Chapter 13: The Past
Chapter 13: The Past
I was left alone in the hospital room.
While staring at the ceiling, I couldn’t help worrying about Zi Xue. Of all the times she could have come, she had to appear during that moment when Teacher Zhuang Jing became emotional. Even though she looked gentle and easygoing, once she convinced herself of something, she was extremely stubborn.
Whatever. There’s no point worrying about things I can’t change.
I carefully examined my body. My battle chi center felt empty. During the fight, I had released an enormous amount of battle chi.
My Heavenly Demon Art was in a better state. I could still train it somewhat. However, recovering battle chi was different. Training wouldn’t help with that. Only sleep could restore it.
While staring at the ceiling and worrying about Zi Xue, I gradually fell asleep.
When I woke up again, I felt much better.
After a while, a nurse walked into the room. To my surprise, it was Ke Lan.
“It’s you again, Ke Lan!” I said.
Ke Lan snorted.
“Who else would take care of you, you heartless jerk? When you left last time, you just disappeared. I went to the academy to look for you, only to find out you had been confined. I waited a long time. Even after you should have been released, you still never came to see me.”
I muttered awkwardly, “No… I had to participate in the tournament, so I had to prepare for it. That’s why I couldn’t come see you. And look—I came to find you right after the tournament, didn’t I?”
Ke Lan smiled mischievously.
“Yes, yes. You came to find me—after nearly dying again. Hurry up and eat. The principal specially ordered this for you. You’re practically a VIP patient now. If I hadn’t taken care of you the last time you were here, I wouldn’t even get the chance to see you.”
She placed a hospital table across my bed and set down a tray filled with food.
It looked amazing.
There was a pot of porridge made with special ingredients, fruits, and various desserts. I gave her a thumbs-up.
“The porridge is specially prepared for you,” Ke Lan said proudly. “It’s called Spring Snow Porridge. I spent the entire night simmering it with snow powder and spring chicken. Try it.”
I took a sip.
A refreshing fragrance instantly filled my mouth. Before I knew it, I had finished the entire bowl.
It was delicious.
Seeing how quickly I ate, Ke Lan laughed and served another bowl.
“Here. Have more.”
……
After finishing all the food, I leaned back against the pillows with a satisfied sigh.
Then Zi Xue suddenly came to mind again.
I have to tell Ke Lan about my relationship with Zi Xue.
Zi Xue was already furious. I couldn’t afford another misunderstanding.
After clearing away the dishes, Ke Lan sat beside the bed.
“How do you feel? Are you better now?”
I nodded.
“Ke Lan… I need to tell you something.”
“Alright,” she said.
“Do you remember the girl we saw at the stable?”
“The innocent and beautiful one?”
I nodded.
Ke Lan seemed to sense something was wrong but asked calmly,
“What about her?”
I sighed and forced myself to speak.
“She’s my girlfriend now.”
The rosy color drained from Ke Lan’s cheeks.
She stared at me silently.
After a long pause, she asked quietly,
“When did this start?”
I avoided her gaze.
“Sorry, Ke Lan. I already chose her. I know you’ve always been kind to me, but…”
Ke Lan suddenly stood up.
“I never said anything, so don’t be ridiculous,” she said coldly. “You should rest. I’m leaving. Another patient called for me.”
She walked out of the room, forcing herself to remain calm.
But once she stepped outside, she leaned against the wall as tears streamed uncontrollably down her face.
Lying on the bed, I felt a deep ache in my heart.
In two days, I had hurt two girls I cared about.
Maybe I should never have followed my emotions.
Over the next few days, Ke Lan continued bringing me food and medicine and taking care of me.
But her attitude had clearly changed.
She rarely spoke anymore.
Every time I saw her quietly preparing Spring Snow Porridge for me, guilt filled my heart.
Still, I knew I had made the right decision. If I hadn’t told Ke Lan the truth, the situation might have become even worse.
Under her careful care, my body recovered quickly.
By the time I was discharged, my condition had basically returned to normal.
Ke Lan didn’t appear that day.
Instead, another nurse came to handle the discharge procedures.
She handed me a letter.
“Ke Lan asked me to give this to you.”
The letter contained only three words.
“I hate you.”
Love had turned into hatred.
Ke Lan… I’m sorry.
I said nothing and quietly left the hospital.
From the second-floor window, Ke Lan watched my departing figure.
She cried like a child.
Instead of returning to the academy, I went straight to the duke’s mansion.
