Chapter 2: Kicking Someone When They’re Down
Chapter 2: Kicking Someone When They’re Down
The atmosphere in the Zongwu Academy principal’s office was relaxed and harmonious. The newly appointed Grand Principal Zhao Tianping was receiving congratulations from a group of people.
“Congratulations on your official appointment, leader!”
“After weathering the storm, the moon is finally in view, haha!”
“Leader, you’ve worked hard for so many years, you should have been in this position long ago!”
“Though we shouldn’t speak ill of the dead, the truth is the truth. Hiding it won’t change the facts!”
“That’s right! He always liked to be a hands-off boss, never bothering with anything, always thinking about that other place! All the work was done by Principal Zhao, but all the credit and honors went to him. Why should that be? Hah, now it’s finally better!”
“Does this count as setting things right?”
“It absolutely counts!”
“Hahahaha!”
The spacious, bright office was filled with joy.
Zhao Tianping waved his hand calmly. “Alright, everyone, let’s not talk about the old principal anymore. We should respect the departed.”
Then, someone suddenly said, “Leader, is Ling Yi really crippled?”
The air in the room grew slightly still. People quieted down and looked at Zhao Tianping.
Zhao Tianping nodded firmly. “Yes, beyond recovery.”
If someone else had said it, it might have been false. But the words of the Divine Physician of Great Qin could not be false!
That martial arts genius, once said to appear only once in fifty years, was indeed crippled.
His past glory would also come to a complete end with Shen Xiaowu’s death!
“Will he make trouble?” the same person asked again.
“Make trouble? With what? He’s a cripple. Not sending him to prison is already an act of kindness! If he still doesn’t know what’s good for him, hah…” someone sneered from the side.
Zhao Tianping sat there with a calm expression. He had no interest in this topic anymore.
He suddenly thought of something. He picked up his phone, opened the contacts list, found the number labeled “Xiao Yi”, blocked it directly, and then deleted it.
Ling Yi returned to his room, looking at the freshly cleaned living room in silence.
Because that meteorite had entered his body, the acupoints he had already opened before were mysteriously sealed.
The vast power stored within those acupoints couldn’t be summoned at all.
Coupled with his severe injuries, his current strength was even less than that of an ordinary person.
He looked somewhat blankly at all the familiar things before him. For a moment, he didn’t even know what he could take with him.
Finally, his gaze fell on a photo frame placed on the coffee table.
In the photo, the Old Principal sat on a park bench with a kindly face. Eight-year-old Ling Yun sat on his left side, laughing happily, showing a mouthful of missing baby teeth.
Fourteen-year-old Su Qingqing sat on his right side. Her beautiful face, already shedding its childishness, wore a faint, reserved smile.
Twelve-year-old Ling Yi was leaning over the back of the bench, peeking his head out next to the Old Principal, laughing joyfully, showing two rows of neat teeth.
In a blink, ten years had passed.
In an instant, the setting remained but the people were gone.
Looking at this photo, a gentle smile appeared on Ling Yi’s face. He walked over, bent down, picked up the frame, and gently placed it into the backpack on the sofa.
Apart from this photo, there were only some clothes belonging to him and his sister here. Su Qingqing had moved out long ago. Over the years, the Old Principal had also owned very little. Besides some basic daily necessities, there wasn’t much else in this house worth taking.
Zhao Tianping had his own luxurious mansion outside and would almost certainly never live here, so this house would most likely remain empty from now on.
So, that was that!
Ling Yi slung the backpack over his shoulder, took one last look at every scene and object in the room, turned around, went out the door, closed it, and locked it.
He let out a long sigh and left the place.
When he appeared again on the Zongwu Academy square, he saw a dense crowd of people standing ahead.
Even more people gathered around from all sides when they saw him.
Their gazes were varied.
Some held sympathy, some indifference, some schadenfreude, and a few were filled with contempt and mockery.
Discussions buzzed through the crowd.
“He really got expelled? How could this happen?”
“It must be true. I heard he also owes the academy three billion!”
“Whoa… three billion? That’s so exaggerated? Wouldn’t that mean he could never pay it back in his lifetime?”
“I don’t know the specifics? But I feel there’s more to this story.”
“It shouldn’t be like this… Why would the academy leaders do this?”
Ling Yi silently watched the crowd, hearing the discussions.
Spreading throughout the entire academy in less than an hour—this was called not making it public?
