Chapter 19: Sarcasm

Shun Lee stirred awake as the sunset glow warmed his face, casting hues of gold and amber over the surroundings. A gentle breeze rustled the leaves, its cool touch inviting him to sink back into the tranquil embrace of sleep. Groggily, he blinked, shielding his eyes with his hand to block out the bright rays. His mind, still foggy, wondered why his pillow felt unusually soft, warm, and faintly scented with a lingering, sweet fragrance that was oddly comforting.

As reality gradually sharpened, Shun Lee froze mid-thought. His gaze fell on Gu Yue, who was peacefully asleep, leaning against the sturdy tree they had been sitting under. Her serene expression, framed by the soft light of the setting sun, caught him entirely off guard. Shocked, he sat up abruptly, gasping a low, "Whoa!"

The sudden movement and his voice seemed to disturb Gu Yue's rest. Her eyelids fluttered open, revealing dazed, half-lidded eyes. She looked at him groggily, as though trying to make sense of her surroundings. Shun Lee's panic flared, and he awkwardly stammered, "Uh… Good evening?"

Gu Yue blinked at him, her daze slowly fading as she regained her composure. Without saying a word, she stretched lazily, her movements unhurried and oddly graceful. The silence between them stretched for a moment, and Shun Lee, desperate to dispel the awkwardness, cleared his throat and said, "The sun's already setting. Maybe we should head back?"

Gu Yue nodded in agreement and began to rise, but as she put weight on her legs, she faltered. She stumbled forward, instinctively reaching out to stabilize herself—and ended up leaning heavily against Shun Lee. Her sudden proximity startled him, and his hands instinctively shot up in surprise before carefully steadying her.

Gu Yue frowned, her gaze sharpening. "What are you doing?" she asked in a tone that was somewhere between annoyance and disbelief.

"I-I didn't do anything!" Shun Lee protested, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. "You almost fell!"

Still unconvinced, Gu Yue sighed and leaned back slightly. "I must have sat in the same position for too long. My legs feel numb," she muttered under her breath.

Shun Lee hesitated, then suggested, "Do you want me to… carry you back? You don't look like you can walk just yet."

Gu Yue shot him a skeptical glance. "Carry me? Are you serious?"

"Well, yeah. It's not like I'm going to leave you here." He crossed his arms, his tone carrying a hint of defiance.

Gu Yue sighed again, clearly reluctant. "Fine," she relented, though not without a sarcastic jab. "But if you drop me, I'll make sure you regret it."

Shun Lee chuckled nervously, trying to mask his own awkwardness. "I'll keep that in mind."

As he crouched down, ready to give her a piggyback ride, Gu Yue glanced at the guitar leaning against the tree. "What about the guitar? Are you planning to juggle it with me on your back?"

Shun Lee paused and looked at the instrument, then shrugged. "I guess I can carry it in one hand. It's not that heavy."

Gu Yue clicked her tongue in disapproval. "You're an idiot," she said matter-of-factly. Before he could respond, she took the guitar, and with a flick of her wrist, it disappeared into her storage device.

Shun Lee's jaw dropped. "You have a storage device?"

Gu Yue raised an eyebrow. "Of course I do. Why are you so surprised?"

"Well, for starters, you didn't mention it earlier! I've been lugging that thing around all day!"

Gu Yue's lips twitched, amusement dancing in her eyes. "I didn't think it was worth mentioning," she replied nonchalantly.

Shun Lee muttered under his breath, his face twisted in mild irritation. "You could've saved me the trouble..."

"What was that?" Gu Yue asked, her tone teasing.

"Nothing!" he snapped, his tone laced with exasperation.

She chuckled softly, the sound light and almost playful. "Hurry up," she said, her voice taking on a mocking edge. "Don't keep me waiting. Hold me properly, would you?"

Shun Lee sighed, rolling his eyes but crouching down again. "You're enjoying this way too much," he grumbled as he adjusted her weight on his back.

Gu Yue smirked. "Maybe I am," she replied, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

Despite his earlier complaints, Shun Lee found himself smiling as he carried her back toward the school. Her warmth on his back, coupled with their playful banter, made the moment oddly comforting. Though she'd never admit it, Gu Yue knew she appreciated his effort.

As they walked, Shun Lee's thoughts wanders around. Unknowingly His lips curved into a small smile as Gu Yue rested her head against his shoulder giving way to quiet trust.

