Chapter 9: Zi Xue’s Family
Chapter 9: Zi Xue’s Family
Teacher Zhuang stood on the podium and said to the entire class, “In one month, the academy’s annual martial competition will be held. During this final month, I hope everyone will work hard and raise your cultivation to a new level. I will select the two strongest students in our class to represent us in the competition.”
Huo Xing asked, “Teacher, if we win a ranking, will there be any rewards?”
Teacher Zhuang smiled slightly. “Of course there will. The top three students in each grade will be rewarded by the academy with a piece of equipment. The higher the ranking, the better the equipment. At the same time, if anyone among you wins the championship, I will also give a special reward within the class. Only the champion will receive the class reward. As for what the reward will be, that’s a secret for now. But it definitely won’t be anything bad. I have very high expectations for all of you, so don’t disappoint your teacher.”
Her words immediately ignited the enthusiasm of the students. Everyone eagerly declared that they would work hard.
I could practically see flames burning in Huo Xing’s eyes.
However, what he didn’t know was that Teacher Zhuang had already privately decided on the candidates. His chances of obtaining equipment were almost zero.
Feng Wen stood up proudly and said, “Teacher, don’t worry. As long as you send me to compete, I’ll definitely bring back the overall championship for the grade.”
Looking at her chubby yet proud appearance, I couldn’t help but find it amusing. This plump girl was truly competitive.
After class, Feng Wen came to see me.
He said, “Lei Xiang, why do I feel like you’ve changed a lot since returning from confinement?”
I looked at him in surprise.
As expected of someone with strength similar to mine—he had actually noticed the improvement in my power.
I said calmly, “Oh? What change? I don’t feel anything different.”
Feng Wen replied, “There is definitely a change. I can’t quite explain it, but you don’t feel as cold as before. Instead, you now have a calm, imposing presence. I’m afraid I might not be your opponent anymore.”
I smiled slightly.
“Maybe you’re just being too sensitive. I don’t think I’ve changed.”
Feng Wen stared at my smile in a daze.
“And you still say nothing has changed? Did you ever smile before?”
I unconsciously touched my face.
That was true. Why had I become so fond of smiling lately?
Zi Xue’s influence on me was really great.
I patted Feng Wen on the shoulder and said, “Train hard. I hope to meet you in the grade finals.”
(Students from the same class who competed were placed in different brackets. They could only meet in the final.)
Feng Wen said, “Lei Xiang, are you really that confident you can reach the finals? You should know that our Magic Warrior class always ranks near the bottom in these competitions. Students who focus purely on martial skills or magic improve faster because they specialize.”
I glanced at him and said, “Confidence is the best weapon. When you step onto the arena, you’ll understand.”
These three months of confinement had brought a qualitative improvement in my strength and strengthened my confidence.
In my mind, I only had one opponent.
That was Li Wa from the fifth grade.
Only he could truly awaken my fighting spirit.
Perhaps I wasn’t his match, but I had to see how big the gap between us really was.
Feng Wen said, “That arrogant look of yours is back again. Come on, let’s go eat.”
I shook my head.
“No. I made plans with someone.”
Feng Wen suddenly understood.
“Oh right. You’re the first person in the entire academy to pursue a girl so openly. I really admire you. If you get the chance, introduce a beauty to your brother here too. Haha. I won’t disturb you anymore—I’ll go find that guy Feng Yun to eat with.”
It was all because of that big mouth Feng Yun.
From now on, I couldn’t let him know anything important.
When I arrived at the cafeteria, Zi Xue was already waiting under a tree outside.
Standing there, she looked like a pure white lily surrounded by green leaves.
I quickly walked over and said apologetically, “A classmate stopped me to talk for a while. Sorry to keep you waiting.”
Zi Xue gave me a sweet smile.
“It’s alright. Let’s go.”
I reached out to hold Zi Xue’s hand.
Her face turned red and she dodged it.
“There are so many people here,” she said softly. “Could you not do that? Besides, the academy doesn’t allow…”
I frowned and looked at her.
After a helpless sigh, I said, “Alright. I respect your choice.”
Zi Xue smiled.
“Let’s go eat.”
The cafeteria was as lively as ever.
I had already become somewhat famous in the academy. Anyone who dared accept a challenge from the top fighter would naturally become famous—not to mention my relationship with Zi Xue.
