The third month of the year 825 AD ushered in the radiant warmth of the blooming season, coating the stone corridors of Hill Academy in a heavy, golden glare.
"Woah... the library was completely suffocating today," Han Chou Xi groaned, dragging his feet into the study hall alongside Pei Hang. Both boys were visibly drenched in sweat from walking through the intense afternoon sun, their shoulders slumped under the weight of their academic satchels.
I didn't lift my eyes from the pages of my text, smoothly turning to the next chapter. "You two actually managed to find a seat in the library?" I asked dryly, well aware of the desperate, pre-exam panic currently gripping the rest of the student body.
They didn't even have the energy to answer, dropping their massive stacks of reference books onto their respective study tables with a series of heavy, exhausted thuds.
"That bad, huh?" I grinned inward, closing my own personal notebook.
Letting out a collective, low murmur of defeat, they collapsed into their chairs. I poured a fresh cup of chamomile tea, letting the steam soothe the lingering tension in my shoulders. For the past two days, I had been diligently compiling my own comprehensive review sheets, anticipating the exact chaos they had just encountered. Reaching over, I slid two meticulously handwritten, bound copies across the polished wood of their tables.
Pei Hang, frantically fanning himself with his wide scholar sleeve while downing a cup of water, stared at the parchment in utter bewilderment. "What's this?"
"I have no intention of letting my own dormitory comrades walk into midterm examination week completely unprepared," I stated smoothly, leaning back. "I made identical copies of my personal notes for both of you. It should shorten the endless reading material you need to digest. I already foresaw that the main library would be entirely overrun by this point in the term, rendering the academy's shared materials practically useless to you."
The two boys exchanged a wide-eyed, stunned glance before leaping up from their seats, practically tackling me into a chaotic, laughing group hug.
"Weicheng, you are absolutely the greatest leader alive!" Pei Hang cheered.
"Alright, alright," I laughed, putting my hands up and firmly shoving their sweaty shoulders away. "Save the praise for the passing marks. Go back to reading."
While the three of us locked ourselves away to study, Laohu and Cha Eun Jo had volunteered for a special civic service detail outside the academy grounds. Because both of them had aggressively maintained that they were already thoroughly reviewed and fully prepared for the testing week, the Academy Masters had readily permitted them to distribute government winter survival supplies to the lower capital districts.
Finding myself temporarily alone, I noticed the vibrant flora outside the dormitory window beginning to stretch toward the spring light. I threw the wooden shutters wide, inhaling the radiant, crisp air as the warm sunshine washed over my face. Closing my eyes, I decided to take a quiet, solitary stroll toward the stone gazebo situated near the edge of the dormitory gardens.
Despite the fierce, survivalist warrior training drilled into me by my tribe, these quiet, fragile natural elements always managed to awaken a completely different side of me—the real Dan Weicheng that the world had forced into hiding. They were the small, beautiful things that offered a brief, fleeting semblance of sanity.
During this specific time of the year, Azaleas were the most prominent flower across the imperial capital, painting the stone walkways in brilliant shades of pink and crimson. They were genuinely beautiful to look at, especially when the suffocating weight of my secret life felt entirely too heavy to carry.
Yet, my mind couldn't help but drift back to the northern territories. The endless, rolling fields of white and crimson peonies surrounding the Northern Palace remained the most breathtaking sight I had ever witnessed. Whenever the harsh climate and my grueling training permitted, I used to hide among those petals for hours.
"Am I disrupting your solitude?"
A low, smooth voice drifted into the pavilion. I didn't flinch, slowly turning my gaze as Yun Ji Wok stepped onto the gravel path. His hands were folded elegantly behind his torso, his pace slow and deliberate as his hazel eyes quietly scanned the surrounding blooms.
"No," I replied flatly, returning my attention to the bushes.
"I must admit, I never pegged you as someone who would appreciate the delicate nature of flowers, Weicheng," he murmured, his sharp gaze tracing the edge of a vibrant petal.
I simply shrugged, keeping my posture relaxed. "It just happens. Flowers don't ask questions."
"Azaleas," Ji Wok noted softly, lowering his slender frame slightly to gently brush his fingers against a cluster of blossoms. "An interesting choice. Even though the entire plant is notoriously toxic and lethal if consumed, humanity insists on using them to symbolize happiness, beauty, and national prosperity."
