CSMCDB - Chapter 212

Chapter 212

(Tao Jingyun's Perspective)

Qiu Fei and Yan Ling were students in the same year. In their first year, they were both in Class A. Then, during the placement battles, they both strove to enter Class S.

Qiu Fei, Yan Ling, and Tao Jingyun were the three students in Class A with the best qualifications to enter Class S at the time. Of course, Tao Jingyun was the granddaughter of Star Academy's headmaster back then. Although her talent was slightly inferior, she could still secure a stable spot in Class S.

Unlike the relationship between Wen Yuncheng and Lin Jinyu, Qiu Fei and Yan Ling were competitors back then. Initially, during the placement battles, Qiu Fei defeated Yan Ling in an internal match and successfully entered Class S. Yan Ling, with her fiery temper at the time, couldn't swallow this defeat. She worked hard in secret until the final exams, where she challenged and defeated Qiu Fei. Qiu Fei was demoted to Class A, and Yan Ling entered Class S.

From then on, the two "fated rivals" were constantly at odds. They would argue almost every time they met, and if they scheduled a fight, they would always bring a referee. It was to determine a winner, but also a matter of life and death. Tao Jingyun was that unlucky person. Not only did she have to act as their referee, but she also had to prevent them from getting carried away. The collateral damage from their fights was immense, escalating from minor squabbles to eventually alarming the mentors from both of their families. They even signed contracts twice for duels—once for the academy-wide competition, and another time for a private challenge. These two duels alerted every teacher in the academy. Their strengths were evenly matched, and their several battles all ended in draws. The headmaster and the teachers all felt they were a rare pair of "fated rivals." In their graduation assessment duel, they fought with such intensity that the heavens seemed to spin and the sun and moon lost their light. In the end, because their power was too overwhelming, all the teachers lodged a joint complaint. The headmaster had no choice but to declare the match a draw. Yan Ling held a grudge against Tao Jingyun for this as well.

This was also the beginning of the trio's friendship.

Class S always had very few members. Tao Jingyun had gotten in through connections, and she was constantly worried that Yan Ling or Qiu Fei would challenge her. After all, having fought them before, she knew very well she couldn't beat either of them. But surprisingly, neither of them paid her any mind. It was as if they'd forgotten that she was also a member of Class S, and that defeating her could also secure them a top spot in the class.

Before Tao Jingyun became their referee, she would often share a desk with Yan Ling one day, only to switch to Qiu Fei the next. After all, there were only two S-Class members from their year: her, and the other... which was generated between Qiu Fei and Yan Ling.

Later, when she became the referee, she had to watch them fight almost every day after class. From that, Tao Jingyun would know who she would be attending class with the next day. What was the point of all this? Could they really learn anything by taking turns attending S-Class? Tao Jingyun simply couldn't figure it out! What she found even more incomprehensible was that despite them taking turns in class every day, both of their scores on the final exams were higher than hers!

Tao Jingyun, the designated tool, became withdrawn from then on.

In their third year, the headmaster also started getting a headache from Yan Ling and Qiu Fei's constant fighting. Coupled with the fact that he knew Tao Jingyun's actual strength, he made an exception and admitted Yan Ling into Class S as well—the decision was to release a fixed quota, which happened to be just for Qiu Fei and Yan Ling.

Just when the headmaster, the teachers, and Tao Jingyun thought that everything would finally calm down, Qiu Fei came to the academy for class the next day, swaggered over to Yan Ling, hooked her chin, and said, "Hmph, so you got into Class S through an exception, huh?"

Yan Ling's expression instantly darkened. She grabbed Qiu Fei's wrist in a reverse grip, and the two started fighting right there in the classroom. They were then both punished with a month of cleaning duty for Star Academy.

The struggle did not end. On the contrary, it began anew in many other forms.

For example, during combat practice duels, or even history knowledge assessments, the two would compete. Even on their morning runs, they had to see who ran faster and farther. They even competed in cultivation, seeing who could cultivate longer and improve faster.

Among the students of their year, Qiu Fei and Yan Ling were constantly at odds, chasing after one another, leaving Tao Jingyun to survive in the cracks between them.

"I got a new cultivation technique yesterday. Why don't you come with me to the training room to practice?"

