Chapter 100: Escort (2)

At first, some people might have been unconvinced; after all, Ye Lang was just a student like them. Yet, as reality repeatedly proved his judgments right and the consequences of events weighed upon them, respect and admiration for Ye Lang’s decisions grew, leaving no room for doubt. However, Ye Lang as a judge was unlike others who attended according to a schedule—he came and went as he pleased, with no fixed time.

If there was any consistent pattern to his appearances, it was during Zhen Xiaoyan’s trials; he was always present, acting as her guardian and ensuring her smooth progression. Of course, some accused Ye Lang of favoritism, but Zhen Xiaoyan herself possessed certain skills, and so far, no one could find fault with her conduct. Today was another of Zhen Xiaoyan’s trials, which had evolved from basic alchemy knowledge and operations into direct duels between two contestants.

This format was much like the magic martial trials: first, basic skills eliminated some candidates, then one-on-one knockouts followed. Normally, the academy would distribute its top talents evenly, preventing them from eliminating each other too quickly. Those who believed themselves strong enough to challenge the final list still had an opportunity, so long as they didn’t challenge those ranked higher whom they’d already lost to. After all, this wasn’t a grand tournament but a search for the strongest among the students!

After numerous trials, today’s challenge was crucial for Zhen Xiaoyan’s entry into the tournament team, and naturally, her opponent was no pushover. Yet, of the remaining students, her adversary was relatively weaker—a clear manifestation of Ye Lang’s partiality, as he had deliberately chosen this opponent, wielding the authority to do so. Many objected, but there was little they could do.

“Hmph, go ahead and treat her like a treasure. You’ll regret it sooner or later!” someone gritted his teeth in the Alchemy Academy.

Perhaps no one had considered that compared to what was about to happen, this favoritism was but a minor offense.

“The match begins!” Ye Lang called, signaling the start. The two contestants picked up their materials and began—not to fight, but to assemble an alchemical device.

Alchemy trials were not as intense as the magic martial ones; they tested skill, creativity, and imagination rather than life-and-death combat. The current challenge was to craft an alchemical device fitting the prompt from the materials provided, in the shortest possible time. The prompts were meticulously designed, requiring extensive knowledge and a flair for creativity.

Because of this, a contestant who produced something especially imaginative might receive special treatment and avoid elimination, even if they lost, provided their creation fit the prompt.

Ye Lang entered the arena at the start, seemingly to supervise the match. This scene had often played out before, but never with Ye Lang himself. His presence this time was unusual, though no one seemed to notice.

“Fatty... come on, come on...” Ye Lang nudged Zhen Xiaoyan and crooked his mouth, subtly hinting to her.

Damn, this guy’s help was too obvious—what kind of judge did that? Though Ye Lang’s movements seemed small, as if unnoticed, with only three people in the arena and so many eyes watching, even the slightest action was seen by all!

Moreover, Ye Lang’s gestures were hardly subtle. He made no attempt to hide his assistance—it was clear he was helping Zhen Xiaoyan!

Thus, after Ye Lang’s actions, everyone was convinced of the rumors: this guy was openly favoring Zhen Xiaoyan, shielding her at every step.

“??” Zhen Xiaoyan was momentarily confused, not understanding Ye Lang’s hints; she hadn’t expected him to act so directly.

“Stupid, hurry and grab that!” Ye Lang said.

“Oh...” Zhen Xiaoyan responded habitually, still not fully processing the situation; she simply followed Ye Lang’s instructions.

“Ye Lang, he took it first—what should I do?” Zhen Xiaoyan asked blankly, noticing her opponent had already seized the items before her.

While she hesitated, her opponent did not. Since Ye Lang was guiding Zhen Xiaoyan, he too could benefit from advice and cleverly took what he needed first.

“Forget it, take these—it’s all the same.” Ye Lang pointed to some materials.

“Oh... wait, no, Ye Lang, you’re the judge, I’m the contestant—you shouldn’t be coaching me like this! It’s not practice!” Zhen Xiaoyan finally realized.

“Who says a judge can’t coach? If I want to, I will—who dares stop me?” Ye Lang replied carelessly.

