Chapter 89

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...

"Number ten, Feng Yizuo, total score 525 points."

"Number nine, Tie Long, total score 528 points."

"Number eight, Duo Luo, total score 532 points."

Dean Jian Yong was reading out the list of the top ten students in the graduation exam, but no one cared about the names mentioned earlier.

Everyone was waiting to see if the name they wanted to hear would be called.

Although everyone knew that Solen's performance this time was very good and surprising, who could guarantee that there wouldn't be any foul play in the final scores, given that the other party had even resorted to blinding him?

"Number three, Zhi Min, total score 539 points."

When this name was announced, everyone immediately looked at Zhi Min, especially the noble female students, as he was the only royal member participating in the graduation exam this year.

Seeing everyone's gaze, Zhi Min flashed a well-practiced smile and waved at the crowd. He had received royal etiquette training since childhood, so he was meticulous in his manners.

However, everyone only glanced at him for a moment before quickly looking away, and most of the noble female students were even unfriendly. The royal family had played a very unsavory role in suppressing Solen.

"Number two, Turing Duo, total score 547 points."

When this name was announced, all the male students immediately searched for the owner of the name.

Turing Duo, the daughter of a duke, was the campus beauty of this year's noble academy.

Despite her title as the campus beauty, she was rarely seen at the royal city academy, often training in various places, like a dragon whose tail is rarely seen.

Sure enough, she was not there. She had left the royal city academy immediately after the graduation exam ended.

So, even though Solen and she were classmates, they had never truly met. In the first two exams, although they were in the same exam room, she always entered from the back door at the start of the exam and left before it ended.

"Number one..." Dean Jian Yong raised his head, looked at everyone, and slowly read out the name.

"Solen, total score 567 points."

Instantly, the entire royal city academy erupted in excitement.

Although everyone had some idea of Solen's high score, hearing this score still shocked everyone present.

The full score was 600 points, and Solen had scored 567 points.

Remember, just a few months ago, he was at the bottom of the class.

Despite the royal family's suppression, he had achieved such an incredible high score. Turing Duo had always been the best student in the entire royal city academy, without a doubt.

However, this time, Solen's score was 20 points higher than hers.

Too powerful, too incredible.

Soon, everyone saw the detailed scores.

Solen's first exam in basic theory: 172 points (out of 200)

Second exam in political science: 95 points (out of 100)

Third exam in arts: 100 points (out of 100)

Fourth exam in martial arts and archery: 100 points for fixed targets, 100 points for moving targets.

In two of the exams, Solen's scores set new records for the royal city academy.

In the political science exam, the previous highest score was 92 points, and Solen scored 95 points.

In the arts exam, the previous highest score was 90 points, and Solen scored a perfect 100 points.

As for the martial arts exam, many students had scored full marks, but Solen was different. He had achieved a perfect score in the archery exam after being blinded.

This was not just a miracle; it was a complete divine feat!

This record would not only be unmatched in the past but also in the future.

Seeing this incredible score, the noble students below the leaderboard truly felt an overwhelming urge to kneel and worship.

It was simply too... powerful, too incredible.

...

The news of Solen winning first place in the royal city academy's graduation exam exploded like a bomb throughout the entire royal city.

Instantly, the entire royal city went wild. Solen and Princess Zhi Ning's bet had been the subject of intense speculation for several days.

Today, the result was finally revealed.

In a situation where no one had expected him to succeed, Solen had achieved an incredible feat.

Especially when everyone heard that Solen was completely blind during the final exam but still scored a perfect 100 in the archery test, they were first completely disbelieving, then utterly shocked.

Previously, the citizens of the royal city had followed this event purely out of curiosity. Now, they were truly impressed and began to genuinely care about Solen's fate.

In any other person's position, they would have been doomed to fail.

But Solen had staged such a stunning comeback. What could possibly stand in his way now?

With Solen's results now out, everyone's attention turned to the royal family.

Would the king award Solen the noble warrior medal? Would he grant him the title of Baron of Tianshui and the position of Lord of Tianshui City?

If the royal family broke the agreement, they would face the condemnation of the millions of citizens in the royal city.

According to the rules, the royal family was to formally confer the titles six days after the graduation exam.

Everyone would be watching to see if the royal family would break their word.

...

In Princess Zhi Ning's residence, she was weak from the blood she had vomited, her beautiful face pale.

The casino owner, pale as earth, knelt outside, trembling.

After Solen's results were announced, he almost fainted, as it meant his casino would have to pay out an astronomical amount of gold coins.

How could this happen? What was supposed to be a windfall had turned into a demon that would devour him.

Was Solen really possessed by a deity? Could he even reverse such a bet?

"How many gold coins were bet on Solen winning?" Zhi Ning asked.

"Fifteen thousand three hundred and twenty-three," the casino owner replied.

Zhi Ning's vision darkened, and she almost fainted.

This meant she would have to pay out 150,000 gold coins. This... this was more than an astronomical amount.

It was the annual tax of a province, more than five times the total assets of the Silver Casino.

If she had to pay this amount, it would severely impact her and Zhi Li's financial resources.

