6 Chapter 5: Talen (2/2)

Xiao Zhang chuckled indulgently as he watched Qi Fu Ren, his voice devoid of reproach. I suddenly had the feeling that this world was slightly different from my previous timeline. The mentality of that Qi Fu Ren was right, after all. Martial City prized strength over everything else. Thus it didn't matter how he bullied others – might made right, and his abusive actions were justified by his being stronger than everyone else.

I suddenly wished I wasn't reincarnated to this world.

Qi Fu Ren slammed his palm into the monument, probably accidentally using more strength than what was necessary. A split second later, the Blackstone flared up, a silver and white light streaking out of it like a miniature sun.

”Heh! I don't know what this is, but this looks good!”

Remembering what the sage said about brighter being better, Qi Fu Ren looked pretty pleased. At the very least, his glow was brighter than that of Ban Zhang's.

The principal's eyes widened, and he smiled, impressed.

”Amazing! You have a Four Star Constitution! You are one of those rare geniuses…your future certainly is very bright, young man. I'm sure there will be a lot of sects vying for you.”

”Hah! I'll only choose the very best!”

Qi Fu Ren looked smug, and he swept his arrogant gaze across the rest of class, as if challenging them. Then he looked at Ban Zhang mockingly, certain of his superiority to our future class representative.

Ban Zhang merely frowned, but didn't say anything.

”Star Constitution doesn't decide everything,” Teacher Jiao spoke up. He was folding his arms and watching from a distance, having stood at the back of the class to look after us. ”If you don't put in the effort and underestimate your rivals, even those with a lower quality Star Constitution will surpass and defeat you.”

”Jiao Shi is right.” Despite the lack of disagreement, there was no reproach in the principal's tone. He smiled encouragingly at Qi Fu Ren. ”Make sure you work hard, young man.”

”Hah! I don't need you to tell me that!”

After that, the class began lining up and getting their Constitutions measured. It seemed that the majority of the class was Three Star Constitution candidates. There were a few Four Star Constitution here and there, but they were pretty rare. Tong Xue came back enthusiastically after being measured at Three Star.

”Oh! I passed! I can't believe it!”

”Good job,” I responded and patted his shoulder. ”So have you decided which sect you want to join yet?”

”I honestly haven't thought about that,” Tong Xue admitted. ”I was so worried about how my Star Constitution would be measured that it was all I was thinking about!”

Understandable. As more of our classmates went up the stage, the pressure and fear began to mount upon my shoulders.

There were a few…disappointing ones. Unlike their leader, Hu Shuo and Ba Dao only received Two Star Constitutions. A girl named Tu Zi Yi, as well. Even though she was considered by many to be the third most beautiful girl of our class (based on first impressions by the guys, anyway), with her pretty features and long, silky black hair, the moment she received an average rating, most people tended to…not associate with her.

This was reinforced by the principal's response.

”Two Star Constitution,” he announced when seeing the lukewarm glow. He looked at Tu Zi Yi sympathetically. ”It's on the average side, and to be honest, you will find it difficult to find a sect willing to accept you…but it's not impossible. Work hard, young lady, and I'm sure you'll be able to get by.”

Get by. Not succeed, but just to get by. Wow, this world was pretty brutal. Seeing Tu Zi Yi's gloomy expression, I couldn't help but feel even more worried.

As for the two flunkies, Xiao Zhang didn't even pay much attention to them. He merely shook his head in disappointment and said nothing. But when they descended down the stage, Qi Fu Ren jumped on top of them and threw a hand over each of their shoulders.

”Don't worry, my brothers. If you follow me, I'll promise to make you guys powerful.”

”You will, boss?”

”Really, boss?”

”Of course!” Qi Fu Ren slapped their backs. ”When have I ever let you down before?”

I hate to admit it, but as much as Qi Fu Ren was a bullying bastard, he really did take care of his underlings who followed him with unquestioning loyalty. To be fair, I didn't know him that well, and what I knew of him, I only heard from Tong Xue. It was also possible that Tong Xue was exaggerating, or that the rumors about him were unfounded. But his rough and arrogant treatment certainly cemented his terrible reputation. Xiao Zhang didn't look like he approved, but he was careful not to offend someone with Four Star Constitution.

”Hah! I have a Four Star Constitution too!”

Tang Qi Hong threw her fist triumphantly into the air after her measurement. The second most beautiful girl in our class looked pretty smug and triumphant, throwing a glance in Bai Ning Xue's direction, as if to say, ”What can you do about that?”

