Chapter Seventy-Seven: Another Kind of Power

"I..." Li Chonglou was at a loss for words again, tiny beads of sweat appearing on his forehead.

"The ones I despise most are people like you, always so self-righteous!" Disgust flashed in Shao Xue’s eyes. "In our Fifth Battalion, who has the best character? Whose heart is the purest? That would be Wen Tian!"

At Shao Xue’s words, the students’ gazes shifted to Wen Tian. She was quite heavy, weighing around two hundred and fifty or sixty pounds, sitting cross-legged on her cushion like a ball. Noticing all eyes on her, she became visibly flustered.

"Who can find fault with Wen Tian? Haven’t you all asked her for help before? Running errands, carrying water, fetching meal boxes, cleaning up—she does more than half of all the chores in the Cambrian Hall by herself!" Shao Xue snapped. "With a heart as kind as hers, why has she never received any gifts or flowers from you men? Why do you ignore her, deliberately overlook her?"

Silence fell over Cambrian Hall. Especially Li Chonglou—he had always considered himself a hero, worthy of pursuing Shen Miao, but his words failed him miserably, and Shao Xue’s interrogation struck home, leaving him utterly defenseless.

"Shao Xue, let it go," Shen Miao tugged at her.

"No! I can’t stand these men, always slinging mud at us women!" Shao Xue’s anger did not abate. "And it’s not just in the Fifth Battalion—it’s the same everywhere. Any female student with a bit of looks or ability is never short of admirers. The plain, less capable, or less well-off are left unnoticed. Is this what you call cherishing inner beauty? Nonsense!"

Li Chonglou’s face was beet red, his lips moving, but unable to form a coherent reply.

"Shao Xue, enough!" Wen Rong spoke up, annoyed, for Wen Tian, sitting nearby, was already in tears.

"Wen Tian, I didn’t mean to target you," Shao Xue said. "I’m talking about the principle. Li Chonglou, if you truly valued inner beauty as you claim, your flowers should have gone to Wen Tian. Shen Miao’s inner character isn’t particularly great—she’s spoiled, a bit sharp-tempered, equal parts amusing and exasperating. So, you’re nothing but a hypocrite!"

Sensing the tension, Ye Xin broke out in laughter.

"Brother, you’re included in ‘these men’—can you still laugh?" Ye Ling tried to ease the mood, immediately directing the attention to her brother.

"Actually, dividing people into inner and outer beauty is a bit shallow," Ye Xin said.

"Oh?" Shao Xue looked at him, her tone much softer. After all, Ye Xin was Ye Ling’s brother and soon to be Wen Rong’s fiancé. "Then tell us—what’s your perspective? I’ve spoken for women, now you speak for men."

"My perspective isn’t about men or women, but about life itself," Ye Xin replied. "Everything we’ve discussed boils down to just four words: survival capital. Have you ever been to the wetlands? There’s a large, fierce beast there called the Thunder Roaring Lion. The lionesses choose their mates based on strength, agility, and the number of thunder marks a lion has accumulated—those are the lions’ survival capital."

"From birth, lionesses have an instinctive fear of the world. Sooner or later, they will become pregnant, losing their ability to survive alone. Their continued survival then depends entirely on the male they’ve chosen." Ye Xin continued, "And it’s not just lionesses—all beasts, and even humans, share this instinctive maternal fear. At some point in their lives, females will need to rely completely on their partners. For them, the adequacy of survival capital is crucial."

"Ridiculous! Comparing beasts to humans!" Li Chonglou sneered.

"Brother, the principles are the same," Ye Xin said quietly. "I hear Wei Qingfan is quite popular at the Academy. Why? Because he’s capable, the legitimate son of Commander Wei, possessing immense survival capital. Marrying him means not only a life of ease, but also a good future for your children. Isn’t that important?"

"The more you talk, the more absurd it becomes! Are all those stories we’ve heard nothing but lies?" Li Chonglou grew increasingly contemptuous.

"You mean those tales of lovers united against all odds? Well, regardless of their truth, tell me—how many of those stories end perfectly? Two out of ten? Three out of ten?" Ye Xin smiled.

"So in your view, those stories are just silly trifles? Are they not beautiful?" Li Chonglou retorted.

