Chapter 24: Teasing
Chapter 24: Teasing
The night that should have been fraught with tension felt remarkably ordinary to Tang Jinbiao. When the sky turned the color of ashes at dawn, Little Lv knocked on his bedroom door.
Knock, knock, knock!
“Young Master, time to wake up!”
Little Lv’s voice drifted through the ornate doors and windows.
“Hmm, coming!”
Tang Jinbiao responded. He rose, dressed, pushed the door open, and accompanied by Little Lv, walked slowly towards the Tang Family’s Martial Assembly Field.
The pair walked in silence. Perhaps due to the striking changes in Tang Jinbiao’s appearance and bearing over the past half year, the look Little Lv gave him held a subtle difference. Was it… spring fever?
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Melodious bell chimes floated over from the Tang Family’s rear courtyard.
The Tang Family boasted the title of the leading clan in Wuzhou. Its reputation and status were unquestionably beyond the reach of ordinary families.
Of course, a significant reason was Tang Jinbiao’s recent ‘life of seclusion.’ He barely knew anyone – not only other Tang Family members, but even his own mother remained unseen.
“Young Master, today is the Tang Family’s Grand Examination. I covered all the important points yesterday. Is there anything else you don’t understand?”
As they walked, Little Lv, seemingly still worried, lowered her head and asked softly.
“Mm, nothing unclear. I just don’t quite get it. Why does our Tang Family hold this grand contest solely to pick three youngsters for that Divine Wind Academy entrance test? And they only get admitted if they pass? Frankly, it feels entirely unnecessary!”
Tang Jinbiao frowned slightly, still harboring some incomprehension.
Lately, he had gained a little insight into the Tang Family’s influence. Boasting to be the premier family in Wuzhou, their estate alone spanned one hundred li in all directions. Such was the Tang Family’s presence that no others lived within a two-hundred-li radius. Only beyond that did settlements begin. It was undeniably a colossal force.
Moreover, the Tang family was populous, numbering several thousand. Of course, the core lineage counted only in the hundreds; the ‘several thousand’ included outsiders like Little Lv and collateral branches.
Yet, even so, the territory the Tang Family occupied within the vast expanse of Wuzhou amounted to barely a drop in the ocean.
The entire Wuzhou covered tens of thousands of li – a scale unimaginable to ordinary mortals. To put it simply: suppose you could walk fifty li per day. It would take you nearly a thousand days to traverse its length. What does a thousand days mean?
Three hundred and sixty-five days in a year. Ten years contained three thousand six hundred and fifty days!
So, for a mortal, walking fifty li daily without fail, it would still take roughly three years just to leave Wuzhou, and that was only if they walked in a perfectly straight line.
However, as vast as Wuzhou was, it paled into insignificance when compared to the Divine Wind Continent.
The Tang Family, colossal within Wuzhou, could only be described as ‘nothing special’ against the backdrop of the Divine Wind Academy.
Despite the Tang Family’s immense power, they still fought every year for the chance to select just three outstanding youths to attempt the Divine Wind Academy’s assessment. Only by passing could one become a student. What kind of existence the Divine Wind Academy was thus became clear.
“But it is necessary, Young Master! You have no idea how formidable the Divine Wind Academy is! Remember that old man you saw last time?”
Upon hearing Tang Jinbiao’s words, Little Lv stared at him as if he were an alien.
“Hmm, I remember. He acted all high and mighty, as if he were someone truly great.”
Tang Jinbiao immediately recalled the elderly man, introduced as the Divine Wind Academy’s Admissions Instructor, whom he’d seen upon his arrival. He held no fondness for the man.
“Young Master, ‘someone truly great’? He is incredibly important! Do you know? That old man’s name is Wang Ruhai. His personal Cultivation Level isn’t remarkable, only a Core Formation Cultivator. Yet, he’s responsible for the Divine Wind Academy’s admissions for the entire Wuzhou region. Do you know why?”
Little Lv scrutinized Tang Jinbiao for a few moments, ensuring he wasn’t deliberately teasing her before continuing.
“No. But going by what you say, if the Divine Wind Academy is that powerful, shouldn’t its Admissions Instructors at least be Nascent Soul Cultivators?”
Tang Jinbiao shook his head, seeming rather confused.
Hah!
Little Lv completely believed it upon hearing this—her Young Master truly might have amnesia—yet she didn’t feel annoyed. She continued explaining, “It seems Young Master really has lost his memory. Who knows what you’ve been busy with these past days? Running out every day instead of studying about the continent! Well, let me tell you. Although that Wang Ruhai is nothing special, he has a daughter—a truly extraordinary daughter. Rumor has it she became a powerful Tribulation Transcendent in just a short hundred years! She serves as one of the vice-principals at the Divine Wind Academy now! See? A Tribulation Transcendent! Yet even she is only a vice-principal at the Divine Wind Academy! What about their principal? Although our continent supposedly can’t tolerate stronger existences, people whisper that the principal of Divine Wind Academy is actually an immortal—just hiding out here!”
