Teaching You a Lesson

"I won!" After parting ways with his classmates and insisting they not walk him all the way back, Su Yu found a secluded spot and suddenly burst with excitement! He had won! It felt amazing! Today was simply incredible. Not only had he vented his frustration, but he had also made a fortune! "That's what you get for bullying people and looking down on me!" Su Yu was still indignant, though he felt a bit of regret over spending an extra drop of yuanqi liquid. He hadn't originally intended to heal Chen Qi, but he had an image to maintain. Su Yu was an honest, simple-minded young man; how could he do something so heartless unless pushed to the absolute brink? Just look: I hurt you, but I also saved you... What a good guy! As for injuring Chen Qi, getting hurt was completely normal in a martial sparring match. Besides, Chen Qi had been the one to issue the challenge first, and Su Yu had taken the opportunity to explain everything to the crowd. That way, no one would misunderstand and think he had deliberately picked a fight with Chen Qi just to frame him. "I wonder if there will be any lingering trouble..." "Either way, I've offended Lin Yao to death this time, and I might have even pissed off the Great Xia Association..." As for Chen Qi, Su Yu didn't know what he was thinking, nor did he care. "Sigh, just to maintain my composure earlier, I didn't demand the merit points on the spot. They won't renege on their debts, will they?" At this thought, Su Yu suddenly grew anxious. If they really backed out, what was he supposed to do? Besides, Lin Yao had conceded, but someone else had conceded on his behalf. The two of them hadn't actually clashed. Would that guy refuse to honor the debt? "I'm a little worried... And what about Xia Huyou's betting pool? He must have made a killing. Will that guy split the cut with me?" ... Plagued by all sorts of worries, Su Yu's excitement over his victory evaporated in an instant. He had expended a drop of blood essence and a drop of yuanqi liquid. If both of them reneged, he would be taking a total loss. Operating at a loss was something poor Su Yu simply could not afford to bear! ... At the Research Center. Bai Feng was no longer sporting scruffy stubble today. He had changed into a fresh set of clothes, looking considerably more spirited and rather handsome. When Su Yu returned, Bai Feng noticed his gloomy expression and asked curiously, "You lost?" "No, I won." "You won?" Bai Feng muttered to himself. *If you won, why do you look like you just got trashed?* He hadn't bothered to watch today, as he had believed it was impossible for Su Yu to lose. With a mournful face, Su Yu said, "Teacher, I was too embarrassed to collect my winnings on the spot. Now I don't know if they're going to renege..." Bai Feng was speechless! So it was over this! And here he was, thinking the kid had actually lost. "What are you thinking!" Bai Feng snapped irritably, "Unless they don't want to stay in the academy anymore, whoever loses pays up. The same would apply to you. If they don't pay... they can wait to be expelled! Do they really take us for soft persimmons?" If Su Yu had lost, he would have had to pay too, or face severe consequences. Bai Feng had planned it out beforehand: if this kid really lost, he would go find Wu Yuehua. Of course, Bai Feng wouldn't go personally—he would have sent Su Yu to borrow the points himself! Pausing, Bai Feng added, "You won three hundred merit points?" "Thirteen hundred, right?" Su Yu blinked and looked at Bai Feng. *Didn't you know?* "..." Bai Feng froze for a moment! How much? "Thirteen hundred merit points?" "Yeah!" Su Yu said in a low voice, "Lin Yao was three hundred points. Didn't that Chen Qi bet a thousand merit points with me? Teacher, did I not tell you?" "..." Bai Feng stared blankly. After a pause, he asked slowly, "You... fought Chen Qi today as well?" That was strange! This kid had returned remarkably fast. Did he fight two matches? Was this sparring match a joke? Did it end in an instant? Bai Feng knew when Su Yu had left. From start to finish, barely an hour had passed. Walking took time, preparation took time—and he was already done fighting? And... Chen Qi betting a thousand merit points with you? I didn't know a thing about that! He only knew the two had an agreed duel, but had no idea what stakes they had set. This kid had never mentioned it! "Thirteen hundred merit points..." At that moment, Bai Feng suddenly put on a solemn expression. "Later, your teacher will accompany you to collect it. Bastards! Losing a wager and daring not to pay—are they even fit to be students?" "..." Su Yu muttered internally, *Did you set your eyes on my merit points? You barely cared a moment ago, but the second you heard thirteen hundred, your eyes lit up!