Chapter 50: A Half Day of Leisure
Chapter 50: A Half Day of Leisure
In Alpha Court, after half a month of interaction, the fifty students had become familiar with each other.
At least, they could call each other by name.
"Yuanzhao, your Divine General Manor people are really impressive. You're all freshmen, yet you almost swept the top ten."
Sitting on the grass, the slender Du Yueqiu sighed to Li Yuanzhao.
She was a senior, eighteen years old, in the prime of her life, but in Alpha Court, she was already considered an "old-timer."
Before the start of the semester, she was in the top ten of the Martial Dao Ranking. Now, she was ranked beyond fifteenth.
She could only blame the freshmen for being too strong. Just from the Divine General Manor, there were seven of them, plus two Princes from the Imperial Clan, making them almost unbeatable.
There was also the son of a Grand Master and a princess from a certain city, all of whom had terrifying backgrounds. Together, they totaled thirteen.
The seniors had trained for years to reach the Perfection stage of the Zhou Tian Realm. These freshmen, however, had already reached Perfection or were close to it upon arrival, bringing with them a solid foundation.
Even though their realms were the same, the quality of their cultivation techniques and Meridian Opening Techniques varied, resulting in a near doubling of their strength. The seniors were no match for them, thoroughly intimidated by the offspring of the highest powers in Dayu.
"It's okay, I'm only sixth. I still have a long way to go", Li Yuanzhao said, scratching his head.
"..."
Du Yueqiu was speechless.
Beside her, Zheng Bai, a young master from Liangzhou, smiled bitterly.
He was also a freshman but only ranked 38th.
The only ones who could intimidate the seniors were those with exceptionally powerful backgrounds, while the young masters from prestigious families had to abide by the rules and seek guidance from their seniors.
Inside the courtyard, some students were practicing their techniques.
Du Yueqiu looked at the Martial Dao Ranking, her expression complicated.
Now, only one senior was holding on in the top five, seemingly representing the last bit of dignity for the seniors.
The two Princes ranked first and second, their Imperial Clan's Meridian Opening techniques and cultivation methods unmatched in the world. As Princes, they naturally cultivated them.
In third place was Wang Han from the Tianzhao Divine General Manor. Seeing this name, Du Yueqiu's eyes flickered. Apart from the Princes, Wang Han was currently the most feared person in Alpha Court.
Though only fifteen, he was ruthless and decisive in his attacks, his techniques fierce, unlike others who seemed inexperienced. It was as if he had been through the trials of blood and fire.
It was discovered that Wang Han had served for a year in the Mourning River Office.
In fourth place was the daughter of a Grand Master, who was said to have already comprehended the Sword Heart, her sword techniques reaching a level of mastery that was terrifying.
The fifth place was occupied by a senior, the former first in the Martial Dao Ranking, whose spear techniques had reached the perfect level of the Upper Grade. He had narrowly defeated Li Yuanzhao in a match yesterday.
Li Yuanzhao, ranked sixth, was followed by his two fellow clansmen, Li Yun and Li Zhining.
"Strange, where is your Hao Ge?"
Du Yueqiu shifted her gaze, scanning the courtyard with curiosity.
She was more interested in Li Hao. After all, she had heard Li Yuanzhao call him "Hao Ge" countless times. When the two were together, it was obvious to anyone that Li Yuanzhao held great respect for the young man, despite their similar ages.
This couldn't help but make people feel surprised and intrigued.
However, every time the classes ended, that person would vanish like he was in a hurry to go to the restroom.
They never saw him participate in these spontaneous practice sessions or Martial Dao Ranking challenges, as if he were an outsider to Alpha Court.
Even during class, whenever she glanced over, he was either sleeping with his head down or constantly scribbling in a notebook-like object.
At first, she secretly admired his diligence, but one day, she accidentally saw the notebook and realized there wasn't a single word on it—only sketches.
The sketches were all of fierce demons, and they seemed to be mostly aquatic creatures...
In addition, there were several drawings of Teacher Su Yehua, some with cat ears and tails, making her look like a demon that hadn't fully transformed.
It was all just random doodling.
But despite that, Du Qiuyue could still see that the drawings were skillful and lifelike, something that couldn't be achieved without serious effort.
However, they were all Martial Artists. Who had the time for such things?
"Hao Ge probably went to play", Li Yuanzhao said dismissively.
He was long used to Li Hao's ways. Practicing with them? Ha, even their mother's desperate pleas couldn't get Hao Ge to show up at the Training Grounds.
From childhood to now, Hao Ge had never mingled with them or their peers unless they went looking for him.
"Play..." Hearing Li Yuanzhao's casual tone, Du Qiuyue and Zheng Bai were dumbfounded.
The whips on their buttocks and the canes on their backs had long etched the word "effort" into their souls.
Play?
They wished, but they didn't dare.
As their father always said:
"You're playing with time now, but you'll be playing with your life later!"
"No pain, no gain. How can you become a top-tier person without enduring hardship?"
"The prosperity of the family rests on your shoulders. How can you face our ancestors with such laziness?!"
"Play" was such a light-hearted word, yet it felt so distant and forbidden to them, almost taboo.
"Isn't he going to participate in the Martial Dao Ranking? If not, he'll be challenged by the Yi Courtyard disciples and demoted", Du Qiuyue hesitated to say.
Li Yuanzhao's small eyes narrowed with anger: "Who dares! If anyone challenges Hao Ge, I'll demote myself to the Yi Courtyard and challenge them back!"
