Chapter 43 The Impending Civil War and the Prelude to Class Division
Cui Yajie led Wang Dong'er and Xiao Xiao out of the examination hall and bumped into Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu, who were waiting against the wall.
Zhu Lu was the first to step forward, grabbed Cui Yajie's wrist and examined it carefully before letting go, making sure she wasn't injured.
Dai Huabin raised his chin, his tone casual:
"Well played."
Just a few words.
But Cui Yajie could tell that those words carried significant weight.
Since enrolling, Dai Huabin has rarely given positive feedback, especially regarding tactical aspects, which are extremely rare.
"Dong'er's timing for the Butterfly God's Light harvest was perfect, and she didn't waste any soul power."
Dai Huabin turned to look at Wang Dong'er.
"After the Heavenly Net collapsed, you didn't rush to chase Lan Susu. You first knocked out Lan Luoluo's fighting strength before turning back to finish her off. That judgment was correct."
Wang Dong'er was about to retort when she heard this, and the "of course" that was on the tip of her tongue was swallowed back.
She lowered her head, pretending to straighten the wrinkles on her cuffs.
My ears feel a little hot.
Wang Dong'er didn't know why either.
She had heard countless praises from her elders back in the Clear Sky Sect, but they always went in one ear and out the other. Yet, a few casual words from this arrogant man made her feel incredibly comfortable.
"And Xiao Xiao."
Dai Huabin patted Xiao Xiao's head, "During the time you were enduring the Martial Soul Fusion Technique, most people would have panicked long ago. She stayed calm."
Xiao Xiao smiled, her eyes crinkling and her little face flushed.
"It was the class monitor who gave me confidence. He taught me how to use the Dingzhiyu and how to control the timing of the combined form."
Xiao Xiao paused, then turned to her teammates on both sides.
"Ya Jie and Dong Er are also very capable. If it weren't for Ya Jie holding off Huang Chutian and Dong Er helping me share the burden of Lan Susu, I wouldn't have been able to handle it alone."
"Alright, alright, we can end this mutual flattery round now." Wang Dong'er finally regained her stubbornness, hands on her hips, "I didn't hit anyone just to be praised."
Cui Yajie covered her mouth and chuckled.
Ignoring Wang Dong'er's arrogance, Dai Huabin walked to Cui Yajie's side and lowered his voice.
"Ya Jie, there's something I need to remind you of."
Cui Yajie stopped smiling and listened attentively.
"Your first soul skill, Charm, is indeed very useful. Huang Chutian was controlled by you several times today, and his rhythm was completely disrupted."
Dai Huabin paused for a moment, "But this skill has a fatal hidden danger."
"If you encounter a Soul Master whose spiritual strength is stronger than yours, not only will your charm not be able to control him, but you will also suffer a spiritual backlash."
Cui Yajie's expression changed slightly.
As a mind-control type Soul Master, she naturally understood the risks of mental clashes.
However, none of her previous opponents possessed the same level of spiritual strength, so this problem had never been exposed.
"Therefore, you'd better use your charm unexpectedly."
Dai Huabin held up one finger.
"Don't use it as a regular tactic. Once the opponent is on guard and has higher spiritual strength than you, the backlash will be enough to give you a headache and render you unable to fight."
Cui Yajie nodded: "I've got it. In the future, I'll assess the other person's spiritual strength level before using charm."
"but..."
Dai Huabin changed the subject,
"Your overall vision and command today are indeed very suitable for being the captain. You hardly fought head-on throughout the game, but you were the one giving the orders at every crucial moment. You controlled the tempo, switched positions, and finished off the opponents. You had the rhythm perfectly in place."
"Keep going in this direction. Keep it up."
Cui Yajie was a little embarrassed by the praise. She turned her head away, tidied her long pink hair, and responded softly.
Zhu Lu stood half a step behind Dai Huabin, quietly watching this scene.
She had grown accustomed to Dai Huabin's guidance to his teammates. It was accurate, direct, and unsparing, yet he was also generous with his praise.
This is completely different from the Dai Huabin of the past who only gave orders with a cold face.
Zhu Lu likes Dai Huabin now.
"Very good, you won without being arrogant. You truly deserve to be our Class 9's ace team!"
A gentle voice came from behind, accompanied by crisp applause.
Mu Jin, dressed in her usual plain-colored dress, walked over with a smile.
She had been watching the game from the spectator area and arrived at the backcourt just in time to hear Dai Huabin's analysis of the game's tactics.
"Teacher Mu Jin!" Xiao Xiao was the first to run over.
"Teacher! We won!"
Mu Jin reached out and wiped the sweat from Xiao Xiao's forehead, which was still damp, and nodded with a smile.
Dai Huabin and the others also greeted her.
At that moment, three people emerged from another passage.
Ning Tian walked at the front, her white Academy uniform was a little wrinkled but still neat, and she leaned on her signature Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Scepter in her right hand.
Wu Feng and Nanmen Yun'er followed behind, seemingly having just finished their match as well.
"Ning Tian, you guys won too?" Cui Yajie waved.
Ning Tian nodded slightly and walked to stand beside the group.
"We won, but that control-type Soul Master on the other side was quite persistent and dragged things out for a while."
Wu Feng flicked the charred marks off her wrist.
"If Yun'er hadn't stopped the Jade Slash quickly with her last strike, I would have burned for another half a minute."
Nanmen Yun'er smiled but didn't reply.
Looking at the three teams gathered together, Mu Jin felt an indescribable sense of pride welling up inside her.
