The Rivalry Between Two Beauties

"Your martial arts are completely different from the style of the Water Mirror Manor, not even the same style. Besides, you yourself said that you are a descendant of the Saints," Si Huaruo blinked and asked curiously, "Which sect is the Saints? Why have I never heard of it?"

Si Ming was speechless. This girl actually took it seriously! The tone was so obviously teasing; it was easy to tell he was just joking with the enemy, wasn't it?

Come to think of it, her usual dignified, mature, and composed demeanor was all an act; in reality, she was quite naive.

"Saints is a reclusive sect, headquartered in the Gold Palace, and it only accepts twelve disciples, so it has never been well-known in the martial arts world."

"You've been in the martial arts world for so many years, you must have a renowned reputation by now."

Si Ming originally wanted to reveal his code name, Mohist Knight Guard, but upon seeing the slightly longing look in the other person's eyes, the instinct of a male creature to show off in front of a beautiful female immediately kicked in.

"Of course, he was known in the martial arts world as 'Slow Kill with One Blade,' and a poem praised him: 'Three thousand slashes a day, his blade madly surveys the heavens; the slow-sharp blade is the tomb of heroes, slaughtering gods and leaving no immortals behind.'"

"There are also hymns?"

"Not only that, there are also poetic phrases: 'One slash crosses the Milky Way, who reigns supreme in the nine heavens and the universe; slow killing will never end, how many useless trash and garbage there are' and 'One slash forward, one slash back, I only have one slash, who can block it? Kill early or kill late, kill either way, better to kill slowly' are my famous opening lines, but unfortunately I didn't say them today to keep a low profile."

"Amazing!"

Chapter 289 The Battle of Two Beauties

In the early morning, Si Ming met Si Huaruo again. Both of them were a little embarrassed. Putting aside the latter's feelings, the former was embarrassed because he had boasted too much yesterday. Now that the enthusiasm had passed, he couldn't help but feel that he had left a dark history.

The two walked in silence to the school. Since it was a school day, they did not go to the auditorium but went directly to the teaching building, where Si Ming was able to see the timetable of this prestigious school.

Aside from the usual Chinese and medical classes, there are history, politics, and economics classes. There are no physics, chemistry, or biology classes. Mathematics is combined with economics, but geometry problems are not taught. All the content serves economics. All of these take up about two-thirds of the class time, and the remaining one-third is art.

Art is an elective course, requiring students to choose one or more from the nine liberal arts as their major. The others do not require hands-on practice, but students still need to learn theoretical knowledge. After all, Nation of Beauty Aristocratic Clan families talk about art in every conversation, and if you don't understand it, you will be considered a country bumpkin and unable to join the conversation.

Of course, some people don't choose art classes, but they won't have it much easier because they have to shift their energy to courses that require written exams.

Students who are still burning the midnight oil in the library are often from working-class backgrounds. The school provides them with huge scholarships, but also sets strict academic requirements. If they fail to meet these requirements, they are forced to drop out of school.

For scholarships, for a future graduation certificate, and even more so for changing their fate, these ordinary students study day and night, neglecting to eat or sleep. Hanging their heads from the rafters and pricking their thighs with awls are just common methods. Boasting about them would only invite ridicule. "Pouring their heart and soul" is their true state.

Occasionally catching a glimpse of these students, Si Ming couldn't help but sigh, "The Nation of Beauty is truly a peacock spreading its tail feathers; it looks exceptionally magnificent from the front, but from behind it's just a big butt."

Art may seem wonderful, but it's actually a game only the wealthy can afford. Ordinary people simply can't compare to the Aristocratic Clan families in this regard. It's not that they lack artistic talent, but rather that if a noble's son only needs 60% talent to stand out, a poor boy needs 90% talent to be nurtured.

Effort can be made up for later in life, but talent is something that is innate. In other words, they cannot make up for their lack of talent through hard work.

However, despite his feelings, Si Ming had no intention of starting a red revolution here. In the end, the Nation of Beauty people were not at the point of starvation. They could eat their fill and wear clothes, but it was difficult for them to achieve a better standard of living, and their upward mobility was somewhat limited. Under such circumstances where there was still hope, it was almost impossible to get everyone to rise up and shed blood.

People only show the determination to "lose their lives" when they have nothing. Once they have a little wealth, their lives become valuable, and they won't easily sell them to others.

Guards can attend classes with their masters. Emperor Peak Luofu Academy has finally refrained from treating guards as less than human. However, guards can only sit on the edge or in the corner of the classroom and cannot sit with the students. This does not affect their ability to attend classes, so the number of guard positions is actually quite precious. Sometimes, they have to compete for the position and have a member of the clan impersonate a guard. This is why, after Si Ming revealed his identity, everyone was only surprised that he was the younger brother of the young clan leader, not that he was acting as a guard.

Si Ming was eager to experience the classes at the elite school, so he listened attentively during class. Time flew by, and soon it was lunchtime.

"After listening to the lectures all morning, what are your thoughts?" Si Huaruo asked with a smile. "How are they different from the lectures you took in Su State?"

During our chat yesterday, Si Ming revealed that he had been working in the Su State for many years.

