TRWSB – Chapter 45 Qi He Stirs Trouble

Qi Shaorong closed his book and stood, unable to focus on the text. He sighed, shut the book, and returned to his dormitory.

“Master, you’re back,” Qi Heng greeted him.

The academy had arranged four-person dormitories for the special class students. Students desiring private rooms had to pay an additional 1,000 gold coins. Many special-class students chose to pay for private accommodations, as they offered more space and the option to bring an assistant.

“Weren’t you at the library? They say the Tianlan Academy library is the largest in the country. Even Shenghuang Academy once offered millions of gold coins to purchase some rare books from it, but the principal refused outright,” Qi Heng remarked.

Qi Shaorong rubbed his temples, worry evident on his face. “Things might be getting complicated.”

“What happened?” Qi Heng asked, puzzled.

“Zhuang Ling is a history professor here at Tianlan Academy,” Qi Shaorong replied.

“What’s the problem with that?” Qi Heng inquired.

“She seems to have vaguely guessed my other identity,” Qi Shaorong said.

Qi Heng’s eyes widened in shock. “How could that happen?”

Qi Shaorong shrugged. “The world is full of clever people. I’ve been around Zhuang Hao for so long, and he hasn’t suspected a thing. But Zhuang Ling saw through something almost immediately. I can’t tell if it’s because she’s too smart or if Zhuang Hao is just too dense.”

“She’s only suspicious?” Qi Heng asked cautiously.

“Yes. She said she wouldn’t interfere,” Qi Shaorong replied.

“That’s good to hear. Even if she said something, it’s not certain anyone would believe her,” Qi Heng said.

“True,” Qi Shaorong agreed.

“I heard Zhuang Hao visited the academy. The principal practically salivated at the sight of him, trying to poach him without a second thought. Too bad it didn’t work,” Qi Heng said with a smirk.

Qi Shaorong clasped his hands behind his back. “What’s so great about Zhuang Hao? He’s just lucky to have been born into the Zhuang family, and everyone fawns over him because of it.”

“Exactly,” Qi Heng nodded.

Qi Shaorong sighed. “That guy’s life is charmed. Not only was he born into the leading family of the Four Great Clans, but his talent is also unparalleled. What kind of good deeds did he do in his past life to deserve all this?”

“Are you envious?” Qi Heng teased.

“Envious? When I see someone like that, all I want to do is knock him down and stomp on him until he understands how unfair life can be,” Qi Shaorong said with a cold smile.

Qi Heng shook his head helplessly. “Master, you’re ruthless.”

“Who isn’t?” Qi Shaorong chuckled.

The academy’s recruitment season quickly ended.

Out of courtesy, Qi Shaorong attended class on the first day.

The moment he stepped into the classroom, he regretted it. Finding a corner to sit in, he tried to stay inconspicuous, but his presence attracted attention nonetheless.

Sympathy, ridicule, and schadenfreude filled the gazes of his peers. Even among the so-called “family disappointments,” there were varying levels of failure, and Qi Shaorong—labeled a magic-warrior cripple—was deemed the lowest of the low.

Rubbing his temples, Qi Shaorong felt exasperated. He didn’t like being in the spotlight.

After one class, he left.

“Master, why are you back so soon?” Qi Heng asked.

“The class was pointless,” Qi Shaorong said.

“With your photographic memory, classes are a waste of time. You came to the academy for the library, so just go there directly,” Qi Heng advised.

“You’re right,” Qi Shaorong agreed.

As a dual light and dark magic user, Qi Shaorong knew his unique attributes were rare—perhaps even undetectable by conventional methods, leading to his “cripple” label.

Having reached a bottleneck in his cultivation, he decided to use the opportunity provided by his family to enter the academy’s renowned library in search of breakthroughs.Qi Shaorong spent his days in the library, engrossed in books, drawing attention from others.

“That’s Qi Shaorong, isn’t it? Skipping classes to hang out in the library. Who’s he trying to impress?”

“Exactly. A magic-warrior cripple reading magic books? Does he think reading will make him a mage?”

“Have you seen how fast he flips through those books? No way he’s actually reading them.”

“Poor guy. Zhuang Hao broke off their engagement. He must be heartbroken.”

“Zhuang Hao had no choice. Being with someone like that would’ve been too much of a burden.”

Despite the chatter, Qi Shaorong ignored the gossip and focused on his reading. He had heard worse throughout his life and had grown numb to such remarks.

One day, as he left the library, a figure blocked his path.

“What do you want?” Qi Shaorong asked, staring at the round-faced individual in front of him.

“Qi Shaorong, I’m Qi He. By rights, you should address me as your elder cousin or senior,” the man said arrogantly, his chubby face sneering down at Qi Shaorong.

Qi Shaorong smirked coldly. He remembered this guy—one of Qi Shaoru’s lapdogs from childhood. He used to cause trouble for him frequently.

“Is there a problem?” Qi Shaorong asked.

“I heard you applied for a private dormitory. Where’d you get the money? Did you steal it? You better hand it over, or I’ll expose your theft!” Qi He threatened.

Qi Shaorong’s smile turned icy. “You’re dreaming in broad daylight, fatso.”

“You little cripple, you’re asking for it!” Qi He snarled, beginning to chant a spell.

Qi Shaorong noticed his slow incantation and struck first, kicking Qi He square in the stomach, sending him flying.

Qi He lay sprawled on the ground, unable to get up. Dismissing him, Qi Shaorong walked away.

Back at the dormitory, Qi Heng approached Qi Shaorong. “Master, I heard there was trouble?”

“Just a second-rate mage with pitifully weak mental strength. Took him forever to cast a spell, so I kicked him before he could finish,” Qi Shaorong said nonchalantly.

Qi Heng chuckled. “Qi He won’t give up easily, though. Be careful.”

“He’s not a threat,” Qi Shaorong replied calmly, clenching his fists as dark magic surged within him.

“Master, control yourself. It wouldn’t do to draw attention,” Qi Heng cautioned.

“You’re right,” Qi Shaorong said, nodding.

A few days later, Qi He and his accomplices broke into Qi Shaorong’s private dormitory. However, they triggered the traps Qi Shaorong had set, suffering severe injuries.

When the news reached Qi Shaorong at the library, a student informed him, “The principal wants to see you.”

“Why?” Qi Shaorong asked.

“Your dormitory was broken into. Three intruders were seriously injured,” the student replied.

With a calm smile, Qi Shaorong said, “As long as they didn’t tamper with anything, the traps wouldn’t activate. If they got hurt, they must have done something they shouldn’t have.”