Rumors Run Rampant

For the two days after breaking through to the Second-Tier, Ye Li stayed in the Scripture Pavilion.

It was rather peaceful during that time.

Yu Qianqian had been right.

Even the Guidance Teacher who had hurried over that night, shocked by the condition of Liu Yangde and the other two, had not punished Ye Li after learning the full story.

Instead, he had actively petitioned the school to make Ye Li an official member of the School Team.

His attitude had been exceedingly enthusiastic.

After hearing about the matter, Vice Principal Li Haohan had agreed on the spot.

Afterward, he had planned to speak with Ye Li and foster their relationship, but upon hearing that the youth had been holed up in the Book Repository for the past two days, he had not disturbed him rashly.

No matter what, Ye Li was now one of the official members of the Linhai School Team.

It was worth mentioning that, on his way to the Book Repository this morning, he had happened to run into Wang Ren returning from the hospital.

Wang Ren's face was wrapped in bandages, and metal braces covered his body.

When he saw the calm and composed Ye Li, his face immediately took on the expression of someone who had seen a ghost as he cried out:

"How are you okay?!"

With Liu Yangde making a move, he had thought Ye Li would surely suffer terribly.

At the very least, he should have been dejected, as crestfallen as a plucked rooster.

Yet Ye Li stood before him looking radiant, his bearing unhurried, his breath steady and deep.

Where was there even the slightest sign that he had suffered a setback?

Could it be that Liu Yangde had not laid a hand on him?

Ye Li asked casually, "Why wouldn't I be okay?"

"Liu Yangde actually didn't touch you..." Wang Ren blurted out instinctively.

"Liu Yangde? Ah, him."

Hearing that, Ye Li wore a look of sudden realization, then chuckled. "I already dealt with him."

"Dealt with him? What does that mean?"

"Looks like the two of you didn't go to the same hospital." Ye Li shook his head with some regret.

As he spoke, he took a step forward.

He had originally intended to earn some Malice Points while he was at it, but who would have thought Wang Ren would be so frightened by the gesture that he turned and ran.

Watching the other man flee in such a sorry state, Ye Li was rather surprised as well.

"I'm not some villain. Was that really necessary?"

There was about a week left until next week's Exchange Competition.

There were only six official positions in total, and Ye Li did not care whom he had replaced.

He only knew that the School Team's Guidance Teacher had applied for an A-Grade scholarship for him because of it.

Five hundred thousand Hanxia Coin had already been transferred into his account.

That meant he could choose a slightly more advanced Breathing Technique.

"C-Grade Breathing Technique, Blazing Flame Force, 450,000 Hanxia Coin."

"C-Grade Breathing Technique, Raging Tide Art, 500,000 Hanxia Coin."

"Fragment of a B-Grade Breathing Technique, 700,000 Hanxia Coin?"

On the third floor of the Book Repository, Ye Li looked at the rows of Breathing Techniques on the light screen and felt a headache coming on.

There really was nothing suitable.

The only B-Grade Breathing Technique was merely a fragment, and it cost 700,000.

If he wanted to use the system to complete it, he would have to spend a huge amount of Malice Points.

"Forget it. If worse comes to worst, I'll just ask the school for one directly. It's only a Breathing Technique. I refuse to believe they'd be unwilling to give me one."

After choosing continuously in the Book Repository for two days, Ye Li's indecisiveness had completely flared up. In the end, he decided to fleece the school instead.

Leaving the Book Repository, Ye Li made his way toward the training building.

Along the way, he received quite a few strange looks, most of them filled with fear.

Only then did Ye Li recall something.

After he had beaten Liu Yangde and the other two flat the day before yesterday, although the school had expressed no objection, the news had somehow grown legs and swiftly spread throughout the campus.

The version of the rumor, however, was a little outrageous—

"The newly joined School Team substitute openly provoked the other members and disrupted the team's atmosphere!"

"Ye Li from Martial Studies Class Nine is arrogant beyond measure! He severely injured three team members!"

"How could a substitute defeat three official members?"

