Demons and monsters wreak havoc: gain one new confidante every day.

"...The golden serpent, when still, coils and hides, concealing its power and sharpness, never vying for supremacy with anything; when in motion, it rises suddenly, swift as lightning, striking with deadly precision to find a weakness..."

As Shi Jie recited the mantra, he secretly vowed revenge. "You brat, you think you can learn the 'Golden Snake Skill'?"

Most of the female disciples in their courtyard had tried this technique, but none of them could master it.

This isn't a particularly powerful technique, but it is an extremely unique one. This is because snakes, unlike monkeys, bears, or tigers, don't even have limbs; they can only move by meandering along the ground. Humans can imitate a monkey's stance, or a bear's leap, but how can they imitate a snake's coiling motion?

This is almost an impossible task; only those with exceptional talent and a stroke of good fortune could possibly learn it. What makes this brat think he can do it?

Moreover, Huang Yaoshi only gave Shen You one night. In Shi Jie's view, this arrogant brat was doomed!

"Finished reading!"

Shi Jie threw the booklet on the ground. "That's all!"

He looked up and saw Shen You's eyes darting around, and a surge of pleasure welled up inside him. Die, you brat!

"No... this is a book from heaven..." Shen You was completely bewildered. He then realized just how unreliable the idea that the protagonist in the story could learn unparalleled divine skills just by holding a peerless manual was.

The manual is full of obscure and difficult classical Chinese, with each sentence seemingly having multiple interpretations. Have you ever done any classical Chinese appreciation exercises? Those ancient people wouldn't have written a single extra word! What could be explained in a few sentences, they insisted on condensing into one or two lines of classical Chinese. This certainly improved the literary quality, but it also infinitely raised the barrier to understanding.

In Shen You's view, these manuals were like encrypted celestial books; one not only had to recognize each character but also decipher the connections between them and comprehend their hidden meanings. How could that possibly be possible?

"Old Huang, you really want to see my talent?" Shen You gritted her teeth.

There was no other way but to demonstrate his talent to Huang Yaoshi, or he might die tomorrow morning. In this Renxin Hall, Huang Yaoshi killing a mere apprentice in blue robes was something no one would care about.

"At most, only older women will feel sorry for me..."

The thought of his aunt made Shen You even more unwilling to die here. They had finally made it to the inner courtyard, hadn't yet enjoyed a life of wealth and luxury, hadn't yet given his aunt a good life—how could he die here?

"To survive, I can only rely on my 'natural talent'!"

"My true... 'talent'!"

Shen You turned her gaze to the "Fate Jade" floating on her chest.

By forming a bond with a woman, one can improve their physical constitution. If they are lucky, they may even receive a "Romance Quest" and obtain a "Talent" reward.

"If I had the 'Top-Tier Comprehension' talent among my 'Talents,' I would have no trouble learning any martial arts techniques afterward! Even without 'Top-Tier Comprehension,' the title of 'Golden Snake Successor' would be enough to solve my immediate problem!"

"But... can I really find a woman to marry quickly in just one night?"

Thinking of this, Shen You suddenly turned her head to look at Tian Yi'er.

"Oda! Do you know...what kind of woman?"

"Huh?" Tian Yi'er was stunned.

"A woman! Any woman will do! But if she has something special about her, something that looks a bit strange, that would be even better!"

Shen You looked anxious, which confused Tian Yi'er. He stammered, "But I don't know anyone..."

Forget women, he hasn't even gotten to know all the apprentices in Huangfeng Academy. He spends his days either practicing martial arts or being bullied; he's never even considered interacting with anyone. Today, participating in the Ma Yi Martial Arts Examination and meeting Shen You, was the day he'd interacted with the most people in a while.

"And you!" Shen You ignored Tian Yi'er and glared at Shi Jie. "What kind of woman do you know?"

"Wait! What makes you think I'd help you?!" Shi Jie frowned deeply. "I only read the manual to you because I was afraid Master Huang would blame me, not because I'm obligated to obey you. And you want to find a woman? Are you crazy?!"

"What I mean by finding women isn't what you think!" Shen You gritted her teeth. "I'm open to any woman!"

"Any woman..." Shi Jie suddenly fell silent.

He looked Shen You up and down, his gaze lingering on Shen You's broken arm and leg. His expression turned strange. "Even in this state, you're still thinking about women, any woman... How long have you been holding back?"

"I already said, that's not what I meant!" Shen You didn't know what to say anymore. "Can't you think straight? What kind of nonsense is that in your head!"

"You're still going to say I'm not normal?" Shi Jie stared at Shen You in astonishment. "In the middle of the night, with all four limbs broken, you still insist on finding a woman, any woman will do, and now you say I'm not normal... I think you're the one who's crazy!"

A wicked thought swirled in Shi Jie's mind. Suddenly, an idea struck him, and he said, "If you're looking for a woman, there are some good places! It's just that those places are a bit dangerous, so don't blame me for not warning you!"

"Go ahead and say it!" Shen You said without hesitation. "I'm not afraid of anywhere! As long as it's a woman, I'm fine with her!"

"You said it yourself!" Shi Jie's expression turned sinister. He licked his lips and sneered, "At the deepest part of the East Garden, there is a lotus pond, a place where everyone usually rests and relaxes. But few people know that there is actually a taboo there."

"What taboo?" Shen You asked.

"That's right..." Shi Jie stared intently at Shen You, a deep smile spreading across his face, "You absolutely mustn't go to the lotus pond at night! Otherwise, you'll hear a woman's voice!"

"A woman's voice?" Shen You's expression shifted.

"The woman will keep calling your name, constantly luring you towards the lotus pond..." Shi Jie said in a sinister voice, "She seems like your beloved, your most missed relative, or a long-lost friend. Her voice sounds incredibly warm and familiar to you. If you're not careful and fall for her trick, you might actually walk into the lotus pond..."

"What will happen?" Shen You frowned.

"Heh..." Shi Jie sneered, "I can't say what will happen. I only know that in the past few years, no one who went to the lotus pond at night has ever returned! They disappeared into this outer courtyard without anyone noticing, and only the legend of the lotus pond has been passed down in the dark!"

Shi Jie looked at Shen You with a provocative gaze: "So, this is the woman you wanted! She's somewhat dangerous, incredibly special, and perfectly matches your requirements! You... dare to go?"