Two young and beautiful girls had barely stepped into the banquet hall when they were quickly whisked away by several young men eager for flirtation. However, Zhang Wen’s gaze lingered curiously on a girl who had previously only left him with her back view.
Only at this moment did Zhang Wen finally get a clear look at the girl with long, pale-blue hair. Like most female students excelling in the psionic arts, this female cadet from Themis Academy also possessed a stunningly attractive face. Yet, unlike Carrie or Amelis, what struck Zhang Wen most about her wasn’t her appearance, but her eyes.
The moment Zhang Wen met her gaze, he felt a chilling sensation on his skin, as if a blade had lightly grazed it. “This girl… is she the representative of Themis Academy?!” Her sharp stare made Zhang Wen raise his eyebrows in surprise.
In Zhang Wen’s memory, back on Earth, he had once encountered a similarly piercing gaze. However, that had belonged to a legendary super mercenary who had been unbeatable on the battlefield for over a decade and was among the best in the world.
Yet, this girl before him appeared to be only about fourteen or fifteen years old, at most just barely reaching the age for entering a higher academy.
A regular young girl—though she was indeed a top elite of Themis Academy, possessing the kind of aura usually found in someone who had survived countless brutal battles wasn’t something that could be achieved by mere strength alone!
“Still, when I was with Iron Mask and Xie Luo before, I also felt a lot more pressure. Hmm… Could it be because of Spring Water Technique, making my senses too sensitive?” Zhang Wen frowned, gently massaging his temples.
“You’re staring at me. Why?” Just as Zhang Wen was lost in thought, a cold voice suddenly sounded beside him. Startled, he realized that the sharp-eyed girl had somehow already approached from behind him without him noticing.
“Huh? You…” Zhang Wen exchanged glances with the girl, surprised. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to. It’s just that I felt you were… quite unique in the crowd.”
“Unique?” The girl’s expression remained unchanged, but her gaze grew even sharper, almost painfully piercing.
“Yeah. Just a strange feeling I have.” Zhang Wen smiled and shrugged, extending his hand toward her. “Hi, I’m Zhang Wen. I’m a martial arts instructor from Almace Academy.”
“Sealing. Psionic Arts, Themis Academy.” The girl scrutinized Zhang Wen’s smile carefully before finally shaking his hand with a cold demeanor.
“Sealing!” As soon as Sealing’s hand touched Zhang Wen’s, a female instructor standing nearby stepped forward. She sternly called Sealing to her side, her gaze sweeping over Zhang Wen. Upon seeing the badge on Zhang Wen’s chest representing Almace Academy’s martial arts department, she couldn’t help but curl her lips in disdain.
“Sir, aren’t you aware that contacting the opposing team’s representative before the competition begins is against the rules?” The female instructor haughtily raised her chin, questioning him.
“I was just having a casual chat. No ill intentions,” Zhang Wen replied with a smile.
“Hmph! Be more careful in the future,” the instructor said coldly, casting a sidelong glance at Zhang Wen before walking off with Sealing.
“Oh my, oh my! So Teacher Zhang’s preferences are indeed this type, huh? But this time, it seems Zhang Wen faced a bit of a setback,” remarked Leam, approaching with a wine glass in hand shortly after the instructor and Sealing left.
The silver-haired captain of the Eagle Guard still wore that chilling smile on his face. Behind him followed a short-haired beauty dressed in the same Eagle Guard uniform.
“What does he want?” Zhang Wen furrowed his brow but quickly turned around, putting on a serious face. “Maybe so. I’ve always appreciated young and beautiful girls. However, I’d be more interested in more mature beauties.”
“Oh? Like Professor Linoah from your academy?” Leam smiled, glancing meaningfully at the female officer beside him. As soon as the female officer caught Leam’s gaze, she immediately stepped toward Zhang Wen.
As the distance between them narrowed, Zhang Wen suddenly sensed the female officer’s battle energy surge throughout her body, as if she might attack him at any moment. Almost instinctively, Zhang Wen’s Spring Water Technique activated instantly within him.
However, the female officer’s battle energy only flared briefly before vanishing as if nothing had ever happened. Zhang Wen’s Spring Water Technique also calmed down accordingly.
