Dean’s Office
Standing at the front was Jin Anqi. Behind her stood Qingyi and Qiying.
Lian Qiguang leaned lazily against the wall, expressionless, staring at his toes.
As usual, no one knew where his thoughts had drifted off to.
“What huge matter has happened that it had to be brought all the way to me?”
Qing Murong leaned back in his chair, squinting as he looked at the group with an unreadable expression.
At the same time, he secretly glanced at the distracted Lian Qiguang.
“It was her!”
Qingyi pointed at Qiying angrily.
“She said everyone in the Rescue Department is a bunch of trash and cowards!”
“Dean, I’ve been wronged.”
Qiying looked at Qing Murong pitifully.
Her voice turned sweet and tearful, as though she had suffered an enormous injustice.
“I heard that Junior Lian Qiguang was very capable, so I wanted to ask him for guidance. But not only did he refuse, he took the chance to humiliate me.”
As she spoke, tears poured down her face.
Soft sobs escaped her lips.
Qingyi nearly laughed from anger.
She pointed at Qiying with one hand while pounding her chest with the other.
“Can you have any shame at all?”
“You’re a second-year Combat Department senior at Rank Six Soldier-tier, and you came to ask a first-year Rescue Department junior for guidance?”
“Who would believe that?”
“Don’t you feel embarrassed?!”
“Junior…”
Qiying looked hurt.
“I know you’re jealous of me, but how can you say something like that?”
“I…”
Tears kept streaming down her face.
“Even though your talent isn’t great, if you work hard and stop associating with strange people, one day you’ll become like me.”
“I…”
Qingyi nearly fainted from rage.
Poor talent?
Strange people?
Become like her?
“You shameless woman!”
“If you don’t want your face, I do. I happen to like mine.”
“Become like you? Then I’d be trash!”
“You…”
Qiying widened her eyes as if deeply wounded by those vicious words.
Her frail body swayed, as if she might faint at any moment.
“Enough!”
Jin Anqi shouted coldly, her face dark.
“Dean, this is my failure in discipline. I will punish my student properly.”
“Why?! It wasn’t my fault!”
Qingyi protested furiously.
“Shut up!”
“Teacher…”
“One more word and get out of Class One.”
“I…”
Full of grievance, Qingyi could only lower her head and twist her fingers in frustration.
Qiying glanced at her smugly.
“Dean, I will bear full responsibility for today’s matter. Please show leniency toward my student.”
“Lian Qiguang.”
As if he hadn’t heard Jin Anqi’s plea, Qing Murong shifted his gaze to the absentminded figure at the side.
Lian Qiguang lifted his head and looked at him blankly.
Qing Murong smiled slightly.
The smile carried unmistakable scheming.
“Lian Qiguang, from what I’ve heard, this whole matter started because of you.”
“How do you think this should be handled?”
Lian Qiguang looked expressionlessly at Qing Murong’s crafty smile.
Then he glanced at the furious Qingyi and the secretly pleased Qiying.
After a moment of silence, he walked toward Qiying.
He stopped before her and looked at her expressionlessly.
“J-Junior…”
Being stared at so coldly made Qiying nervous.
She instinctively stepped back two steps.
Still, she forced down her fear and put on a timid expression.
“What’s your name?”
“Q-Qiying. I’m your senior.”
“I accept your challenge.”
He completely ignored the word senior.
“What?!”
Both Jin Anqi and Qingyi were shocked.
Qiying herself froze.
“You…”
“I remember there’s a ceremony to welcome freshmen in a few days.”
“At that time, upperclassmen are supposed to guide freshmen.”
“Let’s do it that day.”
Rarely had Lian Qiguang spoken so many words at once.
And his tone was not one of discussion.
It sounded more like a notice.
Or an order.
“One-on-one.”
“Group fight.”
“Endurance rounds.”
“Your choice.”
“……”
Qingyi was speechless.
