she came. Upon hearing the second condition, Zhang Wen immediately understood why Amelie had come to his place so late at night. “Fine. If I lose, I’ll give you whatever you want,” Zhang Wen agreed readily, then added with a teasing smile, “But what if you lose?”
“Me? Lose? Impossible!” Amelie giggled. After a moment of thought, she winked playfully at Zhang Wen. “If you really can prove it’s a musical instrument, then I’ll do the same—I’ll give you something and agree to one of your requests. How about that?”
“Deal,” Zhang Wen nodded and casually placed the guitar back on the bed.
Seeing this, Amelie couldn’t help but smirk smugly. In truth, before she had even made the bet with Zhang Wen, Amelie had already thought through every detail carefully.
Judging from Zhang Wen’s previous behavior, Amelie had already more or less figured out that the guitar was indeed a musical instrument. However, after thinking about it for a while, she had concluded that the only way to make the wooden object produce sound was to stretch animal hide over the sound hole and use it as a drum.
But stretching animal hide over a drum wasn’t easy. Zhang Wen definitely wouldn’t be able to do it in such a short time. Even if he managed to stretch the hide, a single drum couldn’t possibly produce a pleasant melody. Before entering Almirexus Academy, Amelie had taken music lessons from several professional instructors. Even they couldn’t create beautiful music with just one drum.
Therefore, as long as Amelie claimed that the sound Zhang Wen produced wasn’t music, she would win the bet. With this thought, Amelie smirked to herself, already imagining her victory.
However, to her surprise, what Zhang Wen pulled out from the drawer beside the bed wasn’t animal hide, but several metal strings of varying thicknesses.
As Amelie curiously examined the six metal strings in Zhang Wen’s hand, wondering what use they could possibly have, she suddenly saw him begin attaching them to the guitar in order of thickness.
The guitar had been made by Zhang Wen while practicing the Spring Water Technique, as a way to train his arm stability. In reality, Zhang Wen had already completed both the body and the strings of the guitar. He had simply been too preoccupied with the difficulties he encountered in cultivating the Spring Water Technique to assemble it properly.
“Ding… Ding… Dong…” After securing the six strings, Zhang Wen began plucking them one by one while adjusting the tuning pegs.
As Amelie listened to the sounds produced by the strings, she felt a sudden wave of panic. Something was going wrong! Fortunately, the sounds were still chaotic and unstructured, giving Amelie a glimmer of hope.
“This… this noise can’t possibly be music! Teacher Zhang, you should just admit defeat already!” Amelie tried to suppress her nervousness, feigning indifference.
“Don’t be in a hurry. It’ll be ready soon,” Zhang Wen replied calmly, continuing to tune the instrument at his own pace.
Once the tone and pitch of all six strings met Zhang Wen’s satisfaction, he gave a satisfied smile. As his fingers gently glided across the strings, a melodious tune filled the air. The sound made Amelie’s smile freeze. Although Zhang Wen hadn’t even begun playing a full piece, Amelie already realized she had lost.
Seeing Amelie’s slightly dejected expression, Zhang Wen smiled again. Then, with a gentle touch, he began playing a moving rendition of *Romance of Love*, the melody flowing like a gentle stream.
As Zhang Wen played, Amelie, who had never heard or even imagined such a beautiful sound before, slowly lifted her head in astonishment. By the time Zhang Wen finished the piece, Amelie’s wide, beautiful eyes were fixed on his magical right hand, completely entranced.
The moment Zhang Wen began his cultivation attempt, he knew his judgment this time was indeed correct. The flow of combat energy within his body not only brought back the familiar, comfortable sensation he experienced while practicing the Spring Water Technique but also heightened his senses beyond their usual acuity.
Zhang Wen strived to maintain this state, continuously circulating the cultivation method recorded in the Spring Water Technique. Suddenly, he heard faint footsteps approaching from a distance. From the sound, Zhang Wen could tell that the person was trying to remain unnoticed, as the steps were unusually light.
