“I’ve heard that the Academy is the best place to learn in the world, and I thought you all read the classics and studied every day. Who would have guessed that you also love to read novels about heroes and adventures? But the Blood Cherry Sect and the Extremely Evil Gang, one is rebellious and the other is wicked, these titles are really…” Su Baiyi stopped mid-sentence.
A folding fan pressed against his chest.
“Really what are you saying?” The leader of the Blood Cherry Sect had somehow appeared in front of Su Baiyi, his voice cold.
“Xie Yuling, get away, don’t you know the rule of first come first serve?” Feng Zuojun raised his bamboo sword and swung it at Xie Yuling, the leader of the Blood Cherry Sect. Xie Yuling opened his fan in an instant, and it had the words “don’t rebel against superiors” written on it. He dodged to the side and lifted his fan to block the bamboo sword.
“We’ve fought thirteen times and ended in a draw every time. I’m sick of it. Today we’ll settle this once and for all.” Feng Zuojun increased his strength and swung again, forcing Xie Yuling to retreat and land on the wall of the courtyard.
“Fine.” Xie Yuling waved his hand and opened his fan again.
At the same time, cherry blossoms fell from the sky, and one landed on Su Baiyi’s hand.
“How interesting, there are cherry blossoms in this season?” Su Baiyi looked up and saw two members of the Blood Cherry Sect standing beside Xie Yuling, each holding a basket and sprinkling cherry petals on him.
“You’re off, you’re off, throw higher, don’t hit the boss’s face!” Lan Yuzhe was directing them from below.
Su Baiyi was speechless. He turned his head to look at Feng Zuojun.
“After today, we’ll have an answer who among us will be the man at the top of the Academy.” Feng Zuojun raised his bamboo sword.
Su Baiyi was startled and said to Lan Yuzhe beside him, “I’ve heard this line before.”
Lan Yuzhe put away his fan. “Oh?”
“It’s from the novel by the writer Shanxu Laogui, called ‘Hot Blood Academy’! This Feng Zuojun and I have the same taste!” Su Baiyi exclaimed, “When I was in the second year of reading school, this was my favorite book!”
“A great wind comes from the north, a mighty force of a million troops!” Feng Zuojun clenched his bamboo sword in his left hand and lifted it over his head. “Gather! Power!”
As Feng Zuojun shouted, the sword qi around his bamboo sword really gathered, producing a fierce, wind-tearing howl. The students around him quickly moved back, afraid that the sharp wind would accidentally cut them.
“Great wind, rise again!” Feng Zuojun stomped his right foot lightly, and a wave of sword qi burst out, forcing Su Baiyi and Lan Yuzhe to move back a step even though they were distant.
“Even if it’s a bamboo sword, this move will kill someone.” Su Baiyi muttered.
Lan Yuzhe smiled, “Feng Zuojun is too impatient.”
As soon as he finished speaking, there was a “crack” sound.
Feng Zuojun frowned slightly.
The bamboo sword had broken in half, and then split into pieces and fell down. One piece even hit him on the head.
“How can a bamboo sword withstand such a fierce sword qi?” Lan Yuzhe sighed softly. “Today we can only go this far.”
“No, today there is a real iron sword.” Feng Zuojun suddenly turned his head and looked at Su Baiyi.
Su Baiyi was shocked and hurriedly said, “You’re dreaming!”
“You have no choice.” Feng Zuojun threw away the hilt of his bamboo sword, leaped forward, and rushed towards Su Baiyi.
Lan Yuzhe moved to the side, giving up his position.
Xie Yuling also jumped down at this moment.
“What kind of place is this?” Su Baiyi bent down slightly and reached for the hilt of his sword.
But someone was faster than him and had already grabbed his sword hilt.
At this moment, Feng Zuojun had not arrived yet, and Xie Yuling was still in the air. Someone was faster than them. This person came from outside the courtyard, a white shadow flashing past and arriving beside Su Baiyi.
“That’s too fast…” Su Baiyi felt a cold sweat on his back. He might not have such a speed even when he used his full strength of Zouma.
That person grabbed Su Baiyi’s sword hilt before him, and with a clang, drew the Junyu Sword. He pressed Su Baiyi down with his left hand, and with a sudden upward flick of his right hand holding the Junyu Sword, he sent Xie Yuling’s folding fan flying out of his hand. In the next moment, he spun around and held the tip of the sword against Feng Zuojun’s chest.
“There is no such thing as the strongest in the Academy, because stronger people will always appear one after another, and the former weaklings may also become strong one day. When you realize the Academy has no peak, that will be the day you should leave the academy and walk the world.” The person said indifferently.
Su Baiyi was still being pressed down, but he couldn’t contain his excitement, “This is it, this is it! The most classic line in ‘Hot Blood Academy’!”
Feng Zuojun and Xie Yuling both withdrew their hands and bowed respectfully, “Teacher.”
Li Kui finally rushed in from outside the courtyard and said to the person who was restraining Su Baiyi, “Zhou Zheng, this is Su Baiyi, the young master that Miss asked me to bring back.”
“No wonder.” Zhou Zheng glanced at the sword in his hand before returning it to Su Baiyi’s scabbard. He then released his grip on Su Baiyi’s arm.
Su Baiyi straightened up and finally saw the man’s face clearly. He had a fair complexion and no beard, and appeared to be in his thirties. There was a refined, scholarly air about him, a demeanor that indeed reflected the grace of a gentleman from the academy.
“Zhou Zheng, the gentleman.” Su Baiyi quickly bowed.
“Hand over your sword to the steward after class. Now go to class.” Zhou Zheng walked towards the inner hall.
Inside the academy, Zhou Zheng sat at the lectern, behind him hung a long scroll with four words written on it – The Way of Extreme Evil.
Below him, the students of the Blood Cherry Sect and the Extremely Evil Gang occupied the left and right sides, sitting neatly and orderly. Su Baiyi sat at the back and looked over. The sight, coupled with Zhou Zheng and the four characters “The Way of Extreme Evil” behind him, did indeed feel somewhat like the book “Hot-Blooded Academy.”. It’s just…. is the prestigious Shili Langdang Academy really a place for cultivating… gangsters?
“Today we have a new student joining the Academy. Lan Yuzhe, you explain to this fellow student what is ‘The Way of Extreme Evil’.” Zhou Zheng said.
Lan Yuzhe nodded, bowed respectfully and said, “Student obeys. The martial world is currently leaderless, with constant conflicts among various sects, each vying for supremacy. Now Shanglin Heavenly Palace still has some strength to maintain a fragile order, but within three years, the martial world will surely be in chaos. At that time, all the major sects will fight each other, killing endlessly, and the martial world will fall into the state it was twelve years ago, which is – The Way of Extreme Evil. In such times, distinctions between good and evil will blur, and there will be only one way to survive—becoming the strongest.”
Su Baiyi scratched his head. The world in chaos? The Way of Extreme Evil? Did these people really believe it? And this theory of strength, wasn’t it the most common trick used by those small sects to gather the ignorant people and cheat them out of their money?
Zhou Zheng nodded, “Before I came here, Li Wai taught you The Way of Gentleman. He emphasized being respectful and courteous, benevolent and kind, which is very different from what I teach you – ‘The Way of Extreme Evil’. What do you think is the difference between taking my class and taking Li Wai’s class? Feng Zuojun, you answer.”
Feng Zuojun stood up, thought for a moment, and replied, “Taking your class is very cool!”