gave him a thumbs-up. "I thought that I'm as trashy as a person could possibly get, but it looks like I still have a long way to go before reaching your level."
The man was not offended by Zu An's words. Instead, he closed his fan and chuckled softly. "I can offer you some pointers if you want to. I am Xie Xiu. May I know what your name is?"
"I am Zu An." Zu An thought that the man's name was really reflective of his appearance—he sure was a charming man.[1]
"Oh? Your name sounds familiar. I seem to have heard it somewhere before," Xie Xiu contemplated this as he placed his fan beneath his chin.
Zu An was about to respond when Cheng Shouping waved at him and called out, "Young master, it's going to be your turn soon. Come over!"
Zu An clasped his fist at Xie Xiu and said, "Brother Xie, if a chance arises, I hope to learn the art of how to become a scu… Pui pui pui! I mean, the art of courtship from you in the future!"
"You seem to be a fellow peer. Of course, you are welcome to do so," Xie Xiu clasped his own fist in reply.
Zu An made his way swiftly back to the queue. In front of him, Hong Xingying sneered coldly. "Birds of the same feather flock together. People like you can only make friends like that."
Zu An shrugged nonchalantly. "What a pity that it's a person like me who ended up marrying the goddess of your dreams."
Hong Xingying immediately lost his temper. "You dare to insult the First Miss?"
You have successfully trolled Hong Xingying for 321 Rage points!
Zu An chuckled in response. "We're a married couple. How could a statement like this be considered an insult?"
"You!!!" Hong Xingying almost drew his sword on the spot.
You have successfully trolled Hong Xingying for 344 Rage points!
A staff of the academy knocked on the door and shouted, "What are you causing a ruckus for? Those who dare to cause trouble will be immediately stripped of their qualifications as a student!"
Hong Xingying tamped down on his anger and turned stiffly to face forward. It would be a shame to ruin his own future over a wastrel like Zu An. Just wait till I make a name for myself in the academy. I shall free myself from the position of a servant, and I won't have to hold back anymore!
Zu An shook his head. It was a pity they couldn't carry on further. He turned his attention to Cheng Shouping. "What's the background of that man named Xie Xiu?"
Cheng Shouping replied, "He's the Second Young Master of the City Lord Estate." Then, he leaned a little closer and continued with a hushed voice, "He's a renowned wastrel in the Brightmoon City. He's well-versed in zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting—he's dabbled in practically everything. Be it eating, drinking, whoring, or gambling, there's nothing that he wouldn't do. However, his cultivation appears to be his weak point. Because of that, his father is at a loss as to what he should do with him."
Just like you, young master, Cheng Shouping silently added in his heart. But soon, he shook his head in rebuttal. How can our young master compete with him? At least this Second Young Master Xie is proficient in so many skills!
"A wastrel? Interesting!" Zu An noticed that Xie Xiu had just approached another woman, Noticing his gaze, Xie Xiu nodded slightly in acknowledgment.
"Next, Wei Suo!"
Zu An was just about to wave to Xie Xiu when the staff member's voice thundered out. His eyes widened in surprise. He never thought that he would hear such a refreshing name in this world.[2]
He turned to look, and observed a young man of smaller stature stepping forward. His overall appearance strongly resembled a sneaky rat, accentuated by the two buckteeth he had. He gave the impression of a cunning man who wouldn't hesitate to do all sorts of underhanded things.
Wow, his parents must be prophets to have given him such a fitting name!
The academy staff member took out a crystal ball. The staff member pricked Wei Suo's finger and squeezed a droplet of his blood onto it. The crystal ball gave off a faint glow that was hardly visible unless one paid close attention.
"Lower Ding." (Equivalent to D-)
Wei Suo had been staring at the crystal ball in hopeful anticipation. Upon hearing the result, his excitement deflated like a leaky balloon.
The procedure baffled Zu An. He turned to Cheng Shouping and asked, "What are they doing over there?"
Cheng Shouping had an answer ready. "They are testing the students' aptitude for cultivation. All students who seek to enter the academy must go through this process. The classes they will be assigned to, as well as the cultivation resources they will be allocated with, will be determined by the results of this test."
Zu An was truly amazed. "Little Pingping, how is it that you have an answer to every question I ask?"
Cheng Shouping stuck his chest out in pride. "Of course! As a qualified study companion, it's only right for me to find out such details beforehand!" His tone was gleeful.
Zu An patted Cheng Shouping's head, but deep inside, he was starting to worry a little. He hadn't expected to go through an aptitude test in order to enter the academy. Given how many Marrow Cleansing Pills he had eaten, his talent should be at the maximum. Would the result of his test blow the minds of everyone here?
For an incompetent wastrel to suddenly become a top-notch cultivation prodigy, such a sudden transformation was bound to incur great suspicion. Would he be kidnapped to whatever passed off as a science lab in this world, to be dissected for research?
Zu An's first thought was to swap Cheng Shouping's blood for his own, but the chances of pulling that off were slim, considering that there were so many eyes here.
Forget it! If I can't maintain a low profile to survive, I could still take the domineering route just like the great Chen Beixuan![3]
The staff member in front called out yet another name. "Ma Zhu!"
"Here!" A slightly plump young man ran forward.
The staff pricked his finger and squeezed a droplet of blood on the crystal ball. A moment later, the crystal ball glowed with a soothing white light. If the result of Wei Suo's test was like the spark of a firefly, Ma Zhu's result was like a bright light bulb.