As soon as I entered, many people turned to look at me.
I ignored them and went straight to get food.
I bought the best dishes for Zi Xue and two portions of medium-quality food for myself.
Watching Zi Xue eat slowly, taking tiny bites, I frowned.
“You’re eating far too little. Eat more. Otherwise how will you stay healthy? Look at me—one meal of mine could feed you for a whole week.”
As I spoke, I pointed to the mountain of food in front of me.
Zi Xue covered her mouth and laughed.
“If I ate as much as you, what would happen to me? You’re big, so of course you need more food. I’m a girl. If I eat too much and gain weight, you won’t like me anymore.”
My expression changed immediately.
“What kind of person do you think I am?”
Seeing that I was unhappy, Zi Xue quickly said, “Alright, alright. I said the wrong thing. I’ll eat more, okay?”
Only then did my expression soften.
“By the way,” I asked, “where’s that arrogant girl who always follows you around?”
Zi Xue looked around before whispering, “Keep your voice down. She went home for lunch. If she heard you talk about her like that, she’d explode again. Yesterday I spent a long time comforting her. And you—why are you acting like a child? I even have to coax you.”
I smiled.
“You’re older than me anyway, so what’s wrong with coaxing me? As for that Jin-something girl, she’s naturally arrogant. Why can’t people say it? She’s clearly been spoiled since childhood. Why do you all go home to eat so often? Don’t you like the food here? I think it’s quite good.”
Zi Xue wrinkled her cute little nose.
“The food at home is indeed better than here. But the main reason is that we don’t want to attract too much attention. Whenever we come here, everyone stares at us, so it’s impossible to eat peacefully.”
I snorted coldly.
“If anyone dares stare at you, I’ll tear him apart.”
Zi Xue grabbed my hand quickly.
“What are you doing? That brute strength of yours is acting up again. You can’t control everyone’s eyes. Actually, my sister asked me to go home for lunch with her today, but since you invited me…”
I looked at her in confusion.
“Sister? Which sister?”
Zi Xue looked at me as if I were some kind of monster. After a long moment, she finally said, “You don’t even know my sister’s name? That’s really ignorant.”
I shrugged and smiled. “Is your sister that famous? She isn’t the academy’s top expert, is she?”
Zi Xue said proudly, “Of course my sister is famous. She may not be the top expert, but she is the number one beauty in the academy.”
I froze.
The number one beauty in the academy? That sounded a little exaggerated.
That duke really knew how to produce children—both daughters were beauties.
I asked, “How many children are there in your family? Don’t tell me there’s another sister ranked among the beauties.”
Zi Xue lightly hit me and laughed. “No. There are only my sister and me. There are many people chasing after my sister. A lot of them don’t even care about the academy rules—they openly pursue her right here in the academy. Especially Li Wa. He’s the most persistent.”
I suddenly understood.
“No wonder he treated you so politely yesterday. So it has something to do with your sister. By the way, what’s your sister’s name?”
Zi Xue said, “My sister is called Zi Yan. She’s a third-year student and cultivates Light Magic. She’s also the Vice Principal’s favorite student.”
I froze again.
Light Magic.
Why did that sound so uncomfortable to my ears?
It was probably because I cultivated Dark Magic. After all, the two were naturally incompatible.
Fortunately, nothing troublesome happened in the cafeteria today, and Zi Xue and I finished our sweet meal smoothly.
There weren’t many classes in the afternoon, so I returned to the dormitory and began practicing my Berserk God Technique.
Ever since breaking through the first layer, my cultivation speed had been quite fast. Although there was still some distance before reaching the second layer, I was confident I could complete it before the competition.
What delighted me the most was the progress of the Heavenly Demon Art.
Compared to before, the speed could only be described as astonishing.
The third layer should have been far harder to cultivate than the second, yet my current training speed was even faster than when I had cultivated the second layer before.
If things continued like this, I would soon be able to achieve the Fallen Angel transformation.
Li Wa?
I wasn’t afraid of him at all.
(Of course, it was a pity that I couldn’t easily use it.)
Early the next morning, I grabbed Black Dragon and was about to leave the academy for a run when I ran into Zi Xue.