Shun Lee and Gu Yue arrived at the academy just as the setting sun painted the sky in hues of deep orange and crimson. The cool evening breeze whispered through the trees as their laughter from earlier had settled into a comfortable silence. However, their tranquil return was interrupted when they unexpectedly bumped into Tang Wulin and Xie Xie, who were also heading back.

"Put me down! Now!" she demanded, her voice sharp yet tinged with embarrassment.

Shun Lee winced at her tone but immediately complied, carefully setting her down. "You didn't have to yell..." he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck.

Xie Xie's eyes lit up with mischief the moment he processed the scene. A sly grin spread across his face. "Well, well," he began, barely able to contain his laughter, "Gu Yue, didn't you say you had something important today? I didn't think 'important' means riding on Shun Lee's back all afternoon!"

Gu Yue's face turned a shade darker as embarrassment morphed into irritation. Without hesitation, she delivered a swift, ferocious kick to Xie Xie's shin. The impact made him yelp in pain, hopping on one foot as tears of laughter turned into tears of discomfort. "Ouch! Gu Yue, I was just joking!"

"Keep laughing, and I'll kick you again," Gu Yue warned, her eyes narrowing dangerously.

Shun Lee watched the exchange, stifling a chuckle as he turned to Tang Wulin. "Where have you two been?" he asked curiously.

Tang Wulin remained composed, his calm demeanor a stark contrast to the chaos beside him. "We went to check out an auction in the city," he replied casually.

"An auction?" Shun Lee's curiosity was piqued. "What were you looking for?"

"Nothing in particular," Tang Wulin said with a small smile. "We went mostly for fun."

Shun Lee nodded thoughtfully, though his interest lingered.

Tang Wulin's expression softened as he looked at Shun Lee. "How about you? How are you holding up? You seemed a little off earlier this week."

Shun Lee scratched the back of his head, a bit sheepish. "I'm fine, really. Just needed some rest."

"That's good to hear," Tang Wulin said, his voice laced with genuine relief. His eyes darted between Shun Lee and Gu Yue, curiosity sparking. "But how did you two end up together today?"

Shun Lee froze momentarily, his fingers brushing against the back of his neck awkwardly. "Uh, I invited her out to have some fun," he said, his voice deliberately nonchalant. Inwardly, though, he muttered to himself, More like she forced herself into my plans… but it's not like I can say that out loud.

Tang Wulin raised an eyebrow but didn't press further. "Well, I'm glad you both got to unwind," he said with a knowing smile.

"I think I'll head back first," Shun Lee said, noticing the ongoing commotion. He waved a hand toward Tang Wulin. "See you later."

"Yeah, see you," Tang Wulin replied, a small, tired smile on his face.

A short while later, Xie Xie and Gu Yue finally finished their heated exchange. Both of them turned to where Shun Lee had been standing moments ago, only to find the spot empty.

"Where's Shun Lee?" Gu Yue asked, her tone unusually calm.

Tang Wulin let out another sigh, gesturing vaguely toward the direction of the dorms. "He left a while ago. I guess he didn't want to stick around for your... discussion."

Gu Yue frowned slightly but said nothing. Instead, she changed the subject. "Did you get what you needed at the auction?"

Tang Wulin's expression fell slightly. "No," he admitted. "The prices were… astronomical. Way out of my budget."

Gu Yue nodded, her tone thoughtful. "I see."

Tang Wulin glanced at the two of them. "Anyway, I'm heading to the forging workshop now. You two should head back and get some training done. Oh, and Xie Xie—can you gather some intel on Class One? We don't know anything about them yet."

Xie Xie scoffed, crossing his arms. "Class One? Don't worry about it. I could take them on by myself if I had to."

A mocking laugh interrupted their conversation. "Really? Three little fish from class five talking about taking on class one? How amusing."

The trio turned to see a group of intermediate division students standing a short distance away. At the center was a boy with sharp features and thin lips, his expression dripping with disdain.

Xie Xie scowled. "Who the hell are you?"

The boy ignored the question, his eyes narrowing as his smirk widened. "Trash like you should know your place. I can't believe Shun Lee wastes his time hanging out with you guys."

Tang Wulin's brow furrowed. "What do you mean by that?"

The boy chuckled darkly. "Oh, nothing. Just that I can't see why someone like him would associate with losers. Then again…" He paused, a cruel glint in his eye. "Maybe it's because he knows what it's like to lose. You should've seen him after our match."

"Huh? What do you mean?" Tang Wulin asked with confusion while Xie Xie and Tang Wulin felt a sudden sense of bad feeling around them.

