Everyone Has a Plan

The advanced class. Su Yu had arrived first. He had only been in the advanced class for a few days and kept a low profile; whenever he arrived, he buried his head in his books, playing the part of an honest model student. Today was a class on the application of divine characters, so quite a few students had shown up. The classroom was quiet, save for a few familiar students chatting softly now and then, keeping their voices low. It was as quiet as usual. Just as everyone was keeping quiet, someone walked through the classroom doorway. The newcomer headed straight for Su Yu! The next moment, a shadow loomed over him. Su Yu looked up. Beside him, Wu Lan saw Zheng Yunhui, huffed, and ignored him. Against those stronger than her, she usually only declared she would catch up soon; she couldn't bring herself to disdain them. Just as Wu Lan finished huffing, Zheng Yunhui slammed his hand onto the desk! *Bang!* The deafening crash startled the entire class! "Su Yu!" Zheng Yunhui had a booming voice, and right now fury was etched across his face. "Hand it over!" Su Yu frowned, looking at him, and asked calmly, "Student Zheng, what do you mean?" "You know full well what I mean!" Zheng Yunhui said coldly, "You're the first person who ever dared snatch something from me, Zheng Yunhui! Hand it over yourself—don't force me to lay a hand on you!" "This is the Civilization Academy. You want to make a move on me?" Su Yu looked at him, his brow furrowing slightly. "Besides, what thing are you talking about? I have no idea what you mean!" "Stop playing dumb with me!" Zheng Yunhui barked coldly, "I spent over a thousand merit points in hard currency to buy it, and you just took it like that. Su Yu, do you really think I don't know?" At those words, Su Yu's expression changed instantly. Many of the other students looked bewildered. Why were these two clashing? Over on the other side, Xia Huyou, who had been chatting with someone, had a sudden shift in expression. Over a thousand merit points! At that moment, he seemed to realize something. Last time, Su Yu had asked him where the lost *Sky-Breaking Slash* was. When fighting Chen Qi, Su Yu had used *Sky-Breaking Slash*. Actually, he had grown suspicious back then. Sure enough, the rightful owner had come knocking! This fellow Su Yu really had picked up *Sky-Breaking Slash*, and Zheng Yunhui had found out. *This guy Su Yu... his luck is way too good!* Xia Huyou muttered inwardly, feeling somewhat helpless. Su Yu wanted to provoke the Single Divine Character Faction, and Xia Huyou wanted an opportunity to open a betting pool, but Su Yu was clearly no match for Zheng Yunhui. Zheng Yunhui was at Stage Seven Qianjun! In fact, his physical cultivation realm was a bit stronger than even Xia Chan's; Xia Chan was still an aperture or two shy of Stage Seven Qianjun. Telling Su Yu to challenge Xia Chan last time had merely been a joke. At least, not right now! Thinking this, Xia Huyou hurried over and chuckled, trying to smooth things over: "Gentlemen, harmony brings wealth! What can't be talked through calmly? Why make such a scene for everyone to see and ruin the mood for both of you?" Su Yu calmly said, "I didn't provoke him. The moment he came in, he slammed my desk and started yelling at me. Zheng Yunhui, do you think I'm an easy target?" "An easy target?" Zheng Yunhui sneered coldly, "I wouldn't stoop to bullying a weakling! Return what you took from me, and I won't even bother with you! Otherwise, don't blame me for being ruthless!" "I have no idea what you're talking about..." "Su Yu, don't refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit!" Zheng Yunhui snapped coldly, "You know damn well! You know better than I do what you used to defeat Chen Qi that day! Do you really have to force me to spell it out?" Things from the black market couldn't easily be spoken of in public. Yet at this point, quite a few people were catching on. Black market... Zheng Yunhui... Su Yu... defeating Chen Qi... These students weren't stupid; they quickly connected the dots with the rumors they knew. *Sky-Breaking Slash*! A willpower text penned by a Shanhai Realm powerhouse! At this moment, many eyes turned strange. Su Yu's luck was that good? He was the one who had picked it up? No wonder Zheng Yunhui was throwing a fit! Over a thousand merit points was no small sum to anyone. Some understood, while others remained in the dark. Wu Lan didn't know about any of this. Seeing Zheng Yunhui yelling so loudly, she snapped