Chapter 2

As expected, the laughter was boisterous.

The kind of laughter that made it hard to catch one's breath.

Chen Xi didn't mind; his expression was as usual, making people feel very comfortable. The smile on his lips, even the most picky person couldn't detect any insincerity. A servant, and one who willingly stayed without pay, only to be fed, actually spoke such grand words, indeed making people feel that today's good mood depended on this statement.

Less than a year ago, Chen Xi arrived at Xiaoman Tianzong, standing outside for four days and three nights, not seeking cultivation, but only to be a servant. The thousands of disciples in the six outer courts of Xiaoman Tianzong all thought he was a joke. He was already fourteen when he came, and had not yet enlightened, meaning he was not qualified for cultivation. Even if he were a servant, could he change his fate?

At that time, only Qingwu Academy let him in, so Chen Xi felt that the head of Qingwu Academy, Zhou Jiuzhi, should be someone who could be moved. Therefore, he got up at the end of the fourth watch every day for three hundred days, just to get Zhou Jiuzhi to look at him a few more times. Perhaps just a fleeting thought could change his fate.

He didn't know that the reason they kept him was because the heads of the six outer courts had made a bet, betting on how long he could stay as a servant. They bet on how long it would take him to steal skills, and how long he would feel desperate after stealing them.

Of course, the bet was just a bet, and ultimately no one wanted Chen Xi to come in and be a joke. After all, once this joke was mentioned, the entire academy would be involved. Only Zhou Jiuzhi of Qingwu Academy nodded and let him stay. However, Zhou Jiuzhi's conditions were extremely harsh: two meals a day, no pay, not even clothes or shoes, and he had to serve an entire class of thirty-six disciples and one instructor.

Even more harsh was that if anyone said he was lazy or bad, he had to leave.

Because of this, the head who bet that he would last the longest only bet that he would leave after three months.

From the depths of winter to late autumn, Chen Xi seemed to become more grounded.

"Xiguan, I know you must feel everyone is suppressing you and you want to please everyone. But in the future, you'd better not speak recklessly. Allowing you to stay and listen to our conversation has already broken the head's rules. If he finds out, I will be punished too."

Ding Mei smiled and smoothed her hair, she really didn't mean to mock Chen Xi; she just knew he was joking.

"Xiguan, just focus on roasting the meat for us."

Zhao Wu laughed and said, "Even though you're a waste, you really serve people well. Honestly, since you came, everyone's life has been much more comfortable. Just do your job as a servant, and maybe one day the head will be merciful and allow you to be a proper servant. Then you can wear new clothes and shoes to serve us, and we won't feel bad seeing your old clothes."

Chen Xi smiled and replied, "The clothes aren't dirty; I wash them every day."

Zhao Wu laughed even more, "I didn't say your clothes were dirty, just that they were old, hahaha."

Chen Xi still smiled, with no change in his expression.

"Xiguan, why don't I bring some servant clothes from home for you?"

Shi Xueling looked at Chen Xi and said, "Even if you're not a formal servant, you're still part of Class A, and it's too shabby. If we bring you out and people see, we'll be laughed at too."

"Thank you."

Chen Xi shook his head and answered seriously, "But this old clothes are the most comfortable to wear."

No one would understand that old clothes were more comfortable to wear.

"You can leave now, we have some things to discuss."

Ding Mei waved her hand, "In the future, you won't be brought to such occasions."

Chen Xi stood up, clasped his hands, bowed slightly, and then left.

After turning around, his steps suddenly stopped.

Because he saw someone standing not far away, watching them.

Zhou Jiuzhi, the head of Qingwu Academy, had a cold expression, his gaze not on Chen Xi but on Ding Mei: "Is the academy's rule just a game to you? Allowing a servant to mingle with you like this, have you forgotten the hierarchy?"

"We were just... chatting."

Ding Mei immediately stood up, bending over to answer.

"Are you still arguing?"

Zhou Jiuzhi coldly smiled, "Punish you to the Discipline Hall for three days, and receive all forty-nine punishments."

A commotion broke out!

In the Discipline Hall, the forty-nine punishments, each one could make life worse than death. Unless a major mistake was made, few people were sent to the Discipline Hall. And receiving all forty-nine punishments was for those who committed serious crimes. Even if they survived, they would likely have little life left.

"Yes."

Ding Mei's face changed drastically, but she still lowered her head and accepted the punishment.

"Head, please show mercy!"

Zhan Qing stepped forward and bowed, "Although this matter is inappropriate, according to the academy's rules, the instructor's mistake is not enough to be sent to the Discipline Hall, and even if sent, it is not enough to receive all forty-nine punishments."

"Are you saying I'm wrong? Or is there someone willing to take her punishment?"

Zhou Jiuzhi asked coldly.

Zhan Qing opened his mouth but dared not speak. The others looked at each other, though they all knew Zhou Jiuzhi was wrong, no one dared to say it. As for taking Ding Mei's punishment, they didn't even dare to think about it. The Discipline Hall was a place even ghosts feared.

"You're wrong."

Chen Xi stood still, first performing the proper salute, then said calmly and respectfully, "I don't know the academy's rules because I haven't been exposed to them. But I know the head is wrong, wrong in punishing the wrong person. This matter started with me, the instructor was just kind, and kindness is a mistake? So whatever punishment, it should be me."

Zhou Jiuzhi's gaze finally fell on Chen Xi, and after a long silence, he said, "Very well, if you can survive the Discipline Hall, I will give you a chance for the internal test!"

