Chapter 7: Children of the Jianghu
Chapter 7: Children of the Jianghu
When Ling Yi finally made it back to Spring City, dragging his exhausted body, it was already the evening of the next day.
His phone had long run out of battery.
A group of classmates all blew up after hearing about his ordeal. They nearly called him one by one to find out what happened. Ling Yi had found a place to stay for the night, planning to get a good rest, but he hardly slept at all.
As the incident continued to stir, today saw non-stop phone calls. Even though each call was kept brief, the battery still got completely drained.
The last call was from his rumored girlfriend Luo Xue, who was studying far away in Chu State. They hadn’t spoken for long before the phone automatically shut down.
At the time, Ling Yi warned Luo Xue that his phone was out of power. After hearing this, Luo Xue on the other end only said one thing: “I’ll return to the country right away!”
At this point, what could her return change?
Ling Yi decided that once he got home, he would contact Luo Xue immediately and tell her not to come back and wade into this muddy water.
Along the way, he had completely figured it out: his Adoptive Father’s death could not possibly be an accident.
What roles Zhao Tianping and the Academic Faction played in it was still uncertain, but it was hard to call them innocent!
Especially the series of actions they took after his Adoptive Father’s death — they were clearly planned long in advance, catching everyone off guard!
Even Ling Yi, the person involved, was completely bewildered at the time, let alone everyone else.
If the other side hadn’t acted so decisively and given them some time, not to mention the Military behind his Adoptive Father, even those close to his Adoptive Father within the Academy would never have agreed!
If Zhao Tianping had hesitated even a little, even those young students of Zongwu Academy would have reacted.
After all, ungrateful scoundrels like Liang Shanming and Yang Tie were ultimately in the minority!
They truly couldn’t represent the overall atmosphere of Zongwu Academy.
It was true that those few rotten apples had tarnished Zongwu Academy’s reputation.
But sadly, it was too late to say anything now. The other side had moved too quickly and prepared too thoroughly.
Whether it was empty talk, actual actions, or public opinion, they had everything ready long ago.
The exposure by the traffic station might have angered them, but that was it — it couldn’t help anymore.
So from yesterday afternoon all the way to the last call before his phone died today, no matter who was on the other end, Ling Yi’s attitude was two words —
Don’t stir things up!
He wasn’t the only one who hadn’t received their diploma yet!
Once his small but extremely close group of classmates started making a fuss, no one understood the destructive power they could unleash better than Ling Yi.
If there was trouble, he would carry it alone.
He couldn’t drag down his classmates who had bright futures ahead of them.
No matter how talented you were, before you grew up, you couldn’t possibly be a match for that enormous entity.
Ling Yi decided that the moment his phone charged and turned on, he would make his stance clear in the class group chat.
Gazing at the familiar street scenes, memories sealed away for over a decade flooded his mind like a tide.
Back then, he had wandered to Spring City with his younger sister, hoping to settle down in this small city of eternal spring.
Here, he met Su Qingqing, who was also down on her luck. Also here, after saving a bit of money and preparing to get proper identities for the two girls, Ling Yi met the Old Principal who had returned to his hometown to pay respects to his ancestors…
Like a destined encounter, the three little pitiful ones finally found true stability after meeting their Dad.
They temporarily lived in the old house in Spring City.
Though after meeting the Old Principal, the three of them soon followed him to the Capital City and never returned.
But Ling Yi’s feelings for Spring City could not be replaced by anywhere else.
That old house, where they lived for less than a month, became the warmest home deep in his memories.
He even felt more comfortable there than in the villa within Zongwu Academy where he lived for over ten years.
Without his Adoptive Father, that place wasn’t home, but the old house in Spring City was an eternal home.
Because it was not only his Adoptive Father’s ancestral home, but also his property.
The name on the deed had been transferred to him by his Adoptive Father many years ago.
The old house was located in the central area of Spring City, a small, self-contained courtyard house.
It sounded impressive, but it might truly be, as Su Qingqing said, dilapidated from years of neglect and uninhabitable.
Due to some historical reasons, that area had never been demolished. It had now become a cultural landscape and wasn’t allowed to be torn down.
So the entire area still maintained its original, old-fashioned appearance.
Ling Yi liked the feeling of being undisturbed, so he decided to hire someone in a few days to properly renovate the old house. He might stay in Spring City for a long time.
As for where the money would come from, to be honest, that really wasn’t a problem for him.