Her money had important uses, serving Zhi Li's claim to the throne.

She had spent tens of thousands of gold coins on the rebellion in Tianshui City, paying the greedy high-ranking martial lords.

She needed large sums of gold to buy off royal family members, to set up operations in the Ten Thousand Mountains and the Southern Barbarian Region, and to maintain a powerful underground intelligence network.

The most expensive expense was secretly training an army.

Though she had a lot of gold, every coin had a purpose, and paying out over a hundred thousand this time would have serious consequences.

"Should we default on this debt?" the casino owner asked cautiously.

"Fool!" Zhi Ning said coldly. "Is gold more important than Prince Zhi Li's reputation?"

"Yes!" the casino owner bowed.

"I will gather the gold as soon as possible. You may leave," Zhi Ning said coldly.

The casino owner crawled out on the ground.

"Li Zhu, how is the battle in Tianshui City?" Zhi Ning asked. "With the high-ranking lords attacking the main city with 30,000 troops against 10,000 defenders, shouldn't they have taken it by now?"

Li Zhu bowed outside. "Princess, it's not that quick. The battle just started. Suo Han Yi is a military genius. It will take at least ten to fifteen days to see a result."

Zhi Ning closed her eyes, trying to calm herself, then asked, "How is Solen now?"

"Unconscious," Li Zhu replied.

"Will his eyes be permanently blind?" Zhi Ning asked.

"Yes," Li Zhu replied. "Yao Yue never fails."

"That's good, that's good..." Zhi Ning sighed. "Even if he is a genius, being blind will make it hard for him to achieve anything."

Seeing Zhi Ning's weary and tired eyes, Li Zhu hesitated for a moment and said, "Since the result is out, why don't you get some rest, Princess?"

He shouldn't have said this, but he was genuinely concerned.

"Alright..." Zhi Ning said in a rare soft tone, then walked into her room, got into bed, and curled up under the covers.

Usually, she liked to sleep naked, but now she didn't care, not even bothering to take off her dress before getting into bed. Her beautiful, slender body was curled up tightly.

She couldn't sleep, as she had never suffered such a major setback or lost so badly.

She knew that the entire royal city was talking about her, especially the snake kiss bet with Solen, which had been exaggerated beyond recognition. In the mouths of those lecherous men, Zhi Ning had been ravaged by Solen countless times.

Her innocence and reputation were surely long gone.

Feeling her mistress's restlessness, Li Zhu sat outside and recited a calming mantra.

Finally, she gradually calmed down and fell into a deep sleep.

...

After an unknown amount of time, Zhi Ning began to tremble and struggle in her sleep.

"No, no... Solen, don't... please, let me go, please let me go..."

She was having that nightmare again, but it was even worse this time.

In the dream, Solen stripped her naked, pressed her to the ground in humiliation, and whipped her mercilessly.

In the dream, she was no longer strong, crying and begging for mercy.

But Solen only hit her harder, finally grabbing her throat and coldly saying in her ear, "Zhi Ning, I told you I would rape and kill you!"

Then, the Solen in the dream pressed her waist, making her kneel and spread her legs.

Next, Solen brutally and violently took her.

At the same time, Zhi Ning's body in the real world trembled violently, a wave of intense emotion surging from deep within her body and soul.

"Ahh..." Zhi Ning screamed.

Then, she suddenly woke up.

Once again, in this nightmare, her body and mind had reached their peak.

Feeling the mess in her dress and the lingering tremors in her body, Zhi Ning finally couldn't hold back and cried out, hugging the blanket.

"Solen, you despicable scoundrel, tormenting me even in my dreams, humiliating me..." Zhi Ning gritted her teeth. "I swear, I swear, I will not let you live past this month."

At that moment, slightly hurried footsteps came from outside.

"Li Zhu, what time is it? What happened?" Zhi Ning asked.

"It's noon," Li Zhu replied. "There's a message from Tianshui City."

"Did the battle end? Did they take the main city?" Zhi Ning asked.

Li Zhu paused for a moment and said, "The 30,000 rebel troops led by the high-ranking lords were defeated, and Suo Han Yi won a great victory!"

Zhi Ning couldn't believe it, her voice trembling. "The battle only started yesterday, right?"

Li Zhu replied, "Yesterday, Suo Han Yi only sent 6,000 soldiers and 4,000 militia to defend the city, creating the illusion of full strength. With this 10,000 mixed force, he repelled five attacks by the 30,000 rebels, with heavy casualties on both sides. At night, Suo Han Yi and Yan Nu led 4,000 well-rested troops out of the city for a night raid, defeating the 20,000 rebels."

Zhi Ning's mind went blank.

The 30,000 rebels she had armed with tens of thousands of gold coins were defeated by Suo Han Yi in just half a day?

20,000 rebels were routed by Suo Han Yi's 4,000 troops?

"Useless, useless, you should be torn apart!" Zhi Ning shouted.

Then, she couldn't hold back the pain in her chest, and a sweet taste rose in her throat.

A mouthful of blood spewed out, and she fainted, unconscious. (To be continued.)