(The previous two chapters were blocked; today is the weekend, and the editor is not working. The content of those chapters is that Le Yu encountered the teachers Ning Xinyuan and Yan Yi and got stuck in the laboratory without being able to escape. Then someone else came looking for Yan Yi, and Ning Xinyuan, stuck in the lab, chose to hide in the cabinet where Le Yu was.)

Dark.

Narrow.

Dirty.

Originally just a cabinet for storing miscellaneous items, now filled with two people. The dust that had settled over unknown years was dispersed, falling on the enchanting blood-red hair, falling on the pristine white hairpins.

This cabinet originally still had clutter, which was pushed to the back by Le Yu to hide inside. It had plenty of space to hide one person, but to hide two people, it was like... there's a particularly explosive metaphor for this, but it definitely shouldn't be written out.

Under normal circumstances, two radiant martial artists squeezed inside could easily burst the cabinet with a slight turn. However, neither of the people hiding inside wished to be discovered by those outside, so they didn't dare to squeeze outward and could only stick tightly together.

Le Yu covered Ning Xinyuan's mouth with one hand, while the other hand was wrapped around her waist to prevent her from making any noise by touching the cabinet. Since the floor was cluttered, his right leg was wedged between Ning Xinyuan's feet, their four shoes almost aligned in a row, with practically no gap between them, allowing Le Yu to feel the long-lost fullness and warmth of body heat.

A sliver of light from the door crack fell on Le Yu's face, illuminating his calm and handsome face.

If it were elsewhere, it would still carry the wicked and unruly style of a domineering CEO. With a different background, it could directly serve as a novel's cover.

Yet, this particular CG scene occurred inside a narrow, dark, and dirty cabinet, outside which were the powerful and authoritative teachers of the Royal Academy... Moreover, the two people inside the cabinet had special identities—followers of Shuiyun Palace, and a married female teacher admired by countless students at the Academy...

The constant risk of discovery and exposure made the atmosphere inside the cabinet tense and exciting... even somewhat ambiguous.

Noticing Ning Xinyuan's rapid breathing and intense heartbeat, wide-eyed as she looked at him, Le Yu raised a finger, his voice barely audible: "Shh, Ning Teacher, none of us wanted this to happen... But Lou Yinhai is the Imperial Academy's head of combat techniques, so if you don't want to be found out, please calm your emotions quickly. Your heartbeat is so strong even I can feel it, there's no hiding it from Lou Yinhai."

When Le Yu mentioned 'your heartbeat is so strong even I can feel it,' Ning Xinyuan's ears turned red quickly, and she even tried to move back. However, she soon realized the situation, calming her heart rate and breathing, obediently sticking close to Le Yu.

Because Le Yu was right; Lou Yinhai is not someone she could evade through mere wishful thinking. In the Imperial Academy, excluding the old headmaster Cha Huan, the universally acknowledged strongest martial artist is Lou Yinhai—Cha Huan, with the support of the Platinum Tower, is practically invincible in the Academy, and nobody really knows, nor needs to know, Cha Huan's own combat prowess.

Currently, there are only two known Peak of Perfection martial columns publicly acknowledged in the Imperial Academy: Cha Huan and Lou Yinhai. Zhu Yan used to be a Peak of Perfection, but aged past the celestial mandate; though richly knowledgeable, he's like the former Jing Family tributor Captain Liu, whose strength, even if fierce, can only unleash a few Peak of Perfection level attacks, hardly qualifying as a martial column.

Speaking of which, martial column is a term only popular in the Yanjing region; it's rarely heard elsewhere, as it specifically refers to martial artists possessing 'Peak of Perfection martial prowess' and gaining national renown through their combat skills, contrasted with elders who manage the state with administrative capability, serving as a prestigious title exclusive to the Yanjing area. Of course, you could say city folks like to fuss over trivialities and invent flamboyant terms, but it also indirectly shows that there are quite a number of Peak of Perfection level martial artists in Yanjing, hence necessitating a title for these land god-like figures.

Le Yu hadn't specifically studied Lou Yinhai's background, but just the position of head of combat techniques was enough to inspire awe, and he seems to be only around thirty years old—meaning he's mastered all eighteen combat techniques through integration and mastery, to use the Radiant Four Guards' term, he's achieved 'Great Perfection.'

At this level of martial artist, to some extent, they possess an instinctive 'gut feeling.' Even Le Yu himself, if he suddenly sensed something amiss in the dining hall, it was more likely that Qian Yuya or Ming Shuiyun was coming to find him.

An advanced martial artist's spirit may not be vast, but it is absolutely substantial. If an ordinary person's spirit sensitivity is 'awakening to sense a thief's murderous intent,' then an advanced martial artist's spirit sensitivity is at the level of 'awakening to sense a spouse's infidelity.'

If an intent to kill were to be directed at them from close range, for them, the sensitivity is akin to it being increased by 3000 times, and then stubbing their little toe into a table corner—this also indirectly proves the terror of the Instant Annihilator, whose perfect form can approach the martial column from behind and obliterate them with one shot, without the martial column having any reaction.

But, unless the emotion is as specific as murderous intent, otherwise, martial columns find it difficult to perceive others' thoughts, although heartbeats, breathing, temperature, these external factors can reveal lots of information, which is why Le Yu quietly warned Ning Xinyuan.

It's unknown how Ning Xinyuan tamed the restless mind to be as calm as a lake; at any rate, Le Yu was already prepared—earlier, witnessing such explosive images was manageable for him, so now there was no problem at all.

Outside, after confirming that Ning Xinyuan had hidden, Yan Yi also tidied up her clothes and opened the door: "Teacher Lou, sorry to keep you waiting... and this is?"

The tall man wearing sunglasses slightly bowed and introduced: "This is Miss Shang Linyi, the daughter of a noble merchant family, hmm, unemployed. Miss Shang Linyi, this is Teacher Yan Yi, a mentor in the Radiant Department and a member of the radio research group."

The graceful and serene Shang Linyi smiled: "Teacher Lou, you forgot to mention that I, too, graduated from the Imperial Academy, two years ahead of Teacher Yan Yi, currently focused on combat techniques cultivation."

Lou Yinhai shook his head: "I didn't forget, but who isn't an Imperial Academy graduate?"

Shang Linyi's expression froze momentarily, and Yan Yi stifled her laughter, proactively saying: "Do you both have something to discuss with me? Let's go to the office next door and talk slowly."

"No need," Lou Yinhai said, "Miss Shang said she wants to invest in your radio research, Teacher Yan, so she hopes to take a look at your laboratory. We can talk here."

"But my research reports aren't yet organized," Yan Yi glanced at the lab, "and the experimental equipment is mostly self-made, currently the experiments are merely to verify theoretical results, without much practically applicable tools, so..."

Yan Yi had already spoken very genteelly; Lou Yinhai nodded and said to Shang Linyi: "I have heard a bit about what Teacher Yan is currently researching. To me, it may seem quite basic, but considering Miss Shang, your historical academic performance, visiting Teacher Yan's lab might just be self-humiliation."

Yan Yi hurriedly said: "Miss Shang, Teacher Lou has always spoken this way, please don't take it to heart..."

"Of course not, I also took Teacher Lou's class during my time in school and quite liked his straightforward nature, why would I take it to heart?" Shang Linyi smiled. "And I know I'm a foolish girl, my achievements could never compare to Teacher Lou and Teacher Yan, and my greatest accomplishment in this life would be to be the understanding wife behind a successful man."

"Perhaps you aren't aware, but 'foolish' and 'understanding' are actually antonyms," Lou Yinhai reminded.

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