"They are worthy of respect. Noble feelings deserve respect," Ye Xin answered. "But it’s precisely because they’re so rare that they’re made into stories. If everyone could achieve such things, there’d be nothing remarkable about them."

"If you respect them, why do you go to such lengths to disparage them—survival capital, indeed! Comparing people to beasts—Ye Xin, your views are truly shocking." Li Chonglou said.

"You’re moved by those stories because they’re so rare. But did you ever wonder why they’re rare?" Ye Xin sighed inwardly. Li Chonglou’s arrogance was partly his own doing—he hoped to teach him something, to restore his focus. "Let’s use the Thunder Roaring Lion again. Perhaps, countless years ago, some lionesses were quite romantic. They liked a lion with a shining golden mane, or one whose roar was melodious, or one whose gait was elegant and steady. And then what happened?"

"The lioness gets pregnant and loses her survival skills. Her mate is useless, can’t hunt, or loses to rival beasts and their territory is taken, or spends all day singing and never cares for her. A few months later, the lioness dies, and the cubs perish too." Ye Xin continued, "Generation after generation, over countless years, all the romantic lionesses died out. Only those who valued survival capital remained. You all know how to cultivate elemental force, but you don’t understand there is another invisible force at work in all life—evolution, natural selection. If you don’t adapt, you’re eliminated."

"I understand your point," Li Chonglou narrowed his eyes. "We must all value survival capital, pursue naked self-interest, and become cold and unfeeling. Is that evolution?"

"That’s not what I meant..." Seeing Li Chonglou’s stubbornness, Ye Xin grew irritated. "You give her flowers, she rejects you, but that doesn’t make you morally superior. If you were like Wei Qingfan, even if she refused, she wouldn’t do it so bluntly."

Li Chonglou’s expression changed drastically. Ye Xin’s words stung with a hint of disdain.

"I remember a senior surnamed Tu once said," Ye Xin went on, "Don’t chase after a horse. Instead, spend your time planting a field of grass. When spring comes, a herd of fine horses will appear for you to choose from. Don’t go out of your way to curry favor with someone. Use the time when you lack friends to improve yourself, and when the time is right, you’ll have friends to walk with you. Friends gained by favors are temporary. Friends drawn by your character are lasting. So enriching yourself is more powerful than pleasing others." Ye Xin hoped his words would help Li Chonglou curb his arrogance and focus on true cultivation.

"You can talk as much as you like, but it’s useless. I know what kind of people you are," Li Chonglou sneered again.

He didn’t care, but the faces of Wen Rong and the others changed.

"Enriching oneself is more powerful than pleasing others..." Wen Rong murmured. Could someone who spoke such words be an idle wastrel?

"Xiao Ling, where has your brother been these past few years?" Shen Miao whispered to Ye Ling.

"I... I don’t really know either," Ye Ling replied, her eyes full of confusion.

"Well said!" Applause sounded from outside, and Xie En walked in.

Ye Xin walked over, pulled Ye Ling along, and headed toward the dais. He had said all he could to Li Chonglou; whether or not he listened was no longer his concern.

As the students of the Fifth Battalion began their cultivation in Cambrian Hall, a squadron of knights rode into Jiuding City from beyond the walls. Leading them was a young man in silver armor, wielding a dazzling gold spear, strikingly handsome and commanding attention wherever he went.

A group of warriors approached, spoke quietly with the youth, and his face changed dramatically.

A few hours later, Shanpao was striding briskly through a narrow alley, gnawing on a roast chicken. Suddenly he stopped, eyeing the path ahead warily.

A knight in silver armor appeared at the mouth of the alley, then dismounted and strode toward Shanpao.

"Shanpao, isn’t it? Do you remember me?" the young man called out.

"I remember you," Shanpao nodded. "Last time, when I escorted Miss back to Jiuding City, you met us on the road."

"Good, you remember." The young man glanced at the alley entrance, then lowered his voice. "Is it true that Xiao Rong is to marry Ye Xin of the Ye family?"

"Mm... that’s what I heard," Shanpao replied, mouth still full of chicken.

"Have you met Ye Xin?" the young man asked.

"No, and what’s it to me?" Shanpao responded gruffly.

"With all that’s happened to the Wen family, do you really think you can stay uninvolved?" the young man pressed. "I know how much Xiao Rong cares for you—do I need to say more? Don’t you want to help her resolve this trouble?"