Chapter 130: Jealousy

This news felt like a giant boulder, smashing down on the already gloomy brothers and leaving them utterly bewildered! What loomed large in the hearts of Qin Feng and Qin Hu was no longer just gloom; more heavily… it was fear!

Could such a coincidence… really exist in this world?

Ever since they first heard that name, neither had slept well. They toyed with the idea of asking the Second Prince, but they heard that the noble from the Great Qi Kingdom, Qin Li, enjoyed the Second Prince’s high regard. Going now would likely only earn them a scolding. Worse, if it was the same person, it would mean certain death!

Hearing that Qin Li was coming to teach at the Advanced Academy deepened Qin Feng’s gloom. Toughing it out seemed like one option, but fleeing now felt like destroying their futures; their lives would be practically over.

Weighing their options, Qin Feng and Qin Hu decided they would tough it out. When Qin Li arrived at the academy, they would see with their own eyes if he was that man!

Both firmly believed that even if he turned to ash, they could recognize Qin Li! The hatred between them was etched into their bones!

“Heh, Qin Feng, aren’t you going to see that legendary person, Marquis Qin Li, Qin Hou? Lots of girls from our academy are there! Even Princess Highness Zhao Qianqian is said to have gone! Heh, haven’t you always been interested in the Princess…” A male classmate friendly with Qin Feng snickered creepily.

At the Empire Advanced Academy, some identities were common knowledge, while others kept a low profile, appearing mysterious. Many at the Imperial Academy didn’t know about Qin Feng’s family troubles, and those who did wouldn’t blab. Qin Feng and Qin Hu certainly weren’t foolish enough to broadcast it themselves.

And Qin Feng really did hold thoughts towards Princess Zhao Qianqian. Otherwise, why else would he feel nothing for his cousin, Mo Feifei? Compared to the Princess, Mo Feifei fell short in every way!

Ordinarily, Qin Feng thought highly of himself. His reputation as a genius wasn’t for nothing. Currently, he was striving to break into the Earth Rank! And this year, he was barely sixteen years old! If he truly succeeded in becoming an Earth Rank Martial Artist, he would be an unprecedented genius in the Azure Dragon Kingdom!

As for that Qin Li from Great Qi Kingdom, he had already made a name for himself before Qin Feng was even acknowledged as a citizen of the Azure Dragon Kingdom.

At least, that’s how Qin Feng saw it.

He always felt that once he succeeded in reaching the Earth Rank and established himself among the Azure Dragon Kingdom’s true elite talents, Princess Zhao Qianqian was sure to look favorably upon him. Then, if he pursued her, she wouldn’t refuse!

For the burning desire in his heart, for the dream of reviving his family, and to one day tear Qin Li to pieces and exact his vengeance, Qin Feng truly worked incredibly hard.

His driven progress had even raised the competitive spirit within the Empire Advanced Academy a few notches. Humans are complex. Within the Imperial Academy, Qin Feng’s mask was always firmly in place.

“I’ll go! Why wouldn’t I? Wait for me.” Qin Feng gritted his teeth, thinking that you couldn’t dodge what’s coming. If he wasn’t that man, then he and his brother had nothing to fear!

Thinking this, he deliberately found a black trench coat, pulled it on, and yanked the hood over his head, obscuring his face.

His classmate laughed. “Qin Feng, that outfit is really weird, ha. Are you trying to compete with that Marquis who shares your family name for the spotlight?”

Qin Feng considered it and realized his classmate had a point. Standing out too much might attract attention. He took off the hood, revealing his handsome face, and said softly, “Let’s go.”

…

Gathered at the entrance of the Advanced Academy were many students, their faces excited as they whispered amongst themselves.

The academy atmosphere was inherently relaxed, the rules for students not overly strict. So now, even quite a few teachers from the Advanced Academy mingled within the student crowds to watch the commotion.

Though, their feelings towards the arriving Marquis weren’t necessarily positive.

One man in his forties, clearly disliking Qin Li, frowned and complained to a young, pretty female teacher beside him. “He’s just some Earth Rank Seventh Tier Martial Artist. It’s not like the Empire lacks folks at that level. There aren’t many Heavenly Rankers, sure, but Earth Rank? Hmph, isn’t every Advanced Lecturer here one?”

True, as the Empire’s Advanced Academy, its faculty strength was the most formidable in the entire Azure Dragon Kingdom. Every teacher here was at least in the high tier of the Mysterious Rank. The headmaster, a figure as elusive as dragons, was long rumored to have reached the Heavenly Rank! Constantly in seclusion, it was anyone’s guess if and when he’d break through to the Heaven-Breaking Realm!

