Chapter 68: Want to Come to My Place?
An Unexpected Defeat
“How… is this possible…?”
Ye Sheng’s face was filled with shock. He never imagined Fu Qingyue would lose, let alone so quickly and so miserably.
Fu Qingyue knelt motionless on the arena, her vacant eyes fixed on the ground. Tears fell one by one, as if she had suffered a devastating blow.
“It’s over. I won.” Yu Li’s voice was cold as she reminded the teacher that the match had ended and it was time to announce the result.
The referee teacher, familiar with Fu Qingyue, believed no first-year student—except Ai Xinglan—could defeat her. Only after Yu Li’s words did he snap out of his daze and declare, “This match, Yu Li wins.”
Satisfied with the announcement, Yu Li nodded and turned to leave without a glance at Fu Qingyue.
Fu Qingyue’s Collapse
Fu Qingyue watched Yu Li’s resolute back, her thoughts spiraling into chaos. Sadness overwhelmed her, her body trembling slightly. Her spiritual energy leaked uncontrollably, forming a faint storm around her.
“Yu… Li…” She softly repeated the name, over and over.
But even as Yu Li’s figure disappeared, she didn’t turn back. Fu Qingyue’s spiritual energy collapsed with her emotions, erupting into a fierce storm.
“Student Fu? Oh no, her spiritual energy is out of control!”
“Qingyue!”
The teacher and Ye Sheng reacted simultaneously, but it was too late to intervene. The storm had already formed, and if Fu Qingyue couldn’t regain control, her uncontrolled energy would harm her.
As the strongest person present, the referee teacher felt it was his duty to act. He prepared to rush into the storm to save Fu Qingyue.
But just as he took a step, he stopped.
The storm dissipated on its own, revealing the silver-haired girl, now unconscious. For a moment, he thought he saw black flames burning on Fu Qingyue’s body before the storm fully vanished.
Yu Li’s Doubts
None of this concerned Yu Li anymore. She walked alone down a secluded path, the golden hue in her eyes fading. Clutching her chest, she leaned against a wall, her expression dazed.
“How is this possible…?” Yu Li murmured, her voice tinged with confusion.
Still at the beginner level, even with Fu Qingyue’s emotions—ten times stronger than Lan Yi’s—she hadn’t advanced.
Fu Qingyue’s expression during the match had stirred a strange feeling in Yu Li’s heart. She couldn’t understand it, but she forced herself to endure the discomfort, digesting Fu Qingyue’s emotions.
She could feel it—she couldn’t fully process those emotions. Yet, despite that, she remained stuck at the beginner level.
“Did I… do something wrong?”
For the first time, Yu Li questioned whether she was using her abilities incorrectly.
Her eyes were filled with unshakable confusion, but she knew she had to compose herself. She couldn’t let anyone notice anything unusual.
With that thought, Yu Li stepped away from the wall, head lowered, and walked forward. But directly in her path stood a pair of shoes, their owner standing still, as if deliberately blocking her.
The Red-Haired Girl
Yu Li slowly raised her head and saw a red-haired girl with an expressionless face, as if she had been waiting for her.
“Tch… Why is it you?” Yu Li clicked her tongue, clearly not pleased to see her.
The red-haired girl ignored Yu Li’s displeasure and said calmly, “You’re… still at the beginner level.”
“…” Yu Li responded with silence, as it was the truth.
“If you keep going like this, you’ll die,” the red-haired girl said flatly, her tone devoid of emotion, as if stating something mundane.
To prove her point, she raised her hand. A mysterious emblem appeared on it, and at the same time, an identical emblem appeared on Yu Li’s hand.
Seeing the emblem, Yu Li clenched her fist in irritation and said softly, “Mind your own business… And you didn’t come here just to say that, did you?”
“…No.” The red-haired girl shook her head.
“Then get to the point.”
Seeing Yu Li’s seriousness, the red-haired girl spoke plainly, “You attacked Yu Zifei? She went to Father, and your identity has been exposed to her.”
“Is that so?” Yu Li’s expression didn’t change; she had anticipated this outcome.
“Also, Father’s patience is running out.” The red-haired girl glanced instinctively at the emblem on her hand.
Yu Li looked at it too, her brows furrowing slightly, as if troubled. But in the end, she only sighed helplessly. “Is that all?”
As she spoke, flames ignited in her hand.
The red-haired girl showed no reaction and continued calmly, “One more thing. Recently, someone near the school has been using an ability similar to mine. Be careful.”
After speaking, the red-haired girl leaned against the wall and closed her eyes.
“…Got it.”
A Fiery Confrontation
Yu Li responded softly, then raised her flaming hand and grabbed the red-haired girl’s neck with force. The girl’s body slammed against the wall with a thud.
Even as Yu Li seemed poised to kill her, the red-haired girl didn’t resist. As the flames spread across her body, she kept her eyes closed, as if awaiting death.
“Such a hassle… If it’s just these trivial things, don’t come to the school next time.” Yu Li muttered irritably as she continued to burn the girl.
Moments later, the red-haired girl was reduced to ashes. Yu Li showed no fear of having taken a life, only flicking her hand as if it were routine.
“What a pain… But a similar ability, huh…?”
Yu Li pondered the girl’s words, sinking into thought. The red-haired girl’s ability was puppetry, a technique to control puppets—a special ability passed down in the Yu family.
Not just anyone could learn it. Even someone like Yu Li wasn’t qualified, let alone non-family members.
“If it’s puppetry…”
An Unexpected Invitation
Mid-sentence, Yu Li frowned and looked ahead. “Really, what’s with today? One after another… Who are you?”
As if hearing her, the newcomer didn’t hide and stepped forward confidently.
“Lan Yi… Senior?”
It was Lan Yi. Seeing Yu Li, her face lit up with joy, small beads of sweat on her forehead, as if she had rushed over.
“Phew… Yu Li, Junior.” She was panting, her words coming out in fragments.
“You said if I wanted to ask you out again, I’d have to come find you myself. So… want to come to my place?”