Punish the Heavens and Punish the Gods - Chapter 07
After Teacher Lin had me carried back to the inn where I’d stayed before, I could barely move an inch. Still, my stomach growled loudly, so I said slowly to the men helping me, “I’m hungry. Go buy me thirty sausages—and make them spicy.”
They gave me a look and muttered, “We already carried you all the way here, now you’re making demands?” and started to leave.
“Wait!” I called after them. “If you buy them for me, I’ll give you a gold coin.”
That stopped them in their tracks. They turned around instantly, grinning from ear to ear. “Now that’s more like it,” one of them said.
A short while later, they returned with thirty piping-hot sausages. I handed them a gold coin, and they left happily, probably thinking I was some kind of fool who threw money around.
As for me—I devoured those sausages like a starving wolf. In just a few minutes, all thirty were gone. I patted my stomach, burped, and said contentedly, “Half full.”
Then I flopped onto the soft bed—about a meter wide, three meters long—and smiled to myself. I had finally advanced my dark magic to Level Two. Only two more levels to go, and I could challenge Bai Ningtian and rescue Lu Peng.
Of course, I didn’t yet know that once Shadow Judgment reached Level Three, the training would become far more difficult.
Thinking about revenge and training, I drifted into a deep, peaceful sleep.
When I woke up the next day, sunlight was already streaming through the window. I jolted upright. “Crap—it’s almost noon!”
I jumped out of bed, threw on my clothes, splashed my face with water, and ran outside. On the way to Shaoyang Academy, I bought three bowls of egg fried rice, balancing them while eating as I rode Xiao Hei.
By the time I reached the academy gates, nearly everyone was already there. I had almost been late. “That was close,” I muttered, tying Xiao Hei outside and locking him up.
Right then, the old man’s voice boomed from the loudspeaker:
“Time’s up! Anyone who enters now will be considered late and disqualified! Now begins the second test—strength! Rules: inside the ring, whoever gets knocked out of the circle loses. You may not cripple or seriously injure your opponent. Competitors, please change into your samurai or mage uniforms!”
I quickly pulled out the black samurai uniform I’d brought with me and put it on.
My opponent was… a fat woman. She only came up to my waist but carried two enormous chain hammers.
“Wow, handsome boy,” she said, eyeing me up and down. “Too bad I’m not the type to go easy on cute faces. Unless, of course, you marry me~”
I scowled. “Get lost.”
Just hearing her say that made me furious. Marry her? She was so round I’d probably faint at the thought.
“I don’t need weapons,” I said coldly. “My fists are enough.”
She smirked. “Such a bad boy. No pity at all.”
“Let’s see who needs pity!” I shouted, charging forward. My fist collided with her hammer—and instantly, pain shot through my arm. Bl00d welled up, and my hand swelled red like a carrot.
She was strong. Too strong to take head-on.
Fine then. I switched tactics. I summoned my magic—two Level Three fireballs appeared in my hands and blasted straight at her.
Boom! Boom!
She staggered backward, then tripped over the ring’s edge and fell out.
“Damn it!” she shouted. “I didn’t expect you to be both a warrior and a mage!”
And with that, I advanced to the top 350.
The rest of the matches went quickly—many contestants won by luck or default.
Then the old man’s voice came again:
“The second test is complete! Ten-minute break before the third test—speed! Fifty will be eliminated. The remaining three hundred will pass and officially enter Shaoyang Academy tomorrow. Class assignments will be announced afterward.”
I found a place to sit and let out a long sigh. My thoughts wandered to Lu Peng.
Lu Peng… I wonder how you’re doing. Are you even alive?
All this happened because you got dragged into my fight with Bai Ningtian. If not for me…
I clenched my fists. “I’ll avenge you. I promise.”
Ten minutes later, the old man’s voice sounded again:
“Third test—speed! Begin!”
The 350 contestants lined up.
“Ready—set—go!” the invigilator shouted.
We all took off. I ran at my usual pace, but most of the others immediately cast a Level One wind spell, Wind Speed. Their bodies blurred forward like arrows—it was more like flying than running.
Within moments, I was being left behind.
“Not yet,” I muttered, gritting my teeth. I unleashed the Level Three wind spell my sister had taught me long ago.
A surge of power burst through my legs, and I shot forward like a gust of storm wind.
Thank the gods I begged her to teach me this spell, I thought. Otherwise I’d be done for.
She’d only agreed after I annoyed her for days, and she’d warned me, “This spell is for escaping, not for showing off! It’s powerful, but you can only use it once a month!”
Back when Bai Ningtian was chasing me, I’d been too panicked to remember it. Now, it finally came in handy.
By the time the race ended, I had safely crossed the finish line among the top three hundred.
The old man’s voice echoed once more through the academy:
“The final results are out! Those who passed are: Yan Jie Lie Xia, Bing Wen Bin Lun, Jun Xiang Lei Yi, Soul Soul…”
He read names one by one for nearly half an hour before finally finishing:
“Congratulations, new students! You may report for class tomorrow. And remember—don’t cause trouble with your seniors! Tuition is five gold coins per semester.”
I couldn’t help but grin. I’d done it.
I was officially a student of Shaoyang Academy.