I had to explain the misunderstanding to Zi Xue.
I had already hurt Ke Lan. I couldn’t hurt Zi Xue as well.
I asked the maids to relay my message.
Soon they returned.
“The Second Young Miss refuses to see you. Please leave.”
So Zi Xue was truly angry.
Just as I wondered what to do next, Zi Yan appeared.
When she saw me, her expression froze.
“Lei Xiang! How dare you come here after what you did to my sister!”
She raised her hand and fired a Light Arrow toward me.
I hurriedly dodged.
Before she could attack again, the duke stepped out of the mansion.
“What’s going on here? Why all this noise—”
He stopped when he saw me.
“Lei Xiang! I was just looking for you to settle accounts.”
Even the duke wants to beat me now…
What did I even do wrong?
I bowed respectfully.
“Your Grace, I came here to resolve a misunderstanding.”
Zi Yan scoffed.
“There’s nothing to explain. My sister caught you red-handed. Go back and fool around with that shameless teacher of yours.”
I lowered my head, struggling to suppress my anger.
“You should watch your words. Who are you calling shameless? Say that about my teacher again and see what happens.”
Zi Yan exploded.
“Am I wrong? She seduced her own student!”
My anger finally erupted.
“You—!”
Before I could continue, the duke shouted,
“That’s enough! Guards! Seize him!”
Four figures instantly appeared.
They were imperial guards—elite warriors who served only the highest nobles.
Each one of them was stronger than me.
My plan to clear up the misunderstanding had completely failed. Now I was about to face another one-sided fight.
The four guards surrounded me and attacked simultaneously.
Their coordination was flawless.
I focused entirely on defense.
If my defenses were even slightly weaker, I would have been defeated within the first minute.
I flipped backward into the air to avoid one guard’s strike.
Suddenly—
Clang!
A blue flash fell from my clothes and struck the ground with a clear ringing sound.
The duke froze as if struck by lightning.
“STOP!”
The four guards immediately withdrew.
I stood there bruised and exhausted.
The duke waved his hand. The fallen object flew into his palm.
It was the small bell my mother had given me.
He stared at it in shock.
“This… this is…”
He looked up at me, his voice trembling.
“Where did you get this?”
“Can you return my bell?” I said impatiently. “I don’t have time for this. I need to resolve my misunderstanding with Zi Xue.”
The duke hurried forward.
“Wait. Leave the matter with Zi Xue to me. Come with me.”
Then he turned sharply.
“Zi Yan, leave.”
He grabbed my arm and hurried into the mansion.
After passing through several corridors, we entered a room filled with books.
His study.
The duke slammed the door shut and turned toward me, his eyes burning with urgency.
“Tell me immediately. Where did you get that bell?”
My heart jumped.
“A long time ago, I protected a merchant who traded in the Beast Empire. By chance, I met an elderly woman. She gave me the bell and asked me to deliver it to someone in the Dragon Empire named Linden.”
The duke grabbed my shoulders.
“I am Linden! What else did she say?!”
“Calm down,” I said.
I never expected the person my mother had been searching for to be the duke.
What a coincidence.
He loosened his grip but continued staring at me expectantly.
“The woman also asked me to tell Linden: ‘Ling Ling has let you down. I’m sorry.’”
The duke froze.
Tears silently streamed down his face.
He clenched his fist so tightly that the bell cut into his palm.
“Tell me… where is she?” he asked hoarsely. “I must see her.”
I shook my head.
“When I met her, her health was already deteriorating. I wanted to bring her back to the Dragon Empire, but she said she was too ashamed to return. Then she left.”
The duke stood there blankly.
“For nearly twenty years I searched for her,” he whispered. “Ling Ling… why won’t you come back? No matter what you’ve become, I would accept you.”
Hearing his words, a strange feeling rose inside me.
Could my mother and the duke really have been lovers?
I asked cautiously,
“Your Grace… did you have a relationship with that woman?”
The duke’s eyes reddened.
“Did you know that I was once a commoner?”
“What?!” I exclaimed.
He nodded slowly.
“My name was Linden. Since childhood I loved training martial arts. My father spent his entire fortune to send me to school. Seeing him grow older every day, I swore that I would achieve great success.”
He paused, lost in memory.
“At seventeen I was already gaining recognition in the Dragon Empire. Later I entered Sky City Academy. Ling Ling studied two years below me. At first I thought she was just an ordinary noble girl. But the moment I saw her… I felt as if lightning had struck me.”