When Qiu Fei would coquettishly invite Tao Jingyun while holding her arm, Yan Ling would cast a cold glance over. "Tao Jingyun, you promised to go to the Dueling Arena with me yesterday."

Tao Jingyun: "Um, how about... we go to the training room first, and then go to the Dueling Arena for a real match together?"

Once they got to the training room, Yan Ling would mock Qiu Fei: "Is this it? Your new technique? You're not doing this on purpose because you can't beat me, are you? Or is this technique of yours just for building a foundation?"

And when they got to the Dueling Arena, Qiu Fei would mock Yan Ling after her match: "Is that it? You struggled so much in a fight against someone of the same rank? If it were me, I'd have finished it in three minutes!"

At times like these, Tao Jingyun would offer a polite smile and play deaf and dumb.

Later on, she thought things would be fine after graduation. Once they went their separate ways, surely they wouldn't be at each other's throats anymore, right?

Who would have thought that both of them would stay at the academy to become teachers?

And who could have imagined that because they were from the same year and class, an oblivious administrator assigned them to the same office? As a result, on their very first day as teachers, their new office was wrecked by their fighting.

Tao Jingyun's grandfather probably foresaw the future turmoil back then, so he directly passed the position of headmaster to Tao Jingyun. Her grandfather had seen the future potential in Qiu Fei and Yan Ling, believing them to be promising talents. Although Tao Jingyun was ten thousand times unwilling, she relented when her grandfather said he would still help her, as long as she could get Qiu Fei and Yan Ling to coexist peacefully. It was just that whenever a matter involved Qiu Fei and Yan Ling, he would send her to mediate.

Tao Jingyun still remembered her grandfather patting her on the shoulder and saying earnestly, "You've spent four years with them. When conflicts arise between them, you are the best person to mediate."

Tao Jingyun shed tears. She paid out of her own pocket to build a private office for both Qiu Fei and Yan Ling. She also amended the academy rules: Teachers are forbidden from fighting. Violators will be fined five hundred thousand Star Stones.

But Tao Jingyun discovered that not only was this rule useless, but the two would even specifically call for her when they fought. They would slap a "one million Star Stone" card on her face and ask her to be the referee. After this painful lesson, Tao Jingyun amended the rule again: Teachers are forbidden from fighting. The one who starts the fight will be fined five million Star Stones.

After the revision, Yan Ling's temper remained as explosive as ever, but Qiu Fei found a new method. She began to deliberately provoke Yan Ling, baiting her into starting the fight and forcing her to pay the fine. Then, Qiu Fei could mock Yan Ling even more brazenly.

The title of "Yan Ling the Female T-Rex" was also acquired during this period.

A few more years passed. The two gradually matured and would no longer come to blows at the slightest disagreement. They started to gather for drinks, still competing against each other, with Tao Jingyun as the referee. The loser owed the winner a favor.

Their rivalry seemed to gradually change after Qiu Fei suggested that Yan Ling take on a disciple.

...

When did the first change between them occur? Tao Jingyun couldn't remember clearly. After all, when Yan Ling first took a disciple, it wasn't a big deal. Then Qiu Fei's disciple gave Yan Ling's disciple a sound beating, and Tao Jingyun, as the referee, even declared Qiu Fei's disciple the winner. But after that child, Wen Yuncheng, defeated an S-Class student in a placement battle and entered Class S herself, Yan Ling began to treat her only disciple with true seriousness, while Qiu Fei seemed to be in a daze about life.

The first time Tao Jingyun felt something was different was after that Beast Tide. At that time, both Yan Ling and Qiu Fei were seriously injured. Lin Jinyu and Wen Yuncheng were inside the Demonic Beast Great Forest, and their communication stones had failed. Three days and nights later, when Tao Jingyun arrived with Lin Jinyu and a group of teachers, she discovered that the two had, by a strange twist of fate, drunk the same potion. Something between them seemed to become clearer before they lost their memories.

The dynamic between the two gradually became subtle.

Until one day, Tao Jingyun received news of a marriage alliance between two families—the Star Auction House and the Qiu family—and she didn't react at first. A marriage alliance? The Qiu family... and who? The Yan family? Yan Ling? She sat dumbfounded in the headmaster's office, staring at the invitation. The names written on it were actually Qiu Fei and Yan Ling.