“……”
Jin Anqi was speechless.
“……”
Qiying was speechless.
“Looks like it’s settled.”
Qing Murong smiled.
“Since both sides have agreed, that’s decided.”
“Dean—”
Jin Anqi tried to speak, but he interrupted.
“It’s getting late. You’re dismissed.”
Scene Change
Outside the Dean’s Office.
Qiying smiled sweetly.
“Junior, I’ll go easy on you that day.”
After speaking, she strutted away proudly without another glance, leaving behind only the back of her head.
“I think you’ve lost your mind!”
The moment she left, Jin Anqi exploded.
“If you want to die, did you have to choose this method?”
“Qiying is Rank Six Soldier-tier!”
“What about you?”
“A useless ability-user!”
“The difference of even one rank between ability-users is enormous!”
“She could crush you with one finger!”
“I know.”
Lian Qiguang nodded expressionlessly.
Of course he knew.
That was exactly why he would try to hold back.
He wouldn’t kill her.
“Then why did you still—”
“I’m hungry.”
Lian Qiguang rubbed his stomach expressionlessly.
“……”
Jin Anqi fell silent.
“I’m going to eat.”
After dropping those words, Lian Qiguang turned and left.
Watching his departing back, Jin Anqi felt her fury reach the heavens.
“Teacher…”
Qingyi spoke softly.
“What do we do? That shameless woman Qiying will definitely take revenge.”
“Even if she can’t kill him, she’ll ruin him.”
“You’re asking me?”
Jin Anqi ran a hand violently through her hair.
“What can I do?”
“And this is because of you!”
“You caused such huge trouble!”
“I was just angry…”
“The academy rules clearly state that unless both sides agree, fighting is forbidden.”
“Did you memorize those rules for nothing?”
“Sorry…”
Knowing she was at fault, Qingyi lowered her head.
“But Teacher… what about Lian Qiguang?”
“I don’t know.”
Jin Anqi’s expression grew heavy.
“We’ll deal with it when the time comes.”
“I’ll stay close.”
“If he’s in danger…”
“Teacher, that’s against regulations.”
“Then what do you want me to do?!”
She roared.
“…Alright. I understand.”
Qingyi slumped her shoulders helplessly.
Scene Change
“Yes… I’m sorry, Young Master Ji!”
“I… I don’t know how this happened!”
Zhang Qi looked at Ji Renlin in terror, shaking violently.
“I clearly saw him enter District Five, and he never came out.”
“He should’ve… he should’ve died!”
“Then explain this!”
Ji Renlin turned and glared coldly at him.
His eyes were full of venom.
“What is this?”
“A ghost?”
“Young Master Ji!”
With a thud, Zhang Qi dropped to his knees.
Fear consumed his face.
“Please give me one more chance!”
“I swear—I’ll kill him this time!”
“There won’t be any accidents!”
“That woman Qiying has already challenged Lian Qiguang.”
Ji Renlin clenched his fists.
His expression was terrifying.
“We’re just waiting for the academy ceremony.”
“Lian Qiguang has boasted that one-on-one, group fights, or endurance rounds are all acceptable.”
“Qiying is Rank Six Soldier-tier.”
“And Lian Qiguang is still supposedly a useless ability-user.”
“But to be safe…”
Ji Renlin stared coldly at Zhang Qi.
“You know what to do.”
“Yes!”
Zhang Qi nodded frantically.
“I understand!”
“This time, I’ll make him disappear from this planet completely!”
“Go.”
“I hope nothing goes wrong again.”
“Yes! Yes!”
Zhang Qi shakily stood and fled.
“Lian Qiguang… Lian Qiguang…”
Again and again, Ji Renlin whispered his name.
His face twisted with malice like a venomous snake.
“Lian Qiguang…”
“I absolutely will not allow you to live while holding my secret.”
“And I absolutely will not allow you…”
“To ruin me.”
“You…”
“Must die.”