“Haha! There must be very few men in this world who could remain indifferent to Professor Linoah,” Zhang Wen continued solemnly to Leam, though his heart had just taken a sharp jolt.
He understood that the female officer had merely been testing him. However, the fact that she could push him to the point of fully activating the Spring Water Technique with just the pressure of her battle energy alone suggested that her strength probably wouldn’t be inferior to Douglas, who had faced him today in the arena wielding the Sea God’s Wrath!
If one of his subordinates already rivaled Douglas wielding the Trident of Neptune, then this Deputy Commander Leam probably wouldn’t be inferior to Xie Luo either, Zhang Wen mused inwardly.
“Haha! Teacher Zhang, you really are full of surprises,” Leam said with a double entendre. The female officer, as if nothing had happened, took a glass of wine from a passing waiter and silently returned to Leam’s side.
“If that’s the case, isn’t Deputy Commander Leam even more surprising?” Zhang Wen also curled his lips, speaking nonchalantly.
“Oh? What do you mean, Teacher Zhang?”
“As a representative of the Imperial Eagle Guard and the Emperor himself, Deputy Commander Leam has ignored a room full of governors and dukes, yet chooses to chat with a humble little teacher like me. Isn’t that surprising?”
“That does make some sense. Well then, I’ll take my leave and go deal with the governors and dukes,” Leam nodded at Zhang Wen with his signature smile before turning to walk toward the group of Governor Themis and others deep within the hall.
“Commander!” As they reached the center of the hall, the female officer couldn’t help but call out to Leam.
“What is it?”
“Is it really okay to just leave that suspicious guy like this?” The short-haired female officer furrowed her brows seriously.
“It’s fine. He’s an interesting guy, but not our target.” Leam smiled, waving his hand casually. “Isa, don’t forget our mission. Avoid unnecessary trouble. If you let some irrelevant characters affect our main task, even you won’t be spared.”
“Alright, alright. This is a banquet. Don’t be so serious. Come on, show a smile. Don’t waste your natural charm.” After the cold words, Leam immediately switched to a friendly tone.
“Yes, Commander.”
The small incident between the Eagle Guard deputy commander and Zhang Wen quickly faded away. When Carrie returned to Zhang Wen’s side with Amelis, the two of them didn’t even know that Zhang Wen had met with the “Imperial Fang” again.
“Hey? How come you’re back again?” Zhang Wen smiled, surprised. “Aren’t you the representative of the Psionic Arts Department? Why aren’t you staying with your teammates? Why keep coming over to me?”
“Hmph! Teacher Zhang, I will be with you and Amelis until the banquet ends. But don’t get the wrong idea. I’m not worried about you embarrassing yourself. I just don’t want Almace Academy to be disgraced.”
“Teacher Zhang!” Just as Carrie declared her intention to accompany him throughout, a male teacher also stepped forward from the Psionic Arts Department faculty group.
“Oh! Isn’t that Professor Robert from the Psionic Arts Department? What advice do you have for me now?”
“Hehe, no advice needed. Just… hehe! Teacher Zhang, I’m sure you wouldn’t want Almace Academy to be humiliated in front of so many people, right? Anyway, since you’re already here, you can stay. But from now on, just quietly enjoy the Governor’s Mansion dinner. Don’t meddle in anything else.” Robert smiled. His tone of speaking was less like a discussion with Zhang Wen and more like an arrogant command.
“Professor Robert, are you saying that even if Themis Academy provokes us, we should just ignore them? Let them humiliate us however they like, and we just sit there like cowards?” Robert’s arrogance even surprised Amelis, who asked in astonishment.
“Although it sounds harsh, that’s basically the case. This is the decision of our delegation. You just need to follow it.” Robert raised his chin again and nodded slowly. “Of course, you can rest assured. After all, the Martial Arts Department is also part of Almace Academy. If Themis Academy really humiliates you later, we will definitely help you save face.”
“Follow orders? Help us save face?” Zhang Wen couldn’t help but curl his lips.
Robert definitely understood the surprise and anger in Amelis’s voice, but he didn’t care at all. If Robert’s previous arrogant attitude could be understood as the usual dominance of Almace Academy’s Psionic Arts Department, now it was clear. Robert and the Psionic Arts Department looked down on Almace Academy’s Martial Arts Department and even more so on Zhang Wen, who had suddenly become the leader of the Martial Arts Department. If Zhang Wen had been replaced by another Martial Arts Department teacher—say, Idir, who had previously bet with Zhang Wen—Robert would never dare to speak so arrogantly!
