Elia was being bullied.
In truth, from the moment Elia enrolled, several minor nobles had already grown displeased with her.
‘What right does someone like her have to enter this academy?’
‘What qualifications does a servant have to stand on equal footing with us?’
They already lacked an interest in studying, and after seeing Elia’s diligent efforts to learn, their irritation only intensified.
“What is there to learn?”
“You’re just a servant. Do you even recognize all the words? Can you even understand what’s written in those notes?”
During their free time, several girls stood in the academy’s corridor, mocking Elia behind her back.
“Should we give her some self-awareness?” the Pink-haired Girl spoke up while leaning against a pillar. “Next class is training.”
Their cultivation levels were all at the low rank of the Middle Stage, which was about average for the academy. However, against someone like Elia, it was more than enough.
“I think that works.”
“I’ve been annoyed by that serious look on her face for a while now…”
The group quickly reached a consensus.
“But should we consider that girl named Lu Mo?” someone else mentioned Lu Mo’s name. “After all, she is the top freshman this year, and Elia is her servant…”
***
The Pink-haired Girl immediately dismissed her concerns. “It’s normal to get a few injuries during training, isn’t it? It’s entirely because Elia’s own skills are inferior that she lost to us and got hurt. Even for the sake of her own pride, Lu Mo wouldn’t be able to hold us accountable for this, right?”
“And even if we step back 100 steps — ” The Pink-haired Girl let out a cold sneer. “So what if she’s the top freshman? My brother was in third place back then. Three years have passed, and he’s already in the Senior Class. His strength is among the best even among the upperclassmen, and he’s almost at the threshold of the High Stage. If Lu Mo dares to deal with me, then my brother will give her a lesson she’ll never forget — “
The group soon made their decision.
During the following training class, they issued an “invitation” to Elia, half-joking and half-coercing. As a result, Elia was naturally defeated several times. She fell to the ground, scraping her skin.
Yet from beginning to end, she did not make a sound, nor did she shed a single tear. She remained silent, picking herself up from the ground once more to face the girls in front of her.
“Miss Elia, today’s training was very interesting — “
“Let’s continue being in the same group for the next training class, shall we?”
“Don’t be sad, little Elia. We’re doing this for your own good.”
As the class ended, the girls laughed and chatted as they walked away.
***
Elia stood alone on the training grounds for a long, long time.
She patted the dust off her dress and carefully washed the bloodstains from her hands and face. She checked herself repeatedly before finally returning to her residence.
She did not want Lu Mo to find out about this.
‘I can’t trouble Lady Lu Mo anymore…’
Lu Mo had already done enough for her. She didn’t want Lu Mo to worry about her again.
But even though Elia said nothing and acted as she usually did, Lu Mo still noticed something was wrong. Lu Mo did not interrogate Elia; instead, she began her own investigation.
A few days later.
“Did you see Elia’s expression today?”
“The way she looked after being knocked down, not saying a word and forcing herself not to cry… it was truly pathetic.”
“I say, won’t it get a bit boring to keep bullying her this way?” The Pink-haired Girl had a sudden inspiration, seemingly thinking of a new game. “Next time, should we toss her assignment notes all over the academy, or just burn them?”
As she spoke, she turned around to see her companions’ reactions. For some reason, her friends had all stopped in their tracks, frozen on the spot.
‘Is the idea that brilliant?’
The Pink-haired Girl was about to say something, but when she turned her head back, she froze as well.
—
She saw a figure standing in the sunset not far away.
Beautiful, noble, and cold.
It was Lu Mo.
“Miss… Miss Lu Mo?”
‘Dammit, did Elia tell Lu Mo?’
Lu Mo simply stood there, but an invisible pressure enveloped them, making their hearts tremble.
“So… so what? This is inside the academy, she can’t — “
*Whoosh!*
The Pink-haired Girl’s pupils suddenly constricted. She saw Lu Mo holding a sword, drawing the light of the sunset with her as she charged toward them!
The girl actually dared to strike directly within the academy!
What Lu Mo brought forth was clearly the light of holiness and hope, yet at this moment, that light was cold and filled with a killing intent!
Several of the weaker girls were knocked to the ground instantly, nearly coughing up blood. As the strongest leader among them, the Pink-haired Girl remained standing, but her fate was the worst.
She instinctively threw her hand up to block her face.
*Rip!*
The sound of tearing flesh followed in the next second.
The sword pierced directly through her palm and continued forward, finally stopping less than a few centimeters from her neck. To kill her, Lu Mo would need only a single thought!
“Ah… ahhh…”
The Pink-haired Girl was completely terrified. Looking into Lu Mo’s indifferent eyes, she felt as if her entire being had fallen into an abyss of ice!
“You know what you should and shouldn’t do.”
Lu Mo withdrew her sword and didn’t linger, turning to walk away.
The Pink-haired Girl felt her body go weak, and she collapsed onto her knees. She didn’t stop the bleeding or fight back; she only watched Lu Mo leave with trembling lips and a pale face.
“Hey! Fighting is forbidden on campus!”
“Ahhh! Someone’s been killed! Someone’s been killed!!!”
“Blood… so much blood…”
She had no idea what the people around her were saying or doing. In that instant, Lu Mo had become a nightmare that would haunt her forever.
—
“It hurts… it really hurts…”
“What? It tore right through a vital part, and even if it heals, it might affect my combat? There might even be… a scar?”
In the infirmary, the Pink-haired Girl nearly suffered a breakdown.
Significant time had passed before she finally overcame some of her fear toward Lu Mo, replaced by a poisonous resentment. “Lu Mo… Lu Mo… just you wait!!!”
“I still have my brother! I’m going to have him deal with you. I’m going to make you… experience even deeper pain!”
But the reality was —
The very next day, Lu Mo proactively sought out her brother and applied for an academy duel.
In the eyes of many, it was pure fantasy for a newly enrolled freshman to challenge a senior student who had been famous in the academy for years and was ranked at the top of the Senior Class. Even some teachers felt that Lu Mo was being far too arrogant.
The opponent was someone who had nearly stepped into the High Stage.
The Pink-haired Girl’s brother, that Burly Youth, also sneered.
‘Initiating a challenge yourself?’
‘Fine, I’ll take this chance to avenge my sister.’
However, on that day, the students, the referee, and even several Palace Master-level figures in attendance were shocked, unable to calm their hearts for a long time.
In just a few minutes, the Burly Youth fell heavily to the ground, covered in blood and unconscious.
Lu Mo was completely unharmed. She stood in the center of the arena like a cold, flickering light, making everyone feel a piercing chill.
“How boring — “
Lu Mo spoke as she turned to leave, placing her sword back into the scabbard Elia was holding.
“Let’s go. We’re going home.” She tilted her head and smiled at Elia.
“…Yes!”
Elia followed closely behind Lu Mo, watching her back with admiration in her eyes. She was actually very confused as to why Lu Mo would suddenly challenge the youth to a duel.
It wasn’t until much later that she finally learned the relationship between the Burly Youth and the people who had bullied her.
Only then did she realize that everything Lu Mo had done was for her.