I'm Talking to You-Are You Deaf?

"L-lure Su Muyun?"

Ye Xiao's mind went blank for a full five seconds.

Then he came to his senses.

"Wait, Old Man Black, that's a poor choice of words!"

"What do you mean, 'lure'?"

"Are you telling me to pursue Su Muyun?"

"Why?"

Old Man Black glanced at Ye Xiao and said coolly, "There's no reason. Just tell me whether you'll do it."

"If you don't want to, pay me back for the Tiger Sun Pill."

Ye Xiao swallowed and asked, "How much does one Tiger Sun Pill cost?"

Old Man Black held up one finger.

Ye Xiao cautiously guessed, "Ten thousand?"

Old Man Black shook his head.

Ye Xiao tried again. "A hundred thousand?"

Old Man Black shook his head again.

Ye Xiao's expression changed. "Don't tell me it's a million?"

Old Man Black stopped paying attention to Ye Xiao.

Then he returned to his post.

There were still a bunch of third- and fourth-year students outside, lining up to swipe their cards and enter the Gravity Training Tower.

Ye Xiao wanted to press him for an answer, but seeing how things stood, he hesitated.

Just then,

Fatty Wang called out.

"Ye Xiao, you're finally out!"

Only when Ye Xiao saw Fatty Wang did he remember that they'd arranged to have lunch together.

He casually pulled Zhou Ming's Gravity Training Card out.

"I've been waiting forever! I'm starving! Let's go eat."

Fatty Wang waved at Ye Xiao with a smile.

Ye Xiao put the card in his pocket and walked over.

"Come on, let's eat first."

Fatty Wang looked at the Gravity Training Tower with curiosity.

The two chatted as they walked.

"I heard this Gravity Training Tower is only open to third- and fourth-year students."

"You were in there for several hours. How was it?"

Ye Xiao thought it over before answering.

"Under the effects of gravity, you get exhausted. It feels like you're carrying a bunch of lead weights."

"But training in that environment makes you feel your body getting stronger."

Fatty Wang pinched Ye Xiao's arm and said with a grin, "It really does work. Your arm's gotten so much firmer."

Ye Xiao said, "If you want to train in there too, I can see what I can do."

Fatty Wang immediately shook his head.

"Forget it. I'm not going in. The upperclassmen say training in the Gravity Training Tower is brutal."

"People with weak bodies can't handle it at all. There's even a risk of dying."

"I heard an SS-Grade talent died in there once!"

"Besides, I'm a Qi Refiner. All I need to do is meditate. I don't need to temper my body like you Martialists."

Ye Xiao was at a loss for words. He gave a helpless smile.

"Actually, meditating in the Gravity Training Tower is pretty effective too."

But Fatty Wang was clearly someone who couldn't take hardship.

He was a reflection of most professionals in this era.

Everyone wanted a shortcut, a training method that was easier and less demanding.

People had gradually abandoned the most old-fashioned approach: grueling self-cultivation.

Most people believed that anyone still using the clumsiest, most foolish methods to train

either had something wrong with them or had a terrible profession.

The Martialist Cafeteria was bustling that afternoon.

By the time Ye Xiao and Fatty Wang arrived, it was already a little late.

Even though the lunch rush had passed,

students were still streaming into the three-story building.

The air was filled with the scent of spirit food and the din of conversation.

A long line stretched from the regular counter on the first floor. Every so often, an Elite Class student swiped a card at the elevator on the second floor. The VIP area on the third floor was as quiet as another world.

Ye Xiao walked away from the regular counter on the first floor carrying a stainless-steel tray.

It held a standard meal: two servings of rice, one meat dish, one vegetable dish, and a free bowl of egg-drop soup.

It was the best meal students receiving financial aid could afford with their monthly allowance.

At the whole school, aside from Ye Xiao,

there wasn't a second person who ate subsidized meals.

He found a corner by the wall and sat down.

Soon, Fatty Wang sat down across from him with a tray piled high with seven meat dishes and no vegetables.

"Ye Xiao, is that all you're eating?"

Ye Xiao smiled, his expression tinged with embarrassment.

Fatty Wang immediately understood.

He pushed his own tray over to Ye Xiao.

Then he took Ye Xiao's tray for himself.

"Eat mine!"

"I'll go buy another meal."

Fatty Wang got up and left at once to buy another meal.

Ye Xiao watched Fatty Wang's retreating figure.

He silently thought, Fatty Wang's a good guy. He's worth keeping as a friend.

Ye Xiao had already made up his mind.

Once he made something of himself in the future,

he would definitely bring Fatty Wang along.

Even if Fatty Wang stayed lazy and spent his whole life eating and waiting to die,

he still wouldn't abandon him.

The cafeteria was filled with overlapping chatter.

Some people discussed classes and training. Others gossiped about a girl in the Genius Class. A few complained about the practical exam next week.

Ye Xiao lowered his head and ate. He picked up a piece of braised pork with his chopsticks and put it in his mouth.

It tasted average.

But it was much better than the subsidized meals.

Just then,

footsteps came from behind him.

Not just one person's.

Three or four people, walking heavily with deliberate, swaggering steps meant to make sure everyone noticed them.

Ye Xiao didn't turn around.

A hand slammed down on the table in front of him.

The tray rattled, and some egg-drop soup spilled.

"Well, if it isn't our academy's 'genius Martialist'?"

The voice was shrill, and amused.

It immediately drew the attention of the students eating nearby.

Ye Xiao recognized the voice. It belonged to one of Lin Yun's two lackeys. What was his name again? He thought the guy's surname was Sun.

"I heard you went to the Gravity Cultivation Tower this morning. You even stayed in there for several hours?"

Another voice spoke up, deeper than the first. It belonged to the other lackey, surnamed Zhou.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Impressive, impressive. A Martialist, and a first-year student at that, actually got into the Gravity Cultivation Tower. What do you think? Did he pull strings to get in?"

"Heh, of course he won't admit he pulled strings! But as far as I know, only students in their third year or above can enter the Gravity Cultivation Tower!"

"Who knows? Someone who got in through connections would normally keep a low profile to avoid suspicion. But look at him—just a few hours, and the whole academy's heard about it."

"His dad died, and he got a special admission opportunity. He doesn't look sad at all. Seems like his dad's death worked out pretty well for him, bringing him all these benefits. And now he's enjoying them without a care."

The group burst into laughter.

The cafeteria fell quieter.

Students nearby stopped eating and looked over.

Some watched with interest, while others frowned, but no one stepped forward to say anything.

Ye Xiao kept eating.

When the lackey with the surname Sun saw that he wasn't reacting, his expression darkened.

He reached over, picked up the bowl of egg-drop soup from Ye Xiao's tray, and waved it in front of him.

"I'm talking to you. Are you deaf?"