Chapter 131
Chapter 131
Xu Minghu’s request was simple.
Crush the weaklings–the harder, the better.
Every Clear Spring Academy student in the Elite Program was a prodigy among prodigies.
They thought extremely highly of themselves, and with few worthy opponents at the academy, some had inevitably grown arrogant about their talent.
No matter how often their mentors warned them, they only agreed in words. Their attitudes never truly changed.
Qin Lan’s unexpected arrival happened to present Xu Minghu with an opportunity.
You think you’re a genius?
Then let’s find a monster your own age and show you the gap.
“You aren’t even twenty yet, are you? With strength like this, you’re almost catching up to Luan Zimo back then.”
“Why didn’t you go to college? With your qualifications, you could’ve picked any of the Top Three Institutes. The admissions offices from the Middle Five Halls would’ve climbed through your window in the middle of the night.”
Sitting in the training ground lounge, Xu Minghu clicked his tongue in admiration. “If you were my student, I’d wake up laughing from my dreams.”
Qin Lan spread his hands, his face perfectly innocent. “Someone stole my grades. They swapped out my college entrance exam score. Who was I supposed to complain to?”
Xu Minghu couldn’t help gloating.
“Oh? Which academy was unlucky enough to lose a genius like you? Tell me so I can enjoy myself.”
Qin Lan smiled. “Yours.”
Silence.
Xu Minghu’s face collapsed as though he had just bitten into a chocolate cake flavored with shit.
“Fuck!”
He pinched his thigh viciously, wishing he could slap himself twice.
Why the hell did he have to ask?
“Ah, that’s fate for you…”
Xu Minghu leaned back and sighed.
“When Luan Zimo first became famous, she was much like you. She crushed everyone by an overwhelming margin. Not a single person could oppose her.”
“No idea where Tianming Academy found her.”
“That year, the Nine Academies produced one star student, a genuine genius. Unfortunately, even geniuses aren’t equal.”
Xu Minghu shook his head regretfully. “After suffering a crushing defeat, his conviction shattered. He never recovered…”
Qin Lan grinned.
“So you want me to give them a preventive dose first?”
Xu Minghu chuckled. Nothing more needed to be said.
By now, every student in the Elite Program had gathered at the training ground–including Su Xiaoyue.
However, Tang… Oh, Qian Yang, who had fallen unconscious earlier, was still asleep. She probably wouldn’t wake until tomorrow.
Everyone stood quietly in the field awaiting further instructions.
All they knew was that Professor Xu had arranged a friendly match. They had no idea what it would entail.
Only when Qin Lan followed Xu Minghu out of the lounge did the students’ expressions change one after another.
First Lin Qingfeng, then Qian Yang, and finally Song Lingyan.
Those successive conflicts had thrust Qin Lan, the “outsider,” into the spotlight. Nearly every student at the academy now knew of him.
These students were no exception.
“Professor Xu, what is the meaning of this?”
A short, dark-skinned boy spoke in a low voice, unable to understand why Qin Lan had been brought to the training ground.
Su Xiaoyue, standing among the group, had already grasped the situation. She understood what Professor Xu meant by a “friendly match.”
She raised an eyebrow and met Qin Lan’s gaze.
Her meaning was perfectly clear: “You’re going to fight me?”
Qin Lan’s evasive eyes were just as easy to read: “I wouldn’t dare.”
Facing everyone’s questioning gazes, Xu Minghu gave a wicked grin. “I trust you’ve all heard at least something about Student Qin… Uh, you don’t mind if I call you Student Qin, do you?”
Only after Qin Lan nodded did Xu Minghu clear his throat and continue. “…About Student Qin’s exploits.”
“To compensate for the damage done to the academy, he has graciously agreed to give you all three days of special training.”
“There is only one objective. No matter who you are or what methods you use, anyone who lasts one minute against him will receive a mysterious prize paid for personally by me.”
No one cared about Professor Xu’s “mysterious prize.”
Every pair of eyes remained fixed on Qin Lan. Their attention centered solely on the phrase “lasts one minute.”
Everyone present had once been the very best among those who stood above the crowd.
Even at talent-packed Clear Spring Academy, they still stood at the summit.
And now they were being told that lasting one minute counted as a victory?
This was nothing less than humiliation.
Seeing their expressions sour, Xu Minghu acted as though realization had suddenly struck him.
“Oh dear, is one minute too difficult for you? Thirty seconds might work too. How about–”
Someone cut him off before he could finish.
“Professor Xu, isn’t this a little unfair?”
The speaker was a buzz-cut boy whose body was covered in bizarre tattoos. Even his face was painted with colorful patterns.
He sized up Qin Lan with wary eyes, though there was little fear in them.
“I know Student Qin specializes in mental attacks, but none of us have received any training against them. That puts us at a disadvantage from the start.”
“Mental strength isn’t something we can improve overnight. What good would it do even if we fought him several times, or a dozen times?”
The others nodded one after another, their gazes toward Qin Lan tinged with dissatisfaction.
“That won’t be an issue.”
Qin Lan smiled. “I won’t use any ability related to mental power. I’ll face you using close-combat methods only.”
“Of course, the one minute–or thirty seconds–that Professor Xu mentioned truly isn’t appropriate.”
“After all, your strength speaks for itself…”
As they listened, the students nodded slightly, clearly assuming Qin Lan was speaking to them with polite modesty.
They had no idea an even more explosive declaration awaited them.
“…Therefore, I think lasting ten seconds against me should count as your victory.”
Qin Lan flashed a brilliant smile.
What?
What did he mean?
Only Su Xiaoyue had prepared herself in advance. She sighed. “Of course. Nothing decent ever comes out of his mouth…”
The others instantly erupted, shouting angrily one after another.
“Arrogant!”
“You think far too highly of yourself!”
“Ridiculous!”
The tattooed man was especially furious, the veins at his temples throbbing.
“What the hell? You think I’m some piece of trash?!”
Qin Lan considered that briefly. His brows drew together as though he were contemplating an extremely serious question.
Several seconds later, he walked very politely to Su Xiaoyue and took her hand. “Come on, do me a favor. Go sit over there for a moment…”
“It’ll only take a little while.”
Su Xiaoyue looked baffled, but followed his directions and sat down on a nearby chair.
Qin Lan then turned back to the tattooed man and swept his gaze across the people beside him.
His smile became even more infuriating.
“Don’t misunderstand. I’m not targeting anyone in particular.”
“What I’m saying is that everyone here is trash.”