Good, very good. Not a single one of them is easy to deal with. The capital truly is a land of hidden dragons and crouching tigers—on one side a natural prodigy, on the other a martial genius. Fortunately, I’m no ordinary person either.
Lu Jinlan thought this and silently comforted herself: I’m a cheat-type genius. I’ve got hacks. I’m not afraid of anything.
She quietly opened the system shop. She currently had over two thousand life points. The Super-Strength Pills lasted only half an hour, and each one cost ten life points. Gritting her teeth, Lu Jinlan dragged the quantity to 99 and hit confirm. Nearly half her life points vanished in an instant, but her pockets became heavy.
The chief examiner had already drawn the first pair of candidates. The deputy examiner announced loudly from the stage, “First match: Zuo Suizhi of Chengzhou versus Chu Yishu of the Shengjing.”
Chu Yishu was the local student who had provoked Xiang Ruzhen yesterday. Zuo Suizhi was seated behind Lu Jinlan. The two whose names were called stepped onto the platform with their weapons. At the sound of the gong, they immediately fought to a fierce stalemate.
Taking the opportunity, Lu Jinlan pulled out the strength pills and stuffed them into her mouth by the handful. The examinee beside her stared in shock.
With her cheeks puffed out, Lu Jinlan said, “What are you looking at? I didn’t eat breakfast. Never seen someone eat supplements as a meal?”
After swallowing all ninety-nine pills, her entire body felt swollen, as if a force inside her was about to burst out, eager to clash with someone.
She looked at the stage. Chu Yishu did have real skill. Yesterday’s embarrassing defeat was only because she had provoked Xiang Ruzhen. Today, determined to wash away her shame, she deliberately showed off, each move fierce and dangerous. Zuo Suizhi gradually showed signs of weakening and seemed unlikely to last much longer.
Bang! The twin maces in Zuo Suizhi’s hands were knocked flying, and the tip of Chu Yishu’s spear pressed against her throat.
Clang! The gong sounded again.
“Chu Yishu of the Shengjing—victory,” the deputy examiner declared.
Dejected, Zuo Suizhi picked up her weapons and returned to her seat. This probably meant farewell to the Royal Academy—unless the remaining eighteen candidates all lost miserably, and worse than she had.
Xiang Ruzhen said to her, “Your weapon is too short. She uses a spear. With a long weapon, you’d have had a better chance.”
Zuo Suizhi shook her head. “I’ve practiced maces since childhood. I’m not used to anything else. Her level is far above mine. Even with a long weapon, I could at most last another quarter hour. I wouldn’t win. If my skill is inferior, I admit defeat.”
Lu Jinlan was just about to offer a few comforting words when she suddenly heard the announcement: “Second match: Lu Jinlan of Yunzhou versus Yan Wuxin of the Shengjing.”
What?
Lu Jinlan and Yan Wuxin stood in their respective positions, looking at each other from afar with complicated expressions. This was… too much of a coincidence.
Xiang Ruzhen’s eyes were full of worry. The three of them had sparred last night. Although Lu Jinlan and Yan Wuxin weren’t far apart in strength, Lu Jinlan’s physical condition and combat experience lagged behind. She couldn’t win. Unless… No. There was no “unless.”
Yan Wuxin carried her Phoenix-Cry Long Saber onto the stage. Lu Jinlan stood opposite her, gripping her treasured sword.
The two bowed. Just as Lu Jinlan straightened, Yan Wuxin whispered, “Friend, you’re really putting me in a difficult spot.”
“No need to feel troubled,” Lu Jinlan replied quietly. “Just fight normally.”
“Tch, why say that? I’m not as stubborn as Ruzhen, but I can’t make it too obvious if I hold back.”
“It’s fine. I just took some supplements. I’m terrifyingly strong right now.”
“You slack off all year and now you think chewing ginseng raw will help—”
They leaned closer and closer as they spoke, until the chief examiner suddenly roared, “What are you talking about? Candidates are not allowed to converse privately!”
They immediately stood straight. With the sound of the gong, they had no choice but to point their blades at each other.
For the first ten moves, neither used their full strength. But Yan Wuxin quickly sensed something was wrong.
Lu Jinlan’s sword suddenly became fast and heavy, the wind from her blade carrying an audible force—completely different from last night’s light, floating style. Had she been drunk last night and performed poorly? Or had she deliberately concealed her strength? It couldn’t really be the supplements, could it?
What she didn’t know was that for a cheat-type genius like Lu Jinlan, the biggest weakness was lack of foundation.
Her physical condition was poor, her strength small. As a result, the power and speed behind her moves were insufficient. Even if her sword techniques were perfect ten out of ten, she could only deliver three or four parts of their true killing power. But the Super-Strength Pills perfectly and temporarily compensated for that flaw. A ten-point move could now strike at seven points of its full potential.
Previously, Yan Wuxin had only found Lu Jinlan’s moves novel and tricky. Now she suddenly realized that, when executed well, every move was a refined killing strike. She no longer needed to think about how to hold back. Instead, she needed to think about not losing too quickly—otherwise others would surely think she had gone easy on her.
Yan Wuxin quickly adjusted her mindset and responded with full focus.
Her finely forged Phoenix-Cry Long Saber clashed against Lu Jinlan’s razor-sharp sword, sparks flying across the stage. Yet inside, Lu Jinlan grew increasingly irritated.
She felt Yan Wuxin was holding back. Otherwise, why was she so slow? And why were her attacks so light? That wasn’t right.
She didn’t realize she herself had suddenly become much faster, making others seem slow by comparison. Thinking Yan Wuxin was deliberately going easy, she attacked even more fiercely, trying to force her to use her true strength.
