Chapter 181: Return (3)
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Even though the Saint Laurent Academy kept the Warlock Division, warlocks were long regarded as public enemies by all the students and the teachers.
Furthermore, that warlock had attacked two students during the test. With the attitude that everyone had against warlocks, the student would probably be expelled from the Saint Laurent Academy if they were to identify him.
The old man did not doubt that at all.
“Hmph, I knew it. None of you are good people. Since it was a test, it should be based on each individual’s capabilities. Those two students must have been incapable, to have fallen into such a trap. This proves that they are not the warlock’s opponents.” The old man was not nervous when he heard what Ouyang Huanyu said. Instead, he was delighted. If Ouyang Huanyu knew the identity of the student, he would not have gone to him to speak of such nonsense. He was there because he had no clue about the identity of that student.
“Is that so? The current top student of the Swordsman Division, is he incapable?” Ouyang Huanyu gently laughed.
The old man curled his eyebrows.
“Cao Xu, the top student of the Swordsman Division and another student, was controlled by the combination curse, the Illusion Construct. They muddle-headedly misplaced all of their member’s badges and lost three bottles of potions. As far as I know, even though the level of a combination curse like the Illusion Construct is not very high, there are only a few warlocks who could cast this skill in the entire Brilliance Continent.”
“What does this have to do with me? If the curse could control them so easily, are they not embarrassed to call themselves the top students? I always thought that the students from the few divisions that you controlled were trash.” The old man snorted unhappily.
“Perhaps it is so. However, the teachers are afraid of the warlock. So I came here to check if the student is related to you in any way. If it is so, then perhaps the Warlock Tower would welcome its first student in years. Nonetheless, since you are unaware of this, then please just forget about it. It might not even have been a student of ours, and he might have been there with some ulterior motives. To ensure the safety of our students, I will have no choice but to investigate this further.” Ouyang Huanyu felt helpless as he could not get a direct response from the old man.
“You may do as you please.” The old man said before he turned back and continued to organize the books on the table.
“Then I shall not disturb you any longer.” Ouyang Huanyu did not say anything else and left the Warlock Tower.
The old man only looked up from the books when the dean had left the Warlock Tower. The unconcerned expression on his face morphed into a soft gaze.
“He has already learned the Illusion Construct? Good lad! As I expected, he is gifted!” Just as Ouyang Huanyu had said, he was probably the only one who knew how to cast the Illusion Construct in the entire Brilliance Continent. Besides, he had not stepped out of the Saint Laurent Academy for many years, so outsiders could not have learned that combination curse.
The sole possibility was the little lad who took the sheepskin book.
He remembered the little guy who browsed the introductory books a month ago. It had only been a month, and he could already cast a fourth-grade combination curse, the Illusion Construct?
Such talent!
The old man did not expect the little guy who took the sheepskin notebook would understand combination curses in that short period because he knew how difficult those curses were. However, it seemed that he had underestimated him.
“As the saying goes, green is born of blue, but it beats blue. As expected, that little guy did not waste my painstaking efforts. Good job, well done!” The old man’s eyes flooded with excitement.
Chapter 182: Shielding One’s Shortcoming (1)
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
The old man’s excitement calmed when he remembered Ouyang Huanyu’s words. He did not doubt that the dean would follow through with what he said, and he would continue to investigate the identity of the student. With his capabilities, he would not require much effort to do that. Once the child was exposed…
The old man looked at the dim sky outside the door as he felt sick with worry.
The Brilliance Continent then was not the same as before. The path of a Warlock was a burden too rough for one to bear.
The old man clenched his fist, took a deep breath, and made a decision.
Shen Yanxiao was on her dormitory bed when all that happened, and she was absolutely oblivious to the problem that was headed her way.
The results of the examination were announced on the third day. The students gathered around the square early in the morning and crammed in front of the announcement board to check their results. They also wanted to find out which class they had been allocated to.
Tang Nazhi dragged Shen Yanxiao into the heavily obstructed crowd and finally came before the Herbalist Division’s announcement board. Tang Nazhi immediately found their names, and as expected, both of them had obtained the highest marks for the test. They were also allocated to the Herbalist Division’s violet class for that autumn enrollment.
Tang Nazhi was also excited to see the name ‘Shen Jue’ written on the top of the list. Everyone envied her marks.
“Little Jue! You are the first! You are the first!” Tang Nazhi was extremely surprised and held onto Shen Yanxiao’s shoulder. He was very excited, and it was as if he had won the lottery.
As Tang Nazhi yelled in surprise, the rest of the crowd turned silent.
Everyone’s gaze uniformly landed on Shen Yanxiao.
Envy, jealousy, uncertainty, doubt, contempt, and disdain…
Complicated looks surfaced in their eyes without any concealment. Some of the students did not have the chance to run into Shen Yanxiao at the encampment, so that was the first time they saw the cohort’s top student.
Shen Yanxiao’s petite figure was magnified as she stood beside the larger-built Tang Nazhi. Even with Tang Nazhi’s excitement, there was no smile on her face. Instead, it looked like she was frowning.
“That’s him?” A group of freshmen gathered together and looked at the seemingly ordinary top student.
The freshmen were not as arrogant as the seniors, and they did not dare to show open hostility toward Shen Yanxiao in public. However, they had already heard some rumors about ‘Shen Jue’ while they were in the encampment.
Most of them had heard about how Shen Jue was an incapable idiot who could only flatter and curry favors with the young masters from the five aristocratic families. He had only managed to obtain those incredible results because of that.
They believed the rumor when they saw ‘him’ in person.
They only saw an ordinary-looking guy who could not attract anyone’s attention even if he were to stand in a crowd. He also looked young. Of course, a thirteen-year-old would always be younger than a fifteen-year-old. He also had a frail physique; it was as if a gust of wind could blow him away. It was definitely very hard to see him as someone powerful.
Tang Nazhi, who stood next to her, was tall and handsome. He was also a young master from the Black Tortoise family. No matter how they looked at it, the top student should not have been that smaller-sized kid.
Chapter 183: Shielding One’s Shortcoming (2)
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
They reckoned that it was the same as the rumors. That little guy must have fawned over Tang Nazhi and the rest of their team members to climb up to that position.
All of the first-students felt disgusted, and they subconsciously took a step back.
They believed themselves to be aloof from politics and material pursuits and would hate it if they were to be someone else’s lackey.
What kind of meticulous thoughts did Shen Yanxiao harbor in her mind? Before Tang Nazhi even spoke up, she already knew she would get unjustly ridiculed. However, as she looked at those disdainful gazes that surrounded her, her expression turned cold.
She was extremely familiar with those expressions. Back when she wandered the streets, the passersby would look at her with the same disdainful expression, as if her very existence polluted the air. However, after she became the number one thief goddess, she took pleasure in seeing those smug and self-righteous idiots reveal expressions of fright as they begged for forgiveness.
Inevitably, a day would come when she would let those people behave like those from her past life. None of them would dare to look at her like that then.
Shen Yanxiao’s silence unnerved those first-year students even more. They started to whisper about her, from her plain appearance to her thin and weak physique. Even the accessories on her were reasons to despise her.
Those whispers gradually got louder and spread into Tang Nazhi’s ears.
Tang Nazhi frowned and pulled Shen Yanxiao to his side. His sharp gaze glared at those first-year students, and he said in annoyance, “If you continue to harass Little Jue, I will pull out your tongues!”
The crowd of first-year students did not expect Tang Nazhi, the Black Tortoise Family’s young master, would stand up and protect a nameless soldier. They had assumed that Shen Yanxiao was his lackey instead.
Even though Tang Nazhi was usually frivolous and indecent, it was different when his facial muscles tensed. It was like an incorporeal aura shrouded around the first-year students. They immediately ceased to talk. No one dared to utter another word. Tang Nazhi’s sharp eyes were like the eagles, and it was as if he could tear them into pieces.
No one dared to provoke the five great families’ prestige then. All of them were anxious, not dissimilar to birds startled by a mere twang of the bow. Then they hastily dispersed from the announcement board.