displeasedly, "Zheng Yunhui, if you want to make a ruckus, get out and make it outside! Don't shout around me!" Zheng Yunhui glanced at her and said coldly, "Shut up, this has nothing to do with you! Wu Lan, don't think you're special just because you have a Shanhai elder. My grandfather is the principal of the War Academy, so what? If your own strength is lacking, keep your head down!" "You..." Before she could finish, Zheng Yunhui's aura surged. Yuan Qi erupted, and his willpower bore down in suppression as he said coldly, "You want to challenge me? I'll accept! Wu Lan, believe me, I'll cripple you so badly you won't be able to cultivate for three to five months!" Zheng Yunhui sneered, "This matter between Su Yu and me is none of your business! A weakling like you, come back when you've defeated the likes of Lin Yao and Chen Qi. How dare a weakling meddle in a conflict between the strong!" Wu Lan's face flushed crimson! She was overwhelmed with grief and indignation! Right then, Su Yu's Stage Three Qianjun aura erupted, barely offsetting Zheng Yunhui's suppression. Wu Lan hadn't even reached the Qianjun Realm yet, so she naturally was no match for Zheng Yunhui. "Zheng Yunhui, we are all classmates. Bullying the weak while fearing the strong isn't something a genius should do!" "Heh!" Zheng Yunhui stopped targeting Wu Lan and scoffed disdainfully, "I wouldn't stoop to competing with weaklings anyway! Su Yu, didn't you defeat Chen Qi? Can't you unleash Wanshi-level combat strength? Did you think that would scare me off?" Yet their exchange made Wu Lan wish a crack in the ground would open up and swallow her whole! She was being ignored! They viewed her as a weakling who didn't even have the right to speak. Wu Lan's face burned red all the way to her ears. She felt utterly humiliated, disgraced to the extreme. *I must become stronger!* Wu Lan roared inwardly with grief and indignation. *I must reach Qianjun!* Zheng Yunhui was stronger than her, and Su Yu was stronger than her too. Under the pressure of Zheng Yunhui's aura, she could barely even move, whereas Su Yu could offset it. The gap between her and Su Yu was growing wider and wider! Back in Nanyuan, Su Yu had started out at Stage Eight Kaiyuan, just like her! Looking up, she glanced at Zheng Yunhui, then at Su Yu. The more she thought about it, the angrier she became; the angrier she got, the redder her face grew, until she felt as though she were being steamed in a pot, resembling a cooked red crayfish. Zheng Yunhui caught a glimpse of her out of the corner of his eye and was secretly startled. *I'm not going to infuriate Wu Lan to death, am I?* *Take a breath, girl! It's terrifying. If she really dies of anger, I'll be in huge trouble!* Wu Lan was furious, and Lin Yao, sitting behind them, was equally fuming! What did he mean by "the likes of Lin Yao and Chen Qi"?! That bastard Zheng Yunhui really knew how to tick people off! Yet seeing Wu Lan rendered immobile under Zheng Yunhui's aura, Lin Yao felt helpless. He couldn't afford to provoke him; he was no match for Zheng Yunhui at all. ... "Stage Seven Qianjun, and his willpower fullness is remarkably high too..." At this moment, Xia Chan and a few others wore grave expressions. Zheng Yunhui might already have the strength to challenge the Top 100 Rankings right now! If his divine characters were solid as well, the guy could already compete with students near the bottom of the Top 100. He was formidable! Though Xia Chan, Wan Mingze, and the others were proud and confident, if they actually faced Zheng Yunhui right now, they genuinely lacked certainty. Their physical cultivation realms were lower than his. Zheng Yunhui was one of only two students in the class who had broken through to Stage Seven Qianjun. One was Zheng Yunhui, and the other was Zhao Shiqi. However, Zhao Shiqi's willpower wasn't particularly strong, so Xia Chan and the others were confident they could beat him. But Zheng Yunhui had surprisingly strong willpower as well, which made him very troublesome. He might even be the strongest person in the class! ... In a corner. Jia Mingzhen and the other old geniuses were watching the spectacle with keen interest. "Su Yu took his thing... Could it be *Sky-Breaking Slash*?" "Most likely! Last time, I also sensed a trace of Old Ghost Qiu's legacy on Su Yu and wondered about it. Now it makes sense." The Old Ghost Qiu he mentioned was a Shanhai Realm powerhouse from Jiutian Academy. *Sky-Breaking Slash* had originated from him. The elders relished the