Even though his Acupoints were sealed, and the Old Divine Physician Chen had determined they could never recover, he still had superb and polished martial skills!
Once his injuries healed, dealing with ordinary Third-tier Demon Beasts wouldn’t be a big issue.
And the Crystal Core of a Third-tier Demon Beast was worth over a million.
By casually going hunting, he could live quite comfortably.
If it weren’t for the revenge he needed to take, he could live very well in this world relying on his own abilities alone!
Just like over a decade ago, when he—an eight-year-old child—could survive in this world with his four-year-old sister, this little setback now truly didn’t amount to much for him.
Like a wild grass—no matter if you slash it with a blade, stomp on it, subject it to storms, lightning strikes, or fire… as long as a bit of its root remains, it will survive.
Ling Yi was that wild grass, not easy to kill.
It was getting late. Ling Yi found a bathhouse and walked in.
The dust and grime from the journey had long become unbearable for someone with serious cleanliness like him. Most importantly, with his accounts frozen and credit blacklisted, he couldn’t check into a hotel either.
As soon as he entered, he received an enthusiastic welcome—
“Welcome, one male guest, here are your slippers, towel, and locker key, please take the elevator over there to the second floor…”
To be honest, nothing was easy, and every job had its experts.
Ling Yi thought that doorman was pretty impressive—repeating the same words who knows how many times a day, yet still managing to keep that passion.
He went up to the second floor and reached the bathing area. After washing away the dust completely, Ling Yi finally felt like he had come back to life.
Even though his Adoptive Father’s voice and smile still kept surfacing in his mind, his mental state had improved a lot.
He requested a room. After taking out a set of disposable bedsheets and pillowcases from his backpack, making the bed, and plugging in his phone to charge, he threw himself onto the bed. A wave of intense exhaustion washed over him, and drowsiness surged.
But it wasn’t time to sleep yet. The moment his phone powered on, before he could make any calls, he saw countless messages lighting up the screen.
Then a call came straight through.
Su Qingqing.
After answering, the person on the other end breathed a sigh of relief.
“You made it?”
“Yeah.”
“Your phone got called until it died, right?”
“Right.”
“You’re safe, that’s what matters. Also, Xiaomei insisted on going to find you. I talked her out of it, and she’s crying in her room now. Do you want to say a few words to her?”
“Okay, give the phone to Xiaomei.”
A moment later, a muffled voice came from the other end.
“Brother…” followed by a burst of sobbing.
“Xiaomei, don’t cry.”
“Brother, I miss Dad, and I miss you. I want to go back to Spring City,” Ling Yun said while crying on the other end.
Ling Yi sighed and said, “The college entrance exam is almost here.”
“I know. I can get into any school. Brother, I’m not being unreasonable. Capital City… I don’t want to stay here for one more day.”
“What about the exam then? Which university will you apply for?” Ling Yi asked softly.
Ling Yun on the other end fell silent immediately.
Right, which university should she apply for?
Overseas?
Not practical!
Domestically, besides Zongwu, there was only Jing University. In her current state, Ling Yun definitely wouldn’t choose Zongwu, so Jing University nearly became her only option.
After a moment of silence, Ling Yun’s voice came from the other end. “Brother, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t make trouble at a time like this. I won’t come back. I’ll listen to Big Sister. After my exams are over, I’ll come back to Spring City to find you.”
“Okay. By then, the house will be ready too,” Ling Yi said.
“Save me a sunny room. You know what style I like.”
Su Qingqing’s voice came from the other end.
“You’re not working?” Ling Yi asked.
“Can’t I take time off work? It’s my home too, you know.”
“Fine, I’ll save it for you,” Ling Yi said.
After giving Ling Yun a few more instructions, he hung up the phone. After all, there were still many things he needed to arrange.
He opened an app and entered the class group chat. With thousands of messages, he couldn’t possibly read them all, but a quick scan made Ling Yi’s heart skip a beat.
A group of top students from Zongwu Academy were creatively cursing in the group. Even the quietest girls couldn’t help but hurl insults at Zhao Tianping and his crew.
After Ling Yi entered, he didn’t waste words and immediately started typing a voice message.
“Everyone, rest assured. I have safely returned to Spring City. Sorry to make you worry.”
“About my situation, please don’t act impulsively. I understand your feelings, but things are far more complicated than you think.”
