Translator: _Min
As if a tremendous thunderclap had exploded beside his ear, Wei Chenglinâs ears buzzed, leaving him momentarily deaf.
His blood seemed to flow backward in an instant, his face flushing a deep red.
He stood frozen, forgetting how to react, as he watched Si Fuqing bend down to pick up his fallen talisman, methodically crushing it into pieces.
âA talisman shouldnât be used like this,â Si Fuqing said with a snap of her fingers and a slight smile. âIt should be done this way.â
âSlash!â
With a swift motion, a ghostly flame surged up in the quiet grove, brushing past Wei Chenglinâs hair.
He collapsed to the ground with a thud, the smell of charring wafting to his nose, and a stinging sensation spread across his skin.
But this was nothing compared to the shock and disbelief raging in Wei Chenglinâs heart.
Overwhelmed by extreme fear, he couldnât even let out a scream. His thoughts were in utter disarray, his body shivering with cold, horror-stricken, âYouâ¦â How is this possible?
In any context, a Master of Yin -Yang was revered, eagerly sought after by powerful families and alliances. How could one possibly be mingling in the entertainment industry?
Has the world gone mad?
Wei Chenglin, lacking formal training, was no Master of Yin-yang, but he wasnât ignorant about them.
The more formidable the Master of Yin-yang, the more perfect their control over the forces of Yin and Yang, requiring significant experience. The renowned Masters were usually well into their seventies.
Of course, there were prodigies.
Like the young master of the Fujisan family, only 24 and already a match for the elders.
However, he achieved this only through the familyâs immense resources.
But Si Fuqing was how old?
She was only 18.
At that age, scions of other Yin-Yang families were still learning and exploring.
Wei Chenglinâs head throbbed, his vision blurring.
Si Fuqing moved to a spot he had covered with weeds, bent down, and said emotionlessly, âYou learned quite well, but donât you know Great Xia is the cradle of this art? Did you really think the Masters of Yin-Yang had vanished from Great Kia?â
Wei Chenglin was still lost for words, his mind blank until he heard another voice.
âHey! Big brother, why did you act?â JI Xingzhi leaped down from the wall.
âDidnât we agree youâd leave this to me? I swear I came as fast as I could.â
âJust stretching my muscles,â Si Fuqing replied, tapping the ground with her foot. âGood, you handle it.â
âLet me see,â JI Xingzhi approached the array. âThis? I could draw this when I was three. What a rubbish array. Itâs pretty malicious, though, intended to gradually weaken someone until death, tsk tsk.â
Si Fuqing responded, âYour grandpa never beat you as a kid, did he?â
âHim? He couldnât catch me,â JI Xingzhi rolled up his sleeves.
Wei Chenglin watched as this ordinary-looking young man effortlessly broke the array he had prepared for half a month, his voice choked, âYou, who are
âMy surname is JI,â JI Xingzhi turned, patting Wei Chenglinâs face. âBad luck running into me. Showing off in the land of experts, where did you get such confidence?â
A Master of Yin â Yang surnamedJI!
Wei Chenglinâs pupils dilated, âJI, JI family! Youâ¦â
Overwhelmed, he blacked out and fell unconscious.
Si Fuqing kicked JI Xingzhi and lifted her chin, âWhatâs wrong with him?â
âI just nullified his ability to practice the Yin-yang, nothing else,â JI Xingzhi stepped back. âHis own array backfired. Heâll have mental issues when he wakes up. Thinking he could be a Master of Yin-Yang with such a frail body.â
Weakness in Masters of Yin-Yang was a myth based on their exhaustion post-battle, not an inherent frailty.
Si Fuqing took out her phone, âWell, he brought it upon himself.â
âHello, director, Iâm out for a walk and found a student passed out. It looks urgent; you might want to come over,â she said into the phone.
After the call, Si Fuqing turned, âOkay, you leave first. Iâll treat you to dinner later. â
âNo big deal,â JI Xingzhi ruffled his hair. âI donât want your dinner, I want you to beat up that Lightning for me.â
He was still furious from yesterdayâs near-breakdown.
Thinking he had found a powerful ally, only to be let down.