After saying that, he left.

"Thank you."

Chen Xi bowed again, speaking with great solemnity.

Everyone looked at him as if he were a fool, thinking he was crazy. Instructor Ding Mei's cultivation was at least at the First Rank of Breaking the Void, and with such cultivation, she might not even survive the Discipline Hall. For him, a waste who couldn't cultivate, going in... was a dead end.

...

...

"Pack your things, I'll take you down the mountain now."

Ding Mei threw a small package on Chen Xi's hard bed and said urgently, "Only the students of Class A know about this, no one else does, so no one will stop us when I take you out of the gate. I've already informed them, no one is allowed to talk about this."

"But..."

Chen Xi didn't look at the package or move, "If I leave, the instructor will really be punished."

"If you leave, I will be punished physically; if you don't leave, I will be punished mentally."

Ding Mei frowned, her beautiful brows, "To be mentally punished because of a fool like you, it's not worth it."

"I can't leave."

Chen Xi shook his head, very determined, "There's still one student in the instructor's class who can enter the Fate-Changing Tower."

"That's not you!"

Ding Mei's voice suddenly became stern, "I know you came to Qingwu Academy with your own purpose, but no matter what your purpose is, the person representing Qingwu Academy in the internal test will not be you. Not to mention you can't cultivate now, even if you could, it wouldn't be you."

"Because of my unknown background? Because I'm just a servant?"

Chen Xi smiled, "Are you afraid other instructors and students will mock your class for having no one?"

Ding Mei's face changed, "If you don't leave, I'll knock you out and throw you out."

"I want to enter the Fate-Changing Tower, I want to change my fate."

Chen Xi said firmly, "I must do this."

Ding Mei was stunned, this was not an answer she could accept. But for some reason, she felt a bit uneasy.

"What do you want to do?"

She asked.

"Please make way for me."

Chen Xi stood up and bowed solemnly, "Just this once, if I succeed in the future, a drop of water's kindness will be repaid with a spring of water."

"The first punishment in the Discipline Hall is the Ice Room. I don't expect you to survive all forty-nine punishments, or even the Ice Room. I can only tell you this much, take care of yourself."

Ding Mei turned and left.

"Thank you."

Chen Xi thanked her.

"I know the first punishment in the Discipline Hall is the Ice Room, I've known for a long time. That's why I've been soaking in the Cold Water Pond, a living hell. I also know the second punishment is the Insect Cave, the third is the Nine Snake Den, the fourth is the Thunder Hall... I know all these, I knew them when I was very young. When I knew... you weren't an instructor yet."

Of course, Chen Xi wouldn't say these words.

Ten years.

When he escaped, he was just a four or five-year-old boy, and few people had seen him. Now he has returned, and he is confident no one will recognize him. His enemies... are in Xiaoman Tianzong.

...

...

"You're smiling."

Zhou Jiuzhi looked at Chen Xi carefully, as if trying to see every pore.

"Yes."

Chen Xi nodded.

"But you have hatred in your heart."

Zhou Jiuzhi asked.

Chen Xi seemed hesitant but still nodded, "Yes."

"What kind of hatred?"

Zhou Jiuzhi asked again.

"The greatest kind."

Chen Xi answered.

"Go."

Zhou Jiuzhi pointed to the direction of the Discipline Hall, "For three hundred days, you deliberately got up and worked during my practice time every day, each time just smiling and nodding before leaving. It rained on thirty-eight days, snowed on six, and you fell one hundred and thirty-seven times on this road. I've been keeping track of all this, I just wanted to know what someone has in their heart to push themselves to this extent."

"You've been bathing in the Cold Water Pond for a long time, the first time you only lasted a minute, now you can last about ten minutes. Of course, you didn't go to the Cold Water Pond because you knew you would enter the Ice Room in the Discipline Hall, but because you have an injury. If I'm not mistaken, your injury is from being burned by fiery qi, and no one in Qingzhou has such cultivation, only the Seven Yang Valley in Yongzhou can do it."

"So, your enemy is from the Seven Yang Valley. Although Xiaoman Tianzong may not be the most powerful sect in the world, it is not afraid of the Seven Yang Valley. Moreover, the Seven Yang Valley has been suppressed by Xiaoman Tianzong for many years. If you can survive the Ice Room, I will give you a Xiaoye Pill, which can heal your injury and help you recover some cultivation."

Chen Xi smiled bitterly, "I can't hide anything from you."

Zhou Jiuzhi said calmly, "Even if I were blind, I could see that you have reached the Ninth Rank of Foundation Establishment. You are fourteen this year, and your injury is at least a year old. The most outstanding genius in Qingwu Academy's history reached the Eighth Rank of Foundation Establishment at ten and the Ninth Rank at fifteen, one foot into the Breaking the Void stage. If you weren't injured, you would be stronger. How could I let such a genius go?"

He laughed, especially cunning, "Those old foxes are all watching me. If I showed any interest in you, they would have investigated you long ago. To keep you in Qingwu Academy, I deliberately ignored you for three hundred days, making those old foxes think you had no potential. Yes, I deliberately made you enter the Discipline Hall today, because I need a reason for you to participate in the internal test and enter the Fate-Changing Tower."

He looked at Chen Xi very seriously and said, "I want you to come out of the Fate-Changing Tower with the Ninth Rank of Foundation Establishment. At that time, the seven years of bad luck that Phoenix Pheasant Academy has been suppressing us can be avenged."