Chapter 1

"Did you hear? The Chief has emerged from his seclusion. Could it be that he has already advanced to the peak of martial arts?"

"What do you know? The place where the Chief was secluded was struck by lightning. It’s already a stroke of luck that he wasn’t shocked into a state of madness. Naturally, he couldn’t continue his seclusion!"

"Ah, has the Chief become so outstanding that even the heavens envy him?"

"Indeed, if he really reached the peak of martial arts, that would be quite something, wouldn’t it?"

"This is only the first academic year, and at least two-thirds of the students are still in the Blood Qi realm, not even having entered the first level of Extraordinary Martial Artist, the Wu Yuan realm. Compared to him, just thinking about it makes me feel stifled!"

"……"

As the Chief of the first academic year at Tongyou Academy, Shang Xia pretended not to hear the discussions behind him, maintaining a calm and composed expression, but inside, he was panicking!

Shang Xia never expected that a thunderclap would shock him, causing him to close his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again, he found himself in a completely new body in a brand new world.

A world of Extraordinary Martial Artists!

At this moment, Shang Xia had thick eyebrows and clear eyes, a tall and slender figure, and wore a long white robe. The collar and cuffs were embroidered with silver-threaded auspicious cloud patterns, and around his waist, he wore a wide green cloud-patterned sash, adorned with a simple and elegant white jade pendant. He held an ivory folding fan, looking handsome and well-groomed.

Through the memories of his original self, Shang Xia discovered that his identity was quite extraordinary.

The Shang family, to which Shang Xia belonged, was a remnant of a prestigious family in Youzhou, with a deep and rich heritage, known throughout the land. Today, they were one of the four major families in Tongyou City.

His grandfather, Shang Bo, was not only the head of the Shang family but also one of the original founders of Tongyou Academy. He had held a high position in the academy since its establishment and was now the Deputy Chancellor, recognized as one of the five top experts of Tongyou Academy.

As the only legitimate grandson of Shang Bo, Shang Xia not only enjoyed a high status within the family but was also deeply loved by his grandfather.

More remarkably, he was a genius himself. In less than a year since entering Tongyou Academy, he successfully became an Extraordinary Martial Artist and was appointed as the Chief of the new students.

It should be noted that Tongyou Academy was one of the five major academies on the border, with extremely high admission standards. Those who could enter here were not ordinary people. Even someone with Shang Xia’s background was not entirely unique.

However, even under such circumstances, Shang Xia still managed to outshine his peers, which was quite an achievement.

"Born into a prestigious family, protected by a powerful grandfather, a genius himself, and with a handsome appearance, he is also hardworking and ambitious. It feels like he’s set to reach the peak of life from the very beginning. This is a bit too much, isn’t it? Is there something wrong with this picture?"

Shang Xia muttered to himself.

"Hmph, just because he has a Deputy Chancellor as a grandfather? If I were also from a prestigious family in Youzhou, with a direct relative in a high position at the academy, and with abundant cultivation resources, I could be the Chief too!"

Suddenly, a voice cut through the air like a cold wind, instantly freezing all the flattering comments behind him.

Shang Xia’s body paused slightly, and he turned to look at the speaker.

The speaker, who had no intention of associating with those flatterers, saw Shang Xia smiling and walking past amidst a chorus of praise, which made him even more resentful. Unable to hold back, he blurted out words he had been hiding for a long time.

But as soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted it.

Seeing Shang Xia turn around, under the watchful eyes of everyone, he felt he couldn’t back down and forced himself to raise his head, meeting a pair of eyes that seemed to be smiling but not quite.

In that instant, he felt a flash of lightning in those eyes, piercing his own, causing his eyes to hurt.

"Ah……"

The man couldn’t help but cry out, tears streaming down his face as he took a few steps back.

"Just a glance……, wow, could it be the 'Gaze' technique?"

A gasp of cold air spread through the crowd, followed by another wave of praise for Shang Xia.

Shang Xia smiled slightly, opened his folding fan, and gently fanned it in front of his chest before turning and continuing to walk forward, as if he had just done a trivial thing.

But only Shang Xia knew the truth.

This was actually the result of the new Extraordinary power in his body, which he couldn’t control perfectly, leaking out due to emotional fluctuations.

The man who had provoked him had unfortunately become the unfortunate victim of Shang Xia’s unintentional display of power.

However, Shang Xia felt increasingly uneasy.

This nonchalant attitude……

This casual action……

It seemed as if he had practiced it a thousand times, deeply ingrained in his bones, and he naturally performed it, making everything seem effortless.

That sense of superiority and condescension was expressed with perfect confidence.

Shang Xia finally realized: I’m acting like a show-off!

No wonder my predecessor was struck by lightning……

In the future, I must be low-key; being low-key is the way to go!

While Shang Xia maintained his graceful demeanor and reflected on himself, he heard the voice behind him again, this time with a tone of defiance.

"Shang Xia, don’t get too cocky. Family background doesn’t mean everything, and a moment of success doesn’t prove much. We have six years in the three dormitories of Tongyou Academy; we’ll see who comes out on top!"

This time, Shang Xia didn’t even turn his head, just shaking his head and smiling, which made it seem like he was completely ignoring the provocation.

As soon as the provoker’s voice fell, he was met with ridicule from the crowd.

"Dou Zhong, you’re blowing hot air!"

"Dou Zhong, you’re only in the late Blood Qi stage. Although you work hard, you haven’t even touched the threshold of being an Extraordinary Martial Artist. The Chief is about to advance to the second level of Extraordinary Martial Artist, the Wu Ji realm. Do you understand the gap between you and him?"

