Chapter 33 – The Plot Behind the Matches

The commoner students who had a strength comparable to Yan Xingtian gathered to discuss their strategy. Then, they began enacting it.

On the other side.

“Haha, those lowly idiots, they seemed to have realized.” Within the group of aristocrats, a tall and thin youngster with fair and clear facial features spoke. On his expression, he had a mocking smile.

This fair faced teenager was evidently the center of this group of nobles and had a fairly high status.

“Senior Brother Yalin, do you need us to do anything?” one of the noble students asked.

“No need.” The fair faced teenager, Quan Yalin, shook his head. He said, “Just follow our original plan. These lowly commoner scraps, apart from Yan Xingtian, does not amount to anything. Haha, as long as we control things correctly, by the time these challenge matches are finished, not even one commoner will be left on the list of ten! Haha!”

“Senior Brother Quan’s wisdom is indeed profound, we can only admire you!”

“Haha, with Senior Brother Qin’s strength to hold our position, and adding to this the schemes of Senior Brother Quan, we will definitely humiliate this year’s commoners!”

“That’s right, those commoner scraps, they dare to think they are equal to us, they really don’t want to live… they are only a group that has and always will be lowly servants!”

The surrounding nobles, unceasingly flattered Quan Yalin.

The lips of Quan Yalin, curled in a vain and haughty smile

He came from an average noble family and his cultivation talent could only be counted as slightly above average and was not shocking in any way. As a result of this, he was not in the list of ten at the start and did not hold much of a position.

But his mind was extremely agile and conniving, specializing in schemes and plots. Some of the things he did attracted Qin Wushuang’s attention. Later, using Qin Wushuang’s trust and position, he slowly emerged and aquired a role similar to that of a strategist. His prestige gradually rose, and now he was one of the leading figures of the nobles.

This time, the plan to deal with the commoner students through the challenge matches was also made by Quan Yalin.

He valued this scheme extremely highly.

This was unquestionably an opportunity for his prestige to rise to new heights.

In truth, this plan was not all that devious or clever. But this plan was a straightforward and frank plot; even if those stupid commoners saw through it, what could they do?

After all, in the first year, nobles held the absolute advantage in terms of quantity and quality. Even if they saw through it, they had no way to retaliate and hence no way of changing the outcome.

“Oh, that’s right, Senior Brother Quan, that Ye Qingyu, do we still have to keep an eye out for him?” a noble student suddenly asked.

In these days, apart from Yan Xingtian, the existence of Ye Qingyu was like a thorn to them, stabbing into the nobles’ heart. Especially after when Ye Qingyu defeated Xia Houwu and Liu Lei, their precautions against him had never diminished.

“That person…” Quan Yalin was silent for a moment.

He had a strange feeling that he could not see through Ye Qingyu. According to his previous judgement, Ye Qingyu could definitely place in the top twenty. But for some unknown reason, he had fallen so many places…

Had he really fallen, or was he hiding something?

Quan Yalin could not be certain.

“What is Ye Qingyu currently doing?” Quan Yalin asked.

“According to the people we sent to observe him, he did not come to the practice grounds and is instead at the martial library,” a noble student by him said.

“He went to the martial library again?” Quan Yalin frowned. Through these days of observation, he found that Ye Qingyu was nearly always at the martial library. What he did in there was not clear.

“It looks like this Ye Qingyu, has some self-awareness. He does not dare to offend us. It is said that he does not have much interaction between the commoners. Could it be that he wants to be a double agent?” The noble youngster sneered, saying, “This type of opportunist, we don’t need to care about too much. He won’t dare to interfere with our plan.”

There were quite a few noble students who shared the same sentiments.

But Quan Yalin shook his head.

Ye Qingyu was not someone who would be easily afraid, or else he would not beat Xia Houwu and Liu Lei, two noble experts, but… This fellow, what kind of medicine was he selling in his gourd?

Do I need to test him?

Quan Yalin’s gaze landed on a ring not far off.

When he saw a little figure doing battle on the stage, a thought suddenly appeared in his mind. He said with a considering tone, “The relationship between Song Xiaojun and Ye Qingyu is not bad?”

“You mean that silly and clumsy little girl? En, I think their relationship is good. Come to think of it, this is pretty strange. Ye Qingyu only has her for a friend in the entire student body, perhaps his taste is special and he took a fancy to this dumb little girl?”

“Haha, to speak truthfully, little loli’s are quite delicious too.” Instantly several noble students began talking maliciously.

“If it is really so…” Quan Yalin suddenly smiled.

He had a plan.

……

Ye Qingyu stretched his back, placing a book he had already finished reading back onto the shelf.

Apart from only reading manuals regarding cultivation, Ye Qingyu would also read other books. For example, he would also read books about the customs and conditions of Snow Country, books about various legends, biographies of famous people and unofficial history books.

As long as it was a book, he would read it.

