Chapter 7: Night and the Guitar

At the very moment Zhang Wen began attempting to cultivate, he knew his judgment had been correct once again. The flow of battle energy within his body not only brought back the familiar, pleasant sensation he had experienced while practicing the Spring Water Technique before, but also sharpened his five senses far beyond their usual acuity.

Zhang Wen focused on maintaining this state, continuously cycling through the cultivation method described in the Spring Water Technique. But suddenly, he heard footsteps approaching from a distance. From the sound, he could tell the person was deliberately trying to avoid being noticed, walking as lightly as possible.

Zhang Wen’s small cottage was located in a remote area, with no other residences nearby. It was clear that this stealthy visitor 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 it! If she wanted to silence me, she wouldn’t come alone, Zhang Wen quickly dismissed the thought.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Sure enough, not long after, the visitor arrived at the door of Zhang Wen’s cottage and began pounding on it forcefully.

Before the visitor arrived, the pulsing sensation of battle energy within Zhang Wen’s body had already begun to weaken. Without that energy, Zhang Wen knew that continuing to cultivate would yield little benefit, so he decided to stop.

When Zhang Wen finally opened his eyes, he noticed that it had already grown dark outside. This only deepened his curiosity—who would come to visit him at such an hour?

Could it really be Linoah? As he thought, he casually called out, “Coming!”

But when he opened the door, Zhang Wen found that the visitor was not Linoah, as he had speculated. “Amelis?” he exclaimed in surprise, studying the girl standing before him with interest.

Amelis was still wearing the same outfit she had worn during the beauty contest that morning. Her left sleeve had slipped off her shoulder again, revealing a patch of soft, delicate skin. Under the warm yellow light of Zhang Wen’s dormitory, the subtle cleavage peeking from the top of her tight-fitting top became even more clearly visible due to the play of light and shadow.

“Teacher Zhang!” Amelis gave him a soft, sweet smile.

“Something I can help you with? Come in,” Zhang Wen gestured for her to enter.

“Okay,” Amelis nodded with a smile and stepped inside confidently, closing the door behind her.

Once inside, Amelis didn’t immediately sit at the table. Instead, she curiously examined every corner of Zhang Wen’s room. Occasionally, she wandered over to his bed and picked up some unfinished wooden crafts. Although Zhang Wen and Amelis had always gotten along well, this was the first time she had visited his private quarters.

“That’s called a guitar,” Zhang Wen chuckled as he saw Amelis curiously inspecting the stringless instrument from all angles, walking over to take it from her.

“A guitar?” Amelis repeated the word, mimicking his pronunciation, her eyes shining with even more curiosity.

“That’s right. It’s a musical instrument. I haven’t finished making it yet,” Zhang Wen explained as he hung the guitar back on the wall.

“Is that so?” Before Zhang Wen could finish speaking, Amelis smiled and stood on her tiptoes, leaning forward to examine the strange object more closely.

Amelis was completely captivated by the guitar on the wall, but Zhang Wen’s gaze was irresistibly drawn to her! Amelis herself seemed unaware of just how provocative her current posture was.

Even on regular occasions, Amelis had always been proud of her long, graceful legs. But today, she was wearing athletic shorts! Her perfectly shaped, silky-smooth legs were already flawless, but when she stood on her toes, their allure became even more irresistible.

In addition to her stunning legs, as she leaned forward, her already slightly tight top stretched even tighter across her chest. The left shoulder strap, which had been loosely hanging off her shoulder, slid completely down, making her full, shapely breasts even more enticing. What made it even more captivating was the faintly translucent texture of her light yellow top. From Zhang Wen’s current vantage point, he could see large patches of her smooth, bare skin, and even the white bra beneath was faintly visible.

At that moment, Amelis’ sex appeal was enough to rival even Linoah in her seductive, low-cut qipao. Zhang Wen felt the battle energy within his body begin to pulse rhythmically once again.

“This thing can’t possibly be a musical instrument!” After examining the guitar for a while, Amelis suddenly turned back toward Zhang Wen, frowning skeptically.

“Why wouldn’t it be a musical instrument?” Zhang Wen smiled casually, countering her question.

“You’re just trying to trick me! I’ve seen this kind of thing before. It’s clearly something used to carry weights for strength training! Like this!” Amelis proudly grabbed the guitar again, gripping its neck and mimicking swinging a crystal energy sword.

