C9 Fatty

The group of teenagers huddled together, awaiting their assignments.

"Kids, I'm the vice dean of the academy, and this is your dean. These individuals are your instructors. Shortly, those called upon by an instructor should step forward. Everyone clear?" he said.

With no further ado, he gestured for the selection to begin.

"You, come out!"

"And you two, over here!"

"Young man, this way."

"Little girl, come here."

Thus, the instructors from three of the acadacies began picking their students.

As time ticked by, only a chubby boy with large ears was left, looking around with an innocent expression.

"Little brother, over here," Huajun from the White Academy called out with a smile, seeing that the other academies seemed uninterested in the boy.

The boy blinked, walking over in a daze.

The White Academy instructors frowned at the boy's plump and naive appearance. Despite believing that talent wasn't tied to looks, they doubted he would prove to be a promising student.

The instructors from the other academies couldn't help but feel secretly delighted. They had envied Huajun and her colleague for their recruitment role, but now it seemed like a thankless job. They reveled in their misfortune.

Long Yang and Huajun exchanged glances, remaining silent and impassive. To them, all students were equal; talent certificates only provided a rough idea, and the true talent scores were known only to the students themselves.

Why bother with comparisons?

Before long, it was midday, and the newly recruited students had gradually arrived at the academy. The long-faced elder began tallying the numbers.

"We're short by eight," he noted after his count.

Meanwhile, outside the bamboo forest, Yu Yin was besieged by a group of youths, his body bearing numerous wounds.

"Kid, you thought you were tough, huh? What now?" taunted a handsome young man in blue and white, the same one who had been struck in the head by Yu Yin's coin toss at the restaurant's entrance the day before. Fate had brought them together again, and he was not about to let Yu Yin off easily.

"Are you pleased, Young Master Gu?" chuckled a young man, effectively blocking Yu Yin's escape route.

"Rest assured, twenty silver coins will soon find their way into your pockets," the young man replied with a nod.

"Young Master Gu, you're too kind. Who around here would dare not to honor your word? It's only right, only right," another youth said, his face oozing with sycophancy.

"Absolutely! Absolutely!"

"These lowlifes need to be put in their place."

Yu Yin scanned the four youths, who were laughing and sucking up to the other party. He hadn't anticipated that upon this chance encounter, his adversaries would so easily recruit a few thugs to corner him. The road that once led to the academy had now become his escape route.

"The sole heir of the wealthy Gu Lang, Gu Wenlan." With bloodshot eyes, Yu Yin recognized the identity of the youth as he fled, cursing him silently.

He picked up a dry, whitened bamboo stick beside him, stood tall, and faced the five of them head-on. With no retreat possible, he was left with no choice but to fight for his life.

With a fierce shout and a glare, he challenged, "Come at me!"

"Ha! You won't cry until you see the coffin. Let's get him, boys!"

"Finish him off!"

"He's just a beggar. If he dies, I'll answer for it," Gu Wenlan said with a cold laugh.

Under the blazing sun, amidst the scent of bamboo carried by the wind, a fierce battle erupted.

The onlookers gathered, pointing and gawking as if it were all a spectacle. To them, Yu Yin's struggle was nothing more than a joke.

Yet at that moment, a striking figure passed through the crowd. She didn't pause, merely casting a glance at Yu Yin before continuing on her way toward the bamboo grove.

Yu Yin, battered and bloodied from the bamboo stick and the blows he received, seized a momentary gap to charge at Gu Wenlan, striking him squarely on the forehead with the thick bamboo.

A scream pierced the air as blood obscured Gu Wenlan's vision, and he clutched his head, howling in pain.

"Take him down!" The underlings were incensed as their leader was struck down before their eyes. The four youths charged, determined to make Yu Yin pay dearly.

On the razor's edge between life and death, Yu Yin disregarded the agony that felt like his bones were shattering. With a sweep of his stick, he knocked back his assailants and bolted for the bamboo forest.