He straightened back up, his intense hazel eyes shifting directly onto my face. "People are inherently drawn to the thrill of a beauty that requires dangerous effort. They desperately associate their personal obsessions with the faint hope that it will bring them joy and fortune."
I frowned slightly, listening to the bizarrely philosophical shift in his tone. The man truly never failed to weave a deeper, highly calculating wisdom into the most mundane conversations.
A faint, humorless smile touched his lips. "Come to think of it, the elite who thoroughly enjoy the absolute weight of imperial power are exactly like people who obsess over Azaleas. They are conditioned from birth to pursue things they deem beautiful and immensely valuable, completely blind to the fact that the prize itself is inherently toxic. It ultimately breeds nothing but a hollow obsession and an all-consuming greed, simply because they foolishly believed that possessing it would grant them eternal happiness."
I stared at him, my brow furrowing deeper. He was explicitly rationalizing that the Azalea was the botanical equivalent of a corrupt, power-hungry court. It made me realize how terrifyingly perceptive he truly was; people frequently chased their ambitions with a blinding, desperate obsession, completely indifferent to how the toxicity of their greed systematically destroyed the majority.
"Then tell me, Scholar Yun," I asked, my voice dropping to a cool, challenging register as I arched an eyebrow. "What exactly constitutes true happiness?"
Ji Wok let out a soft, self-deprecating scoff, stepping back. "The eternal question of happiness is the only riddle in this world that possesses absolutely no correct answer." He turned to leave, his heavy royal scholar robes swaying with a naturally elegant grace, before halting mid-stride. He looked over his shoulder, his eyes locking onto mine one last time.
"Your happiness... lies entirely within your own hands."
"Then his hands must be completely empty," a harsh, mocking voice snarled from the edge of the pavilion.
Wang Tae Hua stepped out from the shadow of a weeping willow, his dark, obsidian eyes fixed directly onto my bandaged right hand, his handsome features twisted into a smug, arrogant sneer.
An unbelievable surge of pure, unadulterated irritation flared in my chest. I scoffed out loud, completely bypassing any semblance of academic decorum. Before he could even finish his smug thought, I lunged forward, my left hand violently clamping onto his heavy shoulder robes to wrench him around. Utilizing my entire torso's momentum, I wound back my right arm and drove a brutal, bone-shattering punch straight into his face.
CRACK.
"Wei—" Ji Wok didn't even manage to scream my full name before his hazel eyes widened in absolute horror.
Tae Hua crashed violently onto the gravel floor, his royal robes twisting in the dirt as he scrambled to his hands and knees. Blood instantly began to pour from his nose, dripping down his chin as his eyes flared with a lethal, murderous rage. He roared, preparing to vault himself back across the path to rip me apart, but Ji Wok moved like lightning.
Ji Wok threw his entire weight in front of his cousin, aggressively locking his arms around Tae Hua's chest and dragging him backward away from the pavilion. He shook his head at me in a silent, frantic warning, forcing the thrashing prince down the path.
"Stop mocking my existence, Tae Hua!" I hissed into the empty garden, my knuckles throbbing with a satisfying ache.
Turning on my heel, I marched back to Dormitory 5, slamming the heavy wooden door shut so hard the frame rattled.
Part II: The Brothel and the Blade
"Freshmen! Today marks the official commencement of your midterm examinations. Are you all thoroughly prepared?"
The grand courtyard of Hill Academy was a chaotic sea of nerves. While a few of the exceptionally confident students shouted out their affirmations, the vast majority let out a collective, synchronized sigh of impending doom.
"Immediately following the conclusion of these exams, you will be rigorously ranked based on your cumulative academic and physical grades," the Master announcer continued, his voice echoing off the stone walls. "The official results will be publicly posted tomorrow morning on the central announcement board in the main quad. Do your best. Disperse!"
The examinations were a grueling, agonizing three-hour gauntlet that systematically tested every single intellectual and tactical subject in the curriculum. The second the final papers were collected, a wave of profound relief washed over the hall. Because it was the conclusion of testing week, the faculty granted all students a special pass to go downtown into the capital to celebrate, provided every single individual returned before the strict 11:00 PM curfew attendance check.
The students rapidly shed their formal academy uniforms, changing into ordinary civilian attire before scattering past the main gates.
For Group 5, the destination had already been unanimously decided by their leader. I was thoroughly exhausted from consuming nothing but bitter academy teas for weeks; my soul practically demanded a strong cup of wine. As the sun began its slow descent, stretching the horizon into a deep, twilight purple, the five of us arrived before the familiar, bustling entrance of the capital's premier entertainment district. The air inside the sprawling tavern-brothel was thick with the clinking of heavy wine jars, lively music, and the booming laughter of patrons having the time of their lives.
