Chapter 164: The First One to Be Swarmed

She had actually forgotten to take this off before seeing the Master... Miss Qingli felt a bit awkward.

Fortunately, regardless of her inner drama, her face showed almost no expression, making it easy to lie: "This was just cut off when I fought the Pei family girl; I'm keeping it as a trophy."

"Her hair was like this?" Ye Tinglan asked suspiciously.

After being wrapped around the finger for so long, it was impossible to tell if it was curly; it just didn't look like the jet-black, lustrous color of Pei Chuyun, but rather very dull.

Fortunately, Ye Tinglan didn't press the matter, simply saying: "Keeping a trophy after defeating an opponent—when did you become so vulgar?"

Miss Qingli spoke seriously: "It's not about keeping a trophy. Having this reminded me that I have studied few spells, which is unbalanced. I want to learn some spells from the Master, like those that work through hair."

"This kind of spell isn't our sect's specialty." Ye Tinglan stroked the hair, then suddenly yanked it out.

Miss Qingli was shocked: "Master, what did you do?"

"Oh, nothing. Just pulling this hair out as if it were still on the body, a small lesson for the Pei family girl for daring to offend my Qingli..."

Miss Qingli: "..."

It seemed fine; it was equivalent to pulling his hair to teach him a lesson.

Let him play with that joy-demon girl!

Far away in his cave dwelling, Lu Xingzhou was leaning on his bed reading when he suddenly twitched, clutching his small boat and curling into a ball.

Ye Tinglan continued teaching the disciple: "This belongs to a body-substitution technique. I can teach you, just like this..."

Miss Qingli learned very seriously, thinking that later, when Lu Xingzhou bullied her, she could pull his hair from afar for fun.

"Hmm, keep one strand for the Master too. This Pei family girl is a bit strange. I'll keep a lock of her hair; maybe it will be useful for some investigation later." Ye Tinglan took one strand.

Miss Qingli hesitated, wanting to speak but stopping.

"What?"

"N-nothing." Miss Qingli bowed: "Then the Master should rest; this disciple takes her leave."

"Wait, how many days are you staying in the capital this time?"

"Originally, it was just to spar and verify with the number one of the new talents. Now that the sparring is done, I planned to leave tomorrow."

"You planned to? Then what is your current plan?"

"There are many figures in the capital. This disciple plans to challenge some old, strong experts not on the new talent list who are stuck at the third grade threshold."

Ye Tinglan thought for a moment: "It's useless. With your status, others will mostly hesitate to strike out of fear and give this seat some face, making it hard to have the effect of life-or-death trials. How about this? In a few days, the Alchemy Academy will organize a trial. The chosen location will be the first layer of the Demon-Suppressing Domain. You will enter as a guardian."

Miss Qingli was stunned: "The Demon-Suppressing Domain? Can these alchemy students enter? Isn't that too dangerous?"

"People will provide protection; aren't you one of them? It happens to fit your cultivation trials. Perhaps the opportunity to break through to third grade lies right here."

Miss Qingli held her sword and bowed: "Yes."

"At that time, pay extra attention to Lu Xingzhou. There is much wind and cloud on his person. What is a normal trial for others might bring other incidents for him. Oh, no need to explain; you two are already familiar."

"... Yes."

From start to finish, Ye Tinglan never suspected that her own disciple could have any relationship with Lu Xingzhou other than the comrade-in-arms bond from Xiazhou.

Early the next morning, Pei Chuyun, holding a stack of manuscripts, stepped into the Imperial Academy.

As soon as she entered, she was blocked by Qi Tuizhi: "Young Lady Pei..."

Pei Chuyun's wheelchair stroll for an illicit affair had been ruined by Bai Mao last night, and she had been lectured by her older brother the whole way back; her mood was already bad, so her face immediately darkened: "Young Master Qi, blocking the road in public, in broad daylight, is not what a gentleman does."

Qi Tuizhi hurriedly said: "Young Lady Pei misunderstood. I heard that last night, while Young Lady Pei was strolling in the Imperial Academy, Miss Qingli came to challenge her?"

"It wasn't really a challenge. She is second, I am third; there is no logic in the higher challenging the lower. It was just a spar."

She said that, but her face was so sour that anyone could see she was very unhappy.

Qi Tuizhi had his answer in his heart, so he lowered his voice: "Since Miss also dislikes Miss Qingli, why not we cooperate?"