Since the Psionic Arts Department clearly looked down on Zhang Wen, why should Zhang Wen give them a good face? Did he really fear offending them? That would be a joke! As a martial arts teacher, Zhang Wen’s relationship with the psionic arts department had no impact on him at all!
In any academy in the empire, the martial arts and psionic arts departments had always had mutual disdain. In Almace Academy, this situation not only existed but was even more severe!
However, the martial arts department of Almace Academy was too unimpressive. They had always been defeated and unable to hold their heads up when facing external enemies, which kept them firmly suppressed by the psionic arts department, leaving them no chance to even catch their breath.
Now that Zhang Wen was already in a desperate situation, apart from helping the martial arts department rise again, he had nothing to lose. Since that was the case, why should he humbly try to please the cold-hearted psionic arts department? Moreover, when Zhang Wen saw that girl named Sealing, he had always had a premonition: this year, the psionic arts department of Almace Academy would probably face some trouble.
Anyone familiar with Zhang Wen would understand exactly what his curled lips meant. When Amelis saw him do this, she knew something exciting was about to happen. Although Amelis was still a student in the psionic arts department, at this moment, seeing Zhang Wen prepare to retaliate against the psionic arts department and give them a taste of their own medicine, she felt an unusual sense of satisfaction.
“Hehe, Professor Robert. I really want to ask you a question. You want me to follow the delegation’s decision, but which delegation are you referring to?” Zhang Wen soon spoke up. “How come I wasn’t aware of such a decision? Did Principal Jackfleet give you special authority to issue orders to the martial arts department?”
“This…” Robert was momentarily stunned by Zhang Wen’s questioning. He never expected to face such a strong rebuttal! After all, in previous competitions between the two academies, even if the psionic arts department hadn’t been as unreasonable as he was now, they hadn’t shown much more respect either. Those unfortunate martial arts department leaders had never dared to voice any objections.
Yet Zhang Wen’s rebuttal had pushed him into a clearly unreasonable position. According to imperial tradition, if one were to compare the psionic arts and martial arts departments, the latter actually held a higher status. For several psionic arts teachers to discuss among themselves and then issue commands to the martial arts department in a commanding tone was, in theory, completely unjustifiable.
After a while, Robert looked at Zhang Wen in surprise and argued with a frown, “The five of us teachers reached a consensus, and that is the decision of the Almace Academy delegation.”
“Ha! How impressive, Professor Robert,” Zhang Wen sneered. “The delegation’s decision? Without my knowledge, you made a decision for me? Please! You psionic arts teachers just take care of yourselves. Don’t try to boss me around. The affairs of the martial arts department are none of your business! Amelis!” After speaking, Zhang Wen didn’t even glance at Robert but waved his hand at Amelis, completely ignoring him.
“Arrogant! Arrogant bastard!” Robert was stunned by Zhang Wen’s merciless retort. By the time he regained his senses, Zhang Wen had already turned and walked far away, leaving him no chance to vent his anger.
As a result, the arrogant Mind Arts teacher who had arrived with such pride could do nothing now but glare at Zhang Wen from behind, his face turning green with rage, his teeth clenched in fury, as if he could pierce Zhang Wen through sheer willpower alone.
This clash between the Physical Arts and Mind Arts departments at Almitherius Academy was obviously impossible to hide from the other guests at the banquet. Before the competition had even begun, internal discord had erupted within the Academy—any fool could see that this was certainly no good omen.
Among the four representatives from Thamis Academy, the female teacher who had just taken Sayling away gave a slight sneer, softly uttering two words: “A rabble.” The local nobles supporting Almitherius Academy all wore increasingly awkward expressions. As for Governor Temisso, who had been hosting Robert, his face was even more difficult to watch.
Fortunately, just then, a loud cry from a servant at the hall entrance broke the tension: “Arriving now, His Excellency Governor Von Karajan of the planet Fira!”
The more important the guest, the later they would appear at a banquet—this was likely a universal rule anywhere in the world. As a regional official on equal footing with Governor Temisso, Governor Karajan was the most distinguished guest at tonight’s banquet. In other words, once Governor Karajan arrived, the banquet could officially begin.
