The agreement was sealed. With brisk efficiency, Fu Jiang presented the card and the spirit beast egg. The atmosphere should have been one of satisfied, transactional closure. Yet, the burly older brother fixed Yao with an expression of such intense, almost bashful fervor that she was taken aback.
Her face took on a peculiar look. "I'm afraid I won't be marrying you as well. So, abandon that hope. Stop looking at me like that."
Holy—!
Fu Jiang flushed crimson, scrambling to deny it, only to be cut off as his prospective 'golden-turtle' brother-in-law turned to Lang Hao and added, "Unless you raise the price."
Lang Hao: "…"
At that moment, she was one hundred percent certain this person posed no threat to her. For the right price, he wouldn't.
Fu Jiang looked mortified. "Nonsense! I just… wanted to ask if you really don't know that 'Yao.'"
While others probed with subtlety, he went for the direct approach. Lang Hao's eyes grew watchful, but Yao remained unflappable. "You must specify which 'Yao.' The one from my… hometown, I knew. For details, use your connections to investigate. The great clans have surely sent people there by now. If you mean the 'Yao' who recently appeared at Western Jin… people have asked me about her too. I don't know her yet. Perhaps I'll pay her a visit someday—"
"No, no, no! Brother-in-law, you misunderstand! I'm not testing you, I just…" Fu Jiang's face reddened further. He leaned against the wall for support, a hand to his heart. "I think… I've met my first love."
Lang Hao turned and walked away without a word.
Yao collected the egg and the card and made to leave.
First love? What nonsense. During the selection exam at the hotel, she'd seen this very man with a delicate beauty hanging on his arm while he came to 'test' her.
Fu Jiang stopped them both, pressing a small velvet box into each of their hands. Inside were matching, elegantly simple platinum bands—props for the public eye. The overeager future brother-in-law had gone all out, selecting pieces from a premier jeweler, charged to Lang Hao's account, of course.
Both Yao and Lang Hao were creatures of cool practicality, unmoved by sentiment. But since the deal was struck, attending to such details was prudent. They slid the rings onto their fingers without ceremony. Yao noticed Lang Hao's slight hesitation, a fleeting stiffness in her movement. She's thinking of Li Wukun. A twinge of something like sympathy touched Yao. In her eyes, 'Oaks' was, after all, still a man.
Yao was somewhat surprised. Based on her experiences with the wealthy and powerful in her past life, and the few well-born friends she'd had, she knew that deep, consuming love was a rarity in such circles. Even when affection existed, it was usually weighed against advantage. Lang Hao, with her exceptional pedigree, beauty, and indulged upbringing, seemed the type who would be hardest to please emotionally—having so much, what could another truly offer?
Yet here she was, carrying a child born of genuine feeling. Li Wukun must have been extraordinary.
Back at Dongguan Academy, Oaks' hasty exit from the dorm had not gone unnoticed. As the undisputed top scorer, his every move was dissected. His casual remark about moving out had spread like a plague.
Que Baimo observed the three genuine 'muscle-heads' in the dorm—one each from A, B, and C classes. They were simple, good-natured, and genuinely concerned that Oaks might actually leave.
"He won't," Que Baimo assured them with practiced ease. "The academy forbids it. He's too calculating to make enemies over a trivial comfort. He won't risk offending the academy and you esteemed brothers."
Always the survivor, Que Baimo recognized real, uncomplicated strength. Cultivating them was wise. A little flattery was a small price.
Ah, the art of the illegitimate son.
Muscle-head A sighed. "Hope so. Really wanted to room with him. Heard he's crazy strong."
Muscle-head B: "Xiao Mo, tell us, how'd you lose to him? Heard you all played dumb and got sent packing one by one?"
Que Baimo stiffened. Muscle indeed, but tact of a brick. He managed a graceful, self-deprecating summary, concluding, "I truly admire him. Wish to be brothers. Knowing we'd room together, I couldn't sleep all night! When he moves in, please put in a good word for me. I fear he might hold a grudge from the exam."