Even though Tang Qi Hong was also a striking beauty with long, strawberry blond hair and blazing ruby eyes, she was often overshadowed by the cooler and more composed Bai Ning Xue. She had one-sidedly viewed Bai Ning Xue as her rival, but it was clear that Ning Xue didn't even place her in her eyes. Sometimes I felt sorry for Tang Qi Hong, but her attempts to compete with Ning Xue were…well, let's just say she was just asking to be humiliated and beaten.

Of course, the girls decided to follow their messiah, Ning Xue, and poor Tang Qi Hong was forgotten and left to the side. Anyway, this was something I only found out about later, and not at that time. At this very moment, I had no idea who she was, or why she was acting that way, and I had a somewhat poor impression of her. Not that I was in any position to judge others, especially given her overwhelming talent.

”Impressive. Undoubtedly impressive.” The principal of Wu Ling Academy was raining down praises on her, nodding his head in excitement. ”You certainly have a great future ahead of you, young lady. Make sure to continue working hard!”

”I will! I will definitely reach the top!”

Tang Qi Hong maintained her fist in the air, her head held up high and proud. Again, she glanced at Bai Ning Xue and smirked, but the latter didn't even seem to notice her. Tang Qi Hong scowled, but she obediently got off the stage.

Qing Xin Xia was next, and she also had a Four Star Constitution. Xiao Zhang was getting increasingly happy at what he thought was a good haul of candidates with excellent potential. There were already quite a few Four Star Constitution candidates, such as Li Chun Long, Feng Tian Yong, and Wu Hei Gui. So four guys and two girls, six Four Star Constitution candidates out of a class of forty people.

”Given how you normally would only have one Four Star Constitution candidate out of a hundred, a fraction like this is already amazing…”

Xiao Zhang was shaking his head in disbelief, a silly grin spreading over his usually wise-looking face. He could hardly contain his joy.

”This really is an excellent batch of candidates, Jiao Shi!”

Jiao Shi merely grunted and looked away in annoyance. It was clear that he still didn't approve of this farce.

”There's still three of you…”

Xiao Zhang turned expectantly to me, Zhu Jiao and Bai Ning Xue. I glanced at the other two, not sure if I wanted to go. Zhu Jiao also hesitated. While the two of us guys were being indecisive, Bai Ning Xue wasted no time and moved forward. Zhu Jiao and I sighed, somewhat in relief, as Bai Ning Xue climbed the stage.

”Oho…this young lady…”

Xiao Zhang noticed that there was something different about Bai Ning Xue and stroked his beard, fascinated. Tang Qi Hong sulked and clenched her fists, probably secretly praying that Bai Ning Xue crashed and burned so that she could take her spot as the number one princess. The rest of the class murmured excitedly in a low voice as they watched the First Princess of Class 1-4 approach the monument and wordlessly place her hand on the Blackstone.

The moment her palm made contact, the Blackstone immediately flashed blindingly. A pillar of golden light blasted toward upward, disintegrating clouds and cracking the heavens apart with immense force. Lightning roared as the massive pillar of light expanded to envelope Bai Ning Xue within its luminous embrace.

”This…this is…!”

Xiao Zhang's jaw dropped and he stared in total disbelief.

Even Teacher Jiao had dropped all pretense of nonchalance and was staring at the spectacle in awe. In the distance, the elders of the other sects were in an uproar, yelling and shouting toward each other in delight and disbelief.

”What's…what's going on?!” Tang Qi Hong demanded, her eyes round. Even Qi Fu Ren was frozen in silence, his mouth hanging open like a goldfish's. I would have made fun of him, but I was pretty sure I had the exact same expression as him right now.

”F…Five Star Constitution…”

Xiao Zhang finally spoke up, forcing the words out of his throat.

”Incredible…I don't believe it. This young lady is unprecedented genius. Even in the millennia of cultivation, the number of those cultivators with Five Star Constitutions is less than ten! How in the nine heavens were we able to…?!”

Bai Ning Xue merely removed her hand from the Blackstone and glanced at the stunned principal of Wu Ling Academy.

”Five Star Constitution. I see.”

With that simple sentence, she descended the stage.

”W…wait! You will be in high demand, you know that? Your future…your future is limitless! Every sect will kill each other trying to recruit you! Do you know how much significance this have?”