drama, conversing via voice transmission: "Will Su Yu return it to him?" "You're dreaming. If it were me, I definitely wouldn't return it! If you got your hands on something lost in the black market, would you return it?" "True. That kid from the Zheng family won't let it go! There's going to be a good show!" "Hard to say. The gap in strength between Su Yu and him is too wide..." With that, this elder swept a glance at Su Yu. He didn't dare probe deeply since they were keeping their identities hidden, but he still noticed something amiss and prompted, "Take a look at Su Yu. Has he made progress? Why does it feel like there are more Yuan Qi vortexes gathering around him?" "Did he break through?" The others looked over at Su Yu. None of them mobilized their willpower, but with their seasoned eyes, they observed him for a bit before Jia Mingzhen remarked suspiciously, "It looks like someone sealed his Yuan Qi fluctuations to deliberately conceal his strength?" "Smells a bit like Old Huang... Did this kid go to the Yuan Qi Secret Realm earlier?" "Then could he really have broken through to Stage Four Qianjun?" "..." These powerhouses possessed sharp eyes. Even without using willpower to probe, observing him for a moment was enough for them to form a judgment. Su Yu had likely broken through. "You know, combined with their innate skill blood essence, he might actually put up a fight. Still, that Zheng family kid is fiercely strong. Su Yu will most likely lose." "Agreed!" They all made their assessments: even if Su Yu had innate skill blood essence, how long could he burst with power? From the information they had, lasting one minute would already be miraculous. Defeating the grandson of the Great Xia War Academy's principal within a minute would be near impossible for Su Yu. ... While they chatted, Su Yu's expression was growing increasingly grim. "Zheng Yunhui, don't push people too far! Even if I have that thing, I obtained it through my own ability. Are you trying to rob me?" "Rob you?" Zheng Yunhui sneered, "You have the nerve to say that? It was mine to begin with! Su Yu, cut the crap and give it back! Weren't you arrogant? Didn't you defeat Chen Qi? I challenge you right now! If I win, return that thing to me. If I lose, I will never bring it up again!" Su Yu calmly replied, "Sorry, I have no interest in fighting you. It's completely pointless." "Coward! Wimp!" Zheng Yunhui mocked, "You're just afraid of losing! You don't have the guts!" Su Yu ignored him and went back to reading his book. "Coward!" Zheng Yunhui barked coldly. "You think you can run? Even if you don't accept the challenge now, the day you make the Top 100 Rankings, I'll cripple you just like your senior sister, leaving you in bed for months!" *Bang!* Su Yu slammed his palm onto the desk, looked up at him, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes. After a moment, Su Yu regained his calm. "Zheng Yunhui, class is about to start. Some things... we can discuss privately at our leisure. Do you really insist on making a spectacle for everyone?" Zheng Yunhui snorted coldly. "Fine, I will have a good talk with you. Su Yu, don't think you can brush me off after taking my thing—not a chance! I'm not a piece of trash like Lin Yao. Family status, background, strength—I outmatch you in every way. I usually just can't be bothered with you, yet you really think you're something!" Su Yu clenched his fists! His face darkened! At this point, the other students remained silent, glancing at Su Yu with a touch of pity. Su Yu truly was no match for Zheng Yunhui. Only when the instructor walked in did Zheng Yunhui return to his seat. The classroom was terrifyingly quiet, and Su Yu's face remained grim throughout. Beside him, Wu Lan could even feel Su Yu trembling—not from fear, but seemingly from rage! Wu Lan, who had been furious earlier, wasn't quite as angry now. When class ended, Wu Lan suddenly said, "Once I reach Qianjun, Stage Three Qianjun in a single day, I'll beat that bastard to death! Su Yu, I'll let you see that I'm stronger than you!" With that, she hurried away, clearly heading off to get stronger. Su Yu was speechless! *If you want to prove you're stronger than me, why do you need to beat Zheng Yunhui to death?