Book 3: Chapter 18: Just Who is Being Disrespectful
Lin Xi’s voice wasn’t all that loud, but it was instead extremely powerful, because this was indeed the truth. From start to finish, regardless of whether it was Qin Xiyue or Liu Ziyu, they didn’t see him cultivate themselves at all, everything they said was completely founded on assumptions.
Because it was powerful, this mountain path immediately sank into a momentary silence.
“Don’t tell me that you were cultivating with quite the effort?” A Medicine Department golden spoon felt like a group of people suddenly becoming silent under Lin Xi’s words made them lose a bit of face. He walked up, and then with a cold smile, said, “If you cultivated each day extremely bitterly, yet you still have this type of cultivation in the end, then wouldn’t you have even less prospects in the future?”
“So having prospects means someone is worth being friends with them, if they don’t, then they aren’t worth being friends with?” Lin Xi’s eyes swept over this Medicine Department golden spoon youngster and Liu Ziyu at his side, saying indifferently, “Since these are the system of values that are rooted into your very hearts, why is there a need to talk about matters of cultivation?”
The academy’s well-known beauty Qin Xiyue’s brows furrowed even more deeply. Lin Xi’s words seemed to be extremely sharp, a bit disrespectful, but this also made her realize that her own words were also extremely disrespectful. As such, she looked Lin Xi directly in the eyes for the first time, seriously saying, “I, Qin Xiyue, am not like as you say. When I make friends, I do not purely look at background and prospects. If you can prove that you are not as lazy and unsightly as I say, if you can prove that you are quite diligent in your cultivation, then I can change my opinion of you. I will also apologize for all of my words to you before.”
“How do you want me to prove it to you?” Lin Xi gave this woman who was more beautiful than even the movie stars of his past world a look, the corners of his lips curling up slightly, and then with a bit of natural pride, he said, “So what if you said those things about me, it is nothing more than your own opinion. If everyone who I didn’t care about had some opinions about me, could it be that I have to explain myself to every single one of them? Where would I get this much time to waste?”
Lin Xi’s tone was extremely calm and indifferent, but for these people who originally looked down on him from above, it possessed exceptional destructive force. The Medicine Department golden spoon youngsters’ expressions went rigid, Liu Ziyu’s brows also furrowing and saying, “Xiyue was speaking to you so nicely, giving you a chance to prove yourself, Lin Xi, aren’t you a bit too disrespectful?”
Lin Xi looked at Liu Ziyu, and then with a laugh of ridicule, said, “I am disrespectful? You all surrounded me previously, then said all those things, that wasn’t disrespectful? One only needs to care about the opinions of people they care about, if you paid attention to everyone’s opinions, then wouldn’t you tire yourself to death, die from overworking? If it wasn’t because Gao Yanan disputed with you all because of me, I would feel that it was beneath me to even explain this bit of common sense to you.”
“As for the so-called proving myself…” Lin Xi turned slightly to look at Qin Xiyue whose face now produced a trace of anger, and then at Gao Yanan who had always been looking at him seriously, with a hint of arrogance, he said to himself, “This cultivation test, it’s not like it’ll only happen once…” He then spoke out loud, “ In the future, there will naturally be opportunities to prove myself. Today, you all are speaking so decisively, but in the future, if you find that my cultivation has instead surpassed you all, at that time, how will you all act?”
“Let’s go.” After saying these things, Lin Xi turned around, nodding towards Gao Yanan and leaving this place.
Gao Yanan also nodded, starting to move.
While watching Gao Yanan follow Lin Xi, Liu Ziyu’s heart immediately became filled with an indescribable hidden anger, his face completely sinking. “Proving yourself in the future is all fine and dandy, but I just wonder how long we have to wait? Eitherway, there is no harm in me telling you that right now, my strength has already exceeded two hundred jin, cultivation already at the mid stage Soul Knight level. Moreover, there is also no reason to hide from you that in the training valley, I have withdrawn with five emblems nine times. I wonder if, by telling you these things, you will still dare speak the crazy words you just uttered… let me ask, when do you feel like your cultivation can overtake mine?”