I said happily, “What a coincidence. You came to find me so early. Come on, let’s take Black Dragon out for a walk.”
Zi Xue walked over and gently stroked Black Dragon’s large head.
However, the heaviness on her face was impossible to hide.
Something was wrong.
I immediately asked, “What happened?”
Zi Xue suddenly threw herself into my arms and burst into tears.
Holding her soft body, I asked, “Tell me quickly—what happened? Did someone bully you? I’ll tear him to pieces.”
As I spoke, an icy killing intent spread from my body.
Zi Xue grabbed my clothes tightly and shook her head.
“No one bullied me.”
I said in surprise, “Then why are you like this?”
Zi Xue let go of me and lowered her head.
“My father found out about us.”
I relaxed immediately.
I thought it was something serious.
“That’s all? You almost scared me to death.”
Zi Xue stared at me with wide eyes.
“And you don’t think that’s serious?”
I replied casually, “What’s the big deal? Your parents would find out sooner or later anyway. How did your father learn about it?”
Zi Xue shook her head gloomily.
“There are probably informants in the academy. And you made such a big scene… You don’t understand—my father is very stubborn. If he decides he doesn’t like you, nothing you say or do will change his mind. Last night when I went home, he spoke to me with a dark face and told me to bring you to our house tonight.”
Hearing her words, I laughed.
“Relax. Nothing will happen. With my qualifications, would your father really refuse me? Meeting the parents this soon—I didn’t expect that.”
Zi Xue said, “Aren’t you worried at all? My father is famous for having a terrible temper.”
I snorted.
“You should know that my temper isn’t very good either.”
Zi Xue nearly fainted from anger.
For the first time, she lost her temper. Like a little lion, she shouted, “Is that the attitude you plan to have when meeting my father? That’s not visiting a parent—that’s going to a duel! That man is my father. Are you really going to fight him? With that attitude, how can I not worry?”
Her little face was flushed red.
She looked incredibly adorable.
I pulled her into my arms and kissed her firmly on the lips.
Zi Xue struggled in dissatisfaction, but my intense passion completely overwhelmed her resistance.
After a long while, I finally released her.
Her face was flushed red.
I said softly, “I promise I won’t clash with your father. Is that alright? Don’t be angry anymore.”
Zi Xue rested against my chest.
“You must keep that promise. This concerns our future.”
I nodded.
“Don’t worry. I guarantee the mission will be completed.”
Sitting in class, I absentmindedly thought about the opponent I would face that evening—the Duke, a powerful official of the Dragon God Empire, someone who stood on equal footing with a prince.
Suddenly Huo Xing poked me.
I turned to look at him.
He whispered, “Lei Xiang, pay attention. Teacher Zhuang has looked at you several times already.”
I snapped back to my senses.
Sure enough, when I looked at Teacher Zhuang, she shot me a reproachful glance.
I quickly responded with an apologetic smile.
Soon, noon dismissal arrived.
Zi Xue had told me that morning she wouldn’t eat lunch with me today. She was going home first to “prepare something.”
I had no idea what she needed to prepare.
Most likely she was trying to recruit allies.
After lunch, I returned to the dormitory and continued practicing the Berserk God Technique.
Cultivation was the most important thing to me, because everything depended on possessing powerful strength.
I didn’t know how much time had passed when Feng Yun suddenly ran in.
“Lei Xiang! Hurry! Zi Xue is looking for you!”
I circulated the Berserk God Technique once through my body, took a deep breath, drew my battle energy back into my dantian, and opened my eyes.
“What time is it now?”
Feng Yun said, “Look outside yourself. It’s almost dark. Hurry up—Zi Xue asked me to call you. She looked really anxious.”
Sure enough, the sky outside had already darkened. Only a faint glow remained on the distant horizon.
It was already evening.
I nodded. “Thanks.”
After changing into what I believed was my best set of clothes, I rushed out of the dormitory.
As soon as I stepped outside, I saw Zi Xue waiting anxiously.
“Hurry,” Zi Xue said. “My father hates people who are late.”
She grabbed my hand and pulled me forward.
While we walked, Zi Xue said, “When you meet my father later, you must keep a good attitude.”
I smiled.
“Don’t worry. I’ll restrain myself.”
Zi Xue said, “Also, my father might test your skills. You should be prepared.”