A desperate soldier was pursued by an enraged one. For a time, neither could gain the upper hand. In the chase, they left Gu Wenlan far behind.

The spectators were visibly disappointed, their thirst for spectacle unquenched without the sight of the poor man's body on the ground.

The path through the bamboo forest was lined with lush grass and dense shrubs. Yu Yin ran, gasping for air, clinging to the memory of Huajun's scolding from the day before as his last sliver of hope.

Whoosh!

A woman's dress fluttered, and her hair undulated as she paused on the path, her gaze settling on the figure ahead.

Rustle, rustle!

The bushes stirred once more as four figures, howling like a pack of ravenous spirits, charged past.

"I'm a student of the Sealing Academy, and you'll regret this! One day, I'll tear you apart," Yu Yin's voice carried a menacing threat.

His chilling words echoed through the woods, slowing the four pursuers as if they were trudging through a marsh, until they finally stopped and exchanged glances.

On the high suspension bridge, Yu Yin, gravely wounded, collapsed onto the wooden planks.

Fifteen minutes later, footsteps approached, and a striking silhouette made its way toward him.

Whoosh, whoosh!

His chest heaved with breaths. Turning his head, he braced for his pursuers but instead saw an incredibly beautiful woman.

She passed by him as if he were invisible.

Yu Yin mentally ranked women's appearances on a seven-tier scale: mesmerizing, beautiful, attractive, average, slightly unattractive, ugly, and hideous. The woman before him earned his highest praise.

Men, on the other hand, he categorized into five tiers: extraordinary, handsome, delicate, average, and unsightly.

Yu Yin had only once encountered a woman who met his standard of mesmerizing beauty. She was a female warrior he'd seen at twelve while playing on the street, the very woman who inspired his concept of beauty.

Her figure was slender, her aura effortlessly cool, with the only imperfection being her modest chest, much like that of most women.

Brushing aside the chaotic thoughts swirling in his mind, Yu Yin managed to stand, trembling. His thighs, having endured several ruthless beatings, now throbbed with a tearing pain that made even standing a struggle.

Without dwelling on it, he grasped the bridge's rope railing and painstakingly followed the elegant figure ahead.

Before he knew it, half an hour had slipped by. Several people had passed by him, and Yu Yin, feeling a surge of inexplicable urgency, bit his lip and hastened his steps.

On the island—

Hundreds were gathered, the young men and women buzzing with hushed conversations.

Surveying the crowd, Huajun noticed the growing impatience. She spoke up, "Vice Principal, the White Courtyard is only short two people now. Perhaps we should let the other Courtyards depart?"

"We're here to welcome the students; we can't just dismiss them like this!" the portly elder objected, shaking his head.

Huajun nodded in acknowledgment and held her peace.

Crack!

A sudden snap of breaking branches echoed from the woods, drawing the attention of the restless crowd.

Yu Yin, his face beaded with sweat, emerged. The sight of hundreds of eyes fixed on him left him momentarily stunned.

"It's him!" Huajun and Long Yang exchanged glances, both feeling a surge of excitement.

Though all the students were exceptionally talented, a few had made a lasting impression, including Yu Yin, with his superior Heart and Pulse strength.

"He looks quite injured. Go and bring him here," the long-faced elder instructed upon noticing Yu Yin's condition.

Huajun quickly gestured to nearby students to assist him.

Two well-dressed young men from the White Courtyard were called upon. Seeing Yu Yin's pitiful state in his plain linen clothes, they felt a sense of reluctance.

"To think I have to help this wretch—it's infuriating!" they complained under their breath, approaching with visible distaste.

Overhearing their grumbles, Yu Yin shoved them aside and declared icily, "I can walk on my own!"

Staggered by the push, the two young men stared at him in a mix of shock and anger.

"Heh, quite the temper," the long-faced elder commented dryly.

"Come over here, little brother," Huajun said with a smile, gesturing for him to approach.

Upon entering the White Courtyard, Yu Yin's legs shook as he valiantly tried to remain standing.

"Hey, brother, lean on me," a voice whispered into his ear.