Taking Sides

Just as Zhuang Jin broke through, with Xiong Lei and the others gathered around to congratulate him.

Elsewhere, Xiang Qichen watched Zhuang Jin surrounded by the crowd, then looked at himself standing all alone. He tasted the bitterness of being left out, and thought of how Qian Wende had once called him "Boss" every other word, only to turn it into "Brother Xiang" just now.

Isn't it just because Zhuang Jin broke through? They're kissing his ass, licking his damn asshole! Pooling money to celebrate too—damn it, wasn't it just at the end of last month that they couldn't even afford a meal, and I covered for them? Back then, every other word out of their mouths was "Boss"!

And...

Xiang Qichen looked at Xiong Lei, Jiao Kun, and the others clustered around Zhuang Jin, and felt as though they were mocking him: So what if you, Xiang Qichen, were the first to become a Formal Martial Artist? The first to break through to the Two Meridian Realm is Zhuang Jin now!

"Could you keep it down? Are you going to let anyone train or not?"

Xiang Qichen's sudden outburst instantly silenced the lively atmosphere. Everyone turned to look at him, unable to understand what had gotten into him.

Seeing their puzzled looks, he knew his anger just now had been rather inexplicable. Yet he could hardly voice what he was really thinking. Overwhelmed by embarrassment and humiliation, he said nothing, turned around, and went back into the Quiet Room.

But from the look of his back, he seemed rather bedraggled.

"What's wrong with Boss?" Xiong Lei scratched his head.

"Who knows?" Qian Wende said with a chuckle, though his eyes narrowed slightly.

Jiao Kun enjoyed having fun and was not the sort to care about such things. He had only watched out of curiosity earlier and had not given it much thought. Wu Hao was honest and hardworking, though a little slow, and he was equally confused.

Only Lin Hong and Bi Kai reacted differently. The former looked thoughtful, while the latter merely found the scene strangely familiar. He unconsciously touched his neck, where a faint ache seemed to linger still.

Zhuang Jin glanced at Xiang Qichen entering the Quiet Room and frowned faintly. Then he understood.

When no one surpassed him, when he believed his aptitude was unrivaled, Xiang Qichen had seemed quite magnanimous at least, though his attitude was somewhat condescending. But once someone around him overtook him, once he suddenly realized he was not number one and that the thing he had always taken pride in was nothing but a joke, he could no longer maintain that sense of superiority. That imbalance turned into jealousy.

I never expected merely being the first to break through the Second Meridian would shatter Xiang Qichen's defenses like this. Honestly, if not for the possibility of receiving an extra Monthly Stipend, Zhuang Jin might not have revealed it ahead of time.

Forget it. As I said before, I won't deliberately do anything, nor will I deliberately refrain from doing anything. I'll simply act according to my own pace and my own interests... As for Xiang Qichen, we were never on the same road. Why should I care?

There is just one thing: I need to learn from Bi Kai's lesson and be more careful lately.

Now that Zhuang Jin had broken through the Second Meridian, as long as he remained alert, there was no way what Wang Rui had done to Bi Kai could happen again. The sayings "one meridian, one mountain" and "realm first, martial skill after" were no joke!

Only after breaking through the Second Meridian did Zhuang Jin truly and deeply feel the gulf of a whole realm. Put simply, as long as none of the other seven people in the dormitory broke through the Second Meridian, even if someone had mastered the basics of the Black Fiend Palm, even if they all rushed him at once, so long as they were not trapped in some especially narrow terrain, he could rely on the strengthening and reinforcement brought by his more powerful, condensed Inner Breath—and on reactions, speed, and strength far beyond theirs—to kite them and pick them off one by one!

If people don't provoke me, I won't take the initiative to cause trouble either. But if someone truly has a death wish and tries something, then don't blame me for being cold-hearted and ruthless. His gaze was deep.

Zhuang Jin's breakthrough to the Second Meridian greatly stimulated the others in the dormitory. A sense of urgency arose in all of them, and they trained noticeably harder that afternoon. Even Jiao Kun was no exception, though the effect on someone like him was somewhat weaker—better than nothing.

The most unusual was Xiang Qichen. He did not even eat dinner with them that evening. Lin Hong said he had seen him leave ahead of them, and that he did not respond when called.

After dinner, when it was time for extra training, even Qian Wende went straight to the Training Ground with Zhuang Jin and the others. Xiong Lei, on the other hand, still went back to rest for a while before heading over. Jiao Kun had always been one to skip extra training at night. Strangely enough, Xiang Qichen was not seen going to the Training Ground after resting tonight either.

