Chapter 48

## Chapter 48. Reversal of Fortune

"How do the applicants this year seem to you?"

In the audience seats arranged for the students.

Among them, the seat closest to the arena had these words written in bold strokes.

[President of the Student Council Seat]

A young man with thick eyebrows and a strong presence was carefully observing the movements of the instructors on the arena.

He was Dugu Jun, the president of the Blue Dragon Academy Student Council this year.

"Most of them are below standard, but a few have received quite good evaluations."

Next to Dugu Jun sat a woman with cold eyes, the vice president of the Student Council and the strategist, Tang Xiaoxiao.

And around the two of them, the Student Council members were coldly scrutinizing the new instructor applicants who were trying to prove their skills on the arena.

Starting this year, the practical exam for new instructors at the Blue Dragon Academy included student evaluations, so the applicants had no choice but to pay attention to the students, especially the powerful Student Council.

"A few... I want to hear specifics."

When Dugu Jun asked, crossing his arms, Tang Xiaoxiao held up the documents beside her and spoke in a businesslike manner.

"Mostly, the ones who received high evaluations are Yue Lianhuo from the Shandong Yue family, Ming Yiwu from the Ming Family Hall, Zhuge Xiaoying from the Zhuge Clan, and Guo Toulong from the Guo Family Workshop..."

"Guo Toulong? The fifth cousin of the Deputy Director?"

When Dugu Jun asked with a puzzled look, Tang Xiaoxiao shrugged.

"...His evaluation wasn't bad, strangely. Honestly, he's below standard by my standards, but..."

"Good evaluations from the students?"

"Mainly from the male students. Many of them were impressed by his bold stance against the elders of his family."

Before each sparring match, the Student Council distributed [New Instructor Evaluation Forms] to the students in the audience.

The documents she was holding were the compiled and organized evaluations.

Dugu Jun sighed softly and said,

"We're selecting new instructors, not holding a popularity contest."

"Popularity can't be ignored. The more the students like an instructor, the more they tend to learn."

"An instructor with real skills can gain popularity anytime."

"True, but instructors with that level of skill are rare. We need to consider other factors as well."

If Dugu Jun were an idealist, Tang Xiaoxiao was a realist.

Her nature and role were to make cold, rational judgments within the given circumstances.

Of course, she wasn't always able to maintain her cold rationality.

"And there's one person we should pay special attention to. That is..."

Tang Xiaoxiao tossed the documents she was holding aside and took out a portrait she had carefully kept in her bosom.

It depicted the upper body of a handsome young man in a blue martial uniform.

"This is him. Teacher Bai Shulong... Perfect in every way... Ah..."

Tang Xiaoxiao's icy expression melted away. She pressed the portrait to her cheeks and gently rubbed it.

Dugu Jun covered her face with his sleeve to hide her from prying eyes.

"Vice President! Get a hold of yourself!"

"Ah. He's just too handsome... And his martial arts are so powerful... I heard he's also very knowledgeable about martial history..."

Tang Xiaoxiao had become accustomed to losing her mind every time she looked at Bai Shulong's portrait.

"Severe. This is severe."

"How did our vice president end up like this..."

"Why? What!"

The Student Council members clicked their tongues at the sight, and Tang Xiaoxiao glared at them with narrowed eyes.

"Combining martial and literary skills, and a face that draws everyone's attention. Plus, the perfect sword technique he demonstrated in the trial lecture. Is there a more perfect candidate?"

"..."

"Hmph. No one can argue with that, right?"

With a snort, Tang Xiaoxiao turned to the twins in charge of the Student Council's guidance department, the Blue Dragon Twins.

"Guidance Department, make a list of students who give low scores to the applicant Bai Shulong. They might be spies from other academies."

"..."

"..."

At this absurd instruction, the Blue Dragon Twins looked at Dugu Jun, who covered his face and sighed.

"Vice President, stop it. It's scary when you're serious."

"President, I'm always serious. Have you considered how much we would lose if Teacher Bai Shulong went to another academy?"

"..."

Tang Xiaoxiao's expression, which had melted, turned cold again.

"To be honest, with his skills, he would be welcomed at any of the Five Great Academies. From what I've heard, he only applied to the Blue Dragon Academy because of a lack of connections."

"..."