I asked in surprise, “What level is your father?”
Zi Xue glanced at me and said, “He should be a Mid-Rank Light Knight. I haven’t seen him make a move in a long time.”
I was greatly shocked.
“Then doesn’t that mean your father has strength comparable to an ordinary Dragon Knight?”
Zi Xue said proudly, “Of course. Did you think my father became a duke so easily? Even though he’s a civil official, someone in his position must have martial ability for self-defense. While he’s not as strong as the Three Great Marshals, he’s still a well-known expert in the imperial capital.”
I frowned.
“Then how am I supposed to compete with him? My strength is only at the Sword Master level.”
Although I was confident in myself, I wasn’t foolish enough to believe I could contend with a Light Knight.
Zi Xue laughed.
“So you can be afraid too. Don’t worry. My father will at most test you a little. He won’t really fight you. We’re here—let’s go in.”
I looked up and realized we had arrived at the Duke’s residence.
Steadying my mind, I followed Zi Xue inside.
It truly deserved to be the residence of a duke. It was impossible to tell how large the entire estate was. The surrounding walls were over twelve feet high. After passing through the main gate, there were many patrolling guards inside. The courtyard layout wasn’t luxurious, but it was extremely elegant. At a glance, it was clear that the person who arranged it was no ordinary individual.
Zi Xue said proudly, “Our courtyard is nice, isn’t it? My sister designed it all herself.”
Hearing that, I couldn’t help feeling a bit curious about this so-called number one beauty of the academy, whom I had never met.
After all, women who possessed both wisdom and beauty were rare.
Zi Xue stopped a servant and asked, “Where is my father?”
The servant replied respectfully, “The Duke is in the reception hall. He instructed that when you return, you should go see him immediately.”
Zi Xue nodded. “Got it. You may go.”
Then she said to me, “Lei Xiang, Father is waiting for us.”
I felt her hand damp with sweat. She was clearly extremely nervous.
I squeezed her hand gently and said, “Don’t worry. I’ll make him acknowledge me.”
When we entered the reception hall, the first thing I noticed was its vast size. By my estimate, it was about three hundred square meters.
At the main seat at the front of the hall sat a man who appeared to be in his forties. He had a dignified appearance—one could easily imagine that he must have been extremely handsome in his youth.
Behind him hung a huge painting of Nine Dragons.
He must be Zi Xue’s father.
Seated below him on the left was a beautiful woman. It was impossible to tell her age just from her appearance. If someone had told me she was Zi Xue’s sister, I might have believed it.
I only realized she was married from the ornaments in her hair.
Could she be Zi Xue’s mother?
If that was the case, it would perfectly explain why Zi Xue and her sister occupied two places among the Eight Great Beauties of the Academy.
When I looked at the seat on the right, I was stunned.
So beautiful.
A young woman wearing a light blue long dress sat there. She seemed to be about the same age as me. Her appearance somewhat resembled Zi Xue’s, but she surpassed Zi Xue by a few points in beauty. She was also slightly taller.
When she saw Zi Xue and me enter, she smiled at Zi Xue—but didn’t even glance at me.
As expected of the academy’s number one beauty—her arrogance was unmistakable.
What caught my attention most was the sacred aura around her body. It was clearly the result of years of cultivating Light Magic.
She must be Zi Yan.
All of this I observed in just a brief moment.
Zi Xue had already run forward and said to the middle-aged man, “Father, I’m back. This is Lei Xiang.”
I quickly stepped forward and bowed.
“Greetings, Duke. I am Lei Xiang.”
The Duke nodded.
His expression revealed neither joy nor anger.
He said calmly, “Raise your head.”
I straightened and looked directly at the Duke.
Sharp light flashed from his eyes as he examined me from head to toe.
Zi Xue secretly signaled to her mother.
The Duchess spoke, “My lord, look at this young man’s build. It’s rare to see someone so tall and strong.”
It seemed the Duchess didn’t hold much authority in the household. The Duke only gave a noncommittal grunt.
Then he said to me, “Lei Xiang, I heard that in Tiandu Academy you openly declared that you intend to pursue my daughter. Is that true?”
I nodded.
“Yes.”
The Duke frowned.
“Then you should know that Tiandu Academy forbids students from developing romantic relationships.”
