In Starwind Academy, Shi Hao had truly only one friend.
This person was named Liu Mang, who was said to have been so named because his father was incredibly busy at the time of his birth. In the heat of the moment, he ended up with such a name.
The fact that Liu Mang could enter Starwind Academy meant that his talents were certainly outstanding. However, Liu Mang had a bad habit.
Just recently, he was severely injured for peeping on two men having a tryst in the wild and hadn't been able to return to the academy ever since.
——Er, that's no typo; it really was two men. Otherwise, Liu Mang wouldn't have been beaten so miserably.
Turning around, Liu Mang revealed a smile and immediately hugged Shi Hao: "Stone!"
Shi Hao let him hug, laughing, "Your injuries are healed?"
"Healed." Liu Mang let go, the inappropriate image of the two men he saw cuddling together days before flashed through his mind, making him feel a bit nauseous.
"Eh, you seem to have gotten fatter?" said Shi Hao.
Liu Mang was already quite fat, and now he seemed to have grown a size bigger.
"Eating pig's trotters and bones every day, try it and see if you won't get fat?" Liu Mang said. However, he didn't mind being plump; in fact, he took pride in it because the extra fat could cushion the impact when taking hits.
Shi Hao suspected this guy got intentionally fatter because he was scared of getting beaten again.
"Stone, did anyone bully you while I was away?" Liu Mang was very loyal. Shi Hao used to back him up, preventing this little fatty from being bullied. That's why, even after Shi Hao "lost his abilities," he was the only one who firmly stood by his side.
Er, this guy hadn't been to the academy and didn't know he had become ferocious again.
Shi Hao beamed with a smile: "Fatty, I have something to tell you."
"What is it?" Liu Mang replied offhandedly. "If it's about another girl confessing to you, then you don't need to say it."
"It's not that—" Shi Hao shook his head, about to elaborate, when he saw a girl approaching them.
"Hey hey hey, that's Ma Dai'er, the belle of Earth Institute!" Liu Mang immediately became excited, nudging Shi Hao with his elbow.
But clearly, Ma Dai'er was heading towards Shi Hao, which immediately made Liu Mang's face fall.
She was the girl of his dreams.
"Um, Junior Brother Shi, tomorrow is my seventeenth birthday, and there's a small gathering in the evening. Could you come?" Although Ma Dai'er was a year older than Shi Hao, she now looked like a little sister with her head tilted down, full of shyness.
"Can come, will definitely come!" Before Shi Hao could respond, Liu Mang had eagerly accepted the invitation.
Ma Dai'er immediately showed delight, raising her head to reveal a radiant smile: "Then, tomorrow I will welcome Junior Brother Shi and..." She looked at Liu Mang but couldn't recall who this chubby guy was.
"Liu Mang." The chubby guy helpfully chimed in, "We're both from the Earth Institute."
Ma Dai'er showed a hint of bewilderment. Was there such a person in Earth Institute?
Never mind, it was Liu Mang who had accepted, but Shi Hao hadn't objected, and that was enough for her.
She waved at the two of them and then turned and quickly trotted away.
"She's really beautiful!" Liu Mang watched her retreating figure, his face full of longing.
"If she's beautiful then go after her," Shi Hao laughed. Despite Liu Mang's weight, he wasn't ugly, and his family was in business, making him somewhat of a rich second-generation.
In Starwind Academy, the offspring of noble families all joined the Heaven Character Courtyard, the children of wealthy merchants joined the Earth Character Courtyard, and only those with talent entered the People Character Courtyard. It is said that the annual exam standards for the Heaven and Earth Character Courtyards are not as strict as for the Earth Character Courtyard, and as long as you stuffed some money in, you usually would pass.
Of course, the students of the Heaven Character Courtyard didn't even need to give money, as they were all children of noble families; who would dare to expel them?
Liu Mang revealed a simple and honest smile, "Just having a look will do."
Shi Hao couldn't help but twitch the corners of his mouth. When this guy talked about having a look, did that mean peeping?
"Stone, you must come tomorrow night!" Liu Mang hurriedly said to Shi Hao again, with both hands clasped together in a pleading gesture, "I'm begging you!"
To his enemies, Shi Hao could be cold and ruthless, but he couldn't harden his heart against his own friends.
"Alright," he nodded, as it was at night anyway and would not take up his time.
"That's settled then. I'll come find you tomorrow evening," the chubby boy said happily.
"By the way, I'm not staying at the academy anymore; I found a place in the city," Shi Hao said.
"Eh?" The chubby boy paused for a moment, then his fierceness surfaced, "Has someone bullied you again? Stone, tell me, I'll help you beat them up, damn it, daring to bully my brother!"
Shi Hao knew that this guy was not just putting on an act.
When Liu Mang was bullied in the past, this chubby boy was not the kind that would just take a beating without fighting back. No matter how strong the opponent was, he would dare to go all out, and it was this trait that Shi Hao admired in the chubby boy, which made them become good friends.
A warmth surged in his heart, and he laughingly said, "No one dares to bully me now, it's just a matter of whether I want to bully others. I made a little money, so I bought a courtyard in the city for some peace and quiet."
"Really?" The chubby boy was skeptical.
"Really," Shi Hao nodded.
"Alright then!" The chubby boy was still somewhat doubtful, "I have to go report back from leave now, and I'll find you at that courtyard tomorrow afternoon."
Shi Hao made a round at the academy. Song Tianming had already left the academy to recuperate from his injuries, and it was rumored that the Song Family had already let it be known they would severely punish the assailant, but the academy had yet to take action.
He ate dinner at the academy and spent the night there.
However, the next morning, he went back to his home in the city since he had already given the address to Liu Mang.
As usual, he took his medicinal bath and practiced the Tyrant Body Technique, then circulated the Nine Revolutions Sky-Plundering Scripture, and his strength surged by another four thousand catties, reaching a total of twenty-four thousand catties.
Now, even if it were the City Lord of Mengyang City, Chen Zihao, the top martial artist, he would definitely not be his match.
As the sun was about to set, Liu Mang arrived.
"Your courtyard really is quite broken down!" The guy commented as soon as he came in, "How much did you pay for it, ten silver?"
Shi Hao sweated; if the chubby boy knew that he had spent two hundred silver on it, he probably would be so distressed he wouldn't be able to eat for half a day.
He casually nodded his head, then changed the subject: "It's broken down here, but the air is good."
"It really is. I checked, and around this area, only your house has trees and flowers that are thriving, almost like they're charmed," Liu Mang slapped Shi Hao's shoulder, "Quite nice, the air is fresh, and it's quiet, suitable for you to heal."
The chubby boy still didn't know that his meridian injury had already healed.
Just as Shi Hao was about to speak, the chubby boy was already urging him to change clothes, "Hurry up, don't be late, it'd be embarrassing to make the goddess wait!"
Alright, Shi Hao decided to tell the chubby boy about his situation a bit later, and also, he wouldn't forget to watch out for Liu Mang, his only friend.