He was born and raised in Deer City. Apart from the wilderness training, he had never left the city. Ye Qingyu had nearly no idea what the outside world looked like. Through reading these books, it was like a multi-coloured door slowly opening to him.

These days, Ye Qingyu spent nearly all his time reading.

He stood in front of the shelves, going through them shelf by shelf, not even missing any one of the books. Because of his potent memory, as long as he read it once, he was able to remember the contents.

If he was given another ten or so days, Ye Qingyu estimated that he could finish all the books in the martial library.

After finishing another book, Ye Qingyu stretched his body again.

Looking at the time, it was around time he returned to the dormitory for training.

Placing the book back on the shelf, Ye Qingyu walked outside.

When he appeared at the entrance of the martial library, the afternoon sun was still quite a hot. Pleasantly stretching, he was about to return to his dormitory when—

“Senior Brother Ye, Senior Brother Ye…”

A hurried voice travelled from far away.

Very quickly a chubby figure came running over. When he saw Ye Qingyu, an expression of hope and relief appeared on his face. He hurriedly said, “Senior Brother Ye, quick, quick, something has happened to Xiaojun…”

The chubby youth’s name was called Li Jin. He was a student from the first years and came from a family of merchants, with his strength being around the average category. He had a clean and fair appearance, looking like Buddha himself. He was always laughing and had a good personality.

Li Jin was a friend of Song Xiaojun.

Song Xiaojun was different from Ye Qingyu’s reclusive character. Her bewildering and clumsy personality made many people fond of her, and she had quite a few friends in the academy. Li Jin was one of her friends.

Because of Song Xiaojun, Ye Qingyu was able to recognize Li Jin.

“Speak slowly, what happened?” Ye Qingyu supported the chubby Li Jin who was gasping for breath.

“Senior Brother Ye, I’ve searched for you for half the day already. Quickly go… to the practice grounds, Xiaojun has encountered trouble…” Li Jin had an anxious expression, dragging Ye Qingyu towards the practice grounds.

“What has really happened?” Ye Qingyu said, while running towards the practice grounds.

“Someone has plotted against Xiaojun. They want to drag her name off the list of ten. Xiaojun has been injured…” Li Jin said impatiently.

……

“Little girl, why don’t you jump down.”

On the stage.

A haughty Xia Houwu laughed coldly.

In his hands, was a cold curved sword, with drops of blood sticking to the blade of the sword.

In front of him, the little loli Song Xiaojun had a shoulder cut, deep enough to see bone. She stood panting loudly for air. She was already extremely fatigued, having defeated over tens of challengers. Even though she was allowed to rest for fifteen minutes between each challenger, but she was still very, very tired.

For some unknown reason, two hours ago, the number of people challenging her increased explosively. And these challengers’ strength was extremely high, all being noble students. They were extremely heavy handed and did not show any mercy at all.

Xia Houwu was the seventeenth challenger.

He had the greatest strength and was also the cruelest.

Even if I lose, I won’t lose in his hands. Song Xiaojun did not speak, but her snowy white teeth bit her lips, her gaze determined.

“Haha, if you don’t see the coffin you won’t cry*. Previously, you’ve already taken my spot in the list of ten. You think that just because you have the support of Ye Qingyu, that you won’t have to worry about anything? Haha…” Xia Houwu licked his lips, a trace of excitement appearing in his fierce eyes.

That’s not right!

The little loli angrily pressed her lips together. In her heart, she was saying, this position is mine, it originally belonged to me.

“Haha, right now the trash Ye Qingyu has already fallen. He is useless in the end…” Xia Houwu unceasingly mocked Song Xiaojun.

“That’s not right,” the little loli finally spoke, her voice crisp and authentic. “Senior Brother Ye, he did not fall…”

“Hmph, he fell five hundred places, he is useless!” Xia Houwu laughed crazily.

“You are useless, he defeated you before!” the little loli said stubbornly.

“That’s in the past. The him right now is not my opponent at all…” Xia Houwu’s face darkened

“Senior Brother Qingyu can defeat you with just one punch.” The tone of the little loli’s voice was extremely determined.

“You… Haha, I’ve placed number nine in the rankings this time, how can he be compared to me…” Xia Houwu coldly laughed.

“He can defeat you with just one punch.” The little loli repeated her words, her eyebrows arching up.

“You motherfucker…” Xia Houwu was about to be driven crazy.

“One punch.” The little loli swung her pink and tiny little fist about.

“You are fucking looking to die.” Xia Houwu was finally enraged. This incident was his weak spot, it was his humiliation, he would not let anyone mention it.

His blade like lightning, and carrying with it Xia Houwu’s endless anger, swung out.

The little loli sniffed. The sword in her hand started vibrating, shining with a silver light, swinging to clash with the blade in Xia Houwu’s hands.

*Chinese idiom for the fact that people won’t react until its right in front of them