Pei Hang, completely unbothered and thoroughly ecstatic to be free, happily caught my arm, practically dragging me into the establishment as he sang a ridiculous tavern tune. However, the remaining three members of our squad were practically tiptoeing behind us, shielding their faces as if desperately trying to evade the gaze of the crowd.
"If my father ever discovers that I set foot inside an establishment of this nature, he will quite literally execute me himself," Cha Eun Jo muttered frantically under his breath, vividly picturing the terrifying wrath of the Prime Minister.
"My grandmother will have a massive, fatal heart attack if a single rumor reaches the estate," Chou Xi countered sharply, though he quickly straightened his shoulders, aggressively tapping his own chest to reassure himself. "Whatever. I am a grown man now. A big boy." He nodded firmly to himself, trying to summon an aura of worldly confidence.
Laohu simply kept his head down, silently sliding into the large wooden booth we had secured at the edge of the room.
We were laughing, sharing our first round of heavy liquor, and thoroughly enjoying the relief of the post-exam freedom when a heavy ceramic glass suddenly cut through the air.
SMASH.
The projectile slammed directly into the center of our table, shattering into a dozen jagged shards and violently spraying spilled wine, broken pottery, and ruined food across our robes.
The laughter in our booth died instantly. A dangerous, liquid warmth traveled through my veins from the alcohol I had already consumed. Stretching my arms out, I slowly cracked my neck, a dark, cold clarity settling over my vision. I knew executing a brawl right now was pure academic suicide, but as my eyes drifted toward the neighboring elevated table, I spotted a group of rough, heavily built men laughing hysterically at the sight of our ruined dinner.
Right in the center of them sat Yao.
The very thug I had brutally crippled just before the academy entrance exams. Realizing exactly what kind of night this was about to become, I silently muttered a brief prayer that the Hill Master would grant me a slightly lighter punishment this time around.
Yao stood up, a mischievous, deeply unsettling grin cutting across his rugged face as he swaggered over to our table. His dark hair was tied up in a chaotic, messy bun, exposing his crooked teeth, but the most notable change was his right hand—it was entirely encased in a heavy, reinforced metallic gauntlet to compensate for the shattered bones I had left him with. Five equally intimidating thugs followed closely behind him, their knuckles cracking in anticipation.
"Dan Weicheng," Yao growled, his rough voice scraping against the noise of the tavern as he knocked his left knuckles against the wooden frame of our booth.
I let out a soft, amused scoff, tilting my head back as I looked up at him. "Long time no see, Yao."
"I don't particularly want to engage in a physical altercation today," I stated smoothly, reaching for a secondary, unbroken jar and pouring myself another cup of wine, completely ignoring the massive threat towering over me.
"Well, I am entirely certain that you do," Yao laughed boisterously, his men joining in with a series of mocking jeers that made Eun Jo and Chou Xi's expressions turn incredibly dark.
"I am strictly here to enjoy a peaceful drink," I continued, taking a slow sip. "Do not even attempt to start with me."
"I highly doubt you've forgotten exactly what you did to my hand, you arrogant little scholar," he hissed, his eyes narrowing into lethal slits.
"I haven't. In fact, I remember the exact sound of the fracture all too well," I replied with a cold, highly convenient smile.
Infuriated by my lack of fear, Yao's left hand flashed into his pocket, whipping out a heavy, jagged iron dagger. With a vicious snarl, he drove the blade straight down into the table, pinning the rim of my wine glass.
I simply rolled my eyes, a small, dangerous smirk breaking across my lips. "Oh... so you managed to keep it."
Reaching out, I smoothly wrapped my fingers around the hilt, wrenching the dagger free from the wood and sliding it neatly back into its leather sheath. Standing up, I prepared to signal the boys to find a quieter, secondary table across the room, but the moment I straightened, Yao's heavy metallic hand slammed into my shoulder, violently shoving me back down into the wooden bench.
The heavy glass tumbled over, nearly cracking the thick timber of the table.
Eun Jo, Pei Hang, and Chou Xi instantly erupted in fury, their chairs screeching against the floorboards as they prepared to leap across the table to avenge the insult. But before they could take a single step, I threw my left arm out, halting them in their tracks.