After another twenty exchanges, Yan Wuxin felt utterly wronged. Sweat covered her face and body, yet Lu Jinlan only grew fiercer. At this rate, she feared that a single lapse would get her skewered. She was so anxious she nearly cursed out loud.
At the forty-sixth move, Lu Jinlan’s sword slashed toward the long handle Yan Wuxin was gripping. Yan Wuxin hurriedly let go. The Phoenix-Cry Long Saber spun in the air and was kicked by Lu Jinlan with a reverse hook, lodging into a crack in the stone wall behind the stage.
“Wow!” The breathless crowd below gasped in unison. Yan Wuxin quietly let out a sigh of relief, wiped her sweat, and prepared to step down.
The deputy examiner raised the mallet, about to strike the gong and announce the result—when the chief examiner suddenly raised her hand, signaling her not to strike.
Everyone froze.
Lu Jinlan, gripping her sword, looked at the chief examiner in confusion. “I’ve already knocked her weapon away. Doesn’t that count as a win?”
The chief examiner was Ling Zhixu, the head of the Royal Academy, known for her strict fairness. She said coldly, “Since you know each other, there is suspicion of collusion. Student Lu, a victory not won with full effort cannot convince the public. Show your true ability.”
Lu Jinlan looked at Yan Wuxin in confusion. “Did you hold back?”
Yan Wuxin panted, wiping the back of her neck and showing her sweat-drenched hand. “Unjust! I’m soaked in sweat.”
She raised her sweaty hand toward Ling Zhixu. “Headmaster, it’s true we know each other, but I’ve already fought with all my strength. Does she have to beat me to death before it counts?”
“If she truly intended to beat you to death,” Ling Zhixu replied calmly, “I would stop it in time.”
“Fine.” Lu Jinlan finally understood—these people just wanted a spectacle. Fighting seriously wasn’t enough; she had to show killing intent, or they wouldn’t believe her skill was real.
Though her ability wasn’t entirely “real,” by the rules she should already have won.
She paced across the platform, estimating that the pills’ effect would last less than ten more minutes. A new idea quickly formed in her mind.
Her gaze shifted. She flicked her wrist, making the sword hum, and said in a low voice, “Student Yan, forgive me.”
A trace of panic flashed in Yan Wuxin’s eyes. “What do you mean?”
Lu Jinlan strode forward with her sword. Seeing the ruthless look in her eyes, Yan Wuxin retreated repeatedly. “Hey, I’m unarmed! You can’t treat a friend like this! Headmaster! Headmaster, help!”
She turned to run off the stage. Lu Jinlan shouted, “No leaving before a winner is decided!”
She darted forward and grabbed Yan Wuxin by the collar at the edge, swinging her back into the arena in one motion.
Yan Wuxin staggered back more than a dozen steps until her heels hit a pillar behind her.
Everyone was stunned by Lu Jinlan’s strength. They inhaled sharply, feeling tense on Yan Wuxin’s behalf. Yan Wuxin looked desperate. Glancing at the pillar behind her, she scrambled up it with both hands and feet.
There were four thick pillars around the platform, each as wide as a water bucket. Yan Wuxin climbed up; Lu Jinlan followed with her sword.
The sunlight was fierce. Squinting upward, the crowd saw Yan Wuxin hiding behind the pillar, dodging desperately, while Lu Jinlan’s sword flashed coldly, each strike seemingly merciless. The blade scraped against the pillar, chunks of wood the size of palms splintering down with sharp cracks.
This pillar stood closest to the examiners’ seats. Falling wood struck the table, causing chaos.
Ling Zhixu sat unmoved in the center, frowning as she watched closely. Lu Jinlan’s strikes were ferocious, wielding the sword almost like an axe.
But even with an axe, hanging midair with only one leg hooked around a pillar made it difficult to exert force. The girl looked utterly ordinary—where did she get such strength?
Whoosh! Whoosh! Lu Jinlan kicked fiercely several times in pursuit. Seven or eight wooden chunks flew toward the examiners’ seats. One examiner failed to dodge in time and was knocked unconscious.
At the same time, the crowd cried out. Ling Zhixu looked up to see Yan Wuxin nearly fall while leaning back to avoid a strike. Luckily, she hooked both legs around the pillar just in time, hanging upside down and swaying precariously in midair.
Hearts pounded. Then came a loud crack. Lu Jinlan swept her leg again. A slab of wood as large as a chopping board came crashing down onto the examiners’ table, smashing teacups and brushes to pieces. An inkstone flew up, splashing ink all over Ling Zhixu—even onto her face.
Several deputy examiners retreated in panic. “Headmaster, look!”
Yan Wuxin seemed unable to hold on and began to fall rapidly. Lu Jinlan slid down as well, sword tip pointing downward.
Ling Zhixu shouted in alarm, “Strike the gong!”
Only then did people realize that the deputy chief examiner responsible for striking the gong had been the one knocked unconscious earlier—still clutching the mallet when carried away. In the earlier chaos, no one had noticed. Now, with things even more chaotic, Ling Zhixu grabbed a piece of wood from the table and hurled it at the bronze gong hanging in the center.
Clang!
At last, the gong sounded. All the examiners, candidates, and spectators had long since risen to their feet in tension.
Everyone secretly thought the same thing—this was bad. The gong had sounded too late.
Everyone knew a simple truth: once someone is suspended midair, there’s no way to hit pause.
Author’s Note:
A great philosopher once said: It’s perfectly reasonable for the protagonist to use cheats.
(Sorry—that philosopher was me.)