Everyone turned their attention toward the entrance. Compared to Almitherius Academy’s small internal quarrel, the arrival of Governor Karajan was naturally far more significant.
In Governor Temisso’s entire life, he had never welcomed Governor Karajan with such genuine enthusiasm as he did now. “That guy finally did something right!” Temisso thought to himself. Putting on the kind of smile all politicians are familiar with, he quickly stepped forward to greet him.
As Governor Karajan appeared at the hall entrance in full military uniform, holding his ceremonial staff, the orchestra played a famous imperial battle hymn. After the two governors exchanged greetings, they walked side by side into the hall, while everyone else raised their wine glasses and joined in singing the battle hymn to the music. Finally, as the final note of the stirring song rang out, everyone downed their glasses of wine in one gulp.
After the ceremonial battle hymn concluded, the orchestra switched to cheerful banquet music, and the guests relaxed again, gathering in small groups to chat and converse. After politely handing Governor Karajan a glass of wine, Governor Temisso left his old rival and headed toward the Mind Arts delegation from Almitherius Academy. Meanwhile, Governor Karajan, wearing a sly fox-like smile, strode toward the representatives of Thamis Academy.
“We’re off,” Robert said, realizing that the main event of the banquet was about to begin. He had no choice but to temporarily suppress his resentment toward Zhang Wen and signaled to Jallet.
“Uh… Robert, you go ahead first. I need to clarify something with them,” Jallet replied, glancing at Zhang Wen, who had already walked some distance away. Instead of following Robert, she walked toward them.
“Hmph!” Unable to object against Jallet’s excuse, Robert could only let out a cold snort and walked off by himself back toward the Mind Arts delegation.
“How are you all prepared?” Governor Temisso had long been familiar with Almitherius Academy’s teachers through years of rivalry between Almitherius and Thamis academies. Upon seeing the Mind Arts delegation, he skipped even a brief greeting and went straight to the point.
Governor Temisso’s question gave Robert, who was still full of resentment, the perfect opportunity. He jumped in ahead of others and said with a smile, “Rest assured, Your Excellency. Our Mind Arts department has always been ready. I just hope some people won’t drag us down too much later on.” He finished with a pointed glance toward Zhang Wen.
Robert, eager to vent his anger, tried to undermine Zhang Wen in front of the governor and throw obstacles his way. But he failed to consider that Zhang Wen had been personally appointed to Almitherius Academy by Governor Temisso himself and was, in fact, the governor’s life-saving benefactor. Regardless of how much gratitude the governor felt for Zhang Wen’s life-saving act, their bond was unshakable. Undermining Zhang Wen was no different than implying that Governor Temisso himself was incompetent.
However, Governor Temisso was a consummate politician. Since he needed the Mind Arts department to work hard for him, he would absolutely not dwell on such a minor misstep from Robert.
“Alright, I understand. I’ll go speak to them later,” Governor Temisso nodded naturally, his gaze briefly sweeping over Zhang Wen and Jallet, who had now joined him, before returning to the Mind Arts students about to compete. “Well then, your teacher is full of confidence. Do you have confidence in victory?”
“Of course, Your Excellency. Victory is the tradition of the Mind Arts department at Almitherius Academy. We will not disappoint you.” The one who answered Governor Temisso’s question was a handsome young man with golden hair—none other than Luther, the acknowledged genius of Almitherius’s Mind Arts department.
Unlike the several visibly excited companions beside him, Luther maintained a graceful smile even while addressing Governor Temisso. Naturally, this composure was closely tied to his background.
As a result, the haughty teacher from the mental arts department, who had arrived with an air of superiority, could only turn pale with anger, grit his teeth, and glare at Zhang Wen from behind, wishing he could pierce him with his gaze.
The conflict between the physical arts and mental arts departments of Almitis Academy was obviously impossible to hide from the other guests at the banquet. Before the competition even began, internal strife within the academy was a clear bad omen, something even a fool could understand.
Among the four representatives from Themis Academy, the female teacher who had just called away Sailin sneered softly and muttered a few words: “A rabble.” The local nobles who supported Almitis Academy also looked extremely embarrassed. As for Governor Temiso, who had been entertaining Robert, his expression turned even more unpleasant.
