Chapter 59: Overwhelming Pressure

Chapter 59: Overwhelming Pressure

Roar!

With a roar, Lan Ling’s muscles bulged, and a terrifying force erupted from within him, pushing back the Confinement Talisman’s oppression.

"Quite a bit of strength, huh?" Zhang Yu slowly walked up to Lan Ling, who was struggling to break free from the Confinement Talisman, his body trembling with surging blood.

Zhang Yu shook the Talisman Codex, which bore the emblem of the Patrol Department, and smiled. "The Patrol Department acts with divine authority. You want to resist? Do you want to defy the gods?"

Seeing the Patrol Department’s Talisman Codex, Lan Ling’s eyes narrowed, a hint of disbelief flickering in them. "This pauper joined the Patrol Department?"

In the next moment, he burst through the Confinement Talisman with a loud bang but didn’t move again. Instead, he looked at Zhang Yu with a scrutinizing gaze, as if trying to reassess him.

Noticing that Lan Ling had stopped fighting, Zhang Yu shot a smug grin at Bai Zhenzhen, thinking to himself, "I must look so cool today."

Bai Zhenzhen stared intently at the Talisman Codex in Zhang Yu’s hand, thinking, "Where did Yu get this Talisman Codex? …I must borrow it to play with."

The others, seeing Zhang Yu suddenly appear and use a Confinement Talisman to subdue Lan Ling, were all stunned.

He Dayou watched the scene with a mix of surprise and suspicion. "How did Zhang Yu get into the Divine Ministry?"

Zhao Tianxing was both nervous and afraid. "Zhang Yu actually bought a Talisman Codex? Could he have pawned an organ today?"

But he quickly shook his head, ashamed of his thoughts.

"Is this the time to think about that? Why are Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen in conflict with the senior students from Grade 12? That’s the real problem."

Despite his words, Zhao Tianxing couldn’t help but feel a twinge of envy when he looked at Zhang Yu. "Going head-to-head with a senior like that… he really does look cool."

Qian Shen, staring at the Talisman Codex in Zhang Yu’s hand, was shocked. "Zhang Yu’s Taoist Arts test scores are going to skyrocket!"

As Zhang Yu and Lan Ling locked eyes, the atmosphere grew increasingly tense. Suddenly, the temperature in the Training Ground dropped.

Lan Ling, who had been vigorously moving, now emitted a cloud of white vapor due to the sudden temperature change.

He glared at Zhang Yu and then slowly stepped back, turning to look toward the entrance.

"President."

Everyone followed his gaze.

With the sound of footsteps, Zhou Chechen, the Vice President of the Student Union, stepped forward, his feet leaving a trail of frost.

Zhou Chechen, who had spoken at the opening ceremony and regularly appeared on the school’s bulletin boards and announcements for his outstanding achievements, was a figure of admiration among the students. His mere presence silenced the entire crowd.

He Dayou was the first to react, bowing to Zhou Chechen. "Good day, senior."

This seemed to trigger a response, and all the Grade 10 students bowed in unison, saying, "Good day, senior."

The Grade 12 students also bowed, calling out, "Good day, President."

While he held the title of Vice President, Zhou Chechen effectively managed the Student Union’s affairs, as the President was busy preparing for the Imperial Entrance Exam.

In terms of strength, grades, wealth, and authority, he was the undisputed king of the school.

Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen, who were the only ones not bowing, looked at Zhou Chechen as if they were seeing a king being revered by his subjects.

Zhou Chechen didn’t address Zhang Yu or Bai Zhenzhen first. Instead, he turned to the Grade 12 students, his aura of frost intensifying.

"Shuang Youpeng, you were the top student in both overall and practical scores in Grade 10. What do you think of the fight between Bai Zhenzhen and Lan Ling just now?"

A smaller, more timid-looking Grade 12 student stepped forward.

Under everyone’s gaze, he fidgeted, grabbing his hair and scratching his ear, his eyes filled with fear.

He spoke cautiously, "Overconfidence and arrogance, underestimating the opponent."

Seeing Shuang Youpeng’s timid demeanor, Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen felt like they were watching a dog groveling at Zhou Chechen’s feet.

Shuang Youpeng, who had once been the top student in Grade 10, was now a mere shadow of his former self.

Zhou Chechen nodded slightly. "I think this year’s Grade 10 students are even less smart in practical combat than you were."

Shuang Youpeng waved his hands frantically. "Too kind, President, too kind."

Zhou Chechen then turned to the Grade 10 students and asked, "Did you thank the senior for his guidance?"

The Grade 10 students immediately bowed. "Thank you, senior."

In a matter of moments, Zhou Chechen had become the center of attention, his every move and word affecting the students’ emotions.

Finally, he turned his gaze to Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen. "Zhang Yu, the sparring between Bai Zhenzhen and Lan Ling was part of the curriculum. Why did you use a Confinement Talisman to attack a senior?"

As he spoke, he raised his palm, and icy blue coldness began to emanate from it, causing the temperature to drop sharply.