Zhang Wen’s cabin was located in a remote area with no other visitors nearby. It was clear that this stealthy guest had come specifically for him.
Was it Linoa? Had she discovered that the person spying in the library was me? No, it couldn’t be! If Linoa wanted to silence me, she wouldn’t come alone. Zhang Wen quickly dismissed his own speculation.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Sure enough, it wasn’t long before the guest arrived at Zhang Wen’s door and began pounding on it vigorously.
Before the guest arrived, the sensation of combat energy pulsating within Zhang Wen’s body had already begun to weaken. Without this sensation, Zhang Wen knew that continuing his cultivation would yield little effect, so he decided to end it.
When Zhang Wen opened his eyes, he noticed that the sky outside had darkened. This only deepened his curiosity. Who would visit his place at this hour?
Could it really be Linoa? Zhang Wen wondered as he casually responded, “Coming!”
However, upon opening the door, Zhang Wen found that the visitor was not Linoa as he had imagined. “Amelie?” Zhang Wen called out the girl’s name in surprise, looking at her with interest.
Amelie was still wearing the outfit she had worn during the beauty pageant earlier that day. Her left sleeve, as it had been when Zhang Wen first saw her that morning, hung loosely from her shoulder, revealing a delicate, rosy shoulder. Under the soft yellow light of Zhang Wen’s dormitory, the shallow cleavage at the top of her tight-fitting top became even more pronounced due to the play of light and shadow.
“Mr. Zhang!” Amelie smiled softly at him.
“Is something the matter? Come in,” Zhang Wen gestured for her to enter.
“Mm,” Amelie nodded with a smile and stepped inside, closing the door behind her.
Once inside, Amelie didn’t immediately sit down at the table. Instead, she curiously looked around Zhang Wen’s room, occasionally walking over to his bed and picking up a few unfinished wooden items to examine. Although Zhang Wen and Amelie had always been on good terms, this was the first time she had visited his residence.
“That’s called a guitar,” Zhang Wen couldn’t help but smile as he walked over to her and took the guitar from her hands when he saw her examining the stringless instrument with childlike curiosity.
“Guitar?” Amelie repeated the word, her eyes filled with even more curiosity.
“Yes, it’s a musical instrument. I haven’t finished making it yet,” Zhang Wen explained as he hung the guitar back on the wall.
“Really?” Before Zhang Wen could finish, Amelie stood on her tiptoes, leaning forward to continue examining the “strange object.”
Amelie’s attention was completely captivated by the guitar on the wall, but Zhang Wen’s gaze involuntarily shifted to Amelie herself! She seemed unaware of how alluring her current posture was.
Even in her usual skirt, Amelie’s legs had always been her most proud feature. Today, she was wearing a pair of athletic shorts! Her legs, straight and perfectly shaped, with skin as smooth and white as fine jade, were already flawless. When she stood on her tiptoes, those long, shapely legs became even more enticing!
Besides her stunning legs, as she leaned forward, her already somewhat tight top became even more constricted! The left shoulder strap, which had been hanging loosely, slipped down, making her chest appear even more full and alluring! More importantly, the pale yellow top she was wearing took on a slightly translucent quality under the light! From Zhang Wen’s vantage point, not only could he see the large expanse of delicate skin exposed by the top, but he could also faintly glimpse the white bra beneath!
At this moment, the sensuality Amelie exuded was enough to rival Linoa in her seductive, low-cut cheongsam! Zhang Wen felt the combat energy within him begin to pulse rhythmically once again!
“How could this thing possibly be a musical instrument?” After examining the guitar for a while, Amelie suddenly turned back to Zhang Wen, frowning in disbelief.
“Why couldn’t it be a musical instrument?” Zhang Wen replied with a relaxed smile.