“There’s no need to bother about them.” Shen Yanxiao looked at Tang Nazhi’s side profile, and she did not know whether she should laugh or cry. Even though that idiot appeared like a fool on usual occasions, she did not expect he would possess such an aura when he got serious.
After everyone left, Tang Nazhi immediately recovered his usual sloppy appearance. He snorted at those first-year students and said. “You sure have a good temper, to allow them to slander you like that.” Tang Nazhi thought of Shen Jue as someone easy to befriend, and he had not seen him displeased yet.
To sum it up, he had a nice guy personality. If it were someone else, he would not have bothered about it. Shen Jue was someone he protected, so how could he allow anyone else to bully him?
“What would you have me do? Jump out and fight them?” Shen Yanxiao said with a chuckle.
Tang Nazhi snorted. Then, he looked at Shen Jue with a complicated expression. He hesitated for a moment before he said, “This is all my fault. I have snatched your credit. You have produced the antidote, but I got the credit instead. If it were not for you, we would not have gotten such great results. We could have been eliminated from the test on the first night too.”
Tang Nazhi had felt apologetic for the credit that he took from Shen Jue. He understood what Qi Xia had in mind, and he followed his lead.
Chapter 184: Shielding One’s Shortcoming (3)
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
It had been a tacit understanding between the four of them. They never needed to discuss anything beforehand, and they were used to reacting according to the situation at hand. However, they overlooked a little problem with their usual arrangement, and that was Shen Jue. The little guy did not have the same background as them, so he could not behave as unconcerned as they did. Furthermore, outsiders were harsh with their words too.
The decision that they took led everyone to label Shen Jue as someone who rode on another’s person’s coattail. No one knew that if it were not for Shen Jue’s timely delivery of the antidote, all of those young masters from the five great aristocratic families would have been crammed into the red class. They would not have been able to remain in the violet class.
When he heard the comments about Shen Jue, Tang Nazhi felt as if a needle had pierced his heart. Even though he was unbridled, he did not wish to implicate a valued comrade.
“Why don’t I discuss it with the three of them later, so that we can explain the antidote situation with the teachers? In this case, no one would dare to belittle you anymore.” The more he thought about it; the more Tang Nazhi realized that he should not have taken the credit for Shen Yanxiao’s contribution. It was apparent that the little lad was a genius in herbalism, and those morons had regarded her as trash.
Shen Yanxiao became unsettled the moment she heard that Tang Nazhi intended to explain the incident with the antidote. She promptly shook her head and said, “There’s no need for that. I think this is pretty good for me. I don’t like trouble, and why should I care about how other people see me anyway?
What a joke! Shen Yanxiao sensed that the teacher named Ling Yue had his initial suspicions about her. Fortunately, Qi Xia and Tang Nazhi managed to fool him, albeit with great difficulties. If Tang Nazhi where to go to him to explain what had happened, they would probably see her as a thief and arrest her.
Furthermore, she had no way to explain how she obtained those antidotes.
“Do you really think so?” Tang Nazhi asked with uncertainty in his voice.
“Yes,” Shen Yanxiao said with a firm nod.
Tang Nazhi sighed and rubbed Shen Yanxiao’s head roughly. Then he smiled and said, “You sure have a good temper. You have such great talents, and yet it seems like you have grown accustomed to concealing your abilities. You would rather let others underestimate you than to tell them that you are actually a genius in herbalism!” Tang Nazhi valued his lack of desire for fame. Perhaps Shen Jue’s achievements were due to his devotion to herbalism and lack of care for fame and wealth? Tang Nazhi secretly admired him for how his mind worked.
However, Shen Yanxiao could only suffer in silence. She did not understand how Tang Nazhi could see her as someone with a noble characteristic and with unquestionable integrity. Furthermore, why would he think that she was talented in herbalism? At that point, she could not even produce the simplest potion.
It was a big and outrageous misunderstanding.
While they were busy with their own thoughts, they heard a shout that told everyone to gather around. So, all the students at the public square gathered in front of the platform.
Tang Nazhi dragged Shen Yanxiao toward that destination and found Qi Xia, Yang Xi, and Yanyu, who were already standing among the crowd.
“How are your results?” Tang Nazhi happily asked Qi Xia and the rest of the group.
“As usual, violet class.” Qi Xia shrugged his shoulders. They had overheard their results from the other students’ gossip. They did not even have to check them out personally.
“Hehe, Little Jue, and I both got into the violet class too.” Tang Nazhi said with a smile.
“That’s to be expected.” Qi Xia glanced at Shen Yanxiao, who Tang Nazhi had dragged with him and smiled at her.
“I’ve heard some bad rumors about you. Are you okay?” Qi Xia asked.
Shen Yanxiao intuitively knew what he had heard and shook her head.
Chapter 185: Catch the Warlock (1)
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
The public square immediately quieted down when Ouyang Huanyu slowly walked onto the high platform. Everyone’s gaze focused on the most authoritative person in the academy.
“Everyone has done so well in this test. I hope that all of you can progress much higher next year.” Ouyang Huanyu looked at the students with a gentle yet awe-inspiring smile.
“However, an accident had occurred during this test, and due to that, some students did not obtain their desired results.”
Ouyang Huanyu’s speech caused an uproar amongst the students.
Everyone thought that the most recent test was the most screwed up test in the academy’s history. Due to the potion restriction, the majority of the students were eliminated before they could even display their real abilities. Cao Xu and Meng Yiheng’s team’s defeat were the most tragic ones of all. However, Ouyang Huanyu mentioned that an accident had happened during the test.
What was the accident?
As she stood beside Qi Xia and the rest of the group, Shen Yanxiao frowned slightly. She had a bad feeling about what was to happen.
“This should have been a collaborative test for the Magus, Herbalist, Swordsman, Priests, Archer, and Knight divisions. Yet, by chance, we discovered a person who did not belong to any of these six divisions.” Ouyang Huanyu’s smile faded, and his keen eyes gazed across the students as he continued to say, “During this test, the teachers discovered two students with corrosive magic fragments in their bodies. As you are well aware, only curses cast by a warlock would leave corrosive magic fragments. So, we deduced that there was a warlock who disguised himself as a student from one of our divisions, and he had used curses to attack our students.”
“Warlocks!”
“To think that there is a warlock in our academy!”
“Oh god, this is too scary. That person wouldn’t attack us, right?”
“Did the warlock attack Cao Xu and the rest of them? Was that why they got eliminated?”
Ouyang Huanyu’s words immediately led to panic among the students. They were already quite apprehensive toward warlocks. Then they learned that a dangerous character had hidden amongst them, and two students had already been attacked.
The Brilliance Continent had been demonizing warlocks for a long time, and that had caused everyone to fear the warlocks.
Shen Yanxiao gritted her teeth. She finally understood why Bai Ling had questioned them like that. They had discovered her existence because she did not realize that curses would leave magic fragments behind. Her lack of understanding of warlocks was a disadvantage to her.
Shen Yanxiao narrowed her eyes at the panic that the students felt at the mere mention of a warlock. Their fear of warlocks was evident and apparent. Since Ouyang Hanyu had brought up the issue, she presumed that he would not let the matter rest either.
Just as she believed, Ouyang Hanyu continued to say, “This person’s actions had threatened the safety of our students. So, to find this person, we will be conducting a search on all of you. I hope that everyone will cooperate with us.”
The students relaxed when they heard that the dean would search for the warlock. No one wanted a dangerous character so close to themselves.
They knew nothing about warlocks. They only knew what they heard from their families, and that was how warlocks used curses to conduct cruel and forbidden research.
“It’s an exaggeration to mobilize so many people for just a single warlock.” Qi Xia looked at the excited crowd, but he felt rather underwhelmed about the situation.
Chapter 186: Catch the Warlock (2)
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
“The oppression on warlocks in the Brilliance Continent is too severe. I don’t even think that a single warlock can be so frightening. Aren’t warlocks part of the occult community too? Why are the magi and priests more acceptable than the warlocks if they use magic practice too?” Tang Nazhi had his hands intersected behind his head. He did not quite understand Ouyang Huanyu’s actions.
