Around nine in the evening, Yang Feilong rode his bicycle into the campus.
The dormitory buildings usually closed at ten, and at this time, students were scattered across the campus in twos and threes. Some were roommates strolling along the paths, discussing whether the passing young men and women were handsome or pretty, while others were couples holding hands, sometimes disappearing into corners to steal kisses, savoring the taste of each other's lips.
"This is university life!" At this moment, Yang Feilong felt a myriad of emotions: "Carefree."
Suddenly, an excited voice rang out, "Teacher Yang."
Yang Feilong turned his head and saw three or four girls, all his students. The one looking at him with excitement was Lin Qiaoxi, whom he had met earliest. He had met her sister today. The other three were her roommates, though Ouyang Yixue and another roommate were not present.
The girls' dormitories were all six-person rooms.
"Teacher Yang." "Hello, Teacher Yang." "Teacher Yang, were you out?"
Yang Feilong smiled and greeted them, "Hello to you too. I was out on an errand and just got back. Alright, I won't chat with you anymore, I need to head back. See you tomorrow."
Saying this, he waved goodbye to them.
"Goodbye, Teacher Yang," the girls replied in unison.
Watching Yang Feilong's figure disappear from their sight.
One girl said, "Teacher Yang is so handsome!"
"Absolutely. If I could find a boyfriend half as handsome as Teacher Yang, I'd be content!"
"Dream on, half of Teacher Yang is still very handsome, alright?" another girl chimed in, then looked at Lin Qiaoxi with concern, "Qiaoxi, what's wrong? You look like your soul has been taken away since Teacher Yang left."
"Pfft, don't joke like that." Lin Qiaoxi's face flushed, and she chided, "I was just thinking about something, I was daydreaming!"
"Daydreaming? Hehe, why does it look like you're lovesick! Are you thinking about Teacher Yang!" a roommate teased.
"I think so too."
"Don't make such jokes casually," Lin Qiaoxi said with a cold huff, "Teacher Yang is our teacher. If this gets out, it'll harm his reputation."
"I don't think it's a big deal. Although Teacher Yang is a teacher, he's actually not much older than us."
"That's true."
"We support you pursuing Teacher Yang!"
Listening to her roommates' bold words, Lin Qiaoxi's face flushed, and her heart raced. "I'm angry, I'm not talking to you anymore."
"Alright, alright, don't be angry, we were just joking."
"Don't mind us!"
As her roommates comforted her, Lin Qiaoxi secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Yet, for some reason, Yang Feilong's image lingered in her mind.
Lately, she had been having dreams where Yang Feilong was like a guardian, always by her side, shielding her from storms and driving away those annoying 'flies'. Unfortunately, upon waking, she found it was all just a dream, leaving her feeling empty.
Especially since in three days it would be the weekend, and there were no classes with Yang Feilong on Friday either. She hadn't seen him for days, and felt listless. This was why her roommates had dragged her out for a walk around campus.
She never expected to see Yang Feilong when she was about to head back. At that moment, she felt happy, a feeling she herself found hard to understand.
But when she heard her roommates' teasing, while she rebuked them, she felt a sweetness in her heart, as if she had eaten honey.
"Alright, let's go back. I'm a bit sleepy and want to sleep," Lin Qiaoxi said.
"Are you in a better mood?"
"It seems Teacher Yang not only cures illnesses, but he's also someone's aphrodisiac!" someone jokingly remarked.
Lin Qiaoxi gave the person an annoyed glare, her heart in a chaotic flutter: "..."
...
Yang Feilong naturally had no idea what happened after he left.
He didn't have the leisure to care about the affairs of young girls.
Well, alright, though he might not be older than them, he considered himself psychologically mature.
Upon returning to his lodging, Yang Feilong took some medicine, then sat cross-legged on his bed and began his cultivation. For him, cultivation was a form of rest.
His energy expenditure today had been considerable. He had meticulously treated the old lady and Tang Guoqiang's mother and son, which had consumed a great deal of his energy. Following that, he had engaged in a series of battles. Although his true qi was not depleted, his mental and physical energy had been significantly drained.
The night passed without incident.
The first ray of dawn filtered through the window and fell upon the bed in the room, also illuminating Yang Feilong.
At this moment, his entire body seemed to be clad in a light golden armor.
He slowly opened his eyes.
"I'm getting closer to Qi Refining level three. I just don't know when I'll be able to truly break through!" Yang Feilong mused to himself. "I hope it's not too long, otherwise, I won't be able to withstand the next full outbreak of my illness!"
He had suffered from his illness since childhood. Although he had always cultivated and suppressed its outbreaks, he had still experienced six major ones. Each of those six outbreaks had nearly killed him.
The first was when he was three years old. According to his parents, he had nearly died and was eventually saved in the hospital. The second was when he first went up the mountain and met his master; he was eight that year.
Although he began cultivating afterward, the intervals between outbreaks shortened each time.
He experienced his sixth major outbreak just last year.
According to his master's calculations, the next major outbreak would occur at the latest before he turned twenty. In fact, he was already nearing the critical point, and it was bound to happen within the next few years before his twentieth birthday.
Each of the six major outbreaks had been life-threatening. Minor outbreaks were another matter; they were as frequent as a woman's period, occurring once a month, sometimes twice.
Although minor outbreaks were not as severe as major ones, each one made him feel as though he had gone through a near-death experience, an unbearable torment.
However, according to his master, if he could break through to Qi Refining level three before the next major outbreak, he should be able to suppress it.
Otherwise, he might be done for!
"This illness requires me to endure nine major outbreaks to truly overcome it!" Yang Feilong muttered to himself.
The nine major outbreaks were akin to a great tribulation. Of course, to withstand the ninth major outbreak, according to his master, he needed to break through to at least Qi Refining level five to have a chance of suppressing the illness.
"Three more times. I will definitely succeed in enduring them!" Yang Feilong took a deep breath, his eyes blazing with determination.
Of course, without his master, he would have long since turned to dust. For so many years, it was due to his master's care that he had been able to endure the pain time and time again.
This was also why he was so attached to his master.
Soon, Yang Feilong put aside his many thoughts and washed up.
Although he cultivated true qi and his mouth and body were clean, he still enjoyed brushing his teeth. It was about the ritual of life; maintaining this habit prevented him from becoming arrogant, from believing he had transcended the ordinary.
This was also the life philosophy his master had taught him.