"The cultural courses outside of art are actually not as difficult as those in Su State, but your teachers really know how to teach. Even though I had already learned the relevant content, I still gained new insights after listening to it again."

Even within the same rote learning system, some teachers can make their lessons engaging and interesting, captivating students, while others simply read from the textbook, causing students immense suffering. This is the difference in teacher quality. The teaching standards of the teachers invited by the First Noble Academy of Nation of Beauty are beyond doubt, making Si Ming lose track of time while listening.

"But art class is like listening to gibberish. I have no idea what they're talking about. I can understand each word individually, but when they're put together, I can't understand them at all. There are just too many technical terms," Si Ming said helplessly.

"This morning's lesson was about chess, so there was bound to be a lot of technical jargon. It would be much easier if we talked about literature. Okay, let's go to the cafeteria first; the food at this school is pretty good."

As a prestigious school, the Emperor Peak Luofu Academy's dining hall was naturally not shabby. In fact, it was the most upscale dining hall Si Ming had ever seen. The interior decoration was naturally elegant and noble, yet there were few decorations, so it didn't feel overwhelming. The most obvious advantage was its cleanliness. The windows, floors, and chairs were spotless, without a single stain or mark, as if they were brand new.

The food in the restaurant is all free, and you can order as much as you want. Of course, if you waste too much food, people will look down on you and think you have no manners. Although spoiled brats like to show off their wealth, it only makes sense if they spend money. In other words, if the food costs money, no one will think much of it even if you are extravagant. But free things should not be wasted.

The restaurant has plenty of open space, so it doesn't feel crowded like a school cafeteria. Instead of the most efficient square tables, it uses round tables, which take up the most space. The round tables come in various sizes, from small ones that can seat four people to large ones that can seat twelve.

Si Huaruo chose a small seat by the window, picked up the menu on the table, and asked, "What would you like to eat?"

Si Ming replied truthfully, "This is my first time here, so I don't know what to order. You can have it all."

Si Huaruo nodded and said to the waitress standing beside her, "First, bring the Eight-Layer Dish, followed by six side dishes to accompany the wine."

"Okay, please wait a moment."

Upon hearing this, Si Ming assumed that the other party had only ordered two dishes. He was puzzled, as martial artists are known for their large appetites. Even if the other party wanted to show her modesty as a woman, she should have asked him, a man, about his appetite first.

However, when the dishes were served, he realized he had misunderstood. The eight plates were eight kinds of fresh fruit: pickled berries, grapes, olives, kumquats, fresh coconuts, ivory berries, small olives, and tangerines. All eight fruits were small and plump, and he didn't have to lift a finger. A waitress with her delicate hands slowly peeled and cut the fruits, placed them in the two men's cups, and then gracefully withdrew.

Si Ming looked down at the neatly peeled orange segments on the plate, even the white pith had been removed, and was speechless for a moment.

The white pith of oranges actually has the effects of clearing the meridians and resolving phlegm, regulating qi and promoting blood circulation, and can also treat symptoms such as cough due to phlegm stagnation. It is undoubtedly very nutritious. However, for nobles, the first thing they pay attention to when eating is not nutrition, but quality, followed by taste, with nutrition being the least important factor.

Before long, the six dishes to accompany the wine were served one after another. There were not six dishes, but twelve dishes: braised quail with flowers, lychee pork kidneys, milk skewers, three-crisp soup, lamb tongue skewers, sprouted tripe, gizzard skewers, quail soup, tripe and pork belly sashimi, fried tripe with two kinds of fillings, shark sashimi, and stir-fried shark with soup.

Si Ming picked up a piece with his chopsticks and took a bite. To be honest, the chef's skills were not necessarily better than Lu Mao's, and might even be slightly inferior. However, the quality of the ingredients was simply too excellent, all of them were top-notch. Even without seasoning, the taste was superb, a true delight for the palate. It not only made up for the two points that were lacking, but also slightly exceeded them.

Once he picked up his chopsticks, he couldn't stop. After wolfing down his food, Si Ming suddenly realized he might be being impolite. Looking up, he saw Si Huaruo across from him also eating slowly and steadily, just as constantly. Judging from the amount of food she had consumed, she probably hadn't eaten much less than Si Ming. However, her eating posture was very elegant. He wondered how she managed to maintain her manners while eating so heartily.

Noticing Si Ming's gaze, Si Huaruo blushed slightly and explained, "I've been in class all day, and my brain is exhausted. I need to replenish it promptly. Besides, I have to go to the drama club for rehearsal this afternoon, which is physically demanding."

Even taking all that into account, her appetite was still quite astonishing. No matter how much a martial artist can eat, not all of them are gluttons. For example, Yao Bilian's appetite was only three or four times that of an average girl, which was not outrageous. Si Huaruo's appetite was probably thirteen or fourteen times that of an average girl.

Si Ming, "I understand, being able to eat is a blessing."

As long as her body doesn't become deformed, it doesn't matter how much she can eat; the Si Clan has plenty of money anyway.

Seeing that Si Ming's expression didn't seem fake, Si Huaruo breathed a sigh of relief and was about to change the subject when she heard a familiar voice say, "Oh, I didn't expect that in just three days, the two of you would become so familiar. It's beyond my expectations."