Volume One, Chapter Seventeen: A Past Grudge

Li Rouxue’s speech was brief, and Chen Tianming looked at the excited male classmates around him, thinking each of them seemed rather foolish. As if merely hearing her words would guarantee their admission to the Imperial Capital Royal Gu Master Academy.

The Imperial Capital Royal Gu Master Academy was the finest Gu master university in all of Long Kingdom. Being the best meant the acceptance rate was incredibly low, which only emphasized how outstanding Li Rouxue was to be admitted under special exemption.

“Tian Ge, Tian Ge,” the little monkey Hou Longtao whispered slyly beside him, “If you work harder these next two years, and manage to get into the Imperial Capital Royal Gu Master Academy, the Li family won’t be able to control you anymore.”

“By then... heh heh heh... it’ll be a done deal, and you’ll have saved yourself years of struggle!”

No sooner had the little monkey spoken than the irritating Yang Debiao immediately jumped in.

“Hahaha! Stop dreaming! Once today’s over, your dear Tian Ge will be saying goodbye to you,” Yang Debiao boasted arrogantly.

“Damn it, are you crazy or what?” the little monkey snapped angrily. “If you want to die, I can help you out. Stop biting at everyone like a mad dog all the time.”

“If you’re hungry, there are plenty of bones in the cafeteria. If you want to eat, go gnaw on them yourself.”

Hou Longtao was now considered a top student; after all, only a few in the class could successfully release Gu spells, and he was among them.

“I’m a dog? If I were a dog, I’d be a dog eating fine delicacies, living in a luxury mansion, and wearing expensive clothes,” Yang Debiao fumed, “What about you? Ever think about what kind of creature you are?”

“I never understood where you got the nerve to lay a hand on the Li family’s little angel. People should know their place. If it weren’t for you, our Yang family’s little patch of land wouldn’t have been taken back!”

“Chen Tianming, I realize you really have no brains. What can you do about class? Do you even know what class means? You think studying hard can help you leap across class boundaries?”

“You think becoming a Gu master can change your lowly status?”

“Your effort and your Gu master identity only serve to make your life a bit more dignified in this society. Some things are beyond your reach and not for you to dream about.”

Yang Debiao seemed to harbor deep resentment, unleashing years of pent-up hatred in a single outburst.

Youthful recklessness and ignorance led Chen Tianming to make mistakes, and though unintentional, he had indeed affected many people to some extent.

An angel is an angel—admired from afar, never to be desecrated.

Life is no fairy tale. If you cross that line, you must be prepared to face the wrath of those above you.

Yet, people only reclaimed land and raised taxes, making life unbearable.

Now, that powerful figure stood on the podium like a sovereign monarch, gazing upon his subjects with a scrutinizing eye.

His name was Li Yuntian, a man whose mere stomp could shake the entire Jiang City.

And he was the very person Chen Tianming had once angered.

It could be said that Chen Tianming was still alive and standing here today only because Li Yuntian had been merciful enough.

“Yang Debiao, shut your filthy mouth,” Chen Tianming’s heart ignited with a flicker of anger.

But he remained rational, and strangely enough, Yang Debiao’s harsh words today slightly altered his impression of him.

But it was just a slight change.

Some people, in their youthful ignorance, think good grades give them the right to mock those with poor results but wealthy and powerful families.

They fail to realize that once they graduate, they will be nothing more than beasts of burden for those rich and powerful.

Class divisions have long been cemented. It was once said that noble sons emerge from humble homes, but nowadays, such occurrences grow rarer.

Because wealth and resources are monopolized by those in power, no matter how excellent your grades, no matter how rare your awakened Gu, what does it matter?

In the end, you are merely a pawn in their game; your strength only makes you more useful.

To rise from pawn to the one who holds the chessboard is an almost impossible feat.

Even if you wield great power, you might end up committing even more vicious and cruel deeds.

Everyone is like this. Before possessing power, they believe themselves to be good; but once they have it, they may reveal themselves as utterly wicked.

Chen Tianming did not know what his future held, but he understood one truth: without power, all talk is empty.

His gaze swept through the crowd and caught sight of a face twisted in schadenfreude — it was Li Chengying.

The child who once trailed behind him like a shadow had grown up and was now seeking revenge.

They had played together happily in their youth, but after Chen Tianming led away the little angel, their relationship changed overnight.

When Li Chengying’s family discovered his actions, he was severely punished in a mixed-gender beating.

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. Unable to vent his frustration on his parents, he redirected his hatred toward Chen Tianming.

But as the leader of the children, Chen Tianming knew a bit of martial arts, and in just a few moves, he knocked Li Chengying to the ground, unable to rise.

Thus, their enmity was sealed.

Now, a turning point in life had arrived. Li Chengying, having leapt like a carp through the dragon’s gate, finally had his chance to strike back!

He unleashed the mad dog Yang Debiao to bite Chen Tianming, while he himself lurked in the shadows, ready to deal a fatal blow.

Come on! Bring all your tricks!

I, Chen Tianming, specialize in dealing with trolls and arrogant fools. I conquer with cunning and repay every slight without mercy!