* Bizarre logic! Ignoring Wu Lan, Su Yu grabbed his book bag and walked out with his head down. Behind him, Zheng Yunhui watched him and said coldly, "Su Yu, unless you return my thing, this isn't over! Don't force me to go challenge Wu Jia right now. Would a student who has been enrolled for several years not even dare accept a challenge? If you want to be a turtle hiding in its shell, does your senior sister want to be a turtle too?" "You dare!" Su Yu whirled around, anger surging in his eyes. "Zheng Yunhui, you've crossed the line!" "Heh!" Zheng Yunhui dismissed him casually. "Then return my thing. Or fight me! If I lose, it'll just mean my skills were inferior, and I naturally won't trouble you anymore. Su Yu, you coward, do you have the guts?" Su Yu clenched his fists tightly. Just then, Xia Huyou pulled him back and hurried Su Yu away. As they walked, Xia Huyou whispered, "Don't take the bait! He's Stage Seven Qianjun and has strong willpower. You can't beat him. You'd lose *Sky-Breaking Slash* for nothing and lose the duel to boot. Why bother? Let's bide our time..." Su Yu remained silent, his face clouded with gloom. It was the first time Xia Huyou had seen him so angry and sullen, so he couldn't help urging, "You progress fast. Although he progresses quickly too, that's because he has a good foundation. Su Yu, wait a little longer..." "I know!" Su Yu didn't elaborate. Quickening his pace, he said, "Thanks, but I don't need consoling. Zheng Yunhui humiliated me like this today... I'll settle the score!" Leaving those words behind, Su Yu sped away. ... Once Su Yu and Zheng Yunhui were both gone, the rest of the class immediately burst into discussion. "Su Yu provoked Zheng Yunhui; he's in deep trouble now. Zheng Yunhui comes from a War Academy background and has an explosive temper—all the Zhengs are like that. If Su Yu doesn't return the item, he might actually challenge Wu Jia. If Wu Jia doesn't dare accept either... the Multiple Divine Characters Faction will lose all face!" "How can Wu Jia accept? She's still injured! Zheng Yunhui is barely weaker than some Top 100 students as it is. With Wu Jia's strength heavily impaired right now, accepting would only add new injuries to the old!" "Will Su Yu return it?" "Who knows? If it were me, I wouldn't. Who returns something lost in the black market? Besides, Su Yu comes from a humble background; he couldn't afford something like that in years. Now that he has it, would you spit it back out?" "..." The students chattered endlessly. Usually, people didn't like talking much, but with gossip to enjoy, everyone's interest was piqued. Over there, Wan Mingze watched Su Yu storm off angrily and said thoughtfully, "Su Yu might not be able to hold back. Fresh off defeating Chen Qi, only to be provoked like this by Zheng Yunhui... I think he's very likely to clash with Zheng Yunhui in the end." Beside him, Zhao Shiqi smiled. "I wonder if it'll be in secret or a public spar! If it's public, we'll get to see just how strong Zheng Yunhui really is. With Su Yu consuming blood essence to burst with Wanshi-level combat strength, he can pressure Zheng Yunhui enough for us to test his limits!" Wan Mingze said, "Public... isn't very likely. After all, it involves a black market transaction. If they make it public, aren't they worried the academy will just confiscate *Sky-Breaking Slash*?" "True enough!" Their eyes flickered. Over the next few days, they would have to keep a close eye on these fellows. Those two might very well fight a private duel. Of course, Su Yu was overwhelmingly likely to lose. Wanshi-level combat strength... was indeed formidable. However, Su Yu could only burst with Wanshi-level offensive power for a brief moment; he hadn't reached the Wanshi Realm across the board. Speed, martial techniques, experience—all fell far short of a true Wanshi Realm cultivator. Under such circumstances, a warrior from a prominent powerhouse clan like Zheng Yunhui wouldn't necessarily care about Su Yu's sudden burst. The first time, Chen Qi had been unprepared, but now that everyone knew, the threat Su Yu posed was severely diminished! ... In an office. Liu Hong was still having a headache over the black market affair. Hearing a knock on the door, his worried expression vanished, replaced by a smile. "Enter!" Lin Yao hurried inside and gleefully recounted everything that had just happened to Liu Hong. When he finished, Lin Yao asked excitedly, "Teacher, is that thing really with Su Yu?" "Probably!" Liu Hong smiled faintly. "I suspected earlier that he might have taken it. When he defeated Chen Qi last time, the *Sky-Breaking Slash* he unleashed wasn't something a beginner could have mastered. So... he and Zheng Yunhui have had a falling out..." Liu Hong wasn't particularly surprised, only