Lie. He'd love to give the scum a taste of instant elimination.
The trio readily agreed.
Then… a half-naked student came sprinting down the hall, bellowing, "OH MY GOD! OAKS APPLIED FOR SPOUSAL HOUSING! HE'S MOVING INTO THE COUPLES' VILLAS!"
The news detonated through the dorm.
Que Baimo was stunned, his mind racing. He wouldn't…
The three muscle-heads looked thunderstruck.
"Brothers, what's wrong?"
Muscle-head A: "He… dislikes us?"
Muscle-head B: "Dunno. But the couples' villas are legit nice. Right next to the girls' dorms."
Muscle-head C: "But… who's his wife? He's eighteen."
Que Baimo sighed, a masterful performance of envy. "He's engaged to Lang Hao. Seems it's proceeding. Understandable, I suppose. She is a legendary beauty… How enviable."
If Oaks refused camaraderie, he'd use Lang Hao's status as the provincial collegiate beauty to stir up trouble. The plan worked perfectly.
The trio looked wounded. "The four of us… aren't as good as one Lang Hao?"
"This is… are women really better than four brothers? This hurts!"
"Come on, let's shower. Xiao Mo, which soap scent do you prefer?"
Que Baimo, thinking nothing of it, picked a soap at random. It wasn't until he was in the steamy communal shower, and four different bars of soap plopped to the floor around his feet in quick succession, that a cold dread crept over him.
Que Baimo: "?"
Something felt… profoundly wrong.
Maybe Oaks' escape was the right move.
Yao disliked dithering. The application was submitted. Dongguan, having received Lang Hao's transfer paperwork, granted approval swiftly. As a high-achieving Blue-Blood scion, her transfer was unimpeachable, though Western Jin was reportedly in mourning.
Permission secured, Yao headed to the couples' villas—a cluster of charming, standalone cottages with private gardens. Munching on an apple, she strolled down a gravel path bordered by night-blooming jasmine, the sweet, heavy scent filling the twilight air. As she approached her assigned cottage, she glanced up at the windows of the adjacent girls' dormitory.
On a second-floor balcony, a tall, slender figure was hanging laundry. Thick, dark hair was pinned up with a simple wooden hairpin. A black tank top revealed pale, finely sculpted shoulders and arms. The woman—Wei Mingtang—paused, her hands resting on the sink, her deep, obsidian eyes locking onto Yao with analytical curiosity. She watched the top scorer approach the villa, the answer dawning. Soon, the excited chatter from inside the dorm confirmed it: the day's biggest scandal. Oaks had stolen the joint-school belle right from under Western Jin's nose.
Yao merely took another crisp bite of her apple, pushed open the white picket gate, and stepped into her new, temporary home.
Inside the dorm, whispers flew. "Is it true? Lang Hao, here? To be with him? I've heard of her—ice-cold, proud. She'd play along with a man's whims?"
"Even if he's this year's first, there are sixteen other 'firsts' in the upper years. The top thirty in the trial rankings are all monsters. I heard even Orange families sought her hand. Her options were endless. Why him?"
Oaks was talented, the current champion. But this was Dongguan. The provincial elite. The weakest here outshone the best of Luohé. And judging by reputation alone, Oaks seemed to specialize in offending women. It made no sense.
Wei Mingtang continued hanging her clothes, her gaze lowered. What these girls couldn't fathom, the great families understood perfectly. A swift, advantageous move by the Fu family.
But based on her observations of both Lang Hao and Oaks… this reeked of a transaction.
As they gossiped, Fu family servants arrived, delivering furniture, artwork, and even replanting the garden's flowers and shrubs. The Lady Fu was indeed coming.
Yao headed straight for the cultivation chamber. Dongguan, like all four great academies, operated on a triad of core systems:
Curriculum: Split into private tutorials (for A-Class and above) and public lectures. S-Class students were taught directly by the academy's top masters. Courses fell into five disciplines: World Studies (Politics, Military Strategy, Sociology, Psychology, Criminology, Literature, Arts—choose any or all), Arcane Studies, Combat Studies, Alchemy, and Control Studies (Dongguan's specialty).
