Chapter Thirteen: The Test of Strength

Shi Feng laughed and said, "The bigger the challenge, the more interesting it is. Besides, any woman who would look down on my brother isn’t worth cherishing! There are plenty of beauties in this world, but a true brother is irreplaceable. Women are like clothes; brothers are like your own hands and feet!"

He thumped his chest with a resounding thud. "I'm not someone who values romance over friendship! Hahaha… Alright, brother, don’t let this get you down. As for Elijie, even if the entire academy doesn’t believe you, at least I still do!"

Luo Chen was a little surprised, and even more moved. Rumors are fearsome; with so many mouths repeating lies, falsehoods can become truth. Yet Shi Feng still believed in him—such loyalty was rare.

Gripping Shi Feng’s hand, Luo Chen was on the verge of tears. "As long as you believe in me, I can die unjustly without regret!"

Shi Feng cleared his throat and continued, "If I were in your shoes, I’d have run too. Elijie is indeed a great beauty, but she’s not your woman. And besides, if you’re dead, no matter how beautiful she is, she’ll never be yours. Better to live and fight another day! So don’t feel guilty—fear of death is only human!"

Luo Chen nearly fainted from frustration. In the end, Shi Feng still believed he'd abandoned Elijie and run away! The bit of gratitude that had just risen in his heart vanished without a trace. Luo Chen felt even more dejected, shot Shi Feng a middle finger, and through gritted teeth spat, "You idiot, get lost!"

"Heh, get lost then!" Shi Feng didn’t mind in the least. Just then, a curvy young woman walked past, and he scampered over to strike up a conversation.

Luo Chen cursed under his breath, "Go flirt, go flirt—flirt with as many as you want, but be careful you don’t drain yourself dry!"

Shi Feng laughed loudly, "Ha! Your curses are useless, brat. I'm known as the ‘First Stud of Canglan’—a real powerhouse!" He flexed his biceps at Luo Chen.

"‘First Stud of Canglan’? Wasn’t that just a nickname you gave yourself?" Luo Chen rolled his eyes and pretended to gag. He thought to himself that his roommate’s shamelessness was truly unmatched. Only Shi Feng would wear a self-bestowed title like a badge of honor. Luo Chen couldn’t help but sigh—how did someone as pure as a white flower end up with such an oddball for a companion?

By now, Shi Feng had caught up with the girl. "Hey beautiful, there’s a famous circus in Silo City today—how about we…"

A few students passing by Luo Chen were deep in discussion.

"I just don’t get what’s so great about Luo Chen. Shi Feng even stayed alone in the Forest of Dread during the internship just to find him. Looks like he only just got back!"

"Shi Feng may be a womanizer, but his future is bright. Too bad he chose the wrong friend. If Luo Chen could betray Elijie like that, he’ll probably sell out Shi Feng one day too!"

Luo Chen was taken aback by what he overheard. Shi Feng hadn’t been out fooling around all night—he’d been searching for him in the Forest of Dread? For a friend like that, what more could one say?

Suddenly, Luo Chen’s spirits lifted. Even if the whole world looked down on him, at least he had a true brother by his side.

―――――

Life at the Martial Arts Academy differed from that of ancient academies. Students didn’t have to spend all day in classrooms, which were hardly suitable for training anyway. Still, each class gathered every morning for routine announcements from their homeroom mentor before being dismissed to pursue their own practice: seeking guidance from their Qi cultivation instructor, following the martial arts mentor to learn swordplay, saber techniques, or hand-to-hand combat, picking up movement skills from the agility mentor, or practicing hidden weapons at the range. Most martial academies used this flexible approach, allowing students to develop their talents freely with minimal constraints.

Luo Chen entered the classroom and took his seat, once again the subject of whispering and pointing from his classmates.

"Having Luo Chen in our third-year, class six—what a disgrace."

"Yeah, I don’t even dare tell others I’m in class six!"

"One rotten apple spoils the whole barrel!"

Especially those students whose performance had been surpassed by Luo Chen, the special admit—they seized the opportunity to mock and jeer. But Luo Chen had grown used to it, paying them no mind, instead pondering the strange insights he’d gained into the Qi-cultivating method and the odd things that happened during his breathing exercises that morning.

Soon, assembly time arrived, and a slightly portly middle-aged man entered the classroom—this was their homeroom mentor, Mr. Jason.

Jason was surprised to see Luo Chen, who had been missing for two days. As the head of class six, Jason had been embarrassed by the recent scandal, but being broad-minded, he said nothing about it.

After a brief motivational speech, Jason announced, "Everyone, let’s head to the training grounds for this month’s midterm strength test."

Only then did Luo Chen suddenly remember—it was already midmonth. Having lost track of time during his two days in the Forest of Dread, he hadn’t realized the date.

The academy had two special monthly events, aside from the regular assemblies—tests. The midmonth test was conducted within each class. Every class held a public strength test so students could gauge their progress and be spurred on to greater effort. Instructors compared each student’s results with their previous scores—if you stagnated or regressed, it was a mark of shame.

The end-of-month test, in contrast, was a comprehensive assessment conducted across the entire grade.

Under the guidance of Mr. Jason and the other instructors, the students arrived at the testing area on the training grounds. Before them stood a dark, drum-shaped machine mounted on a fixed stand—the academy’s standard strength tester, which could accurately measure the force of one’s strikes and convert it into data.

[This is the third chapter today, dear readers. Don’t forget to cast your remaining recommendation votes! After midnight, there’ll be fresh new ones for you to use. Don’t let them go to waste—please log in and give me your vote! One recommendation means ten points of popularity for a new book~~]