finding it a bit strange that Zheng Yunhui hadn't demanded it privately, insisting on confronting Su Yu in class instead. Wasn't he worried that if things got out of hand, the academy would step in? Still, young people were impulsive, hot-blooded, and easily agitated—that was normal. As for Su Yu, Liu Hong understood him somewhat; without certainty, he definitely wouldn't accept Zheng Yunhui's challenge. It appeared Su Yu had no intention of returning the item, which aligned with Liu Hong's expectations. As for Zheng Yunhui... he actually had a bit of cleverness, knowing to provoke Su Yu using Wu Jia. If the injured Wu Jia were challenged, nine times out of ten she would accept the fight, and then Su Yu would truly be in a bind! "Interesting. I'd love to see what choice Su Yu makes." Liu Hong grew intrigued. He didn't actually care whether Su Yu won or lost, nor whether Wu Jia won or lost. He only wondered: between *Sky-Breaking Slash* and Wu Jia, what would Su Yu choose? If he ignored it, that would be normal. Wu Jia could simply refuse the challenge herself; everyone knew she was injured, so no one would criticize her if she declined. Of course, if neither Su Yu nor Wu Jia dared accept... the Multiple Divine Characters Faction would inevitably suffer a blow. Their already miserable situation might become even more pitiful! At this thought, Liu Hong waved a hand, signaling Lin Yao to leave. Once Lin Yao was gone, Liu Hong stroked his chin and soon dialed a comm call, saying, "Zheng Yunhui and Su Yu have clashed. It seems the plan from last time was reasonably successful, though it's a bit of a pity about my *Sky-Breaking Slash*..." From the other end came a pleased voice: "I already know about it. Su Yu and Wu Jia are the only two successors of their faction. It's best to drag the Zheng family and Hong Tan into this, pitting the Zhengs against Hong Tan... Then we won't need to worry about the Multiple Divine Characters Faction anymore!" Liu Hong smiled. "I hope so! I took no small loss for this plan. To make the loss of *Sky-Breaking Slash* look plausible, quite a lot of my goods in the black market were swept up. Senior Brother Zhou, regarding Elder Zheng... could you put in a good word for me? I'm really struggling to hold out over here." "We haven't seen results yet!" Zhou Pingsheng replied, "Right now, it's just a fight between juniors. Frankly speaking, investing so much and wasting so many merit points on a junior hardly seems worth it!" Liu Hong complained, "Bai Feng is in seclusion, and Chen Yong won't step foot outside Cangshu Pavilion. What else could I do? Dragging them in through the juniors was the best I could manage! If this isn't handled properly, they'll form a major grudge with the Zheng family..." "Principal Zheng and Hong Tan won't necessarily form a feud over a single copy of *Sky-Breaking Slash*..." Liu Hong said hurriedly, "Which is why I need more support." "We'll see!" "..." The call was disconnected! A gloom flashed through Liu Hong's eyes. *We'll see, my ass!* Tapping lightly on the desk, Liu Hong thought for a moment, then took out another communicator and dialed a number. "What is it?" Bai Feng's impatient voice came through. "Your student has gotten into a fight with the Zheng family kid!" "Oh..." Liu Hong had only mentioned it in passing. He quickly added, "Fight back already! You guys are cowering so hard that my value is dropping. Bai Feng, how about having Director Chen throw a fit to show some presence? Every one of you is turtling up, and I can clearly feel that they're losing interest in my plans..." Bai Feng was speechless. *Throw a fit? How?* "Wait. We'll talk in a few days!" "..." Liu Hong snapped irritably, "A few days? How many days? Fuck, I'm worrying about your situation more than you are! Who's actually in the Multiple Divine Characters Faction here? You're so weak and acting like you're waiting to die—who's going to take you seriously? If they don't take you seriously, where will my support come from?" The strength of the Multiple Divine Characters Faction directly affected his own circumstances! If the enemy wasn't strong, why invest heavily in him? That was what those people were thinking. Lately, Liu Hong could feel the shift in their attitude. Earlier, when Bai Feng flexed his strength and defeated Hu Wensheng, Liu Hong's treatment had noticeably improved for those few days because everyone was counting on him to hold Bai Feng back. Bai Feng replied testily, "What can I do on short notice? Once I finish