“Mr. Zhang, you’re just trying to trick me! I’ve seen this kind of thing before. It’s clearly used for weight training to build arm strength! Just like this!” Amelie confidently took the guitar down again, gripping the neck and mimicking the motion of swinging a crystal energy sword.
“Believe it or not, it’s a musical instrument,” Zhang Wen said, not bothering to explain further. He simply smiled and quickly took the guitar back.
“Hmph! Stingy!” Amelie glared at Zhang Wen for a moment, then suddenly lifted her head triumphantly. “Ha! You insist it’s a musical instrument? Fine! How about a bet? Let’s bet on whether that thing in your hand is really a musical instrument!”
“Forget it. What’s the point of a bet I know you’ll lose?” Zhang Wen shook his head dismissively.
“Haha! So the Mr. Zhang who dared to face Zack and Cloud alone is feeling nervous now!” Seeing that Zhang Wen wouldn’t accept the bet, Amelie laughed even more triumphantly. “If that thing really is a musical instrument, I, the one who’s bound to lose, am willing to bet, but you, the one who’s bound to win, won’t accept? Mr. Zhang, just admit it!”
“Alright, alright. Since you’re so eager to lose, I’ll play along. But don’t say I didn’t warn you,” Zhang Wen smiled and agreed. Although he and Amelie often teased each other in good fun, he wasn’t the type to spout nonsense just to please a girl.
“No problem!” As soon as Zhang Wen finished speaking, Amelie nodded vigorously. Then, she suddenly extended her hand to him, smiling mischievously. “Even though it’s just the two of us here, you can’t back out if you lose!”
“No problem,” Zhang Wen chuckled and casually high-fived her. Was there even a question about whether the guitar was a musical instrument?
“Good!” Unaware of Zhang Wen’s thoughts, Amelie confidently pointed at the guitar and said, “If you can’t prove this is a musical instrument in a moment, you’ll have to agree to two conditions! First, you’ll give this thing to me! Second, you’ll teach me the martial arts technique you used against Zack and Cloud this morning!”
Ah, so that’s why she came to me. Hearing Amelie’s second condition, Zhang Wen immediately understood why the girl had sneaked into his home so late. “Sure, if I lose, I’ll agree to whatever conditions you have,” Zhang Wen nodded readily, then continued with a peculiar smile, “But what if you lose?”
“Me? Lose? How could that happen?!” Amelie burst out laughing. Then, after pretending to think seriously for a moment, she winked at Zhang Wen slyly and said, “If you can really prove this is a musical instrument, then I’ll do the same as you. First, I’ll give you something, and then I’ll agree to one of your requests. How’s that?”
“Deal,” Zhang Wen nodded and casually placed the guitar back on the bed.
Seeing Zhang Wen’s action, Amelie couldn’t help but chuckle triumphantly to herself. In fact, before making the bet with Zhang Wen, she had already thought everything through in great detail.
From Zhang Wen’s earlier behavior, Amelie had already guessed that the guitar in his hands was likely a musical instrument. However, after examining the “guitar” for a while, she realized that the only way to make the wooden object produce sound was to cover the hole in the middle with animal skin and use it as a drum!
But covering a drum with animal skin wasn’t something that could be done quickly. In such a short time, Zhang Wen definitely wouldn’t be able to finish it. Moreover, even if Zhang Wen were skilled enough to quickly cover the drum, how could a single drum produce pleasant music? Before entering the Almis Academy, Amelie had taken music lessons from several private tutors at home. Even those professional music teachers couldn’t play a beautiful melody with just a single drum.
Thus, even if Zhang Wen started playing later, as long as Amelie claimed that the sounds he produced weren’t music, she would win the bet! With this plan in mind, Amelie chuckled to herself as she watched Zhang Wen.
However, to Amelie’s surprise, what Zhang Wen took out from the small cabinet by the bed wasn’t the animal skin she had expected, but several metal wires of varying thickness.