“This is all because of something that happened many years ago. At that time, two of the three best warlocks betrayed the light magic’s teachings and used living humans to develop some forbidden magic.” Yan Yu furrowed his eyebrows. Even though he did not have any hostility against warlocks, he was rather disgusted with that period of history.
“Ah Yu, what exactly happened that year? Your family should have records of it, right?” Tang Nazhi asked.
The White Tiger family was well-renowned for their healing capabilities, and they knew things that the ordinary people did not.
Yan Yu hesitated for a moment and slowly said, “Warlocks were as respected as magi back then, and there were many who learned black magic in the Longxuan Empire. Even though the power of curses was not the same as how a magus could release instant destructive attacks, its unusual effects were highly regarded by the aristocratic and the royal families.”
“I heard that the warlocks cast curses to toy with their opponent?” Tang Nazhi curled his eyebrow.
Yan Yu nodded.
“That’s right. If magus is a human cannon, then the warlocks are the poison gas that can kill silently. No one knows when a warlock would attack, and be it the army or a group of personal bodyguards, they always involved a large number of warlocks. They would often conduct things in secret.” Warlocks never had a positive reputation, to begin with, and no one knew how to defend against them effectively too. Thus, they became a headache for many people.
“What’s with the forbidden magic that you mentioned?” Tang Nazhi questioned continuously, not unlike a curious child.
“I’m not sure of the specifics, but it involved two warlocks who captured a few experts in the Brilliance Continent. They attempted to use their captives’ battle aura and magic to do something for them.” Alas, even Yan Yu did not know much about that topic. Even though he was the young master of the White Tiger Family, there were things that he could only access when he became the family head.
“A bunch of old and stubborn people. I’m sure there are good and bad warlocks. Just because a couple of degenerates did something wrong doesn’t mean that we have to lump all the warlocks with them.” Tang Nazhi was upset with what he had learned.
“That isn’t something that we can meddle in. Instead, I wonder how they will test us later. According to what I know, they can only check the battle aura and magic within us to determine which path we had trained in. The only method that they can use to conduct such a large-scale check would be to rely on the Aura Stone and the Magic Stone,” said Yan Yu.
“Say, if they found the warlock, what would happen to him?” Tang Nazhi looked at the other students. He had a feeling that if the person were identified, then the person would not be able to stay at the Saint Laurent Academy any longer.
“Who knows.” Yan Yu shrugged his shoulders. He had always been unconcerned about other people’s matters.
As Shen Yanxiao stood beside them and heard the contents of their discussion, her mood fell to the pits.
She initially thought that the worst-case scenario of that situation was that they would find a thief in the academy. She did not expect that the incident would turn into a search for a warlock. If she had known that the curses she cast would leave fragments behind, it would have been faster if she had just stolen the antidotes. As she analyzed the situation, she knew that the Saint Laurent Academy would not let her off so easily. She noticed that the students there were openly hostile toward warlocks, and she could not guarantee that they would not trample her to her death once they figured out her identity.
Chapter 187: Catching the Warlock. (3)
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Troublesome, it was so troublesome!
Shen Yanxiao inwardly cursed those groups of brain dead idiots. Tang Nazhi was right, only a few of the warlocks committed the crime, but they sentenced the entire community to the death penalty. Their simple-mindedness angered her so much that it made her hair stand. She did not understand who she had provoked when she took up black magic, and why did everyone’s expression change immediately the moment warlocks were mentioned?
Other than to tease those unruly kids, the curses that Shen Yanxiao learned could not injure anyone else. Even her fire bullets could inflict more damage than the Illusion Construct and Enervation.
Even so, regardless of how much Shen Yanxiao looked down on their IQ, she had no choice but to confront the oncoming crisis head-on.
The most direct method to test one’s battle aura and magical power was to use the Aura Stone and the Magic Stone. The person only needed to place their hands on the stone, and it would emit colors based on their battle aura and magical power.
One example was the swordsmen. When a swordsman touched the Aura Stone, the stone would release a golden halo that represented the unadulterated battle aura.
As for the knights, the stone would release a silver luster that represented the sacred battle aura, and the archers would get the color red.
When a magus touched the Magical Stone, it would release a blue halo. Same as the knights, a priest would release a silver halo, albeit one with a more gentle tone.
As for the warlocks…
The color was rumored to be black.
Since it involved a wide variety of colors, it was hard for Shen Yanxiao to attempt to bluff her way out of that. The stone would not give her the chance to lie too. However, she was curious. She could cultivate in two paths, so she wondered which path would the stone identify her with – magical or battle aura?
She was unsure about that, and she did not want to take the risk.
Just as Shen Yanxiao racked her brain for her next step of action, Xiu’s voice suddenly echoed in her mind.
“Little girl, are you in trouble?” Xiu’s voice was still as cold as before, but it was like music to Shen Yanxiao’s ears.
‘Oh Lord, you’ve finally appeared!’
When they entered the Obscure Forest, Xiu no longer contacted her. She thought that the honorable lord had gone somewhere to lie dormant. She did not expect that he would appear again to shine so brightly at that crucial moment!
Out of everyone that she knew in that world, one could say that Shen Yanxiao trusted Xiu the most. Xiu was the one who opened the door of light for her so that people no longer addressed her as trash, and she did not have to struggle at death’s door any longer.
“Hey, do you have any tricks up your sleeves?” Shen Yanxiao asked softly when she determined that no one paid any attention to her.
“Why? Are you afraid that they would discover your identity?” Xiu’s tone got slightly higher.
“What do you think?! I don’t wish to get kicked out of school before I’m officially enrolled. I haven’t even had the chance to go to the Archer Division to steal their skill books, and if I were to be kicked out, where can I get them?” Even though she was not that interested in the herbalism profession, the library collection of the Saint Laurent Academy was quite significant. Just a single sheepskin notebook allowed her to benefit so much, and she had yet to plunder any good items from the Archer Division. So how could she possibly return home so quickly?
Furthermore…
She did not think that she could leave the Saint Laurent Academy unscathed if Ouyang Huanyu were to discover her identity.
“Don’t worry.” Xiu rarely comforted her.
However, Shen Yanxiao was not comforted in the slightest. How could she not worry when those idiots with limited IQ had already regarded warlocks as great scourges?
“I’m here, and you can rest assured.” Despite his ice-cold voice, it contained a trace of power that eased Shen Yanxiao’s heart.
Chapter 188: Path of an Archer (1)
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
The students gathered in the plaza were directed toward an appraisal stone by the teachers from their various divisions so that they could be tested individually.
Qi Xia, Yan Yu, and Yang Xi had returned to their various groups, and Tang Nazhi and Shen Yanxiao joined the group that consisted of Herbalist Division first-year students.
On ordinary occasions, the herbalists would rarely have any contact with the appraisal stone because they were not trained in battle aura or magic. The majority of the students were curious about the two or three-meter high gigantic stone in front of them.
“Walk over there and place both hands on the stone.” A teacher from the Herbalist Division pointed toward the Magic Stone behind him. Since the test was to search for a warlock, they used the Magic Stone for the test. Therefore, the Aura Stone that was used to test for battle aura did not appear.
The first student walked nervously toward the Magic Stone, and cautiously placed his hands on the stone.
The Magic Stone did not react to his touch.
The student did not know what to do, and so he looked at the teacher. He thought that something had gone wrong.
“Next.” The teacher did not find anything that was amiss. They were the Herbalist Division, not the Magus or the Priest Division. Which herbalist could juggle another auxiliary profession? What a joke. Therefore, the majority of the herbalist students would not be able to incur any reaction from the Magic Stone. That also meant that none of the first-year students had trained in any other professions like Magus or Priest.
Most of the herbalists did not possess any fighting capabilities. They only had to concentrate on producing potions. They would leave any fighting-related problems to those who came to them to buy their potions.
Since nothing out of the ordinary happened, the students from the Herbalist Division sped through the test. In the blink of an eye, hundreds of students had passed the inspection, and nothing abnormal was detected.
