Chapter 30
Yinghua stiffened slightly, her expression faltering as she was taken aback by his cold tone.
Weiyang's irritation snapped instantly. "You—why do you have to be so arrogant all the time?"
Wuming didn't respond.
He simply looked away, his gaze drifting toward the distant academy buildings beyond the trees, as if none of this concerned him.
Wei Zhi stepped in calmly. "Alright, listen," she said, shifting slightly. "We were just discussing something simple."
And just like that—
She began explaining.
Not the truth.
Something else.
A made-up argument.
Weiyang listened, surprisingly quiet for once, asking questions when he didn't understand. Yinghua nodded along, occasionally reacting, slowly pulled back into the conversation.
But even then—
Her eyes drifted.
Back to Wuming.
He sat slightly apart, silent, looking toward the academy structures in the distance.
The wind brushed through the trees again, lifting strands of her pink hair gently into the air as she watched him.
And for some reason—
She couldn't stop wondering—
What exactly had made him laugh like that.
Lin Yi was already there—though none of them had noticed when he arrived.
He was squatting on the ground in a relaxed, effortless posture, balanced perfectly on the balls of his feet, elbows resting on his knees, fingers hanging loosely between them. His long black hair fell freely around his shoulders, a few strands slipping forward with the breeze, giving him an unbothered, almost careless look. His silver eyes, however, were sharp—even when half-lidded, they carried a quiet awareness that didn't match his lazy posture.
"Hello, guys," he said lightly, as if nothing was wrong. "Sorry, I'm late."
Weiyang froze for a second—then pointed straight at him, arm stiff, finger accusing, his face tightening with disbelief. "You are late. Two hours."
Yinghua stepped forward too, her brows knitting together, trying to stay composed but clearly annoyed. "Shifu… you said 7 a.m. sharp. How did you get so late?"
Lin Yi tilted his head slightly, scratching it like he had to think about it. "Well…"
A pause.
"I… lost my way."
Silence dropped instantly.
Both Weiyang and Yinghua stared at him, their expressions turning blank for a moment—like their minds refused to accept what they had just heard. Then slowly, their faces shifted into exaggerated disbelief, eyes widening, mouths slightly open.
They moved at the same time.
Step by step.
Slow.
Dangerously calm.
Wei Zhi glanced at them once, uninterested.
Wuming looked briefly, then looked away again.
Neither interfered.
Weiyang reached Lin Yi first and grabbed his collar, shaking him slightly. "You LOST your way?!"
Yinghua joined immediately, grabbing his arm, her calm completely gone now. "In your own academy?!"
Lin Yi blinked once, his silver eyes calm, almost amused.
That made it worse.
Weiyang's hands moved up, mock-strangling him, his grip exaggerated rather than real. "We woke up early for THIS?!"
Yinghua mirrored him from the other side, grabbing his neck lightly, her expression now fully dramatic. "Do you even know what 'sharp' means, Shifu?!"
Their faces turned chaotic—wide eyes, exaggerated anger, almost comedic frustration, like they had fully given in to the moment.
And Lin Yi—
Did nothing.
Didn't resist.
Didn't react.
He simply stayed in that squatting position, completely relaxed, letting them "attack" him like it was the most normal thing in the world. His silver eyes remained calm, almost lazily observing them, as if he found this mildly entertaining.
From a distance, it looked ridiculous—two students dramatically strangling their teacher while he sat there like he didn't even care.
Under the Yinghua tree, petals continued to fall softly around them, untouched by the chaos, as if the world itself had decided this moment wasn't worth interrupting.
Lin Yi no longer looked like the careless, late-arriving figure they had first met. He now stood dressed in the standard academy garment worn by male instructors—structured, layered robes that carried a quiet authority, their design far more refined than the loose, informal clothing he had worn the previous day. The fabric fell neatly along his frame, dark and composed, with subtle silver accents that matched his eyes. His long black hair was tied back loosely, a few strands falling around his face, giving him an appearance that was both disciplined and effortlessly indifferent.
Wei Zhi noticed it immediately. A small, knowing smile curved on her lips as she stepped forward, her hands resting behind her back in her usual composed posture. She wore the same attire as before, unchanged, just as Wuming stood beside her in his plain black robes, silent and unreadable. Yinghua and Weiyang, however, were far less composed—currently occupied with their so-called "punishment" of their teacher.
"Shi fu," Wei Zhi said calmly, tilting her head slightly, "you're wearing different clothes today."
Lin Yi let out a soft sigh, though the amusement in his eyes didn't fade. "Mind getting me out of these two boars' hands first?"
That was all it took.
Yinghua's expression immediately shifted, her face twisting into exaggerated outrage as she tightened her grip around him. "I am a boar?" she repeated, her tone rising, her features almost comically turning witch-like with offense.
Weiyang, equally dramatic, added pressure from the other side, both of them clinging onto Lin Yi as if determined to strangle him for his words. Lin Yi, however, didn't resist. He simply laughed, shoulders shaking slightly, completely unbothered by the chaos around him.
Wei Zhi watched them for a moment, then sighed. "Could you both please get away from Shi fu?"
They didn't listen.
Of course they didn't.
So she moved.
Quick. Precise. Controlled.
Her hand struck Weiyang's neck first—just below the joint where shoulder met throat. Then Yinghua.
Two light taps.
Nothing dramatic.
And yet—
Both of them froze instantly.
Their bodies stiffened, their movements cut off mid-action before they collapsed to the ground, unable to move a single muscle.
Lin Yi straightened, finally free, adjusting his sleeves as he glanced down at them. "Impressive," he said lightly. "You did it with quite some precision. How long will it take for them to return to normal?"
Wei Zhi shrugged, completely unbothered. "They are normal. They can hear, feel everything… they just can't move."
