Today, the academy grounds were more crowded than ever before. Students filled the wide stone plaza surrounding the arena, so gathered in groups dissecting strategies, others nervously checking their equipnt, while a few confident individuals simply stood with arms crossed as if the entire tournant was already decided in their heads.
At the center of everything stood the Jianghe Combat Arena. It was a massive circular structure of reinforced stone and steel, its outer walls engraved with containnt runes designed to hold powerful abilities inside the ring without letting them tear the building apart. This was where the strongest students of the academy would soon clash.
Lin Yi and Wang Hao walked through the crowded plaza together. Wang Hao’s head swiveled left and right constantly, his expression caught sowhere between nerves and excitent.
"Brother Lin..."
Lin Yi glanced at him.
"Yes?"
"My heart is beating very fast."
"That’s called fear."
Wang Hao shook his head vigorously. "No! This is love!"
Lin Yi sighed.
"You’re still thinking about that?"
"Of course!" Wang Hao puffed out his chest and adopted a solemn tone, as though delivering a personal doctrine. "A true man must pursue the woman he admires!"
Lin Yi looked at him. "And how many won admire you?"
Wang Hao imdiately changed the topic. "That’s not important."
They continued toward the arena entrance. Then Wang Hao froze mid-step, his entire body going rigid as though he had just spotted a dangerous monster in the wild. Lin Yi followed his gaze.
Standing not far away was a group of students gathered around a tall girl with long golden hair tied into a ponytail. She wore a light combat uniform that sat naturally on her confident posture, and a beautiful silver bow rested across her back. Her presence drew attention the way a fla draws eyes in a dark room.
Wang Hao whispered with great gravity.
"...Brother Lin."
"Yes."
Wang Hao grabbed his arm. "That’s her."
Tang Yue. The newly transferred student. A-Rank Class, Radiant Spirit Archer.
Wang Hao inhaled deeply, the breath of a man girding himself for sothing irreversible.
"Brother Lin."
"You don’t have to do this."
"A man must follow his heart." Wang Hao shook his head with absolute conviction, then marched forward. Lin Yi watched him go with the expression of soone observing a man walk calmly toward his own execution.
Tang Yue was chatting with two female classmates when Wang Hao materialized in front of them and cleared his throat with great ceremony.
"Ahem!"
The girls stopped talking. Tang Yue raised an eyebrow.
"Yes?"
Wang Hao’s face turned slightly red, but he held his ground. "Miss Tang Yue. My na is Wang Hao. I am a student of Jianghe Hunter Academy."
"I know," Tang Yue said politely.
Encouraged, Wang Hao pressed on. "I saw you yesterday... and I was deeply moved." Around them, nearby students slowed their walking. Several stopped entirely, sensing the particular atmosphere that only forms around public confessions.
Tang Yue folded her arms. "...Go on."
Wang Hao took a breath and committed fully. "From the mont I saw you, I felt that destiny had brought us together!" The whispers spread imdiately through the gathering crowd.
"Is he confessing?"
"Isn’t that the Lin Yi friend?"
"He’s brave..."
Tang Yue’s expression shifted into sothing quietly amused. Wang Hao clenched his fists and raised his voice. "Miss Tang Yue! I know I may not be the strongest man here today! But my feelings are sincere!" He held her gaze. "So I hope you can give a chance!"
Silence fell across the surrounding area. Dozens of students were watching now. Tang Yue stared at him for a few long seconds, then laughed. It wasn’t a gentle laugh. It was the kind that cos when sothing strikes a person as genuinely absurd.
"You?" Her voice carried easily across the plaza. "You want to pursue ?"
Wang Hao nodded nervously. Tang Yue looked him up and down with the slow, unhurried attention of soone already certain of their verdict. "You’re a C Rank Scout, aren’t you?" Several nearby students chuckled. Tang Yue continued without pausing. "Do you know how many talented hunters pursue ? Do you know what kind of family I co from?" Her eyes narrowed slightly. "And you think soone like you deserves a chance?"
Wang Hao’s face had gone pale. The crowd’s whispers grew louder around him. Tang Yue waved one hand dismissively. "If you want my advice..." Her voice turned cold. "Know your place." Then she turned away as though the conversation had already ended so ti ago.
Wang Hao stood there motionless, his fists trembling at his sides. The surrounding students filled the silence.
"Poor guy..."
"That was brutal."
"Public execution."
Then footsteps approached from behind. Lin Yi stopped beside Wang Hao and placed a hand on his shoulder. He looked at Tang Yue.
"You talk a lot."
Tang Yue turned back slowly, her eyes narrowing. "And who are you?"
"Lin Yi."
The na moved through the crowd imdiately.
"Lin Yi?"
"The Laborer?"
"The guy from the Stoneback Bear rumor?"
Tang Yue studied him briefly, then scoffed. "So you’re the famous Laborer." Lin Yi’s expression didn’t change. She tilted her head slightly. "Are you here to defend your friend?"
"Yes."
Tang Yue laughed again, and then her eyes went cold. "How touching. But if he’s weak, he deserves to be rejected."
Lin Yi looked at her quietly for a mont.
"In today’s tournant..." His voice was calm and unhurried, which sohow made it land heavier. "I will make you kneel."
The plaza went still. Tang Yue’s expression darkened. "You’re very arrogant for an E-Rank Laborer."
Lin Yi shrugged. He then turned and walked away. Wang Hao hurried after him without looking back.
Behind them, Tang Yue’s fingers tightened slowly around the grip of her bow, her gaze fixed on Lin Yi’s back.
"...We’ll see."
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