"I heard his strength is only First-Tier Level Five. He must have used some underhanded method!"

"The Exchange Competition is next week. Why is he attacking members of his own team at a time like this?"

"I think his intentions are sinister too. If Senior Jiang weren't around, Linhai First High School's School Team would probably be ruined by this guy!"

"..."

Most of these rumors were more or less the same.

Their general meaning was that Ye Li was arrogant beyond measure, had used some underhanded method, and severely injured three team members.

As the saying went, three men make a tiger; public opinion was fearsome.

Such absurd rumors, like "some student challenged the principal to a fight over the weekend," swiftly became a hot topic around the school.

Ye Li naturally became the target of discussion.

And because the "methods" described in the rumors were excessively vicious, those students who believed the lies developed a sense of fear toward him.

"Rumor-mongers are just as detestable no matter where they are..."

Ye Li shook his head helplessly. In truth, he did not care much about the matter.

There was only one month left before he would graduate after taking the Martial Exam. By then, everyone would scatter to the four corners of the world to resist mutated beasts; they probably would not cross paths even if they tried.

There was no need to fret over a baseless rumor.

Never fall into the trap of proving myself innocent. It starts with me... Ye Li nodded slightly and walked into the training building as if no one else existed.

But not caring was one thing.

If I catch that bastard spreading rumors...

You damned rumor-spreading mutt, I'll make you fly!

Just then, a heavenly sound rang beside Ye Li's ear.

[ Ding! ]

[ Congratulations, your Infamy level has increased! ]

[ Infamy LV1: Few people know of your infamy! ]

[ Gold Quality Reward has been issued! ]

Inside the captain's office on the fifth floor of the training building.

"Senior Jiang."

With tears in her eyes, Shen Lian sat in a chair and spoke pitifully to the person across the wooden desk:

"This Ye Li really can't be kept around. Not only did he injure Captain Liu, he attacked me before that too. If I hadn't reacted quickly that day, I'd probably be lying in the hospital now as well."

Before the wooden desk sat a black-haired girl with hair draped over her shoulders. Her features were exquisite, her small face cool and aloof, and a copy of [Spear Techniques Summary] lay before her.

After listening to Shen Lian's accusation, Jiang Qingzhu's expression did not change in the slightest.

Still looking at the Spear Techniques Summary on the desk, she turned to the next page and said blandly:

"You should tell Teacher Wang about this. Telling me is useless."

"..."

Shen Lian choked on her words, but she had worked hard these past few days to spread those rumors precisely for this moment.

No matter what, she had to make the girl teach that detestable Ye Li a lesson!

Shen Lian immediately gritted her teeth and said, "Senior Jiang, you know Teacher Wang never stops this sort of behavior, but Ye Li is different!"

"The Inter-school Exchange Competition is almost here. Stirring up internal conflict at a time like this, he clearly wants to ruin our future!"

"Vice Captain Liu has already been beaten into the hospital by him. If even you, Senior Jiang, refuse to act, then no one will be able to stop him!"

Hearing this, Jiang Qingzhu finally raised her head and looked at Shen Lian calmly.

"Classmate Shen Lian, your act of playing the victim is terrible."

Shen Lian's face immediately flushed red. "Senior, I..."

"Get out."

"That's not it, Senior. I really..."

"I'll say it again." Jiang Qingzhu's brows knit slightly. The temperature in the room seemed to plummet several degrees as she said coldly:

"Get out, and close the door behind you."

"..." Shen Lian's face was full of unwillingness.

Unable to dare contradict the black-haired girl, she could only leave the room with a livid expression in the end.

Click—

After the door closed once more, Jiang Qingzhu lightly tapped her fingers against the desk, producing soft tapping sounds.

The air fell silent for two seconds.

Jiang Qingzhu picked up the phone from the desk, dialed a number, and said politely:

"Yu Qianqian, it's me. Are you in the training building right now?"

"By the rules, it's time for me to speak with Ye Li. I heard you're close with him, so please help me call him over. Thank you."