Class 9 secured three of the four spots in the final four.
This is probably the first time in the entire history of the freshman assessment that a single class has taken three of the top four spots.
At this point, the staff in charge of the competition arrangements posted a new match schedule on the bulletin board in the examination room.
Dai Huabin walked over and glanced at it.
Final Four Matchups:
Match 1: Cui Yajie's team vs. Zhou Sichen's team.
Match 2: Dai Huabin's team vs. Ning Tian's team.
Internal strife within Class 9.
Dai Huabin turned to look at Ning Tian, who was also looking at his name on the bulletin board.
The two looked at each other for a moment.
Mu Jin also came over to look at the lottery form, and the smile on her face became somewhat subtle.
"Hua Bin".
"Um?"
"Remember to be gentle tomorrow." Mu Jin turned to the side and lowered her voice. "Ning Tian and the others are all girls."
Dai Huabin nodded helplessly: "Teacher Mu Jin, I understand."
Ning Tian heard this from behind, stepped forward, and smiled calmly with a hint of helplessness:
"Then, squad leader, remember to go easy on us tomorrow."
"I'm not some kind of thug." Dai Huabin scratched the back of his head.
Wang Dong'er muttered something to herself:
"If you're not a thug, then who is? You wiped out an entire team in ten seconds, do you even believe that yourself?"
Wu Feng chuckled.
Zhu Lu silently reached out and tugged at Dai Huabin's sleeve, probably to express that "what they said makes sense".
Dai Huabin coughed lightly and decisively changed the subject.
"Alright, we'll talk about tomorrow tomorrow. Let's go."
He turned to leave with Zhu Lu. Wang Dong'er and the other two instinctively tried to follow.
Mu Jin stopped everyone.
"Wait a moment!"
All nine people turned around at the same time.
With her hands behind her back, Mu Jin smiled gently, but her tone revealed a rare boldness.
"All three teams from Class 9 made it to the semifinals. That's a big deal, shouldn't we celebrate?"
Mu Jin paused, then patted her chest.
"Dinner's on the teacher!"
Xiao Xiao was the first to cheer.
Wang Dong'er raised an eyebrow, not holding back at all.
Wu Feng leaned close to Nanmen Yun'er's ear and whispered, "Is Teacher Mu Jin's monthly salary enough to treat nine people to a meal?"
Nanmen Yun'er covered her mouth and pulled her back two steps.
Ning Tian seemed to have thought of something as well, and walked over to Mu Jin's side.
"Teacher, since we're going to celebrate, why don't we go to Jiubaoge?"
Mu Jin paused for a moment.
Nine Treasures Pavilion is one of the most expensive restaurants in Shrek City, owned by the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. A few dishes ordered there would cost her almost half a month's salary.
"Nine Treasures Pavilion? That..."
"I am the young sect master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect," Ning Tian added casually.
"Discount."
Mu Jin's expression instantly became lively.
"Ning Tian, you are such a sensible child."
Watching this scene from the side, Dai Huabin thought to himself that Ning Tian really knew how to handle people.
Although Teacher Mu Jin is a dedicated teacher, the salaries of teachers in the outer court are not very high.
Ning Tian's discount is naturally very good.
The group of nine then headed towards Shrek City.
The line was very long.
Ning Tian and Mu Jin walked at the front, chatting quietly about the progress of the freshman assessment.
Wu Feng and Nanmen Yun'er followed behind, occasionally chiming in with their own words.
Cui Yajie walked in the middle, arm in arm with Xiao Xiao, and told her about the moment when she almost crashed during the competition. When Huang Chutian's powerful hammer came crashing down, her heart was practically in her throat.
Wang Dong'er lagged behind the group, walking alongside Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu.
She would steal glances at Dai Huabin every now and then, wanting to say something but not knowing how to start.
Finally, she managed to squeeze out a sentence:
"You just said that my Butterfly God's Light timing for the harvest was perfect, were you telling the truth?"
Dai Huabin turned his head and glanced at her.
"Nonsense. When have I ever lied?"
Wang Dong'er snorted and turned to look at the trees by the roadside.
Zhu Lu looked at Wang Dong'er's awkward expression, her lips twitched, and she finally smiled helplessly.
How could she not see it?
Jiubaoge.
The largest restaurant in the eastern part of Shrek City, a three-story wooden building, with two glass lanterns at the entrance casting a warm glow in the twilight.
After Ning Tian introduced herself, the innkeeper personally led the group to a private room on the second floor.
The food was served very quickly.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's business was indeed impressive, featuring eight hot dishes, four cold dishes, and a soup, each one exquisite.
Xiao Xiao sat at the table, taking a deep breath before even touching her chopsticks.
"It smells so good."
Wang Dong'er had already stuffed a piece of braised pork into her mouth, and mumbled a reply:
"Of course, how could the food at Jiubao Pavilion not be delicious?"
Wu Feng, standing opposite, held up a roasted chicken leg, gnawing on it while giving Ning Tian a thumbs-up:
"Young Master is mighty!"
Sitting in the main seat, Mu Jin watched the children wolf down their food, feeling a mix of warmth and sadness in her heart.
After a satisfying meal, the atmosphere gradually shifted from lively to relaxed.
Mu Jin put down her chopsticks, hesitated for a moment, and then spoke.
"There's something I want to tell you all while everyone's here today."
All nine people turned their attention to this.
"After the freshman assessment, you will be formally assigned to classes."
Mu Jin's tone was calm, but everyone present sensed something unusual about it.
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[end of the chapter ]