Headmaster Tao massaged her temples. She felt like she might still be dreaming. How... how... After all these years of their relationship, why couldn't they tell her in person! During the planar war, they talked about going to kill the bug king together... heh, those two bastards!

And they were asking her to be the wedding officiant?! On what grounds! She, the dignified Headmaster of Star Academy, had to be their referee when they were students, and now that they were getting together, she had to be their wedding officiant?! Ah!—

Hmph, the wedding gift better be at least one million Star Stones, or it won't be worth it!

---

(Qiu and Yan)

The two officially confirmed their relationship after a night of drinking.

At that time, Yan Ling had just entered the Venerate rank, while Qiu Fei was shamelessly stuck at the Star King rank.

Without calling Tao Jingyun, the two were drinking at Qiu Fei's off-campus residence. Qiu Fei, having been hit hard by this, was quite agitated. She pointed at Yan Ling and ranted, "...On what grounds... can't you just let me win for once..."

"Nonsense! I can take on ten of you!" Qiu Fei said angrily. She took another gulp of wine, then stood up and staggered towards Yan Ling. She tripped on the corner of the coffee table and almost fell flat on her face. Yan Ling braced a hand against the wall, but Qiu Fei's body was limp and couldn't get a grip, so she ended up collapsing onto Yan Ling.

"Drink less." The wine had a strong kick. Yan Ling reminded her helplessly, then opened a bottle herself and took a couple of sips. The Qiu Fei in her arms grew restless again, pinching her neck and deliberately saying, "Big Sis Yan—you're really... so annoying."

"You don't even get angry at me anymore. Before... you'd start a fight after just a few words... and then get fined... Are you planning to spank me this time?"

"I can beat you with one hand now," Yan Ling said. "There's no sense of accomplishment. A rivalry requires evenly matched strength. Now that you're stuck at a bottleneck and I've broken through to the Venerate rank, it's not the same. Besides, having a disciple has calmed my temper. I'm not as hot-headed and irritable as before. I've matured, so naturally, I won't get angry with you."

A long time passed after she said this, but Yan Ling heard no response from Qiu Fei. She put down the wine bottle and tried to help the limp person in her arms sit up, but Qiu Fei struggled, though she didn't have much strength.

"Why are you crying?" Yan Ling felt her own clothes and found they were damp. "You wiped your tears and snot on me."

Qiu Fei weakly punched her twice, feeling even more upset.

"Alright, alright." Yan Ling got up and helped Qiu Fei sit on the sofa. "You're drunk, don't get it all over me."

"You bastard! I'm having a drinking contest with you! You're the one who's drunk!" Qiu Fei was furious. "I've already had six bottles, you drink too! The loser owes the winner a drink."

"..." Yan Ling fell silent for a moment. She looked at the wine bottle in her hand; including the one she had just opened, she had only drunk two. When it came to drinking contests, she really was no match for Qiu Fei. Yan Ling finished the bottle in her hand and said, "Alright, I lose. What do you want me to do?"

"You're not even taking the drinking contest seriously now!"

Yan Ling sighed, pinched her nose, and drank another bottle. "I really can't drink anymore. I'm done. I truly surrender."

"...Then I want a Life Transformation Fruit too."

"That... I really don't have one."

"Then I want to reach the Venerate rank too."

"...I can't help with that either." Yan Ling's head was a little dizzy. She thought to herself that Qiu Fei must have really been driven mad by the blow to her pride. They had been rivals for so many years. Putting herself in Qiu Fei's shoes, if Qiu Fei had suddenly reached the Venerate or Emperor rank because of a treasure from her disciple, she probably couldn't have handled it either.

"Then I want you."

"Huh?" Yan Ling was stunned for a moment. She didn't know if it was because of the alcohol or something else, but she looked at Qiu Fei on the sofa, who was looking back at her. Qiu Fei's eyes were teary and rimmed with red, and her cheeks had a faint pink blush from the wine, causing Yan Ling's thoughts to stall for a second. "...Alright."

"I'm serious," Qiu Fei said, dissatisfied. She sat up straight. "Don't just humor me."

"I'm not humoring you. I'm serious too," Yan Ling said. "Anyway, we've been like this for so many years... giving it a try... wouldn't be a bad idea."

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