what I'm working on, Su Yu grows up, and I become stronger, we'll give you plenty to deal with. What's the rush!" "You..." Liu Hong was at a loss for words. Helplessly, he said, "It's a pity Su Yu is still too weak. Otherwise, if he defeated Zheng Yunhui, it would prove he already has what it takes to enter the Top 100 Rankings, putting pressure on those guys. Ideally, he'd thrash those guys on the Top 100 list, and only then would you all be taken seriously again..." "How could it be that fast!" Bai Feng said helplessly, "His progress is already fast enough! His foundation is far behind Zheng Yunhui's. Give him a bit more time, and his growth rate will be rapid too. Liu Hong, even I'm not anxious, so why are you?" "Bullshit!" Liu Hong cursed. Could he afford not to be anxious? He had finally managed to squeeze some perks from the higher-ups, and now it looked like they were slipping away, returning to how things were before. How could he not worry? Ever since word spread that his teacher's lifespan was nearing its end, his treatment had deteriorated day by day. His teacher had entered death seclusion and wouldn't come out. Now his branch lacked significant influence, and good resources were always supplied to others first—like that useless Hu Wensheng—before anyone even considered Liu Hong. Otherwise, what right would Hu Wensheng have to ride roughshod over him! "Bai Feng, if you keep taking this so lightly... Whatever, suit yourself. Your faction deserves to lose its lineage! With your nonchalant attitude, damn it, even I, an outsider, care more than you do!" Liu Hong was fuming! Bai Feng was gloomy as well. He did take it seriously, but wasn't his current strength simply not up to it yet? "Then how about... I come out of seclusion and beat you up? What do you think?" "..." Liu Hong was rendered speechless. That was true; if Bai Feng really left seclusion, the first person he would target would be Liu Hong. In the end, there really was no good solution. "Sigh... I don't even know if pitting you against the Zheng family was the right move. How about having Su Yu return *Sky-Breaking Slash*?" If the item was returned, Zheng Yunhui probably wouldn't bother making trouble for Su Yu anymore. The Zheng family was like that. Bai Feng considered it for a moment, then said, "We'll see. I'll ask Su Yu for his thoughts. Putting a bit of pressure on the kid is good too, lest he gets ahead of himself!" Bai Feng felt that dealing Su Yu a minor setback was a good idea. Ever since entering the academy, the guy had sailed smoothly without suffering any losses. Letting him take a hit this time might cause him to erupt even faster. The two ended the call. ... Meanwhile. Su Yu returned to the Research Center, the gloom on his face vanishing. He was a little excited, wondering if his acting had been convincing and whether anyone had grown suspicious. Truth be told, a burly fellow like Zheng Yunhui really looked the part when putting on an act. *Liu Hong definitely knows by now. I just wonder if he'll take the bait...* *Still, having the research institute's data appear out of nowhere would be too abrupt. It needs to look natural and reasonable. Having Zheng Yunhui directly pull out god and demon blood essence would also be too jarring. It's better if merit points are proposed first, but he doesn't have enough, so he offers a drop of god and demon blood essence and demands that I raise my stakes. I don't have enough money either, but coveting his blood essence, I take the risk and put up the research data...* Su Yu mulled over his plan for a while. He began filling in the details, polishing the plan so it wouldn't seem contrived or obviously fake. At the thought of swindling a huge sum out of Liu Hong, he grew thrilled. These days, that shameless Liu Hong had been repeatedly bullying him, a mere junior. It was truly infuriating! *It'd be best to have Teacher cooperate with me...* *That shouldn't be much of a problem!* Su Yu pondered quietly, feeling as though he had forgotten something. What had he forgotten? ... In the detention area. The golden lion let out a roar, feeble and devoid of energy, cursing, "Is that kid... dead?" "Bastards! Do they want to starve us to death and study our corpses directly?" The shadow said faintly, "Speak less and save your energy, or you'll die even faster!" The lion shut its mouth, looking somewhat despondent at this moment. Before its seduction plan had even begun, it might starve to death here. *Bastard, what in the world is that kid doing?!*