Just as Amelie was curiously examining the six metal wires in Zhang Wen’s hands, wondering what they could be used for, she suddenly saw Zhang Wen attach them to the “guitar” in order of thickness!
This guitar was something Zhang Wen had made by chance while practicing the Spring Water Technique to improve the stability of his arms. In fact, the body and strings of the guitar had already been completed. However, Zhang Wen had been preoccupied with the troubles he encountered during his Spring Water Technique cultivation, so he hadn’t had the time to assemble it.
“Ding,” “Ding,” “Dong,” “Dong”… After attaching the six metal wires, Zhang Wen began plucking the strings while gently turning the “knobs” on the long handle to tune the instrument.
Hearing the sounds produced by the metal wires, Amelie couldn’t help but feel a sense of panic. She suddenly realized that things were taking a turn for the worse! Fortunately, the sounds Zhang Wen produced by plucking the wires were completely random, giving Amelie a glimmer of hope.
“This… How can these sounds be considered music? Mr. Zhang, you should just admit defeat!” Amelie suppressed her nervousness and deliberately put on a dismissive expression.
“Don’t rush, it’ll be ready soon,” Zhang Wen said calmly as he continued to tune the strings at a leisurely pace.
When the tones and pitches of the six strings finally reached a level that satisfied Zhang Wen, he smiled contentedly. As Zhang Wen’s fingers gently plucked the six strings in sequence, a melodious sound immediately filled Amelie’s ears. The sound froze the smile on her face. Although Zhang Wen hadn’t started playing yet, Amelie already knew she had lost.
Seeing Amelie’s slightly dejected expression, Zhang Wen couldn’t help but smile again. Then, a moving and melodious rendition of “Romance de Amor” flowed from Zhang Wen’s fingertips like a gentle stream.
As Zhang Wen played, Amelie, who had never heard or even imagined such beautiful sounds, gradually looked up in astonishment. By the time Zhang Wen finished the piece, Amelie’s beautiful eyes were fixed on his magical right hand, completely entranced.
Astonishment! This was true astonishment! Since the day she was born, Amelie had never experienced such a profound sense of beauty in sound! As the melodious tune played, Amelie felt as though her soul had left her body and been drawn into the purest spring of music!
“Amelie? Amelie?” Finally, it was Zhang Wen’s soft calls that brought her back to reality.
When Amelie regained her senses, she found herself face to face with Zhang Wen’s smiling visage. Her cheeks flushed, but she quickly nodded vigorously and said with a blush, “I never expected… I admit defeat! That was the most beautiful music I’ve ever heard!”
“I told you,” Zhang Wen smiled as he hung the guitar back on the wall. When he turned around again, he found that Amelie had already walked up to him.
“Mr. Zhang, could you close your eyes?” Amelie’s face was tinged with a shy blush, but she boldly pouted her lips as she made the request.
“Oh? Isn’t it me who won the bet? Shouldn’t I be the one making the requests? Why are you making one first?” Zhang Wen smiled with a hint of mischief, teasing Amelie.
“You can make your request later! Just close your eyes for now. We’re good friends, can’t you do this little thing for me?” Amelie pouted her lips cutely and even pretended to be upset by clasping her hands behind her back.
“Alright,” Zhang Wen closed his eyes indifferently. To be honest, aside from finding her request a bit strange, he also felt a faint sense of anticipation. He had a vague idea of what the beautiful girl before him was about to do.
Sure enough, moments after Zhang Wen closed his eyes, he felt Amelie drawing closer, her youthful fragrance enveloping him.
Amelie was a typical fangirl of his era—beautiful, wealthy, and simple-minded. Didn’t she know that men were wolves? Normally, Zhang Wen wouldn’t want to get involved with a student, but recently, the Spring Water Technique had been stirring within him, and suppressing it felt like it might explode.
Damn it, I’m a man after all. Back on Earth, I never had the chance, but now, why should I hold back?