"What if he goes to the Vermilion Bird Academy, or the White Tiger or Black Tortoise Academies? Would we have a way to keep him?"

"..."

Tang Xiaoxiao was making a very realistic point.

The Blue Dragon Academy, once renowned among the Five Great Academies, had been in decline over the past decade.

The biggest reason was their consistent last-place finishes in the annual joint event of the Five Great Academies, the 'Heavenly Martial Festival.'

-Tsk tsk. The Blue Dragon Academy has fallen.

-They used to compete for the top spot in the Heavenly Martial Festival...

-The students and instructors there aren't what they used to be.

Every year, their seniors returned to the Blue Dragon Academy hearing such whispers, and this had been repeated for over a decade.

As a result, the promising young talents in the martial world no longer wanted to enter the Blue Dragon Academy.

The best instructors no longer wanted to teach there.

"..."

The students of the Student Council knew this better than anyone.

Tang Xiaoxiao was ruthlessly touching on their sore spot.

"We can't just focus on ourselves. If there's a good instructor, we need to do whatever it takes to bring them in. Restoring the Blue Dragon Academy to its former glory. Isn't that our biggest goal?"

Only then did the Student Council students nod with determined expressions.

Dugu Jun, too, was now looking at her with a serious face.

"I understand what you're saying, Vice President. But making a list seems excessive. Let's observe the situation a bit more. His sparring match hasn't even started yet."

"..."

"Understood."

The conversation ended on a slightly deflated note, and a moment of silence followed as everyone seemed lost in thought.

Dugu Jun turned his head back to the arena.

"Haah!"

An unknown applicant was fighting hard on the arena, but Dugu Jun wasn't watching him.

'Bai Shulong is next, the last one.'

Bai Shulong, who had been the last in the trial lecture, was also the last in the sparring match.

'The skills he demonstrated in the trial lecture were truly impressive.'

He drew a small circle and stayed within it, withstanding the attacks of ten students for a full quarter of an hour.

Not just any ten students.

They included Pang Shaxie, Xian Yuanqiang, and Tang Xiaoxiao.

Even without using their inner energy, it wasn't something that could be done with ordinary skills.

Bai Shulong had shown more than enough skill to qualify.

'He'll show the same level of skill in this match, no matter who his opponent is.'

He was the one who had tried to confront Nangong Shou for injuring a colleague. If Lao Junxiang hadn't stepped in, a real conflict would have occurred.

What would happen if the two of them sparred?

Dugu Jun tried to imagine a hypothetical match in his head, but it was beyond his current level.

'Anyway, it's a good thing to have more outstanding instructors. With excellent education and dedicated students... I will make it happen in my generation!'

Gritting his teeth, Dugu Jun thought about his family.

His much older eldest brother, his second brother who was three years older, and his father had all graduated from the Blue Dragon Academy.

The Dugu Clan, located in Zhejiang, had a long tradition of graduating from the Blue Dragon Academy, and they had always taken great pride in it.

But that pride had turned to shame over time.

-You're going to the Blue Dragon Academy? Hmm...

-Why didn't you take the entrance exam for the Vermilion Bird Academy or the Black Tortoise Academy?

-They say that only those who can't get into other great academies end up there...

It was infuriating.

Dugu Jun couldn't bear the thought of the Blue Dragon Academy, which his father and brothers had been proud of, being treated this way.

That's why, despite having the option to go to other academies, he chose the Blue Dragon Academy.

'If it doesn't change on its own, I'll change it myself.'

If things continued for another two or three years, the Blue Dragon Academy might not even be able to participate in the Heavenly Martial Festival.

'This time will be different. I won't let us end up last in the Heavenly Martial Festival again!'

While Dugu Jun was steeling his resolve, the sparring match ended.

The unknown applicant had fought hard but, realizing the skill gap between himself and the instructor, declared his own defeat.

A moment later, Lao Junxiang, who had climbed onto the arena, looked around the audience and smiled.

"Only the last sparring match remains. Many students seem to be looking forward to it."

"Yes! We're waiting!"

"Please start quickly!"

Reacting to the impatient students, Lao Junxiang chuckled and called out the two participants for the final match.

"Applicant Bai Shulong. And Instructor Yang Yiluo, please come up to the arena."

"Who?"

"Yang Yiluo?"