His voice softened.
“For the first time, I found something more important than power or wealth.”
At first he only watched her from afar.
Eventually he gathered the courage to speak with her.
From that day on, he fell deeper and deeper in love.
“She was kind and gentle. Before she graduated, she finally accepted me. I was so happy I nearly went mad.”
At that time he had already become an imperial officer.
He planned to marry her soon.
But then she disappeared.
Later he learned the truth.
“She had accompanied His Highness to the Demon–Beast Alliance war meeting. She was actually the emperor’s most beloved Sixth Princess.”
The bell in his hand gleamed faintly.
“This bell was my promise to marry her.”
Listening to him speak about the past, I felt a complicated emotion in my chest.
The duke wiped his tears.
“After she vanished, I searched for her for nearly twenty years. I disguised myself and traveled between the Demon and Beast Empires countless times. But finding her was like searching for a needle in the ocean.”
I had always thought the duke was a cunning and calculating official.
I never expected him to have such deep feelings.
“What happened afterward?” I asked. “How did you marry your current wife?”
The duke sighed.
“I couldn’t forget Ling Ling, but life had to continue. Eventually a prince noticed my abilities. He offered me his daughter’s hand in marriage on the condition that our children join his family.”
“That’s why Zi Yan and Zi Xue don’t carry my surname.”
He laughed bitterly.
“You probably think I’m someone who would do anything for power. But I once believed that if Ling Ling returned, I would give up everything and start over with her.”
He shook his head slowly.
“In the end, I achieved everything I once desired. Yet I was never truly happy.”
Only memories of Ling Ling brought him light.
Then he looked at me again.
“When you once asked me whether I would give up loving a royal princess if I were just a commoner… it reminded me of my past.”
“If Ling Ling hadn’t disappeared, His Highness would never have allowed her to marry a small officer like me. But even then, I wouldn’t have given up.”
He sighed.
“That is the real reason I agreed to your relationship with my daughter.”
So that was the truth.
My mother had such an unexpected past.
But even if she returned now…
She was already old.
Compared to the duke’s current wife, her beauty could no longer compete.
Would the duke still love her?
I didn’t know.
And even if he did, could my mother return and destroy another person’s family?
Thinking about it, I said, “Your Grace, your past story is indeed very touching. But what is past is past. Please cherish what you have now.”
The duke nodded.
“Thank you for guarding this bell for me. As for what happened between you and Zi Xue, I will give you a chance to explain yourself.”
Blushing slightly, I told him everything that had happened that day.
After listening, he frowned.
“I see… You aren’t deceiving me, are you?”
I straightened my face and said solemnly, “I swear in the name of a warrior. If I have lied—”
The duke waved his hand to stop me.
“Enough. I can tell from looking at you that you’re not the type to break your word. Your oath is sufficient.”
He paused before continuing.
“Since this is a misunderstanding between you and Zi Xue, go find her and explain things clearly. She tends to overthink, and once she makes up her mind about something, it’s difficult to change it. My advice is to comfort her with a little sweet talk.”
He then asked, “The academy’s term break has already begun. What are your plans?”
I nodded.
“I want to find a quiet place to train for a while. After my fight with Li Wa, I realized my strength is still far behind his. I must improve myself if I want to stand my ground here.”
The duke had already recovered from his earlier reminiscence. Hearing my words, he showed a look of approval.
“Your thinking is correct. Just like how I was in the past—very determined. I also heard that you possess a physique capable of going berserk. That’s very good.”
He suddenly asked,
“But I have one question for you. What is your goal?”
I froze.
My goal…?
The duke continued,
“Everyone has a major goal in life. It is the motivation that drives you forward. Take me for example—my goal was to obtain unimaginable power, no matter the cost. And in the end, I achieved it.”
He looked directly at me.
“So what about you? What is your goal?”
My mind went blank.
Did I even have a goal anymore?
When I was a child, my goal was to become the strongest being in the world—someone no one could surpass.
But now… was that still my goal?
The duke said,
“Kid, choosing a goal isn’t easy. I hope you can use this holiday to think about it carefully. If you need a quiet place to train, I can provide one.”
I shook my head.
“No, thank you, Your Grace. I’ve just decided to leave.”
He looked surprised.
“You’re leaving?”
“You’re right. Right now I’m uncertain about my goal. I need time to think. If I stay here, I won’t be able to focus. I would constantly think about Zi Xue. I might lose control and go look for her.”
