After Entering a Contract Relationship with Hisoka - Chapter 5

Shalnark looked at Lilia’s message, thinking deeply. Was he gentle, attentive, and very conservative? Could she have found a pure, innocent young man? From her description, the guy at least appeared very wholesome.

This was bad; that sounded exactly like the persona Shalnark himself projected. With a strong sense of self-awareness, Shalnark thought that a man like that is usually either a playboy or a con artist. This was not good news. He wished Lilia would just marry the guy on the spot and have kids immediately so she would never harass the Boss again. But if the guy was a fraud, he pondered for a moment and typed:

Hero: Men are driven by desire. Never be blinded by a well-behaved exterior. Hero: I am sharing some dating tips with you. Please make sure to be a devoted person. Hero: Lastly, congratulations on leaving the single life. May Buddha bless you.

Following this, he shared a barrage of public account articles. They had titles like “One Hundred Tips to Easily Handle a Scoundrel,” “Thirty-Six Stratagems for Dating a Scoundrel,” “How to Make a Scoundrel Submit and Become Your Loyal Dog,” and “One Thousand Sweet Words to Conquer a Scoundrel’s Heart.” They were the kind of articles that looked unreliable just from their titles.

As an isolated emotional novice, Liya had never seen such a systematic approach to romance. She quickly bookmarked every single one, planning to study them intensely later. She had already come to view this romantic contract as a three-month trial. In her interactions with Hisoka so far, though he seemed abnormal and his tone was quite strange, she did not find him repulsive. Experiencing the world of mortal emotions with him seemed acceptable.

Moreover, having lived in the mountains where time has no meaning, Liya had long lost a normal perception of time. Three months was nothing more than the blink of an eye. Once the time was up, she would simply walk away.

After tidying up briefly, Liya planned to head out. She needed to buy materials for making talismans. After all, Hisoka would not always be around to lend her playing cards during a fight. Lilia’s body was fragile and delicate; drawing talismans during combat was too risky. For safety, it was better to prepare several in advance.

She did not wear the ornate and heavy European-style dress from yesterday. Used to simplicity, the Immortal Venerable found a plain light blue dress to change into. Leaving her hair down and her face bare of makeup, she headed out. Just as she opened her door, she saw someone leaning against the wall opposite her.

Aura stood up straight immediately upon seeing Liya. She had traded her flashy outfit from the day before for a simple black T-shirt and jeans. Her once meticulously styled red hair hung limply over her shoulders. Her eyes were red and swollen, suggesting she had been crying for a long time. She looked utterly dejected.

“You,” Liya began.

Aura interrupted her. “I, yes, it is me! I just had to come and see for myself!”

Liya tried to speak, “I,” but Aura interrupted her once more.

“You! You! You really spent the night in Master Hisoka’s room yesterday, did you not? Boohoo!” Her voice was hoarse. After saying this, she could not stop herself from crying.

Liya remained silent. She knew the other girl would keep talking, so she let her vent her emotions. Indeed, Aura spoke through her tears, “I heard you went into Master Hisoka’s room yesterday, but I did not believe it. I had to see it for myself. I cannot believe an idiot like you actually got the best of him! Is Master Hisoka very strong? Is he very gentle? No! No! He definitely would not be gentle with you! But you, you look quite energetic. He must have taken very good care of you in bed.”

Liya was speechless. You are so young; what kind of scandalous talk is this?

“Lilia, how are you so lucky? I want to sleep with Master Hisoka too! Just you wait. One day, I will defeat you!”

Liya remained expressionless, having nothing to say. Aura cried pitifully, eventually losing control and running away while sobbing.

Liya could not understand it. What was the feeling of loving someone really like? Could it truly be this deep? She lowered her eyes in thought. She had never experienced such intense or sincere emotions. Even when her master ascended, while her Junior Sister cried like a mess and her fellow disciples were shrouded in gloom, even her second senior brother Sukuna, who usually called the master “old man” every day, was unusually quiet, she had only felt a slight sense of melancholy.

Later, when the five members of the sect went their separate ways, she understood the concept of emotion even less. Curiously, since transmigrating here, her emotions seemed to have grown richer. She felt anger, frustration, and even helplessness. Perhaps it is the influence of Lilia’s body, she thought.

After leaving Heavens Arena, Liya went to the nearest shopping mall. After searching for a while, she finally found what she wanted in a Chinese cultural supplies store: brushes, ink, paper, an inkstone, cinnabar, a carving knife, bamboo slips, and a stack of yellow paper.

Liya was not a talisman specialist and was not particularly skilled in that area. She could not create anything overly complex or obscure. Since there were not many simple introductory talismans for combat, she decided to draw some explosive talismans that were both simple and lethal. To reach the 200th floor, she needed at least three more consecutive wins. If she used Aura’s combat ability as a benchmark for the power levels in Heavens Arena, these three matches would not be easy. She wondered how the talentless Lilia had managed to struggle her way to the 160th floor.

By the time she returned, it was noon, and the sun was scorching. Liya’s face grew flushed from the heat, and a thin layer of sweat formed on her forehead. Having lived in the Far North for so long, she was not at all adapted to this climate. Combined with her weak body, the heat made her feel dizzy. She only felt a bit of relief once she stepped into the air-conditioned arena.

As she approached the elevator, a colorful figure ran toward her. The person shouted enthusiastically, “Lilia!”

“Uh, Yuno.”

Liya looked at the girl. In just one night, her short pink-blue hair had turned into long blue-green hair. She wore a bright red knitted sweater, black and white striped pants, and eye-catching bright yellow boots. This outfit was strange even by modern aesthetic standards, let alone to the old-fashioned Liya. However, considering Hisoka’s clown suit and face paint, Liya somewhat understood the aesthetics of this world.

Yuno did not notice the helplessness in Liya’s eyes and grabbed her arm. “Where were you? I have been waiting for ages! Quick, quick! We are going to be late. The match is about to start!”

Only after being pulled into the elevator did Liya have a chance to ask, “Whose match?”

Yuno replied, “Kastro! He is so handsome. We agreed yesterday to watch it together. You forgot again!”

Liya recalled slightly and realized there was indeed such a plan. However, the person who made the appointment was not her, but the original Lilia. Although they were not close, Lilia and Yuno had known each other for quite a while. When Lilia first came to the arena two years ago, the two of them found they shared common interests and often watched matches together. Usually, they watched matches featuring handsome men.

Yuno’s skills were average. Although she was climbing the tower, she was not as goal-oriented as Lilia. She did not crave reaching the 200th floor; she just wanted to make money. The friendship between the two girls was that simple: fangirling over contestants together and slowly climbing the ranks as rookies.

Liya did not have time to return her materials to her room. She left them at the 170th floor service desk and went with Yuno to the arena hall.

“I asked Cardina to save seats for us!” Yuno stood on the steps, scanning the crowd. “Here! Here!” Cardina waved from the spectator stands.

Yuno’s eyes lit up and she pulled Liya over.

“What took you so long?” Cardina gave a bright smile upon seeing Liya. “Hello Lilia. Good to see you again. Your match yesterday was brilliant.”

Cardina was a cheerful girl with pale skin and a tall stature. She had blonde hair cut so short it hugged her scalp, deep features, and a stylish lip piercing. She looked like a foreigner. Lilia had seen her a few times in her memories but had almost never spoken to her; Yuno was very close to her.

“Of course! Lilia is actually very strong. That Aura Rockefeller was no match for her at all!” Before Liya could say anything, Yuno spoke up as she sat down next to Cardina.

“Hello,” Liya nodded to Cardina and sat down next to Yuno.

The two girls were extroverts and very talkative. Just like the day before, they immediately began discussing the two contestants of the match. Liya was grateful that the original Lilia was a quiet and dull person. Even if she did not speak often, no one would notice anything was wrong. Yuno occasionally asked her a few questions, and she would simply give perfunctory answers.

For example, Yuno asked, “Wow, Kastro is so handsome, right?” Liya replied, “Yes, very handsome.” Yuno shouted, “He threw a punch! Wow, it landed! That is amazing, Lilia.” Liya said, “Yes, truly amazing.” Yuno asked, “Who do you think is stronger, him or Hisoka?” Liya answered, “Both are strong.” Yuno asked, “And who is more handsome?” Liya said, “Both are handsome.”

In reality, she was not paying attention at all. The fighters on the stage were trading blows, but this level of physical combat was a bit boring to her. Compared to the sect competitions in her previous life, this was child’s play.

Liya leaned her head on her hand and began to daydream again. Likely a lingering effect of being in the sun earlier, she felt dizzy and had some discomfort in her abdomen. Could I have heatstroke? Without spiritual energy to protect her body, things were truly inconvenient. She needed to practice and improve her physical condition as soon as possible. She just wondered if she could still follow the path of immortal cultivation in a world where the spiritual energy was so thin.

As she was thinking, the once intense discussion between Yuno and Cardina suddenly stopped. Even the voices of the surrounding spectators grew much quieter. Because she was not feeling well, Liya did not notice these changes until someone tapped her left arm.

“What is it?” she asked.

Yuno’s expression was strange, as if she were excited but trying hard to suppress it. She pointed a finger secretly to the right. Liya looked over and saw that the empty seat to her right was now occupied. The person was tilting his head, looking her way with an expression of great interest.

“Yo! ”

Hisoka was wearing a black clown suit today, printed with large playing card suits. His broad shoulders and narrow waist were clearly outlined. His red hair was styled in a defiant and arrogant manner. His habitual unpredictability had given him a rather wicked look; wherever he went, he radiated an aura that warned others not to miss with him. Even though his sharp eyes were smiling right now, the people within a few meters of him were still too afraid to make a sound.

“Hisoka,” Liya said. She was completely immune to this intense atmosphere. She blinked and asked, “What are you doing here? When did you arrive?”

“Hmm, let me think.” Hisoka looked thoughtful and smirked. “Probably right around the time you said that Kastro and I were equal in strength.”