Yuan Jia sat on the bed, tears and snot streaming down his face. He’d made his greatest effort and still only had this much. Although he only needed to open his mouth to easily borrow enough money from his classmates, he hadn’t done so. His own shame could only be erased by himself. Relying on any external force was something the stubborn Yuan Jia disdained. Xiao Yuanbao was his woman, so let her suffer hardship with him. This was Yuan Jia’s sole point of pride—he would not permit it to be defiled in the slightest.

Xiao Yuanbao smiled with extreme happiness. All the suffering of these five years meant nothing at this moment. Her heart felt like it could fly. She came before Yuan Jia’s knees and knelt down, burying her head against his knees and gently rubbing. This was her man, her heaven.

The sorrows or worries of youth came quickly and left quickly too. Hearing the dining hall bell, Yuan Jia habitually jumped up. Seeing the bewildered Xiao Yuanbao, he sheepishly sat back down.

A fat figure like a wild boar rushed in, looked around in confusion, saw Xiao Yuanbao, and quickly said: “Sorry, wrong room.” He turned to run back out. Yuan Jia said irritably: “Zhuzong, you’re not wrong—it’s your dormitory. My wife cleaned it up.”

Only then did the fellow called Zhuzong stop. Bashfully he said to Xiao Yuanbao: “So sister-in-law has arrived. Zhu Zong pays his respects.” Then looking at Yuan Jia: “So sister-in-law is so beautiful and radiant—no wonder you hid her and wouldn’t let us brothers meet her. Sister-in-law has arrived, so naturally today I’m hosting. Let’s go quickly—if we’re late there’ll be no braised pork left. Oh, you two don’t need to go, I’ll go. Give me the food bowls.” Having said this, he very unceremoniously took Yuan Jia’s food bowl and thundered back out.

“Will there be more people coming?” Xiao Yuanbao timidly asked Yuan Jia.

“No, didn’t you see Zhuzong took everyone’s food bowls? After eating, I’ll send you back to the boat. It looks like you won’t make it back tonight and can only stay on the boat.”

Xiao Yuanbao removed the hairpins from her head and placed them in the small wooden chest. Then she loosened her collar and pulled out a small money pouch from inside. Inside were several small silver ingots. She poured them all in, smiling: “I also saved some money. Originally it was prepared for when you take office. You’re so capable you won’t need it, so just redeem me sooner. Adding this money, we shouldn’t be far off…”

While Yuan Jia and Xiao Yuanbao were happy, Hypatia was also happy. She most loved stroking Gao Shanyang’s smooth back, just like stroking a piece of silk. After applying soap, it would surely be even more slippery. Thinking of this, her heart was about to melt.

Gao Shanyang didn’t realize that she’d only walked a short distance, looked at some inexplicable piles of stones said to be the academy’s scenic spots, and finally arrived at this hot spring. Wa also had hot springs, much better than this one. There was no need to specifically come to the academy to bathe in hot springs. To get more information from Hypatia, she could only follow this strange woman into the spring pool.

Regarding Hypatia’s towering breasts and round buttocks, Gao Shanyang was full of resentment. She wanted to have such a chest and buttocks too. She still remembered Tianmoji’s assessment—her chest was merely average, her buttocks not round at all, not firm or pert. A woman’s beauty must first be beauty suitable for childbearing. The figure most suitable for childbearing was the most beautiful.

Knowing her own buttocks were flat and there was still a large gap between her legs, no matter how she bound herself, after loosening, that wide gap still existed. Clearly, Hypatia didn’t have this problem. Beads of sweat covered her honey-colored skin. Gao Shanyang truly wished she could also have such a proud figure.

Gao Shanyang was dismayed to discover this demon woman was actually still a virgin. Why would she, a virgin, grow like this while she herself was utterly worthless? If she had such a figure, Yun Ye wouldn’t think about eating her, would he?

Thinking of this, Gao Shanyang was startled with alarm. Yun Ye was the great demon in this demon palace. Perhaps right now he was somewhere spying on her.

“Come, little lamb, this is something good I configured myself. It feels so comfortable rubbed on the body—let me apply some for you.” Before Gao Shanyang could react, Hypatia’s hands were roaming over her body. She suddenly had the illusion of being caressed by a man, and moreover that woman seemed very practiced.

The palm and skin rubbing together actually made strange sounds. Gao Shanyang was quite certain Hypatia applied that stuff just to make this strange sound.

“I heard there are many fun places in the academy. Why don’t you take me there? I also heard you were the first woman to walk out of the academy’s maze. Tell me about it.” Gao Shanyang forced herself to endure the demon woman’s hands roaming over her body and asked softly.

“Haha, naturally. That maze was something that bastard Yun Ye created in cooperation with the Gongshu family. Inside are layers of mechanisms—trapdoors, crossbow bolts, giant stones, spike boards, and now also moving walls and spears. If you go wrong, if you’re not crushed to death by walls, you’ll be crushed by giant stone balls. When I went through, the mechanisms weren’t activated—it was purely breaking through the maze, so it was simpler. Why ask about it? These are matters of death—we women shouldn’t concern ourselves.”

