The next day dawned in the blink of an eye.
Zhou Hong woke up early.
Qiao Xiaoyu also rose early and packed Zhou Hong's luggage. He was heading to the provincial capital for a competition and there was no telling how many days he would be gone, so she packed several sets of clothes.
After breakfast, they went to Jinzhou University together.
Qiao Xiaoyu accompanied Zhou Hong to the Martial Cultivation Academy.
"Zhou Hong, please accept my obeisance." When Zhou Hong arrived at the Martial Cultivation Academy, a large number of ordinary students from the academy were already waiting at the entrance. Seeing Zhou Hong arrive, they immediately bowed to him.
"What is this?"
"Zhou Hong, after watching the news last night, my admiration for you is beyond words," one student said with a face full of adoration.
"Yes, Zhou Hong, you are truly a genius! As a local from Jinzhou City, you've actually caught up to Changsun Ruoyan, who is from the capital!"
For a moment, the students of the Martial Cultivation Academy were showering Zhou Hong with flattery and fawning.
Zhou Hong was speechless. Qiao Xiaoyu, standing behind him, felt incredibly happy seeing so many students from the Martial Cultivation Academy idolizing her boyfriend.
Just then, Qian Jie and Tan Chao also arrived. Although their leg injuries hadn't healed yet, they had to grit their teeth and participate in the competition for the honor of their families.
When they saw Zhou Hong, their faces turned grim. Especially seeing the hundreds of people from the Martial Cultivation Academy surrounding Zhou Hong, they felt an indescribable bitterness.
"Zhou Hong, don't get too cocky. One day, someone will put you in your place," Qian Jie and Tan Chao thought to themselves.
At this moment, the Dean also arrived.
"Quiet! All geniuses participating in the competition, please put your luggage in the bus's storage compartment. We'll be departing soon. After arriving in the provincial capital, we'll need to check into the hotel, and in the afternoon, we'll familiarize ourselves with the venue," the Dean shouted to everyone.
The eleven participating students promptly threw their luggage into the storage compartment of the bus and boarded under everyone's gaze.
"Zhou Hong, good luck!" Qiao Xiaoyu said reluctantly.
"Okay, you should head back to class. There's no need to see me off."
"Mhm, mhm!" Qiao Xiaoyu then turned back towards the Economics College to attend class, her heart longing to accompany Zhou Hong.
Once all the participating geniuses were on the bus, it slowly pulled out of the Martial Cultivation Academy.
On the bus, Zhou Hong glanced at Changsun Ruoyan, who was sitting at the very front, and immediately walked over to sit next to her.
"What are you thinking about?" Zhou Hong asked, seeing Changsun Ruoyan lost in thought.
"Nothing, just a little worried."
"Worried about what?"
"Last night, my sister said that this year's Jiangnan Province Martial Cultivation Competition is very competitive. My sister has contacts in the provincial capital, and her contact leaked this information to her."
"Haha, how competitive?" Zhou Hong chuckled.
"I'm not entirely sure of the specifics. Tonight, we might see the detailed list and preliminary rankings."
"What are preliminary rankings?"
"It's a simple ranking before the official competition, based on the strength information each participant reports. This ranking affects the order of appearance later. Of course, preliminary rankings aren't always accurate, as some people like to hide their cultivation level and only reveal it during the actual competition."
"Oh, oh. We'll take it as it comes. Let's just treat it as a trip, no need to overthink it!" Zhou Hong chuckled, finding it all rather novel. As for the pressure of the competition, he felt none at all.
"Of course, you have no pressure," Changsun Ruoyan couldn't help but roll her eyes.
"Don't worry, I'll do my best to help you win the championship. I know this championship is very important to you," Zhou Hong said.
Soon, the bus entered the expressway, heading towards the provincial capital.
"How long will it take us to get to the provincial capital?" Zhou Hong asked the driver.
"It's all expressway. About three hours. We'll be there around eleven o'clock."
"Oh." Zhou Hong asked no further questions.
Three hours passed in the blink of an eye.
"Attention students, we've arrived in the provincial capital. Please get ready to disembark," the Dean shouted. He was the leader of this competition.
Indeed, about ten minutes later, the bus arrived in front of a five-star hotel.
Zhou Hong and the others immediately got off the bus and retrieved their luggage. At the hotel entrance, Zhou Hong saw students from other cities who had also come for the competition. It looked quite lively.
"Hello, we are participants from Jinzhou University," the Dean said to a hotel staff member. All participants in this Martial Cultivation Competition were arranged to stay at this hotel.
"Okay, you've been allocated ten rooms for the Jinzhou Martial Cultivation Academy, correct?" a receptionist at the hotel said, checking the registration book.
"We have eleven participants, why only ten rooms? Is there a mistake?" the Dean asked, looking confused.
"There's no mistake, there are indeed only ten rooms."
"Can we add one more?" the Dean asked.
"I'm sorry, participants from other schools are also staying here, and there are no more vacant rooms."
"Then what should I do with my eleven participants?" the Dean was somewhat dejected. Since this was the hotel arranged by the organizers, they couldn't go to another hotel. Of course, as the leader, he himself was not eligible to stay here.
"In that case, I apologize, but two people will have to share a room."
The Dean was helpless. He turned to Zhou Hong and the others and asked, "We only have ten rooms. Which two of you are willing to share a room?"
However, no one was willing to share. After all, they were all cultivators, generally proud individuals who preferred to live alone. Especially Qian Jie and Tan Chao, their secret about their legs turning into pipes made it even more impossible for them to agree.
At this moment, Changsun Ruoyan said, "Zhou Hong and I can share a room."
"Ah?"
Hearing Changsun Ruoyan's words, everyone was stunned. They wondered if they had misheard. Changsun Ruoyan had actually taken the initiative to suggest sharing a room with Zhou Hong. Didn't she know Zhou Hong was a man?
"Ruoyan? You're not joking, are you?" the Dean asked, breaking into a cold sweat.
"Of course, I'm not joking. As long as Zhou Hong doesn't mind, then let him share a room with me. I'll sleep on the bed, and he can sleep on the floor," Su Dan Novel Network.
"Zhou Hong, what do you say?" the Dean asked, looking at Zhou Hong.
"Haha, if a girl like her doesn't mind, why should I? No problem, I'll share a room with Changsun Ruoyan, and I'll sleep on the floor."
"Alright!" the Dean nodded helplessly.
At this moment, all the other male students were envious. To be able to share a room with such a beautiful and talented girl. Of course, as for Zhou Hong's claim of sleeping on the floor, they didn't believe it at all. They suspected that he might be holding her in his arms by midnight.
The Dean was also a bit envious at this moment. Even as an old man, he was moved by Changsun Ruoyan's beauty. He never expected Zhou Hong to be so blessed, to be able to share a room with a beauty after arriving in the provincial capital.
"Then let's go. You can find your rooms yourselves. We'll gather in the hotel lobby in half an hour, and then we'll go for lunch together," the Dean said as he handed out the room key cards.