“It’s not convenient to say too much here. Please save your energy. There will definitely be a time when I need everyone’s help.”
“When that time comes, I won’t hold back.”
“So for now, please stay calm. Don’t fall into anyone’s trap. I’ll take care of myself, and I hope you all take care of yourselves too. We’re still young and have a long road ahead.”
“A gentleman’s revenge can wait ten years.”
After Ling Yi sent his voice message, the class group of only eighteen people instantly became lively.
He Qin, the oldest in the class, was the first to respond. “Ninth Brother has returned to Spring City? It was a long journey. Rest well, I’ll visit you in a few days!”
Then came Sixth Brother. “Ninth Brother, just focus on healing. The brothers have got this.”
Seventh Brother. “Get well soon!”
Eighth Brother. “I heard Spring City has a type of Golden Fine-Scale Fish that’s especially delicious. Go get some, okay? I’ll come to Spring City to eat fish!”
Ling Yi. “…” After all he said, not a single proper response?
Was all his worry on the way back unnecessary?
Wait, that wasn’t right. When these people called him earlier, they weren’t like this. And those previous chat records were right there, they couldn’t be fake.
It didn’t make sense that they all acted normal the moment he spoke.
Knowing his classmates’ personalities well, Ling Yi immediately found Luo Xue’s private account and sent her a message. “Rumored Girlfriend Classmate, what are these people up to? Are they planning something?”
Luo Xue, who hadn’t spoken in the class group, replied instantly. “Class President, how bold of you. Why not drop the ‘rumored’ part?”
Ling Yi. “…”
When they first met back in the day, they immediately admired each other.
Not the romantic kind of liking, but mutual respect between martial arts geniuses!
During the first class gathering, when everyone had too much to drink, on the way back while escorting Luo Xue, she even wanted to become sworn siblings with him…
As for the “Rumored Girlfriend” title, it was just the classmates randomly shipping them and calling them that.
Nowadays, it had become a nickname between the two of them.
Ling Yi’s tone was serious and earnest. “I’m discussing important matters. Are they planning something behind my back? Luo Xue, this isn’t a joke.”
Luo Xue calmly replied with a voice message. “What planning? It’s just Children of the Jianghu, full of fighting spirit!”
Ling Yi was speechless. You’re a gifted student from the Champion Class, a top-ranked international student at Great Chu Academy… where did you learn such underworld slang?
Damn Children of the Jianghu!
If one or two were like this, maybe they’d all just figured things out. But if everyone was like this, even Luo Xue who was coming back directly from Great Chu… Ling Yi couldn’t help but think more.
He was really afraid these classmates would cause some incident that couldn’t be contained later.
“Children of the Jianghu” was teasing, but “full of fighting spirit” absolutely described these classmates of his accurately.
Lazy Ling Yi was the biggest oddball among these classmates!
Then, another voice message from Luo Xue came through.
“Alright, Ling Yi, it’s rare to see you so serious. Don’t worry, everything will be fine. I’m busy now, talk later, MUA… Bye~bye.”
When he sent another message, there was no further response from Luo Xue’s side.
With no other choice, Ling Yi contacted the one who usually listened to him the most—Eleventh Brother.
Including Ling Yi, there were eighteen people in the class. Among the twelve boys, Ling Yi ranked ninth. There were also six girls.
They were called the Champion Class because in various campus martial arts competitions, their class had never gotten second place.
Whether individual or team events, it was all first place!
Oh, right. Ling Yi, whether individual or team, had never stepped onto the competitive stage.
He only worked as a coach behind the scenes—in name only.
The real reason, of course, was laziness.
“Eleventh Brother, tell me, are they planning something?”
Ling Yi was genuinely starting to worry. These people must have agreed on something. He couldn’t just let this situation keep going.
“Ninth Brother, as I said before, please just focus on healing. The brothers and sisters of the Champion Class are united. Whatever happens to you today will happen to us in the future… you’ll understand then. Also, no matter how close we are, we won’t joke about our own futures! After all, we’re all high-IQ Children of the Jianghu. That’s all. Get well soon, Ninth Brother. We’ll see you in Spring City!”
Children of the Jianghu again…
They were definitely planning something!
Even Eleventh Brother, who usually listened to him the most, wasn’t talking. Asking anyone else wouldn’t reveal anything either.
Ling Yi could only hope these guys would be like what Eleventh Brother said and wouldn’t joke about their futures.
Otherwise, how could he ever face them again?