12 Chapter 11: Golden Amule (2/2)

”Why?!”

”Because level 2 was too easy.”

”How is that possible?!”

That was a fair question, to be honest. While most of our classmates were on par with level 2 battle puppets, the two of us should still be on level 1 because of our One Star Constitutions and slow progress. There was no way I should find level 2 too easy, because it meant I was on equal grounds or even superior to most of our classmates.

On that note, Qi Fu Ren had beaten a level 3 battle puppet, so that was probably why I was thrashed by him so easily.

However, I had experienced a fight with multiple seniors, so that must have helped me grow stronger somehow. Furthermore, I didn't buy these whole levels and strength quantification bullshit. Certainly, the level 3 battle puppet was much stronger and faster than a level 2 one, but exactly what that meant in terms of values or numbers was overly vague. Was there a whole band of ranging values, or was it the median? What did level 3 mean with respect to level 2? How exactly do you define or quantify the difference?

Was level 3 ten times stronger than level 2, for example? Or twenty times?

Ugh, all these levels and whatnot are meaningless to me anyway.

For me, personally, I just assumed the levels were stages of difficulty, much like a game. But other than that I didn't take the whole level thing too seriously.

”You're amazing!” Zhu Jiao exclaimed.

”No, I'm not.” I was feeling sheepish right now, regretting having told Zhu Jiao that. ”Please don't tell the others about this.”

”But why not?”

”I would prefer to keep a low profile, especially right now.”

Qi Fu Ren was one thing, but after two consecutive days of seniors coming after me, I would prefer to lay low and stay hidden from view for a while.

Zhu Jiao considered for a moment, and then he nodded.

”Sure.” He grinned. ”But if Qi Fu Ren knows about this, he might think twice about attacking you! We can start paying him back!”

”Yeah.”

I nodded in agreement, but I picked up some sense of discontent in Zhu Jiao's otherwise bright tone. He was genuinely happy for me, I could see that, but…he seemed frustrated somehow.

He doesn't want to fall behind, I realized. Taking a deep breath, I patted him encouragingly.

”Don't worry,” I assured him. ”You'll catch up and overtake me immediately.”

I had no idea how true my words would become.

*

The next day, we managed to get through class without Qi Fu Ren and his cronies coming to bother us. I was also relieved that the seniors didn't confront me this time. Perhaps they finally realized that I wasn't some inheritor or successor of the Heaven and Earth Sect. or maybe they were just afraid of me.

If they were, then great, but somehow I doubted that. Aware of the usual clichés, I predicted that stronger seniors would come to take revenge for their defeated juniors, just like in every wuxia web novel where antagonists were shameless enough to beg their seniors to take revenge for them. If this was fiction, I might welcome it, as no doubt the plot would have me thrashing the stronger seniors too, most likely in front of everyone so as to prove my strength and Mary Sue-ness. You know, typical wuxia protagonist fare.

Unfortunately, this was reality, and I knew for sure that I would be the one getting destroyed one-sidedly instead.

As I neared the completion of my twenty kilometer run, I suddenly caught sight of Zhu Jiao in the distance. As Zhu Jiao adopted a different training regimen from mine, we usually trained separately, which was why we weren't running together. As always, Zhu Jiao finished his physical training way before I did, so he had more time to meditate. Or to relax.

Relax…? Was that what Zhu Jiao was doing right now?

I watched as Zhu Jiao moved toward a deserted part of the academy, which was a huge hill located inside a vast courtyard of sprawling green grass. Despite the great expanse of verdant fields free from human buildings and residence, we were still clearly within academy grounds. Curious as to what Zhu Jiao was up to, I altered my running route and followed him.

Zhu Jiao climbed up the slope until he reached the peak of the hill, which was high enough to overlook the tall walls that served as a perimeter for the academy. He stood atop the very edge of the cliff, glaring down at the buildings of Martial City, which were beginning to look like Lego toys from this height. Fortunately, I was behind him, but I remained out of sight. I was going to call out to him, but my voice died in my throat when I saw what Zhu Jiao was staring at.

He had shifted his gaze toward the skies. Even though it was still afternoon, the weather appeared to be unusual. The sun was still high in the heavens, yet there were already streaks of gold spilling from between the beleaguered clouds that were being churned and torn apart by a fierce gust of wind.

”Hey…”

I was about to call out to Zhu Jiao, but he paid no attention to me. Instead, he made a fist and punched toward the heavens, as if imitating a martial arts strike from one of our classmates who he saw practicing within the inner academy grounds or the training facilities.

”If there comes a day when I can punch through the heavens, then I will be able to die without any regrets.”