For a moment, the audience expressed dissatisfaction that Bai Shulong's opponent wasn't Nangong Shou.

But as soon as Bai Shulong climbed onto the arena, the crowd fell silent.

With a leisurely gait, he drew everyone's attention just by walking to the center of the arena.

"I am Bai Shulong."

Bai Shulong turned to the audience and bowed, and some of the female students covered their mouths in admiration at his respectful demeanor.

In contrast, no one paid any attention to Yang Yiluo, who had climbed up from the opposite side.

"Yang Yiluo. You seem to be quite popular."

At first glance, Yang Yiluo's face was filled with hostility towards Bai Shulong.

His intention wasn't to test skills but to crush his opponent, and this was evident even to Dugu Jun.

Sssss!

Yang Yiluo, as if tearing off his martial uniform, revealed a muscular body and grinned.

"Coincidentally, we're both teaching external martial arts. Since this is fate, why don't we fight without weapons, just hand-to-hand, like real men?"

'Like real men? What nonsense...'

The problem wasn't just that Yang Yiluo's head was as full of muscles as his body. His hand-to-hand combat skills were among the best in the martial world.

On the other hand, Bai Shulong was an excellent swordsman.

Yang Yiluo's proposal was essentially asking a swordsman to fight without his sword.

"Such a low-level provocation. Don't fall for it. Show your true skills..."

Dugu Jun murmured with concern, but Bai Shulong nodded readily.

"Fine. Let's do it without weapons."

Yang Yiluo's face immediately brightened. He had caught Bai Shulong with a bait he had casually thrown out.

"Heh. Indeed, a man who trains his body has a bold spirit. I like it."

"Can we start now?"

"Let's take our time and enjoy it. Since we're the last, there's no rush..."

"Director. Can we start now?"

"Since both seem ready, let's begin."

"Hey!"

Yang Yiluo's neck veins bulged as Bai Shulong asked Lao Junxiang, ignoring his words.

He walked up to Bai Shulong, his muscles rippling.

"You're just a punk. You need to be taught a lesson to know your place..."

At that moment, Bai Shulong vanished from Yang Yiluo's sight.

"What, what? Where did he go..."

As Yang Yiluo panicked and looked around, Bai Shulong's voice came from right behind him.

"While I was coming here, I thought about it. No matter how I win, defeating someone like you won't make much of an impression on everyone."

"Swallow... swallow..."

Yang Yiluo couldn't move, standing still.

Because the terrifying aura emanating from Bai Shulong's palm, which was now touching his back, made it clear that any movement would shatter his spine.

"So, I'll just end this quickly. Okay?"

"S, spare me..."

"Come on. Who said I'd kill you? If this were my old workplace, I might have killed or crippled you, but here, that's not allowed."

"Phew..."

As Yang Yiluo let out a sigh of relief, Bai Shulong leaned in close to his ear and whispered devilishly.

"Who said I wouldn't hit you? I said I wouldn't kill you, not that I wouldn't hit you."

"Th, that's...!"

Bam!

With a tremendous sound, Yang Yiluo was sent flying off the arena and landed right in front of Nangong Shou.

After writhing for a while, Yang Yiluo lay limp.

"..."

Nangong Shou glared at Bai Shulong with burning eyes.

He knew this was retaliation for what he had done to Ming Yiwu earlier.

Bai Shulong shrugged and said,

"Why are you so surprised? As you can see, he's not dead. His bones are fine, being so sturdy. His muscles might be a bit torn, but he'll be fine after a few months of rest."

"A few months? Then what about Yang Instructor's classes during that time?"

"What's the problem? I can teach them."

"..."

For a moment, their gazes clashed in the air, sparks flying.

Lao Junxiang stepped in between them and barked,

"Enough! You two, again!"

"I have something to say to everyone."

Bai Shulong turned to the students in the audience.

His gaze swept across them and stopped precisely on Dugu Jun.

"Do you know what I've heard about the Blue Dragon Academy on my way here?"

"..."

To Dugu Jun, it felt like he was speaking directly to him.

"Not what it used to be. Outdated. It shouldn't even be considered one of the Five Great Academies anymore."

"..."

With a few cold words from Bai Shulong, the expressions of everyone present froze.

Bai Shulong looked around the students and clicked his tongue, speaking coldly.

"Can you still eat your meals hearing such things?"