Chapter 45

Chapter 45: A Calm-Faced Salted Fish

The place exploded. Qian Qi wasn’t dead.

The Principal stared wide-eyed and glanced at the elders nearby. Elder Zheng, who had an A-level Healing Skill, sat calm and still, stroking his beard in thought. With his sense for injuries, if Qian Qi had been badly hurt, he would have acted at once. Since he sat unmoving, it meant Qian Qi wasn’t injured at all. Who was she? How did she keep creating miracles?

The students saw it like a miracle and roared with deafening cheers to honor a true brave one: “Qian Qi! Qian Qi! Qian Qi!” Someone shouted, “Boss, you’re amazing. You’re my god,” and, “If anyone doubts her products again, they’re my enemy. I’ll always believe in Qian Qi!”

Their blood and courage returned. They felt the pulse of hope for the future. Qian Qi didn’t let them down. Under the Iron Bear Beast’s angry, nonstop attacks, she stood like a wall of iron. Her slightly rough little face shone with fearless confidence. Her image, though, was not pretty.

At times the Iron Bear Beast grabbed her and kneaded her like dough. Then it slammed her into the ground and stomped her with its big, stinky feet. Then it lifted her and jabbed her with packed-earth spikes, smashing them down on her tiny body again and again. No matter how strong the attacks were, Qian Qi stayed like a dead, rotten salted fish, arms crossed over her stomach, face peaceful as she lay there without a problem.

Right then, Qian Qi had only one thought: [After this, I’m making Chen Tong pay for my dirty clothes.]

Chen Tong stood at the rail, not knowing what was coming for him. Watching Qian Qi unharmed under a D-level Contract Beast’s strikes, his eyes burned with naked greed and ambition. He told himself: “I must get her supply line. I’ll replace Qian Qi and become the center of praise.”

Behind him, Chen Miao Miao clenched her fists, face pale. Hearing the cheers for Qian Qi, her eyes filled with jealousy and spite. She didn’t understand how someone everyone used to hate could climb out of the gutter and become the star people worshiped. She had seen Qian Qi at night, wrecking classmates’ Magiplant projects like a madwoman. Bloodshot eyes, twisted grin, crying and laughing in turns, she seemed to find sick joy in breaking things. At dawn she acted normal again, angry at the “false blame,” picking fights to prove her “innocence and rage.”

How could a person like that become a miracle? Chen Miao Miao despised her, and she despised Qian Qi’s useless pride even more. In a world where Awakeners and the rich were on top and the poor had to lick the knife’s edge to live, Qian Qi was her opposite. Qian Qi was impulsive, pure, and fearless. Faced with mockery, she swung her fists to guard her last bit of dignity. Chen Miao Miao was fake and scheming, doing anything to get by, bowing and smiling at unfairness.

She was jealous that even as a broke, sick orphan, Qian Qi still had a Dean who sent living money every month and cared for her. She could have watched Qian Qi, split by illness, fall into a worse fate than hers, maybe even profited a little from the girl’s death. But Chen Tong ruined it. He had bragged he would kill Qian Qi, yet now he helped make her succeed. All her plans turned to dust.

Her nails dug into her palms and she bit her lip. Jealousy and hate twisted into a proud, cold snort. Limping, she turned and left the Beast Taming square. She would not let this go. She would live better and longer than Qian Qi.

After she left, the ten-minute countdown reached the final seconds. The students shouted together: “Ten, nine, eight, seven…”

They were sure of victory. They waited for Qian Qi to lift the Defense Fruit and tell them this was the beginning of hope, to tell them they weren’t stuck in Kong Yiji’s long gown but were young warriors willing to don armor for peace, to bleed and fight, and to guard humanity’s future.

They were lost in the joy of a sure win. But when the last second fell, the Iron Bear Beast, which should have stopped under the Beast Tamer’s control, lifted its fist and slammed down at Qian Qi’s head.

Gasps ripped through the crowd. People shouted for her to watch out. Chen Tong grabbed the rail and yelled with the others for the Beast Tamer he had hired to stop. [Idiot. I forgot to plan a backup. She can’t die now. I still don’t have her Light-Brain.]

With her back to everyone, Qian Qi raised her eyes to the falling iron fist. A strange smile tugged at her lips. [I knew Chen Tong would play dirty and try to kill me.] But she was ready. The Defense Fruit hidden under her tongue shifted, but she didn’t swallow it. Her hands by her sides clenched into fists, eager to meet the blow. [I don’t want to reveal my trump card. To save money, I’ll test whether my D minus Strength can take this hit. If needed, I can lie and say I ate a second Defense Fruit.]

To the crowd, it looked like a final, useless struggle. Her skinny arms lifting to meet that huge beastly limb were like a praying mantis trying to stop a cart. Some students shut their eyes. In a second, a storm of thoughts flashed through the Principal’s mind. A D-level Beast Tamer had a bright future. Hurting a Contract Beast to save a normal person would offend the Beast Taming college. But Qian Qi’s potions and Defense Fruit mattered. He had to keep her safe.

During that heartbeat of hesitation, the silver-haired youth beside him moved in a blur. A sharp light flashed in his deep eyes, and the Iron Bear Beast, still mid-attack, suddenly grabbed its head and howled like something had shocked it.

Seeing that, Qian Qi turned her fist into a palm and smacked its round bear butt with a crisp slap. Watching the ripple bounce, she grinned and said: “Dang, it really bounces.”

The crowd fell silent: “…”

Old Master Li raised the north gate and rang the bell, urging the Beast Tamer to leave. The Beast Taming department senior steadied himself and hurried his Contract Beast off the field. No matter how the task turned out, he had helped and owed Chen Tong nothing.

Qian Qi dusted herself off, climbed back to the stands, and took a small iron box from Su Xing Le. She also spat the Defense Fruit into her hand, wiped it clean, and tucked it back into her pocket. [Save what you can. One Defense Fruit is worth tens of thousands.]

Then she picked up the mic, blew off imaginary dust, and cleared her throat to speak. The crowd went quiet at once. They focused hard, waiting for Qian Qi’s fiery words. She would give a burning speech and tell them to buy Defense Fruit, right? Go on. They were ready.