That NEET didnât even talk, just like a mute.
He was livid!
If he ever met that NEET, heâd definitely teach him a lesson.
Si Fuqing crossed her arms, âIâll deal with him. So, will you join the OPL tournament then?â
â0PL? The Oracle Professional League?â JI Xingzhi expressed his surprise. âI asked him to meet up, and he wouldnât. Is he going to participate in the OPL? Lightning God has always been a lone wolf, and no one knows where heâs from.â
âItâll be based on if the West Deities team can provoke well enough,â Si Fuqing shook her phone. âIâll wait here for the ambulance. A mentorâs responsibilities must be fulfilled.â
âYouâre quite professional as a star,â JI Xingzhi muttered before vaulting back over the wall.
Just as he left, the director and producer hurried over, followed by several doctors and nurses.
As the medical team lifted Wei Chenglin onto the stretcher, his body suddenly twitched, and he foamed at the mouth.
The ambulance arrived swiftly, taking Wei Chenglin to the hospital.
After receiving a call and the examination results from the hospital, the producer turned pale, âA history of mental illness? He actually concealed something so crucial?!â
âDonât panic,â Si Fuqing consoled. âIt might have just happened today. He signed an agreement; itâs not the programâs responsibility.â
The producer remained unsettled despite her reassurances.
âDid you call his agency?â the director asked the coordinator. âTheir trainee has such a severe mental illness; how could they send him to an audition show? What were they thinking?â
âWe did,â the coordinator wiped his sweat. âHis agency is also clueless, saying heâs always been in good condition and never had such issues.â
The producer lit a cigarette: âProbably a hereditary family illness with a latent period. Luckily Teacher Si noticed it early; otherwise, it would have been hard
to explain it it was too late.â
âWei Chenglin ranked quite high,â the director shook his head. âHe was sure to debut, such a pity.â
With the matter resolved, Si Fuqing nodded: âIn that case, Iâll head back first.â
The producer nodded, âTeacher Si, take care.â
With Wei Chenglin in such a condition, awakening soon seemed difficult, leaving withdrawal from the competition as the only option.
Soon after negotiating with Wei Chenglinâs agency, the program issued an emergency withdrawal announcement.
A trainee withdrawing just before the debut night was a significant matter.
[Why did Wei Chenglin suddenly withdraw? Another scandal?]
[I donât think so. I saw him being carried out by medical staff from the training camp. I heard he had a mental breakdown. Thankfully, the program acted swiftly, or he would have ended up a fool.]
[Participating in a talent show with a history of mental illness? What if he had snapped and attacked someone at night? Terrifying.]
[Such a pity, he was good at singing and dancing. But with a mental illness, he should focus on recovery.]
Wei Chenglinâs fans were heartbroken.
However, his sudden illness was unexpected, and the comments on his withdrawal post were filled with regret.
Yet there were other voices as well.
[With Wei Chenglin withdrawing, the one ranked tenth must be thrilled. Lucky indeed.][Letâs see who the ninth becomes on debut night, the chosen one.]
The countdown to the debut nightâs promotion began, with all parties preparing.
Especially the several investors in this program, who placed great emphasis on the debut night.
The largest investor was Speed Company.
Speed was a well-known sports brand in Great Xia. Their president had a marital relationship with the Lu family and many business collaborations.
Openly speaking, this audition was designed to promote Lu Yan.
âJust a few days left, this Saturday is debut night,â Xu Jingshan tapped his cigarette ash. âWhatâs the current ranking?â
An assistant handed him a list.
After reviewing it, Xu Jingshan frowned, âWhatâs going on with these votes?
Where are the initially decided ones? How did Lu Yan, the designated center, drop to fourth?â
Lu Yan had the talent, otherwise, he wouldnât have been initially touted as a hot favorite for the center position along with Xie Yu.
âThisâ¦â the assistant hesitated. âIn the three performances, his strengths werenât showcased, and his weaknesses were exposed, leading to a loss of many fans.â
âNo need to worry about that,â Xu Jingshan waved his hand. âJust switch the votes at the time, swap the fourth and first places, and also change the rankings of these few people.â
Whether one could debut or their final position was, of course, up to the investors..