Very soon, Tang Nazhi and Shen Yanxiao arrived at the front row. As he looked at the Magic Stone, Tang Nazhi muttered, “Luckily, it isn’t the Aura Stone.”
“What about the Aura Stone?” Shen Yanxiao looked at Tang Nazhi, puzzled.
He immediately shook his head to indicate that there was nothing to his words. Soon after that, he stood before the Magic Stone under the teacher’s urging and confidently placed his paws on the stone.
As expected, there was no reaction from the Magic Stone.
Tang Nazhi shrugged his shoulders and strutted as he walked to the side and waited for Shen Yanxiao.
Even though she looked calm and collected on the outside, her internal emotions were not as tranquil. Xiu only mentioned counting on him, but she did not know what he intended to do. If she were to place her hands on the Magic Stone, would that blow her identity?
Shen Yanxiao attempted to communicate with Xiu for the last time, but regardless of how she called for him in her mind, he did not answer her.
‘Don’t tell me that bastard is getting cold feet?’
‘You can’t possibly turn back at this point!’
“Student, please hurry up.” The teacher urged her with impatience when she noticed that Shen Yanxiao was dragging her feet.
Since it was impossible to stop halfway, Shen Yanxiao could only brace herself to walk up to the stone as she prayed that Lord Xiu would not disappear on her at that crucial time.
As she stood before the huge Magic Stone, Shen Yanxiao took a deep breath and lifted her hands to place them on the stone gently.
She felt an ice-cold sensation on her palms, and she could vaguely see a faint black light that spread from her palms.
Her heart thumped, and her eyes trembled.
However, at the very next second, the faint black glow rapidly disappeared between her fingers as it gradually dissipated on top of her palm.
Chapter 189: Path of an Archer (2)
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Xiu’s voice echoed in her mind.
“Do not fret. I am here.”
The Magic Stone did not even fluctuate in the slightest bit. It remained in its faint and dull appearance.
“Alright, next student, please.” After he was sure that the Magic Stone did not react, the teacher continued to rush the students. He did not even believe that the warlock would conceal himself as an herbalist. After all, the first-year students had undergone stringent tests before they could enroll in the Herbalist Division. How would the warlock have the energy to research the curses and simultaneously learn about herbalism?
Therefore, the teacher was not suspicious of Shen Yanxiao’s hesitation at all. He thought that the child looked like a typical thirteen-year-old. He probably could not break through to become a sixth-ranked Apprentice Magician, let alone a warlock.
Shen Yanxiao sighed in relief and hastily walked away from the Magic Stone.
Tang Nazhi, who stood at the side, chuckled and held her shoulders as he teased her, “Why are you so nervous? Look at the tautness of your face!”
Shen Yanxiao subconsciously touched her face. She was nervous because she did not know if Xiu would help her. Fortunately, the teachers at the Herbalism Division did not notice anything out of the ordinary.
“This is my first time seeing a Magic Stone, so I was somewhat nervous.” That was the truth as she indeed had never seen a Magic Stone in her life.
Tang Nazhi laughed out loud and patted her shoulders.
“Isn’t it just some broken old stone? However, as an herbalist, I reckon that you would not have the chance to touch it again in the future.”
It was for the best if she did not need to touch it in the future! Shen Yanxiao was secretly relieved. She did not know how Xiu managed to achieve it, but she was glad that her identity was not exposed.
Since there was no problem with their tests, Tang Nazhi and Shen Yanxiao were allowed to leave the public plaza.
Shen Yanxiao immediately hid the sheepskin book in her space ring when she reached her dormitory. Since the academy suspected the existence of a warlock, she had to eliminate all traces of her deed. She did not wish to encounter similar situations in the future.
Shen Yanxiao and Tang Nazhi gathered so much information when they went out in search of food in the evening. The test for the rest of the students in the Academy lasted until late in the afternoon. However, the result was not something that they had expected. Every one of the students had stood in front of the Magic Stone, and yet none of them incurred any sign of abnormalities in the zone. Therefore, the warlock’s identity was yet to be discovered.
The teachers were puzzled with the result, and the students were extremely nervous. According to the rumors, the dean left with a frown after he heard the results.
Shen Yanxiao felt that the matter would not be left just like that. Ouyang Huanyu would probably come up with other plans to catch the culprit.
It seemed like she had to be extra careful during that period, and she would have to avoid using any curses too.
After the warlock crisis, the Saint Laurent Academy officially began their classes the next day. Shen Yanxiao and Tang Nazhi had also collected their long violet robes.
With badges pinned on their chests to indicate that they were part of the Herbalist Division’s first-year students, Shen Yanxiao and Tang Nazhi headed toward the classroom.
Many students had already arrived at the huge classroom. Shen Yanxiao and Tang Nazhi managed to find seats at the back of the room, and they sat down there.
The teacher who would teach them the fundamentals of herbalism was a fifty-year-old man. He entered the classroom with a taut expression on his face, and thus, he looked quite stern.
“Even though you are in this classroom now, do not assume that you will be here forever. For the next three years, you will experience numerous tests. Only those who can maintain their advantage throughout these tests will be able to continue to be in this classroom,” the old man said sternly.
Chapter 190: Path of an Archer (3)
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
“I will start my lesson with the most fundamental knowledge, which is the characteristics of medicinal ingredients. I will not allow any sound during my class…”
Shen Yanxiao propped her head and looked at the teacher’s stern guidance. Half of their lesson time had passed before the rather long-winded teacher started his teaching.
“Oh god, he’s actually starting with the characteristics of the medicinal ingredients. I’ve already memorized those until I can recite them backward,” Tang Nazhi muttered gloomily.
The students who passed the herbalism test would have already undergone a period of self-learning, and thus, they were very clear about the fundamental knowledge in herbalism. That was why most of them were not very interested in the content of that day’s lesson.
However, Shen Yanxiao was in the opposite situation. She had a lucky strike, and so she was like a blind mouse that caught a cat. She did not have any knowledge about any of those medicinal ingredients, let alone to brew a simple potion.
The knowledge that most students regarded as dull was essential to her.
Throughout the day, Shen Yanxiao absorbed the information about herbalism with all seriousness.
It was not as if she had a huge ambition for herbalism, but the profits of that profession were too significant for her to overlook. Since Shen Feng had sent her to the Herbalism Division, she thought that she should not let that opportunity slip through her fingers. She did not want to waste money on potions in the future, and it was best if she could produce them herself.
Tang Nazhi was astonished by Shen Yanxiao’s seriousness in class. He saw Shen Yanxiao as a super genius in herbalism, and yet that said super genius placed so much importance on the most fundamental knowledge in herbalism. He was confused by all that.
He could only look at Shen Yanxiao silently as she listened to the lesson with single-hearted devotion and stared ahead blankly. If he were too bored, he would force himself to listen to the content that he could already recite by heart.
The same situation continued for half a month. During that period, Shen Yanxiao concentrated on absorbing herbalism knowledge during the day and learning curses at night. Previously, she only needed a month to learn two combination curses. However, she did not know why she had yet to learn a single combination curse after half a month successfully. She was puzzled by her lack of progress.
Nevertheless, Xiu had hinted about the third seal that needed to be undone. Therefore, she could only blame it on the seal.
When she finally undid the seal, her strength would increase like a rocket. However, if the seal remained undone, then her progress would persist as slow as a snail.
Since it was hard for her to get a breakthrough in curses, Shen Yanxiao could only shift her concentration on the path of an archer.
In the dead of night, Shen Yanxiao decided to take her chances and sneaked into the library in the Archer Division.
The Archer Division’s Tower had rigorous security, so it was quite different from the Warlock’s Tower. It took her half a day of effort before she managed to evade all of the guards and snuck into the library.
Upon her entry, she immediately scrambled to the second floor to look for the book that she required. The patrols were quite frequent in the Archer Division’s Tower, so Shen Yanxiao did not dare to stay inside for long. In her haste, she could only search for some books about fundamentals in archery. After she chose a couple of books that she felt were useful and kept them in her space ring, she snuck out of the tower.