Lin Yi hummed, amused. "I see."
Then she looked at him again, her eyes narrowing slightly, her tone sharpening. "Now my question."
He smiled. "Sure, sure."
"Well," he began casually, "yesterday I was wearing my informal dress—"
"Explain it carefully, Shi fu," she interrupted, unimpressed.
For a brief second, Lin Yi paused, studying her. His gaze sharpened ever so slightly, a thought crossing his mind that he didn't voice. He had underestimated her. That much was clear. She wasn't just observant—she was sharp, educated, and not someone who would let things slide.
"Well then," he continued, more properly this time, "the academy has two types of garments for teachers. The one I'm wearing now is the formal attire, meant for proper teaching hours. The other… is informal, used outside the academy or during special occasions."
Wei Zhi didn't look satisfied. "Yesterday was an informal day, Shi fu? Mind explaining that too?"
He smiled again, but this time there was honesty behind it. "To put it simply… I forgot I was assigned as your teacher."
She stared at him.
Flat.
Unimpressed.
"I truly hope," she said slowly, "to learn something from you… and not waste my time."
Lin Yi chuckled softly, raising his hand and waving it dismissively. "You're looking forward to it, hmm?"
"Why not?" she replied calmly. "That's why we're here. To learn."
Lin Yi's smile faded just slightly as he closed his eyes, lifting two fingers and moving them lazily in the air. "No," he said quietly. "Not everyone."
The atmosphere shifted.
"You four," he continued, opening his silver eyes again, "have different goals. Different meanings for why you're here. The beginning may be the same… but the endings will never be."
Wuming, who had been silent all this time, shifted his gaze downward.
Yinghua.
Weiyang.
Both of them were on the ground.
Struggling.
Their breathing had turned uneven. Shallow. Their bodies twitching slightly as if trying to fight against something invisible pressing down on them.
His expression changed instantly.
"Wei Zhi," he said sharply, "are you sure they won't die from what you did?"
She glanced at them.
Then—
"Oh shit."
"Release his pulse point," Wuming said immediately. "You pushed too hard."
Lin Yi raised a hand, stopping them. "Wait. Before that—tell me. Why is this happening?"
Wei Zhi answered first, her voice steady despite the situation. "Every pulse point requires a specific amount of pressure. Too much… and it disrupts the flow of qi. It can restrict breathing."
Lin Yi nodded, then turned to Wuming. "And you?"
Wuming's tone was colder. "She's right. But it's not different for each point—it's exact. Too little does nothing. Too much…" he glanced at the two struggling figures, "…can kill. Or permanently damage their qi flow."
Both Yinghua and Weiyang began moving more violently now, their bodies reacting like trapped animals, desperate for air.
That was enough.
"Release them," Lin Yi said.
Wei Zhi moved to Weiyang immediately.
Wuming went to Yinghua.
He crouched down, lifting her upper body carefully into his lap. Without hesitation, he pulled aside the fabric near her shoulder to expose the pulse point. His fingers hovered for a moment—
And then he paused.
Something flickered in his eyes.
A thought.
A realization.
She's a descendant of Lan Shen.
He could feel it.
In her blood.
In her presence.
Yinghua looked up at him, her golden eyes wide, soft, trusting—
And something inside him shifted.
Dark.
Sharp.
Violent.
For a split second—
He wanted to kill her.
The thought was sudden. Irrational.
And yet overwhelming.
Why?
She wasn't him.
She hadn't done anything.
But his blood ran in her veins.
That was enough to trigger something buried deep within him.
Lin Yi noticed.
From where he stood, he saw it clearly.
Wuming's eyes had changed—burning with something unnatural, molten gold wrapped in shadow, his pupils unnaturally still.
Yinghua felt it too.
Her body trembled as fear crept in, her instincts screaming at her to move, to get away—but she couldn't.
She slipped slightly.
And Wuming caught her instantly.
His hand moved to her waist, pulling her back against him with controlled force as his other hand rose.
He focused.
A small amount of qi gathered at his fingertips.
Then—
He struck.
Precise.
Direct.
Yinghua's body jerked as a sharp breath escaped her lips, her mouth opening slightly in pain.
"Her body is weak," Lin Yi commented calmly. "She can't withstand much pressure on her pulse."
Wuming removed his hand immediately.
Her breathing returned.
Uneven—but alive.
Across from them, Wei Zhi had already released Weiyang, who now sat on the ground, clutching his neck, groaning. "What kind of torture was that…"
Wuming gently lowered Yinghua onto the ground before standing up again.
Lin Yi clapped his hands once, drawing their attention. "So," he said lightly, "both of you know the basics. What about you two?"
Weiyang and Yinghua, still recovering, shook their heads. "We don't."
"Good," Lin Yi smiled. "Then stand up. Practice on each other."
Weiyang struggled immediately, trying to focus, his face scrunched in concentration as he failed again and again to control his qi.
"Calm down," Lin Yi said. "Focus."
Yinghua, meanwhile, hesitated before walking toward Wuming. "Uh… Wuming…"
He didn't even look at her. "Go to Wei Zhi."
She immediately turned—
"No," Lin Yi interrupted. "You'll practice with Wuming. Weiyang, with Wei Zhi."
Wei Zhi raised a brow. "Are you making practice pairs?"
"No," Lin Yi said simply. "I'm making you learn."
Yinghua returned to Wuming, nervous now. She stood on her toes, reaching his shoulder—
And struck.
Nothing happened.
She blinked.
Looked at him.
Looked at Lin Yi.
"Again."
She tried once more.
Still nothing.
Wuming didn't even flinch.
Lin Yi smiled faintly. "Now try it on Wei Zhi."
She nodded, moving quickly.
This time—
She hit.
Perfectly.
End of 30