People Really Shouldn't Run Their Mouths

The two figures bickered and jostled as they walked away side by side, their youthful spirit bright and vibrant.

Wu Zhangkong stood rooted to the spot, motionless for a long time. Her usually ice-cold features softened, almost imperceptibly.

For a moment, the scene before her seemed to overlap with another.

After a long while, Wu Zhangkong gently closed her eyes.

"Long Bing..."

A faint bitterness rose in her throat. The wound buried deep in her heart, sealed away for so long, began to ache again.

When she opened her eyes, all the warmth and wistfulness had vanished from them, leaving only an unfathomable chill and a trace of melancholy so faint it was almost impossible to see.

She slowly withdrew her gaze and turned, walking unhurriedly toward the classroom.

Her steps were steady, her manner cool and distant.

A cold breeze swept through her hair, blowing away every trace of emotion that might have shown. All that remained was her usual indifference, the kind that warned everyone to keep their distance.

The first class that morning was physical education.

Basic physical training: running.

It was the simplest, most brutal way to test one's fitness.

Wu Zhangkong stood on the grass beside the track, flipping through a book titled Forging of Steel. Without looking up, she said, "This morning is for physical training. Start with ten laps around the track."

The track at Eastsea Academy's Intermediate Division was eight hundred meters around.

"Do we really have to run ten laps?"

"Yeah, Teacher Wu! One lap is eight hundred meters. We'll drop dead!"

"..."

The students' faces fell. They only dared to complain and plead in hushed voices.

Wu Zhangkong said nothing. She merely pointed to one side.

Not far away, Tang Wulin and Xie Xie were putting on chainmail vests weighing twenty pounds.

The students instantly fell silent, as if someone had hit the mute button. They lined up on the track in perfect unison.

Xie Xie wore a pout like a grumpy little cat. As he stared down the seemingly endless track, his legs inexplicably went weak, and he felt like he needed the bathroom. He lowered his head and checked his shoelaces again and again.

In the end, Tang Wulin dragged Xie Xie onto the track, his face full of despair.

Just as Wu Zhangkong had said, if you had talent, you had to put it to use. Otherwise, it was just a waste.

Before he had even finished six laps, Xie Xie was sprawled on the track like a dead dog, gasping for breath.

It felt like both his kidneys had been ripped out!!

Xie Xie: _(´□`"∠)_

Wu Zhangkong still didn't look up. "Keep going."

Seeing this, Tang Wulin immediately slowed down and doubled back. He firmly took hold of Xie Xie's arm and helped him up, half supporting and half hauling him along.

Xie Xie struggled to open his eyes, stung by sweat.

Hallelujah~

Whether it was a hallucination brought on by exhaustion or not, Xie Xie felt as though holy light was shining down on the person before him. An angelic halo even appeared over Tang Wulin's head as he looked at Xie Xie with a gentle expression and said:

"Hang in there a little longer. We're almost done."

"Waaah..."

Xie Xie was instantly moved to tears.

Yes, Xie Xie's legs had already turned to noodles. Tang Wulin was practically carrying him as they ran.

"Tang Wulin, you've got plenty of strength, don't you? If you want to help him, run ten extra laps." Wu Zhangkong raised her eyes slightly.

"Okay." Tang Wulin agreed at once.

Just then, a girl walked slowly across the Intermediate Division's track, heading toward the school gate.

She had long black hair tied neatly into a high ponytail, with a few wisps falling along either side of her face.

Her eyes were a deep purple, like a pool concealing a cold abyss.

She wore a traditional-style dress in pale green and white. Its off-the-shoulder design accentuated her slender shoulders.

The layered hem and cuffs were trimmed with pale blue patterns and ruffles. Paired with knee-high socks in the same color, the outfit gave her a charming, girlish air, yet there was also a distinctive coolness about her.

Wu Zhangkong casually glanced at the girl.

At that single glance, she was drawn to the girl's unusual aura.

"Which class are you in?" Wu Zhangkong let the book hang naturally at her side and walked over in two steps.

The girl's attention was first caught by Tang Wulin and Xie Xie. Only then did she look at Wu Zhangkong and say, "Hello, Teacher. My name is Gu Yue. I'm here to attend school, but I missed the registration period."

Wu Zhangkong's tone was flat. "I'm not in charge of admissions."

"Oh... is that so?" Gu Yue paused, seeming a little disappointed.

Then Gu Yue said, "Teacher, I hope I can study here. Is that possible?"

Wu Zhangkong nodded. "Yes, but you'll have to prove yourself."

"I can take an exam." Gu Yue smiled.

Wu Zhangkong said nothing more. She turned and beckoned to Xie Xie on the track. "Xie Xie, give your vest to Tang Wulin and come here."

After resting for a little while, Xie Xie had regained some of his strength.

Though his legs trembled like he had Parkinson's, he forced himself to walk over when Wu Zhangkong called. "Teacher Wu, you..."

Before he could finish, Wu Zhangkong said, "Your physical fitness is too poor. I'll give you a chance: defeat her, and you can skip the rest of your running this morning."

Xie Xie's eyes lit up.

But the moment Xie Xie caught sight of Gu Yue, the smile on his face froze. In an instant, his back stopped aching and his legs stopped wobbling. He turned and bolted.

"Teacher Wu, sorry, the number you have dialed is switched off!"

"Sorry, the number you dialed is..."

She was the biggest overpowered monster in the whole book, a female tyrannosaur! Even Tang Wulin had to stand there obediently and take a slap from her!!

He was supposed to fight Gu Yue?

What kind of joke was that? Had he lost his mind?

Wu Zhangkong: "..."

"Pfft—"

Gu Yue couldn't help giggling.

Before Xie Xie could finish spouting English, a heavy blow landed on his head. Wu Zhangkong then grabbed him by the collar and dragged him back.

Wu Zhangkong's face darkened. "You have twenty minutes to rest. Then we begin."

Seeing that he couldn't escape her clutches, Xie Xie could only sit cross-legged and meditate obediently.

Hopefully Gu Yue wouldn't hit him too hard later. Waaah...

Although Xie Xie was pretty interesting, Gu Yue only gave him a couple of casual glances before looking back at Tang Wulin.

Wu Zhangkong glanced at her. "Looking down on your opponent is unwise."

"I'm not looking down on him," Gu Yue said with a smile.

Though she said that, she didn't spare Xie Xie so much as a glance.

Wu Zhangkong furrowed her brow but said nothing more.

As he ran on the track, Tang Wulin also kept an eye on the center of the field. He, too, was curious about what this girl who had appeared out of nowhere was doing here.

When he turned his head, his eyes met Gu Yue's.

Gu Yue didn't look away. Her gaze flickered, then stayed fixed on Tang Wulin's.

Tang Wulin: ...?

Tang Wulin's eyes narrowed. Was this person challenging him?

Twenty minutes passed in a flash.

Xie Xie, whose stamina had fully recovered, couldn't help stretching. His bones popped and crackled as he sprang to his feet from the grass.

Xie Xie gave Wu Zhangkong a thumbs-up. "The cards are all in order!"

After several days, Wu Zhangkong had grown immune to Xie Xie's bizarre remarks. She gave a faint nod.

"Thirty meters apart. Get ready."

Only after Xie Xie took his place thirty meters away did Gu Yue turn her gaze back to him.

"Begin!"

Xie Xie went all out, darting forward.

"Get down and shine my shoes!"

But the instant the words left his mouth, Xie Xie regretted them. He wanted to slap himself for running his mouth. Gu Yue was already glaring at him with unmistakable hostility!

Oh no. Had he just stacked up Gu Yue's rage buff?