Zhou Yi

A torrent of memories surged up.

The culprit was Bai Xiaowen's classmate, Zhou Yi. During a practical combat class, Zhou Yi had asked Bai Xiaowen to practice with him. Whether intentional or not, he struck Bai Xiaowen in the head, knocking him unconscious on the spot as blood poured out. He was rushed to the school hospital for emergency treatment.

Bai Xiaowen had seemed to survive a great disaster, but in truth, Zhou Yi had already beaten him to death! Otherwise, how could the webnovel writer Bai Xiaowen have transmigrated and been reborn in his body?

Footsteps interrupted Bai Xiaowen's thoughts. Then, with a creak, the ward door was pushed open.

The first person to enter was a slender girl in a school uniform. The moment Bai Xiaowen saw her, a natural sense of closeness welled up inside him.

A stream of memories surfaced.

This pretty young girl was his younger sister, Bai Xiaojun. She was fourteen this year and in the third year of middle school at Chihuo No. 1 High School. The siblings depended on each other and shared a deep bond. When Bai Xiaowen was injured, Bai Xiaojun had been so anxious that she rushed to the school hospital to care for him before even asking for leave. Her slightly swollen, reddened eyes showed that she had cried countless times.

"Brother, why are you up?" Bai Xiaojun jumped in fright and hurriedly supported Bai Xiaowen. "Get back into bed and lie down. Your injury is serious, so you need plenty of rest. I thought I'd never see you again..." Her voice choked up again.

Bai Xiaowen could not resist her and had no choice but to lie back down. Teacher Qiao came over and examined him before saying, "Your physical condition is normal. You can be discharged after another day or two of observation. Bai Xiaowen, I know there's a lot of pressure in the senior-year combat class, but practical combat training is highly dangerous. You still need to pay attention to safety."

Bai Xiaowen thanked him aloud, but his mind remained occupied with Zhou Yi.

After Teacher Qiao left, Xiao Jun shut the door and sat beside Bai Xiaowen's bed. "Brother, you were unconscious for three whole days. You scared me to death."

Bai Xiaowen looked at Xiao Jun's somewhat haggard little face. He could fully imagine how frightened Bai Xiaojun had been over the past three days, all alone. According to his memories, the siblings had long lost their parents, while their elder sister had been missing for two years. They truly depended on each other. If Bai Xiaowen had really died, how was Xiao Jun, a fourteen-year-old girl, supposed to survive on her own?

"Brother, the combat class is too dangerous. Why don't you transfer to a regular class?" Xiao Jun urged.

High schools in the Psychic Energy Era were divided into two types: regular classes and combat classes.

Students in regular classes were much like students from another world. Every day, they attended classes and learned knowledge from the Psychic Energy Era. Their combat ability would not be tested in the National College Entrance Examination.

Combat classes were different. Of the five subjects in the National College Entrance Examination, four—fighting, weapon handling, Meditation, and practical combat—were related to Battle Specialties. Only one, Common Knowledge, tested textbook knowledge.

Combat-class students had it extremely hard. Every day, they had to spend a great deal of time training their physical fitness, improving their basic specialties, and developing practical combat abilities. According to national regulations, high school combat classes had a certain quota for crippling injuries and deaths every year! The danger was obvious.

If Bai Xiaowen had died in the hospital, it would not have caused much of a stir. It would merely have been an accident during practical combat class—using up one death quota for his school, Chihuo No. 1 High School. As long as there was no evidence, no one would pursue the matter. Zhou Yi, as the one responsible, would receive no more than disciplinary action.

Combat-class students had it hard, but when applying to university, they could apply to the Combat Department. If admitted, they would receive a massive allocation of resources, essentially placing one foot through the door to becoming an Awakener! Regular-class students could not compare.

Regular-class students could only apply to conventional departments. Without a strong background or abundant resources, they were basically destined to have nothing to do with the world of Awakeners. Then again, what student with a strong background would choose anything but a combat class?

The status, prestige, and income of Awakeners far surpassed those of ordinary people, to the point that they had practically become a privileged class! This was also due to the immense threat posed by monsters in the Wilderness Zone during the Psychic Energy Era.

After merging with the memories, Bai Xiaowen had already understood these differences. Naturally, he would not transfer back to a regular class. With the Insight Talent and Super Brain, Bai Xiaowen was confident he could go further on the path of an Awakener.

Seeing that Bai Xiaowen remained firm, Xiao Jun did not try to persuade him again. She sighed softly. "Brother, I know you want to enter Jinghai University's Combat Department, become an Awakener, and then go to the Spirit Realm to search for our sister. But don't push yourself too hard. Our family has no money. We can't afford Enhancement Potions or Enhancement Recipes, so we can't compete with wealthy candidates."

The Spirit Realm was the source of Psionic Particles. It contained countless plane worlds, and killing powerful monsters could yield precious equipment, items, and more. It was an enormous treasure trove. After Psionic Particles seeped into Earth, not only could Spirit Realm monsters descend upon Earth, but humans on Earth could also enter the Spirit Realm through certain special means!

However, the Spirit Realm was a place where opportunity and danger coexisted. Without great strength, it was nearly impossible to take a single step there. Bai Xiaowen's father, Bai Yuantang, and elder sister, Bai Xiaohua, had both disappeared in the Spirit Realm. The original Bai Xiaowen had trained and endured in the combat class all this time precisely so he could become an Awakener and enter the Spirit Realm to search for them.

As the siblings talked, the ward door was suddenly flung open with a bang.

They both looked over and saw a sturdy male student with clearly defined muscles barging in. Seeing Bai Xiaowen lying in the hospital bed, the boy grinned. "Bai Xiaowen, I didn't expect you to be so tough."

