A Strategic Victory and a Peculiar Request

“Thank you for the match, Teacher.” Feiluo’s adorable, clear voice, tinged with a hint of childishness, reached the Battle Arts Teacher’s ears, pulling her back to awareness.

The Battle Arts Teacher offered a helpless smile, her expression a complex tapestry of emotions: delight at Feiluo’s victory, a touch of bitterness at being bested by a junior, and a dream-like disbelief that the battle had ended so swiftly. All these feelings ultimately condensed into a single pronouncement: “You performed exceptionally well, Feiluo.”

“Ehehe.” Feiluo scratched her head, her silly, innocent smile accepting the Battle Arts Teacher’s praise.

Gazing at Feiluo’s endearing, naive grin, the Battle Arts Teacher still harbored a degree of disbelief. It was hard to fathom that Feiluo had grown so powerful, effortlessly defeating her. Yet, she was not the type to deny a loss simply because it came from her own student.

The Battle Arts Teacher turned, facing the multitude of disciples below the stage.

Silence.

This was the only sound emanating from the audience at that moment.

The senior and junior sisters who had anticipated seeing Feiluo’s tearful defeat, the disciples who had harbored little hope for Feiluo’s challenge against the Battle Arts Teacher, and even Yiwu, who had prepared to console Feiluo after her expected loss—all now stood wide-eyed, mouths agape, utterly speechless. They struggled to reconcile what their eyes had witnessed with reality.

It wasn’t that they had all collectively turned mute, nor that they had missed the moment Feiluo defeated the Battle Arts Teacher. In truth, they had all clearly witnessed Feiluo’s triumph over her teacher; every move, every technique Feiluo executed, had been impeccably clear to them.

Yet, they still couldn’t believe it.

It was inconceivable that Feiluo, who was usually fond of slacking off and often failed her exams, had actually defeated the Battle Arts Teacher. What was more, she had achieved this victory effortlessly, in a single move!

One must understand that every teacher capable of instructing Battle Arts was, without exception, a cultivator of profound martial skill, standing out even amongst the many Battle Arts masters within the Battle Arts Hall. How, then, could Feiluo’s effortless defeat of the Battle Arts Teacher fail to utterly astound them!

Observing the disciples below, their gazes a mix of shock, bewilderment, and even regret (Feiluo: ?), the Battle Arts Teacher spoke in a deep voice: “Congratulations to Feiluo on her victory!”

In an instant, the entire arena erupted into an uproar, countless murmurs and discussions rising from beneath the sparring platform.

A senior sister murmured in disbelief, “Junior Sister Fei actually won! It’s absolutely incredible!”

Someone pleaded with her senior sister to pinch her awake: “Senior Sister, could you pinch me? I feel like I’m dreaming… Ouch, that hurts! Why did you use so much force, Senior Sister!”

“Junior Sister, I also feel like I’m dreaming. Try it for me too, see if I’m dreaming.”

“Well, don’t use so much force! Darn it, I’m going to pinch you back!”

“Heh, can’t catch me! Can’t catch me!”

“You stinky Senior Sister! Don’t even think about sleeping in my bed tonight!”

“Hey! Stop! Can’t I just let you pinch me back?”

Others sighed, “What a pity, we won’t get to see Junior Sister Fei’s defeat.”

“Indeed, I’d been looking forward to it for so long, I even prepared a recording stone.”

“Hmph, you’re still too naive. While Junior Sister Fei’s defeat would have been captivating, isn’t the sight of her coolly defeating her teacher equally enthralling?”

“You recorded it?”

“Of course!”

“…Senior Sister, may good people live long and peacefully. Give me a copy too!”

“Me too!”

Many others began to conjure elaborate theories:

“Who would’ve thought Senior Sister Fei was so formidable? Even the Battle Arts Teacher couldn’t defeat her. Could it be that her slacking off in class was all an act? Perhaps she simply disdained practicing something so basic to her!”

“What about exams then? Surely she wouldn’t disdain taking simple tests?”

