After the fight, everything that followed blurred together.
Officially, the match had ended in a draw. Tang San had fallen out of bounds, while Su Yan had been left bound and helpless. No one could call it a clean victory.
The crowd did not seem to care.
To them, a Rank 19 one-ring Spirit Master had forced Nuoding Academy's strongest graduate into a draw. That alone was enough. Before Su Yan could properly gather his thoughts, several familiar faces from the market rushed over, cheering loudly as they hoisted him into the air.
Normally, he might have protested.
Unfortunately, the lingering paralysis poison still crawling through his limbs made that impossible.
So Su Yan could only stare up at the sky as the crowd carried him along, their cheers crashing around him like waves.
This went on for a good ten minutes before he was finally set down on the front stage, his mind still in a whirl.
Headmaster Xu went on to address the crowd and close out the competition, but Su Yan did not hear the words.
His body was too exhausted, and his thoughts were still caught on that final moment.
Logically, he did not think Tang San would have killed him in front of the entire academy.
But for one instant, he had felt it.
The cold fingers of death drawing near.
Even the ambush from the wolf pack all those years ago had not filled him with this kind of fear.
Taking a slow, steadying breath, Su Yan tried to push those thoughts to the back of his mind.
He looked around again. The crowd had quieted as they listened to the headmaster.
Picking out the most familiar faces, Su Yan found Teacher Lin first.
She looked exceptionally happy. When she saw him looking, she gave a small wave and a discreet thumbs-up.
The gesture was small, but it brought a little warmth back into Su Yan's chest.
He searched again, but he could not pick out the hateful man who had set all of this into motion.
Before he could dwell on it, Headmaster Xu stepped in front of him, one hand already extended.
Su Yan reacted instinctively and shook it.
"Congratulations, Su Yan," Headmaster Xu said, placing a small pouch in his hand. "You deserve this."
Su Yan blinked.
The pouch was heavier than it should have been.
He loosened the drawstring just enough to glance inside, then counted again to be sure.
Five gold soul coins.
Not three.
He looked up at Headmaster Xu, confusion plain on his face. Before he could ask, the headmaster raised one finger to his lips in a brief shushing gesture.
Then, as if nothing unusual had happened, Headmaster Xu moved on to Xiao Wu.
Xiao Wu was still beaming when she received her prize. The moment the pouch touched her hand, her eyes lit up, and knowing her, she was likely already deciding what food to spend it on.
As if sensing Su Yan's stare, Xiao Wu turned and gave him a bright smile, then flashed a V-sign at him.
It was something she had picked up from Su Yan himself.
He was just about to say something when his view was cut off by someone stepping between him and Xiao Wu.
For a moment, he expected Tang San.
Instead, he found himself looking up at Yu Xiaogang's stern face.
The small warmth that had just begun to return to his chest dimmed at once.
Su Yan had been emotionally prepared to see Tang San.
He had not been prepared to see Yu Xiaogang.
Perhaps some of that disgust leaked onto his face, because Xiaogang's eyes narrowed slightly as he looked down at him.
Headmaster Xu seemed just as puzzled as Su Yan by Xiaogang's presence. After the two exchanged a few quiet words, however, the headmaster's expression settled. He handed Xiaogang the first-place prize.
Then, just as Headmaster Xu turned back toward the crowd, Xiaogang stepped forward.
"Since Tang San is unable to attend personally," he said, voice calm and even, "I will thank the academy on his behalf, and also take this opportunity to say a few words."
Placing his hands behind his back, Xiaogang straightened and stepped past Headmaster Xu to the front of the stage.
"Some may wonder why Tang San challenged downward," Xiaogang said, his voice calm and controlled. "But rankings and cultivation levels are not the only measures of a Spirit Master's worth. Su Yan's Soul Skill is unusual, and his combat sense is far beyond what his rank alone suggests. For Tang San to choose him as an opponent was not contempt, but recognition."
"Today's match proved that such exchanges are valuable. Both sides were pushed. Both sides learned. This is precisely what an academy competition should encourage."
A few murmurs passed through the crowd, and some people even nodded along.
Xiaogang allowed the discussion to continue for a moment before speaking again.
"Even so, injuries can still happen during these exchanges. That is why I stand here in place of my disciple, Tang San. It is important to remember that such matches are meant to be learning opportunities. Excessive force should always be avoided."
Xiaogang gave Su Yan a brief sideways glance.
"That is all. I hope you all had an excellent experience, and I wish everyone a pleasant rest of the day."
Having said his piece, Xiaogang stepped back from the front of the stage.
He did not linger.
Before anyone could question the implication of his words, he had already turned and walked away with Tang San's prize in hand.
Su Yan felt his fist tighten.
What he would not give, in that moment, to drive it into that smug bastard's face.
Headmaster Xu was quick to take control of the crowd again and hurried through his closing speech.
But the words still did not really register for Su Yan. His attention had shifted to Xiao Wu.
