Xu Qianqian Had Terrible Taste

Su Ming had naturally long admired the Hunter Department's chief—the academy's number-one Hunter trainee.

Although this fourth-year senior did not have as many halos surrounding him as Xu Qianqian did, that was only because Xu Qianqian's halos were too dazzling. It did not mean Li Wei had no halo of his own.

Putting everything else aside, just in terms of strength, this senior was unquestionably the number one in the Hunter Department. Even Xu Qianqian was slightly inferior to him, and to date, she had never once surpassed Li Wei in her grades.

Even if that was because Xu Qianqian was a year younger than Li Wei and had only trained at Demon Hunter Academy for two years, it was hardly strange for this heiress from the Hunter Family to have received elite training since childhood. For Li Wei to suppress someone like Xu Qianqian was already enough to prove that even if his talent and potential were inferior to hers, they were not inferior by much.

After all, this senior's background was equally extraordinary. He came from Longyao City's prestigious Li Family, one of the top Hunter Families, and hardly inferior to the Xu Family.

However, Li Wei was not a direct descendant of the Li Family, but a collateral one. Compared with Xu Qianqian—whose grandfather was the family head and whose father was one of Base City's higher-ups—he naturally fell somewhat short.

But it was said that Li Wei's bloodline was naturally extremely pure, and that he might have experienced a return to his ancestral bloodline. He was in no way inferior to the direct descendants of the Li Family, and might even surpass them. Thus, Li Wei had already been brought back to the main family for cultivation, and was faintly showing signs of becoming the new generation's leader.

That was what had created Li Wei's current talent, potential, and strength, allowing him to edge out Xu Qianqian and become an object of admiration for many of the academy's juniors.

Now that he was seeing Li Wei in person, Su Ming realized that the rumors had not been exaggerated in the slightest.

He had not yet seen Li Wei make a move, but by relying solely on his spiritual perception, Su Ming could vaguely sense the aura emanating from Li Wei.

That aura was not the least bit weaker than those of the professional Hunters Su Ming had met before.

In other words, conservatively speaking, Li Wei's strength was no weaker than that of a Professional, and he was very likely more than a one-star Professional.

Compared with Lei Hao, that level of strength was worlds apart.

"Impressive."

Su Ming silently praised him in his heart.

While Su Ming was sizing up Li Wei, Li Wei was secretly sizing up Su Ming as well.

He glanced at Su Ming but did not speak to him. Instead, he kept talking to Xu Qianqian.

"Everyone's been looking for you, Qianqian."

Li Wei spoke with a mild expression.

"I was just taking a walk."

Xu Qianqian's expression remained as indifferent as ever, completely different from how she acted when facing Su Ming.

When facing Su Ming, although Xu Qianqian did not openly display much emotion, she did not maintain a cold demeanor all the time. Sometimes she would give a soft laugh, and sometimes she would show surprise or astonishment. Her words and actions carried several more traces of human warmth.

When facing Li Wei, by contrast, Xu Qianqian was exactly as the rumors at Demon Hunter Academy described her: aloof and overwhelmingly forceful.

Su Ming could not tell that Xu Qianqian disliked Li Wei much. It was just that she seemed unwilling to get too close to him.

But Li Wei seemed not to notice anything—or perhaps he was already used to it—and did not care in the slightest.

"I know you don't like being surrounded by too many people, but no matter how you look at it, all of us top students have already formed a team. Leaving the team whenever you feel like it isn't a good idea."

Li Wei smiled with a hint of helplessness and indulgence.

Behind him, one student after another nodded, apparently agreeing with Li Wei.

These people were the top students of Demon Hunter Academy.

At Demon Hunter Academy, whether in the Hunter Department or the Warlock Department, those ranked in the top one hundred were called elite students, while those ranked in the top ten were called top students.

Thus, the Hunter Department had ten top students and one hundred elite students, while the Warlock Department also had ten top students and one hundred elite students. Together, they formed the academy's twenty top students and two hundred elite students.

Under these circumstances, as the Hunter Department's chief and the undisputed number-one Hunter of Demon Hunter Academy, Li Wei's team naturally consisted entirely of top students.

Xu Qianqian was also in Li Wei's team.

That was right. Xu Qianqian had joined Li Wei's team.

According to her, this was the academy's requirement. It seemed they intended to gather some of the very best students into one team, concentrating the academy's strongest combat forces to undertake more difficult missions.

When Su Ming learned of this, he had even praised himself for his own cleverness.

I said standing out too much in this world wasn't a good thing, didn't I? Look at me now—I got assigned to a team.

To deal with the threats brought by the Phantom Demon and the Spirit Fiend Abyss, both academies and Base Cities frequently required powerful Professionals to undertake high-difficulty missions and form teams with one another.

And refusing such arrangements was impossible.

After all, you never knew whether the mission you refused would become the very cause of an entire Base City's destruction, or whether your family and friends would die because of it.

On top of that, Professionals enjoyed all kinds of privileges and benefits far beyond those of ordinary people. If they did not want their licenses revoked, obediently following the arrangements was the only path.