Fortunately, at that moment, a servant’s voice rang out at the entrance of the hall: “His Excellency, Governor Von Karajan of Planet Fila, has arrived.”
The more important the guest, the later they arrive at the banquet—this is a universal rule no matter where you are in the world. As a high-ranking official on par with Governor Temiso, Governor Karajan was the highest-ranking guest of the evening. His arrival signaled that the banquet was about to officially begin.
Everyone turned their attention to the entrance of the hall. Compared to Governor Karajan, the minor internal strife within Almitis Academy was insignificant.
In Governor Temiso’s life, he had never welcomed Governor Karajan as much as he did now. “This guy finally did something good!” Temiso thought to himself, plastering a politician’s smile on his face as he quickly walked forward to greet him.
As Governor Karajan, dressed in military attire and holding a scepter, appeared at the entrance with a stern expression, the band in the hall struck up a famous imperial war song. After the two governors exchanged greetings, they walked side by side into the hall, while everyone else raised their glasses and sang along to the melody. Finally, with the last note of the stirring war song, everyone drained their glasses.
After the ceremonial war song, the band switched to more lively banquet music, and the guests relaxed, gathering in small groups to chat. After politely fetching a drink for Governor Karajan, Temiso left his old rival and walked over to the mental arts department delegation of Almitis Academy. Meanwhile, Governor Karajan, with a sly smile, quickly made his way to the Themis Academy group.
“Let’s go,” Robert said, knowing that the main event of the banquet was about to begin. He had to temporarily set aside his resentment towards Zhang Wen and beckoned to Jaliet.
“This… Teacher Robert, you go ahead. I need to clarify things with them,” Jaliet said, glancing at Zhang Wen, who had already walked away, and instead headed towards him.
“Hmph!” Jaliet’s excuse left Robert with no choice but to let out a cold snort and return to the mental arts department delegation on his own.
“How are your preparations going?” In the long-standing rivalry between Almitis Academy and Themis Academy, Governor Temiso was already well-acquainted with the teachers from Almitis Academy. Seeing the mental arts department delegation, he skipped the pleasantries and went straight to the point.
Governor Temiso’s question gave Robert, who was full of resentment, an opportunity. He quickly answered with a smile before anyone else could: “Don’t worry, Your Excellency. The mental arts department is always prepared. However, I just hope that certain people won’t drag us down too much later.” As he spoke, Robert deliberately glanced towards Zhang Wen.
In his attempt to vent his frustration, Robert belittled Zhang Wen in front of the governor, trying to undermine him. However, he failed to consider that Zhang Wen had been personally selected by Governor Temiso to join Almitis Academy and was also the governor’s savior. Regardless of how much gratitude the governor felt for Zhang Wen’s “life-saving grace,” their bond was unbreakable. By belittling Zhang Wen, Robert was essentially calling Governor Temiso incompetent.
However, Governor Temiso was a consummate politician. He needed the mental arts department to fight for him, so he wouldn’t let Robert’s minor mistake bother him.
“Alright, I understand. I’ll go over and warn them later,” Governor Temiso nodded naturally, his gaze briefly sweeping over Zhang Wen and Jaliet, who had already stood by his side, before returning to the mental arts department students who were about to compete. “So, your teacher is very confident. Are you confident of winning?”
“Of course, Your Excellency. Victory is a tradition of the mental arts department at Almitis Academy. We won’t let you down,” answered a handsome blond young man—Luther, the recognized genius of the mental arts department at Almitis Academy.
Unlike his companions, who seemed too excited to contain themselves, Luther maintained a composed smile in front of Governor Temiso. This, of course, was related to his background.
Luther’s surname was Reis. In the empire, anyone with even a bit of common knowledge would have heard of this surname. Over the past hundred years, five out of the six finance ministers who managed the emperor’s treasury had been named Reis. And in the emperor’s inner circle of four advisors, there was always at least one Reis.
It could be said that, apart from the royal family, no other family in the entire empire enjoyed the emperor’s trust as much as the Reis family.
Coming from a prestigious family, possessing exceptional intelligence and talent, and being a nearly perfect student except for a slight hint of arrogance—this was the evaluation almost every mental arts department teacher at Almitis Academy gave Luther.