Compared to her earlier brightness, she now looked impatient and worried. She kept shifting on the spot, eyes flicking around as if searching for someone who was not there.
When the speeches finally ended, Xiao Wu hurried to Su Yan's side first.
"Su Yan, that was an amazing fight! Before you leave tomorrow, remember to come see me and Tang San off!"
She said it quickly, then immediately sped off toward the infirmary.
Su Yan did not even have time to get a word in before she vanished from sight.
As he walked off the stage, he was stopped by Teacher Lin.
"Su Yan, I am so proud of you!"
Before he could react, she picked him up and hugged him tightly.
"Teacher Lin," Su Yan said, voice muffled, "put me down. This is embarrassing."
"Bah. You are just too sensitive."
After a few moments, she finally placed Su Yan back down.
"Go pack your things and come to my house," she said, a radiant smile on her face. "We are having a banquet tonight!"
Su Yan blinked.
"A banquet?"
"That is right." Teacher Lin's smile widened. "I am breaking out the good liquor tonight!"
With that said, she hurried off as well, looking far too pleased with herself.
Su Yan watched her go for a moment, then slowly made his way toward the dorm to collect his meagre belongings.
Along the way, he kept an eye out for Nihilister, but to his disappointment, he did not see her.
When he reached the dorm, he began packing, though there was honestly not much to pack.
Mostly money, clothes, and a few small odds and ends.
As for the bedding and covers, he decided to leave them behind.
He did not need them anymore.
Hopefully, the next person who took this spot could make good use of them.
With his belongings collected, he made his way to Teacher Lin's home.
When he stepped through the gate, he found Teacher Lin and Nihilister seated at a table that had been moved into the courtyard. It was completely covered with fragrant dishes, along with several bottles of wine.
"Su Yan, you're finally here! Come and eat while it's all still hot."
Teacher Lin said this with a bottle already in hand. She continued drinking as Su Yan took his seat.
When Su Yan sat down at the table, he glanced toward Nihilister, as if waiting for something.
But when she said nothing, he decided to start eating.
Then Nihilister's voice reached him.
"That fight today… it was acceptable."
Su Yan's eyes snapped up.
Nihilister was already eating again, pointedly refusing to meet his gaze.
Knowing her quite well at this point, Su Yan did not push it. He simply began eating with gusto, at least until he spotted something odd among the colourful array of dishes.
One particular dish held several chunks of gunmetal-grey metal, each piece arranged meticulously into a surprisingly pretty pattern.
"Teacher Lin," Su Yan said slowly, "did you plate and arrange the metal parts?"
A massive grin spread across Teacher Lin's face.
"Of course I did. This is a banquet, and everything must look appetising."
Su Yan was speechless.
"She is right, you know," Nihilister said, picking up a Rapture part with a pair of chopsticks.
"Just because I enjoy violence does not mean I cannot enjoy the finer things in life."
She placed the part delicately into her mouth.
Then she crunched down.
Loudly.
A brief silence followed.
Then Teacher Lin, cheeks flushed from the alcohol, burst out laughing.
"Oh, Su Yan, you should have seen your face."
Even Nihilister had a grin on her lips.
Su Yan decided not to question things and simply continued eating, which only set Teacher Lin off again.
The pleasant atmosphere continued long into the night.
By the time the moon was high in the sky, Nihilister had already returned to her room, having long since had enough of the thoroughly drunk Teacher Lin.
Su Yan remained seated in the courtyard, letting the warmth of the banquet slowly settle his nerves.
Teacher Lin, on the other hand, was hunched over the table, using one finger to nudge an empty wine bottle lying on its side.
After a little while longer, Su Yan decided to turn in for the night as well. Just as he moved to stand, Teacher Lin spoke up.
"Hey, Su Yan. Do you mind listening to me ramble for a bit?"
Su Yan sat back down.
"Of course."
Teacher Lin stopped nudging the bottle, though her eyes were still a little unfocused.
"Thank you, Su Yan."
She was quiet for a moment.
"I should probably start from the beginning."
"That would be the best place to start, Teacher Lin."
"Shut it, you."
Teacher Lin narrowed her eyes at him, though there was no heat in it.
"Anyway… when I was still a child, I had a childhood friend. He was my best friend, really. We spent almost all our time together."
She looked down at the empty bottle beneath her finger.
"Our families were close as well. They always said we would probably end up together one day. I believed them, you know. I truly wanted it to be true."
Her voice softened.
"Then we grew older and awakened our Martial Souls. I think that was when the cracks first started to show."
Su Yan stayed quiet.
"His talent was so much higher than mine. He cultivated faster. He understood things faster. When adults looked at him, their eyes shone. When they looked at me, they said I was diligent."
Teacher Lin gave a small laugh, but it came out thin.
"That is not a bad word. Diligent. Steady. Hardworking. Sensible. They are all good words."
Her eyes had begun to moisten.