Then, a few people slowly walked out from the crowd, looking at Ling Yi with disdain.
“You are truly a disgrace to Zongwu Academy!” said the leader, a young man in his early twenties, looking at Ling Yi with utter contempt.
Liang Shanming.
Ling Yi frowned, somewhat surprised.
Previously, it was almost certain he would stay at the academy to teach after graduation. As early as his sophomore year, he had already begun mentoring students.
From First Order skill training to Second Stage Acupoint Activation, Ling Yi had rich experience. Most of the academy teachers for the first and second orders were not as good as him.
The Liang Shanming before him was one year behind Ling Yi, one of the earliest students Ling Yi had mentored.
But back then, Liang Shanming’s attitude towards him was nothing like it was now.
When there were many people around, he would call him “senior brother” every other sentence, incredibly affectionate. When alone, he even called him “master.”
He never expected Liang Shanming to jump out and kick him when he was down at such a time.
Ling Yi looked at him calmly, saying nothing.
Seeing Ling Yi’s gaze fixed on him, Liang Shanming seemed a bit guilty, but he stiffened his neck and spoke with a hard expression. “I challenge you, this person who brings shame upon the academy!”
“How have I brought shame upon the academy?” Ling Yi asked him.
“You caused major property damage to the academy and were expelled. Isn’t that shameful?” Liang Shanming said loudly, looking around at the others. “Zongwu Academy hasn’t had an expelled student in how many years? I’ve certainly never heard of one. Tell me, everyone, if this isn’t bringing shame to the academy, what is?”
“That’s right! Don’t you know what you did? Do you need others to tell you? Shameless!”
“The academy wouldn’t expel someone for no reason. If your mistake wasn’t serious, why would you be expelled?”
The few people around Liang Shanming chimed in one after another.
However, many people in the surrounding crowd showed looks of anger.
Although they didn’t know exactly what had happened, and were skeptical about the rumor of “causing major property damage to the academy,” regardless, Liang Shanming and his group jumping out to kick someone when they were down was truly despicable.
Although Zongwu was a cultivation academy, its liberal arts programs were also very strong. Not everyone was just a martial artist who only knew how to cultivate.
Upon entering university, most were already adults with the ability to judge right from wrong.
Ling Yi’s expulsion was too suspicious. The timing was so intriguing. No one believed it had nothing to do with the recently deceased Old Principal.
“Being expelled must mean you committed a major mistake. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be expelled. Well, that logic isn’t flawed,” Ling Yi said with a self-mocking smile, looking at Liang Shanming. “To be honest, I’d also like to know exactly what mistake I committed, and what exactly this ‘major loss worth three billion’ was…”
“Stop making excuses here. If you don’t dare to accept my challenge, just say it outright!” Liang Shanming cut him off coldly.
Ling Yi looked at Liang Shanming, who stood there so righteously, looking as if he was executing justice on heaven’s behalf, and felt even more sorrowful in his heart.
Indeed, shamelessness knew no class boundaries.
Those who had expelled him did it to completely sever the line of the Old Principal.
Probably, he wasn’t the only one cleared out of Zongwu Academy around the same time; otherwise, his expulsion wouldn’t have passed in the meeting!
And were these people in front of him, like Liang Shanming, truly acting out of public spirit?
Kicking him when he was down at this moment—didn’t they know this would earn them contempt?
No, they knew perfectly well!
Despite their youth, anyone who could test into Zongwu was no fool!
So, choosing to step on him now—they probably wanted to curry favor as much as possible with those currently in power at Zongwu!
They would get noticed immediately!
As for other people’s contempt… what did that matter?
When they truly rose to power one day, who would bring up old matters from the past?
Who would dare to?
By then, perhaps no one would even remember the name Ling Yi.
“Stepping over me to climb up comes at a cost. You should think it through. And your actions today may not get you what you want,” Ling Yi said, looking at Liang Shanming.
He then glanced at the few people beside Liang Shanming: “Chang Quan, Miao Hai, Liang Lihong, Yang Tie… you were all juniors I mentored. You have great talent, you’re excellent, and you’re all very smart. Are you sure you really want to do this?”
He was a laid-back person, always getting along with others.
Even though he was once called a genius that Zongwu Academy saw only once in fifty years, he had almost never gotten into conflicts on campus.
So, this might have given many people the wrong idea, thinking Ling Yi was just a talented student with cultivation aptitude and nothing more.