Lin Xi stopped walking on the mountain path into the Poisonous Medicine Valley.
His momentary quiet and slightly rigid rear figure gave Liu Ziyu and the others a mistaken assumption, thinking that Liu Ziyu had stepped on a sore point, believing that he only had sharp teeth and a fierce tongue, using words to hide his own cowardness and powerlessness.
Liu Ziyu and the others’ faces began to show expressions of happiness and scorn, while Qin Xiyue’s face became even colder.
However, Lin Xi instead turned around, looking at Liu Ziyu. Then, with extremely strong mockery and confidence, he said, “This type of accomplishment and mid stage Soul Knight cultivation is enough for you to feel arrogance? … I really hate trouble, and I dislike people like you, didn’t you want to ask me how long it would take? Then I can make a bet with you. In one month, I can break this bit of arrogance of yours, and I’ll only have one request. Next time, wherever I am, I do not wish to see you, so please be conscientious and leave on your own.”
The mountain path became dead quiet once more.
The faces of Liu Ziyu and the other golden spoon youngsters at his side became extremely ugly, Liu Ziyu’s fine white face even more so producing a flush of redness from anger. Just a trifling ninety jin heaven’s choice, a bumpkin actually dared to look down on him, speak to him like this?!
When he thought about how Qin Xiyue and Gao Yanan were still here, Liu Ziyu forcibly swallowed the vile words that were about to pour out from his mouth, doing his best to say with a calm and cold voice, “Fine, then I will wait a month, wait for you to surpass me… however, if you cannot do what you just said, then I also only have one request. In front of all of our Medicine Department students’ faces, you have to admit you are all talk, just a pitiful creature putting on an act.”
Lin Xi didn’t get angry, only revealing a faint smile, nodding towards Qin Xiyue. “Since that is the case, then I must ask Qin Xiyue and everyone else to serve as witnesses.”
“Are you really ignorant or crazy? A month of time, yet you want to go from initial stage Soul Knight cultivation to exceeding mid stage Soul Knight?” Qin Xiyue clenched her teeth, also feeling incredible resentment. She didn’t say anything either, nodding, and then turning her head, not looking at Lin Xi again.
“Then we’ve come to an agreement.” Lin Xi gave Liu Ziyu, Qin Xiyue and the others a rather meaningful look, not saying anything else either, continuing into the Poisonous Medicine Valley ahead.
“Lin Xi… Yanan!”
Jiang Yu’er saw that the situation had already completely reached an impasse, becoming extremely nervous. She wanted to chase after them, but then didn’t really dare either.
“Jiang Yu’er, do you want to stay with Gao Yanan, or do you wish to enter the Poisonous Medicine Valley with me? You need to make your decision now.” Qin Xiyue said coldly. “I do not want you to say any more.”
When she heard Qin Xiyue speak like this, after giving the determined Qin Xiyue a look, and then looking at Lin Xi and Gao Yanan who walked side by side, Jiang Yu’er’s mouth became flat, her entire face red, about to cry from the pressure and anxiety. However, when she saw Gao Yanan and Lin Xi walk further and further away, recalling how Lin Xi didn’t really provoke them, how Lin Xi told her a joke that day, she quietly said to Qin Xiyue, “I’m sorry…” And then with her head lowered, she didn’t dare to look at Qin Xiyue and the others, quickly chasing after Gao Yanan and Lin Xi.
“Don’t tell me that the belief that noblemen don’t associate with those of low status, don’t become friends with those with no sense of shame, students who don’t understand glory, is wrong?” Out of the corners of her eyes, Qin Xiyue watched as even Jiang Yu’er followed Gao Yanan. Her jade-like face became even colder, even more anger and sadness from being misunderstood appearing in her eyes.
