Losing Face

The ordinary days continued. Then, one day, Shen Xiu walked into the classroom in her bright red high heels, her face brimming with delight.

"You few can return to your seats for this class." Shen Xiu pointed at Nie Li and the others.

"Whoa, has that old witch suddenly found her conscience?" Lu Piao said incredulously.

"Who cares? We've been standing for days and haven't slept well. Perfect time to catch up on sleep." Nie Li stretched lazily.

Three people suddenly appeared at the back of the classroom: Vice Principal Ye Sheng, Professor Lu Ye, and Ye Xiu, the third most influential figure of the Wind Snow Family.

Shangguan Ye sensed the fluctuations from behind him and turned to look. His gaze met Ye Xiu's. Shangguan Ye smiled before turning back around.

Huh? This little fellow noticed me? We clearly used an Invisibility Spell. Even Shen Xiu didn't notice us. This little fellow... it probably wasn't a coincidence... He's quite a remarkable child. Perhaps the Shangguan Family will surpass its former glory with a Patriarch like him. Ye Xiu stroked his goatee, his favorable impression of Shangguan Ye steadily rising.

"Today, we will be discussing the Crimson Flame Burst Inscription. This inscription consists of thirty-six inscription patterns..." Shen Xiu lectured endlessly from the podium while Nie Li and Shangguan Ye slept soundly below. Seeing the two of them asleep, veins bulged on Shen Xiu's forehead. But Shangguan Ye was the Patriarch of the Shangguan Family, so she could not readily lash out at him. She could only vent her anger on Nie Li.

"Nie Li!" Shen Xiu flicked a piece of chalk, striking Nie Li squarely on the head.

"Ah..." Nie Li staggered to his feet and casually wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth.

"You dare sleep during my class? It seems you already understand everything I teach. Then tell us about this Crimson Flame Burst Inscription."

"The Crimson Flame Burst Inscription consists of thirty-eight basic inscription patterns. Its power is only at the Bronze Rank. It's decent enough for boiling water." Nie Li spoke disdainfully.

"Hahaha!" As soon as Nie Li finished speaking, the classroom erupted with laughter. Even Xiao Ning'er, seated beside Shangguan Ye, frowned.

"Didn't Teacher Shen Xiu just say it had thirty-six? Why did he say thirty-eight? It looks like he really wasn't listening." Xiao Ning'er shook her head.

"Not exactly. By ordinary standards, it does consist of thirty-six patterns. But if you study it carefully, there are indeed thirty-eight. It's just that no one is willing to waste time on such a minor Bronze Rank inscription." Shangguan Ye explained.

"I see... Then this Nie Li does know a thing or two."

"Besides, the Crimson Flame Burst Inscription was originally called the Thunder Fire Burst Inscription. It consists of more than sixty basic inscription patterns and is rather complex. I just don't know which idiot altered it into this ridiculous mess. It has no practical combat use at all," Nie Li continued.

"You dare call the first Patriarch of our Sacred Family an idiot?!" Shen Xiu flew into a rage.

"I never said that. You're the one making the connection. And if you don't believe me, this inscription is recorded in the Thunder Fire Sacred Codex. Teacher Shen Xiu can check for herself."

"I happen to have a copy!" One random student pulled out a handwritten copy of the Thunder Fire Sacred Codex and found the Thunder Fire Burst Inscription.

"It's exactly as Nie Li said!"

"Well, Teacher Shen Xiu?" Nie Li said proudly.

"Hmph, perhaps the first Patriarch of our Sacred Family merely drew inspiration from it," Shen Xiu argued.

"Heh, but on the inscription catalogs of recent years, this Crimson Flame Burst Inscription bears the seal of your Sacred Family. So this is what Teacher Shen Xiu means by 'drawing inspiration'—changing and cutting out parts of someone else's work until it becomes your own."

"That's enough, Nie Li! It is not your place, a mere brat, to criticize our Sacred Family!" Shen Xiu slammed her palm onto the desk, making her fury clear.

Suddenly, a round of applause rang out. Everyone looked over to see that it was Shangguan Ye clapping.

"The dignified Sacred Family, one of the Four Great Super Families, would actually do something so shameless. As the saying goes, if the upper beam is crooked, the lower beams will be crooked as well. It seems the Sacred Family is full of no good people," Shangguan Ye said with a mocking expression as he leaned back in his chair.

"Patriarch Shangguan, our two families have had neither old grudges nor recent enmity. Are you trying to provoke conflict between our families? Can you really face the painstaking efforts of the former Patriarch?" Seeing Shangguan Ye speak up for Nie Li, Shen Xiu brought up Shangguan Ye's bargain-bin father.

"How well my bargain-bin father managed things has nothing to do with me. You should understand that I am the Patriarch now!" There was a trace of anger in Shangguan Ye's voice, but even more threat.

Nie Li turned to look at Shangguan Ye. The two exchanged a glance, seeming to say, Well done.

In the end, Shen Xiu was outnumbered, and the class ended hastily. Still, Shen Xiu bore a grudge against both Nie Li and Shangguan Ye.

"My lord, what do you think about this..." Ye Sheng asked Ye Xiu, who had remained silent.

"It's nothing. They're only children. Still, those two little fellows are quite interesting, especially Shangguan Ye." Ye Xiu recalled the glance Shangguan Ye had exchanged with him. Three people had suddenly appeared in the classroom; logically, he should have been surprised. Yet Shangguan Ye had been far too calm.

"That child... becoming Patriarch at such a young age yet acting so recklessly, I'm afraid that in the future..." Ye Sheng had not noticed that Shangguan Ye had discovered them. Shangguan Ye's arrogant and domineering manner had left a poor impression on him.

"We'll see in the future. There's no need to dwell on it." After saying that, Ye Xiu suddenly vanished from where he stood.

"Nie Li, here. Every stalk of Purple Mist Grass available in Glory City is in here, along with all the Purple Mist Grass from my family's herb garden." Shangguan Ye handed over a Spatial Ring.

"Good. We'll be rich soon enough." Nie Li accepted the ring.

After Shangguan Ye returned home, the system's voice sounded.

"Ding. Task issued: dissolve the marriage arrangement between Xiao Ning'er and Shen Fei. Reward: Cultivation Method: Golden Saint Divine Art."

"Not bad. Once I get this reward, I'll have both a demon spirit and a Cultivation Method."

The next day, Nie Li wrote down more than ten uses for Purple Mist Grass in a letter and had someone deliver it to the Alchemist Association, causing a tremendous uproar. Everyone in the city began scrambling to buy Purple Mist Grass, and its price soared wildly. Nie Li sold all of his Purple Mist Grass at the highest price, earning a massive three hundred million Demon Spirit Coins.

"Here, one hundred million Demon Spirit Coins." Nie Li handed over a Spatial Ring filled with Demon Spirit Coins.

After Shangguan Ye accepted it, he directly tossed it to Shangguan Xun.

"Whoa, as expected of a Patriarch. You don't even care about a hundred million Demon Spirit Coins," Nie Li joked.

"Enough nonsense. By the way, Chen Jianlin of the Void Nether Family has organized an expedition to explore some ruins. You're going, right?" Shangguan Ye asked.

"Of course. There's something there that I want. Want to come along?"

"Sure. I'll bring Ling'er when the time comes."

"Ding. Side task issued: eliminate the Dark Guild members encountered during this mission. Reward: advance to Gold Rank."

"Hmph. I was just saying there'd be nothing to do after going there. Here it is."