Zhuang Jin, Bi Kai, Wu Hao, and Lin Hong, who had recently joined them, followed their usual rhythm, so there was no need to say more.

That night, when Zhuang Jin and the others returned from the Training Ground, they found Xiang Qichen and Jiao Kun in the dormitory. They had brought back some liquor and side dishes to go, drinking and chatting together.

Xiang Qichen had been in a bad mood all day, and by now he was clearly a little tipsy. "I'm not trying to brag, but back when we were Martial Students, what the hell was Zhuang Jin? At that time, he and I trained at the same Training Ground. I was the first one there to Grasp Blood Qi! I was the first to become a Formal Martial Artist... too! Back then, who did Ping Yongfeng value most? Me! Xiang Qichen!"

"Brother Xiang, Jinzi and the others are back." Jiao Kun had not drunk much and was still very clear-headed. Seeing Zhuang Jin and the others, his expression turned awkward, and he spoke to Xiang Qichen in a low voice.

"What Brother Xiang? Call me Boss! Don't learn from that conscience-lacking lapdog Qian Wende!"

Only then did Xiang Qichen add, "So what if they're back? Even if that brat Zhuang Jin were standing right here, I'd say the same thing!"

He took another sip of wine, then turned toward the doorway and shouted at Zhuang Jin, "Jinzi, we were just talking about you. Come, have a drink with me!"

"No." Zhuang Jin gave Xiang Qichen an indifferent glance and turned away.

"Too scared to even drink. Acting all womanish—I look down on people like that most." Half drunk and half awake, Xiang Qichen used the liquor's courage to curse him.

Zhuang Jin stopped walking.

"Enough, Xiang... Boss, you're drunk today. Let's leave it at that!" Hearing someone badmouth another person to his face, Jiao Kun was so embarrassed he felt his face burning. At least he had enough tact at a time like this, and hurriedly tried to persuade him. At the same time, he was explaining that Xiang Qichen was drunk, hoping to soothe Zhuang Jin.

"I'm not drunk!" Xiang Qichen did not appreciate it. He waved a broad hand and said, "Kun, you were at a different Training Ground when we were Martial Students, so you don't know! Zhuang Jin and I trained at the same Training Ground. I know!"

"Do you know what that brat was before he came? He was a Beggar! Hahaha, a Beggar, you know? It can't be helped. People born from that kind of beggar stock are just like that. You can't raise them up..."

Zhuang Jin's expression turned cold, and he turned around.

Bi Kai's face also darkened. Zhuang Jin was his lifesaver, and over the past month, the two had moved in lockstep, a small group of their own... Xiang Qichen insulting Zhuang Jin now made Bi Kai feel as though he had been insulted as well. By conscience and by gratitude alike, he could not stand aside. He silently clenched his fists and followed half a step behind Zhuang Jin.

Clearly, if Zhuang Jin made a move, he would not just stand by and watch.

"Brother Xiang!" Jiao Kun was so embarrassed he wished he could find a crack in the ground and crawl into it. He secretly pinched Xiang Qichen.

That sobered Xiang Qichen up a little. He looked at Jiao Kun, then at Zhuang Jin and the others, and realized the situation. He felt awkward, but when a person was half drunk, in that muddleheaded state, they cared most about saving face. He still craned his neck stubbornly and said, "Did I say anything wrong? Zhuang Jin was born a beggar. Last month..."

Zhuang Jin narrowed his eyes and was about to step forward when someone else rushed out even faster.

Smack!

Qian Wende swung a slap across Xiang Qichen's face. "Xiang Qichen, I misjudged you! How could you say something like that about Brother Zhuang?!"

Xiang Qichen was stunned and instinctively covered the cheek that had been struck.

The others were stunned too, all turning to look at Qian Wende. Before today, Qian Wende had called Xiang Qichen "Boss" at every turn, warm and familiar as a lackey. His relationship with Zhuang Jin, on the other hand, had not been good at all. They had even clashed over switching bunks. Right—Xiang Qichen had been the one to mediate back then...

No one could have imagined that Qian Wende would defend Zhuang Jin so fiercely now!

Zhuang Jin had already seen through Qian Wende completely that afternoon, so he understood the man's logic. Qian Wende simply saw that Zhuang Jin had greater potential than Xiang Qichen and was more worth investing in and befriending. And since Zhuang Jin had not been especially close to him—even politely declining his proposal to treat everyone to a celebration—he was taking this chance to use Xiang Qichen as a stepping stone, declare his loyalty, and take a side!

Everyone knew that taking sides was always the best opportunity to close the distance between people.