Chapter 29 Part 3

The Female Teacher had assumed it was all for show, but to her surprise, Tong Yuwu actually began the refining process.

Although the previous demonstration had ended in dismal failure, the explosion had only occurred during the final fusion step. Tong Yuwu had committed every detail of the earlier material processing to memory. She had never handled such ingredients before, so her movements carried a hint of caution. But gradually, as she grew more familiar with the process, her actions became smoother and more assured.

The female teacher wasn’t nearby, but regardless of what she was doing, she kept part of her attention fixed on Tong Yuwu.

When Tong Yuwu finally finished preparing all the materials and reached the final step—slowly but steadily—the teacher’s eyes nearly bulged from their sockets.

In truth, she wasn’t the only one. Many students in the class were quietly watching the events unfolding in that back corner of the classroom.

Bang—

The pot of processed materials exploded once more.

Fortunately, this blast was tiny. It didn’t even damage the tools, producing only a muffled pop.

Most of the class didn’t bother hiding their mocking smirks, their appetite for drama fully sated. Having witnessed the failure up close, they lost all interest in Tong Yuwu and turned back to concentrate on their own refining.

Tong Yuwu remained utterly calm as she stared at the charred lump of residue, her expression betraying neither joy nor sorrow. She swiftly dumped the failed batch into the waste bin and began preparing fresh materials.

A short while later, the female teacher checked the time.

Class was drawing to a close. Most students had successfully brewed their potions and turned them in as homework at the front podium. Aside from the two usual slackers, Tong Yuwu’s workstation was the only one left in disarray.

The teacher strolled over to her side and observed silently for a moment before speaking. “Potion brewing is a highly complex art. Mishandling any step can lead to disaster.

“Class is almost over, and I need to leave. Your fundamentals are too weak for success. Pack it up and call it quits. If you trigger another explosion after I’m gone, no one will be around to bail you out.”

Tong Yuwu glanced up at her and murmured, “Got it.” But her hands never paused.

The teacher had no intention of pressing further. She merely frowned and added, “Clean the tools thoroughly when you’re done and leave them on my desk.” She reminded her, “These are my personal belongings. Any damage, and you’ll pay full price to replace them.”

Tong Yuwu: “Mm.”

Knowing Tong Yuwu’s noble background, the teacher had no qualms about her skipping out on the bill. With a haughty flick, she turned and departed.

The bell rang moments later.

This was the last class of the afternoon. In mere minutes, the academic building cleared out of students and teachers alike, save for a handful of lingerers.

Tong Yuwu prepped the materials once again and arrived at the crucial final step. So absorbed was she that she paid no heed to the emptying classroom.

Diagonal to her front, the boy who had hassled her earlier stood clustered with four companions.

“Damn, did you catch the looks those Qiuzhi folks were giving us?” The boy’s face was livid, his gaze smoldering as it fixed on Tong Yuwu. “We can’t let this loser stick around Clarity Magic Academy any longer.”

The tall boy to his left nodded vigorously.

Bending at the waist, he asked, “So, what’s the plan? Head over now and threaten her to withdraw?”

“You think she’ll just roll over?” The boy arched a brow. “Her family’s some no-name fallen nobility. God knows what strings they pulled to worm their way in here. She’ll cling to Clarity like a lifeline.

“You really think a threat alone will send her packing?”

The tall boy casually adjusted the ink-green ribbon on his left arm. “So, what’s your idea?”

The boy cracked a grin. “Heh.”

He beckoned the group to huddle close, then whispered their scheme in hushed tones.

Moments later, two of the five slipped out of the classroom at the end of the corridor and took up position by the stairwell on the second floor. Once they were set, the remaining trio exchanged glances, rose as one, and advanced toward the back of the room with unmistakable menace.

Tong Yuwu’s brew had reached a pivotal stage. She spared the approaching group only a fleeting glance before returning her full focus to the task at hand.

“You really gonna keep nursing that trash?” The boy sneered derisively. “It’s the lowest-grade potion there is, but I’ll bet my life you never pull it off.”

Tong Yuwu ignored him entirely—a response that only fueled his rage.

The boy drew a deep breath. “If I were you, I’d savor the fact that you’re still on your feet talking to me.”

He had no immediate plans to strike. Instead, he dropped into the seat directly ahead of her. “No more chit-chat. One last time: are you dropping out voluntarily?”

“Drop out?” Tong Yuwu’s voice was soft. “But I haven’t learned anything yet.”

The three boys froze for a moment, then burst into raucous laughter.

“Do you think a waste like you could learn anything even if you cling to Clarity Magic Academy?” the boy asked.

He wasted no more time and clenched his right fist, knocking it twice on the table. “Let’s discuss it. How about we break your left leg first today?”

The companion standing to his left spoke up. “Break the leg first? Then we won’t get to see this pretty lady tomorrow.”

Gazing at Tong Yuwu’s face, he suggested, “Can we start with her hand instead? She’s going to drop out sooner or later anyway, and I’d like to enjoy this pretty face for a few more days.”

The boy rubbed his chin and nodded. “You’re right. Sure, we’ll have to put up with those lowly commoners gawking and laughing at the spectacle for a couple more days, but we can endure it.”

He tossed the decision to Tong Yuwu. “What do you think? Do you want to hand over a hand first, or a foot?”

He added, “This isn’t a multiple-choice question—it’s about the order. As long as you don’t leave Clarity Magic Academy for even a single day, don’t dream of keeping any hand or leg intact.”

As he spoke, a puff of black smoke rose from the crucible in Tong Yuwu’s hand.

