“What are you doing here?” Su Yanying asked.
Su Ping smiled. “I had some business to take care of here. I thought you were in the barren area. Why? Are you trying to evade work?”
Su Yanying thought that since Su Ping was a teacher at the academy and had many connections, it wouldn’t be strange for him to be there. After all, several other teachers at the academy were part-time explorers as well.
“Sir, we finished our training and have just returned to rest.” The boy was Lu Pengfei, who frequented Su Ping’s store. Meeting Su Ping there came as a surprise to him as well. He was glad because of this encounter so he explained the general situation to Su Ping at once.
Su Ping nodded, then he threw a look at his sister Su Lingyue.
Su Lingyue sensed Su Ping’s glance. She was having mixed feelings. She wanted to tell Su Ping about the situation they were in previously. She had seen what Su Ping was capable of in the academy and he was clearly better than this Captain Zhou. However, having experienced this exploration and what happened a moment before, she had gained a better understanding of the world: it was a complicated place. Reasons alone could not ensure that she could win, and neither could violence. Sometimes, connections and influences could be used as intimidating weapons as well.
She didn’t want to create trouble for Su Ping. After all, this team was made up of senior explorers. People often said that even a mighty dragon would not attack a snake in its own haunts. Although Su Ping was powerful, they were at the barren area; he would probably take a beating if they fought.
Su Ping was surprised to see Su Lingyue hesitating. He was waiting for her to tell him about what she had experienced but she held back that urge, much to his surprise.
Su Ping thought he knew Su Lingyue. She was a girl with pride, she would hate injustice like poison and be hot-tempered. She couldn’t tolerate any unfair deeds. It was out her character to refrain from going to him, to complain tearfully about what had happened to her.
Was it because she wanted to save her dignity since there were others present?
Or, was something else bothering her?
Su Ping looked into her eyes and then turned away. “How was your stay there? Did you find anything you didn’t like?”
Lu Pengfei threw a glance at Captain Zhou. He wished to speak but stopped on second thought. Eventually, Lu Pengfei forced a smile and said, “It was fine. It was certainly an enriching experience.” His tone sounded strange when he said the last two words. He was implying something else.
The long-legged girl next to him was sizing Su Ping up and down curiously without saying anything. It was her first time seeing this popular teacher from the academy. Everything about him was interesting to her.
Su Yanying shook her head. She didn’t want to bother Su Ping because of some personal matters. She said, “We did well there. Speaking of which, I must thank you, Mr. Su, for the Lightning Rat you trained for me. It saved me many times.”
Su Ping gave them a good look. He was amazed to see how all of them could fight back the urge to complain. They must have grown during this time.
That being said, while they were not willing to speak of their troubles, he couldn’t pretend he didn’t see his little sister being bullied. Granted, his sister was naughty, mischievous and would usually not take his side.
“I heard you were talking about merit points and how the distribution was uneven. Tell me about it. I’ll help you out.” Su Ping went straight to the point and fixed his eyes on Su Lingyue.
The four students didn’t know that Su Ping had heard their conversation.
The four could understand it, though. Given Su Ping’s abilities, to observe them without them knowing was a piece of cake.
Lu Pengfei and the girl with long legs looked at each other, hesitating. They, too, didn’t wish to bother Su Ping. At the same time, they were worried that although Su Ping could help them out this time, in the future, someone was bound to plot against them in secret. The one-time help would be meaningless because it wasn’t a solution to the root problem.
Su Lingyue could tell what Su Ping was thinking by looking at his eyes. She didn’t always see him eye to eye, but she knew him well enough to tell his thoughts from his expression.
“Well, brother. Here’s the thing. The academy assigned us to Team Night Wolf to train with them in the barren area. There…” She quickly told him the story.
Su Yanying, Lu Pengfei, and the other girl were stunned still as soon as the word “brother” was uttered.
Brother?
They looked at each other in confusion. Then, they shifted their focus to Su Ping and then to Su Lingyue. All of a sudden, they realized Su Ping and Su Lingyue shared the same surname.
Upon a closer check, they found how they looked similar.
He was her big brother?!
The three students were speechless. Look at the genes of this family. Su Ping was freakishly powerful and his sister was currently the best student in her grade. The three students were green with envy.
Captain Zhou and his team members pulled long faces. Su Ping had made them feel uncomfortable the moment he showed up. They found it strange when they heard the students addressing Su Ping as “sir.” They could tell from Su Ping and Su Lingyue’s words that the trouble they had just solved had become more bothersome.
The five of them coldly sized Su Ping up and down.
Su Lingyue had finished with her explanation. Zhou Feng intervened before Su Ping could say anything, “I said just now that the discussion has ended. We have given you merit points. Do you honestly want to pursue this?”
Since she had told the story, Su Lingyue decided not to exercise forbearance any longer. She exclaimed in anger, “We made 3.67 million merit points in total, and you’re planning on giving us one thousand each and two thousand to Su Yanying… That is only five thousand. Who are you trying to fool here? The several seventh-rank beasts that Su Yanying’s Lightning Rat killed are worth over a million merit points!”
Zhou Feng’s eyes were glowing coldly. “Be glad that we’re willing to give you some merit points. You’re asking for your doom. Your name is Su Lingyue, right? I won’t forget that!”
“You!” Su Lingyue was fuming with anger.
Su Ping jumped in at the moment. With a smile, he asked, “You will not forget her name. Then what?”.
Zhou Feng turned to Su Ping. He knew Su Ping was her brother but that wasn’t a source for worry since Su Ping was way too young. Zhou Feng sneered. “You’re her brother? Have you graduated? When will you join us in the barren area? I will show you what!”
“Then show me now.” Su Ping chuckled.
The sneer on Zhou Feng’s face vanished instantly and killing intent oozed out from his eyes. Astral powers were surging around him. The years’ experience of battling in explorations gave him a threatening feeling, as if he were a vicious monster. Some beasts with acute perception would flee as soon as they detected the violence he exuded.
“How foolish this punk is!”
“Hmm, the students are stepping out of line these days!”
“He’s doomed. Does he think this is school? He knows nothing!”
“When you enter the barren lands in the future, we can find countless ways to make you vanish from the world. You should have done your homework before you stirred up this mess.”
Those standing next to Zhou Feng were gloating, taunting Su Ping and Su Lingyue They felt sorry for those gullible and naïve students that had just left the ivory tower.
Su Ping was still wearing that gentle smile but the look in his eyes had turned cold. He looked directly at Zhou Feng. The desire to kill that he had pushed to the depths of his heart was swarming out. Murderous intent began to show in his dark, deep eyes.