Pei Chuyun looked at him strangely, thinking inwardly: What is there to cooperate on regarding ranking challenges? You can't just swarm and gang-attack, right? Even if you win a gang-attack, no one will recognize you. Killing is even more unthinkable; gang-attacking and hunting down the National Preceptor's disciple in the capital—how many lives do you have?

Was it just to vent anger?

Oh, no... Pei Chuyun suddenly realized: this fellow was using this psychology of "shared hatred" to form a united front; in the end, it was just to get close to her.

Thinking of this, Pei Chuyun couldn't help but laugh bitterly, smiling without smiling: "If you want to cooperate with me, first you must see if you are qualified enough."

Qi Tuizhi was stunned: "Young Lady Pei means..."

"My meaning: don't you feel you can't even beat me?" Pei Chuyun casually handed the manuscripts in her hand to a passerby nearby: "Please hold these, thank you."

Qi Tuizhi stepped back: "Young Lady Pei, you..."

Pei Chuyun elegantly gathered her hair: "Pei Chuyun, third of the new talents, challenges Young Master Qi Tuizhi, number one of the new talents. Please, Young Master, bestow your teaching."

Qi Tuizhi: "..."

Gu Yicheng's words from yesterday evening, claiming "Pei Chuyun probably has little strength," were still ringing in his ears, yet overnight the beauty stood before him with a charming smile, publicly challenging him.

This was at the entrance of the Imperial Academy, with people coming and going. The crowd immediately erupted, forming three layers inside and three layers outside, surrounding them tightly, all eating melons (watching the drama).

To be honest, being defeated in one move by Miss Qingli, although embarrassing, was quite acceptable to the crowd. After all, she was a direct disciple of the Holy Land and a disciple of the National Preceptor; no matter how strong she was, she was within the people's range of acceptance.

But this Young Lady Pei, just brought back, had absolutely no battle record to speak of; her reputation outside was even that of a talented woman of literature!

Qi Tuizhi was even less willing to accept that he couldn't even beat his beloved; his spirit was provoked at this moment, and he said lightly: "To be honest, I am not willing to strike out against Young Lady Pei... it feels like offending a beauty. But now it seems, if I don't show a move, the beauty will look down on me."

Pei Chuyun smiled slightly and extended a slender finger, beckoning: "Come."

The sudden charm revealed beneath that dignity made the onlookers dizzy and enchanted; Qi Tuizhi's heart even trembled: "Then Young Lady Pei, be careful."

Pei Chuyun said nothing more; her jade hand flipped, and a palm strike was already launched.

Seeing that Pei Chuyun used no weapon, Qi Tuizhi didn't draw his sword either; he also fought bare-handed, returning a palm strike.

In his heart, there was even a faint fluttering thought: does this palm strike count as touching her small hand?

But before the thought could finish turning, Pei Chuyun's palm suddenly changed; onlookers only saw finger shadows blooming like flowers, absolutely beautiful and hazy.

A low sigh came from the side: "The Pei family's inherited grappling hand. I have seen Pei Yu use it... I never thought it would be so beautiful when used by Young Lady Pei; it is a completely different flavor from Pei Yu's free and easy style."

Qi Tuizhi's desire to meet the palm was too intense, so that when responding to the change of move, he seemed somewhat reluctant, continuing to push forward a little.

When top experts clashed, how could it be played this way? In just that brief instant of delay, Pei Chuyun's fingers had already brushed against his Hukou.

Qi Tuizhi's Hukou went numb, and only then did he suddenly come to his senses. His ranking as the top newcomer was honestly not bought; he immediately withdrew his hand, his left palm slashing sideways, trying to cut off Pei Chuyun's continuing attack.

His vision blurred, and Pei Chuyun was like a fairy treading the waves—she had already reached his side.

Her jade palm swept back, heading straight for his neck.

"So beautiful… watching her fight is simply like watching someone enjoy themselves."

Others might think it was a pleasure, but Qi Tuizhi certainly didn't.

He even sensed killing intent.

This Miss Pei was absolutely not as elegant and composed as she appeared on the surface. Her jianghu experiences "before being found" were unknown to anyone, and it was highly likely she had gone through life-and-death situations! Moreover, the Pei family's grappling techniques had been personally understood and adapted by her, not learned by rote; hidden within were subtle modifications drawn from other schools, making Qi Tuizhi—who had been countering using the Pei family's grappling techniques—very uncomfortable.

