"Pfft."
The people below the stage couldn't help laughing when they saw Lin Yi acting so dramatically.
On the podium, Director Su rubbed his temples and whispered to Teacher Li beside him, "This kid... he's putting on a very convincing act."
Teacher Li held back a laugh. "Indeed. If we didn't know what he was thinking, we might actually believe him."
"Let's keep watching." Director Su's gaze was sharp. "Tang San clearly hasn't fully believed Lin Yi's performance either."
Onstage, Tang San's brows furrowed even more tightly.
If Lin Yi was really this weak, why was everyone paying so much attention to him?
Why had Zhou Ming surrendered without hesitation?
Why had even Xiao Wu...
At the thought of Xiao Wu, Tang San's eyes darkened.
He took a deep breath. "Since Classmate Lin isn't willing to make the first move, then don't blame me."
With that, he immediately used his first soul skill, Mother's Embrace.
In an instant, dozens of Blue Silver Grass vines burst from the ground and rapidly lashed toward Lin Yi.
Tang San had used only half his strength in this strike. It was enough to test Lin Yi's true strength without actually injuring him.
However, things did not go as he wished.
Lin Yi looked at the Blue Silver Grass vines blotting out the sky and inwardly cursed. Good grief. Yet terror appeared on his face at just the right moment.
He raised both hands, pretending to block.
The instant the Blue Silver Grass vines touched him, he let out an exaggerated cry and threw himself backward, directly pretending to faint.
The entire sequence was smooth and seamless. From falling to unconsciousness, it took no more than three seconds.
Everyone beneath the arena, except Yu Xiaogang, was speechless.
That acting was top-notch.
[Perfect. Now I just need to pretend to be unconscious.] [But seriously, with acting skills like mine, doesn't Oscar owe me a little golden statue?]
Though Lin Yi lay unconscious on the ground, he was still smugly complaining in his heart.
Tang San could not hear his Heart Voice, but he could sense that something was wrong.
His attack had been perfectly controlled. Even if Lin Yi's martial soul was useless, he should not have fainted from it, right?
And besides...
Why did the students and teachers below the stage all look so helpless?
It was as though Lin Yi losing had been entirely expected and had nothing to do with him at all.
"Classmate Lin Yi?" Tang San called out tentatively.
Lin Yi on the ground gave no response. His breathing was steady, as if he really had fainted.
[Don't mind me. I'm already unconscious.] [Also, is Teacher Zhang blind? I'm like this already, so why hasn't he announced the end of the match?]
A burst of suppressed laughter rose from below the stage. Lin Yi was really bold enough to insult Teacher Zhang?
Teacher Zhang's mouth twitched.
You can pretend to faint if you want. Why insult me?
Though speechless inwardly, he still walked over to Tang San and said, "Tang San, Lin Yi has already lost his ability to fight."
Tang San looked up at Teacher Zhang, still wanting to confirm it. "Teacher, has Lin Yi really fainted?"
"Probably." Teacher Zhang said without changing expression, "He may have struck his head when he fell just now. You are the winner. The match is over."
Tang San still wanted to say something, but Teacher Zhang had already loudly announced, "First match of the second round, Tang San wins!"
As his words fell, sparse, perfunctory applause sounded below the stage.
In a corner, Yu Xiaogang's brows were tightly knit.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
By all rights, Tang San should have received thunderous applause after winning a match. Everyone should have looked at this Work-Study Student in a new light.
But now...
The expressions of those students were far too strange.
Some shook their heads with pursed lips, some whispered among themselves, and some were holding back laughter so hard that their faces turned red.
Yet without exception, there was a sense of distance in every gaze directed at Tang San.
Or rather, a silent judgment?
A powerful sense of unease rose in Yu Xiaogang's heart. He stood up and swept his gaze through the crowd, trying to find an answer in those subtle expressions and movements.
But no matter how he looked, he could not make heads or tails of it.
Just then, Tang San walked down from the arena and came to Yu Xiaogang's side, asking in a low voice, "Teacher, what do you think?"
Yu Xiaogang gathered his thoughts and said, "Something is wrong."
Tang San's breathing paused slightly. "You think so too?"
"The match just now," Yu Xiaogang analyzed, "the timing of Lin Yi's fall was too perfect. Your Blue Silver Grass had only just touched him, and he immediately fell over."
His gaze followed Lin Yi as he was carried away, and he continued, "And I could tell that you did not use your full strength. Under such circumstances, even if Lin Yi is a support-type Soul Master with weaker physical qualities, he should not be so frail."
"Unless..." A chill flashed through Tang San's eyes. "He was pretending."
"Now this is interesting." A rare curve appeared at the corner of Yu Xiaogang's mouth. "Why would he pretend to faint in front of everyone? What is he hiding?"
Master and disciple exchanged a glance, seeing the same question in each other's eyes.
Meanwhile.
Elsewhere, several Work-Study Students gathered around Lin Yi, who had just been carried down.
Xiao Wu looked at Lin Yi, who was still unconscious, and a trace of helplessness flashed through her eyes.
This guy was putting on quite a convincing fainting act.
If she could not hear his Heart Voice, she really would have thought he was hurt.
[Don't touch me, don't touch me. Let me lie here a little longer.] [Once they carry me back to the dormitory, I can wake up.]
Lin Yi muttered to himself, but his body remained completely still.
Wang Sheng scratched his head. "This..."
Xiao Wu gave a sly smile and deliberately said loudly, "Lin Yi's injuries are a little serious. Let's take him to Teacher Yuan and have her examine him. Maybe she can give him some acupuncture."
Teacher Yuan was an instructor at Notting Academy who possessed a healing martial soul.
She usually treated students for minor illnesses and such.
Hearing this, the others roughly understood Xiao Wu's intention. Didn't he want to keep pretending? Then they would let him pretend to his heart's content.
Once they got to Teacher Yuan's, they would see whether she stuck him with needles or not.
Wang Sheng's eyes rolled, and he volunteered, "Alright, I'll carry him."
[Holy crap, acupuncture? What is that Little Rabbit plotting?] [And I heard Teacher Yuan's martial soul is the Silver Needle Bee. Those stings are supposed to hurt like hell. This isn't child's play.]
Lin Yi wailed inwardly, but outwardly he still looked completely unconscious, allowing Wang Sheng to carry him onto his back.
When Xiao Wu saw Lin Yi's eyelids twitching slightly even while he was supposedly unconscious, she nearly burst out laughing.
She quickly covered her mouth and said with feigned concern, "Wang Sheng, be careful. Don't jostle him."
"Alright, got it." Wang Sheng answered, then carried him toward Teacher Yuan.
Lying on Wang Sheng's back, Lin Yi squinted at the classmates receding behind him and frantically complained in his heart.
[Wait, are we really going?] [Huh? Xiao Wu is coming too?] [Hold on, don't you still have matches later? You're not competing anymore?] [No, no, I have to find a way to wake up naturally. Otherwise, if I really get pricked, I'm done for.]
As he was figuring out how to wake up naturally, Xiao Wu's voice suddenly rang beside his ear.
"Lin Yi, stop pretending. I know you're already awake."
Before you continue