Chapter 36: Xiaoqi Seriously Injured

This was one of the Math Squad’s fixed training programs every afternoon. First, it helped improve combat skills; second, it served as a way to use battle to promote reconciliation and effectively resolve internal conflicts.

The Math Squad’s ranking list was the most closely watched leaderboard in the entire school. Who moved up, who moved down—the whole school would know immediately, and many people fought fiercely in sparring matches purely for the sake of reputation.

Moreover, these rankings weren’t just empty fame; the Math Department rewarded different quantities of high-grade aberration cores based on the standings. At Huangquan Vocational Institute, having a quantity of aberration cores also represented, in a sense, one’s level of cultivation.

Among those present, Xu Tian—the Algebra Squad Leader—was a stealth-type Time Assassin. His supernatural power allowed him to accelerate the flow of time within his combat zone, making himself faster on one hand while throwing off his opponent’s rhythm on the other. He also excelled at using stealth tactics to approach opponents, striking a single blow whether successful or not before retreating far away. His combat style was extremely sleazy.

As for Liu Yang, he was a Geometry Squad genius, stuck firmly behind Xiaoqi as the eternal runner-up, and also one of Xiaoqi’s loyal fans. He specialized in spatial cutting, capable of tearing space apart with the power of flame in the void to heavily wound opponents. His swordsmanship was wide open and aggressive, balancing offense and defense, and formidable to the extreme—ordinary ghost cultivators couldn’t even survive a single move in his hands.

The two of them had been fighting for quite a while, still locked in a stalemate.

The Math teacher, Kuang Lang, folded his arms and stood beside Xiaoqi, watching the two figures trading blows in the arena. Suddenly, he turned his head and lowered his voice: “Student Xiaoqi, in your opinion, who will win?”

Xiaoqi continued watching the arena without the slightest hesitation: “Xu Tian.”

Kuang Lang burst out laughing, leaning in half a step closer as he dropped his voice even lower: “I say Liu Yang. Want to make a bet?”

Xiaoqi turned her head: “Alright.”

Kuang Lang’s eyes lit up: “It’s a deal. If you lose, you have to agree to one request of mine. If I lose, you can make a request of me.”

Xiaoqi’s tone didn’t fluctuate by half a fraction: “What request? If you don’t say it, I won’t bet.”

Kuang Lang shook his head helplessly. This Xiaoqi was still as blunt as ever.

He sighed: “If you lose, you promise me… not to let that cousin of yours poach you over to the Foreign Language Squad.”

Xiaoqi nodded: “If you lose, help me protect my cousin once.”

Kuang Lang was stunned, then broke into a smile: “I’ve never seen you care this much about anyone. Is that kid… really your cousin?”

Xiaoqi stared unblinkingly at Kuang Lang without a word.

Kuang Lang hastily apologized with a smile: “Just joking around, don’t take it seriously. Teacher agrees, alright?”

Just as he finished speaking, the sound of footsteps echoed from the doorway.

Everyone turned their heads in confusion, only to see a masked person standing at the entrance.

“Cousin…”

Xiaoqi whipped her head around, seeing that it was Jiang Xiaoyu.

“Cousin…”

Xiaoqi’s body suddenly relaxed, and the injuries suppressed within her could no longer be contained. A mouthful of fresh blood gushed from her lips, and she fell backward.

Jiang Xiaoyu cried out, rushing forward to catch Xiaoqi in his arms.

“Cousin… Cousin… What’s wrong with you?”

Kuang Lang crouched down, checking Xiaoqi’s pulse: “Supernatural power is in extreme disorder… She was fine just a moment ago; how did she end up like this the moment she saw you?”

Xiaoqi leaned against Jiang Xiaoyu, weakly lifting her eyelids: “Cousin… Did you… touch the things in my room?”

Jiang Xiaoyu fumbled frantically, trying to catch the fresh blood spilling from her mouth, his voice trembling: “Which room? Your cousin’s blind… I can’t tell the difference?”

“The left one… The room… full of stars.”

Jiang Xiaoyu’s brain buzzed.

“I saw the wind blowing the door open, so I closed the window… And Dongfang…”

At that moment, Xiaoqi suddenly lifted her head, bleeding from her seven orifices…

“Cousin, don’t talk yet, I’ll take you to see a doctor. Teacher, Teacher, where is there a doctor? Where?”

Xiaoqi shook her head gently: “It’s useless! Take me home quickly, I have to stop her… Otherwise I’ll die…”

“Alright, alright, your cousin will carry you right away.”

Jiang Xiaoyu carefully heaved her onto his back, stood up, offered a slight bow to Kuang Lang, nodded to the rest of the Math Squad, and turned toward the door with Xiaoqi on his back.

“Stop right there.”

A cynical voice drifted from behind—lazy, carrying an uncomfortable, teasing mockery.

Jiang Xiaoyu ignored it completely, marching quickly toward the door.

“Damn it!”

The one speaking was Wang Xingxing from the Geometry Squad, whose cultivation was mediocre—neither high nor low. He played with a random teleportation gate to profound effect; if an enemy accidentally stepped on it, they would be teleported haphazardly to any point within a radius of one zhang, while he would already be waiting ahead of time with a dagger for the enemy to deliver themselves to his blade.

“Detestable! Daring to ignore me!”

Wang Xingxing cast a random teleportation gate toward the classroom door.

Jiang Xiaoyu was burning with anxiety and, unaware of what it was, stepped right into it. Their figures flickered, and all at once they appeared in the innermost corner of the classroom.

Wang Xingxing twitched his dagger, waiting in the corner. Seeing Jiang Xiaoyu and Xiaoqi appear, he sneered: “Kid, let’s make a deal. Since Xiaoqi’s sick, she won’t be well for a few days. Why don’t you let me challenge her twice so I can take the Math Department’s first-place reward for a few days?”

Jiang Xiaoyu smiled bitterly: “Sorry, classmate, the two of us need to head back immediately and can’t afford to be delayed. As for the reward, once she’s better, I’ll have her send it to you, okay?”

Wang Xingxing scoffed: “When she’s better, I wouldn’t even dare breathe too loudly in front of her, let alone take her things? What kind of nonsense is that?”

Jiang Xiaoyu grew angry: “Get out of the way, I don’t have time to talk nonsense with you!”

Wang Xingxing snorted: “I advise you to be smart about this and let me challenge her twice—at most thirty minutes. If you disagree, I don’t mind teaching you a lesson!”

Just then, Liu Yang’s voice rang out: “Damn it, Wang Xingxing, get your ass over here! If you dare delay Xiaoqi’s business again, I’ll strip your skin off!”

Wang Xingxing immediately scurried over with a fawning expression: “Second Brother, I was just joking with the kid. I was just upset that he’s poaching Big Sister to the Foreign Language Squad.”

Liu Yang cursed: “Damn it, pick your timing!”

Before he finished speaking, Xu Tian looked at Liu Yang: “Liu Yang, you challenged me three times earlier. Now that I’ve recovered my stamina, I want to counter-challenge you once. It’s completely according to the rules; you can’t refuse!”

Liu Yang was instantly dumbfounded: “Senior brother, what do you mean? If I lose one more time, I’ll be demoted and expelled—”

“Then… watch more and move less!”