Trial Pagodas: Five towers corresponding to the five disciplines, each with twelve levels of difficulty. Points earned were weighted by discipline coefficient (World 1.0, Arcane 2.0, Alchemy 3.0, Combat 4.0, Control 5.0). The aggregated 'Trial Score' could be exchanged for resources and determined rankings, updated quarterly.
Sanctum Quests: Field dungeons. Completion coefficients converted to Trial Points at a high rate—the most lucrative but dangerous path.
Using her student badge, Yao accessed the system and made her selections without hesitation:
• World Studies: All subjects. (Instructor assigned by academy).
• Arcane Studies: Specialized Principles. (Request: Instructors proficient in Space, Light, or Wind).
• Alchemy: Practical Techniques. (Theoretical resource management declined).
• Combat Studies: Hard-Style Melee. (Strategic combat declined—she could teach that).
• Control Studies: Flora Manipulation & Ocular Arts Specialization.
As an A-Class student, she could request but not demand specific teachers. The academy would assign based on her preferences and availability. She wasn't overly concerned; Dongguan's baseline was high. Any gaps she could fill herself.
Selections made, she headed for the Trial Pagodas.
Exiting her cottage, she nearly collided with Wei Mingtang, who had finished her chores and thrown on a light jacket, her cool aura undiminished. They exchanged a nod, then found themselves walking the same secluded forest path toward the towers. Few students were here on the first day, most still agonizing over course selections. Those who came early were the decisive ones, testing the waters to gauge their strengths and allocate future efforts.
Yao was browsing the resource exchange list on her badge when a shadow blurred overhead. Swish! Both she and Wei Mingtang, two meters ahead, reacted instantly, diving to opposite sides of the path. A creature the size of a calf, with a tiger's head, a bird's torso, and a scorpion's stinger-tipped tail, landed on a branch above. It was midnight black, exuding a savage aura. Its amethyst eyes glinted, and a low chittering sound made their heads swim with sudden vertigo.
A fraction of a second later, a vicious tail whipped through the air where Yao's head had been, shearing through two saplings with a sickening crack.
Before it could strike again, a faint, discordant flute note echoed. The beast hissed, bared fangs at them, and vanished into the canopy.
Wei Mingtang and Yao, dark and light energy coiling in their respective palms, watched it go. "Tri-Element Chimera. A special-class familiar. That one is Peak Blue-Grade. Paired with a compatible master, it rivals Orange." Its owner was no small figure. Even Xie Yiyuan didn't have such a companion.
"A teacher?"
Wei Mingtang's voice was flat. "There are four notorious figures in Dongguan's S-Class. One is Zhan Xuandong, owner of a Tri-Element Chimera. A sixth-year."
Repeating two years wasn't uncommon. Those without strong family backing often lingered to accumulate resources. But why would Zhan Xuandong's familiar attack them? An accident? An unleashed 'pet'?
Or, more likely, the creature's master was one of Lang Hao's admirers.
Wei Mingtang probably reached the same conclusion but didn't care. Yao cared even less. With or without Lang Hao, such people were destined to be rivals.
Emerging from the woods, they found two older students in a heated, element-charged argument near the pagodas. The newcomers fell silent, giving Yao and Wei Mingtang assessing looks. Yao merely brushed leaves from her shoulder and strode into the first pagoda.
Wei Mingtang's brow rose slightly. The World Studies Tower. "He never acts without purpose. Looks like he plans to make a statement." She watched for a moment longer, then entered the Arcane Tower.
Inside the World Studies Pagoda, the 'statement-maker' was negotiating with the front desk.
"Three thousand points. Per attempt."
She remembered no such fee from the game. Another assumption shattered. "Quite the profitable scheme. Planning an IPO? Company name: 'The Pig-Slaughtering Platform.'"
The clear-eyed, ponytailed attendant didn't blink. "Indeed."
