Chapter 9
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Chapter 9: A Shocking Failure
In the woods, Qiao Zi watched as the Flame Tiger suddenly vanished into the mud. Relieved, she collapsed onto the ground, still shaken by the encounter.
Meanwhile, on the other side, the tall man struck Qin Bao Yi to the ground with a powerful blow. Qin Bao Yi, already exhausted, couldn’t muster the strength to get up. The sound of water dripping echoed in the silence, mingling with the blood trickling from the corner of her mouth.
Seeing Qin Bao Yi collapse, Zhang Wen Yu let out a terrifying roar. His eyes turned blood-red, and his body swelled to twice its normal size, resembling a monster. With incredible speed, he charged at the tall man. In the blink of an eye, Zhang Wen Yu was behind him, stabbing repeatedly. The tall man’s back was riddled with wounds before he fell.
Mu Xiaofeng noticed Zhang Wen Yu’s strange transformation and shouted, “Zhang Wen Yu, what’s wrong with you?” But Zhang Wen Yu didn’t respond; his blood-red eyes were fixated on Qin Bao Yi, who lay motionless on the ground.
Suddenly, Ximer raised his shields and let out a Shield Roar, stunning Mu Xiaofeng. He then struck Mu Xiaofeng’s back, causing her to collapse. As Ximer prepared to attack again, a pair of large hands grabbed him. He looked up to see Zhang Wen Yu’s blood-red eyes staring down at him. Before he could react, Zhang Wen Yu hurled him aside.
Mu Xiaofeng, regaining consciousness, saw the monstrous figure Zhang Wen Yu had become and shouted, “Zhang Wen Yu, don’t you recognize me? I’m Mu Xiaofeng!” But Zhang Wen Yu didn’t respond, his face devoid of any expression. However, he didn’t harm Mu Xiaofeng, indicating he still retained a shred of sanity.
At that moment, Qiao Zi emerged from the woods, stunned by the scene before her. She noticed that Qin Bao Yi and the tall man had already been taken away by the competition’s first aiders. The only ones left were the panting Mu Xiaofeng, Ximer, and a monster as large as an adult.
Mu Xiaofeng, still trying to understand what had happened to Zhang Wen Yu, didn’t have time to find an answer before Zhang Wen Yu, now wielding twin swords, rushed toward Qiao Zi. Knowing Qiao Zi would be crushed, Mu Xiaofeng got up and chased after Zhang Wen Yu, but his speed couldn’t match Zhang Wen Yu’s.
Ximer, seeing the danger, hurled his shield at Zhang Wen Yu, striking him hard. Zhang Wen Yu roared in pain, then turned and glared at Ximer, who broke into a cold sweat under Zhang Wen Yu’s fierce gaze. In an instant, Zhang Wen Yu was upon him, roaring in his face. Ximer tried to defend himself with his shield, but Zhang Wen Yu shattered it with a single blow, sending Ximer flying several feet away before he fainted.
With Ximer dealt with, Zhang Wen Yu turned his attention back to Qiao Zi. He raised his blades and charged, letting out a fierce roar as if intent on tearing her apart. But Mu Xiaofeng reached Qiao Zi just in time, shielding her with his body. “Zhang Wen Yu, what’s wrong with you? Wake up!” he shouted.
The sound of water dripping signaled the end of the third bowl, just as Zhang Wen Yu’s blade pierced through Mu Xiaofeng’s armor and into his abdomen. Blood flowed from Mu Xiaofeng’s wound, dripping down Zhang Wen Yu’s knife onto the ground.
Weakly, Mu Xiaofeng clutched Zhang Wen Yu and whispered, “Zhang Wen Yu, what’s wrong with you? Wake up, it’s me.” For a moment, surprise flickered across Zhang Wen Yu’s face before the red in his eyes faded, and his body returned to its normal size. Then, he collapsed.
As Zhang Wen Yu fell, Mu Xiaofeng also dropped to her knees, clutching her stomach as her eyes slowly closed. Tears welled up in Qiao Zi’s eyes as she desperately tried to heal Mu Xiaofeng with her staff. “Mu Xiaofeng, you’re so stupid! You have to be okay! Why did you rush over like that? Mu Xiaofeng, wake up!” she cried.
Mu Xiaofeng opened her eyes slightly, looking at Qiao Zi. “I didn’t think about it… my body just acted on its own,” she murmured before fainting again.