"Huh?" the boy was also confused before muttered in a low voice. "How could they not heard anything?" Before his eyes shines brightly as the a sudden conclusion he reached and madly laugh towards them.

"HaHa, How amusing. You call yourself a friend without knowing what is going through within this campus." Wei Xiaofeng looks at the trio as though treating them with disdained for their ignorance.

"you'd best do yourselves a favor by surrendering tomorrow. It'll save you from being crushed under my foot—especially since my teammates are just as strong as me." He smirked, releasing his soul power. Two yellow rings appeared beneath his feet, their glow a clear display of his power.

Tang Wulin's eyes narrowed. 'A Soul Grandmaster at his age?' Despite the intimidating sight, he felt a rush of determination rather than fear.

"Remember the name Wei Xiao Feng," the boy said with a sneer. "It'll be the last thing you think about before you hit the ground tomorrow."

With that, Wei Xiao Feng turned and sauntered away, leaving the trio in tense silence.

Xie Xie clenched his fists, his knuckles white. "That bastard… I'm going to—"

"No, you're not," Tang Wulin interrupted, his Bluesilver Grass wrapping around Xie Xie's waist to hold him back. "He's baiting you. Don't give him the satisfaction."

"But he—"

"I know," Tang Wulin said firmly. "We'll deal with him on the stage."

Gu Yue stepped forward, her gaze steady. "Don't let him get in your head. We'll beat him and his team tomorrow."

Xie Xie exhaled sharply, his anger slowly subsiding. "Fine," he muttered. "But we'd better wipe that smug look off his face."

Tang Wulin nodded. "We will. But first, we need to prepare. I'm heading to the workshop. You two focus on gathering intel. We'll regroup tonight to plan."

Gu Yue gave him a reassuring smile. "We've got this."

As Tang Wulin walked away, Xie Xie and Gu Yue shared a look, both silently vowing to make Wei Xiao Feng regret his words. Despite the pressure weighing on them, they felt a renewed sense of determination to figure out what's going.

********Few Hours Later*********

The rain had started to drizzle, soft droplets tapping against the windows of the academy. Tang Wulin walked into the cafeteria, shaking off the cold dampness of the outdoors. His eyes scanned the room, quickly landing on Xie Xie, who was sitting at a corner table. The grim expression on Xie Xie's face immediately caught Tang Wulin's attention. He looked like as though he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.

Tang Wulin made his way over, sliding into the seat across from Xie Xie. "What's with that look? Did you find out something?"

Xie Xie hesitated, glancing at his untouched plate of food. His fingers tapped rhythmically on the edge of the table, a clear sign of his unease. "I did," he finally muttered, his voice low.

"Then what is it?" Tang Wulin pressed, leaning in closer.

Xie Xie exhaled slowly, still reluctant to speak. "It's about our opponents," he began, keeping his eyes downcast. "They're no joke. Each of them is already a Soul Grandmaster. And…" He paused, the words seeming to catch to his throat. "This year's Class 1 is said to be the strongest group of prodigies the academy has ever had for the last century.."

Tang Wulin felt the weight of those words settle heavily on his chest. He had expected a tough competition, but hearing this made it more daunting. Still, he steeled himself and asked, "What else did you find out?"

Xie Xie's hesitation was even more apparent this time. His fingers stopped tapping, his hand curling into a fist on the table. He avoided Tang Wulin's gaze, which only made Tang Wulin more serious and thought of the worst.

"Xie Xie, just tell me. What is it?" Tang Wulin urged, his tone firm.

After a long pause, Xie Xie relented. "Fine. But you have to promise to keep this a secret from Gu Yue for now."

Tang Wulin frowned but nodded. "I promise."

Xie Xie took a deep breath before continuing, his voice heavy with anger and frustration. "There are rumors going around… rumors that Shun Lee and Wei Xiaofeng had a fight at the start of the school year. It wasn't just any fight—it was set up by their class teacher. They called it a 'friendly match,' but it was anything but a friendly one."

Tang Wulin's fists clenched instinctively. "What happened?"

Xie Xie's voice grew darker. "The students said that Shun Lee was defeated and some it was utter crushing defeat that made him severely injured."

Tang Wulin's jaw tightened as Xie Xie continued, his words dripping with bitterness. "The first time was the first day of school when the teacher reprimanded him in front of everyone. But the second time… that's when his teacher made his life worse from then on. The worse part is that The teacher knew Wei Xiaofeng was already a Soul Grandmaster at the time, while Shun Lee was only a Soul Master. It wasn't a match—it was a setup, plain and simple."