The duke was shocked.
“You’re not going to resolve the misunderstanding with Zi Xue?”
“No,” I said quietly. “Please explain it to her for me. If I see her now, I won’t be able to concentrate. Besides… love remains in the heart no matter how long two people are apart.”
The duke smiled.
“You learn quickly. Very well. Go then. I look forward to seeing how your power grows.”
I then removed the necklace my mother had given me and handed it to him.
“You should recognize this.”
The duke’s hands trembled as he accepted the necklace.
He examined it carefully.
“Of course… This is the engagement gift I gave Ling Ling. Why is it in your hands?”
I sighed.
“The woman gave it to me. She said it was repayment for delivering her message.”
As I spoke, my mother’s voice seemed to echo again in my ears, and my heart tightened painfully.
The duke murmured,
“There should be no reason for her to return this…”
It was clear he had not even suspected that I was Ling Ling’s son.
“Please give this to Zi Xue,” I said. “Tell her to treat it as my promise. If she is willing to wait until the day I succeed and gain renown, I will definitely return and marry her.”
I continued,
“During this holiday, I plan to find a secluded place where I can train without interruption. You’re right. It’s time for me to set a goal.”
The duke nodded slowly.
“I will enter the palace to meet His Highness. I’m sure he will be glad to hear news about Ling Ling.”
His words startled me.
Would this cause conflict between the Human Empire and the Beast Empire?
But that was beyond my control. What mattered now was improving my strength.
After saying farewell to the duke, I walked out of the study.
Outside, I ran into Zi Yan.
Her face was still filled with hostility.
“Father just let you go?” she asked coldly.
I shrugged.
“What else do you expect him to do? Kill me? Beat me until I can’t even crawl?”
Zi Yan snorted angrily.
“That would be perfect. I’d gladly kill you myself.”
My expression darkened.
“If you don’t change that temper of yours, I’m afraid no one will dare marry you.”
After saying that, I turned and walked toward the exit.
Behind me, Zi Yan shouted,
“Wait! You’re leaving just like that? Aren’t you going to see Zi Xue?”
I stopped and turned back.
“I’ve already explained everything to the duke. If you want to know more, ask him yourself. And tell Zi Xue… my feelings for her will never change.”
Walking out of the mansion, I felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted from my shoulders.
At least I had completed the task my mother entrusted to me.
What should I do next?
I decided to return to the academy first. Teacher Zhuang Jing had asked me to see her. After that, I would leave to travel and train.
The academy had already grown quiet. Most students had gone home for the break.
I walked to Teacher Zhuang Jing’s office and knocked lightly.
“Who is it? Come in.”
I pushed open the door.
Teacher Zhuang Jing was sitting at her desk reading a book.
“Lei Xiang! It’s you. Come in quickly. Has your body recovered?”
I nodded.
“Yes, I’ve recovered.”
“That’s wonderful,” she said happily. “Your fight against Li Wa was incredible.”
I smiled bitterly.
“Incredible? I lost without even being able to fight back.”
“Not at all,” she said firmly. “You may have been at a disadvantage at first, but after you went berserk you gave Li Wa a lot of trouble. You even shut up all those gossipers during the tournament. You made your teacher proud.”
She stood up and walked to the side table, pouring me a glass of water.
I accepted the glass and sighed.
“I only managed to resist him because of my body’s special ability. With my current strength, my real power is still far inferior to Li Wa’s.”
Teacher Zhuang Jing comforted me.
“That’s normal. He’s four—no, five years older than you. Don’t you have confidence that you can catch up?”
She continued,
“Li Wa has already been accepted into the Dragon Knights. Right now he’s only a temporary Dragon Knight apprentice. Soon he will go to the Dragon’s Den to search for a dragon partner. If he succeeds, he will become a true Dragon Knight, and his power will grow even greater than what you saw in the arena.”
She looked at me seriously.
“So you must not relax. Let him become your target.”
I nodded.
“Don’t worry. I will defeat him.”
Teacher Zhuang Jing walked back to her desk and pulled out a long box.
“This is your reward for the tournament,” she said. “I personally selected it from the academy’s weapon vault. It’s an excellent weapon. Open it and take a look.”
A weapon?
I had almost forgotten about that.
Excited, I stepped forward and picked up the box.
It was heavy.
Even with my strength, my arm sank slightly.
Teacher Zhuang Jing smiled proudly and gestured for me to open it.