“Believe it or not, I told you—it’s a musical instrument,” Zhang Wen shrugged indifferently, quickly snatching the guitar back.

“Pfft! Stingy!” Amelis glared at Zhang Wen for a moment, then suddenly raised her head triumphantly, “Haha! You insist it’s a musical instrument? Fine! How about we make a bet? Let’s bet on whether that guitar of yours is really a musical instrument!”

“Forget it. What’s the point of a bet I know you’ll lose?” Zhang Wen shook his head lightly.

“Haha! So even the fearless Teacher Zhang who dared to stand up to Zack and Cloud has his moments of doubt!” Seeing Zhang Wen’s reluctance to accept the bet, Amelis laughed even more smugly, “If it really is a musical instrument, then even someone who’s sure to lose, like me, would be willing to bet. But you, who are sure to win, are afraid to accept? Teacher Zhang, just admit it already!”

“Fine then. If you’re so eager to lose, I’ll play along. But don’t say I didn’t warn you,” Zhang Wen smiled slightly and agreed readily. Although Amelis often teased Zhang Wen with harmless jokes, he had no habit of making up stories just to please a girl.

“Deal!” As soon as Zhang Wen spoke, Amelis nodded enthusiastically. Then, she suddenly extended her hand toward him with a grin, “Even though it’s just the two of us here, you still have to keep your word if you lose!”

“Deal,” Zhang Wen smiled and casually slapped her hand. Whether the guitar was a musical instrument or not—was there even a question?

“Great!” Unaware of Zhang Wen’s thoughts, Amelis remained confidently pointing at the guitar, “Then 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!”

Ah! So that’s why she came. Upon hearing Amelis’ second condition, Zhang Wen immediately understood why the girl had come to his house so late and so secretly. “Sure, if I lose, I’ll agree to any conditions you want,” Zhang Wen nodded readily, smiling mysteriously as he countered, “But what about if you lose?”

“Me lose? Impossible!” Amelis giggled. Then, pretending to think seriously for a moment, she winked playfully at Zhang Wen and said, “But if you really can prove it’s a musical instrument, then I’ll do the same as you—first give you something, then agree to one of your requests. How’s that?”

“Fine, it’s a deal,” Zhang Wen nodded and casually placed the guitar back on the bed.

Seeing Zhang Wen’s gesture, Amelis couldn’t help but smirk smugly again. In fact, before making the bet with Zhang Wen, Amelis had already thought through every detail carefully.

From Zhang Wen’s previous behavior, Amelis had already more or less figured out that the guitar in his hands was probably 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 would be to stretch animal skin over the hole in the middle and use it as a drum.

But stretching animal skin over a drum wasn’t that simple. Zhang Wen definitely couldn’t do it in such a short time. Even if he managed to do it quickly, a single drum alone couldn’t produce beautiful music. Before entering Almeythas Academy, Amelis had taken music lessons from several private tutors. Even professional musicians couldn’t create beautiful melodies with just one drum.

Therefore, even if Zhang Wen started playing, as long as Amelis claimed that the sounds he produced weren’t music, she would win the bet. With this thought, Amelis gleefully plotted in her mind while secretly watching Zhang Wen.

However, to her surprise, what Zhang Wen pulled out from the small cabinet beside the bed wasn’t animal skin, but several metal strings of varying thicknesses.

As Amelis curiously examined the six metal strings in Zhang Wen’s hand, wondering what they could possibly be for, she suddenly saw him begin to attach them to the “guitar” in order of thickness!

This guitar had been made by Zhang Wen while cultivating the Spring Water Technique, as a way to practice arm stability. In fact, both the body and the strings of the guitar had already been completed. However, recently he had been too preoccupied with the difficulties he encountered in cultivating the Spring Water Technique to bother assembling it.

“Ding!” “Ding!” “Dong!” “Dong!” After securing the six metal strings, Zhang Wen began plucking them while gently adjusting the tuning pegs on the neck, tuning the instrument.

As the strings produced sound, Amelis couldn’t help but feel a sudden wave of panic. She suddenly sensed that things were going wrong! Fortunately, the sounds Zhang Wen produced by plucking the strings were still chaotic and unstructured, giving Amelis a last flicker of hope.

