The Frog in a Well

Beside Ye Ziyun sat a tall, handsome boy. He also kept glancing at her from time to time. Noticing the look on her face, he followed her gaze toward Nie Li and glared at him viciously.

He was a little taller than Nie Li, with thick brows and large eyes. There was a trace of sinister gloom between his brows.

Nie Li naturally knew who he was. His name was Shen Yue, and he was a member of the Sacred Family, one of the three Peak Families. He was exceptionally gifted, and Shen Xiu, who stood at the lectern, was his aunt.

In his previous life, Shen Yue had always pursued Ye Ziyun. It was said that before the City of Brilliance was attacked, Shen Yue and Ye Ziyun had been on the verge of getting engaged. Their families were well matched in status. If the City of Brilliance had not fallen, they would undoubtedly have married. But before they could hold their engagement ceremony, the City of Brilliance was savagely attacked by the Blizzard Demonic Beasts. On the eve of the city's fall, the Sacred Family betrayed the City of Brilliance and fled, abandoning it.

Perhaps that was the strange wonder of fate. In his previous life, Ye Ziyun had never become Shen Yue's wife, yet she and Nie Li had become husband and wife in every way.

Thinking of this, Nie Li couldn't help smiling to himself. But when he saw Ye Ziyun and Shen Yue looking his way, he couldn't help feeling a headache coming on. Right now, Ye Ziyun still felt some goodwill toward Shen Yue, while the look she gave Nie Li held a hint of disdain. She must have taken him for a spoiled young master who never applied himself!

As Ye Ziyun looked over, Nie Li felt his breath catch. Her familiar face brought back every memory of his previous life, and his nose tingled. He gazed deeply at her and smiled. Thank you, Book of the Temporal Demonic Spirit. You brought us together again.

What a strange person, Ye Ziyun thought. She sensed something unusual in Nie Li's gaze. His deep pupils were like brilliant stars, tinged with faint sadness. She was filled with questions. Did she know Nie Li? Why was he looking at her like that?

Ye Ziyun had delicate brows and a lovely face, pearly teeth and crimson lips. She was like a lotus just opening in still waters, with a serene, charming air that was hard to describe. No wonder so many boys were captivated by her.

At that moment, Shen Xiu's stern gaze swept over Nie Li. Nothing these thirteen- and fourteen-year-old children did escaped her notice. She was a Silver Demon Spirit Master, after all, and had long since reached the realm where mind and body were one and the six senses were keen. Her eyesight was extraordinarily sharp; she could see a scurrying mouse hundreds of meters away as clearly as if it were right in front of her.

Ye Ziyun was of noble birth: she was the City Lord's daughter and the granddaughter of the legendary Demon Spirit Master Ye Mo. She had also already formed a Cyan Soul Sea, making her an exceptionally rare genius!

Only a handful of people at Sacred Lan Academy knew Ye Ziyun's identity. If Shen Yue could marry her, it would greatly strengthen the Sacred Family's influence in the City of Brilliance. That was why Shen Yue was in this beginner martial arts class, and why Shen Xiu taught it.

Shen Xiu shifted back into human form, folded her arms across her chest, and glanced sidelong at the students below. "For the next two years, you'll all be my students. The dean says that every student at Sacred Lan Academy is equal, but I have to tell you a cruel truth: there's no such thing as equality in this world!" Shen Xiu's slightly shrill voice was like a sharp knife, stabbing into every student's heart.

All the students sat quietly, listening. No one spoke.

"When you grow up and leave Sacred Lan Academy, you'll understand what I mean. Equality is just a lie adults tell to comfort you. You can't live in a fairy tale forever!" Shen Xiu looked down at the students. "The City of Brilliance is the only city that survived the Dark Era. We are the last remaining humans. There are two powerful forces in the City of Brilliance: martial artists and Demon Spirit Masters. Demon Spirit Masters are the noblest of all. Among thousands, even tens of thousands, of martial artists, perhaps one powerful Demon Spirit Master might emerge. Today, there are only a few thousand Demon Spirit Masters in the entire City of Brilliance. We are its guardians!"

"Martial artists and Demon Spirit Masters are divided into five ranks: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Black Gold, and Legendary. The higher the rank, the greater the strength. A family must produce a Gold Demon Spirit Master to become a Noble Family, a Black Gold Demon Spirit Master to become a Magnate Family, and at least three Black Gold Demon Spirit Masters—or even a Legendary Demon Spirit Master—to become a Peak Family. The thirty-six of you include both commoners and members of influential families. Though you all start from the same place, your status is not the same. I expect each of you to know your place and behave accordingly! Commoners will always be commoners. Becoming nobles is all but impossible for you, so don't dream of rising from a branch to become a phoenix. Even among nobles, there's a strict hierarchy that must not be crossed!"

Under Shen Xiu's fierce gaze, some students in simple, worn clothes looked distressed and lowered their heads in shame. Shen Yue and several other children from influential families, however, puffed out their chests and smiled smugly. Only a few, including Nie Li, Ye Ziyun, and Lu Piao, remained calm.

Nie Li glanced to the side. Du Ze, a thin boy in somewhat shabby clothes, had clenched his fists tightly and was biting his lip. Du Ze was a commoner, and his family was in dire straits. But Nie Li knew Du Ze had a fierce pride!