"His talent is upper Yi!" (Equivalent to B+)
The surrounding crowd broke out in excited chatter. Even the academy's staff began whispering amongst themselves. Few cultivators in the country had an aptitude that reached Yi class. Within the boundary of a prefecture, an upper Yi class cultivator could easily be considered as a genius!
Ma Zhu clearly understood the significance of having an upper Yi class talent. After bowing to the academy's staff, he strutted down like a proud peacock, enjoying the envious looks that others directed toward him.
Hong Xingying sneered at Ma Zhu's pretentious attitude. A mere upper Yi class talent, and he acts as if he owns the world. How embarrassing!
He had been waiting for this day for a long time. He knew that his talent was top-notch amongst his peers, and that it could even rival that of the First Miss.
The only reason why the First Miss was more outstanding than him was due to the abundance of cultivation resources she had at her disposal. The mere son of a butler like himself couldn't hope to acquire the same amount. Over time, the disparity between the two of them only grew larger and larger.
Over the past few years, he had served the Chu clan to the best of his ability. He carried out all of the missions that Master and Madam assigned to him perfectly, no matter how tiring or difficult they were. He considered all his efforts to be worth it, as long as he could glimpse the ravishing profile of the First Miss from afar.
The disparity in their backgrounds made him feel inferior to and unworthy of the First Miss. He chose instead to devote himself to silently protecting her. He would have been satisfied if she could find a capable man from an outstanding background who was worthy of her.
To his delight, the Chu clan had chosen to draft in a son-in-law for the First Miss. Men of distinguished standing would never lower themselves to such a demeaning station, and so those who participated in the selections were lesser nobles and ordinary civilians. It seemed that his chance had come.
While he might have been no match for the young masters of the distinguished clans, he backed his aptitude in cultivation to set him apart from the lesser candidates, and so attract the First Miss' attention.
In fact, it was rumoured that Madam Chu had already decided on him as her son-in-law. Everyone around him congratulated him as if the outcome was settled. While he maintained a nonchalant air, in truth, it felt as though the warmth of spring had entered his heart, bringing with it the blossoming flowers of happiness. From time to time, it seemed the First Miss smiled at him faintly; it turned out that she was interested in him too.
His mind was filled with the thought of how the beautiful and lofty First Miss would soon become his wife. He imagined how he would be able to embrace her tender and fragrant body to sleep every night, which made him giggle in his sleep.
The results of the draft were like a slap in the face. The First Miss had chosen a notorious good-for-nothing as her husband instead. When he heard the news, he fell from cloud nine down into the pits of gloomy despair. He became the laughingstock of those around him.
He wallowed in depression for a time, before rage bubbled up in his breast to take its place. Why? If she had chosen an outstanding man, I would have willingly conceded defeat. But this Zu An is useless trash! How can he be worthy of the First Miss?!
Is it because he looks handsome?
Impossible! The First Miss isn't such a shallow woman!
He brooded for a long time, and came to the sad conclusion that it was all due to his humble background. He was just a servant in the Chu Estate, so it had never crossed the mind of the First Miss to think of him as a man.
Thus, he begged his father to use his connections to get him into Brightmoon Academy. Doing well in the academy would be the first step towards becoming an official and building up his own clan. By then, he would be able to stand on equal terms with the First Miss and have her notice him as a man.
So what if the First Miss is already married? Her husband is trash! I can definitely win her over!
His only regret was that the goddess of his heart would not be a maiden anymore. However, as long as she could be his, none of that would matter. Besides, what about Second Miss Chu? She might have a bad temper, but she already possesses such moving beauty despite her young age. She's bound to become a gorgeous woman on par with the First Miss in just a few years!
I have plenty of time anyway! I can wait for her to grow up!
This day shall go down in the history of Brightmoon Academy—No, the entire country shall remember this very day! I, Hong Xingying, shall rise from dust to become a majestic dragon! Everyone here is no more than a stepping stone on the way to the heights of my greatness! Everyone here shall witness history being made! I have waited for this moment for a very long time!
Hong Xingying's heart harbored great ambitions.
"Next, Hong Xingying!"
Hong Xinging turned and fixed Zu An with a hard stare. "Watch and realize the gulf that exists between you and me. There's not a single part of you that's worthy of the First Miss. Only I can bring the First Miss happiness!"
Zu An raised a hand. "Teacher, this man over here has a fetish for other people's wives! He keeps thinking of taking my wife for his own. Wouldn't it be dangerous for the other female students and teachers if such a person was allowed into the academy?"
You have successfully trolled Hong Xingying for 156 Rage points!
Hong Xingying had not expected Zu An would be so shameless as to lodge a complaint with the teacher! No matter which world one was in, those who made petty reports on others were always the most reprehensible scum! Does he have no sense of shame at all?
Hong Xinging was on the verge of lashing out, when the cold stare of the academy staff member froze him in place. "That student over there! While our academy prioritizes the aptitude and cultivation of our students, we pay great heed to the students' character as well. I hope that you will tread wisely in the future."
Hong Xingying bowed immediately. "Yes, I'll heed your guidance." He knew that the staff member's opinion of him could go no lower, but it mattered not. His strength alone would reverse their impression of him!
The staff member nodded in acknowledgement of Hong Xingying's respectful words, then gestured him forward. "Come over here and have your aptitude tested."
Hong Xingying took a deep breath as he made his way over to the crystal ball. Just like the students before, he squeezed a droplet of blood onto it. A moment later, the crystal ball shone with a blinding radiance. If Ma Zhu's light was that of a lightbulb, Hong Xingying's was that of the moon.