This time, there was no explosion, but everyone knew her final refining attempt had failed.

Tong Yuwu frowned, her gaze filled with confusion and bewilderment as she stared at the potion residue in her hand.

She turned to the three boys nearby. “How fine does the Spiritual Power release need to be? Why can’t I manage it even when I’m trying my utmost to control it?”

The boy opened his mouth to mock her, but suddenly sensed something off.

His face flushed red with rage. “You still have the nerve to worry about that?! Did you even listen to a word I said earlier?”

Tong Yuwu nodded as she cleaned her tools. “I heard you.”

The boy felt a sliver of his dignity restored. “You heard me, and then what?”

He grinned wickedly. “Too scared to speak?”

Tong Yuwu paused in her work and looked at him. “I don’t want to choose either one.”

“You don’t want to choose?!” The boy shot to his feet. “That’s not up to you.”

He cracked his finger joints with cruel intent. “Since you can’t decide, I’ll choose for you.” He eyed Tong Yuwu up and down. “To make sure you can still drag yourself to class tomorrow, I’ll show some mercy and break one of your hands first.”

He shot a glance at his two companions. “Grab her!”

The tall companion lunged forward at once, but the other held him back.

He pointed at the remaining potion materials on the table. “She really seems to have the Ming Family as her backer. If we attack her so openly, even with no witnesses, we won’t be able to shake off the suspicion later.”

“Doesn’t she love refining potions?”

The boy frowned. “What are you getting at?”

The companion raised his right hand, pressing a red ring on his index finger to his lips. “Let me stage an explosion accident.”

“That way, no one can pin the blame on us.”

No sooner had he spoken than he began chanting a strange, rhythmic incantation at the ring.

Orange-blue flames materialized out of nowhere in the classroom. Once they coalesced, they slammed straight into Tong Yuwu’s palm. She was still holding two tools, which the flames shattered on impact.

In the blink of an eye, the entire table was a chaotic mess, looking for all the world like the aftermath of an explosion.

Worse still, part of the flames licked at Tong Yuwu’s clothes. Under the caster’s control, they zeroed in on the right sleeve of her mage robe, igniting the fabric in an instant. It burned away in spots of ash before searing into the skin of her right arm, leaving a waxy red burn.

The three boys watched, eyes bulging, their gazes growing ever more frenzied.

Under their stares, Tong Yuwu furrowed her brows slightly and patted her right arm with her left hand.

The summoner of the flames laughed at her efforts. “Useless. This isn’t ordinary fire—you can’t just pat it away like…”

His words cut off abruptly, as if someone had seized his throat.

The flames that had engulfed Tong Yuwu’s entire forearm really did fall away after just two pats, dropping to the floor.

Strangely, they landed right by Tong Yuwu’s feet, still burning fiercely with no sign of dying out. Yet they had utterly forgotten their target, leaping futilely in place.

Tong Yuwu stared at them, a spark of interest flickering in her eyes.

The flames’ master gritted his teeth and chanted another spell. The ring on his right hand blazed with intense red light, but nothing changed—

That clump of flame might as well have been in a different, utterly unreachable alien space, despite appearing right there in the classroom.

Tong Yuwu lifted her gaze to the three boys.

She remained utterly expressionless, her demeanor cool and detached. There was no hint of fear or panic, no flicker of anger or explosive rage.

Yet this eerie nonchalance, this utter indifference to everything, inexplicably sent shivers racing down the spines of all three boys.

The ringleader stammered, “Y-you… you can actually use magic, can’t you?

“You’re just pretending not to know anything.”

“No,” Tong Yuwu replied.

The flames at her feet flickered and died out. She lost interest and turned her attention to the mess on the table, staring at it as if lost in thought.

The three boys exchanged uneasy glances.

The tall one lowered his voice. “Let’s get out of here.”

He drew a deep breath. “I’ve got a really bad feeling about this.”

The others nodded in fervent agreement. They bolted for the classroom’s back door.

They were almost through when Tong Yuwu’s voice cut through the air. “Wait.”

The boy in the lead slammed into an invisible wall. The door yawned wide open mere inches away, but no matter how he strained, he couldn’t touch it. The three hurled magic at it in a desperate bid to break through, but nothing happened. Not even a sound escaped.

Tong Yuwu turned to face them. “Was it you who spilled the ink yesterday?”

“Misunderstanding! Total misunderstanding!” The ringleader’s legs buckled beneath him as he forced a fawning smile. “You’re so powerful—why didn’t you tell us sooner? If we’d known, we’d have been begging you to join the Lishen Guild. No way we’d bully you!”

The tall boy chimed in, his words tumbling out in a frantic jumble. “The guild needs someone like you—someone powerful. Please join us. We’ll apologize any way you want!”

But their voices trailed off, growing fainter and fainter.

Soon they realized the truth: it wasn’t just behind them. Invisible walls had sprung up on every side. The barriers inched closer, relentlessly squeezing their space. In moments, the three were crushed together, limbs twisted into grotesque shapes, mouths gaping silently.

Tong Yuwu strolled to the ringleader’s desk and picked up a half-empty bottle of ink.

She carried it back to the door.

As she drew near, the walls vanished. The boys crumpled to the floor, gasping and foaming at the mouth from oxygen deprivation and crushing pressure, their eyes glassy and unfocused.

Tong Yuwu stepped up to the first boy. She pinned his arm with her foot, forcing his right palm upward.

Then she twisted open the ink bottle and slowly poured its contents onto the exposed skin.