“Class 5 versus Class 12, Class 12 wins,” the dean’s voice announced over the crowd as Dean Kaga and the medical staff rushed over. Dean Kaga gently lifted Mu Xiaofeng onto a stretcher, noticing a Taiji symbol on both her arms, the same mark as the new Grand Marshal.
Turning to a tall, white orc beside him, Dean Kaga said, “Prince Chigarh, this child has the Mark of the Chosen by the Creator on her arms, just like the Grand Marshal.” As he spoke, he glanced into the audience where a man with a sacred, noble aura was watching. The man, wearing civilian clothes, had the same Taiji symbol on his exposed arm. Noticing Kaga’s gaze, the man stood up and slowly left.
It turned out that the beastman next to Kaga was the former Prince Chigarh, who had come as a guest of honor. But Chigarh’s attention was focused on Zhang Wen Yu, who had just been carried away.
The freshman test ended with Mu Xiaofeng and her team winning second place. Without Ximer’s strategic moves, the outcome might have been different.
“Mu Xiaofeng!” A voice called out in the darkness. Mu Xiaofeng woke up with a start, finding herself surrounded by shadows. In front of her stood a figure about her height, but she couldn’t make out the boy’s face. She tried to get closer, but the distance between them never closed.
Suddenly, two enormous shadows appeared beside the boy, and he hurled a ball of light toward Mu Xiaofeng. The light merged into her chest, causing excruciating pain. She screamed, and then her eyes snapped open, realizing it was just a dream.
Looking around, Mu Xiaofeng found herself in the infirmary. She had been there for a while. As she moved slightly, a girl with long blonde hair lying at the foot of the bed stirred—Qiao Zi.
“You’re awake? Feeling better?” Qiao Zi asked sleepily, having stayed by Mu Xiaofeng’s side since she fainted.
Mu Xiaofeng smiled. “I’m okay, feeling better already.” But as she recalled the dream, she touched her chest, noticing it was warm with a small bump.
Just then, Teacher Hui walked in, concern evident on her face. “Mu Xiaofeng, you’re awake? How are you feeling?”
Mu Xiaofeng nodded, assuring her that she was fine. But the memories of Qin Bao Yi collapsing and Zhang Wen Yu’s monstrous transformation lingered. Worried, she asked, “Teacher Hui, how are Zhang Wen Yu and Qin Bao Yi? Are they okay?”
Teacher Hui hesitated, knowing Zhang Wen Yu’s unusual behavior during the finals had raised many eyebrows. Still, she smiled and reassured Mu Xiaofeng, “Qin Bao Yi is much better; she woke up even earlier than you. As for Zhang Wen Yu, he’s receiving special care from the dean.”
In reality, while Qin Bao Yi had indeed recovered, Zhang Wen Yu’s situation was more complicated. He was under careful observation, not just for treatment but for study.
Mu Xiaofeng’s heart filled with worry for Zhang Wen Yu, knowing that the dean’s interest might bring more trouble. She tried to stand up but was suddenly struck by a sharp pain in her chest, causing her to clutch it tightly.
Qiao Zi and Teacher Hui rushed to her side, unbuttoning her shirt to reveal the small bump on her chest. Upon closer inspection, they noticed a small, human-like pattern on it. Seeing this, Teacher Hui’s face turned pale.
Hui sighed, then said seriously, “This is no ordinary mark. It’s an ancient curse, said to be left by the demon race on the beast race. The demon race’s descendants parasitize in the beast race’s body, draining their life force until the beast race dies, allowing the demon race to be reborn from the corpse. Only the beast race has significant knowledge about this curse. Mu Xiaofeng, when did you get involved with such a curse?”
Mu Xiaofeng wondered if the dream could have been real. But not knowing how to explain it, she simply shook her head, claiming she didn’t know.
Fear gripped Qiao Zi’s heart as she listened to Hui’s explanation. The thought of Mu Xiaofeng being tormented by such a curse was unbearable. She recalled that no one should have been able to approach Mu Xiaofeng, except one person—Ximer. But she doubted even Ximer could know such a dark curse.
Qiao Zi’s feelings for Mu Xiaofeng were becoming increasingly complicated. Despite her young age, the bond she felt toward him was growing stronger.
Realizing the seriousness of the situation, Teacher Hui decided to take Mu Xiaofeng to the dean for answers. What power did Zhang Wen Yu possess? And where did Mu Xiaofeng’s curse come from? Only the wise Dean Kaga could unravel these mysteries.
