Chapter 2: Be My Concubine

  After a while, Tang Yan slowly woke up, still feeling a bit dazed, staring blankly at the lake, digesting the reality that was like a nightmare, and slowly accepting the memories merging in his mind.

  It wasn't until half a day had passed that consciousness gradually returned. At this time, it was astonishing to discover that the intense pain in the body like ants crawling in one's heart no longer existed, the feeling of fatigue had also disappeared completely, and the whole body was filled with abundant strength. Moreover... a warm and gentle sensation flowed through the meridians.

  "This is... spiritual power?" Tang Yan suddenly sat up, closed his eyes and looked inward. After a moment, his face showed surprise. The chaotic meridians in his body were all unblocked, as if they had even expanded a bit. Thin energy flowed through the meridians, linking various acupoints throughout his body, like slow-moving whirlpools connecting the entire network of meridians.

  This energy is spiritual power!

  Through the memories of Tang Second Master, it is known that the martial artist system in this world is divided into nine major realms: Martial Artist, Martial Master, Martial Spirit, Martial Ancestor, Martial King, Martial Venerate, Martial Saint, Martial Emperor, and each realm is further divided into three stages.

  "Internal Energy", the foundation of all martial artists' training in the Way of Martial Arts, is the source of power and also the basis for displaying martial techniques.

  A "warrior" refers to someone with strong physical strength, explosive power that surpasses ordinary soldiers. The essential difference between a "martial artist" and a "warrior" lies in the ability to condense one's own spiritual energy, guide the circulation of spiritual energy within the body, nourish the body and meridians.

  Tang Yan operated according to the memories of this life, no mistake, just like expected, spiritual power accelerated accordingly, and the feeling of abundance became strong again, an inexplicable comfort all over his body.

  "It should be... a first-class martial artist, I'm actually a martial artist?" Tang Yan recalled the strange black threads and golden light in the abyss, and his heart couldn't help but feel a hint of vigilance. He checked his body's condition again, and there was no unusual feeling, only a faint blue mist at his dantian.

  According to the Tang family's innate physique, with fire attributes as the foundation, the dantian position is already warm and red, but his own dantian essence has turned green, and it's misty and unclear, making it impossible to discern the situation within.

  Then, Tang Yan found a faint blue vein on his wrist, like a flame and also like water marks, very shallow and light, almost imperceptible. He touched it lightly, without any special feeling.

  The spiritual energy converged here, the acupoints at the position of both hands suddenly accelerated their rotation, like a whirlpool madly absorbing the spiritual energy, and then... Poof... The fingertips of all ten fingers actually floated with faint flames.

  Spiritual energy condenses into form, gathers and manifests outwardly, the mark of a third-grade martial artist!

  "What's going on?" Tang Yan was even more astonished, his own spiritual energy was clearly that of a first-rank martial artist, how could he condense spiritual energy to manifest at his fingertips? Was there something special about his body? Or did this Tang Second Master's memories have some problems?

  But Tang Yan quickly dispersed the flames between his fingers, because the speed at which the acupoints on both hands absorbed spiritual energy was too terrifying, and it wasn't something that he could withstand right now, as if they were going to drain him dry.

  What just happened? Tang Yan was full of doubts, standing by the lake and staring at the clear abyss, searching for signs of 'fissures' and the depths, but after trying for half a day, nothing was found, as if the nightmare earlier was just an illusion.

  After trying a few more times, still nothing was gained. Tang Yan temporarily didn't think much and got up from the edge of the pond, curiously sizing up the surrounding environment. Ancient trees reached for the sky, with dense branches and leaves, and the distant sounds of beasts roaring and birds chirping echoed through the forest, the air was hot and humid, accompanied by a hint of white mist, as if he had entered a tropical rainforest.

  He came here in a daze, and somehow became a young master, only to be left for dead at the bottom of a pond? Tang Yan tried to accept this bizarre reality, but was surprised to find that he didn't seem to have any resistance to it.

  Divine Continent, countries in chaos, warriors' martial arts, survival of the fittest, extreme slaughter, isn't this just the life I've always dreamed of?

  Why not indulge in a carefree life here, since we were originally unencumbered in our own world?

  Tang Yan enjoyed the thrill of this extraordinary event for a while before being pulled back to reality.

  Yang Ruyan, the third young lady of the Yang family, is a beauty with a stunning appearance and incredible talent. She is the pride of the Yang family and a genius student at Giant Elephant Academy. She is also one of the women that Tang Yan has been trying to get his hands on. Unfortunately, Tang Yan is a "half-baked" man and a notorious playboy, so his relentless pursuit only brings shame to Yang Ruyan. As a result, she joins forces with Li Shao, the young master of the Li family, to lure Tang Yan into this dense forest and kill him in a chaotic sword fight, leaving his body at the bottom of the lake.