* Though he talked tough, Bai Feng quickly asked, "You beat Chen Qi?" "Yeah." "How did you win?" "Just..." Su Yu pondered for a second and made a sweeping gesture with his hand. "One slash. Pinned him to the ground, and I won!" "..." Bai Feng decided to keep his mouth shut. Was Hu Wensheng's student truly such utter trash? Dispatched so effortlessly by his own disciple with a single strike? This kid... "Did you consume blood essence?" "Yeah." Su Yu nodded. "Lin Yao was spreading rumors that I framed him. I was furious, so I challenged Chen Qi to a duel, unleashed my full strength, and defeated him in one strike!" Bai Feng's head ached listening to this. Lin Yao spread rumors and framed you, so why was the person you defeated Chen Qi instead of Lin Yao? Forget it, no point in asking! He felt a twinge of regret for not going to watch. Now, asking this kid only yielded 'one slash.' Defeating Chen Qi in a single strike! This went far beyond Bai Feng's expectations! Chen Qi was someone hovering near the Top 100 Rankings. Even though he had lost his previous challenge against a ranked student, the fact that he dared to challenge in the first place meant he possessed real capability. Did this mean Su Yu had effectively broken into the top five hundred among students? One had to remember that the academy had an astronomical student population! There were tens of thousands under the age of thirty alone. Bai Feng looked at Su Yu again, took a deep breath, and asked in a seemingly calm tone, "Did you use a cultural weapon?" "Yeah, and three divine characters..." "Hm?" Bai Feng's eyes shifted. "Three divine characters? Didn't you say you ended the fight with one slash?" "That's right. I fused three divine characters into the cultural weapon, and then defeated him with one slash..." "Fused?" Bai Feng was shaken to his core! *You fused divine characters?* Su Yu coughed lightly and explained, "Teacher, I knew what I was doing. I had already fused them once before. Back during the higher academy entrance exam, I tried fusing the 'Thunder' and 'Blood' characters, and it succeeded. That was why I scored pretty well..." Bai Feng felt a sudden urge to curse! *You never told me you had fused divine characters before!* *You little bastard!* *You actually pulled off fusion long ago!* He genuinely had no idea. He only knew Su Yu had tested exceptionally well, earning a very high score on the civilization chronicle trial. He had assumed it was merely because Su Yu possessed two divine characters, so he hadn't pried into the details. Now Su Yu was casually informing him that he had already performed fusion in the past. You unfilial little rascal, not saying a word! The examination records wouldn't document that Su Yu had fused divine characters either, so aside from the examiners present that day, nobody else likely knew about it. Suppressing the agitation in his chest and the urge to slap Su Yu upside the head, Bai Feng gently ruffled Su Yu's hair, turning Su Yu's face pale with fright. *What now? Is Teacher going crazy again?* "Fusion... You already fused divine characters in the past, and this time you fused three?" "It wasn't complete fusion," Su Yu said cautiously. "It was just simple stacking; the distinct traits didn't fully manifest. According to my plan, an illusion should have disoriented Chen Qi first, then lightning should have paralyzed him, and only then would one strike kill him... I mean, defeat him!" Su Yu said earnestly, "The three divine characters possess different traits that should have triggered simultaneously, but they didn't. After the cultural weapon wounded him, it should have activated its blood-draining trait, but that didn't happen either..." Su Yu reflected self-critically, "So it was merely simple stacking of divine characters, not true fusion. Teacher, am I right?" "Right!" Bai Feng felt mentally exhausted. *You said everything I was going to say; what else is left for me to add?* "Therefore, going forward, your teacher will instruct you in true divine character fusion!" Bai Feng changed the subject and stopped pressing further, fearing his heart might explode if he kept asking. This kid... was it truly hopeless for him to push for the Top 100 Rankings before the end of the year? Not necessarily! At this moment, the slight disappointment lingering from last night vanished completely. Even if Su Yu lacked talent for myriad-race divine characters and couldn't outline them, so what! Even if this kid couldn't advance beyond the Shanhai Realm, he would still be an elite powerhouse among Shanhai cultivators. Besides, Su Yu had barely read a few myriad-race texts; who could say for sure what his talent was like? "Come on, come with me to the Cangshu Pavilion." "Teacher, we're not going to collect the debts?" "Don't be so impatient. Tomorrow. If they don't deliver it to you tonight, I'll go with you to demand it tomorrow!" Bai Feng made up his mind to give them a little time; they couldn't appear overly desperate. As if they had never seen merit points before! Su Yu nodded. Fine, he would give them one more night. If they didn't deliver by tomorrow, he would bring his teacher straight to their doorsteps! Thinking of something else, Su Yu followed Bai Feng out while asking cautiously, "Teacher, I used