I nodded again.
“I know.”
The Duke suddenly stood up, anger appearing in his voice.
“Since you know that, I hope you will stop bothering my daughter from now on.”
I looked at the Duke and replied calmly, “I’m sorry. I can’t do that.”
A cold aura erupted from my body.
Leave Zi Xue?
Even if you were her father, that wouldn’t happen.
My sudden change immediately attracted everyone’s attention. Behind me, Zi Xue kept tugging at my clothes.
The Duke grew furious.
“Who do you think you are? Do you think you’re worthy of my daughter?”
I smiled faintly.
“As for whether I’m worthy or not, that should be for Zi Xue herself to judge. Since you are a duke, I assume you wouldn’t look down on me simply because of status.”
“If we went back thirty years—if you yourself had fallen in love with the daughter of a powerful family, what would you have done? Would you have given up just because her father said so?”
“Status changes along with a person’s circumstances. Perhaps ten or twenty years from now, the position I hold won’t be any lower than yours.”
My tone was neither humble nor arrogant.
Everyone present was stunned.
No one had expected that I would dare speak to the Duke this way.
Zi Xue cried out, “Lei Xiang! You promised me!”
Zi Xue… how could you understand your father’s mentality? I thought.
If I humbled myself completely, it would only make him despise me.
Although my approach was risky, at least it left some chance.
The Duke raised his hand, stopping Zi Xue from speaking further.
He lowered his head, as if my words had struck something in his heart.
After a long moment, he raised his head again.
“Good. Very good. Since you have such ambition, I would like to see what kind of strength allows you to speak so boldly.”
“Take this!”
With a sweep of his sleeve, he first sent Zi Xue away from my side.
Then he lightly struck out with a palm.
Powerful battle energy enveloped an area of about one zhang.
He was forcing me into a direct clash.
Instead of being alarmed, I was secretly delighted.
I had long known he would test me.
With his status as a duke, he naturally couldn’t engage me in a full battle across the hall.
But now that he had attacked—
My opportunity had come.
I focused my mind and gathered my energy, channeling the Berserk God Technique battle energy into my right fist. My left leg stepped slightly to the side, my waist sank, and I rooted my stance firmly.
With a loud shout of “Ha!”, I punched forward.
Battle energy surged wildly from my right fist, forming a pale yellow column of energy that collided with the Duke’s right palm.
The moment fist and palm met, I sensed something was wrong.
The Duke’s battle energy was not released outward—it was contained within. My battle energy struck his palm yet failed to cause him the slightest harm.
When our attacks truly connected, I felt the Duke’s battle energy flow steadily and peacefully. Seven successive waves of energy surged from his palm, each stronger than the last.
With a thunderous boom, violent air currents burst outward from the center where we stood.
At that moment, Zi Yan showed remarkable composure. With a light shout, she cast a Light Magic barrier, enclosing the Duke and me within it. Although the scattered battle energy battered the barrier until it trembled violently, not a single trace escaped.
I staggered backward—step after step—retreating seven steps in succession until my body struck the barrier Zi Yan had created.
Only then did I stop.
A trace of surprise flashed in the Duke’s eyes. He let out a long laugh, swiftly moved forward, and struck again with another palm.
As expected of a Light Knight—his strength was truly formidable.
While rapidly casting first-level attack spells of various elements—since their low rank allowed them to be cast quickly—in an attempt to disrupt him, I simultaneously gathered the power of the Berserk God Technique once more.
With a loud roar, I shouted,
“Raging Storm!”
This time I did not meet the Duke head-on. Instead, I smashed my fist heavily into the ground.
In this dangerous moment, I could no longer worry about damaging anything.
For the first time, I unleashed the first move of the Berserk God Fist—Raging Storm. It was the only move I could currently use.
The Duke released his battle energy outward and easily blocked the magic I had cast.
When he noticed that I had not confronted his attack directly, he feared he might accidentally kill me. His momentum weakened slightly, and the strength of his palm dropped by about thirty percent.
At that moment, the floor in front of him suddenly exploded.
A powerful burst of battle energy shot upward along with fragments of shattered stone, colliding directly with his palm.
It wasn’t that I didn’t want the explosion to occur beneath his feet, nor that I didn’t want to attack from behind.
