My Arch-Nemesis is the R-Rated Male Lead - Chapter 4

Zhou Li was once again entangled for a long time by the woman in his dream before he finally emerged from his sea of consciousness.

He opened his eyes, and his cold, colorless gaze fell upon his own hand.

Those fingertips were indeed a woman’s.

Who was she?

And why had traces of her suddenly become clearer?

Zhou Li couldn’t find the reason for a moment. He simply withdrew the rampant spiritual energy around him. His long tail withdrew, and with a smooth brush of his sleeve, he rose and walked out.

Outside, snow had been falling for a full day and night. A vast, white expanse stretched in every direction, utterly different from the splendid blossoms beyond.

He withdrew the barrier and softly called, “Bing Lie.”

The sword that had previously been placed across the entrance of the Wuhui Tower heard the command and abruptly flew back, whipping up a fierce gust of wind that instantly swept over the entire Wuhui Ravine.

In just a moment, the river thawed, the frost and snow melted, and a touch of spring’s vibrant green peeked through once more.

Lu Wen and the other elders of the Xuan Yang Sect, who had been waiting outside the barrier for a long time, saw the barrier retract and hurried toward the Wuhui Tower, intending to check in on Zhou Li.

But The Frostcrack Sword, Bing Lie, blocked their path, letting out a clear sword cry before transforming into the form of a seven- or eight-year-old boy.

The boy looked exactly like a miniature Zhou Li.

Since Zhou Li had personally forged his own natal sword, its sword spirit naturally took the shape of his true form.

“Esteemed immortals, please return. My master has just broken through and is still stabilizing his mind,” Bing Lie said, bowing politely.

Lu Wen didn’t press further. He only instructed, “Bing Lie, if your master experiences anything unusual, come find us.”

With that, the group departed.

But everyone couldn’t help feeling uneasy. They all knew that Zhou Li had undergone his mid-stage Tribulation breakthrough last night. Others might not have noticed anything amiss, but these few certainly had.

Zhou Li had nearly failed his breakthrough this time—had he failed, everything he’d accumulated would have turned to nothing.

“Sect Leader, did something happen to Venerable Jian?” asked Qiu Ling’s father, Qiu Manyue.

“The Tribulation stage is perilous; encountering some accidents is unavoidable,” Lu Wen reassured them, though a quiet anxiety tugged at his heart.

It seemed the dream Zhou Li had mentioned earlier had indeed affected his ascension.

But Zhou Li didn’t even know what the woman looked like. How was he supposed to break this predicament?

After bidding farewell to the others, Lu Wen intended to return to the Qianji Pavilion, but Qiu Manyue stopped him. “Old Lu, is your Lu Rong going to participate in the sect competition next month?”

Lu Wen felt a pang of frustration. Lu Rong had toiled for more than ten years and consumed countless of his elixirs, yet she was only at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage. Who could she possibly compete with in the sect competition?

Compete with the newly initiated disciples?

“It’s up to Rong’er herself.” Which really just meant she couldn’t be bothered to go.

Hearing this, Qiu Manyue hurriedly said, “Old Lu, you spoil your Rong’er too much! Qiu Ling has already been ordered by me to cultivate ten hours a day.”

Lu Wen thought of Qiu Ling’s unreliable temperament, cultivating ten hours a day?

Meanwhile, his own seemingly obedient daughter couldn’t even be bothered to train for a single hour.

The more he thought about it, the more irritated he became, but he still said, “Why force a child like that? Peace and happiness are what matter.”

With a smiling squint, Lu Wen finished speaking, flicked his sleeve like a gentle breeze, and strode straight toward Lu Rong’s residence.

“Rongrong, the sect leader is here,” Xue’er called to Lu Rong, who was drawing in the inner room.

Lu Rong lazily responded with a yawn. After a whole day and night, she had barely managed to sketch a rough outline.

“Lu Rong!” Her father’s anxious voice came from outside.

Lu Rong stood up, her neck about to snap and her head spinning. Dragging her feet out of the room, she asked weakly, “What?”

Lu Wen looked at her, with dull eyes, dark circles, disheveled hair, as if she’d been wandering outside for days, and felt a surge of disappointment. “What have you been doing?”

“Dad, I was cultivating,” Lu Rong said, not daring to admit she’d been drawing erotic pictures to make money.

“Cultivating? Heh.” Lu Wen sneered. How could he not know what his daughter was like?