the Sky-Breaking Slash to defeat Chen Qi." "Oh." Bai Feng nodded indifferently. "Acquired through a fortuitous encounter, or traded for it yourself?" "A fortuitous encounter. I picked up a Sky-Breaking Slash willpower text earlier..." The corner of Bai Feng's mouth twitched. Anyone who didn't know better would think you were lying through your teeth! Of course, he knew the inside story and knew Su Yu was telling the truth, but... if word got out, practically no one would believe it. "I understand. Hand over two hundred merit points later, and I'll help you register it." Su Yu nodded without objection, though he asked curiously, "Teacher, do those two hundred merit points go to you, or to the academy?" "To the academy!" Bai Feng explained, "When imparting techniques, certain restrictions apply. Things we create ourselves—martial techniques, secret arts—can be taught freely. But arts like the War God Art and the Sky-Breaking Slash were created by others. Their willingness to make them public is selfless, but they still deserve compensation. "Spreading their arts without permission causes trouble. Paying a small price—two hundred merit points—in exchange for an Earth-tier martial technique created by an expert... don't you think that's only fair?" Su Yu nodded; that made sense. Without some reward, people wouldn't selflessly share their cultivation arts. Nobody's techniques came from thin air; every art required immense time, risking cultivation backlashes or even death to create. "Teacher, are we going to the Cangshu Pavilion to visit Martial Uncle?" Su Yu said with mild anticipation, "Is Martial Uncle very wealthy?" "..." He had a very positive impression of this martial uncle he had never met! Today, during the fusion of the three divine characters, although it had been uncomfortable, Su Yu hadn't felt any splitting headache, largely thanks to that Annihilation Beast skull. During the outburst, Su Yu had sensed the object shielding his sea of will. It was a fine treasure! Otherwise, he wouldn't be standing here so energized; he likely would have ended up dizzy with a splitting headache right on the stage. "Wealthy?" Bai Feng said irritably, "If he were wealthy, would we have needed to sell our belongings to cover our deficits? Don't even dream about it. The only decent thing your martial uncle had was that Annihilation Beast skull. Aside from that... he's penniless, just as wretched as the two of us!" Su Yu fell silent. He felt a faint wave of warmth. Hearing this tone, that martial uncle was dirt-poor as well, yet he had still gifted the Annihilation Beast skull to him. Truly a good person. The two made their way toward the Cangshu Pavilion. ... Meanwhile, near the arena stage. A squad of Academy Guards suddenly appeared! *Clink!* Silver handcuffs snapped onto Xia Huyou's wrists. A Tengkong Realm powerhouse among the guards stated with a stern face, "What audacity! Xia Huyou, you have organized an illegal gambling ring inside the academy involving immense sums, completely disregarding academy regulations. Come with us now!" Xia Huyou was dumbstruck. After a long moment, he said hurriedly, "Wait, brother, I didn't! I didn't run an illegal gambling ring. If you don't believe me, ask—" Just as he was about to speak, an intermediate researcher in the distance subtly shook his head at him! *Shut up, or you'll drag us down with you!* Xia Huyou shuddered. *Even he... can't settle this?* *What did I even do!* *Even an intermediate researcher is powerless?* In the next instant, realization seemed to strike Xia Huyou, and he erupted into furious cursing: "Shameless! It has to be that guy surnamed Wan... Ahem, fuck, I got played! Wan Mingze, you bastard, did you sell me out? "I just opened a betting pool! How shameless do you have to be to send the Heart Cultivation Pavilion after me? Are you even human?" He cursed relentlessly! Someone had clearly targeted him! Otherwise, for a mere betting pool, why would the Heart Cultivation Pavilion step in? Even that intermediate researcher dared not interfere, which meant a major figure had spoken. Bastard! It was one hundred percent that old ghost Wan Tiansheng! Infuriating! That old ghost wouldn't even let a junior off the hook—didn't he have any shame? Was he even fit to be human? In the distance, Wan Mingze wore a bewildered, innocent look. He glanced at Xia Chan beside him and said with a wry smile, "It had nothing to do with me. This... I have no idea what's going on either. Xia Chan, don't misunderstand." Xia Chan said calmly, "It's fine, he brought it on himself! Before we arrived, Grandfather told us not to be flashy upon entering the academy, especially regarding matters involving merit points. Who knows how many pairs of eyes are watching us? Yet he went and did this anyway. Getting caught serves him right!" Over there, the guard captain declared loudly, "Xia Huyou knowingly broke the law by organizing gambling. All illegal gains are confiscated! All wagers are surrendered to the academy treasury! Does anyone object?" The