“Haha, truly the top genius of Almitis Academy. Just this confidence alone is extraordinary,” Governor Temiso nodded approvingly. The smile on his face showed that he was very satisfied with Luther’s confident answer and calm demeanor. As he spoke to Luther, Governor Temiso subconsciously turned to look at his old rival.
When his gaze met Governor Karajan’s, the latter raised his glass in a seemingly friendly gesture. But as he turned back, Karajan sneered, his tone dripping with sarcasm: “Haha, see that? Temiso and his people are still gloating.”
“Hmph! Let them gloat for now. They won’t be laughing for long,” the female teacher from the mental arts department said coldly, full of confidence.
“Exactly,” Governor Karajan nodded, a smile spreading across his face. “It’s about time. Let’s go give them a taste of their own medicine!”
Neither Governor Temiso nor the representatives from the mental arts department of Almitis Academy behind him had expected Governor Karajan and the Themis Academy delegation to approach them at this moment! When Temiso saw Karajan leading the Themis Academy group towards him, he could hardly believe his eyes.
After all, once the two governors and their respective delegations met in the hall, it would mark the beginning of a covert power struggle between the two academies!
Neither Almitis Academy nor Themis Academy would want to lose a round before the competition even began, so both sides naturally chose to target each other’s weaknesses to assert dominance.
In previous years, when the two academies visited each other, if Almitis Academy was the guest on Planet Fila, it was always the mental arts departments that engaged in this “warm-up” before the official competition. Conversely, it was the physical arts department of Themis Academy that would mock the timid Almitis Academy physical arts department.
This year, the arrival of Zhang Wen and Amelise actually gave Themis Academy a perfect opportunity to strike first. But instead of targeting the weak physical arts department of Almitis Academy as usual, they chose to directly challenge Almitis Academy’s traditional strength—the mental arts department!
Has Karajan gone mad? Governor Temiso thought in disbelief.
It could be said that aside from the royal family itself, no other family in the entire Empire enjoyed as much trust from the Emperor as the Laisi family.
Born into such a prestigious and influential family, possessing extraordinary intelligence and talent, and only slightly arrogant—this was how nearly every Mind Arts teacher at Almitherius Academy described Luther.
“Hehe, truly worthy of being the number one genius of Almitherius Academy. Just that confidence alone is remarkable,” Governor Temisso said approvingly. From the smile on his face, it was clear that Luther’s confident response and calm demeanor had greatly pleased him.
While speaking to Luther, Governor Temisso instinctively turned his head to glance at his old rival.
Meeting Temisso’s gaze, Governor Karajan raised his wine glass with a seemingly friendly gesture. But as he turned back, he sneered sarcastically, “Hehe, look at those Temisso fools still gloating.”
“Hmph! Let them enjoy it while they can. Their laughter won’t last long,” the Mind Arts female teacher said coldly, brimming with confidence.
“Exactly,” Governor Karajan nodded, a smile returning to his face. “It’s about time. Let’s go show them a little color!”
Neither Governor Temisso nor the Mind Arts delegation from Almitherius Academy behind him had expected that Governor Karajan and the representatives from Thamis Academy would actually approach them so soon! When Governor Temisso saw Governor Karajan leading the Thamis Academy representatives toward him, he could hardly believe his eyes.
After all, once the two governors and their respective delegations met face-to-face in this hall, it would mark the beginning of a hidden contest between the two academies!
Neither Almitherius Academy nor Thamis Academy would want to lose ground before the competition even began, so naturally, both sides would choose to demonstrate their strength by targeting each other’s weaknesses.
In previous years during mutual visits, if Almitherius Academy visited Fira Planet, it would be the Mind Arts departments from both academies competing in a warm-up match before the official contest. Conversely, if Thamis Academy visited, it would be their Physical Arts department humiliating Almitherius’s Physical Arts department for refusing to compete.
This year, the arrival of Zhang Wen and Amelice had actually given Thamis Academy a perfect opportunity to strike first. Yet, surprisingly, they deviated from the norm—not only showing no intention of targeting Almitherius’s glaring weakness in Physical Arts, but instead choosing to directly challenge Almitherius’s traditional stronghold—the Mind Arts department!
Was Karajan out of his mind? Governor Temisso thought in disbelief.
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