"I can manage this perfectly fine," I said, a serene, terrifyingly calm smile gracing my features.
Laohu, knowing my actual capabilities better than anyone in the room, let out a loud, proud laugh. He practically clapped his hands in delight, completely relaxing his posture as he firmly held the other three back from interfering. "Sit down, boys. Trust me, she—he doesn't need an ounce of help."
Yao leaned over the broken table, his metallic fingers flexing. "So... do you want me to pierce that delicate little left hand of yours? Or would you prefer to be permanently immobilized for the rest of your academic life? Should I just disable you real quick, boy?"
As if he had completely misheard my initial warning, Yao's arrogant expression suddenly contorted into a grimace of pure rage. Before he could even register the shift in my posture, my hand reached out, firmly locking onto the heavy silk fabric of his collar. With a vicious, explosive burst of force, I yanked him downward and drove a brutal left hook directly into his jaw.
CRACK.
Yao's lip instantly split open, blood spraying across the floorboards as he stumbled backward. "I explicitly told you, I did not come here to engage in a fight," I stated, stepping over the shattered table as his men instantly reacted. "But you simply refused to stop insisting."
The five remaining thugs immediately rammed into our booth, forcing Eun Jo, Pei Hang, and Chou Xi into action. The entire tavern descended into absolute, beautiful chaos. Despite our fair share of insobriety, the boys of Dormitory 5 fought with a terrifying, laughing efficiency, completely unbothered by the threat of punishment as they systematically dismantled the gang.
Within minutes, Yao and his entire crew were scattered across the floorboards, groaning in agony amidst the shattered porcelain. I clapped the dust from my palms, turning to my four friends and tapping each of them on the shoulder with a massive, victorious grin, as if we had just won the imperial lottery.
Part III: The Red Palace and the Shadow
Our victory was short-lived. The palace guards intervened before curfew, dragging the five of us back to the academy grounds far earlier than the rest of the student body. We stood lined up in the central courtyard, our clothes slightly disheveled but our faces still carrying the faint, silly smirks of our successful brawl.
"You never fail to prove yourself the absolute premier troublemaker of this institution, Dan Weicheng," a deep, booming voice thundered across the stones.
We immediately straightened, our smirks vanishing. Standing before us was the Hill Master himself. He had spent the last several months traveling the dangerous imperial borders by direct order of the Emperor, only to return tonight. He aggressively massaged his temples, letting out a profound, exhausted sigh. "Your name continues to be dragged through the mud within the palace walls and across the market squares alike."
The Hill Master had literally just stepped foot back into the capital, only to be greeted by the frantic complaints of the market merchants regarding a group of Hill Academy scholars engaging in blatant, catastrophic violence inside a public brothel. He shook his head, his expression a mask of deep disappointment.
"Every single one of you will receive an immediate five-point deduction from your cumulative midterm examination scores," the Hill Master commanded sternly. "Your official rankings tomorrow will be severely impacted by this disgrace. Furthermore, you are officially grounded from leaving the academy grounds or setting foot near an entertainment district for the remainder of the term. Dismissed!"
We nodded in unison, preparing to slink back to our dorms. But just as we turned our heels, a piercing, deafening emergency siren suddenly tore through the night sky, radiating directly from the grand Imperial Hall in the distance.
The sheer urgency of the alarm made us freeze. Because the rest of the student body was still scattered downtown, we were the only capable combatants currently present on the campus grounds. Instinctively turning back, we spotted Master Pu running down the pavilion steps, a beautifully forged imperial steel sword already unsheathed in his right hand.
"Master!" Eun Jo shouted as we rapidly converged on his position. "What is happening?"
"An active assassination attempt is currently underway at the Empress's inner palace!" Master Pu barked, his pace never slowing.
"Let us come with you!" I demanded, the rest of the boys instantly nodding in fierce agreement. Our relentless combat practices couldn't be allowed to go to waste during a crisis of this magnitude. Master Pu paused for a fraction of a second, staring into our determined faces before offering a single, firm nod of trust. "Follow me. Keep your wits about you."
We sprinted through the grand iron gates, infiltrating the inner palace grounds within minutes. The central courtyard was a scene of absolute horror; eunuchs and frantic handmaids were gathered in a weeping mass across the stones. The Empress's main pavilion was engulfed in roaring flames, the primary structural exit completely trapped beneath a massive, collapsed burning ceiling beam.