“I’m just curious. I heard there’s also a maze forest that seems even more terrifying.” Gao Shanyang still couldn’t help asking. The maze could be avoided, but the maze forest was something she had to ask clearly about.

Hypatia stopped her hands and looked at Gao Shanyang: “Those people were all sent by you, right? Seeing as you’re so cute, I’ll tell you—don’t send more people to their deaths, especially don’t come yourself. However many come will die. Master Sun currently very much needs a woman’s skeleton for research. If you don’t want to be studied inside and out, absolutely don’t come. It’s impossible to steal things from the academy. Even if you can get in and open the cabinet, you’ll still be burned to death by flames in the end. Do you know why there are no guards in the maze forest? It’s because people will die. If those who enter stay too long, they’ll also be eaten by those terrifying insects.”

Gao Shanyang was so tense her stomach cramped. She was truly afraid of meeting Yun Ye. If this woman went to inform on her, her fate would surely not be good. Her hand had already reached into her hair where there was a hairpin that could shoot out a long needle.

Her chest suddenly felt hot—that demon woman’s claws had actually climbed onto her bosom. She heard her whisper softly in her ear: “Don’t challenge Yun Ye, don’t even think about it. If he wants you to die, he has countless methods, many you’ve never even heard of.”

“He’s a man-eating demon.” Gao Shanyang hissed through gritted teeth.

“That description is very apt. Actually, as long as you don’t provoke him, there’s no problem. He’s very lazy, always wanting to live like a wastrel young master, hates working. You should escape far away while he hasn’t discovered you. You’re very clever—in other places you’ll surely live very happily. Why look for trouble yourself?”

“Sister, I really want to defeat him. Can you tell me his weakness? I’ll definitely reward you well.” Gao Shanyang threw herself into Hypatia’s embrace, rubbing her face against Hypatia’s chest.

“Weakness? I’d like to know too. Even if there is a weakness, he’s hidden it deeply. Last time a very powerful old man targeted his family. In the end he was toyed with until he died without an intact corpse. For this matter, I heard no fewer than seven or eight hundred people died. So don’t even think about it. You’re a Wa princess—you can’t afford to provoke him. If you anger him, he’ll kill everyone in your country. Don’t disbelieve it—he really has this ability.”

“How did you know I’m a Wa princess?” Gao Shanyang asked in shock.

“When you’re dressed I naturally can’t recognize you, but now you’ve taken off your clothes—how could I not recognize you? I watched every performance of your ‘Heavenly Demon Dance’ and even learned some, but I just can’t dance out that seductive charm of yours.”

Gao Shanyang felt she was utterly humiliated now, like a fool being toyed with. No wonder this demon woman was so unrestrained. This was more painful than being raped by a man. This was spiritual violation.

Gao Shanyang numbly emerged from the water. Under Hypatia’s mocking gaze she dressed. Looking back at Hypatia, she saw her holding the hairpin from her hair, waving it at her while saying: “Next time you want to bathe in hot springs, you can still find sister. I can help you scrub your back.”

Gao Shanyang couldn’t help but shudder. She quickly walked out of the grove. Hearing Hypatia’s delighted laughter behind her, she decided to quickly return to the boat. That was her world. In this beautiful academy, man-eating demons were everywhere.

Since Gao Shanyang hadn’t returned, Yaoniang wouldn’t leave. Staying on the boat at night wasn’t bad. The girls were all hired by Gao Shanyang, so she didn’t care what the other girls did.

Xiao Yuanbao was very abnormal, hugging her pipa and giggling alone, laughing very happily. This dead hussy must have spring fever. Yaoniang walked over and viciously pinched Xiao Yuanbao’s arm. Seeing tears of pain come out, she was satisfied. What was a courtesan doing fantasizing about love? After earning enough retirement money and finally marrying a country bumpkin was the right path. Those foolish women—couldn’t they think with their backsides about what kind of people were in the academy? The poorest would become noble lords in the future. Who would give a worn-out flower a second glance?

“Yuan Jia isn’t like that. In three years he’s lived frugally and saved over seventy strings of cash. He said in three more months he’ll have saved enough money to redeem me. He told me to endure three more months—he’ll work hard to save money these three months.”

“That student who always comes to find you but never stays the night? Your husband? You’re saying he saved seventy strings of cash for you?” Yaoniang stared wide-eyed at Xiao Yuanbao.

“Yes, just now in his room he opened his little chest and showed me. It’s truly so. Mother, don’t make me receive clients anymore. I always feel this wrongs him.” After hearing Xiao Yuanbao’s words, Yaoniang flew into a rage, slapping Xiao Yuanbao’s head repeatedly while cursing: “You foolish hussy, with such a man, even I want to marry him. Why don’t you hurry and hold onto him? What are you waiting for? Quickly go get the money chest. Seventy strings is seventy strings. Do you think your mother is obsessed with money?”