Yao understood the lack of crowd. Money, the great dampener. Suppressing an eye-roll, she paid.
"Subjects available: Politics, Military Strategy, Sociology, Psychology, Criminology, Literature, Arts. Your selection?"
"All of them."
"…Pardon?"
"I've paid. May as well get my money's worth." Like a wild boar in a vegetable patch—you don't just nibble one cabbage.
The attendant smiled. "Scheduled. Please proceed to Chamber Three. Estimated duration for seven subjects: twelve hours."
Twelve hours? Yao entered.
The other attendants exchanged glances. The one who had served Yao simply returned to her book.
Yao treated the exam with the seriousness of a college entrance test. But by the end of the Politics section, her heart sank. The difficulty was brutal. Fine. Three thousand points is spent. Consider it a diagnostic.
She knew her score would be abysmal. This wasn't her forte, and she'd had no time to study. What she didn't know was that her and Wei Mingtang's pagoda visits were already trending.
The 'spousal housing' scandal had already lit the forums. Western Jin students were baying for the scoundrel's blood. Yun Baobao, safely insulated at Western Jin, was leading the charge, @-ing Oaks with mock heartbreak. "A-Li Gege, you're so cruel! You stole our school belle! I just got here, hadn't even admired Sister A-Zhe enough! My heart aches… So, you're really living together?"
Fu Jiang, watching the frenzy, was delighted. The more noise, the harder for the Li family to act. He was almost moved by his future brother-in-law's commitment. Then he saw a new trending image: Oaks and a female student emerging from a wooded path, leaves in their hair.
Hmm…
Lang Hao, arriving at Dongguan and being bombarded with the image by 'well-wishers,' ignored it. She entered the now-furnished cottage. Fu Jiang fussed, asking if she needed servants.
"No. More people, more eyes. Trust is scarce. I can manage."
"Right, right. Your… husband is probably at the trials. Don't worry, he'll be back. Cold outside, warm inside, that's our—"
"Get out."
Alone, exhaustion and a deep, bone-weary sorrow washed over her. Her hand drifted to her still-flat stomach. Sleep, when it came, was fitful, filled with rain, blood, and a severed arm curling protectively around her in icy water.
She awoke with a start.
Meanwhile, the pagoda drama escalated. Two hours in, Wei Mingtang's result posted: Arcane Trial - 2650 points. A respectable, if not groundbreaking, score for a new A-Class student.
In a private lounge, a red-haired youth painting his nails snorted. "Not bad. Still a net loss, though. Mid-to-upper among the B-Class riffraff."
A taller youth dribbling a basketball countered, "She's from an orphanage. Her resource conversion efficiency is supposedly off the charts. My mentor mentioned her. Said that among the top finishers, her ceiling might be the highest, despite her current ranking."
The redhead scoffed. "A poor girl's 'ceiling'? Please."
The basketball player said nothing. He was more interested in whether Wei Mingtang had tested her Darkness affinity. If not… that was intriguing.
But the main event was still inside. Oaks didn't emerge. Not after four hours. Not after eight. Rumors swirled. Had he given up? Had a breakdown?
At 1:00 AM, the World Studies Pagoda door finally hissed open. Yao walked to the front desk, where the same attendant was slurping instant noodles under a desk lamp.
She looked up, wiping her mouth. "Can I help you?"
Yao leaned on the counter, her expression profoundly weary. "You didn't mention scores could be negative."
The attendant took a delicate sip of broth. "Had I mentioned it, you might not have taken the exam."
Yao: "…"
The attendant smiled sweetly. "Got to make that IPO, you know."
As Yao left, the attendant glanced at the results screen and paused, noodles dangling from her chopsticks.
Politics: -800
Military Strategy: -550
Sociology: -480
Psychology: +1100
Criminology: +1200
Literature: -1800
Arts: -1500
It was… bizarre. Extreme. Scoring so highly in Psychology and Criminology right off the bat spoke of a frighteningly sharp, analytical mind. But the negatives in other subjects were catastrophic. To fail that spectacularly, one had to reach the advanced, high-point-value questions through sheer speed or luck. Failing that hard was, in its own way, a talent.