“What?”
Hearing Little Lv’s words, Tang Jinbiao couldn’t help but sharply draw in a cold breath.
Although he hadn’t learned much lately, he wasn’t entirely clueless. He clearly understood the stages of a cultivator’s progression: Qi Condensation, Foundation Building, Core Formation, Nascent Soul, Soul Refinement, and Tribulation Transcendence. Successfully transcending the tribulation meant ascension to the Immortal Realm—the dream for countless on this continent. What truly shocked him wasn’t the woman reaching the Tribulation stage in just a century—though that talent was staggering enough—but rather the principal of the Divine Wind Academy. If what Little Lv said was true… did it mean an immortal had secretly descended?
Fortunately, despite Little Lv’s casual tone, Tang Jinbiao, long immersed in cultivation novels, quickly grasped the gist. Of course, her explanation also planted an uneasy suspicion in his mind about why the Divine Wind Academy recruited so many genius students yearly.
“Ya ya ya! Brother Jinbiao!”
“Aiyo aiyo! Isn’t this Brother Jinbiao? What’s up? Is Brother Jinbiao going to the contest too?”
Just as Tang Jinbiao was processing this information, two velvety voices suddenly called out from behind him, sending a chill down his spine.
“Hmph!”
Hearing those voices, Little Lv turned and saw the two newcomers. Her expression darkened slightly, revealing anger.
“Damn it! Those two persistent pests!”
Tang Jinbiao cursed inwardly, but still mustered a faint smile. He turned around with a chuckle, saying, “Heh heh, long time no see, my… dear brothers!”
“Indeed, Brother Jinbiao! The contest starts today! Hope you’ll be kind enough to guide us later, eh?”
Tang Huaxi spoke slowly, his face full of a grin, his vivid red eyebrows twitching in an exaggerated, almost flirtatious manner.
“Gag!”
The more Tang Jinbiao stared at Tang Huaxi’s crimson eyebrows, the stronger his urge to vomit grew, especially now—memories associated with ‘Brother Jinbiao’ had left a deep scar.
“Brother Jinbiao! Where have you been these past few months? We couldn’t find you anywhere! We feared something terrible had happened! We’ve missed you bitterly!”
Beside him, Tang Xingchi also rubbed his hands together eagerly, excitement flushing his pale face with an unnatural crimson again.
“Heh heh, well, I’ve missed you two… dearly too!”
Tang Jinbiao chuckled dryly. These two obviously had no idea that Tang Jinbiao’s strength had undergone a tremendous leap in these short months—he was far from the punching bag he once was. He’d endured untold hardship precisely for this day!
Thump!
Seeing Tang Jinbiao’s expression, a flicker of unease passed through Tang Huaxi and Tang Xingchi. Something felt off. They exchanged a glance, but quickly forced smiles back on.
“Oh oh, is that so, Brother Jinbiao? Then… be gentle later during the contest, eh? We’ve been slacking off on practice these months—our legs rusted! Might not be too nimble!”
Tang Xingchi’s face still carried that unnatural flush, eyes radiating intense desire.
“Yeah, Brother Jinbiao! Go easy on us later!”
Tang Huaxi chimed in beside him.
“Heh heh!”
Tang Jinbiao couldn’t be bothered with them. Giving a mysterious smile, he motioned for Little Lv and resumed heading towards the venue.
…
“You think that trash might have found some backing?”
After Tang Jinbiao left, Tang Huaxi and Tang Xingchi found a secluded spot to whisper.
Tang Huaxi said, “Scared of what? That waste still can’t cultivate right? He has no Spiritual Energy inside him! Without Spiritual Energy, he can’t even use a Spirit Artifact! What’s there to fear?”
“It’s just… I feel something’s wrong. Could that trash be cultivating again?”
Tang Xingchi seemed tense, the unnatural crimson still coloring his pale face. Was it excitement or anxiety?
Tang Huaxi immediately dismissed Tang Xingchi’s suggestion while voicing his own concern, “Nonsense! His Spiritual Root dissipated! And you sensed it just now, right? Not a trace of Spiritual Energy pulse on him! The only thing bothering me is this: What if his Body Refining Technique made huge strides? What if he became a second-stage Body Refiner? If he’s that, we’re no match!”
“No way! Didn’t the Elders say ordinary folks need at least three to five years of training just to start Body Refining? Advancing to the second stage takes seven to eight years?”
Tang Xingchi clearly couldn’t believe that Tang Jinbiao could become a powerful second-stage Body Refiner in just three months…