He strode forward, and seeing his imposing posture, Lu Rong instantly understood, he was here to discipline her.

“Dad!” She quickly stepped in front of him, tugging at his hand. “What are you doing? I’m grown now, you can’t just barge into my room.”

“What, do you have an ascension technique hidden in there? And I’m not allowed to enter?”

After being Lu Wen’s daughter for so many years, Lu Rong immediately caught the implication. Clearly, someone had stirred him up again to pressure her into cultivating.

“Dad, I really have been cultivating lately. I nearly broke through yesterday.” She hurriedly stretched out her hand. “Look at my cultivation level.”

Earlier, seeing her looking like a drifting spirit, Lu Wen hadn’t paid attention to the subtle fluctuations in her spiritual platform.

Now that he looked closely, he realized his daughter was truly just one step away from the Golden Core stage.

“When did this happen? Why didn’t you come find me?” The anger on Lu Wen’s face melted into worry.

“Just last night, I… I went to find Zhou Li to get the painting, and then I suddenly had an epiphany.” The enlightenment came from Zhou Li. “Then I felt spiritual energy gather in my dantian, and Zhou Li helped me a little, and that was it.”

“Good thing Li’er was there.” Lu Wen checked her condition and found nothing wrong. “Stay by my side for the next two days, in case you suddenly break through and something dangerous happens.”

Stay with her father for two whole days? How was she supposed to draw her erotic paintings?!

“No need! Zhou Li said I should go find him. Every day.” Lu Rong was completely sincere.

Though going to Zhou Li’s place every day and then returning was annoying, it was still better than being confined by her father.

Lu Wen gave her a suspicious stare. “Weren’t you and Li’er mortal enemies?”

“Ah, that was me being immature. Now I understand how wonderful Brother Zhou Li is. He’s the best person in the world.” Lu Rong’s face was full of the adoration of a little sister toward her older brother.

Lu Rong inwardly gagged, apologizing for saying such disgusting things.

What Lu Wen wanted most was for Lu Rong to get along better with Zhou Li. Parents always thought further ahead for their children, and with Zhou Li’s talent, he would certainly ascend someday.

If Lu Rong had a good relationship with him, then even if he were no longer around, Zhou Li could still look after her.

“Then later, take these Heavenly-rank spirit pills to Li’er. He worked hard helping you break through. Don’t anger him these next few days. If I find out you’re stirring up trouble, just wait.” Lu Wen tapped his daughter’s head. “And another thing, the sect competition next month. You will participate. If you come in last again, I’ll burn all those drawings in your room for your mother to see!”

“Dad, don’t! They’re indecent—Mother would be embarrassed.” Lu Rong looked at him pitifully.

“Don’t worry, after your mother sees them, she’ll only come to you in your dreams at night to break your legs,” Lu Wen said coldly as he withdrew his sleeve. “For now, you’re only allowed to appear here or at Wuhui Ravine until you reach the Golden Core stage. If you dare go anywhere else, I’ll tie you up and throw you into Wuhui Tower for half a month.”

Lu Rong shivered. Staying with Zhou Li for half a month would shave years off her life!

Lu Wen flicked his sleeve and strode off, giving her no chance to protest.

Lu Rong could only fawningly send her father away before returning to her room to look at the medicine bottle in her hand. This was the perfect chance to test her theory that fantasizing about Zhou Li could increase her cultivation.

“Xue’er! Clean the bath, I’m going to bathe!” Lu Rong called out.

Xue’er quickly responded and went to work.

Once Lu Rong was soaking in the hot water, she washed her hair clean and looked at her fingertips. Her slender, delicate fingers were a pinkish-white translucence beneath the surface.

She looked at her right hand; the fingertips were stained with pigment, even the pinkish nail beds dyed black, almost like a fungal infection. Pressing her two pitch-black fingertips together, she muttered, “One infects two, hehe.”

After playing around while bathing for about two quarters of an hour, she changed into a new yellow-green spring blouse. With her long hair loose and a peach in her hand, she said to Xue’er, who was combing her hair, “Just comb it however you like. I’ll be back soon.”

“Isn’t Rongrong going to cultivate with Venerable Jian?”

“I’m not cultivating with him.” Lu Rong snorted. She wanted to go tease him instead.

The male lead’s worth is limited; even if he’s currently acting all celibate, the female lead he meets later will be a sex addict who only wants to play around all day.

