122 Chapter 121: White Tiger Sec (1/2)

”It's been a while, my cute junior.”

Lei Yong Chun smiled as Bai Ning Xue strode forward. Ignoring her first senior, Bai Ning Xue quickly knelt down by Zhu Jiao's side and touched his neck. When she felt his pulse, she sighed in relief. Then she straightened up and glared at Lei Yong Chun.

”How scary,” he mocked her, and glanced at Zhu Jiao. ”I see…if I recall, that boy must be your childhood sweetheart. He has a lot of potential. If I got hit by him, I would have been badly injured.”

”You'll regret hurting Zhu Jiao,” Bai Ning Xue promised, her expression ominous. Clenching her fists, she drew her sword, raising it in a fighting stance. ”Tell me, First Senior. Why did you betray the White Tiger Sect?”

”I didn't betray the White Tiger Sect. You know as well as I do that many of the elders support me. Father might disagree, but I have the backing of Grandfather.”

”Even so, why? Why are you attacking Wu Ling Academy?”

”Do you really not know?” Lei Yong Chun laughed at what he thought was Bai Ning Xue's naivety. ”It's not just the White Tiger Sect, you know? Many members of the other sects have also gathered to discuss the elimination of Wu Ling Academy. They think artificial qi is an abomination, and they fear that Xiao Zhang is getting way too ahead of himself. If left unchecked, his ambition might grow and he'll cause a massive upheaval in the Great Zhou Empire.”

”What are you talking about?” Bai Ning Xue demanded, her expression remaining impassive as ever.

”You'll see what I mean. The Martial Arts Alliance has begun moving against Wu Ling Academy and the so-called Experimentalists. It's a pity…but you kids will end up as a sacrifice.” Lei Yong Chun was shaking his head theatrically.

”I asked what you are talking about?!” Bai Ning Xue snapped.

”Ah…I might have said a bit too much. Forget what I just said.”

Lei Yong Chun chuckled. Bai Ning Xue gave him a cold, murderous stare, but she didn't probe further, knowing that it would be useless. Instead, she rose to her feet and stood protectively in front of Zhu Jiao's prone body.

”Don't throw away your position as the next successor of the White Tiger Sect,” she told her first senior calmly. ”You still have a bright future ahead of you. If you're willing to walk away now, I will convince Master that you were not involved in this.”

”My dear junior…” Lei Yong Chun sighed. ”You really don't know anything, do you?”

Bai Ning Xue tensed, but her first senior continued.

”Doing this won't cause me my position as the next sect leader. In fact, I'll gain support from the majority of elders and masters.”

”…what?”

Bai Ning Xue stared at Lei Yong Chun in disbelief. He chuckled and shrugged nonchalantly.

”Did you not know? How all the elders, masters and disciples who are not from Wu Ling Academy hold resentment against the students from it? It's not just our sect. almost every sect in the Martial Arts Alliance is hostile against Wu Ling Academy.”

”Why?” Bai Ning Xue asked dumbly, doubt surfacing on her pretty face.

”Blame your school principal for monopolizing and hoarding the secrets of artificial qi. No, scratch that. We don't want his filthy artificial qi. It's an abomination.” The smile widened on Lei Yong Chun's handsome face. ”Blame him for creating such a monstrous thing in the first place.”

”W…what?” Bai Ning Xue was numb. I didn't blame her. I was having trouble believing what I was hearing either.

And having seen the way Lei Yong Chun dispatched the student council members so easily, I realized that it would be foolish to jump out of my hiding place and challenge him. I would just get knocked out immediately. For now, it was best to leave the situation to Bai Ning Xue and see if she could get it sorted.

”A storm is coming, and I fear Wu Ling Academy and its forbidden technology and research won't stand for much longer. You guys have pissed off a lot of grumpy ancient people who value tradition more than progress.”

”What about you, First Senior?” Bai Ning Xue asked evenly, her glacial eyes still hard and skeptical.

”Me? Well…I don't believe in artificial qi. I believe we can still fight without artificial qi – look at your friends. Even though they have so much artificial qi, they couldn't even beat me despite ganging up on me.” Lei Yong Chun waved his hand dismissively. ”How pathetic. You guys have become so reliant on artificial qi that you've allowed it to cripple you. You're too obsessed with all these levels and quantity of qi that you forget about quality and purity.”

”I didn't receive artificial qi either…not much, anyway.”

”And I admire you for it,” Lei Yong Chun raised a hand toward his junior. ”Join me, Ning Xue. And together we'll reform the White Tiger Sect and make it stronger than ever. But first, we will need to crush Wu Ling Academy.”

”Dream on.” Bai Ning Xue snorted. ”Wu Ling Academy is my school. I won't allow anyone to hurt it, even if it's you, First Senior.”

