"Are you truly Wei Yi?"
"Weren't you born with severed meridians, unable to cultivate?"
"Have you somehow resolved the issue with your meridians?"
At first glance, Wei Yi had taken Zhu Ling'er for a quiet and reserved young lady. But after spending time with her, he quickly realized how mistaken he had been.
One question after another poured from her lips—she was nothing short of a relentlessly curious chatterbox.
Of course, Yang Qingqing wasn't much better.
"Wei Yi, why are you here?"
"Wei Yi, have you already advanced to the Martial Warrior realm?"
"How did you manage to defeat the Blackwater Bandit Chief?"
Yang Qingqing peppered him with questions just as energetically from the side.
The two girls chirped away like a pair of tireless larks—truly kindred spirits in both temperament and tone.
Wei Yi suddenly found himself regretting the decision to return to the academy with them.
Looks, he mused, were indeed deceiving. He had assumed, given their celebrated beauty, that the two must be aloof and dignified. Reality proved otherwise.
"Ladies, do you ever run out of questions?"
Wei Yi asked with helpless exasperation.
"Alright, just one last question. Answer it, and I swear I'll stay silent."
Zhu Ling'er and Yang Qingqing exchanged a glance, then promptly sealed their lips. But after a brief pause, Zhu Ling'er lifted her pinky finger, her expression pitiful.
"Speak," Wei Yi said, turning to her.
"Why do you walk so strangely?"
The question caught Wei Yi completely off guard.
He exhaled in relief and explained, "Because I'm practicing a movement technique."
Indeed, he had spent the entire journey honing the newly acquired skill—Blackwater Steps.
Unlike combat techniques, movement skills could be practiced outside of battle to gain experience.
By the time they returned, the technique had already risen from Level 1 to Level 3. It flowed more naturally now, with visibly enhanced effectiveness.
The two girls shared a look of realization and nodded.
Then, without another word to Wei Yi, they lowered their voices and began whispering to one another.
"No wonder he's so strong—he must train relentlessly."
"I bet it's because of Zhao Xueqian," Yang Qingqing said with conviction. "I heard she dumped him. He's been suffering in silence all year—classic underdog story."
Wei Yi, overhearing their murmurs, could only fall into a speechless silence.
He wisely chose to keep his mouth shut and walked ahead, leaving the two eccentric girls to their own chatter.
…
Back at the academy, Wei Yi received an unexpected and astonishing piece of news.
He had been expelled.
Not at the month's end. Not after the assessment. Immediately.
No explanation sought. No voice given. Just a final ultimatum.
"The announcement came from Instructor Qian," Lu Xing said gloomily. "He asked me to inform you—you have three days to vacate your dorm and return your identification credentials."
"He also said... as of today, you are no longer a student of True Martial Academy."
Zhu Ling'er and Yang Qingqing looked at each other, too stunned to speak. Both turned simultaneously toward Wei Yi.
To their surprise, his expression remained calm, as if the matter had nothing to do with him.
"Instructor Qian really said that? Are you sure it wasn't a mistake?" Yang Qingqing asked.
Given Wei Yi's strength—on par with the top talents of the academy—it made no sense for him to be expelled.
"Exactly! You've already broken through and your strength surpasses ours. Why would the academy expel someone like you?" Zhu Ling'er echoed.
"Why don't you ask your uncle what's going on?" Yang Qingqing suddenly suggested.
"That's right. Your uncle's the vice dean. He must know something." Lu Xing's eyes lit up.
Though he had no idea how Wei Yi had ended up with these two campus beauties, he was all for the suggestion.
Zhu Ling'er didn't hesitate. Wei Yi had just saved her life—helping him now was the least she could do.
"Wait here. I'll ask my uncle and be right back."
"Thanks," Wei Yi replied, nodding. It was better to get to the bottom of it.
He needed to know who was truly behind this.
"A small favor," Zhu Ling'er said with a smile, her beauty radiant as ever, before tugging Yang Qingqing toward the staff offices.
"Wei Yi, how on earth did you end up with Zhu Ling'er and Yang Qingqing? They seem quite close to you..." Lu Xing asked, eyes gleaming with curiosity.
Wei Yi looked at him and put on a pained expression.
"I couldn't help it. They saw how handsome I was, insisted on marrying me. I refused, and now they're clinging to me relentlessly."
Lu Xing froze for a full moment, completely stunned.
"Relax, I'm just messing with you."
Wei Yi couldn't help laughing at his dumbfounded expression.
"Oh, thank heavens," Lu Xing said, patting his chest in exaggerated relief.
"Really?" Wei Yi rolled his eyes.
"You don't get it—Zhu Ling'er is a goddess here. She's the eldest daughter of the Zhu family, niece to the vice dean, top-tier talent, and stunningly beautiful. Everyone thinks she's gentle and demure..."
"Wait, hold on—did you say gentle and demure?" Wei Yi interrupted, eyes narrowing.
Images of her non-stop barrage of questions and antics flashed through his mind. Were they even talking about the same person?
"Of course! Zhu Ling'er is known for her quiet and graceful demeanor!" Lu Xing insisted, nodding fervently.
As if afraid Wei Yi wouldn't believe him, he launched into an exhaustive list of praises—first for Zhu Ling'er, then for Yang Qingqing.
The gist of it: these two girls were the academy's pride, beloved by all, flawless in every way—and Wei Yi had struck gold by associating with them.
It wasn't until Zhu Ling'er and Yang Qingqing returned that he finally stopped rambling.
Wei Yi gave Lu Xing a look, then turned to the two girls, eyes narrowing slightly. His gaze made them visibly uneasy.
"What's with that look?" Zhu Ling'er asked with a frown.
"Nothing. So, what did you find out?" Wei Yi refrained from throwing Lu Xing under the bus.
"Strange guy..." Zhu Ling'er muttered before answering.
"My uncle said the expulsion wasn't the academy's decision."
"It was your instructor, Qian Tonghe, who submitted the request for your dismissal. The academy hadn't made a final ruling, since your father's one-year agreement hadn't expired."
"As for why Instructor Qian announced it prematurely... that remains unclear."
Yang Qingqing stepped forward.
"I think Instructor Qian's targeting you on purpose. He probably thought if he forced you out early, the academy wouldn't bother reversing the decision later."
"So it was that bastard Qian Tonghe behind this," Wei Yi sneered.
"And I wouldn't be surprised if the Sun brothers had a hand in it too."
Without another word, he turned and headed toward the academy's training hall.
Just then, a chime echoed in his mind—
"Ding! Player Wei Yi has triggered quest [Remain in the Academy]."
"Quest Objective: Revoke the expulsion order."
"Time Limit: Three days."
"Reward: +5000 Cultivation EXP, +5000 Martial Technique EXP, 1 Bronze Treasure Chest."