Liu Qing's Collapse

"Is this the Li Family villa?"

City Lord Zhao Cheng stared at the Li Family villa, now reduced to ashes, his heart filled with shock.

He could sense that the force which had destroyed the Li Family was the Great Sun that had appeared last night—the power of that Martial Saint.

"Has the Li Family offended anyone recently?"

Zhao Cheng was puzzled. The moment the pillar of fire appeared, he had flown straight to the Li Family villa.

But he had been too late.

The Li Family had already been burned to ashes, not even a trace remaining.

The Li Family head was at the Late Stage of Martial Dao Fourth Layer. Only he and his son, Li Ming, lived in this villa; the rest of the Li Family was in the Provincial Capital.

"With the Li Family father and son dead, that old man of the Li Family will probably go mad."

At that thought, Zhao Cheng immediately felt a headache coming on. The old man of the Li Family was not someone to be trifled with. Rumor had it that he had recently broken through to the Martial Dao Eighth Layer.

Upon learning that his most beloved son and grandson had died, he would likely hold Yicheng City accountable.

The first to bear the brunt of it would undoubtedly be him, the City Lord of Yicheng City.

"I wonder when reinforcements from the Provincial Capital will arrive."

Looking at the ashes before him, Zhao Cheng sighed inwardly.

Yicheng City was merely a small city. Why had it suffered one disaster after another...

"Heavenly Lord, the Li Family father and son have been dealt with!"

"No other members of the Li Family were found."

Inside the rental apartment, the Fancang Martial Saint reported the results to Lin Tian.

"Only the Li Family father and son... It seems the rumors were true. The Li Family father and son came to Yicheng City from the Provincial Capital."

Lin Tian finally understood. The rumors about the Li Family father and son at school had actually been true.

"If the Li Family makes any moves afterward, go to the Provincial Capital again."

Lin Tian said to the Fancang Martial Saint.

Early the next morning, Lin Tian signed in as usual.

"Ding! Congratulations, Host. You have received the guaranteed reward: your current cultivation level has increased by one percent."

"A guaranteed reward..."

Lin Tian was still somewhat disappointed upon hearing the reward from this sign-in. A one-percent increase in Martial Dao First Layer cultivation—how much could that even raise?

It was nowhere near as practical as a Blood Qi Pill.

-- Host Personal Information --

"Name: Lin Tian."

"Title: None."

"Cultivation: Late Stage of Martial Dao First Layer (Blood Qi: 304)."

"Cultivation Technique: 'Heavenly Origin Technique.'"

"Martial Skill: None."

"My Blood Qi increased by four points?"

Seeing the Blood Qi on the information panel, Lin Tian was somewhat surprised.

"The threshold for Martial Dao Second Layer is four hundred Blood Qi. It seems the increase is calculated based on that four-hundred-Blood-Qi boundary. Four points of Blood Qi actually isn't bad."

Lin Tian could accept this increase.

"Going back to school as usual, I wonder what those people's reactions will be."

The pillar of fire that shot into the sky last night had been seen by the entirety of Yicheng City.

With such terrifying scenes appearing for two consecutive days, people would probably be left in a state of unease.

"Did you see that pillar of fire yesterday?"

"It was probably the power of that expert from the night before. A pillar of fire shooting into the sky—just how powerful did someone have to be to accomplish something like that?"

As Lin Tian entered the campus, he heard students discussing what had happened yesterday.

Lin Tian sighed inwardly. This was the world of the strong. With only the slightest move, they could reach the limits of ordinary people's imagination.

"Hey, hey, did you hear? Senior Liu Qing from the third year seems to be connected to that expert. Let's go ask her."

As Lin Tian continued onward, he suddenly heard those words.

"Why have the lower-year students heard about this?"

Lin Tian was puzzled. Hadn't the matter of yesterday's physical assessment been forbidden from spreading?

How did lower-year students know about what Liu Qing had said yesterday?

Had the words with which he questioned Liu Qing afterward not spread?

With those doubts in his heart, Lin Tian arrived at the classroom entrance and saw that Class One was already packed to the brim.

"What happened?"

Lin Tian entered the classroom and asked the class monitor, Mu Ziwei.

"They're all lower-year students. They heard that Liu Qing is connected to the terrifying expert who descended upon Yicheng City, so they want to learn more. While they're at it, they want to make their presence known in front of Liu Qing."

"Hasn't it been proven that Liu Qing is connected to that expert?"

"Don't these people know what I said when I questioned Liu Qing afterward?"

"Looks like that's the case."

Mu Ziwei nodded.

"Of everything that happened during yesterday's physical assessment, only Liu Qing's increase of thirty-eight points of Blood Qi in one month and her connection to that expert spread. Nothing else was leaked."