"But beside genius, they started to feel very small."
She drew in a slow breath.
"But he did not abandon me. Not then. He still explained things to me. He still trained with me. I spent so many nights working as hard as I could just to keep up with him."
Her finger nudged the bottle again.
"And for a while, it worked."
The bottle rolled a little, then stopped.
"But only for a while."
Teacher Lin's gaze drifted toward the courtyard, though Su Yan doubted she was really seeing it.
"In the end, I could not keep up. And things changed even more after he went to Shrek."
Her voice grew quieter.
"When he became the youngest student there to reach Rank 30, it was as if the whole world suddenly knew he was special."
She gave a thin smile.
"Maybe he did not change overnight. Maybe everything around him did, and I was too proud to admit it."
Her finger rested against the empty bottle.
"But he stopped seeing me as much. And when he did, he was always rushing somewhere else. Training. Teachers. Other students. Some new opportunity waiting just beyond the door."
Teacher Lin swallowed.
"After a while, I stopped trying to catch him."
A long silence passed.
"I left."
Tears were running freely down her face now.
"But I think… after all this time, I regret it."
She pressed her lips together, but it did nothing to steady them.
"I told myself I was doing it for him. That I was just dead weight tying him down. That things would be better if I simply left."
Her voice cracked.
"But after so many years, I still regret it."
Teacher Lin looked at Su Yan, eyes wet and unfocused.
"I regret it so much, Su Yan."
Su Yan stood and moved to hug Teacher Lin.
For a while, she simply sobbed against his shoulder.
Only when her sobs quieted into uneven sniffles did she slowly pull back.
"I'm sorry you had to see that," she said quietly.
Su Yan shook his head.
"You do not need to apologise for crying, Teacher Lin."
Her lips trembled faintly, but she managed to steady herself.
"What I wanted to ask is… when you go out there into the wider world, if you happen to meet him, can you please give this to him?"
She held out a letter.
It was slightly crumpled; the edges bent from being gripped too tightly.
Su Yan took the letter.
"I'll take this request, Teacher Lin," Su Yan said, accepting the letter carefully. "If I meet him, I will make sure it reaches him."
Teacher Lin forced a faint smile.
"Thank you, Su Yan."
She looked down at the letter in his hands.
"I'll be honest. If not for you being here, I do not think I would have ever made this decision."
Her voice grew softer.
"I would probably have carried those words with me all the way to my grave."
She lowered her head back onto the table.
"Please, Su Yan. If you meet Qin Ming… make sure you hand the letter to him."
Her voice faded as she spoke.
Su Yan froze at the name.
Qin Ming?
Wasn't that the name of the teacher from the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy team?
"Teacher Lin," Su Yan said carefully, "did you say Qin Ming?"
There was no answer.
After pouring out years of regret, Teacher Lin had finally fallen asleep.
It took some effort, but with Spirit Power reinforcing his body, he managed to lift her carefully from the table.
He moved slowly, mindful of every step, and carried her back to her room.
After gently laying her down, he pulled the blankets over her.
As he turned to leave, he heard her murmur in her sleep.
"Qin Ming… please don't go."
He closed the door quietly.
Teacher Lin's house only had so much space, and the spare room had long since become Nihilister's. Unless he wanted the courtyard floor, that was where he would be sleeping tonight.
He made his way to Nihilister's room.
Opening the door, he saw Nihilister lying on the bed, one arm tucked beneath her head.
"Took you long enough."
Su Yan paused at the doorway.
"Sorry I took so long. You could have just slept, you know."
"You would have stood there overthinking things or woken me up with the noise anyway."
Su Yan opened his mouth, then closed it again.
That was annoyingly accurate.
Nihilister's eyes shifted toward him.
"Well? Are you going to sleep or keep blocking the doorway?"
Su Yan looked at the bed, then at the floor.
Nihilister clicked her tongue.
"If you want the floor, take it. If not, stop making that face."
Su Yan looked at the floor again, then at the bed.
After the day he had, the floor looked especially unforgiving.
"…The bed."
"Wise choice."
With a sigh, Su Yan moved to the far side of the bed and lay down, keeping a careful distance between them.
Then he noticed the warmth.
Nihilister was warm. Like someone had placed a living furnace beside him. Or, more accurately, like lying next to a radiator.
Lying there in the silence, Su Yan could not help but speak up.
"Hey, Nihilister. Are you looking forward to finally leaving Nuoding tomorrow?"
"Yes."
"Are you going to miss anything here?"
"No."
"That was fast."
"I have been trapped in this tiny city for years," Nihilister ground out. "What do you think?"
"Fair."
"Now shut up and sleep, or I am kicking you out of the room."
"Shutting up."
They lay there in silence as Su Yan's breathing gradually slowed.
Wrapped in the warmth of the bed, with the day's exhaustion finally catching up to him, his thoughts began to drift.
On his last night in Nuoding, Su Yan finally slept.