Chapter 12: Ridiculed and Despised by Classmates

"Grandfather, Mr. Chu hasn't even seen the original text of the incomplete martial technique. Can he really complete it with just a single meridian diagram?" Wei Qingqiu asked, her voice full of doubt.

"Qingqiu, your cultivation is still shallow. For now, you can't understand just how terrifying Mr. Chu's abilities are!" Wei Yuansheng sighed, then explained, "This revised technique, compared to all the Wei family's previous ones, is several times more powerful."

"Mr. Chu has already reached the realm of Grandmaster. Any technique he writes personally will, of course, be flawless!" Wang Jiulong nodded in agreement, still finding it hard to believe. Chu Tian was barely more than a teenager, and yet he was already so powerful!

Hearing this, Wei Yuansheng gave a self-mocking laugh.

He had struggled in cultivation for seventy years, yet remained stuck at the peak of Inner Strength. Meanwhile, Chu Tian, at just eighteen, had already become a Grandmaster. Compared to that, Wei Yuansheng felt as if his seven decades of effort had been utterly wasted.

"Today's news must not leak out. If it does, the outside world will be thrown into an uproar, causing Mr. Chu unnecessary trouble." Wei Yuansheng's face darkened as he declared, "Qingqiu, give the order immediately: from now on, no member of the Wei family is to offend Mr. Chu. Anyone who does will be severely punished!"

"Understood."

Wei Qingqiu nodded, fully aware of the necessity of her grandfather's decision.

She gripped the protective talisman Chu Tian had given her, a sudden sense of crisis welling up within. Someone as powerful as Chu Tian would never make empty threats. Could it be that she truly was about to face a bloody calamity, as he had warned?

For a moment, Wei Qingqiu felt her nerves tighten.

She could only hope this talisman would keep her safe.

...

The next morning, in Class One of Senior Year Three at Tianmen City First High School.

Chu Tian returned to the classroom, and the moment he appeared, a fresh wave of murmurs swept through the students.

"Isn't that Chu Tian? He skipped class in front of everyone yesterday. We thought you'd never come back," Han Zhuang sneered, sparking a round of loud laughter.

Chu Tian ignored the noise entirely and walked straight to his seat.

"Coward!" Han Zhuang snorted. Seeing Chu Tian remain unfazed, he found it pointless to continue.

Moments later, the beautiful homeroom teacher, Qin Fang, entered the classroom, cradling a stack of test papers in her arms.

At once, the classroom fell silent, all eyes fixed expectantly on the papers in Qin Fang's hands.

"We'll now hand out the test papers. When I call your name, come up and collect your results."

"Zhang De, you did well this time, but there's still room for improvement."

"Qin Yang, your grades have slipped. Don't lose heart."

...

Qin Fang distributed the test papers one by one, soon reaching Yue Xin.

"Yue Xin, you took second place in the class and third in the entire grade this time. Keep this up and you'll definitely get into a top university in two months," Qin Fang said, her face beaming with encouragement.

At that moment, Yue Xin walked to the podium to collect her paper.

The students watched her retreating figure with undisguised envy. The boys, in particular, looked at her with a burning gaze. Yue Xin was the school beauty of Tianmen City's First High. What boy didn't dream of winning such a beauty?

But for most of them, it was nothing more than a fantasy. They knew they had no right to pursue Yue Xin.

Only the class monitor, Han Zhuang, seemed worthy of her.

"Han Zhuang, you ranked first in the class and the entire grade again. I hope you maintain this momentum and strive to become our school's top candidate," Qin Fang said, her smile radiant. Having a star student in her class was a crucial point in her year-end evaluation.

The classroom erupted in excitement at her words.

Han Zhuang had held onto the top spot in the grade for several terms running. If he kept this up, he might even become top scorer in the province—something every student dreamed of.

But before the excitement faded, Qin Fang called out the final name.

"Chu Tian, come collect your paper."

The smile vanished from Qin Fang's face the moment she spoke.

"Last in the class and last in the entire grade. You handed in a blank exam. What exactly are you trying to do?" she said, eyebrows furrowed, barely concealing her anger.

"Haha, the exam was four days ago and Chu Tian didn't even show up. No wonder he's dead last."

"Even if he'd taken the exam, it's not like he'd have scored high marks. What difference does it make?"

"He would have handed in a blank paper anyway."

The classroom rang with laughter, the loudest coming from Han Zhuang's usual followers.

Han Zhuang was well aware of the connection between the Chu and Yue families and had learned from Yue Xin about plans for an arranged marriage.

But how could a good-for-nothing like Chu Tian ever be worthy of Yue Xin?

Han Zhuang already considered Yue Xin his own and naturally saw Chu Tian, a potential rival, as an eyesore.

Yet Chu Tian paid these matters no heed. He had lived for five hundred years as a man-demon, slaughtering countless clans without a flicker of emotion. Would he really care about a high school exam?

Besides, he'd been drugged by Xu Jiao four days earlier, making it impossible to attend the test. Otherwise, how could Han Zhuang have taken first place?

Of course, there was no need to explain any of this.

Would a dragon ever justify itself to ants roaring at it? They simply did not inhabit the same world; how could they possibly understand Chu Tian?

"Alright, that's enough. Everyone, stop making fun of Chu Tian," Qin Fang intervened, hoping to end the farce.

"Miss Qin, I don't believe I've done anything wrong. True, I didn't take the test, but that doesn't mean I was running away. Had I sat the exam, my results wouldn't have been any worse than Han Zhuang's," Chu Tian said.

Qin Fang's expression froze.

She had wanted to give Chu Tian an easy way out, but hadn't expected him to be so tactless. Was he really willing to be laughed at in public just for the sake of pride?

"Chu Tian must have lost his mind. How can someone ranked dead last dare compare himself to Han Zhuang?"

"He’s obviously just bragging. Ignore him."

"Does he have any idea how ridiculous he sounds..."

Laughter erupted again, no one believing a word Chu Tian said.

"Chu Tian, boasting is not a good habit," Qin Fang remarked coolly, not believing him either and simply wanting to let the matter drop.

But Chu Tian showed no intention of backing down.

"Miss Qin, I request a new test. If my score surpasses Han Zhuang's, I want every classmate who mocked me today to apologize to me in front of everyone," Chu Tian declared, his tone unwavering.

"Ridiculous! Chu Tian, the answers have already been published. There's no way we can redo the test just for you!"