  "The most venomous thing is a woman's heart, this move is too vicious! And Li Shouze, one day I will castrate you, you treacherous husband!" Tang Yan touched the unexpectedly healed wound on his chest, his eyes gleaming with cold intent.

  The long-term exploration of ancient tombs often made him hover between life and death, not only changing his will to be tough, but also making his heart ruthless and decisive. These two dogs wanted their lives, how could they let them off easily! This second son of the Tang family was timid and afraid of trouble, but Tang Yan had always been fearless of heaven and earth, a thorough madman.

  But...

  To leave this place far behind and roam freely in the world? Or continue being the Second Young Master of the Tang Family, first adapting to this world?

  After a slight hesitation, Tang Yan made up his mind and decided to stay!

  With my own weak strength, it's basically impossible to make a name for myself in the world alone. It's even harder to achieve anything. For now, I'll just rely on my identity as Tang Family's Second Young Master to gain some capital for survival, and then decide whether to stay or leave depending on the situation.

  Tang Yan tidied up his clothes and prepared to leave, but in the not-too-distant gravel, he found a white cloth strip. After digging it out, he saw that it was a woman's white skirt with some bloodstains on it.

  If I'm not mistaken, this should be Yang Ruyan's. It was probably stained with blood when handling Tang Yan's body, and fearing discovery, she replaced it with a new one and buried the old one here.

  "Clumsy woman, can't even hide things properly." Tang Yan curled his lips, was about to casually throw it away, but suddenly stopped, slowly spread out the clothes, and a strange smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

  What's wrong with your chest?!

  Hey, she even changed her bra.

  Tang Yan put it in front of him, took a deep breath, and still had a faint body fragrance. He smiled and put it into his pocket without hesitation, whistling as he walked towards the campsite.

  The vast and mysterious forest is home to many ferocious beasts, including some of the strongest fifth- and sixth-level demonic creatures. Normally, only those ruthless mercenaries who lick blood from their blades and powerful "Demon Hunters" dare to set foot in this place.

  Even during the biennial baptism ceremony, various forces had to venture into the mystical forest and basically follow the pre-opened trajectory to reduce the possibility of encountering beast attacks. Of course, all the young men participating in the ritual baptism were future hopes, and each college would send powerful mentors to escort them along the way. Moreover, all the boys and girls who qualified for baptism were third-level warriors with self-defense capabilities.

  Tang Yan followed the trajectory of his memories to find his way back, during which he re-organized and digested Tang Er Gongzi's memories. Slowly, Tang Yan inferred another reason why Yang Ruyan dared to make a move against him.

  Since entering the Illusory Forest, the team of 'Giant Elephant Academy' has been having a rough time, constantly being attacked by demonic beasts. Although most of them were just wild animals and low-level demonic beasts, there were too many of them, emerging one after another, causing no small trouble and severely affecting their traveling speed.

  Especially in the past three or four days, a thin fog has appeared nearby, almost causing the team to lose its way. Realizing the 'abnormality' behind the 'unusual', the instructors decided to temporarily stop and wait for the fog to clear before setting off again.

  Yang Ruyan intended to use this strange and chaotic situation to get rid of herself, so that when someone asked about it later, she could shift the blame onto the demon beast.

  But... is there another reason? After all, he's the young master of the Tang family, and Yang Ruyan is a clever woman. Unless absolutely necessary, she shouldn't have taken such a risk to commit murder.

  "Dog man and woman, no matter what reason, wait for me to see!" Tang Yan sneered in his heart, walking towards the front camp with his hands behind his back.

  Ancient trees reach the sky, green shade covers the air, by the clear and calm riverbank, three horse-drawn carriages stand quietly, loaded with trunks, tents, and food. Forty spirited horses lazily gather around, some eating grass, others drowsy and about to sleep.

  Several of the horned horses were ridden by young men and women in their twenties, wearing neat white robes with a red elephant emblem embroidered on the chest, indicating their identity as instructors from the Great Elephant Academy.

  The lowest standard for becoming a mentor is the third-order martial spirit! Compared to martial artists who only know how to simply control their spiritual power, a third-order martial spirit is already a powerful existence.

  Along the river, groups of 15- or 16-year-old boys and girls gathered in threes and fives. Some were silent and contemplative, while others whispered to each other or surrounded their instructors discussing martial arts or interesting stories.

  "What's wrong with Tang Yan?" A cry of surprise drew everyone's attention, Yang Ruyan's face turned pale, staring at Tang Yan as if she had seen a ghost.