“...” Zhen Xiaoyan was momentarily disheartened, her progress slowed by Ye Lang’s interference, which had inadvertently given her opponent a tip. In the end, Ye Lang’s help actually backfired!

“Never mind, I’m about to lose—just leave me alone, I can do it!” Zhen Xiaoyan shouted, realizing she’d fallen behind and buried herself in her work.

“You can do what? Hurry up and follow my instructions, or you’ll lose!” Ye Lang crouched, picking up materials and tossing them to her.

“...No, go away!” Zhen Xiaoyan complained, “I want to rely on myself!”

“Rely on yourself? Everything you have is thanks to me. Getting my help isn’t shameful—others would beg for it!” Ye Lang retorted, grabbing her hair without ceremony.

“I know, but still... it’s all your fault! Look, the other contestant is almost finished—it’s because of you!” Zhen Xiaoyan glanced at her opponent, growing anxious.

At that moment, her adversary was indeed close to completion, while Zhen Xiaoyan had barely made progress—now, even if Ye Lang intervened directly, it seemed too late.

Moreover, Ye Lang taking over would violate the fundamental rule of the competition: contestants must do the work themselves. That was one line he wouldn’t cross.

At this critical juncture, Ye Lang stunned everyone with an outrageous act.

He strode over to the opponent, kicked their completed device apart, stomped on it a few times, and walked away.

“All done, Fatty, you can continue!” Ye Lang clapped his hands.

The entire arena fell silent...

Everyone knew Ye Lang was biased, and that his favoritism was blatant, but no one expected him to go so far as to destroy his opponent’s work outright!

This was shamelessly disregarding the rules, ignoring his role as judge, and abusing his power to shield Zhen Xiaoyan. Surely this would provoke outrage!

Chapter Eight: The Seventh Princess

“Ye Lang! What’s the meaning of this? I tolerated your favoritism, but this is too much!” the contestant who had almost won exploded in fury.

“Sorry, I accidentally kicked it,” Ye Lang apologized politely.

Accidentally? Was that possible? Did he think others were three-year-olds, or as foolish as himself?

“Who are you trying to fool?!” the contestant raged.

“Ah, you saw through me. Actually, I did it on purpose,” Ye Lang admitted honestly, voicing what everyone already knew.

“Since you admit it, you should declare me the winner!” the contestant insisted.

“No, I refuse!” Ye Lang replied briskly.

“Why?”

“I am a judge of principle...” Ye Lang declared solemnly, earning contempt from many, but he ignored them and continued, “No matter the reason, you haven’t completed the trial, so you can’t be declared the winner!”

“That’s because of you!”

“I’ll say it again—no matter the reason!” Ye Lang insisted, then, adopting a deep, or rather affected, tone, he continued,

“Child, remember this lesson: no matter who it is, even the closest person, even someone who seems honest and kind, could betray you, could ruin your future. Trust no one!”

Everyone was silent. The sentiment was sound, but there was something bizarre about it. While Ye Lang’s actions had some educational value, it was clear he was using this as a pretext to justify his misdeeds.

“Ye Lang, are you saying you’re the one who seems honest and kind?” Zhen Xiaoyan’s voice rang out.

“Yes!” Ye Lang nodded.

“So, you’re only a good person on the surface!” Zhen Xiaoyan pressed.

“No, I mean I seem honest, but I’m not really honest—not that I’m only a good person in appearance. In fact, I am still a good person!” Ye Lang defended himself, though everyone was a bit confused by his roundabout logic.

No matter the details, everyone understood one thing: Ye Lang claimed to be a good person! But could someone who acted so shamelessly really be called good?

Who says a good person can’t be shameless? That’s not a villain’s exclusive trait!

“You... you’re not a good person, you broke the competition rules!” the contestant pointed at Ye Lang, at a loss for words.

Ye Lang waved his hand dismissively. “When did I break the rules? Where does it say a judge can’t show favoritism? Where does it say a judge can’t interfere with the outcome? None of that is written!”

Indeed, it wasn’t—because everyone assumed judges would be fair; even if biased, none would go as far as Ye Lang. Thus, there were no explicit rules targeting judges, merely unspoken expectations.