"That does fit what the City Lord said."

Upon hearing this, Lin Tian already had a guess.

"What was the school's response?"

"What about Yicheng City's response?"

Mu Ziwei shook her head.

"Neither the school nor Yicheng City has made any response."

"After witnessing the Great Sun and the pillar of fire shooting into the sky, even if it is only speculation, even if the connection is distant, neither the school nor Yicheng City would dare take action."

"So that's how it is."

Lin Tian understood. Liu Qing had seized precisely this point to publicize the matter.

After all, every third-year student and teacher had heard it yesterday. Coupled with the school not stepping forward to stop it, it was easy for people to believe.

Quite a few third-year students were now gradually starting to believe that Liu Qing was connected to that mysterious expert, and they wanted to curry favor with her.

"The sight of that pillar of fire piercing the heavens was too shocking. All I know is that it was at the villa district in the suburbs."

"The instant the pillar of fire appeared, the City Lord arrived and sealed off all information."

Mu Ziwei sighed.

That one sentence immediately reminded Lin Tian of something.

"Liu Qing, Liu Qing, since you insist on tying yourself to this, don't blame me for showing no mercy."

Lin Tian sneered inwardly, then turned and headed toward Class One.

The noisy Class One instantly fell silent upon seeing Lin Tian arrive. Some first- and second-year students who had been watching from the sidelines were confused by this.

Lin Tian was a famous figure at Second Middle School, a cripple. Why did every upperclassman in Class One stop talking the moment he arrived?

When they turned their gazes toward Liu Qing, however, they found that her expression had become incomparably ugly, as though she had eaten shit.

"Senior..."

A second-year boy asked with concern, only to be harshly ordered to shut up by Liu Qing.

This frightened many people. Liu Qing glared at Lin Tian with a twisted expression and said viciously.

"Lin Tian, what are you doing here?!"

"I heard you were connected to that mysterious expert, so I came to take a look."

Lin Tian said teasingly.

"Ha, hahaha."

The instant Liu Qing heard this, she burst out laughing.

"Lin Tian, Lin Tian, I knew it. Even someone like you can only bow and scrape before such an expert."

"What, are you trying to use me to get connected to that expert?"

"Sure. Kneel down and beg me!"

Liu Qing wore the smug face of a petty villain drunk on success.

She had completely forgotten how Lin Tian had questioned her during yesterday's physical assessment.

She had been unable to answer even those questions from yesterday. How was she supposed to patch up her lies before so many people today?

The flattery of the crowd had made Liu Qing lose herself completely, immersing her in it.

Some of the students from Class One looked at Lin Tian. The scene of Lin Tian furiously rebuking Liu Qing yesterday was still vivid in their minds.

Now that Lin Tian had come, he was probably here because of that matter. Yet his response left them surprised.

"Sure, on the condition that you can connect me with him."

"Ha, haha!"

"Lin Tian, kneel for me right now! Kneel!"

Liu Qing laughed loudly.

"Liu Qing, I said the condition is that you can connect me with him."

Lin Tian shook his head.

"You said you were connected to that mysterious expert, so let me ask you the simplest question. Do you know where yesterday's pillar of fire appeared?"

"Even I know that. Don't tell me you don't?"

Liu Qing's expression stiffened at those words.

"I-I obviously know. But why would you know? How did you find out?"

She immediately turned the spearhead toward Lin Tian and questioned him.

"Have you forgotten what my identity is?"

"Wouldn't getting that information be easy for me?"

The moment Lin Tian said this, the students of Third-Year Class One suddenly understood. Given Lin Tian's identity, he really could know where the pillar of fire had appeared.

They then turned their gazes toward Liu Qing, waiting for her answer.

Facing so many gazes, Liu Qing's face flushed red. How could she possibly know where the pillar of fire had appeared?

As time continued to pass, some students who understood what was going on began to whisper softly.

"So she was just making it up. I really thought Liu Qing was connected to that mysterious expert. I never expected her to dare lie about something like this. Is she not afraid of dying?"

"So this is the kind of person Liu Qing is. I really misjudged her."

"After this, no one will probably speak to Liu Qing anymore, much less become friends with her."

The continuous sounds of mockery left Liu Qing with nowhere to hide. She glared hatefully at Lin Tian and screamed.

"It's all you, it's all you, Lin Tian, it's all you!"

Lin Tian wore a helpless expression.

"Liu Qing, wasn't all of this caused by you?"

"It was your shamelessness and your greed that caused all this."

As he spoke, Lin Tian bent down and said in a voice only Liu Qing could hear.

"Have you noticed who from your class didn't come today?"

"He and his father both died in the raging flames."

"Ahhhhhhh!"

Upon hearing those words, Liu Qing's final psychological defense completely collapsed.