  Li Shouze was also shocked, closing his eyes tightly to make sure he wasn't seeing things. Tang Yan? It really was Tang Yan! Didn't he already die at the bottom of the lake? How did he come back?!

  "Tang Yan, you little scoundrel! Didn't I warn you not to leave the team's side for even half a step? Where did you go?" A middle-aged man with thick eyebrows and a wide mouth shouted angrily. If Tang Yan didn't come back soon, he would have to send someone out to look for him.

  "Hey, don't be mad, Coach Anuo. I just exchanged some feelings with Sister Ruyan. She was afraid of causing misunderstandings and left in a hurry. I walked slowly and almost got lost." Tang Yan returned to the team with a smile on his face, but his eyes never left Yang Ruyan's back.

  While admiring, I couldn't help but feel a sense of wonder. No wonder this second son of the Tang family is so infatuated. Indeed, she is stunningly beautiful. Her features are delicate and lovely, her skin tender and pale, although only fifteen years old, she has a tall and slender figure, with a full chest, and the white long dress makes her look even more pure and elegant.

  If this were in her own original world, it would be absolutely more enchanting than that milk tea sister.

  "Who dares to communicate with you emotionally!!" Yang Ruyan's face turned slightly cold, and she scolded in a chilly tone.

  Wow! It's so delicious and yet you're still shy about it!

  "Huh? Shy now? Who was it that just gave me a sweet kiss? " Tang Yan casually pulled out the white tank top from his pocket, swung it around his fingers a few times, and then put it to his nose for a deep sniff before tossing it at Yang Ruyan: "Forgot to bring one, did you? Hurry up and find a secluded spot to change into it, or else you'll be walking around naked later."

  Huh? The expressions of the students around me suddenly became strange and playful, was that... a bra? Or white bra! There were not many female students in the team to begin with, and even fewer wore white clothes.

  Recalling that Yang Ruyan, Li Shouze and Tang Yan had all left earlier, could it be...

  Yang Ruyan subconsciously wanted to touch her chest, but noticing Tang Yan's teasing smile, she forcefully controlled her urge to lash out and said angrily: "Tang Yan, dare to speak nonsense again, be careful I'll cut off your tongue."

  "Heh heh, just kidding, don't get excited. I know what kind of person I am, how could Miss Yang possibly take a liking to me?" Tang Yan self-deprecatingly chuckled twice, walked over to the bonfire, and without any courtesy, picked up the roasted meat on top and devoured it with abandon. Whether it was because he was too hungry or the meat in this other world was exceptionally delicious, in any case, after just two bites, Tang Yan's eyes lit up with delight, and he wolfed down the food."

  "Knowing is enough! If you dare to talk nonsense again, I won't let you off lightly!" Yang Ruyan secretly breathed a sigh of relief and glared fiercely at Tang Yan.

  Just as she was about to sit down, Tang Yan's next sentence almost made everyone vomit blood: "Next time you're having an affair with Young Master Yang, remember to clean up the battlefield thoroughly. This kind of important thing must be kept safe."

  "Tan Yan!!" Yang Ruyan and Li Shouze almost jumped up.

  Everyone was stunned, and their eyes became even more playful. Saying that Tang Yan had an ambiguous relationship with Yang Ruyan would not be believed by anyone present. However... Yang Ruyan's relationship with Li Shouze was quite good, and they were a perfect match, with both families even intending to arrange a marriage between them. Moreover, the two of them had just left together earlier?

  Could it be...

  Is dry firewood burning fiercely and can't wait?

  "What's wrong? Dare to do but not dare to admit it? Are you still a man?" Tang Yan glanced at Li Shouze, whose face was ashen, and continued to wrestle with the roasted chicken in his hand.

  "You're looking for death..." Li Shouze drew his sword and was about to charge forward, luckily being stopped by the students beside him, who were struggling to hold back their laughter while trying to calm him down.

  Yang Ruyan quietly took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down, her gaze at Tang Yan growing colder and colder. Tang Yan's words had already been spoken, and with Mo Xiong as evidence, her innocence was completely ruined! This scoundrel was indeed a scourge, if he wasn't eliminated one day, she would never know peace again.

  "Huh? What's with the look?" Tang Yan glanced at Yang Ruyan, suddenly enlightened: "Afraid that Li Shouze won't want you? Don't be afraid, I don't mind, another day I'll talk to your old man, marry me as a concubine."

  "Pfft!" Finally, someone couldn't hold it in anymore and spat out the fruit they had just bitten into. Marry Yang Ruyan as a concubine? Such audacious words, it's really impressive that this guy could say something like that.