Chapter 3: Lucian Sabey

Evan Norman was stunned too. No one understood his condition better than he did. His strength had already fallen to just a little over a thousand pounds. In other words, he had only cultivated the Nine Cycles Heaven-Plundering Scripture once, and his strength had jumped by nearly a thousand pounds. It was unbelievable. Terrifying, even. And if Colin Umpleby was right, the place you cultivated mattered a great deal. Heaven and Earth Energy varied from location to location. So what if he found a place saturated with energy, then cultivated the Nine Cycles Heaven-Plundering Scripture there? How far would his strength surge? He forced the excitement down and walked back with practiced calm, stepping into the boys' shocked, gut-twisting stares and the girls' starry-eyed looks. The yearly exam continued. Voices buzzed everywhere, everyone still reeling from Evan Norman's result. In less than the time it took an incense stick to burn, the yearly exam ended. This time, the vast majority scored well. Only one person failed to meet the requirement of a thirty percent increase. After returning, that student would pack up and head home. "Those who passed, don't get arrogant or careless," the record-keeping teacher said. "In the new year, work even harder." With that, he left with the other two teachers. The crowd immediately broke into hushed chatter and started to disperse. "Hold it!" Several girls stepped out at once, blocking Bowen Bennitt's path. How dare he bully their idol? "What do you want?" Bowen's face darkened. The fact that Evan Norman hadn't been expelled from the academy made his blood boil. "You lost the bet to Evan Norman," the girls shot back. "Trying to weasel out of it?" Evan Norman had planned to deal with Bowen himself, but since the girls were doing the work for him, he stayed to watch the show. A long time ago, he had grown used to the special treatment women gave him. Refusing only made them angry. So he simply accepted it in silence. Watching the girls' fighting spirit spike, the boys' hearts cracked one after another. So what if he was a little good-looking? That pretty boy. Even after becoming a crippled nobody, he still shone so brightly. It was infuriating. Bowen clung to the idea that a decent man didn't fight with women and tried to slip away. Besides, these weren't ordinary girls. They were female martial artists, not to be underestimated. Still, he never should have provoked Evan Norman. "Hit him!" a girl shouted. In an instant, the whole group erupted. The girls surged forward and swallowed Bowen Bennitt in a wave of bodies. To enter Stellar Gale Academy, you either had power, status, and money, or you had monstrous talent. Students in the Human Academy were poor kids who got in on talent alone. Unlike the Heaven Academy and Earth Academy, where most students came from noble houses or absurdly wealthy families. Bowen might have talent, but he couldn't withstand a crowd of equally talented girls, especially when they were furious like a pack of tigresses. Not a single boy stepped in. First, it wasn't their problem. Second, fighting women brought no pride if you won and only humiliation if you lost. Third, and most importantly, what good would one or two of them do? Could they really beat that many girls? They all glared at Evan Norman, teeth grinding. So what if he was a little good-looking? But after staring a few seconds longer, they could only sigh in defeat. The guy was genuinely beautiful, far beyond ordinary "handsome." After a while, Bowen Bennitt was beaten down like a dead dog, his head swollen like a pig's. "Honor the bet!" The girls still weren't satisfied. They forced him onto his knees and demanded he fulfill the wager. A few even looked excited, like the beating hadn't been enough. Bowen shivered. These women hit way too hard. He didn't want a second round. He might actually get beaten to death. With no other choice, he muttered, "Lucian Sabey is a bastard." "Louder!" "Couldn't hear you!" The girls grew even more energized, shouting over one another. "Lucian Sabey is a bastard!" Bowen raised his voice. "Even louder." "Lucian Sabey is a bastard!" Bowen screamed it, and the moment the words left his mouth, tears spilled down his face. It was too humiliating. Getting bullied like this by women. Only then were the girls satisfied. They let go, each one instantly returning to a demure, ladylike air. They smiled sweetly at Evan Norman, as if the vicious demons from a moment ago had been an entirely different group. Bowen took the chance to slip away. While he was being beaten, he had protected his head with his arms and curled his body tight, avoiding serious injuries. So even though his whole body ached like hell, he could still move. "Evan Norman, just you wait!" Only after he'd run far away did he dare turn around and roar, then he immediately bolted again. He hadn't gone much farther before he stopped, then turned back. Beside him stood another boy around fifteen or sixteen, dressed in luxurious brocade and fine jade, every inch the picture of wealth. The boy was handsome too, but compared to Evan Norman… the gap was still obvious. "Oh no. Lucian Sabey is here!" The Human Academy students instantly tensed. They had to. Lucian Sabey was from the Heaven Academy, and anyone who could enter the Heaven Academy was the descendant of a Sunrise City elite family. People like that weren't someone Human Academy students could afford to offend. Even the girls who had been tigresses moments ago showed fear. They could bully Bowen Bennitt all they wanted, but Lucian Sabey was different. With the title Seventh Young Master Sabey hanging over his head, who dared act out? Lucian Sabey stared at Evan Norman, disgust written plainly across his face. He was born into a powerful family. His talent in the Martial Way was outstanding. He was tall and elegant, handsome enough to stand out anywhere. By all rights, he should have been the academy's brightest star. And then Evan Norman appeared. Same age, stronger than him, better-looking than him. Even the Heaven Academy girls had fallen head over heels for Evan Norman. Last year, Evan Norman had even defeated him and won the right to represent the academy in the Imperial Capital Martial Arts Tournament. Every part of it made Lucian Sabey hate him to the bone. He had been waiting for this day. As long as Evan Norman was expelled, he would have someone kill him. A death was a serious incident, sure, but Evan Norman wouldn't be an academy disciple anymore. Just a nobody. If he died, he died. Who would waste effort investigating? It would be quietly buried. But he had just received word that Evan Norman had actually scraped through. He couldn't believe it. He came personally to confirm it, only to run into Bowen Bennitt and learn about the bet. "Evan Norman, you've got some nerve," Lucian Sabey said coldly, his presence sharp enough to cut. The Human Academy girls all wanted to protect their idol, but under Lucian Sabey's oppressive aura, none of them even dared lift their heads. "Not bad. Not bad at all," Evan Norman replied, voice flat. Lucian Sabey already wanted him dead. Why would he be polite? "You're just a crippled piece of trash," Lucian Sabey said, striding toward him. Each heavy step made the ground tremble faintly. The boys watched with open glee, while the girls grew so tense they could barely breathe. It was Lucian Sabey. In the yearly exam two days ago, his strength had reached two thousand eight hundred pounds. He was close to becoming an Intermediate Martial Apprentice. The gap was simply too big.