However, there was a problem that annoyed her.
She realized that it was different if one were to learn archery. An archer required a weapon!
A warlock was the only profession among the six that did not require a weapon or a staff. However, an archer must have a bow!
Chapter 191: Black City (1)
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
A bow and arrow was an essential weapon for an archer. No matter how gifted she was, she could not possibly shoot with precision if she did not have a weapon on hand. However, the problem was she did not know where she could obtain a bow.
There were some bows and arrows in the Archer Division’s training grounds for daily practice, but there were people there who were appointed to look after them. Furthermore, most of the bows had magical cores attached to them, and they were meant for the use of students who had not managed to get their own bows. Usually, the students from the Archer Division would not use those bows and arrows. Shen Yanxiao had wanted to steal a set of those, but Xiu led her to abandon that train of thought.
“The bow and arrow that an archer needs comes with an exact requirement. An archer can only display their full strength if they use a bow that suits them.” Xiu would advise her on her progress sometimes.
Alas, Shen Yanxiao could only abandon her original plan.
She would not be able to use the bows and arrows at the archery range. The bows that belonged to the students were also marked. Thus, it would lead to problems if she were to steal them.
So, where could she get a bow?
Just as Shen Yanxiao was annoyed with her situation, Tang Nazhi brought her some great information. There was a small city to the north of the Saint Laurent Academy, and it had a rather prosperous market. It was where many students would purchase their necessities.
According to Tang Nazhi, other than weapons for various professions up for sale, there were also many playthings unique to the black market.
Fayersi City was a tiny city, and it had only about ten to twenty thousand people there. However, it was a rather prosperous place, and one would see many peddlers as soon as one entered its gates. Fayersi City was also known as the Black City. There were no rules there, and as long as you had the money, you could purchase anything your heart desired.
Shen Yanxiao wore only plain clothing when she entered the Black City. Even though it was near nightfall, the streets were jam-packed and bustled with activities. Groups of three or squads of five surrounded various stalls, and some of them even wore the Saint Laurent Academy’s school uniform.
Many tall, strong, and expressionless men wandered around the cities, and most of them carried a weapon. Their simple clothing made them look extremely capable and experienced.
They were mercenaries, and they were a distinguishing characteristic of the Black City.
There were many small and large scale mercenary groups in Black City, and they would get their assignments at the mercenary union. They would acquire anything their employer wanted in exchange for payment.
Shen Yanxiao had a small physique, and so she was lost in a sea of people in the crowded streets that bustled with activities. She wandered around and searched for her target. Her lively eyes swept past the stalls, and she found many bizarre-looking items rather interesting.
Magical cores, demonic cores, precious medicinal ingredients, and teeth and horns from various strange beasts – those were only some of the items that one could find in the market. The Black City deserved its name because there were things that you would never think of and nothing that you cannot buy.
As she strolled around the market, Shen Yanxiao saw many unusual items. Soon enough, a simple and crude shop attracted her eyes.
The shop was named ‘Face.’
It was an interesting name. Shen Yanxiao stood outside the door and peeked inside.
It was not a large store, but it was piled with various wooden boxes.
Chapter 192: Black City (2)
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Several dusty human masks hung on the wall of the shop.
“Dear customer, is there something you need?” The owner of the shop spotted Shan Yanxiao, who looked at his shop with interest, and so he immediately went to welcome her.
“Are all of these are disguise masks?” Shen Yanxiao curled her eyebrows. Disguise masks are great for long-term use, unlike disguise potions, which one could only use once. The item was also quite useful, and if she were to get a suitable mask, it would save her a considerable sum of money in the future.
“That’s right! This is the best mask shop in the entire city! Not only can you search for your favorite mask here, but we can also custom-make a new ‘face’ according to your requirements.” The owner had a brilliant smile as he eagerly introduced the various items in his shop.
“I need a normal mask, something that won’t attract attention easily.” Shen Yanxiao walked into the shop and looked at the masks on display. The masks had a very thin texture, but the workmanship was pretty excellent. Each mask was also different from the other.
“Sure, please wait for a moment. I’ll bring a few for you to browse through.” The boss smiled and walked to the counter as he rummaged through a few boxes.
It did not matter why you wanted to purchase an item because no one would ask for the reason as long as you could afford to pay for it. That was the advantage of shopping in a black market. All the shops would open their doors for you if you had the money.
Disguise masks were also a popular item there. Thieves, robbers, killers, and mercenaries were among the people who would frequent those types of shops. All of them needed a crucial piece of equipment to conceal their true identity.
“My dear customer, please take a look at these three masks.” The shop owner smiled as he opened three wooden boxes and took out three disguise masks.
As per what Shen Yanxiao had requested, the three disguise masks appeared to look quite ordinary. All three wholly-conformed to her request.
Shen Yanxiao curled her eyebrows and ultimately chose the mask with the appearance of a young man with freckles.
“How much is this?” she asked.
“This is not expensive at all. It only costs three thousand and five hundred gold coins.” The shop owner answered with a sincere smile.
Three thousand and five hundred gold coins… that was considered inexpensive!?
Shen Yanxiao thought that prices for disguise potions were already overpriced, but she did not expect the prices of disguise masks to be that astonishing as well.
Three thousand and five hundred gold coins were enough for a family to live comfortably for three whole years!
The Black City was honestly so ‘black’ that she could not even bear to look straight at it.
Fortunately, Shen Yanxiao had stockpiled a considerable amount of gold coins in her cash reserve. Even though the price pained her, she still bought the mask.
Shen Yanxiao managed to wear the mask with the shop owner’s assistance. After she wore it, her plain appearance looked even more ordinary, and she had freckles all over her yellow skin. Her presence would not attract any attention even if she were to stand in a crowd.
“Are all of your masks mass-produced?” Shen Yanxiao asked skeptically as she touched the disguise mask on her face.
She did not want to bump into someone with the same face while she wore it.
The shop owner immediately waved his hands and said, “Customer, I reckon that this must be your first time shopping in Black City. In all the shops that sell disguise masks here, there’s only a single copy of each mask. You would not find an identical copy anywhere else, not even in the entire Brilliance Continent. You can rest assured of this. We also guarantee that we will not reveal any information about this mask, and after you’ve purchased it, I will forget everything about this item.”
Chapter 193: Black City (3)
As a businessman in the Black City, the shop owner understood his customers’ needs. He would forget about the things that he had sold, and he would never divulge any information to another person. That was why the Black City was so popular.
Shen Yanxiao nodded satisfactorily and then asked, “I require your help with something.”
“Go ahead and ask.”
“Are there any shops that sell bows and arrows here?” Even though the Black City was not a huge city, she would not be able to find what she needed if she were to wander around aimlessly.
“Oh yes, we do have those here! You will find shops that sell weapons on the east side of the city.”
“Many thanks.” After she got the location, she immediately left the shop.
Shen Yanxiao headed to the direction the shop owner had mentioned, and very soon, she was at a rather dimly lit street. There were dozens of small and large arms shops that had a display of weapons outside their shops to attract customers.
Some mercenaries and even students from the Saint Laurent Academy shuttled back and forth between those shops.
As she glanced at the shops, she noticed a huge weapon shop in the middle of the street, and it had a gold signboard above it. It also had eye-catching red flags, and it took up the area of about six to seven shop lots. It was apparent that they were the leading shop on that street.
Shen Yanxiao decided to walk toward that shop.
Lianjin Weapon Shop was the largest arms shop in Black City. It was also the shop with the most variety and highest quality of weapons. The five-meter wide crystal door looked extravagant, but even the spacious door was always overcrowded with customers.
Shen Yanxiao squeezed her way through the crowd nimbly. The shop looked huge from the outside, but its interior was even more prominent.
The first floor of the shop already occupied about three to four hundred square meters. They had many long swords, bows and arrows, shields, and even staff positioned at all four corners of the shop, and their counters had continuous long lines of customers. There were also many exquisite weapons with golden edges and embedded precious stones displayed on the cabinet against the wall. The weapons also had a layer of a faint glow because of the sparkling magical core in it.