Suddenly, the Emperor himself rushed onto the scene, his royal robes flowing as dozens of palace guards scrambled to form a defensive wall around him. A secondary unit of guards successfully managed to drag the Empress from a side clearance in the burning structure, rushing her toward the medical attendants. She was coughing violently, on the verge of fainting from the suffocating black smoke.
My eyes instantly darted away from the crowd, scanning the high stone architecture with calculated precision. There—high above the eastern eaves—was a structural shadow completely invisible to the naked eye. It was entirely pitch black, creating the perfect tactical loophole for a marksman to hide.
A cold smirk cut across my face.
Through the shifting smoke, I spotted the silhouette of an assassin perched on the northern ridge of the roof. He was already drawing a heavy composite bow, his sight locked directly onto the oblivious Emperor below. His face was entirely concealed beneath a dark silk mask, his eyes gleaming with the intense, terrifying reflection of the courtyard fire.
Without a split second of hesitation, I lunged directly in front of the Emperor's path. My hand flashed to my belt, releasing my heavy iron dagger and hurling it through the air with pinpoint accuracy.
CLANG.
The dagger intercepted the assassin's descending arrow mid-flight, sending both pieces of metal clattering violently against the stone floor. The sudden impact drew the immediate attention of the palace guards, who instantly piled over the area to shield the monarch.
Snatching my dagger back from the floor, I locked my vision onto the roof as the assassin realized his failure and began to sprint across the burning ceiling tiles. My eyes narrowed into razor-sharp slits. Calculating his running stride, I wound back my arm and launched the dagger a secondary time—aiming squarely for the vital tendons of his left leg.
THWACK.
A sharp, muffled groan of agony echoed from the rooftop as the blade embedded itself deep into his thigh, causing him to violently lose his balance and stumble across the eaves. Several palace guards immediately loosened a volley of arrows toward his position, but the assassin desperately dragged his bleeding limb over the ridge, disappearing into the dark drop behind the palace wall.
"Guard the Emperor! Now!" I roared to the surrounding soldiers, preparing to scale the palace pillars to give chase.
But before my boots could leave the ground, a heavy hand clamped onto my shoulder. Master Pu and Laohu stood directly behind me. "We will take the pursuit from here, Weicheng," Master Pu commanded, his voice commanding absolute obedience. "You are dumbfounded if you think we can leave the clearing unsecured. Stay here and protect Their Majesties."
I forced myself to nod, stepping back into a defensive stance alongside Eun Jo, Pei Hang, and Chou Xi as Master Pu and the elite guards scaled the walls in pursuit.
The Emperor, his breathing ragged, slowly turned on his heel to face the young scholar who had just saved his life. "What is your name, boy?"
I immediately dropped to one knee, bowing my head in absolute, rigid respect. "This humble candidate is named Dan Weicheng, Your Majesty."
The Empress, resting against a silk cushion as the medical aides treated her minor burns, offered a soft, deeply fond smile as she studied my features. "You possess an remarkably delicate, beautiful face for a young man," she noted quietly. The Empress had always been notoriously fond of beautiful aesthetics and elegant people, her eyes turning warm as she watched me.
"So... you are the legendary Ace Archer of the freshman batch?" the Emperor asked, a wave of profound royal pride coloring his tone. I offered a slight, respectful nod. "That perfectly explains your extraordinary eyesight and accuracy against a moving target from such a distance."
"Oh, I have heard an immense amount of rumors regarding your exploits," the Empress chimed in, a faint, amused laugh escaping her lips. "I believe my youngest son, Tae Hua, has been causing you an insufferable amount of annoyance at the academy."
I froze slightly, keeping my eyes fixed on the stone floor.
"My nephew, Ji Wok, explicitly advised me that Tae Hua needs to permanently halt his childish academic games and leave you in absolute peace," the Empress continued, shaking her head. "I can clearly see that you are a remarkably simple, promising student. My son likely just seeks an excuse to annoy you because his older brothers refuse to grant him any attention." She let out a quiet laugh, fully realizing that Tae Hua was likely deeply threatened by my natural dignity and unyielding aura.
"My son also informed the court that you successfully mastered the use of the academy's Cursed Bow with flawless precision?" the Emperor gushed, clearly amazed by the prospect of a future military officer of my caliber.
"You will make an extraordinary imperial protector and a highly promising officer of the inner palace," the Empress added, her admiration clear. "I intend to formally invite you to my personal pavilion for tea next week. I have been informed that you possess a great love for chamomile?"