But if I had done that, with his strength it might not have injured him at all—and it might instead have angered the Duke.
By attacking his palm directly from the front, I could not only resolve the immediate crisis but also leave a favorable impression.
He would certainly understand that I wished to fight him openly and honorably.
When the floor exploded, the Duke immediately sensed something wrong. He instantly changed his attack from a forward strike to a downward one, meeting Raging Storm head-on.
The powerful recoil made my entire body feel as if it were about to tear apart.
If not for my unusually strong physical defense, I would probably have already spat out blood.
Because the Duke had been caught off guard this time, even he was forced to take a step back.
The violent airflow and flying debris finally broke through the barrier Zi Yan had created.
The entire hall instantly filled with dust and chaos.
I remained fully alert, ready in case the Duke attacked again.
If he struck once more, I would likely have to use the Heavenly Demon Art. Otherwise, I would have no way to resist him.
That was a situation I did not want to see.
The Duke stood where he was, thick battle energy radiating from his body and forming a protective membrane that separated him from the surrounding dust.
Zi Yan quickly cast another defensive spell, shielding herself and Zi Xue within it.
When she looked at me, a strange glimmer flashed in her eyes.
The Duchess relied on battle energy as well—a circle of pale blue energy protected her.
The Duke nodded at me and said, “Not bad. Being able to withstand two palms struck with fifty percent of my power makes you outstanding among the younger generation. You should be one grade lower than Zi Xue, correct? I estimate your potential will not be inferior to Li Wa in the future.”
Damn it—Li Wa again.
Why did everyone keep comparing me to that guy?
I said, “Thank you for your praise. May I ask if you can now entrust Zi Xue to me?”
The Duke burst into hearty laughter.
“When did I ever say I would entrust Zi Xue to you? You’re thinking far too simply.”
I said angrily, “You—you weren’t testing me just now?”
The Duke replied, “That was merely a test of your strength. If you wish to associate with my daughter, you must first pass that test. For now, you have barely passed.
“However, my daughter is still young, and Tiandu Academy does not permit romantic relationships. Therefore, from now on you are not allowed to get excessively close to my daughter. Do you understand?”
Hearing him say I had barely passed, I couldn’t help letting out a sigh of relief.
At least he was no longer opposing us.
I bowed respectfully.
“Then thank you. I will not get ‘excessively’ close to Zi Xue in the future.”
The Duke nodded in satisfaction.
“I only acknowledge you temporarily. Don’t celebrate too soon. Your future depends on your own efforts. If you cannot meet my standards, I will have Zi Xue cut off contact with you at any time.”
I was stunned.
“What standards do I need to meet?”
The Duke chuckled.
“It’s not easy to become my son-in-law. Although your talent is good and your foundation is solid, your strength still falls far short. What happens next depends on your own effort.
“Also, you don’t expect me to marry my daughter to a commoner, do you?
“That’s enough. I won’t keep you any longer. Servants—see the guest out.”
After being escorted out of the Duke’s residence by a servant, I kept thinking about what the Duke had said.
After a long time, I finally realized something.
I had been played.
Damn it.
What kind of duke was that? He was a complete old fox.
Saying he temporarily acknowledged me—wasn’t that basically the same as not acknowledging me at all?
Not only did I have to increase my strength, I also had to become an official.
Damn it.
Who knew what his standards were?
Was he expecting me to become a Dragon Rider General?
Feeling extremely depressed, I returned to the dormitory.
To calm myself down, I practiced the Heavenly Demon Art as usual.
The icy, piercing sensation quickly soothed my mind.
The next day at noon, I met Zi Xue in the cafeteria.
I complained to her, “Your father is far too cunning. Yesterday he clearly tested me already, so why did he still add so many conditions?”
Zi Xue smiled.
“Do you think becoming an official is easy? My father worked extremely hard to climb to his current position. If he starts playing mind games with you, you have no chance of winning.
“But don’t be angry. After you left yesterday, my father said he actually admired you.”
I snorted.
“I don’t care whether he admires me or not. As long as you admire me, that’s enough. If he refuses to approve of us in the future, I’ll just take you and elope.”
Zi Xue’s little face turned red.
“You’re so annoying.”
My expression changed.
“Don’t tell me you wouldn’t be willing to go with me?”