Shen Yanxiao marveled at the lavishness of that shop. She made haste to the cabinet with bows and arrows, and her eyes shone as they looked at the hundreds of weapons there.
Of course, something as sparkly as those weapons would always come with a hefty price tag.
A wooden bow that did not look like it was a high-grade one cost five hundred gold coins! Another bow that was embedded with a second-grade magical core cost a massive one thousand and two hundred gold coins!
Shen Yanxiao was speechless. The prices of weapons shocked her even more than the costs of potions. Even though she knew very little about that world, she had seen stalls that sold weapons and low-grade bows for no more than a few dozen gold coins. The prices at that lavish shop seemed to be more than ten times the prices at the stalls!
Was it possible for them to be worse than that?
Shen Yanxiao sighed when she noticed the number of students who wore the Saint Laurent Academy uniform in the shop. The academy was indeed a place for the rich as those students looked to be filthy rich!
Shen Yanxiao gulped when she saw a student paid three thousand gold coins for a gorgeous staff without any hesitation.
‘Oh my god, what should I do? My hands feel so itchy!’
Fortunately, she had quite a substantial amount of money in her cash reserve. She averted her gaze and concentrated on choosing a bow. However, despite the superior quality and the excellent craft, Shen Yanxiao did not come across a bow that suited her.
Chapter 194: Costly Bow (1)
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Xiu once told her that no matter which profession, one should always pay attention to ‘fate’ whenever one chooses a weapon. A weapon came with a soul, and it would only resonate when they found a suitable owner. Thus, Shen Yanxiao was on the lookout for a bow that would resonate with her.
Shen Yanxiao felt depressed as she looked at the row of bows. She wondered why none of those hundreds of bows resonated with her.
“What is a penniless beggar doing here in the Lianjin Weapon Shop?” A young man browsing the collection of bows frowned when he noticed Shen Yanxiao’s depressed look. He looked at her with scorn as he stared at her simple and poor clothes.
Lianjin Weapon Shop was famous for its expensive weapons. Even the most basic weapons would cost a few folds of what other shops would charge. However, the students from the Saint Laurent Academy loved to visit that place. They knew about its exorbitant prices, but they knew that the weapons there had excellent workmanship. It was almost like a symbol of one’s status if one could afford a weapon from that shop.
Some first-year students even took part in some kind of twisted invidious comparison under the instigation of a few senior students.
It was one thing to compare one’s strength, and it was another to compete between one’s wealth. Some students, who were inferior to others in terms of personal strength, would attempt to compensate for that flaw with their financial resources.
That was why it was a rare occasion to have a small, young kid with a dull appearance and even planer clothes in that luxurious shop. That made him stand out in the crowd, and not in a good way.
“Who knows? However, based on his looks, he wouldn’t be able to afford it anyway. Perhaps he’s just here to widen his horizons.” Another student did not even hide his contempt toward Shen Yanxiao. As he spoke, he deliberately picked up the bow that Shen Yanxiao was looking at and glanced at the price tag arrogantly. “Only seven hundred gold coins? Who would want this garbage anyway?”
The youngster who spoke previously smiled at his companion and then shot a sideways glance at Shen Yanxiao as he said, “Of course, this type of junk is not worthy of you, Wan Li. However, not everyone could afford its price, not even if it’s just junk.”
Shen Yanxiao frowned. She was only in deep thoughts, and her blank gaze unconsciously landed on that bow. She did not expect those two idiots would make such a big fuss about that.
Shen Yanxiao was in a dilemma because she could not find a suitable bow, and so she did not notice that the two idiots took that opportunity to mock her.
“Head to the second floor.” Xiu’s voice suddenly echoed in her mind.
Shen Yanxiao immediately looked toward the flight of steps that led to the second floor. She noticed something strange. The first floor was extremely crowded, and yet she did not see anyone venturing upstairs.
“There’s something good on the second floor, go up,” Xiu urged her again.
Shen Yanxiao did not doubt his words, and so she made her way up those stairs.
When they saw that the subject of their mockery headed toward the flight of stairs, the two youngsters could only gawk in disbelief.
“Where is that boy going?”
“Is he pulling our legs? He’s actually thinking of going to the second floor. Even if he slogged his guts for the entirety of his lifetime, he still won’t be able to afford a single bow from the second floor. No… it is more accurate to say that he can’t even afford the bowstring.”
“That’s right. Everyone knows that the prices for the weapons on the second floor start at ten thousand gold coins. That kid won’t be able to afford it even if he wants to.”
Even though the two self-proclaimed wealthy youngsters continued to mock her, they only dared to wander around the first floor because of their financial constraints.
Chapter 195: Costly Bow (2)
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
The second floor?
That was where the genuinely filthy rich men would go!
Shen Yanxiao reached the second floor, and it was a complete contrast to the level below it. There was not a single customer there, other than a middle-aged shop assistant who was responsible for the sales on that floor.
A line of dazzling, luxurious weapons was displayed in that few-hundred-square-meter area. The line did not consist of many weapons, but each of them was placed in an individual crystal-light illuminated glass display.
The area looked like a luxurious exhibition of modern times.
Shen Yanxiao casually looked at a staff that was placed nearest to the stairs. The dark brown staff was embedded with seven to eight low-grade magical cores, and on top of it was an egg-sized sixth-grade magical core. It came with a shocking price tag as well.
“Thirty-eight thousand…” Shen Yanxiao’s mouth twitched. The bow with a third-grade magical core that she saw previously only cost one thousand and two hundred gold coins. It looked like that was really scrap when compared to the staff.
The staff was, indeed, a luxurious item. Second to third-grade magical cores that could have been fused with other weapons were merely used as ornaments for that staff. What a luxurious thing!
Shen Yanxiao was ready to bleed as she headed toward the bow section.
The shop assistant glanced at Shen Yanxiao lazily, and when he saw her plain outfit, he curled his lips in disdain. Then he turned around and ignored her completely.
‘A penniless beggar would dare to come to our shop? How shameless!’
Shen Yanxiao did not notice the shop assistant’s contempt. In any case, it was better to shop without anyone disturbing her anyway.
The entire second floor only had a few dozen bows, and all of them were placed in crystal displays.
Shen Yanxiao saw the collection of bows there. None of the magical cores used on those bows were lower than fifth-grade cores. Even though they were arranged in the display shelves, they could still move one’s heart.
Other than the quality of the craftsmanship, the magical cores in it were also equally important. The higher the grade of the magical core, the more powerful the weapon was. That was why the prices of magical cores remained high, and weapons embedded with high-grade magical cores were outrageously expensive.
Among all of those luxurious bows, one managed to dazzle Shen Yanxiao’s eyes.
It was a golden-colored longbow, and it was crafted entirely with mercury wood, a material more precious than gold. Not only was it more tenacious than steel, but it was also solid. It was the best material for crafting a bow. However, one could only find mercury wood in the Luna Continent where the elves lived. It was absolutely impossible to locate that material in the Brilliance Continent. It also cost an astonishing figure to transport the mercury wood from the Luna Continent, and that was why its price was always unconditionally high.
Even if the bow did not have a magical core in it, its strength would not be inferior to one with a fifth-grade magical core embedded in it.
The Mercury Bow that Shen Yanxiao fixed her eyes on did not only contain one magical core, but it had two cores embedded in it!
Both ends of the bow were embedded with an eighth-grade turquoise magical core. The green-colored core was extracted from an earth elemental magical beast. Not only could it increase the bow’s power, but it could also stabilize the user’s mentality to guarantee the shot’s accuracy and speed.
Chapter 196: Costly Bow (3)
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
No matter how ignorant she was, Shen Yanxiao knew that the mercury bow was one of the weapons of the highest grade.
However, her jaw nearly dropped to the floor when she saw the price tag.
1.3 million gold coins!
The price of that bow was enough to pay for all the weapons on the first floor!
Of course, the price of a highest-grade weapon was enough to make one want to vomit blood.
Shen Yanxiao discreetly counted the money in her space ring. After she plundered the state treasury, she should have at least one to two million gold coins in it. However, it was still a painful amount of money for her!