That was the helplessness of this world.

In the face of the Phantom Demon and the Spirit Fiend Abyss, humanity was truly weak. They had no choice but to fight with everything they had.

Hunters and Warlocks were not free professions at all. Their positions were more like those of soldiers and super-soldiers.

Of course, Professionals were not as strictly obedient as soldiers. When no emergency arose, they could still choose their own missions. This was also a benefit Base Cities granted to Professionals: allowing them to relax whenever possible during ordinary times. Excessive restraint would only provoke resistance from Professionals.

At times like this, the minor Professionals whose names never entered the higher-ups' field of vision naturally enjoyed the greatest degree of freedom.

After all, even if there really were a difficult mission that absolutely had to be completed, it would not fall to these weak minor Professionals.

For this reason, in every Base City, mid-level and grassroots Professionals were the freest. The higher-level Professionals, on the other hand, had to rush east and west, travel far and wide, and risk their lives for humanity's safety. They climbed mountains of blades and crossed seas of fire, and it was hardly strange for them to lose their lives at any moment.

Su Ming admired these high-level Professionals who devoted themselves to humanity's survival, but he did not want to imitate them.

The reason was simple: he did not want to die.

As someone who had inexplicably crossed over from a peaceful world, asking Su Ming to risk his life for strangers would only be making things difficult for him.

Rather than risking his life every day to fight for a sliver of hope, Su Ming preferred to first build overwhelming strength and then sweep everything away in one push.

That way, he would not have to fight desperately, and he could still contribute something to humanity. Wouldn't that be wonderful?

That was why Su Ming had decided to develop quietly and created the Sword God of Ten-Mile Slope plan for himself.

Xu Qianqian clearly did not have the convenience of taking that position. For the sake of the so-called greater good, she could only join Li Wei's team.

It was just that this School Belle clearly did not like mingling with these top students.

"I was just looking for my friend to chat. Is that not allowed?"

Xu Qianqian replied to Li Wei so bluntly that she did not give him the slightest face, just as the rumors described. Her tone was full of provocation.

"Friend?"

Li Wei did not mind Xu Qianqian's attitude, but he reacted to that particular word.

It was not only Li Wei. The expressions of everyone else also became strange.

There was nothing they could do about it.

"This is the first time I've heard you say you have a friend, Qianqian."

Li Wei said it just like that.

Yes.

This was the first time Miss Xu had admitted to having a friend.

Usually, this young lady was exceptionally independent, with practically no close classmates or friends around her—not even among the girls.

But now, she had said it in front of everyone.

Therefore—

"I'd really like to get to know your friend properly."

With that, Li Wei finally turned his head and shifted his gaze to Su Ming.

Then Li Wei smiled.

"Presumably, you're that Su Ming from the rumors, Junior Brother Su, right?" Li Wei extended his hand toward Su Ming. "I've long admired your reputation."

As soon as he said that, the entire scene suddenly fell silent.

Everyone looked at Li Wei and Su Ming. Some wore strange expressions, some looked amused, and there were all kinds of reactions.

"Brother Su Ming."

An Zijin could not help grabbing Su Ming's arm.

Lei Hao and Ye Bai also revealed worried expressions.

Yao Beibei and Jiang Wanyu exchanged glances and held their breaths, not daring to make a sound.

Xu Qianqian frowned even more deeply. She had just been about to say something when Su Ming's actions interrupted her.

"What reputation could I possibly have, Senior Brother Li Wei?" Su Ming gently pulled An Zijin's hand away, met Li Wei's gaze, and said politely, "If we're talking about long admiring someone's reputation, it should be me who's long admired yours, shouldn't it?"

As he spoke, Su Ming also extended his hand and shook Li Wei's.

"Please don't say that." Li Wei's eyes flickered as he smiled. "Someone whom Qianqian values and acknowledges as a friend must have something extraordinary about him. Junior Brother, you shouldn't belittle yourself."

"Then Senior Brother is probably going to be disappointed." Su Ming gave a seemingly helpless smile. "I know exactly how much I'm capable of."

Indeed, no one understood his own strength better than Su Ming did.

That was why he would never reveal it.

Li Wei seemed somewhat doubtful of Su Ming's claim—or perhaps he simply wanted to test Su Ming and see what made him special.

"Junior Brother is truly modest." Li Wei narrowed his eyes. "I trust Qianqian's judgment."

"Really?" Su Ming said jokingly. "Could it be that Senior Brother has never secretly thought to himself, Xu Qianqian's taste is really terrible. How could she become friends with an ordinary, nameless student like me?"

The moment those words left his mouth, everyone present was stunned.

Even Xu Qianqian raised an eyebrow.

"Uh—hahahaha!"

Li Wei was also taken aback for a moment before bursting into loud laughter.

"You really are interesting, Junior Brother."

As he said this, the hand Li Wei had clasped with Su Ming's unconsciously tightened.

That reaction gave Su Ming a better understanding of Li Wei.