”Why the fuck are you saying such a cheesy line?” I demanded, annoyed by his pompous attitude, but Zhu Jiao didn't hear me. He was too busily imagining that his punch had somehow penetrated the golden hued clouds, the force of his strike mercilessly and gloriously hurtling toward the stars beyond.

”Heh! Ha ha ha ha ha!”

Zhu Jiao must have realized just how idiotic and cheesy he sounded, for he suddenly burst out laughing. He shook his head, and was about to turn around as if he was going to descend the relatively large hill.

However, he suddenly stopped, stunned.

What's the matter?

Wondering, I stepped out to wave at him, but froze as well. This was because the clouds were splitting open, ruptured by a sudden elemental force that surpassed the fury of the winds from earlier. A golden beam of light pierced through the broken clouds, tore through the skies and sped toward Zhu Jiao so quickly that he didn't even have time to blink.

”Watch out!” I yelled, but I was too late.

Zhu Jiao wasn't able to respond. His body was frozen, his eyes staring blankly at the onrushing ray of golden light. Then the light struck him, bathing him in an intense glow so brilliant that I was forced to shut my eyes to protect them.

”?!”

There was a huge explosion that hurled me off my feet. I almost fell off the steep slope, and had to scramble to grab hold of a clump of grass, struggling to pull myself up before I fell to my death…or at the very least, a serious injury. While I yanked myself back up the hill, I watched in awe as massive amounts of qi swirled and billowed around Zhu Jiao.

”What the hell is this?”

I tried to approach him, but there seemed to be an invisible barrier between us. The moment I took a step forward…

Bang!

”Ugh!”

I was hurled across the air and landed at the base of the hill, where it rose from the ground. Thankfully I didn't roll all the way to the bottom of the hill, or I would have missed this spectacular sight and not know what was going on with my friend.

Now that was something I really didn't want to happen.

”Huff…huff…”

Heaving, the wind knocked out of me, I gulped down air and slowly rose to my feet. I staggered and fell over, unable to stand. Perhaps it was the tremendous pressure of whatever qi was being emanated from Zhu Jiao's body, but I felt as if there was an enormous weight crushing down on me, pinning me to the ground.

”Ugh…!”

As much as I struggled, I couldn't get any higher than kneeling. Never mind walking, I couldn't even stand up straight!

”Zhu Jiao!”

Concern for my friend outstripped everything at this moment. I called out to him, hoping that he was still alive, that he wasn't being obliterated by this strange new force. If I was already being overwhelmed like this even though I was such a far distance away, how much worse must it be for Zhu Jiao, who was at the center of this mysterious power?

However, in contrast to me, Zhu Jiao woke up with a smile.

”What a pleasant dream!”

What the fuck?!

I wanted to shout, but I found that my voice was gone. The pressure seemed to increase even further, drilling my knees into the ground. I gritted my teeth and focused all my strength into my legs, trying not to get squashed to death by a power that vaguely resembled gravity.

Unfurrowing his brow, Zhu Jiao beamed brightly, his expression vigorous and lively. He looked around, as if staring at the sky. I realized he must be wondering how much time had passed. It had only been a few seconds…probably a minute or two at the most. But he couldn't tell, having been knocked unconscious by that strange light.

Nonetheless, from how the sky was still bright, he probably knew it wasn't that long.

”What just happened?”

Zhu Jiao continued to glance around. Puzzled, he reached up and massaged his forehead, and then he suddenly jumped up.

”Whoa! Isn't this my family heirloom?”

I craned my neck and looked, only to see Zhu Jiao produce a golden amulet out of nowhere. He was holding it up with his hand, closely scrutinizing it in curiosity.

”What happened to it? It has never glowed like this before. Don't tell me…it was that golden light?”

Huh? What the heck?!

Why did this development sound so familiar?

And where the fuck did Zhu Jiao get a family heirloom from? He had never mentioned it before. I mean, I never asked and he had no reason to show off his golden amulet to me, but this sounded like some plot device arbitrarily that had been thrown in for the sake of it. Whatever happened to foreshadowing? At least make some mention of it a few chapters ago, idiot!

But before I could complain about this scene being suspiciously similar to some wuxia novel about a Mary Sue protagonist who was arrogant as hell and beat up everybody in his path while learning countless martial arts techniques left and right, the golden amulet glowed and sparkled.

”Whoa!”

Zhu Jiao cried out again and almost dropped the golden amulet.

”Oi! Be careful with that!” an old, wizened voice shouted out. Zhu Jiao blinked, and then gaped upward when he realized that there was where the voice came from.

There, above his head, a single ghostly old man with no legs however, his long white hair dropping and disappearing into smoke-like wisps.

”You're pretty lucky, lad!” the old man chuckled as he met Zhu Jiao's gaze. ”For us to be able to meet like this…fate sure is a fickle thing!”