students fell silent one after another. Those who had lost their bets secretly gloated, while those who had won dared not make a sound. If no authority intervened, that was one thing, but once enforcement stepped in... forget it, nobody could expect their money back. At worst, they could demand compensation from Xia Huyou later! Make him pay! Xia Huyou felt terribly wronged. He wasn't the only one running betting pools; why single him out? It was over—he was taking a catastrophic loss this time! Even though none of his own capital was seized... didn't he still have to pay out? Even if he didn't pay out the winnings, he still had to return the principal to those who won! If he didn't repay them, how could he, Xia Huyou, do business in the academy in the future? Who would dare trade with him again? As an honest and reliable merchant aspiring to grow bigger and stronger, failing to pay was not an option. Despite his frustration, Xia Huyou's mind worked fast. He shouted at the top of his lungs, "Everyone who won, don't lose your betting slips! Once I, Xia Huyou, get out, I'll reimburse you! It's just money, just merit points! In business, integrity comes first! "Even if I have to sell myself, slicing my own flesh and selling it by the jin, I'll pay you back! "Remember my name: Xia Huyou of the Xia family! The most reliable in business! "I take any deal, conduct any trade—" "..." The Academy Guards were utterly speechless! *Not bad, kid, you've got guts. Shamelessly advertising your business right in front of us? Do you want us to raid you every single day from now on?* "Haha, Boss Xia has integrity!" "True class!" "..." At that moment, the winners began singing his praises! Impressive! This guy actually intended to pay them back—what a stand-up fellow! "Well done, Boss Xia, we support you! Once you're out, we've got business to discuss!" "..." Many smiled and called out. So his pool had been raided; what was the big deal? It wasn't a life-or-death crime! Xia Huyou would be out soon enough. In the future, if business opportunities arose, they could certainly deal with him. The Xia family possessed extensive supply chains and held monopolies in the Great Xia Prefecture; there were goods that others simply had no avenues to obtain on their own. As the guards escorted him away, Xia Huyou looked back and yelled, "Everyone note down my communication number..." After rattling off his number, Xia Huyou shouted, "The brother who snitched on me today, remember to claim your reward! The total pool was twelve thousand points, so a one-percent finder's fee is a full hundred and twenty merit points! If nobody reported me... then someone targeted me! Someone go report it casually and claim the reward! If the higher-ups deny it, ask them who the informant was, or if some grand figure personally stepped forward to report me! I'd love to see who was shameless enough to do that! "A hundred and twenty merit points, brothers! Don't let someone else snatch it!" "..." Before his voice had even faded, Wan Mingze, Xia Chan, Hu Qiusheng... all these prodigies surged toward the distance in a flash! Not just them—even a Tengkong Realm cultivator took to the air with a *whoosh*, flying away at top speed. The little fat kid was right! Go file the report! If the higher-ups didn't acknowledge it, then everyone wanted to know: who filed the report first? There was a reward for informants! Even if they kept the informant's identity confidential, they still had to provide basic proof. If it turned out to be fake... hehe, don't blame us for filing a complaint against you! "..." The surrounding students were completely stunned. Even Tengkong cultivators were racing off; who could outrun someone who could fly? A hundred and twenty merit points was no small sum! Further back, Jia Mingzhen and the others looked at each other. After a pause, one chuckled, "This little fatty... is really too much like that Fatty Xia. Even at a time like this, he still manages to stir up trouble for us." "Old Zhang, why don't you go claim it?" "Get lost, I can't afford to lose that kind of face!" The elder addressed as Old Zhang cursed, "Forget it, let that kid over there have it. A hundred and twenty merit points..." "Wait, if that kid claims it, won't that tell everyone there's a problem?" Jia Mingzhen chuckled. "How about this: let's secretly grant the reward to... Liu Hong?" "..." The others turned to stare at Jia Mingzhen! "That Liu Hong keeps his eyes glued to us all day long, never up to any good. If we reward him and find an opportunity to leak the news, Xia Huyou will find out in no time! Not just him, but everyone in the black market will know. Those guys loathe snitches more than anything... Heh heh, we can also use the chance to raid Liu Hong's black-market operations, making him suffer in silence. He'll get a hundred and twenty merit points, but lose a fortune!" Jia Mingzhen chuckled. "Down in the black market, everyone will be wary of him, terrified he might turn on them. Not only will it sever his business, but it'll also quiet the black market down for a while!" "..." The elders stared at him once more! *You are truly ruthless!