"You, challenging the Chief? Be realistic; don’t aim too high!"

"……"

But only Shang Xia realized what was wrong. This was the classic setup for a rags-to-riches story in novels.

If a single glance from me can pin someone down, will this Dou Zhong, in the future, rise up, unleash the power of a young man’s determination, face numerous challenges but never die, gain the favor and guidance of powerful figures, receive countless opportunities, master powerful techniques, and take so many elixirs that he’s sick of them, and then, in front of everyone, crush me, shocking everyone?

And then, will I, in a fit of anger, lose my intelligence, use my family’s power to suppress and harm him, only to have him turn my actions into stepping stones, gain sympathy, and make the entire Shang family a target, ultimately leading to my grandfather being trampled underfoot, and even the Chancellor stepping down to make way for him, thus reaching the peak of life?

Thinking about this, Shang Xia felt that his previous actions were……

Too satisfying!

Rags-to-riches?

Ha ha……, I seem to have found some fun in this world!

Shang Xia walked out of the main gate of Tongyou Academy and saw a middle-aged, bearded man approaching quickly.

"Little Master, it’s a relief that you’re unharmed!"

Shang Xia couldn’t help but roll his eyes, put away his folding fan, and said indifferently, "It was just a lightning strike at the seclusion place; I wasn’t affected."

Of course, this wasn’t the truth. Only Shang Xia knew the truth and had to keep it deeply buried in his heart.

"However," Shang Xia’s eyes narrowed slightly, a hint of cold light flashing, "the seclusion place being struck by lightning without any reason should be thoroughly investigated!"

The bearded man said solemnly, "In fact, after the lightning strike, the Young Miss has already sent people to investigate."

Shang Xia nodded, speaking with a double meaning, "I hope it was just an accident!"

At this moment, the bearded man, Yan Qi, smiled, which seemed a bit out of place, and said, "Little Master, it’s almost time for your appointment with Miss Mu!"

Shang Xia laughed, "Uncle Qi, just call me by my name; we’re family, no need to be so formal."

Yan Qi said seriously, "Etiquette cannot be neglected. I am the constant attendant of the Young Master, and I must act the part."

Shang Xia knew he couldn’t change his mind and let it be.

Yan Qi then led two horses over and said, "Little Master, get on the horse; we need to hurry!"

Just as Shang Xia was about to mount the horse, he remembered something and said, "By the way, Uncle Qi, have someone investigate a man named Dou Zhong. He entered Tongyou Academy the same year as I did."

Yan Qi nodded, "That’s easy; we’ll have the information soon!"

Shang Xia mounted the horse and laughed, "I wonder what she’s up to, inviting me to meet her fiancé’s family. Is she going to force a marriage?"

Yan Qi didn’t respond, his expression slightly contemplative.

Shang Xia, noticing Yan Qi’s expression, asked with a smile, "What’s wrong, Uncle Qi? Did you hear something?"

Yan Qi deliberated, "Recently, Miss Mu’s interactions with you have been somewhat deliberate, and they have become more frequent. Although it’s limited to martial arts exchanges, others might not see it that way. The academy is full of teenagers, and you are a standout, while Miss Mu is a beauty. Behind the scenes, there might be some gossip……"

"Ha ha……, she has a fiancé, after all."

Shang Xia laughed dryly. The feelings and memories of his predecessor told him that he had some interest in Miss Mu.

But it was just a youthful infatuation!

A sixteen or seventeen-year-old, no matter how talented, couldn’t possibly have a mind as deep as the sea.

But why did that feeling of encountering Dou Zhong come back, and even stronger?

The master and servant rode their horses and soon arrived at a seemingly ordinary small courtyard.

At the gate, someone was already waiting.

Shang Xia quickly dismounted, handed the reins to Yan Qi, and walked forward, saying, "Disciple greets Instructor Zhang, Instructor Liu, and Instructor Ma!"

The three men facing him included a man with a high and ancient face, three long beards, and a scholarly air, who was Instructor Zhang Haogu, one of the twenty-four instructors at Tongyou Academy.

Instructor Zhang was known for his extensive knowledge and enjoyed a good reputation among the faculty and students, being highly respected.

Instructors were the mentors of the academy’s martial arts students, equivalent to subject teachers in Shang Xia’s understanding.

As for Liu Zhifei and Ma Xiaofeng, the former was the instructor of the outer dormitory’s Jia room, and the latter was the instructor of the Ding room.

In Shang Xia’s understanding, instructors were equivalent to class advisors or counselors.

In Tongyou Academy, instructors did not have the authority to teach martial arts students.

Shang Xia knew that today’s main character, Miss Mu Qingyu, was in the outer dormitory’s Ding room, and her direct instructor was Ma Xiaofeng.

Liu Zhifei, the instructor of the Jia room, was in charge of the students, including Mu Qingyu’s fiancé, Zhu Ying.

As for Shang Xia himself, he was a student in the outer dormitory’s Bing room, and his direct instructor was a female Extraordinary Martial Artist named Sun Haiwei.

"Wow, even the Chief of the outer dormitory is here. I wonder what Miss Mu is up to. Is she going to ask us to be her witnesses?"

Instructor Zhang Haogu, known for his easy-going personality, joked with Shang Xia.

Shang Xia smiled bitterly, "Disciple is also in the dark. According to the protocol, if the three instructors arrived first, even if Miss Mu hasn’t arrived, Zhu Senior Brother should have welcomed you in and offered tea. But now……"

Without Shang Xia needing to say more, the three instructors clearly realized that today’s events might not go smoothly.

——

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