Xie Xie slammed his fist against the table, causing the dishes to clatter. "All of this because he was late. It's disgusting!"

Tang Wulin's anger boiled over, his hands clenching into fists so tightly that his nails dug into his palms. "The second time… Wait." His voice faltered as a thought struck him. "Did you say the second time he was late? Doesn't that mean…" He trailed off, his eyes widening. "Doesn't that mean it was when Gu Yue arrived?"

Xie Xie's expression turned complex, guilt flickering in his eyes. Slowly, he nodded. "Yeah. So you did remember that gime when Shun Lee helped Gu Yue enroll. That's why I didn't want to tell her… not yet."

The air around them grew tense as Xie Xie elaborated. "The teacher was already furious with him for being late on the first day, but when he was late again—because of Gu Yue—the teacher set him up to be humiliated and injured. That's why, Wulin. You need to keep this from her for now. She doesn't need this on her conscience."

The air between them was heavy with unspoken rage. Tang Wulin's fists trembled with barely restrained anger as Xie Xie continued, his voice breaking. "It was said that Shun Lee's left arm was shattered and He didn't recover for weeks."

Before Tang Wulin could respond, Xie Xie suddenly stiffened. A strong, suffocating pressure weighed down on him. Slowly, he turned his head, breaking into a cold sweat as his eyes landed on Gu Yue, standing right behind him.

She held a tray of food in her hands, but her grip on it was so tight her knuckles were white. Her face was eerily calm, but her hollowed eyes betrayed the storm brewing within her.

"He told me it was an accident," she said softly, her voice was eerily calm.

Tang Wulin rose from his seat. "Gu Yue, listen—"

But she ignored him, her gaze was distant as she continued. "I found him three months ago, stumbling through the hallway like a ghost. He could barely walk, holding onto the wall just to stay upright. His arm was wrapped in so many bandages I couldn't even see his skin. And yet, he smiled and told me it was nothing. Just an accident." Her voice cracked, and the cold fury in her tone sent chills down their spines.

Xie Xie lowered his gaze, unable to meet her eyes.

"I believed him," Gu Yue whispered, her knuckles turning white as she gripped the tray. "I didn't push. I didn't ask. I should have seen it. The bruises. The exhaustion. The way he could barely stand. But I let it go."

Her aura flared dangerously, pressing down on everyone in the cafeteria. Conversations died as students turned to look at their table, the tension palpable.

"He lied to me," she murmured, her voice trembling with suppressed rage. "Smilling like a fool and tried to deceive me just for me not to know." Her hollowed eyes locked onto Xie Xie, her voice dropping to a whisper. "And you wanted to keep this from me?"

Tang Wulin stepped forward, his voice gentle but firm. "Gu Yue, please. You need to calm down."

For a moment, it seemed like she hadn't heard him. But then she blinked, and the intensity in her eyes wavered. Slowly, she exhaled, forcing herself to regain control. Without a word, she placed the tray of food on the table and walked away, her movements stiff and mechanical.

Tang Wulin and Xie Xie watched her retreating figure, the weight of what had just happened settling heavily around them.

"This isn't good," Xie Xie muttered, his voice shaky.

Before Tang Wulin could reply, the sound of a crackling speaker interrupted the tense atmosphere.

"Attention, all students and staff. This is an emergency announcement from the meteorology department. A strong tropical storm is approaching and is expected to reach us tonight. This typhoon is forecasted to persist for an entire week. All classes will be suspended, and students are advised to remain in their dormitories. The Class Promotion Tournament will also be temporarily postponed until the storm has passed."

The announcement ended, leaving a stunned silence in its wake.

Tang Wulin's expression froze as he processed the news. Tang Wulin realized an opportunity and immediately stood up without a word and began walking away.

"Wulin, where are you going?" Xie Xie called after him, scrambling to his feet.

Tang Wulin didn't even glance back. "I'm going to settle a small matter before the typhoon hits," he said curtly.

"What small matter?" Xie Xie pressed, chasing after him.

But Tang Wulin was already at the door, his voice steady and determined. "I'll be back. Just… wait for me."

As Tang Wulin disappeared into the storm, Xie Xie slumped back into his seat, his fists clenched in frustration. "I need to be stronger," he muttered to himself, his resolve hardening with every word.