“That must have been out of fear of shattering our confidence! Senior Sister Fei likely also worried that if she performed too brilliantly, we would be too intimidated to approach her, hence why she chose to hide her true radiance!”

“That makes sense. So why isn’t she pretending anymore?”

“Do you remember what major event is happening next month?”

“Are you talking about… the Saintess Selection?!”

“Alas, it seems those participating in the Saintess Selection now have a formidable rival.”

Disregarding the clamor of discussions below, the Battle Arts Teacher turned her gaze to Feiluo and inquired, “Feiluo, do you have anything else you’d like to say to the audience? Perhaps share how you typically train?”

“No need, Teacher. I don’t have anything to say.” Feiluo shook her head.

Share how she usually trained? But she didn’t actually train. Did training her mouth (eating) count as training? Was she expected to share tips on how to consume even more food? If that were the case, the Blazing Spirit Sect’s cafeteria would surely be in for a disaster; several of the cooking disciples would probably collapse from exhaustion!

“Oh, by the way, Teacher, there’s something I’d like to ask your permission for.” Feiluo suddenly recalled the true reason she had challenged the Battle Arts Teacher: it was to slack off. Turning to the Battle Arts Teacher, she hesitated for a moment. After all, it would be rather awkward to directly tell a teacher that she intended to slack off in their classes from now on.

Yet, just as she wavered, a vivid scene flashed through her mind:

Herself, lounging on a soft recliner, savoring a sweet, delectable strawberry cake, while watching her senior and junior sisters toil in sweat. Every now and then, she would offer them a few pointers, leading them to sudden enlightenment regarding the shortcomings in their Battle Arts, and in gratitude, they would present her with sweets, cakes, and other tokens of appreciation.

The thought alone filled her with delight!

With this delightful vision firm in her mind, Feiluo finally made up her decision and addressed the Battle Arts Teacher: “Teacher, since I’ve already defeated you, would it be possible for me to train as I please during future Battle Arts classes?”

Although she had resolved to admit her desire to slack off, she couldn’t phrase it so bluntly. She needed to be more tactful, lest the teacher immediately disapprove upon hearing the word “slacking off.” Her display of strength would only make the teacher pay more attention to her. That would be counterproductive.

Hearing Feiluo’s words, the Battle Arts Teacher paused, then burst into a wry chuckle. “So, this is what you were waiting for, isn’t it? This was your true purpose in challenging me.”

“Ehehe~” Feiluo simply offered a practiced, adorable charm.

“I agree,” the Battle Arts Teacher said with a helpless smile. “You’ve already defeated me; what reason do I have to refuse? Besides, I suspect I’m no longer qualified to teach you.”

“That’s not true, Teacher,” Feiluo replied.

But the Battle Arts Teacher merely waved her hand. “You don’t need to be modest. I’m quite aware of the truth myself. With such fierce swordsmanship and such blistering speed, I dare say many long-renowned Battle Arts masters couldn’t defeat you, let alone me.”

She sighed again. “I hadn’t even begun to teach you yet, so how did you suddenly become so incredibly powerful?” As she spoke, the Battle Arts Teacher cast a peculiar glance at Feiluo and asked, “Could it be that you truly were ‘hiding your abilities’ all this time, just as the disciples below were speculating?”

“Ah, well…” Feiluo scratched her head, unsure how to respond.

If she said no, how could she explain her sudden, immense power? If she said yes, that wasn’t true either; she truly hadn’t been hiding her abilities before, and her failing grades genuinely reflected her skill level—albeit her skill level before she regained her memories.

Before Feiluo could conjure an excuse, the Battle Arts Teacher interjected, “Never mind. These aren’t my concerns. All I need to know is that you are incredibly formidable, Feiluo.”

“Oh, right.” The Battle Arts Teacher seemed to recall something, and suddenly asked Feiluo, “Feiluo, would you be willing to become a teaching assistant for the Battle Arts class?”

Feiluo pointed to herself, speaking in astonishment:

“A teaching assistant? Me?”