”Ah…how romantic and sentimental. Well, I guess I understand. You were a Wu Ling Academy student first before you're a White Tiger Sect disciple. And your childhood sweetheart is part of this school as well. It can't be helped.” Lei Yong Chun shook his head in mock resignation. ”I really loathe to bully my cute junior, but…well, orders are orders.”

”You were ordered?” Bai Ning Xue asked with an incredulous expression. Lei Yong Chun cocked an eyebrow.

”Weren't you listening?”

”Yes, but…” Bai Ning Xue seemed a little pale now. She clenched both her fists. ”If you're telling the truth…”

”I assure you, I most definitely am.”

”!!”

Bai Ning Xue stared at Lei Yong Chun for a moment, and then she lowered her head, grief and hurt in her eyes.

”It can't be. The elders…”

”…have made their choice. And while I don't always agree with them, I personally think Xiao Zhang must be stopped. And while I am impressed with the abilities of your friends – no doubt inflated because of their artificial qi – I can't afford to go easy on them. The true enemy is Wu Ling Academy. Especially your principal and the staff running it. I'm going to stop them.” Lei Yong Chun's voice hardened for the first time. ”No one has the right to play God. And if he continues his research at this rate, he'll tear apart the laws Nature has set for us.”

”Do you really believe that?”

”Yes.” Lei Yong Chun turned to look at Bai Ning Xue seriously. ”Are you sure you don't want to join me?”

”This is my school,” Bai Ning Xue repeated firmly. ”And progress is necessary. If you and the elders are so intent on living in the past, then it's my job to drag you guys to the present and force you to look at the future.”

”Then why haven't you accepted any artificial qi?” Lei Yong Chun asked, a knowing smile spreading across his good-looking features. ”Do you really think I don't know? You're just as uncomfortable with using artificial qi as we are.”

For the first time, Bai Ning Xue smiled, amused by her senior's assumption. ”You don't know anything about me, First Senior. Or my reasons.”

”Why, then? Why would you refuse such a gift if you think it's the future?”

”I don't necessarily agree with the methods, and I have my own way of cultivating which is similar to yours…that's why we're from the same sect. however, that does not mean I will selfishly deprive others of the chance to develop and benefit from this.”

”How generous,” Lei Yong Chun sneered. ”We'll see if you will be saying the same thing after your friends leave you far behind while they grow unimaginably strong.”

”Ah…” Bai Ning Xue actually giggled. ”So that's what you're afraid of. You don't care about tradition. You fear change because you think we will threaten you. You're scared of us because of the rapid pace of our growth. The elders are jealous that the students of Wu Ling Academy will achieve in a few years what they took decades to attain.”

”…”

Lei Yong Chun was silent for a moment, and I could tell that Bai Ning Xue had clearly hit the nail on the head. He eventually took a step forward, gesturing dismissively.

”I guess this means we can't come to an agreement then?”

”There was never any room for negotiation to begin with,” Bai Ning Xue replied firmly. ”This is the territory of Wu Ling Academy. You're trespassing on our premises, entering our grounds without permission. You will leave or I'll kick you out myself.”

”Can you?” Lei Yong Chun grinned. ”I would like to see you try. I wonder how much you've grown over the last year, my dear junior.”

”More so than you imagine.”

At least Bai Ning Xue doesn't have an elder sister who looks exactly like her or we would be ripping off a certain martial arts manhwa…

To be honest, I was surprised that the entire conversation took a different turn. I had somewhat expected a complete copy of Veritas, but it seemed that Lei Yong Chun wasn't in any mood to play the role of Lightning Tiger Yoo Chun, and Bai Ning Xue clearly was no Vera Linus. She was more concerned with Zhu Jiao's wellbeing than in engaging in any sort of flirtatious behavior with her first senior, who she obviously didn't have a crush on.

Lei Yong Chun stepped away from her friends, rubbing the back of his head.

”Well, this was just a greeting because I heard that your principal is away on a conference today. But I really ought to get back before he finds out about this and rushes back. Still, even if he found out long ago, it'll take him hours to return…”

Bai Ning Xue gripped her sword tightly as a bead of perspiration ran down her cheek. For all of her earlier bluster, she didn't seem very confident when her first senior bore down on her. She raised her sword and pointed at him, her arm trembling faintly.

”What? Are you getting tense?” Lei Yong Chun looked down on her with a mischievous smirk. ”Don't worry. As long as you don't make the first move, I won't attack you. I'm not the type to raise my hand on kids unless absolutely necessary.”

Seeing that she made no move, Lei Yong Chun stepped past her and waved dismissively. He didn't even spare her wavering blade a single glance.

”Your friends are not that injured either. They'll recover after some rest. Like I said, I don't feel comfortable hurting children. I'm just here to disrupt your school.”

”Wait, First Senior.”