It seemed like it had been forever since she spent a single penny for something she liked!
As a thief, it was a shameful thing to do if one had to purchase something with money!
However, as Shen Yanxiao thought about it, she decided that if she were to steal it, no one could guarantee what would happen. After all, the bow had very distinctive characteristics, and she could not possibly keep it forever without using it. If someone found the bow in her possession, how could she still hang around at the Saint Laurent Academy after that?
‘I’ll just have to buy this then.’ Shen Yanxiao sighed. Even though she did not feel any resonance toward the bow as what Xiu had described to her, she was still excited about it.
She had a skill book in her hand, and it annoyed her that she could not use it because she did not have a suitable bow.
She thought that she should just use that bow first. Plus, she had borrowed a lot of gold coins from the state treasury.
“This is barely enough.” Xiu’s voice did not reveal any emotions, but it carried a trace of reluctance.
Shen Yanxiao almost vomited blood. The mercury bow had two magical cores embedded in it, but it only barely met his standards? Also, what was with that tone of dissatisfaction?
‘This little plaything isn’t cheap, alright!’
When Shen Yanxiao was about to pay for the bow, the second floor finally welcomed its second customer.
“Senior Meng, what a coincidence, I didn’t expect to see you here.” A voice flattered.
Along with that voice, a casually-attired Meng Yiheng appeared on the second floor with two young men at his side.
The two young men who followed Meng Yiheng were the two idiots who mocked Shen Yanxiao when she was on the first floor.
Meng Yiheng wore a blank expression on his face. It was as if he was used to that type of flattery. Of course, he was the top student in the Archer Division, and so he was long-used to the praises and admiration.
“Which kind of bow is Senior Meng looking for this time?” the young man named Wan Li tried to ask. He was a new student at the Archer Division, and he had long heard about Meng Yiheng’s reputation and idolized him. He did not expect to see the subject of his admiration that day, and since Meng Yiheng was rather polite, he decided to follow him onto the second floor.
“I’ll just take a look around first.” Meng Yiheng did not have a pleasant expression on his face. When he failed the previous test, he was dropped from the violet class, and he got into the red class instead. He had never been in a red class before, and so it was quite unbearable for him. Fortunately, the Saint Laurent Academy had a rule where any student who was confident enough about their skills could challenge another student from another class at the end of each week. If they were to win the challenge, then they could take that student’s place in that class.
It only took Meng Yiheng two weeks to successfully switch from his initial red class to his previous violet class.
Meng Yiheng scanned the weapons on the second floor, and his gaze immediately landed on the Mercury Wood Bow, which was not far from where he stood. As an archer, he knew about the rarity of the mercury wood. Thus, he walked over there without any hesitation.
Chapter 197: Snobbish (1)
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
The shop assistant immediately went to welcome Meng Yiheng and the two young men with a flattering smile when he spotted their presence.
“Welcome Young Master Meng, are you here to purchase a bow?”
Meng Yiheng wanted to look at that Mercury Wood Bow, so he nodded at the shop assistant’s eagerness.
“We just happened to have a Mercury Wood Bow in our shop. Please, follow me.” The shop assistant wanted to flatter Meng Yiheng, and so he brought him to the bow without even another glance at Shen Yanxiao, who had stood there for quite some time already.
All the businessmen in Black City were profiteers. Shen Yanxiao wore plain and simple clothing and without any accessories; therefore, she did not look like she was the younger generation of a wealthy family. As for Meng Yiheng, he was one of the shop’s usual customers, and he would spend tons of gold whenever he visited them. Furthermore, he was also a student from the Saint Laurent Academy. Everyone in Black City knew that the students who attended the academy were extremely rich, and they were quite liberal with their expenditure.
When he compared the two of them, the shop assistant did not even pay the slightest attention to the poor lad. Since the kid had been standing there for quite some time, the assistant reckoned that he had no money for any of the weapons there.
Meng Yiheng’s eyes brightened when he saw the Mercury Wood Bow on the rack. Even though he had pretty good bows before, none of them would be comparable to the one in front of him then. The two high-grade magical cores on it were quite extravagant, and Meng Yiheng was very tempted to get it.
However, he also noticed Shen Yanxiao’s presence on the side. The moment he reached the second floor, he saw the little guy there, and it was clear that he was also interested in that bow. When he appraised his opponent, Meng Yiheng looked at him in disdain.
How could a poor kid like him afford such an expensive weapon?
“This bow is indeed one of the highest-grade weapons!” Wan Li and the other young man gawked when they saw the Mercury Wood Bow on the rack. Then they saw its price tag.
Over a million gold coins for it!
Both of them immediately gulped. Even though they were from wealthy families, it was still an excessive amount of gold coins that they could not afford. With their financial constraints, they could only purchase ten to twenty of the luxurious bows in the shops.
It was impossible for them to spend a million gold coins in one go.
There were probably only a few students in the entire Saint Laurent Academy who could spend so much on an expensive weapon.
When Meng Yiheng saw the price tag, he frowned. Even though his family was wealthy, it was still hard for him to fork out so many gold coins in one go. However, a great bow such as that was pretty rare, and so it was a pity if he were to let it go.
When the shop assistant saw Meng Yiheng’s hesitation, he immediately said, “Young Master Meng, this bow comes with an impressive background. Not only was it forged with mercury wood, but it was also embedded with two magical cores from eighth-ranked vine magical beasts. This bow was also personally forged by Great Master Duan, and that’s why it’s a little more expensive. But I believe that if you were to purchase this bow, you would see that the bow is really worth the asking price.”
Meng Yiheng was amazed by what he had heard. The information about the mercury wood and the eighth-ranked magical cores made him gasp in astonishment. However, it blew his mind when the shop assistant mentioned that Great Master Duan had personally forged the bow.
The forging of the highest-grade weapon would not only require superior materials and precious magical cores, but it also required an extremely skilled forger. The weapon would be more powerful, the higher the proficiency level of the forger. There were only two to three forgers in the entire Longxuan Empire who had attained the level of a Great Master, and the Great Master Duan that the shop assistant mentioned was one of them.
Chapter 198: Snobbish (2)
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
The price of a weapon forged by a Great Master would usually increase several folds!
Meng Yiheng hesitated at first, but when he heard about what the shop assistant had said, he immediately decided to purchase the Mercury Wood Bow.
Great Master Duan lived in seclusion in the Black City, and he rarely put out a weapon for sale. One could only come by one of his weapons with luck, and not by searching for it.
“I want this bow.” Meng Yiheng gritted his teeth and decided to purchase it.
Even though it was a good bow, its hefty price tag was too shocking for the customers, and the shop had not been able to sell it for several months already. Finally, with great difficulties, an interested party came along, and the shop assistant itched to get it sold.
Just as everyone felt satisfied with the outcome of the sale, a neglected customer finally spoke up.
“I saw this bow first.” Shen Yanxiao was upset. She got lost in her own thoughts, and a person suddenly appeared to snatch what she had wanted?
Furthermore, was the shop assistant blind? She had been staring at the bow for a long time, but he did not even attend to her. However, the moment Meng Yiheng came along, he did not even need to speak much, and yet he managed to snatch the very thing that she liked?
The four of them were stunned when the very-much-neglected Shen Yanxiao spoke up.
Meng Yiheng frowned. He looked at the little guy, who did not seem to be able to afford the bow, and he got upset. Who did the little guy think he was to fight him for something?
The shop assistant’s lips twitched.
What kind of trouble did the young lad try to cause? He saw that first? Did he even have the money to buy the bow?
Wan Li and another young man blinked as they were stunned for a moment. Soon after, they laughed out loud.
“Hey little kid, can you stop joking? You saw the bow first? I could even say that I saw all of the weapons here first. Speaking of which, can you even afford it? This bow costs over a million gold coins, not a hundred gold coins. Since you said that you saw it first, then take out the money to pay for it!” Wan Li thought that he would die of laughter. The kid did not look like he could even afford the seven hundred gold coins for the previous bow, and then he had the cheek to say that he took a fancy of the mercury wood bow?