The few people whose names he called out all felt a bit guilty.
Honestly, if they hadn’t heard that Ling Yi was truly crippled, they wouldn’t have dared to come challenge him with Liang Shanming even with extra courage.
“Haha, this is really hilarious. Ling Yi, have you lost your mind? I just can’t stand you, a disgrace to Zongwu, and want to challenge you. If you accept, say so; if you don’t dare, just say you don’t dare. Why waste time with all that nonsense?” Liang Shanming sneered and ridiculed loudly.
Seeing that Ling Yi still hadn’t accepted his challenge, he grew more certain—Ling Yi really was crippled!
This opportunity was truly once in a lifetime!
What could be more glorious than defeating this fifty-year genius?
As for that tiny bit of past teacher-student sentiment, what did it matter compared to the possible gains?
If he didn’t seize the chance to challenge Ling Yi first, these clever little guys around him who also got the inside information would probably snatch the opportunity away!
He wasn’t going to let that happen!
Thinking this, Liang Shanming pointed at Ling Yi and said loudly, “Ling Yi, cut the crap! Just say whether you dare to accept or not!”
“That’s right. If you don’t dare, just say you don’t dare. Don’t talk about anything else!” Yang Tie, whose name was called by Ling Yi, couldn’t help but add in a cold tone from the side.
“Are you even human?”
Just then, an icy voice suddenly came from the crowd. Everyone instinctively looked in that direction.
A tall, beautiful girl with a cool expression walked out from the crowd. She looked at Liang Shanming and the others and said, “You get some unreliable inside news, and while Senior Ling is seriously injured, you shamelessly come to kick him when he’s down? Anyone who wants to challenge him will have to get past me first!”
The surrounding crowd immediately stirred slightly, because the one who stepped forward was no ordinary person either!
Students who could test into Zongwu were already genuine geniuses, but this girl in front of them was a genius among geniuses!
Zhao Xinxin, a freshman at Zongwu Academy, soon to be a sophomore in the second half of the year, was one of the youngest and most outstanding students Ling Yi had mentored.
Only nineteen this year, she was already a Second Stage Acupoint Activation expert!
Though she couldn’t compare to Ling Yi, who had entered the second stage at fourteen, at Zongwu Academy, Zhao Xinxin was definitely one of the top Heaven’s Prides!
In terms of talent, she was a step above people like Liang Shanming, who only entered the Pressure Point Strike stage in their early twenties.
“Zhao Xinxin, this has nothing to do with you. Better not meddle blindly,” Liang Shanming gave a cold look at the bright and captivating girl in front of him, feeling a surge of intense jealousy. He stared coldly at Ling Yi. “You’re not going to let a little girl fight your battles for you, are you?”
“Look at his cowardly appearance. He probably just wants to hide behind a woman. It’s just that his classmates have already left school; otherwise, he’d definitely hide behind them and let others fight for him!” Yang Tie mocked.
“Yeah, thinking that someone like this actually taught me really makes me feel ashamed,” Chang Quan couldn’t resist joining in the mockery.
Once the arrow left the bow, there was no turning back. Since it had come to this, they might as well go all the way!
“You’re truly shameless!” Zhao Xinxin glared angrily at these people, then turned to look at Ling Yi, her eyes showing deep sorrow. “Senior, please accept my condolences.”
She was the first one who dared to step forward publicly to comfort him.
A touch of warmth rose in Ling Yi’s heart. He nodded to Zhao Xinxin. “Thank you. But they’re right. This matter has nothing to do with you. Let me handle it myself.”
“Senior, your injuries…” Zhao Xinxin’s eyes showed worry.
“It’s fine. Help me hold my backpack.” Ling Yi took off his backpack and handed it to Zhao Xinxin.
He looked calmly at Liang Shanming and his group, then turned his gaze to the surrounding crowd.
“Anyone else who wants to challenge me, don’t hold back. Step forward. Let me, your senior, give you one last lesson.”
Physically and mentally exhausted, extremely weak, unable to use any Acupoints power, Ling Yi nonetheless erupted with an imposing aura at this moment!
All around, silence instantly fell.
At this time, inside the office building of Zongwu Academy, many people who had gotten the news stood by the windows looking toward the square.
In the principal’s office, now occupied by only one person, Zhao Tianping also stood by the window, his gaze cold and expressionless as he watched.