Chapter 127: A Duel of Wits in Class

Cold Ice Flame pulled out his phone and called Li Yexue. “Big sister Yexue, the mission is complete.” He shook the ring in his hand, the one he had obtained from Cen Yongtian, who had ultimately been captured by Cold Ice Flame after a failed attempt to escape.

However, the outcome was disappointing—Cen Yongtian had been utterly destroyed, leaving no remains. How could Ice Flame report the mission under such circumstances?

The storage ring was a priceless treasure in the current world of supernatural powers. Usually, those with great strength would rather risk their lives than abandon it. Using it as proof of mission completion, combined with his identity as the executor, should suffice.

Li Yexue’s voice came through after a moment of contemplation. “I think it should be fine. After all, no one would give up such a treasure without losing their life, especially the strong.”

Shaking off the persistent presence of Hong Xiaoyi clinging behind him, Cold Ice Flame’s figure moved swiftly like a light swallow back to his room. For the sake of that mission, he hadn’t slept all night; now he needed to catch up on rest.

※※※ Feather ※※※ Emperor ※※※

At QH University, in the 2014 Bioengineering Class One—which refers to students who enrolled in 2014 and are now sophomores in 2015—three individuals hurriedly entered the classroom five minutes before class started. They were markedly different in height but all dressed in white, exuding an elegant and stylish aura. Among them, Cold Ice Flame was dressed the most conservatively, standing in sharp contrast to the other two. Yet, a keen observer would notice that beneath his long hair lay a pair of eyes bright and unfathomable.

Unfortunately, their swift entrance caught no one’s attention. Finding three empty seats, they sat down without hesitation and began pulling out their textbooks. Shortly after, the class bell rang, and a striking young woman entered—their counselor.

Lin Xueyue, a recently graduated young teacher, naturally possessed a baby-faced charm that made her appear younger than her actual age. Due to her excellent academic achievements and skipping several grades, she became a QH University instructor at just 21. Though now 22, she still looked like a student in her early twenties.

Lin Xueyue was undeniably beautiful, crowned as the top beauty among QH University’s faculty and students. The moment she stepped onto the podium, all noise in the classroom vanished instantly, a testament to her captivating presence.

Dressed in a form-fitting light blue outfit that accentuated her exquisite figure, her long, slender legs shone in the open air, pale and delicate. The red high heels made her already tall frame appear even more elegant. Her arrival immediately stirred the covert admiration of the entire class, though only in their hearts.

The beautiful counselor first threw a challenging glance at Cold Ice Flame. He broke into a sweat—she hardly looked like a counselor, more like a playful young girl.

Unwilling to be outdone, Cold Ice Flame smiled subtly, as if watching a show, meeting her gaze with amusement. Lin Xueyue’s expression instantly faltered under his stare; it felt as though she were exposed without any clothes before him. The day was already cold; dressing in a short skirt before summer was rare. She wore this deliberately, intending to command respect and adoration from both male and female students alike. A classic beauty’s stratagem—effective time and again.

But Cold Ice Flame was different. She not only felt defeated but also awkward. Something about him was unusual, though she couldn’t pinpoint what.

Noticing their prolonged eye contact, Cold Ice Flame grew uneasy. He dared not reveal anything, despite his confidence in his illusion skills. Fearing that his cleverness might betray him, he quickly turned his head away.

Seeing the rest of the class still enchanted by Lin Xueyue’s charm, he thought silently, “Ants—Lin Xueyue is just an ant, a big ant leading a colony of little ants!”

Lin Xueyue was unaware of his thoughts, but she caught his head-turning gesture. “This guy still won’t dare confront me directly. Looks like I’m quite the threat,” she mused smugly.

An idea formed in her mind as she pondered how to teach this fellow a lesson—he showed no respect, despite her rare beauty! “Class, at the end of next month, the school will hold a three-day sports meet. Those with athletic talent in our class must strive for first place—no, the more first places, the better!”

She deliberately glanced at Cold Ice Flame, flashing a dark smile. “Ice Flame, you’ll participate, won’t you? I have high hopes for you!”

The class turned their eyes to Cold Ice Flame. He inwardly groaned but outwardly remained composed. “But teacher, I’m afraid my heart is willing but my strength insufficient. My studies are average, and I’m no athlete. As the saying goes, arrogance must be backed by ability. I’m neither outstanding in academics nor sports; it’s difficult for me to shoulder such a grand responsibility.”