While Xiao Zhang rambled on, the class had fallen into silence. Tang Qi Hong looked like she was about to faint. Qi Fu Ren looked overawed and bitter, not because he was jealous, but because it would be difficult for him to impress Bai Ning Xue and woo her. Everyone else was just too shocked to be able to absorb what had just happened.

It wasn't just our class. The entire cohort of hundreds of students behind Class 1-4 had also fallen into stunned silence. The teachers as well – not only Teacher Jiao, but every single teacher present were rubbing their eyes, unable to believe what they had just witnessed.

”I will choose which sect I will join,” Bai Ning Xue replied simply, and that was it. Still shaking his head, unable to digest the fact that an unprecedented genius in history had just appeared in front of him, Xiao Zhang turned to me and Zhu Jiao.

”Go ahead.”

Zhu Jiao nudged me forward. I frowned, but I didn't object. Even though I would prefer to have gone last, there was some sense in getting over this as quickly as possible. I had made a mistake. I should have gone before Bai Ning Xue. Right now, her Five Star Constitution had overshadowed everyone else's status. It would be a tough act to follow.

Not that I wanted to follow, but I was pretty sure that anyone after Bai Ning Xue would seem pretty lackluster. Even on the miniscule chance that I somehow managed to possess a Four Star Constitution. Given the laws of average, I suppose I would fall somewhere between the range of Two Star Constitution and Three Star Constitution. Perhaps I could follow Tu Zi Yi and join the same sect as her when I received a Two Star Constitution rating.

Yeah, yeah. I had low self-esteem. But that came from commenters on a certain writing website who always called me trash and utterly destroyed my self-confidence and self-belief. This was why cyber-bullying was such a serious issue. It wasn't as simple as toughening up and ignoring insults. If you received abuse and people condescendingly telling you that you were useless trash, that your writing is horrible, and that you should get off the site everyday, eventually you would normalize those insults and come to believe it, no matter how many times you tell yourself that you should be tough and you should ignore those abuses.

Taking a deep breath, I climbed the stage, suddenly aware of everyone's gaze upon me. Especially Qi Fu Ren, who was mocking me even though we had never met before. He probably knew there was a slim chance of me being on par with him, and was looking forward to looking down on me. To be fair, he was already doing that to Ban Zhang and all the other classmates who were ranked lower than him, so it was not as if he was singling me out in particular. And then there were those other students who wondered if I would turn out to be another Bai Ning Xue. Not a chance in hell. But I didn't blame them. If I were down there with them, I would be wondering if the person – such as Zhu Jiao – would pull a second miracle.

”Place your hand on the monument,” Xiao Zhang instructed. I nodded and then reached out with my hand.

The Blackstone felt smooth and cool to the touch. At first, there was nothing. Then a very weak glow emanated from it, so weak that it was almost invisible in the sunlight. My classmates craned their necks, as if expecting something, but frowned when they saw nothing. I didn't blame them. From their distance, they probably wouldn't be able to see the soft, black glow that extended a few millimeters away from the cold Blackstone.

I gulped. This was clearly not good at all.

”One Star Constitution.”

The declaration from Xiao Zhang was damning and vindicative. I withdrew my hand and hung my head before shuffling off the stage.

”You're…trash.” Xiao Zhang shook his head in disappointment, ridicule curling up in his tone. ”Not fit to be a cultivator at all. I'm sorry, but I'm afraid that there will be no sect that will accept you as a disciple.”

”Then what am I supposed to do?” I grumbled angrily. ”Quit the academy and return home?”

”I'm sure you're already aware that unless you've reached a certain level in cultivation, you won't be able to leave the academy grounds.” Unlike the tone he had taken with others, the Sage of Wu Ling sounded cold and almost cruel. ”It is a pity, but until you learn how to jump over the wall and walk on water, you'll be doomed to stay in the academy for the rest of your life.”

”Ha ha ha ha ha ha! I knew it! Fei Wu is just trash, like his name states (Trash in Chinese is also written as Fei Wu)!”

Qi Fu Ren burst out laughing, and his two cronies joined in, despite them not being that much better than me. Evidently he had heard my name when I was talking to Tong Xue and the others, and thought this whole thing was funny. I glared in his direction, but there was absolutely nothing I could say. While I didn't buy this whole stupid system of quantifying one's talent or might makes right principle, right now I had no choice but to abide by the rules and culture of Martial Academy.

”What are you waiting for?” Xiao Zhang's voice was dripping with ridicule as he glared at me when I stopped to stare defiantly in Qi Fu Ren's direction. ”Hurry up and get off the stage, you trash.”