“These sounds can’t possibly be called music! Teacher Zhang, you should just admit defeat!” Amelis suppressed her nervousness and deliberately put on a look of disdain.

“Don’t be in a hurry. It’ll be ready soon,” Zhang Wen said calmly, continuing to tune the instrument at a steady pace.

When the tone and pitch of all six strings reached a level that satisfied Zhang Wen, he finally smiled in satisfaction. As his fingers gently strummed across the strings, a melodious sound filled Amelis’ ears. The sound immediately froze the smile on Amelis’ face. Although Zhang Wen hadn’t even started playing a full piece, Amelis already realized she had lost.

Seeing Amelis’ slightly dejected expression, Zhang Wen couldn’t help but smile again. Then, with a gentle motion, he began playing the moving and lyrical piece “Romance of Love,” letting the melody flow from his fingertips like a gentle stream.

As Zhang Wen played, Amelis, who had never heard or even imagined such beautiful sounds before, gradually lifted her head in astonishment. When Zhang Wen finished playing the entire piece, Amelis’ large, beautiful eyes were fixed in a daze on Zhang Wen’s magical right hand.

It was a shock—a true shock! From the day she was born, Amelis had never experienced such beauty in sound! As the melody lingered, she felt as though her soul had left her body, drawn into the pure, crystal-clear music like water from a spring.

“Amelis, Amelis?” Finally, after calling her name several times, Zhang Wen managed to bring her back to reality.

As Amelis regained her senses, she found herself staring directly into Zhang Wen’s smiling face. Her cheeks flushed red, but she quickly nodded firmly at Zhang Wen, her face still blushing as she said, “I never expected… I admit defeat. That was the most beautiful music I’ve ever heard.”

“I told you so,” Zhang Wen smiled and hung the guitar back on the wall. When he turned back around, he found Amelis already standing beside him.

“Teacher Zhang, could you close your eyes for a moment?” Amelis, her face slightly flushed, boldly pouted at Zhang Wen.

“Oh? It seems like I was the one who won the bet, so I should be the one making requests, shouldn’t I? How come you’re making a request first?” Zhang Wen smirked playfully at Amelis.

“Just close your eyes for now. We’re good friends, right? Can’t you do such a small favor for me?” Amelis pouted cutely, deliberately acting as if she were upset and placing her hands behind her back.

“Alright,” Zhang Wen shrugged indifferently and closed his eyes. To be honest, aside from feeling a little strange, he also felt a slight sense of anticipation. He could already vaguely guess what the beautiful girl in front of him was about to do.

Sure enough, just moments after Zhang Wen closed his eyes, he felt Amelis drawing closer, her sweet fragrance approaching.

Amelis was exactly the kind of girl who idolized celebrities back in her time—beautiful, wealthy, and innocent. Didn’t she know that men were like wolves? Normally, Zhang Wen had no intention of getting involved with his students. But recently, the Spring Water Technique had been stirring restlessly within him, and continuing to suppress it felt like it might explode.

Damn it! After all, I’m still a man. I didn’t have any opportunities back on Earth. Why should I hold back now?

Amelis truly admired Zhang Wen. He exuded the charm of a mature man. She had initially thought he was just an ordinary teacher, but she had been surprised by his exceptional martial arts skills, his humility, and his ability to create such a magical instrument and music. She simply wanted to express her admiration with a kiss, without any ulterior motives.

Amelis gently closed her eyes and leaned forward. But suddenly, Zhang Wen wrapped his arms around her beautiful body, turning what was meant to be a light kiss into a deep, passionate one, filled with the long-suppressed desires he had held back for so long.

Amelis’ eyes widened in shock. Instinctively, she tried to push Zhang Wen away, but at that moment, she felt weak and soft all over, her strength melting away. She wanted to cry out, but her voice was muffled by his lips.

As his tongue forcefully invaded her mouth, Amelis’ mind went blank. All she could feel was a wave of heat spreading across her face and body, her strength fading rapidly. Her soul seemed to leave her body again, her consciousness gradually blurring.

At this moment, Zhang Wen was like an arrow ready to be released. Since arriving in this damned place, he had been cautious, planning to avoid drawing attention until he gained greater power. But fate had other plans. If he let go of this beautiful, youthful girl before him, he might regret it for the rest of his life. To hell with it!