Liu Ziyu endured the unhappiness he felt within, and then with an expression of currying favor, he looked towards the truly beautiful Qin Xiyue, saying, “We should go as well. Xiyue, you don’t need to feel anger over this type of person.”
“You all should go first. I’ll follow in a bit.” However, what made his entire body go rigid, feel an indescribable wave of wrath surge even more powerfully within him, was that Qin Xiyue instead remained in place, saying this to him.
…
“Lin Xi, do you really have confidence in surpassing Liu Ziyu in a month’s time?” Gao Yanan calmly and carefreely walked with Lin Xi along this mountain path decorated with purple iris at both sides, quietly asking this. Just now, when Qin Xiyue was forcing her to make a decision, she indeed didn’t feel that great, but her temperament was one where she let bygones be bygones. Now, what left her curious was why Lin Xi had such great confidence.
Lin Xi revealed a smile, saying, “Because of some reasons, I cannot tell you exactly right now, but I can promise you that I definitely won’t tell you any lies. I really should be able to completely surpass him within one month. Regardless of whether it is martial skill, cultivation, or the so-called comprehensive strength.”
“It seems like you have quite the secrets.” Gao Yanan frowned slightly. When she thought about this seriously, her face developed a bit more moving expressions, making even Lin Xi’s heart feel more untroubled, his spirit free.
Lin Xi looked at her slightly furrowed brows, and then said seriously, “A person will always have some of their own little secrets, right?”
“What you say is true, one will always have some small secrets.” Gao Yanan nodded her head, expressing her approval. “I like this way of speaking… if you can’t talk about your little secrets now, then just say you cannot talk about it, not saying false things.”
After a slight pause, Gao Yanan quietly said, “I promise you that I won’t say anything false either… Lin Xi, can you promise me that in the future, you won’t speak any lies to me either?”
Gao Yanan spoke these words extremely calmly, but in Lin Xi’s ears, there was instead a bit of entirely different emotions swirling in his heart. He gave this pretty and unique girl a look, and then seriously nodded. “I promise that I will definitely never speak anything false to you.”
“I promise I won’t tell you two any lies either…” A weak voice sounded.
When he saw Jiang Yu’er who spoke bashfully, recalling how this shy girl actually followed them just now, Lin Xi couldn’t help but smile.
Originally, the enemies in his heart were only the ‘Blade and Spear’ stone palace he was training in and Xu Shengmo, but since Liu Ziyu wanted to get involved, moreover mentioning cultivation and achievements… since this matter involved Gao Yanan and Jiang Yu’er, Lin Xi felt like he had to teach Liu Ziyu and his band a lesson that was hard to forget.
Even though Liu Ziyu’s current cultivation was already at the mid stage Soul Knight level, having more than two hundred jin of strength, in reality, Lin Xi’s current true strength was also already approaching a hundred and fifty jin, on top of that still having a course point he didn’t use yet.
According to An Keyi’s predictions, if Lin Xi obtains another point and exchanges for a Mountain Sea Clove Pill, even with Lin Xi’s aptitude, he should be able to reach a hundred and eighty jin or more of strength… based on Lin Xi’s feeling, he might only need two weeks or so of time to break the ‘Blade and Spear’ Trial just like the Direct Spear Strikes Trial.
That was why as long as he could continuously obtain five successive five emblem withdrawal achievements in the training valley, in one month’s time, exceeding Liu Ziyu wasn’t an issue.
“Originally, it was just as simple as walking together into the valley, yet you all had to make things so complicated… since you want to mention achievements, then let’s see whose achievements are better then…” Lin Xi walked confidently along the mountain path. Another reason that was worth feeling proud over, was that Tong Wei had said that his speed of entering meditation cultivation was number one in the academy, which meant that even if he didn’t borrow any spiritual medicines, if everyone relied purely on their own cultivation, then his speed of cultivation among the new students was number one to begin with.