His classmates looked on in surprise, especially Fang Yanbin, who was wide-eyed. Lin Xueyue’s face turned pale with anger, but Cold Ice Flame remained unfazed and continued, “If I had such ability, I might imitate Emperor Tang Minghuang’s famed thousand-mile journey to win a smile from his beloved. But alas…”

Before he could finish, Lin Xueyue, having anticipated his response, smiled even more brightly, captivating the class again. “But… I’ve already signed you up—for the grueling 5,000-meter run. I thought you’d train hard…”

She sighed in mock distress. “Today’s just an early notice so you can start practicing. But now you’re reluctant. What to do? It can’t be changed. Ice Flame, just give it a try, okay? Even if you don’t win, it’s good exercise. Starting today, begin your training.”

Cold Ice Flame sighed inwardly. “A well-laid trap, a grand conspiracy!” What else could he do but accept, nodding helplessly? Yet he couldn’t understand why this girl-like counselor always seemed to make things difficult for him.

Lin Xueyue’s smile faded, and among the 48 students, nearly 45 wore serious expressions—except for Cold Ice Flame and his two companions.

She scanned the room, her gaze landing on Long Tianyu. A flash of hostility crossed her eyes as she thundered, “Long Tianyu!”

Long Tianyu, dozing, scratched his hand, mistaking the outburst for thunder, and lazily continued leaning on the desk. Cold Ice Flame admired him—how had he fallen asleep so quickly? Probably exhausted from his sister’s nagging the day before. Luckily, that troublesome “demon star” had finally left.

Unable to bear it, Cold Ice Flame pinched Long Tianyu’s thigh hard under the desk. “The teacher’s angry! She’s calling you!”

“Here!” Long Tianyu sprang up like a spring, shouting loudly.

Unexpectedly, Lin Xueyue’s expression flickered briefly before returning to normal, as if nothing had happened. She silently reminded herself, “I’m a lady; I can’t get angry. I’m a lady; I must keep calm…”

She stared at Long Tianyu coldly. “You sleep so soundly. Do you know that other students fight to get in my class, so much so that there aren’t enough seats? Yet you disdain attending!”

Long Tianyu said nothing, thinking, Aren’t they all just here for your beauty? But he kept silent; such fleeting honors and insults were but clouds. The true eternal pursuit lay in the vast way of Heaven. Oh no, Ice Flame has been muttering that in my ear too often; now I’m obsessing over it!

“Long Tianyu, I suppose I should praise you for looking spirited, but why so listless? At this rate, how will you pass your finals?”

After catching her breath, an unexpected voice interrupted. Cold Ice Flame said calmly, “Teacher Lin, don’t be upset. As long as there are exams, there will be results—good or bad, that’s nature’s law. No amount of forcing changes that. Results are fleeting illusions, lacking any real substance. One might spend a lifetime without achievement; better to give up early and find what truly suits oneself.”

Lin Xueyue was stunned—his words were unexpected. Long Tianyu shared her surprise but suspected Cold Ice Flame was trying to belittle her again.

Cold Ice Flame smirked, raising his eyebrows at Lin Xueyue. See? In no time, I’ve taken back the stage. You miscalculated!

Lin Xueyue was taken aback for a while before turning her focus to him with interest. “Ice Flame, you sure are eloquent—quite impressive. If only you applied that talent properly.”

“What about your previous exam essays? ‘On the Origin of the Great Way at the Dawn of Chaos,’ ‘The Inevitability of the Universe’s Change through the I Ching’s Hexagrams,’ ‘The Essence of Yin and Yang, Heaven and Earth’s Gate and Treasure of the I Ching.’ What nonsense is that? Rambling absurdities. Can you write something practical?”

“Teacher, the Great Way is formless, the Heavenly Dao is non-action. The Great Way is the law; the Heavenly Dao is the universe’s grand momentum. Small forces can change; great forces cannot. Those notions of Heaven and Earth, Yin and Yang, and the Eight Trigrams are my reflections after reading the I Ching. This Great Way—”

Lin Xueyue cut him off. “Can’t you think of something normal? Always these Buddhist and Taoist ideas—completely unrealistic. Do you think readers study the I Ching? Your essays are hollow, lacking evidence. Even if there is evidence, it’s like looking at flowers in fog, or the moon in water—superficial and shallow. Whatever your thoughts, your writing is useless.”

She shot Cold Ice Flame a triumphant look. Victory was hers!

Cold Ice Flame fell silent, feeling wronged and melancholy. Inwardly, he lamented, “Ants… and here I am, bullied by ants again…”

Seeing him so dejected, Lin Xueyue softened slightly. “Come see me in the office after class,” she said, ending their quarrel born of rivalry.

A small nod to a scene from another novel—please forgive the brief reference.