Judging by how recently she had been found, she hadn't practiced the Pei family's martial arts for long, yet she possessed such understanding and subtle modifications. Her strength was definitely not merely the lower fourth rank she displayed on the surface; she was very likely hiding upper-rank cultivation and hadn't fought seriously at all!

Qi Tuizhi's body spun, and he fought and retreated simultaneously, exchanging several moves with Pei Chuyun. But the numbness in his right Hukou never subsided, his strength greatly diminished, and he simply couldn't withstand Pei Chuyun's water-like, continuous onslaught—the more he fought, the more helpless he became.

"Bang"—his back slammed into the pillar at the entrance of the Imperial Academy.

Pei Chuyun formed her fingers into a sword, jabbing at his throat, her beautiful eyes stern and full of killing intent.

The air fell utterly silent.

After a moment, it erupted into an uproar.

Although it wasn't like yesterday when Dugu Qingli finished him in a single move, it still amounted to some ten or twenty moves. Yet Pei Chuyun had displayed the strength of lower fourth rank, while he, Qi Tuizhi, was upper fourth rank!

This was being challenged across ranks!

Pei Chuyun withdrew her killing intent, stepped back gracefully, composed her expression, and bowed: "Young Master Qi, you let me win."

Qi Tuizhi's face alternated between green and white. He really wanted to say that if he hadn't had those lecherous thoughts at the start and had fought seriously, he wouldn't have lost…

But no matter how he said it, it would sound like an excuse. He opened his mouth, but in the end couldn't say it. Besides, he strongly suspected Pei Chuyun was hiding upper fourth-rank strength and hadn't used her true skill at all; if they really fought, the loser might still be himself.

He could only say softly: "Miss Pei is accomplished in both civil and martial arts. Our earlier doubts about Miss's third-place ranking on the newcomer list were our own prejudice and ignorance."

Pei Chuyun smiled slightly: "So when it comes to finding trouble with Dugu Qingli, I'll find it myself—Young Master Qi has no such qualification. Everyone, please excuse me, Chuyun is going to be late for class…"

The crowd parted, staring blankly as they watched Pei Chuyun walk through the main gate.

How many more people were now mentally treating her as a goddess aside, what kept flashing through everyone's minds was: what on earth was wrong with this year's newcomer list, how was the top spot ranked, that within two days the second and third places had taken turns toppling it in succession.

Originally, the top newcomer spot carried a lot of weight, always regarded as the number one among the young. The second and third places weren't remembered by many—everyone only cared about the champion.

Now after this commotion, even the weight of the top newcomer spot was gone; in the future, this position would have no prestige left.

"Editor-in-chief Sheng, a young girl after all, truly has no great insight—can't compile any decent list."

Someone spoke up for Sheng Yuanyao: "How can you blame Editor-in-chief Sheng for this? The second and third places were unknown in previous years, weren't they placed there by Editor-in-chief Sheng against all opposition? Won't you praise Editor-in-chief Sheng for her keen eye in recognizing talent?"

"But this first place…"

"This first place was a fill-in. If anyone's to blame, blame whoever originally ranked him second."

"Who did the original ranking? The higher-ups didn't even review it—passing off mediocrity as excellence, this is…"

"We don't know who the original editor-in-chief was, but the one who made the final call and approved it must be Chief Sheng."

The discussion died instantly.

After a long while, someone said weakly: "Has it never occurred to you that it's not that Qi Tuizhi is weak, but that these two who descended from the sky are too strong? Yesterday at the restaurant, I saw Dugu Qingli's sword strike—I knew I couldn't take it; today Miss Pei's flowing set of grappling techniques, I also know I couldn't take them."

All fell silent.

Right—it wasn't that others were weak, but that these two were too strong.

Qi Tuizhi's tragedy was being on the same list as them, and cluelessly trying to flirt with them.

This year's newcomer list for alchemists also had such a case. I hear that even now Daoist Xuan Qing can't accept his defeat—but is Daoist Xuan Qing really weak? He's already very strong… it's just a pity he ran into the unreasonable Lu Xingzhou and his disciple.

"Lu Xingzhou!" The Mr. on the platform slammed the table in fury: "If your stomach hurts, go relieve yourself yourself! Standing there hunched over in front of me with a constipated look for no reason—do you think I've taught you everything already!"

"I…" Lu Xingzhou's hand didn't know whether it was covering his lower abdomen or somewhere else: "Excuse me, does Lady Ye have an office? I need to find Lady Ye…"

(End of chapter)