Despite being so pale and nervous, Bai Ning Xue refused to back down.

”You trespassed on Wu Ling Academy territory, destroyed school property and hurt my friends.” Dspite the faint trembling in her voice, Bai Ning Xue was firm and resolute. ”Do you think you can just walk away?”

The next second, she flashed forward, swinging her sword. Lei Yong Chun barely intercepted it, catching the blade with her fingers, but a silver blast of lightning streaked forward, causing him to skid backward.

”Wow…you really haven't changed, even after three years. I thought your role as the student council president would have tempered you somewhat, but you're still as feisty as ever!”

Gritting her teeth, Bai Ning Xue swung her sword again, unleashing a second bolt of lightning that scorched the ground.

”Oh, you seem pretty confident,” Lei Yong Chun marveled as he stepped to the side, completely evading Bai Ning Xue's attack. ”Are you perhaps thinking that you've finally caught up to me? Hmm, when was the last time we sparred?”

”A year ago,” Bai Ning Xue replied before striking out with a riposte. When Lei Yong Chun dodged that, she followed up with a vicious kick that almost caught him the face, only for the first disciple of the White Tiger Sect to slightly move his head to the side and avoid it.

Flipping her body upward, Bai Ning Xue thrust her sword and slashed almost wildly, but Lei Yong Chun casually dodged every one of her strikes, moving with the practiced ease of a seasoned veteran used to life-and-death combat.

”Haaah!”

With her other hand, Bai Ning Xue struck, forcing Lei Yong Chun to parry her hand with his forearm. However, Bai Ning Xue suddenly smirked and channeled her electric qi in a single, enormous blast.

”Lightning Fist!”

”!”

Boom!

Lei Yong Chun was sent skidding backward from the tremendous force, his arms raised.

”Are you seriously using Lightning Fist against me?” Lei Yong Chun scoffed as he lowered his guard. His arms didn't even smoke despite the electricity crackling around them. No, he was actually incorporating Bai Ning Xue's lightning into his own qi. ”Have you forgotten who taught you the basics of that technique?”

He then shook his hand and grinned.

”Still, I've to admit, you're better than me when I was your age. You'll eventually surpass me, if given enough time. As expected of someone with a Five Star Constitution, I suppose.”

”Is that why you're doing this?” Bai Ning Xue growled as she charged forward. ”To eliminate any threats to your position as the next sect leader?”

”No, not really. I would be happy if you can succeed me as the next leader, actually. But you'll have to agree to help me eliminate Xiao Zhang and his Wu Ling Academy.”

”Do you really think I'll help you with such an absurd crime?!” Bai Ning Xue swung her sword as hard as she could, only for Lei Yong Chun to deftly dodge it. ”I'll stop you before you can destroy the academy!”

”Ah…while I did praise you for your talent, to be honest, you still aren't quite there yet.” Lei Yong Chun reached out and flicked Bai Ning Xue in the forehead, causing her to recoil in shock. ”Don't get too ahead of yourself, my cute junior. Do you really think you can stop me?”

”Don't underestimate me!”

Bai Ning Xue jumped up, shaking her head to clear then blow, and then gripped her sword with both hands before swinging it down to execute a Lightning Tiger Sword Strike.

”There is no point in dragging this out.” Lei Yong Chun sighed as he glanced up at her. Raising a lightning wreathed fist, he smiled. ”Let's finish this.”

He struck her sword with a Lightning Fist, halting her in midair. Bai Ning Xue's eyes widened when she saw that.

”This is how you use Lightning Fist,” Lei Yong Chun smirked. Before Bai Ning Xue could react in time, he swung his other fist and struck her unguarded side.

”AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”

Lightning exploded upon physical contact, silver electricity surging through Bai Ning Xue and causing her to convulse violently. She shuddered uncontrollably and collapsed onto the ground, smoke rising as her body went into spasms, electricity dancing across her clothes and skin. She tried to get up, only for the lightning to flare up and sent her toppling over once again.

”Ugh…ugh!”

”You can't use your qi for a while, but don't worry about it. You've learned Thunder Break, so you probably know the effects. Master should have taught you. It's only temporary, just like with your friends. So just obediently stay down for now.”

He then turned away, his left hand inside his pockets. Cupping his chin with his right hand, he glanced around the academy grounds.

”Now then…let's head to the laboratory. I've got to destroy the stock of artificial qi they keep in there.”

”Do you think I'll let you…?” Bai Ning Xue growled.

”Do you think you have a choice?” Lei Yong Chun retorted. Glancing at her, he then grinned. ”I don't suppose you'll tell me where the lab is?”

”Dream on!”

”Just as I thought.” Shaking his head in mock disappointment, Lei Yong Chun proceeded to stroll away in a relaxed manner.

”Ugh…!”