Amelie truly admired Zhang Wen, who exuded the aura of a mature man. She had initially thought he was nothing special, but he had proven to have incredible skills, humility, and even the ability to create such a magical instrument and music. She wanted to express her admiration with a kiss, nothing more.
Amelie closed her eyes slightly as she leaned in, but at that moment, Zhang Wen suddenly wrapped his arms around her alluring figure. What was meant to be a light kiss turned into a deep one, filled with the desire Zhang Wen had been suppressing for so long.
Amelie’s eyes widened in shock, and her hands instinctively tried to push Zhang Wen away, but her body felt weak and limp, her strength fading. She wanted to cry out, but her voice was muffled by his lips.
When his tongue forcefully invaded her mouth, Amelie’s mind went blank. All she felt was a burning sensation spreading across her face and body, her strength gradually slipping away. Her soul seemed to leave her body once more, and her consciousness began to blur.
Zhang Wen was now at a point of no return. Since arriving in this strange place, he had been living cautiously, intending to avoid drawing too much attention until he gained more power. But fate had other plans. If he let this youthful, alluring beauty slip away today, he would regret it for the rest of his life. He decided to throw caution to the wind!
“Amelie… Amelie?” It was only after Zhang Wen gently called her name several times that she snapped out of her trance.
As she regained her senses, Amelie found herself staring directly into Zhang Wen’s smiling face. Her cheeks flushed red, but she nodded firmly and said, “I never imagined… I admit defeat. That was the most beautiful music I’ve ever heard.”
“I told you so,” Zhang Wen chuckled, hanging the guitar back on the wall. When he turned around again, he found Amelie already standing close beside him.
“Teacher Zhang, can you close your eyes for a moment?” Amelie asked, her face slightly flushed, yet her tone bold.
“Oh? I believe I was the one who won the bet. Shouldn’t I be the one making requests?” Zhang Wen teased with a knowing smile.
“Just close your eyes first! We’re friends, right? Can’t you do such a small favor for me?” Amelie pouted cutely, pretending to be offended as she placed her hands behind her back.
“Alright,” Zhang Wen shrugged and closed his eyes. Truthfully, aside from being slightly puzzled, he felt a flicker of anticipation. He had a rough idea of what the beautiful girl in front of him was about to do.
Sure enough, just moments after Zhang Wen closed his eyes, he felt Amelie drawing closer, her sweet scent filling the air.
Amelie was a typical celebrity fan from her time—beautiful, wealthy, and simple-minded. Didn’t she know that men could be wolves? Normally, Zhang Wen had no intention of getting involved with his students, but lately, the Spring Water Technique had been stirring within him, and suppressing it any longer felt unbearable.
Damn it, I’m still a man. Back on Earth, I had no chance. Now? What’s there to hold back?
Amelie truly admired Zhang Wen—his mature charm, his unexpected combat skills, his humility, and his ability to create such a magical instrument and melody. She wanted to express her admiration with a kiss, without ulterior motives.
Amelie leaned in with her eyes slightly closed, but suddenly, Zhang Wen pulled her into a passionate embrace. What was meant to be a gentle kiss turned into a deep, intense one, filled with the pressure of Zhang Wen’s long-suppressed desires.
Amelie’s eyes widened, and her hands instinctively tried to push him away, but her body felt weak and soft, her strength draining away as she was overwhelmed. She tried to cry out, but her voice was silenced by his lips.
As his tongue invaded her mouth, Amelie’s mind went blank. A wave of heat spread across her face and body, and her strength melted away. Her soul seemed to leave her body once again, her consciousness fading into a hazy bliss.
At this point, Zhang Wen was beyond restraint. Since arriving in this godforsaken place, he had been cautious, hoping to avoid drawing attention until he grew stronger. But fate had other plans. If he let this beautiful, youthful girl slip away now, he might regret it for the rest of his life. To hell with it—he was going all in!
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage