Divine Level Witch Doctor

”Since when am I off the market? Don’t spread rumors, you guys. Lin Xue and I are just normal friends!” Zhao Yuan quickly explained.

Unfortunately, not a single person in Dorm 301 believed him.

Liu Zhu was quick on the uptake. His eyes darted as he said, ”Fine, let’s just say you and Lin Xue are normal friends. That’s all the more reason for you to set up this mixer. When the time comes, us guys will be your wingmen. We guarantee we’ll help you and Lin Xue take things to the next level.”

”Yeah, yeah, we’ll be your wingmen!”

”We’ll help you win over Lin Xue!”

Wang Rongfeng and Wu Yan were just as quick to chime in. In their desperation for a mixer with Lin Xue’s dorm, they had thrown all dignity to the wind.

Zhao Yuan gave a wry smile. ”Come on, you guys, stop trying to play matchmaker. How about this? I’ll text Lin Xue and ask, but I can’t promise they’ll agree!”

It would be a lie to say Zhao Yuan wasn’t attracted to a sweet-looking girl like Lin Xue. It’s just that he’d never pursued a girl before and was clueless about what to do in many situations. ’If we really can have a mixer,’ he thought, ’it’d be a great opportunity to get to know her better and build our friendship.’

”Awesome! From this day forward, you’re my brother—my *real* brother!” Liu Zhu was ecstatic, even starting to spout nonsense.

”Hurry up and text her! Go on!” Wang Rongfeng and Wu Yan urged him on, afraid he might change his mind.

Zhao Yuan smiled, took out his phone, and sent a text to Lin Xue in front of his three roommates. ”Text sent,” he said. ”Now we wait for her reply.”

The three of them nodded repeatedly, their ears pricked for the sound of a notification. They didn’t know if Lin Xue simply hadn’t seen the text or was discussing it with her roommates. A long time passed without a reply, leaving the three of them anxious and on edge.

Zhao Yuan found their behavior amusing. He put his phone down on his desk, took the Soul-Stabilizing Incense he’d brought back out of a plastic bag, and lit it.

”Huh, Third Bro, when did you get into incense? Is this sandalwood? It actually smells pretty good,” Liu Zhu asked curiously.

”It’s not sandalwood, it’s a medicinal incense. It’s supposed to calm the mind and soothe the spirit,” Zhao Yuan replied.

”You know, I think it’s actually working. I feel a lot calmer,” Wu Yan chimed in.

”Are you kidding me? What do you think this is, some kind of magic incense? Works the second you smell it? That’s just the placebo effect, alright!” Although Wang Rongfeng also felt his nervousness fading, he didn’t attribute it to the incense, figuring he’d just calmed down on his own.

Zhao Yuan just smiled without explaining. He picked up a book as a cover, but he was actually observing how his three roommates reacted to the Soul-Stabilizing Incense.

The three of them, unaware they had become his guinea pigs, went about their own business.

”Second Bro, up for a match?” Liu Zhu booted up his computer and logged into League of Legends.

”Bring it on!” Wang Rongfeng nodded.

Wu Yan, who wasn’t interested in gaming, pulled out his phone and started chatting with a girl he’d connected with the night before.

Soon, Liu Zhu and Wang Rongfeng were shocked to discover they were in incredible form today. They were pulling off all sorts of insane plays: clutch comebacks, tower-dive kills, breaking through enemy lines while racking up kills... all kinds of god-like maneuvers that had their teammates calling them pros while the enemy team cursed up a storm.

Hearing the in-game announcer shout ”Double Kill,” ”Triple Kill,” and eventually ”Godlike!” from the computer speakers, Liu Zhu and Wang Rongfeng were feeling smug and having the time of their lives, not forgetting to hype each other up.

”Eldest Bro, you’re a beast today!”

”Haha, Second Bro, you did great too! That double kill just now was insanely slick!”

”A mere parlor trick. To be honest, I’ve always been Challenger-level. I was just hiding my true strength before.”

”What a coincidence. I’m Challenger-level myself.”

Their bragging grew more and more outrageous, making Zhao Yuan, who was watching them from the side, roll his eyes. ’Just listen to them brag,’ he muttered to himself. ’Challenger-level, my ass. Have they forgotten how often they used to get flamed for being trash?’

Their performance confirmed for Zhao Yuan that the Soul-Stabilizing Incense was indeed very effective on ordinary people. Not only did it clear the mind and sharpen one’s thoughts, but it also seemed to provide a huge boost to productivity... even if they were just playing a game instead of working.

On the other side of the room, Wu Yan’s eyes were shining. He felt like he was on fire with his flirting today. No matter what the girl on the other end said, he could instantly think of a related topic, pulling jokes and witty remarks out of thin air. It was like he’d been possessed by a master pickup artist, and he was so pleased with himself he couldn’t stop grinning.

It wasn’t just the residents of Dorm 301 who were affected by the Soul-Stabilizing Incense. After its fragrance drifted into the neighboring rooms, students there all felt refreshed and clear-headed. Some who were up early studying felt the knowledge from their books practically drilling itself into their minds without any effort, making it hard *not* to memorize it. Even long-troubling problems suddenly started making sense.

The only word that could possibly describe the feeling was ”awesome.”

Zhao Yuan took in everyone’s reactions, committing them to memory. He maintained a calm expression, but inwardly he was ecstatic.

’The Soul-Stabilizing Incense doesn’t just work, it’s incredible! Haha, from now on, I won’t have to worry about money anymore!’ Zhao Yuan was so excited he wished he could run to the traditional medicine market right then and there to find Boss Fang and ask for his help selling the incense.

Just then, his phone rang. Before Zhao Yuan could even pick it up, Liu Zhu, Wang Rongfeng, and Wu Yan swarmed around him in a flash. The game was forgotten, the online flirting abandoned. Full of anticipation, they all asked, ”Is that a text from Lin Xue?”

Zhao Yuan picked up his phone and glanced at the screen. He nodded. ”It is.”

”What’d she say?”

”Did she agree to the mixer?”

”Third Bro—no, Third Brother! I’m calling you Brother, so stop keeping us in suspense and just tell us!”

The expressions on the three of them were a mix of nervousness and apprehension.

Zhao Yuan glanced at them and said with a smile, ”Lin Xue said that after discussing it with her roommates, they’ve decided to have one mixer with us. She’s asking when and where.”

”Awesome!” The three of them were overjoyed. They high-fived in celebration before Wu Yan remembered something and hurriedly said, ”Third Brother, text Lin Xue back right away! Ask if they’re free tonight. The girls in her dorm are all gorgeous! We have to act fast. It’d be a huge loss if someone else beats us to it!”

”Right, right, Fourth Bro’s right,” Liu Zhu and Wang Rongfeng quickly chimed in. ”Third Bro, hurry up and ask Lin Xue if they’re free tonight. We’ll do dinner, karaoke, a late-night snack—the whole nine yards! We’ll make sure they have an amazing time.”