* Jia Mingzhen didn't care in the slightest, continuing with a grin, "Actually, rewarding Su Yu wouldn't be bad either, but forget it. Su Yu couldn't withstand that kind of pressure; the black-market thugs would harass him so badly he wouldn't be able to cultivate. Better to toss the blame onto Liu Hong. He can take it, even if he takes a small loss. The black market was never a legitimate channel anyway..." With that settled, Jia Mingzhen chuckled, "Out of twelve thousand points, splitting two thousand each among us shouldn't be a problem, right?" There were five of them in total; the remainder could simply go to the academy. Just as they spoke, a faint voice resonated by their ears: "All of you are enrolled as students; what use do you have for so many merit points? An informant's merit is worth only a hundred and twenty points. As for the rest, I have my own uses for them, so I won't be sharing any with you!" Jia Mingzhen's expression shifted, and he muttered a curse under his breath, "Wan, you ruthless bastard!" "Keep it down..." Wan Tiansheng's voice echoed beside their ears. "I didn't have you disguise yourselves as freshmen just to play around. Suppressing the geniuses isn't the main objective either. The priority is uncovering traces of the All-Races Sect. Don't ruin this for me! "Five elders—if you want to play, opportunities abound everywhere! "Assuming student identities makes it far easier to approach certain people and enter specific circles! And stop clustering together all day; anyone watching would think you've known each other for decades!" Jia Mingzhen's face grew serious. "Why didn't you say so earlier! I really thought this was just a game. The All-Races Sect... has something else happened on the academy's side?" "Not at the academy, but on the All-Heavens Battlefield. Incidents occurred within several legions—someone in the military has been instigating and enticing soldiers to commit treason. Many of those trails trace back to our academy. We must take this seriously. I do not want students graduating from the Great Xia Civilization Academy to end up among them in the future!" "Understood!" Jia Mingzhen straightened, a fierce glint surfacing in his eyes. "Rest assured, we will thoroughly investigate this time! By the way, has Xue E of the Blood Fire Sect been caught yet?" "Not yet!" Wan Tiansheng's voice came through again. "Most of the bastards who ambushed the Beifeng student convoy last time were slain, but that guy slipped away without a trace. However, word reached us recently that he made contact with the Tianyi God Race and seems intent on rebuilding the Tianyi God Sect. He's bound to show his face sooner or later!" Thinking one could kill Civilization Academy students and get away with it was pure fantasy. Over this period, two academy elders had mobilized to scour the region for him. For a Lingyun cultivator to provoke a hunt by two Shanhai Realm experts, Xue E could die with no regrets! "Rebuilding the Tianyi God Sect?" The elders were taken aback. That guy certainly had nerve! Now, not only was the Great Xia Prefecture hunting him, but even the Blood Fire Sect would want to clean up their traitor! Wan Tiansheng said no more on the matter, his voice fading away. Once his voice vanished, Jia Mingzhen chuckled wryly, "That guy... sure knows how to change the subject. We're doing free labor for him again!" They had clearly been talking about the merit points, yet in the blink of an eye, the topic had been derailed. The elders didn't truly care about those merit points; they were simply peeved by Wan Tiansheng's shamelessness. After joking for a moment, Jia Mingzhen said, "We really do need to put our minds to this. Best-case scenario, we tear the All-Races Sect out by the roots! Also, regarding this class's genius development program... we need to push them harder. Those little brats don't seem to feel enough pressure!" "Agreed. We'll find an opportunity to stir up some trouble and give Xia Chan and those other kids a good thrashing. Bump into them on the road, throw down at the slightest provocation, and beat them until they question their life choices. That'll solve it!" Another elder chimed in. Simple—those youths just lacked the harsh beatings of reality. They would just find a chance to make up for that lack! Along the way, they could also showcase their own talent and potential. Who knew, maybe the All-Races Sect would take an interest in them? If they caught their eye, perhaps they would even be taken back to the sect's headquarters for grooming. As for background checks... there was no issue at all. All their identities were genuine, merely obscure. Would elders ever lack authentic identities to use? Who would ever guess that these old monsters had disguised themselves as young rookies! The elders exchanged glances, sinister grins spreading across their faces. *All-Races Sect, little geniuses—here we come!*