Chapter 101: Chapter 100: Foundation Establishment (Part 1)

"From now on, no one at the academy will ever gossip about you again." Under the starry sky, Shangguan Yutong’s long, charming eyes shone with a light even more dazzling than the starlight. "I still haven’t thanked you for saving me."

"Anyone else would have done the same," Ling Xiao said frankly. "Besides, Teacher Shangguan has been so good to me, and I’m not the kind of person who forgets to repay a kindness."

’Is it just about repaying a kindness?’ A faint sense of disappointment flashed through Shangguan Yutong’s heart. She chuckled lightly. "Anyone else? Heh, you were the only one who acted that day! By the way, didn’t Night Owl say he was going to follow you? How come I haven’t seen him at all?"

Ling Xiao shook his head. "Maybe he regretted it."

"That’s for the best. At least we don’t have to worry about him causing you trouble, especially given your identity." Shangguan Yutong’s mood seemed to lift again. She asked Ling Xiao, "Does this mean I’ll be hearing some good news from you soon?"

Ling Xiao was taken aback for a moment, then nodded. "That’s right!"

A radiant smile appeared on Shangguan Yutong’s face. "Then I’ll congratulate you in advance!" As she spoke, she held out her slender, jade-like hand and gently high-fived Ling Xiao, her face breaking into a bright and captivating smile. "If your older sister knew, she would definitely be proud of you!"

Ling Xiao smiled faintly and then said, "Teacher, I hope you can keep this a secret for me."

Shangguan Yutong’s smile was as beautiful as a flower. "Am I the only one who knows?"

"..."

"Ah, the Young Master is back!" The moment Ling Xiao stepped into the courtyard, he saw Qiuyue, who happened to be practicing alone outside, looking at him with pleasant surprise. Chunlan and Ye Wen Ni then hurried out from inside. Ye Wen Ni pressed her cherry-red lips together, her beautiful eyes fixed on Ling Xiao, filled with delight. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

"I heard the students on the training expedition had all returned, but we didn’t see you. It made these two girls worried sick," Ye Wen Ni said with a mischievous smile, hiding the trace of attachment for Ling Xiao in her own eyes as she teased Chunlan and Qiuyue.

The two girls blushed. Chunlan pouted. "I wonder who it was, muttering all day before the Young Master came back, ’If only I had gone with him,’ and ’When is he coming back?’ and ’Honestly, that annoying guy still isn’t back...’" Chunlan’s impression of Ye Wen Ni was spot-on, and the girls burst into laughter, playfully jostling each other. This kind of behavior was only possible here. If any other noble family witnessed it, they would surely gasp in astonishment. Who ever heard of such ill-mannered maids? Even if they were personal maids, in the eyes of a master, all maids... were nothing more than servants!

In fact, the previous Ling Xiao had always been extremely lenient with his maids. The current Ling Xiao cared even less for social conventions. In his view, as long as it didn’t affect him, they could do as they pleased.

Ye Wen Ni’s wild streak seemed to have diminished significantly. Whether she was hiding it or had truly changed was unclear. Ling Xiao believed she was more likely hiding it. ’How could a person’s personality change so easily?’ One could only say that the atmosphere at the academy had made Ye Wen Ni aware of the disparity between herself and others, teaching her how to better conceal her true nature.

"How is your Sword Array practice coming along?" Ling Xiao asked casually.

"Young Master, Qiuyue and I have both become Fourth-rank Great Sword Masters! We’ve gotten quite proficient with the Jade Maiden Sword Array and practice it every day!" Chunlan said with a proud smile. After all, they weren’t very old—just sixteen- or seventeen-year-old girls. Yet the so-called geniuses at the Imperial Academy, the ones with the highest ranks, were also only at the fourth rank!

Ever since they started learning the Jade Maiden Sword Skill, the two girls’ strength had advanced by leaps and bounds. As a result, they now spoke with an air of disdainful pride.

Ling Xiao glanced at Chunlan’s smug little expression and couldn’t help but rain on her parade. "Strength gained through elixirs is ultimately a shortcut, not the true path! If you want real power, you must dedicate yourself to cultivation. Look at Qiuyue; she’s much more humble than you. The Purple Blue Fruit could only boost your strength this one time. If you remain this proud, you’ll be nothing more than a Fourth-rank Great Sword Master for the rest of your life."

Having been reprimanded, Chunlan’s face flushed. But she knew the Young Master was only saying this because he cared for them and wanted what was best. She said in a low voice, "I know I was wrong. I won’t be proud anymore."