It must have been a joke. He probably did not even have a hundred gold coins, let alone a million of them.
“You’re biting off more than you can chew,” the other young man said with a rude sneer.
Shen Yanxiao shot a glance at the cynical Wan Li and decided that she was not in the mood to speak to an idiot. It was a good bow, but she hesitated to purchase it because it did not resonate with her. However, it was apparent that it would be difficult to find a bow that would resonate well with her, and she was eager to practice her skills. Thus, she decided to get the Mercury Wood Bow temporarily until she could find a better one.
However, she did not expect Meng Yiheng to appear so suddenly.
“First come first served, do you even know of this?” Shen Yanxiao snorted.
“Customer, I’m not trying to be mean, but you’ve been here for half a day already. If you really wish to buy this bow, then please make the payment first. Otherwise, if you’re just standing here without paying, don’t tell me you won’t allow us to make a sale?” The shop assistant was unhappy with the trouble that the kid would cause. He was about to sell the bow, so why did the little kid have to interrupt their transaction?
“That’s right! If you wish to get it, then fork out the money!” Wan Li sneered. The little kid looked like he was poorer than him. There was no way he could afford such an expensive bow, and yet he had the gall to say that he had seen it first.
Just as Shen Yanxiao wanted to make her arguments, Xiu suddenly said, “Forget about that broken piece of garbage. Walk to the northeast direction of the shop. I can sense something good there.”
Chapter 199: Snobbish (3)
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Shen Yanxiao did not doubt his words and walked toward the direction that Xiu had mentioned.
Wan Li and his friend immediately jeered as Shen Yanxiao left silently. He said, “I knew it. That poor kid could not afford such an expensive bow, and yet he still wanted to disgrace himself. Is someone like him even fit to use such a good bow? See, when it’s time to fork out the money, he’s leaving with a guilty conscience. Such a shameless person.” As he spoke, Wan Li smiled and looked up at Meng Yiheng. “Of course, only a genius like Senior Meng is well-suited for this superior bow.”
Meng Yiheng smiled smugly. He was Saint Laurent Academy’s top archer, so of course he should use the best bow. Furthermore, his family’s wealth allowed him to choose a weapon with no worry.
“Wrap this bow for me, please.” Meng Yiheng proudly took out a silver-colored crystal card.
Wan Li’s eyes immediately widened.
Crystal cards were cards issued by the bank. Their customers could deposit money at the bank, and they would record the amount on the crystal card.
It was quite similar to a credit card in modern times.
Furthermore, like credit cards, the crystal cards were also divided into different rankings. A regular crystal card had a translucent white color, and if one’s stored gold coins reached the millionth mark, the bank would automatically change the card to a silver-colored one. Thus, that card was commonly known as the silver crystal card.
The moment Meng Yifeng flashed his silver card, Wan Li and the other young man had only envy written on both of their faces.
Both of them only had the typical white crystal card, but the tens of thousands of gold in their account was already considered a sizable amount.
The shop assistant took Meng Yiheng’s crystal card, and he seemed impatient to complete the sale.
Wan Li looked at the filthy-rich Meng Yiheng and then shifted his glance to Shen Yanxiao as she walked toward another corner of the shop. He immediately said, “This is the face of a genuinely rich person. Unlike someone who doesn’t even have the ability to feign more than what he truly is.”
As for Shen Yanxiao, she was not interested in taking notice of another person’s ridicule of her. When she walked toward the direction that Xu directed her, she felt an indescribable urge that had suddenly surfaced in her heart. It was as if a voice in her mind had urged her to hasten her steps.
Soon enough, Shen Yanxiao arrived at a corner of the room, which looked very different from the other extravagant areas in the shop. It had a simple and plain rack where a dark purple longbow quietly sat. That bow did not look as luxurious as the Mercury Wood Bow, nor was it embedded with the lavishness of eighth-ranked magical cores. There was no luster on the body of the bow, and its dark color looked as if it was dusty.
What was more strange was that there was not a single magical core used within the bow.
One could say that it was only a half-completed weapon.
It would only become a complete weapon after it had magical cores embedded in it.
However, Shen Yanxiao could sense the excitement that brewed within her. She was so excited that she subconsciously reached out toward the dark purple and took it gently in her hands.
When she held the ice-cold bow with her warm palms, Shen Yanxiao felt as if a huge stone was thrown into a river and caused huge waves.
“That’s your best choice, and what you just felt was called the resonance,” Xiu’s icy voice echoed in her mind.
Shen Yanxiao’s eyes brightened. She was confident that it was the bow she needed, and that the bow belonged to her!
Shen Yanxiao took the bow without any hesitation and walked toward the counter. She placed the bow on the counter, and excitedly said, “I want this bow!”
Chapter 200: Crushing you with gold coins (1)
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Just as Meng Yiheng was prepared to make his payment, Shen Yanxiao’s declaration shocked him. He frowned as he looked at the dirty, dark bow in Shen Yanxiao’s hands, and his face immediately showed the contempt that he felt.
The bow in Shen Yanxiao’s hands was not only unremarkable, but it was also covered in dust. It did not seem particularly outstanding. When it was placed next to the Mercury Wood Bow on the counter, it looked dull and soulless while the other looked bright and luxurious. The differences between those two bows were like heaven and earth.
Meng Yiheng snorted. Not only did that bow looked notably ordinary, but it also did not even have a single magical core embedded in it. It was basically an incomplete weapon.
“Ha! There’s something wrong with this kid’s brain, to want to buy an incomplete weapon. I reckon he did not have enough funds, so he wanted to pick up a cheap item to buy casually. I bet that shabby piece of trash was probably a practice piece by an apprentice forger. It probably only costs a few gold coins too.” Wan Li looked at Shen Yanxiao mockingly.
“That’s true. Not everyone can afford a luxurious bow, and only someone as talented as Senior Meng deserves to use a bow made from mercury wood.” The other student was quick to flatter his senior too.
Shen Yanxiao glanced at all three of them and clicked her tongue.
She was not in the mood to talk rubbish with those shitheads.
The shop assistant was surprised to see the bow the Shen Yanxiao wanted, and he had a strange expression on his face. He frowned and looked at Shen Yanxiao as he rudely said, “You can’t afford this bow.”
Could not afford it?
Wan Li and the others laughed as soon as they heard the shop assistant’s words. When they looked at the supposedly penniless kid, they thought that he could not even fork out a few gold coins.
“Cut the nonsense, just tell me how much it costs!” Shen Yanxiao was annoyed with those idiots. She only wanted to buy a bow, but she had somehow become the star of the show. If she were not in a rush to head back to the academy to practice her skills, she would not mind teaching those four idiots a good lesson on the spot.
What was so amazing about the top student in the Archer Division? Did she not eliminate him in the last test?
The shop assistant snorted and said, “Three million gold coins. Do you have them?”
Three million gold coins!
The other three customers thought they had a severe auditory hallucination. Three million gold coins for a bow? That broken bow? An incomplete bow? The price was so outrageous that they thought the shop assistant purposely tried to make things difficult for the kid.
Unfortunately, they had misunderstood the situation.
The shop assistant did not speak without thinking. The seemingly broken bow really did have that exorbitant price tag.
The dark purple bow had been placed in the shop for about one to two years. It was treated like a worthless piece of an item until the shop owner personally set the price to three million gold coins. Everyone could not even believe that the price was that high.
It was an incomplete bow, so was not an exaggerating price for it?
No one believed that the bow was so valuable, but the shop owner had personally set the price, and thus, it was placed in the middle of the second floor for a long time. However, no one inquired about it, and after some time, the shop owner had completely forgotten about it. So, the shop assistant took that opportunity to move that half-completed bow with a price tag that did not match its appearance to the one secluded corner of the room.
The shop assistant never expected that a kid would take an interest in that troublesome half-completed item and even said that he wanted to buy it.
The little kid should stop with his jokes. He probably could not even afford a few gold coins, and yet he thought to purchase that costly bow? It had to have been a joke.