A sudden wave of absolute panic shot through my chest. "Uhm..." I stammered, forced to offer a tight nod. "It would be my highest honor, Your Majesty."
"Splendid. You certainly wouldn't dare to disappoint my invitation, correct?" she smiled elegantly.
Before I could formulate a safe response, Master Pu, Laohu, and the rest of the guard detail returned to the courtyard empty-handed. The assassin had managed to evade capture.
"What is the status of the culprit?" the Emperor demanded, his face hardening.
"The assassin managed to escape our immediate perimeter by leaping over the sheer face of the southern cliff, Your Majesty," Master Pu answered on behalf of the unit.
"However, he will absolutely be unable to walk or run properly moving forward," Laohu added, stepping forward with a respectful bow. "His left leg was permanently damaged by Weicheng's dagger before he fled the roof."
"Indeed," Eun Jo chimed in, displaying his natural political intellect. "Weicheng struck a vital arterial path in his thigh; his blood is likely draining rapidly as we speak. If Your Majesty issues an immediate decree to completely seal the capital gates and thoroughly inspect every single individual entering or exiting the city, we can guarantee positive results by morning."
The Emperor immediately took Eun Jo's tactical advice, shouting orders to his generals to enforce a draconian lockdown on the capital gates while launching an extensive search along the riverbanks beneath the cliff face.
Turning back to our group, the Emperor smiled warmly. "As for these brave students, Master Pu... I explicitly demand their presence at the grand imperial ceremony at the end of the month. I shall grant them magnificent royal rewards for their valor."
Master Pu and the four boys dropped into a deep bow. "We are entirely undeserving of such immense royal grace, Your Majesty."
"Nonsense. You earned it," the Emperor beamed.
As we finally began the long, exhausting walk back toward Hill Academy under the pre-dawn sky, Master Pu walked alongside us, a knowing, highly amused smirk playing on his lips. "I believe I heard from the Hill Master that you five caused a catastrophic incident downtown just hours before saving the crown?"
The boys simply shrugged in unison, bursting into a collective, exhausted laugh. "We absolutely did, Master."
"You insufferable troublemakers," Master Pu muttered affectionately.
Part IV: The Unseen Margin
By morning, the official, cumulative midterm examination results were prominently posted on the grand announcement board in the central quad. A massive, dense crowd of students from every year level had already gathered around the wooden post, whispering frantically.
I stood at the very back of the courtyard, completely content to wait for the crowd to disperse before checking my mark. Suddenly, Laohu marched up beside me, letting out a massive, continuous yawn as he casually hooked his arm through mine, aggressively pulling me forward. I grimaced in irritation, but Laohu merely flashed a massive, proud grin, using his broad shoulders to forcefully part the sea of students to make a direct path to the front.
When we finally breached the front row, the surrounding students were towering over the paper, their fingers tracing the top names.
"You placed third, Weicheng," Laohu stated, pointing directly at the top of the parchment.
The official board read:
First Place: Bai Ku Ji (Group 1)
Second Place: Yun Ji Wok (Group 4)
Third Place: Dan Weicheng (Group 5)
Pei Hang, standing a few feet away, suddenly let out a loud, booming shout that instantly silenced the surrounding quad. "If our leader hadn't received that ridiculous five-point brothel deduction from the Hill Master, his raw score would have effortlessly surpassed Ku Ji! He completed the entire three-hour examination with a total of only two mistakes!"
The whispering across the courtyard stopped instantly. The students turned their heads in unison, staring at me in absolute, stunned disbelief. Even the senior year elites looked down from the balconies, their expressions fracturing into shock.
"He... he actually completed the entire imperial exam with only two errors?" a higher-year student whispered to his peer. "The boy is a literal monster."
I simply turned on my heel, entirely unbothered by the loss of the top rank. I walked over to Bai Ku Ji, offering him a polite, genuine nod of congratulations for securing the official first-place spot.
But Bai Ku Ji didn't smile. He took the revelation heavily to heart. Staring at the board, a cold sweat broke out across his neck as he realized the brutal truth: Weicheng's actual intellectual competence far exceeded his own, despite his endless nights of meticulous study. Weicheng had scored a near-flawless 98, only falling to third place because of a disciplinary penalty. Meanwhile, Ku Ji's maximum effort had only yielded a 95.
Looking at my retreating back, the top scholar of the freshman class began to deeply, desperately doubt whether he could ever truly defeat Dan Weicheng in a fair trial of wits.