"A Martial Artist must possess the heart of the strong and, above all else, avoid complacency. I believe you will both achieve even greater heights in the future," Ling Xiao said faintly. There was another sentence he left unsaid: ’Because you are following me!’

Although he was somewhat fatigued, Ling Xiao decided to begin his Foundation Establishment immediately. It was just as he had told Chunlan: a Martial Artist needs the heart of the strong. A person without ambition is destined to never achieve anything great in any field.

"I’m going into seclusion to cultivate. Don’t disturb me. I won’t see anyone!" After speaking, Ling Xiao glanced at the three girls. "And that includes you."

Ye Wen Ni pouted slightly. ’He’s putting on airs the moment he gets back,’ she thought. Just as she was about to say something to provoke Chunlan and Qiuyue, the two girls obediently gave a slight bow. "We understand, Young Master."

With a SLAM, Ling Xiao’s door was shut tight.

"Honestly. He’s finally back after so long, and instead of spending some time talking with us, he just locks himself away. Hmph," Ye Wen Ni complained, pouting as she sat down on a soft chair.

"Ye Zi, I’m sure the Young Master has something important to do," Chunlan, who had just been scolded, defended Ling Xiao.

"That’s right, Ye Zi. The Young Master may not say much, but he’s always been very kind!" the somewhat shy Qiuyue added.

"Alright, I give up. You two girls only have room for your Young Master in your heads," Ye Wen Ni said, surrendering.

「In the days that followed, many things happened.」

The return of the Imperial Academy students quickly spread news of the Beastman invasion in the southern stronghold of Cameron throughout the entire Imperial Capital. At the same time, stories of the students and teachers on the expedition bravely fighting the Beastmen circulated, and the Imperial Academy’s prestige soared to an all-time high. Parents from noble or powerful families whose children attended other schools began trying every possible means to transfer them to the Imperial Academy.

This was because even His Majesty the King had personally visited the Imperial Academy to offer his encouragement. Of the more than 1,200 students and teachers on the expedition, everyone except for those recovering from injuries and the absent Ling Xiao received a commendation from His Majesty the King. A few lucky individuals were even personally bestowed with medals by His Majesty, making everyone else incredibly envious.

Compared to this major event, a few smaller matters were also circulating within the Imperial Academy. The first was about the young and handsome Teacher Long Xiang. During the expedition, he had caused some trouble due to personal reasons but had failed to resolve it. His subsequent actions on the Mesopotamia Grassland brought utter disgrace upon the entire noble class.

Because he was still recovering from his injuries, he was the only one in the entire expeditionary group who did not receive a commendation. Instead, he became a disgrace to the academy. Yesterday afternoon, despite Headmaster Qiu Jianhua’s pleas for him to stay, he resolutely left the academy. According to an insider, before leaving, Long Xiang went to Ling Xiao’s villa and stared at it from the outside for a long time with a gaze full of hatred.

The second matter concerned Ling Xiao. The General’s third son seemed to have become a completely different person after the indecency incident, becoming unfathomable and shrouded in mystery. His actions during the expedition surprised everyone. He had even calmly rescued Teacher Shangguan from a Tier Three Demon Swordsmen, scaring the opponent so badly that he dropped his sword. If not for Night Owl’s fame in the Imperial Capital’s Mercenary and Adventurer Realms, people would have suspected they were just putting on an act.

As a result, many people couldn’t help but turn their attention back to the other person involved in that indecency incident—Xie Xiaoyan. Many even began to wonder if the scandal had really happened as people said. Had Ling Xiao truly molested Xie Xiaoyan?

However, ever since returning from the expedition, Xie Xiaoyan had become extremely low-key, pouring all her energy into arduous cultivation and never showing her face in public.

Fortunately, these matters were largely overshadowed by the joy surrounding His Majesty the King’s personal bestowal of medals. The Beast Race had not appeared openly before humans for several hundred years. Therefore, this battle not only sent shockwaves through the Lanyue Empire but also through several other nations, especially those bordering the Beast Race’s territory, which began to strengthen their border defenses.

At the same time, the Lanyue Empire’s prestige grew immensely because of this battle. The personal renown of the Southern King, Prince Li Wutong, also reached a new height along with these events.

None of this was within Ling Xiao’s scope of concern. At that moment, he was enduring astonishing pain as he assaulted the major meridians throughout his body!