The middle-aged teacher speaking was named Liang Luo. At forty, he had already reached Eighth Tier of Earth Rank! He specialized in a fire-attribute Combat Technique, wielding a longsword. He was quite a recognizable figure within the Empire Advanced Academy.

Except his mouth was terrible, and his arrogance offended many. People generally avoided standing near him.

This young female teacher, Yi Ning, had only arrived at the Empire Advanced Academy this year. She was also an Earth Rank Martial Artist with a mysterious background and considerable influence. Combined with her beauty, many people gravitated towards her.

Yi Ning simply offered a faint smile, a thought unspoken: Have you considered his age? If you, at sixteen, had Earth Rank Seventh Tier strength, your pride would’ve soared beyond the clouds ages ago! But she kept that to herself.

Seeing she didn’t argue, Liang Luo misread it as agreement. Unable to resist, he added, “Teacher Yi Ning, I feel quite indignant on your behalf. You were the youngest Advanced Lecturer here, and now this guy hasn’t even arrived, yet he’s stolen your limelight. But me? I wouldn’t give him the time of day. I stand firmly on your side!”

Yi Ning gave another faint smile, though deep in her bright eyes a flicker of distaste appeared. This guy… really was unpleasant.

“Wow! Marquis Qin’s carriage is here!”

“Hey, really! Marquis Qin, I love you!”

“Shut up, Marquis Qin is mine!”

“…”

As Qin Li’s carriage entered the campus gates, the spontaneous welcome surged into full swing. The girls’ frenzy not only startled the academy’s male students and teachers but also gave Qin Li himself a fright.

Peeking through a slit in the carriage curtain, the sight of the huge crowd of young faces at the entrance genuinely stunned him. What shocked him more was the wave-like ripples of Prime Force emanating from the group!

This wasn’t just a bunch of love-struck teens. These were the future elite of the Azure Dragon Kingdom!

Was he this popular?

Qin Li was dazed for a long moment. He considered stepping out to say something, maybe wave, utter a “greetings comrades” or “thank you for your hard work,” but quickly felt it would be silly. I’m not a head of state… Plus, being so blatantly ostentatious on his very first day at the Advanced Academy would surely rub many the wrong way.

So, his stirring thoughts calmed instantly. The crowd, though enthusiastic, hadn’t blocked the path. Qin Li’s carriage easily passed through the midst of them, heading deeper into the campus.

“Damn! This Teacher Qin Li is too arrogant! So many people wanting to see him, and he doesn’t even show his face!” Qin Feng’s classmate complained softly beside him.

A nearby girl overheard, shot him a glare, and retorted, “What do you know? That’s called cool! If you have the skill to reach Earth Rank Seventh Tier at sixteen and get a Marquis title, then you can be like that!”

“Exactly! We all know you boys are just jealous of Teacher Qin’s achievements! Wake up! Jealousy is the root of all downfall! Striving for improvement is what you should be doing!”

“Mhm, boys should have broad minds. Being too petty means no girl would like them!”

The chattering girls ripped Qin Feng’s classmate to shreds with their barbs. He rolled his eyes in frustration, thinking, I only complained one time, do you really have to gang up on me like this?

After laying into him, the girls noticed Qin Feng, whose talent made him prominent, was also standing there. Feeling slightly awkward, they turned away and started excitedly speculating about what Qin Li actually looked like.

Qin Feng’s heart found a sliver of comfort. It seems I still hold some status in these girls’ hearts, much better than this guy beside me who’s been verbally slapped silly.

The students followed deeper into the campus. Most of the teachers who had come just to see the show, however, remained near the entrance. Following further would have been embarrassing. Their pride wouldn’t allow it.

Liang Luo curled his lip as he watched the mass of students depart. “Bringing that guy to the Advanced Academy was a mistake! What a good atmosphere this place used to have – everyone focused on training. But now? Look at it! Just look! What’s become of it? Boys green with envy, girls turned into simpering fools, shouting nonsense like… ‘Teacher Qin, I love you’… Preposterous! What proper behavior is this?”

Although Liang Luo usually had poor relations within the academy, his tirade now found echoes. Those agreeing were mostly the male teachers.

One athletic-looking man, appearing barely thirty, sneered coldly. “So he’s an Earth Rank Martial Artist, supposed to be good? Young? Supposed to be able to fight? Heh, Earth Rank Seventh Tier? Call me unconvinced. If the chance comes, I’d love to spar and see if his Five Elements physique is really as remarkable as the legends say.”