She watched the slender figure disappear into the night. This term would not be boring.
Outside, Yao checked the time. Tired, but committed. She entered the Alchemy Pagoda. Boom! The first attempt ended in a soot-blackened face and a polite system warning about attempting exams beyond one's skill level, followed by detailed corrective instructions.
Ah. So that was the value. She noted the techniques, selected another complex formula, and braced.
Boom!
"User, please—"
Boom!
"User—"
…
"User, I am tired. Please mute notifications. Thank you."
After exhausting her mental energy and potions, she moved to the Arcane, Combat, and Control pagodas, deliberately choosing the most difficult, counter-intuitive challenges.
At 8:00 AM, Lang Hao came downstairs. Shoes by the door. The system log showed a return time of 7:58 AM. He just got back. She felt nothing; it was a business arrangement. In the kitchen, she made breakfast and opened the academy network.
The top trending post across all four academies assaulted her.
HAVE YOU EVER SEEN SOMEONE SPEND 15,000 POINTS ON TRIALS, GRIND FOR 18 HOURS STRAIGHT, AND END UP NEGATIVE 120,000 POINTS? NOW YOU HAVE. OAKS. THE LEGENDARY MADMAN!!!!
Second: "Oaks? Oh, he's nothing special. Just casually incinerated the combined selection exam points of our entire dorm. No big deal."
OaksThePointFurnace #LegendaryLoser
Lang Hao stared at the sizzling egg in her pan. This person's mind… operated on a different frequency.
She thought it was none of her business, until she stepped outside to water the plants and overheard the girls' dorm chatter.
"So… Oaks moved the school belle in, and on the first night… didn't, you know… 'consolidate'… but went and ground trials for 18 hours? And lost 120k points?"
"Gods. If anyone calls him a lecher again, I'll fight them!"
"Pre-selection points aren't counted in rankings. All freshmen start at zero. Now he's at negative 120k. He'll be dead last for the next quarter at least. This isn't just avoiding beauty; this is suicidal."
"All that 700k-point prestige… wasted. The S-Class wolves were circling, and he just… set his treasure on fire."
"Maybe they fought? Lang Hao's known to be icy. Maybe she kicked him out? Driven to madness? My dad once drank eighteen bottles and did the yangge dance in the town square after a fight with mom."
Lang Hao: "…"
My apologies for being inadequate.
A foreboding feeling settled in her stomach. Perhaps, in this arrangement, she wouldn't be the one using Oaks. She might forever be the pitiful, neglected fiancée, the one so dreadful her betrothed preferred 18 hours of self-flagellation in a trial tower.
On the first day of term, through sheer, incomprehensible effort, Oaks had secured the undisputed last-place ranking.
Yao, on a private tutoring schedule, slept until her afternoon session. Her instructor, an elderly scholar named Li Chuan with a permanent insulated thermos cup, greeted her with a twinkle in his eye.
"Trading points for knowledge? Think I can't teach you what you need?"
Yao, finishing a pineapple bun from Lang Hao's kitchen, replied honestly, "No. But some truths are… inconvenient to teach openly. An unaccountable channel is useful."
Old Li, briefed on her… complicated situation, understood. "Very well. Let's begin. I hope your mind can keep up."
The lesson was intense, cutting through reams of information to deliver pure, distilled insight. As the session ended, he took a sip of hot water. "Why take all the subjects? It's a burden. It will eat into your other studies."
Yao stood, considering. "Of all the things one can strengthen, will is the hardest. It comes from understanding the world, and oneself. A learned, confident mind finds a way where a brute finds a wall."
There were no born geniuses, not like this. Her own 'talent' was forged in late-night strategy sessions, relentless study, and client demands. Her enemies were climbing. She had to climb faster.
She had a feeling the TK Consortium wasn't done with 'Oaks'—or 'Yao.'