Du Qiuyue: "..."
Zheng Bai: "..."
Good grief, that was too overbearing.
"You have the backing of the Divine General Manor, so no one will likely challenge you. But the Mourning River Battle Realm test next year will have to be faced alone."
Du Qiuyue said with a hint of frustration: "During extermination missions outside, we can rely on the family's experts for protection, but in the Mourning River Battle Realm, we have to go in alone, without any companions. The test requires each person to enter the Mourning River Battle Realm once by themselves."
"True."
Li Yuanzhao frowned slightly, thinking for a moment: "I'll talk to Hao Ge about this."
Du Qiuyue was speechless. Did that young master of the Divine General Manor really not take this matter seriously at all?
...
...
At the back of Alpha Court, by a waterfall.
Two figures sat on the cliff edge above the waterfall, drinking and playing chess, chatting and laughing.
Suddenly, a figure leaped from the bottom of the waterfall, jumping straight over the dozens of feet of water without a single drop touching him, and landed in front of them, holding two skewers of roasted rabbits.
"You little rascal..." Seeing the newcomer, the two elders smiled, then sniffed the air: "Smells delicious!"
Li Hao handed the two roasted rabbits to the elders, grinning: "Give them a try."
The two chess-playing elders were Zhao Zongyuan and Shen Yunqing, both teachers at Alpha Court. Over the past half-month, they had been thoroughly won over by Li Hao's culinary skills.
"Tsk, you really are a talented cook", Shen Yunqing said, taking a bite and unable to resist praising him.
At the moment, both Zhao Zongyuan and Shen Yunqing looked relaxed and cheerful, but in the courtyard, they maintained a strict and authoritative demeanor, even making the two princes behave properly in their presence.
A prince is certainly esteemed, but a prince who comes to Tan Palace Academy to study may not be as favored, and might not even live as long as others. Therefore, the two of them need not grovel and fawn over the golden token at his waist.
"You've already lost two games to me today. Shouldn't you go practice your martial arts now?"
While eating the wild rabbit, Zhao Zongyuan couldn't help but say this when he saw Li Hao's eager expression.
Although he loved playing chess, he didn't enjoy losing all the time.
Playing chess with Fat Shen was much more relaxing. It didn't require too much thought, and he could win.
"Practicing martial arts is so boring, especially when it's not the Black and White Hall's martial arts", Li Hao said.
"Just because you're new, you think you can get secret techniques? Dream on."
Both of them shook their heads in exasperation. When Li Hao first approached them for chess, they had tested his skills and found that he was no idle noble's son. In fact, he was even more skilled than most people in Alpha Court.
But this kid had absolutely no interest in martial arts. Occasionally, during their chess games, they tried to give him some private lessons and offer guidance, but it backfired:
"You're about to lose, and you still have time to talk about other things?"
"Can you take this seriously? Pick up the pieces, pick up the pieces!"
"How about giving you a five-point handicap?"
The two elders were a bit flustered, feeling both frustrated and fond of Li Hao.
"Old Shen, the wine."
Li Hao nodded at Shen Yunqing's waist: "You owe me two sips for today's losses."
Shen Yunqing's lips twitched. Originally, he only shared with Zhao Zongyuan, but now there was another little mouth to feed. His Drunken Wind Brew was almost not enough for himself.
But a bet is a bet. He grunted and threw the wine flask to Li Hao: "Take it easy, you're still young."
Li Hao chuckled, uncorked the bottle, and took two gulps, then wiped his mouth and said contentedly, "It really is good."
The Six Paths of Cooking encompass a wide range of skills, and he could brew his own wine, but it was too time-consuming, and he was too lazy to bother.
Seeing Li Hao's carefree and relaxed demeanor, the two of them could only shake their heads and continue eating the wild rabbit.
Li Hao returned the wine flask to Shen Yunqing, patted his buttocks, and said, "I'll come back tomorrow."
With that, he leaped, his figure as swift as the wind, landing on the white stone outside the waterfall.
Then, he strolled along, humming a tune, and left leisurely.
He had only come to the waterfall for a couple of sips of wine and to give the wild rabbit to the two elders as a reward.
"That kid..." Watching his back, both of them smiled bitterly. They had never met such a peculiar young man.
"Speaking of which, the movement technique he just used, isn't it the Superior White Phoenix Technique you taught him?" Zhao Zongyuan asked.
Shen Yunqing, still chewing on the wild rabbit, mumbled, "Yes, and that kid seems to have already perfected it. I really doubt he genuinely grasped the Wind-Cleaving Fist on the spot that day..."
"Mastering it to perfection in half a month..."
Zhao Zongyuan pondered, speaking softly, "Perhaps the Li Family's announcement back then was just a cover? Marquis Xingwu is always on the border, and his wife is not around..."
He didn't finish his sentence, but it was unnecessary to say more.
Shen Yunqing swallowed the rabbit meat, took a swig of wine, and felt so comfortable that his eyebrows almost fell off. He sighed:
"The deeper the noble household, the more secrets it holds. Who knows? But this kid is definitely a genius. He should make a big splash at the Mo River next year."
Zhao Zongyuan nodded slightly, not denying it. It all depended on whether Li Hao was willing to show his true abilities.
Suddenly, he noticed Li Hao's figure disappearing around the corner and raised an eyebrow, "That kid, did he take the wrong direction?"
"Hmm? Didn't you tell him that way leads to the Mo River?"
(End of Chapter)
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