"Using a Confinement Talisman within the school and showing such disrespect to a senior is something I, as the Vice President of Songyang High School, cannot tolerate."

Zhang Yu’s eyes flickered, and he raised his Talisman Codex. "Zhou Chechen, are you planning to attack an Inspector’s Divine Aide?"

Zhou Chechen’s eyelids drooped slightly, and a faint smile appeared on his lips.

In his eyes, the Celestial Eye Talisman had already revealed Zhang Yu’s status.

Songyang City Inspectorate’s contracted employee (details expanded)

"A mere contracted employee of the Inspectorate, daring to act recklessly in Songyang High School?"

Just as the coldness in Zhou Chechen’s palm was about to burst, a warm breeze suddenly blew in from all directions, dispelling the cold and restoring the temperature to normal.

Zhang Pianpian and another man walked into the Training Ground from the entrance.

"Planning to attack my temporary worker?"

Zhou Chechen turned sharply, his eyes narrowing when he saw Zhang Pianpian’s face. "Zhang Pianpian? Why is she here? Is she backing Zhang Yu?"

"Zhang Pianpian? Zhang Yu? They have the same surname… Are they relatives?"

But Zhou Chechen remembered checking Zhang Yu’s background; Zhang Yu had no powerful relatives.

If Zhang Yu did have such a powerful relative, he wouldn’t have been so easily dealt with.

Zhou Chechen thought, "Or has Zhang Yu found a new, more powerful patron and become Zhang Pianpian’s lackey?"

Seeing the coldness in Zhou Chechen’s palm, Zhang Pianpian continued walking to the center of the Training Ground. "What, didn’t you hear me?"

"Or are you planning to oppose me?"

As she spoke, her right index finger lifted, and the Talisman Codex flew to her fingertip.

In the next moment, her finger swiftly traced the Talisman Codex.

Overwhelming Pressure Talisman—activated!

Above Zhang Pianpian’s head, two lines of text appeared.

The first line read:

Bailong High School, Grade 12, Monthly Exam Total Score: 699

Seeing this score, the students’ eyes widened in shock.

"Grade 12 Monthly Exam, 699 points?" Qian Shen thought, "This is a god! A future Imperial Entrance Exam god!"

Before the students could fully absorb this score, the second line of text appeared above Zhang Pianpian’s head.

Bank Balance: 2

At first, it was just a 2, but soon a 5 appeared after it.

25?

250?

2,500,000?!

As the number climbed to 250,000,000, the students felt their breathing quicken.

By the time the number reached 2.5 billion, the students felt a wave of pressure, as if a mountain was pressing down on their chests.

This was just her bank balance!

Thinking about the assets and power this number represented, the students were awed.

Even He Dayou felt a jolt at seeing this number. "Just her bank balance is 2.5 billion? What is her total wealth?"

He couldn’t resist taking out his Talisman Codex and activating the Celestial Eye Talisman to check her background.

But all he saw above her head were five large characters.

You’re Not Worthy

She had used a Talisman Spell to hide her true background, making it impossible for him to find out.

Seeing these five characters, He Dayou’s body trembled, his face turning pale, as if he had just encountered an insurmountable barrier between him and Zhang Pianpian.

Zhao Tianxing stared at the string of numbers above Zhang Pianpian’s head, counting and recounting, only to find himself making mistakes.

When he finally confirmed it was 2.5 billion, he couldn’t help but gasp.

"Too rich, unbelievably rich! The pressure of wealth is so intense!"

Zhao Tianxing felt humbled, thinking he didn’t even deserve to stand in the same room as her.

Zhang Yu was equally shocked. Is this my wealthy sister?

"That doesn’t make sense. I don’t remember our family being rich. In fact, we were poor. Where did Zhang Pianpian get all this money?"

"Something’s off… very off…"

"What happened to Zhang Pianpian over the years we were apart?"

The question that had been nagging him since the Divine Aide exam now reached a peak.

"How did she go from being poor to being a billionaire?"

"I… want to learn that too."

Zhang Yu couldn’t understand, but no matter what… Sister, why did you leave us? We are your own flesh and blood!

On the other side, Zhou Chechen slowly dissipated the coldness in his palm.

His gaze flickered several times between the score, the balance, and the “You’re Not Worthy.”

Finally, he looked at Zhang Pianpian politely. "Senior Zhang, you misunderstood. I didn’t know Zhang Yu was your subordinate. If I had known, I wouldn’t have caused him any trouble."

Seeing her Overwhelming Pressure Talisman effectively silence the entire crowd, Zhang Pianpian nodded in satisfaction. "Good, I hope you remember your words today."

"Don’t let me hear of any harm coming to my subordinates. Otherwise, I’ll use my pocket money to buy your brain."

"Your father would be happy to earn that money."

Zhou Chechen’s eyes twitched, and he was momentarily speechless.

As the crowd fell silent, the man who had entered with Zhang Pianpian laughed. "Pianpian was just joking, Junior Zhou. Don’t take it to heart."

The man speaking was Chu Chengxuan, the top student in Grade 12 and the true President of the Student Union at Songyang High School.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end