“What about the sect competition?” Xue’er asked nervously.

“I’ve got a brilliant plan. Just wait for my good news.” After Xue’er tied her hair ribbon, Lu Rong thanked her and headed out.

Fortunately, the bamboo dragonfly Qiu Ling had given her last time was still intact, so she activated it and headed once more toward the Wuhui Ravine.

By the time she was nearly there, she had just about finished gnawing on her peach.

She tossed the peach pit into the peach grove of the Wuhui Ravine. No one knew how this grove had grown.  Somehow, it had spread into a whole forest on its own. From afar, the drifting petals shimmered like waves under the sunlight, the only touch of warmth in the cold Wuhui Ravine.

Without hesitation, she headed straight for the Wuhui Tower.

As expected, before she even stepped inside, a razor-cold sword aura shot straight at her brow.

“It’s me!” Lu Rong called out quickly.

The sword aura instantly softened into a breeze of gentle spring, brushing her face, lifting her hair ribbon, and weaving it together with the flying petals in midair.

Lu Rong exhaled in relief and was just about to comment that Zhou Li wasn’t completely heartless, when, before she could move even half a step, a long sword was held sideways right in front of her.

“If it’s you, then you need to do it differently.” Zhou Li’s cool voice drifted out.

Lu Rong: “???” Was he a dog?!

“Zhou Li, I’m delivering medicine to you! It’s not like I’m plotting anything against you!” she shouted toward the Wuhui Tower.

“No need.” Zhou Li knew that if he got anywhere near her, those strange thoughts in Lu Rong’s mind would replay inside his own.

He had just spent the previous night in chaotic disarray within his sea of consciousness, and right now, Lu Rong was the most dangerous existence to him.

“You!” Lu Rong planted her fists on her hips and jabbed a finger toward the tower. “You say ‘no need,’ and that’s final? My dad told me to bring this to you. He’s worried about your serious injuries. If you won’t take it, then take it back and toss it out yourself!”

Zhou Li stood by the window, watching her from afar. When his gaze fell on her hand, he suddenly remembered the pale pink fingertips that had appeared in his dream last night.

His brows tightened slightly, his hand resting against the window frame. A realization struck him last night, when Lu Rong had nearly broken through. He had seen a fingertip of the woman in his dream.

So, was that woman her? Or was she influencing his dreams?

Zhou Li didn’t actually want to get involved with anyone. He knew his own identity, and he understood very clearly that the only reason these people protected him was that he had disguised himself as a human and someone useful to them.

But he was nothing; everything he possessed was a mirage.

So, although he originally intended not to get too close to Lu Rong, he had to first overcome the ordeal in his dream. Otherwise, everything would be in vain.

Lu Rong cursed a few times, turning away in anger.

But suddenly, the voice of that idiotic system from before echoed in her mind again.

[Congratulations, Host! System repair is nearly 99% complete, defeating 99.9% of hosts in the transmigration world! You only need to answer a few more questions to speed up the repair progress, and you might even receive a random reward!]

A red progress bar appeared in Lu Rong’s mind, showing 99%.

Lu Rong: “???” Do I need to recruit a few more new users?

Why does the transmigration world have KPI-cutting tasks too?

Although she was very unwilling, this idiotic system was definitely a bot, and it asked its question directly.

[How long is the male lead’s middle finger?]

Lu Rong waited for the usual four options to appear so she could pick C right away.

But after waiting for a moment… Damn it, there were no options!

It was a fill-in-the-blank!

She was still dazed when a cold wind swept over her, and the hilt of the sword before her was suddenly gripped by a hand with distinct knuckles.

Her eyes instinctively zeroed in on his middle finger.

So long…

Zhou Li was just about to look at her fingertip when her astonished thought echoed in his mind first:

[Such a long middle finger, perfect for flirting.]

Zhou Li: “???”

He didn’t want to bother with her filthy thoughts, so he simply sheathed his sword and said coldly, “Your hand.”

“Huh?” Lu Rong blinked in confusion. “What?”

In the next moment, his sword lifted her hand, revealing her fingertips.

She glanced at the blade beneath her fingers. The faint chill against her skin sent her imagination running wild.

Zhou Li’s fingers must be cool too—which would mean… alternating hot and cold??

Zhou Li’s brow tightened sharply. He withdrew his sword in a hurry, but he was already too late.

Lu Rong’s vivid fantasies began playing directly in his mind.