"Zhou Yi?"

Bai Xiaowen's expression darkened. He recognized this student as Zhou Yi, the culprit behind everything.

Zhou Yi waved a hand. "Don't look so grim. I didn't do it on purpose. I came to visit you personally and apologize while I was at it."

Bai Xiaowen narrowed his long, slender eyes.

After a brief daze, Xiao Jun suddenly sprang up and rushed forward, shoving Zhou Yi with all her strength as she shrieked, "Get out! Get out of here!"

However, Xiao Jun's pushes were far too weak compared to Zhou Yi's muscular body.

Zhou Yi did not budge. With his arms folded, he leaned against the doorway and looked at Bai Xiaowen, clicking his tongue. "Your sister's not bad-looking. In a few years, her face might not be any worse than Li Shuyi's, but in other respects, she can't compare. For example, Li Shuyi could be my proper wife, while your sister could only be a bedmaid..."

Li Shuyi was a campus-beauty-level stunner at Chihuo No. 1 High School and also a classmate of Zhou Yi and Bai Xiaowen.

Bai Xiaowen recalled the familiar name, and everything became clear. It seemed Zhou Yi's hostility toward him had not been without reason—

Slap!

A sharp crack interrupted Bai Xiaowen's thoughts. Xiao Jun had raised her hand and slapped Zhou Yi across the face.

That slap was nothing more than a scratch to Zhou Yi, but the blow to his pride made his eyes turn violent. He thrust apart the arms folded over his chest, and Xiao Jun was shoved away like a pebble. Her footing unsteady, she staggered back several steps.

Zhou Yi had been too arrogant. He had thought Xiao Jun posed no threat and had kept his arms folded while mocking Bai Xiaowen, which was why Xiao Jun managed to slap him. Otherwise, with his physical fitness, Xiao Jun would never have had any chance.

Bai Xiaowen was shocked and furious. He leaped up and caught Xiao Jun, then shouted, "Zhou Yi! What do you think you're doing?"

A long-haired girl following behind Zhou Yi said quietly, "Zhou Yi, don't go too far. This is a hospital."

"This is none of your damn business," Zhou Yi said without even turning around. From the side, Bai Xiaowen could see the long-haired girl's face had gone pale with embarrassment.

"Sister Xiaoyan?" Only then did Xiao Jun notice the girl's profile. Her eyes widened. "Why are you with this bastard?"

Bai Xiaowen recognized the girl as well.

Wu Xiaoyan had grown up in the same neighborhood as Bai Xiaowen and had been something like a childhood sweetheart. Before middle school, Wu Xiaoyan had always considered herself Bai Xiaowen's girlfriend, and she had grown familiar with Xiao Jun as well.

However, after they entered high school, Bai Xiaowen's elder sister Bai Xiaohua disappeared. With the White Family losing its source of income, it quickly declined. As Wu Xiaoyan grew older, she became increasingly pragmatic, and their relationship soon faded.

If it had been the original Bai Xiaowen, seeing Wu Xiaoyan throw herself into Zhou Yi's arms might have left a bitter taste in his heart. But the current Bai Xiaowen was a fusion of two souls and truly felt little for Wu Xiaoyan—after all, the original memories did not contain much affection for her either. He merely glanced at Wu Xiaoyan before returning his gaze to Zhou Yi. His thoughts raced as he slowly said:

"Zhou Yi, do you dare lay a hand on me here?"

Zhou Yi looked somewhat surprised and narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"

Bai Xiaowen's mind was exceptionally clear, and he spoke evenly:

"During practical combat class, you dared to go for the kill because there was a death quota. As long as you claimed it was an accident, you'd receive at most a disciplinary mark, and with a few connections, you could get it erased before the National College Entrance Examination. But this is a hospital. Try touching me! Before tomorrow comes, the whole school will know that Zhou Yi failed to kill a classmate and deliberately came to the hospital to finish the job..."

The surprise on Zhou Yi's face deepened. It was as though he were getting to know Bai Xiaowen all over again, and he looked him up and down. Was this still that introverted, self-conscious Bai Xiaowen?

Still, Bai Xiaowen was telling the truth. Zhou Yi could not make a move in the hospital.

For one thing, anyone who deliberately tried to murder a classmate would inevitably become an outcast among their peers.

Just imagine the Twin-Hammer Assassin Ma Fenghou and Poisoning Master Wu Muhao, who had once dominated their campuses in another world. Even if they had not been executed and had remained in school, they would surely have been isolated amid everyone's pointing fingers.

Zhou Yi could claim that the accident in practical combat class had been a mistake. But if he hit Bai Xiaowen in the hospital, he would be unable to explain himself. Even the conclusion about the practical combat accident would be overturned by the school and investigated again.

For another, death quotas applied to normal training. The school would never tolerate private fights resulting in crippling injuries or even death. Even if Zhou Yi's family had money, expulsion would be inevitable. If he were handed over to the police, it would leave a stain on his record for life.

There were only a few months left before the National College Entrance Examination. No matter how stupid Zhou Yi was, he would not start a private fight. His family might have money, but they were not an Awakener family. They could throw their weight around within Chihuo District, but beyond that territory, their influence was severely limited.

"I never expected this, Bai Xiaowen!" Zhou Yi sneered. "You've gotten a lot bolder, but I hate you even more now. I'll say it again: what happened in practical combat class was just an accident... Hmph, what kind of worthless scrap are you that I'd ruin my future over you?"

Bai Xiaowen suppressed the anger in his heart and looked at Zhou Yi calmly. He silently swore that one day, he would repay this tenfold, a hundredfold.

Suddenly, a girl's voice came from the corridor not far away:

"Zhou Yi? What are you doing here?"