Inside lay a pitch-black longsword.
The blade was wide and long. Aside from the black translucent crystal set in the hilt, it had no obvious decorations.
Yet a chilling aura emanated faintly from its surface.
Even though I wasn’t an expert in weapons, I could tell immediately that this was a top-tier sword.
“What a great sword!” I exclaimed.
Teacher Zhuang Jing beamed.
“Of course it is. This is the finest weapon in the academy. An ancient weapon! If you hadn’t entered berserk mode during your fight with Li Wa, the principal wouldn’t have even allowed me to see it.”
She continued proudly,
“It seems he now believes you are the best candidate to succeed Li Wa as the strongest student in the academy.”
I lifted the sword from the box.
The grip fit my hand perfectly.
The moment I held it, a cold current flowed from the hilt into my body. My Heavenly Demon Art responded immediately, releasing power in reaction.
Gradually the sword began emitting a faint black glow.
Teacher Zhuang Jing exclaimed in surprise.
“Why is it reacting like that in your hands? It showed no response when I held it.”
She continued,
“The sword is four feet three inches long and three inches wide. It’s classified as a heavy weapon. Its name is Black Sable.”
“The principal said it originally belonged to the Demon Clan. It’s also one of the Seven Famous Swords of the world. Sky City Academy possesses three of them. One was given to Li Wa, one is now yours, and the last remains in the academy.”
Holding Black Sable, I said in amazement,
“The principal actually gave me something this valuable…”
Teacher Zhuang Jing laughed.
“You don’t need to thank him too much. In the hands of others, it’s just an ordinary sword. The vice principal said you cultivate dark magic, so you might be able to unleash its true power. And since you performed so well in the tournament, the principal decided to give it to you.”
No wonder it reacted to me.
The magic I cultivated was the most original form of dark magic.
Teacher Zhuang Jing said thoughtfully,
“Rumor has it that truly great swords can recognize their master. I’m not sure if it ever recognized one before. But if it chooses you, you’ll be able to unleash its full power.”
I nodded.
Using the blade of Black Sable, I lightly cut my finger.
A drop of blood fell onto the sword.
Instantly the black glow intensified.
My dark magic surged into the sword and flowed back into my body, forming a continuous cycle.
With every cycle, my dark magic felt purer.
A bond of flesh and blood seemed to form between Black Sable and me.
After some time, the black glow slowly faded, and the sword returned to normal.
Teacher Zhuang Jing nodded.
“It seems it has recognized you as its master.”
I gently stroked the blade.
“Black Sable… from now on you will be my lifelong partner.”
Then I looked up.
“Teacher Zhuang Jing, thank you very much for giving me such a great sword.”
She smiled.
“Don’t worry about it. I should thank you instead for winning the competition for the Magic-Martial Department.”
She picked up a small box.
“I promised that if someone from my class won the first-year tournament, I would give them this as a reward. This box is my personal gift to you.”
I hurriedly refused.
“This sword is already too valuable. I can’t take anything else.”
Teacher Zhuang Jing’s face became serious.
“If I say I’m giving it, then I’m giving it. Take it.”
She placed the box in my hands.
Seeing her expression, I had no choice but to accept.
“Open it,” she said.
Inside was a bracelet.
It was about four fingers wide. A dark-blue dragon was engraved across its surface, and in the center was a ring of sky-blue gemstones.
There were eight of them.
It looked beautiful—but I was a man.
Embarrassed, I said, “Teacher… isn’t this something meant for girls?”
Teacher Zhuang Jing immediately became angry.
“Idiot! Do you know how many people would beg for this bracelet? Just put it on!”
I had no choice but to try.
The opening was too small—I could barely fit four fingers through.
Teacher Zhuang Jing suddenly recited an incantation.
The bracelet flashed with brilliant blue light.
In the next instant it slid onto my wrist and tightened, becoming a wrist guard.
Teacher Zhuang Jing smiled proudly.
“How is it? It fits perfectly, right?”
She continued,
“This bracelet increases your magical power when casting spells. It works best with Level-6 spells, raising their power to an entirely new level. For higher-level spells the effect is weaker, but it still provides a significant boost.”
What? It can increase my magic by an entire level?
That meant a Level-6 spell could reach the power of a Level-7 spell.
Thinking about it, I tried removing the bracelet.
But no matter how hard I tried, it wouldn’t come off.
It felt as if it had grown onto my wrist.