Despite his poor circumstances, Du Ze had worked hard in his previous life. He had good talent and, through his own efforts, became a Gold Demon Spirit Master. Without the vast resources of a family behind him or exceptional natural talent, he had climbed to that level through hard work alone. One could only imagine how much he had endured!

On the eve of the City of Brilliance's fall in his previous life, many nobles had focused on how to escape. But it was commoners like Du Ze who fought for the City of Brilliance to the bitter end, until they fell in battle.

Du Ze was Nie Li's friend—and the friend he respected most!

Seeing Shen Xiu's contemptuous expression, Nie Li felt anger rise from deep within him. On the eve of the City of Brilliance's fall, the Sacred Family had been the first to flee. That was why Nie Li had no regard for anyone from the Sacred Family. Shen Yue and Shen Xiu were both rotten to the core. In his previous life, Shen Xiu had been vicious and mean, too, and Nie Li had always found her infuriating.

"Teacher Shen Xiu, I have a question!" Nie Li suddenly called out.

Every student had been listening quietly. Nie Li's sudden interruption made Shen Xiu very unhappy. She could tell he was the student who coveted Ye Ziyun. She had made those remarks to put him in his place, and now he had walked right into her line of fire. She snorted. "What question?"

"Teacher Shen Xiu said the City of Brilliance is the only city to have survived the Dark Era and that we're the last remaining humans. Is there any proof of that? Teacher Shen Xiu, have you ever crossed the Sacred Ancestor Mountain Range? Have you been to the Endless Desert, the Great Poison Forest, the Blood Moon Swamp, Holy Spirit Bay, the Tianze Mountain Range, or the Tianbei Snowfield?" As someone who had been reborn, Nie Li could completely look down on Shen Xiu when it came to knowledge.

"What Tianze Mountain Range? What Tianbei Snowfield?" Shen Xiu furrowed her brows. She had heard of the Endless Desert, the Great Poison Forest, and the Blood Moon Swamp. Those places were extremely far from the Sacred Ancestor Mountain Range and existed only in legend. Shen Xiu gave a soft snort. "I've never been to any of those places. I've lived in the City of Brilliance since birth."

Nie Li smiled faintly. "If you've never been to those places, how can you be so sure that we're the last remaining humans?"

Shen Xiu was at a loss for words.

The students whispered among themselves. They had no idea what the places Nie Li mentioned were like. A strange glint passed through Ye Ziyun's eyes as she sat in the distance. She looked at Nie Li in surprise, curious how he knew about them.

Shen Yue, sitting beside Ye Ziyun, furrowed his brows. He glanced at Nie Li, who was speaking so confidently. Nie Li had a well-defined, rather handsome face, and was every bit as good-looking as he was. For some reason, Shen Yue felt a twinge of unease.

Seeing the students below whispering among themselves, Shen Xiu's face darkened. She sneered, "So what? What proof do you have that we're not the last remaining humans?"

"Proof?" Nie Li laughed coldly. His experiences in his previous life were proof enough. Human intelligence was astounding. Even after the terrible Dark Era, many people had survived and founded numerous enduring cities. But he wouldn't tell them any of that. Instead, he calmly said, "Let me tell Teacher Shen Xiu a story. There was once a frog born at the bottom of a deep well. From the moment it was born, all it could see was the patch of sky above the well's mouth. So it declared that the sky was only as big as the well's opening. But was the sky really that small? We call that frog a frog in a well!"

Hearing Nie Li's story, some of the students couldn't help laughing. They thought he made a good point. And wasn't the phrase "frog in a well" an insult, comparing Teacher Shen Xiu to that frog?

"A frog in a well—what a perfect description!" a few girls giggled. They disliked Shen Xiu, too, and couldn't help looking at Nie Li with admiration. Perhaps only Nie Li would dare to insult the teacher in class with such a pointed allusion.

"You..." Shen Xiu glared at Nie Li, so furious she could have spat blood. He had actually compared her to a frog in a well! She had never met such an arrogant student!

Even Ye Ziyun, sitting in the distance, couldn't help letting out a soft laugh. She found Nie Li rather interesting, and he was quite eloquent, too. He had actually left Teacher Shen Xiu speechless.

Ye Ziyun was naturally beautiful, and her smile was even more radiant and captivating. Nie Li winked at her and smiled.

Seeing Nie Li's expression, Ye Ziyun quickly turned away and gave a soft snort. Nie Li was far too bold! In her eyes, he was still a bad student!

Seeing Nie Li not only provoking Teacher Shen Xiu but also flirting with Ye Ziyun, Lu Piao couldn't help giving him a thumbs-up. That guy was insanely awesome.

Nie Li looked at Shen Xiu and continued, "Teacher Shen Xiu, I have a few more questions!"

Shen Xiu was furious, but she couldn't lose her temper in front of the class. She could only reply irritably, "What else do you want to ask?"

"Teacher Shen Xiu said that commoners will always be commoners and that becoming a noble is impossible. I have a question. Wasn't the Legendary Demon Spirit Master Ye Mo a commoner when he was young?" Nie Li blinked as he looked at Shen Xiu. "Does Teacher Shen Xiu not even know that?"