Chapter 80: Chapter 77: Breaking the Mold

Three days later.

Song Yueyao returned to Tan Palace from Cangyu City with a tired look on her face, her task as a patrol envoy completed, and she temporarily set aside her official duties to report back.

She had already learned that Li Hao and the others had returned ahead of schedule, and by now, they must have already arrived back in Qingzhou.

Thinking of the strength Li Hao had displayed, she clenched her teeth in secret frustration. She had seen all sorts of geniuses during her years of study in Black and White Hall, but it was her first time encountering someone like him.

This, to some extent, struck a blow to her.

“Yue Yao?”

As Song Yueyao was preparing to return to Black and White Hall to report Li Hao’s situation to her grandfather truthfully, she happened to run into Su Yehua, who was passing by outside the hall.

Seeing her friend, Song Yueyao slowed down her steps: “Su.”

The two were only three years apart in age and had known each other as sisters for over a decade.

“You’re back so soon? Was the task successful? You didn’t encounter any Great Demons, did you?” Su Yehua asked gently upon seeing Song Yueyao’s weary state.

Upon hearing “Great Demon,” the image of neatly arranged demon corpses piled up high on the mountain top flashed through Song Yueyao’s mind, causing her complexion to change slightly.

“What is it?” Su Yehua also looked slightly stunned. Could it be that she had really encountered a Great Demon?

“It’s nothing.” Song Yueyao shook her head slightly and then, with a sudden thought, asked, “Su, have Li Hao and his group already come back?”

“Hmm?”

Surprised, Su Yehua knew of Song Yueyao’s cool nature over the years, her indifference to outsiders, and her usual lack of concern. Why would she ask about the two young masters of the Li Family?

Suddenly, she remembered that the task location assigned to those two also seemed to be Cangyu City.

“What, did they make trouble for you, add to your difficulties?”

Thinking of one of them, known for his lax demeanor and fondness for sleeping in class, Su Yehua frowned slightly and said reassuringly:

“After all, he is a young master from a prominent family who likes to act spoilt; don’t take it personally…”

Song Yueyao was taken aback for a moment, then shook her head and said, “No, there was a major incident in Cangyu City. If it weren’t for Li Hao taking action, I might not have been able to return at all.”

“What?”

Su Yehua was stunned, looking at Song Yueyao in disbelief, wondering if she had misspoken.

Song Yueyao was not surprised by her reaction. It seemed her sister was not yet aware of Li Hao’s strength. She recounted briefly what had happened in Cangyu City.

After listening, Su Yehua stared at Song Yueyao, dumbfounded.

“Fifteen Li Realm? Him?”

Images of the boy who used to sleep soundly during class flashed through Su Yehua’s mind. If she remembered correctly, his registered age upon admission was… fourteen years old?

Seeing Su Yehua’s shocked expression, Song Yueyao couldn’t help but smile, feeling an inexplicable sense of joy.

It seemed she wasn’t the only one who had been frightened.

The weariness on her face also dissipated quite a bit as she waved to Su Yehua, “I’m going to report in first.”

With that, she turned and left gracefully.

Coming back to her senses, Su Yehua suddenly had an epiphany.

No wonder Li Hao never attended classes or participated in the Martial Arts Ranking; with such a level, he could be teaching the others himself.

However, having such a Cultivation Level, did he really need to join Tan Palace Academy?

She felt puzzled and decided to inquire more the next time she met Li Hao.

…

…

Within a few days, the disciples from Alpha Academy who had been sent out for academy tasks had all returned one after another.

Su Yehua gathered the disciples to evaluate their performance on this round of tasks.

The standout performances undoubtedly came from the teams led by the two princes, who had chosen the hardest tasks worth 15 credits and each received full marks in a unanimous team vote.

In addition, they established meritorious deeds during the tasks, assisting the Monster Suppression Department in cracking significant cases, receiving one third-class merit and one second-class merit respectively.

As for first-class merits, they are hard to come by outside war-torn border areas.

Even second-class merits were quite astonishing.

“Could it be that they also encountered a demon attack on the city?”

Du Qiuyue and Yu Wei whispered among themselves.

Yu Wei glanced over and said in a low voice, “I don’t think so. It’s possible that the Monster Suppression Department was just currying favor with them, attributing original merits to them, or perhaps the place they went to had something to do with their families’ influence…”

“Shush!” Du Qiuyue was startled and hastily signalled him to be quiet.

Yu Wei also realized his indiscretion; the complex politics behind the royal family were not something they should discuss.

Even though these two princes were not favored, they were still of royal blood, and who knew if one day they might ascend to great heights?

Beyond the two princes, the next best performers were Wang Han, Li Yun, and their siblings, who also took on the most difficult tasks and achieved full marks as a team, although they did not earn any additional merits.

The expressions on the faces of other noble family disciples varied; some whispered among themselves, some admired their strength, while others sneered privately, unconvinced, attributing their success to connections.

Though only in their teens, they had already witnessed the huge disparities brought about by differences in status, and this gap would help them become more perceptive and worldly.

“These two…”

Li Yuanzhao watched as Li Yun and his sister were praised by Teacher Su Yehua. Despite a cool façade, his eyes could hardly hide his joy.

Li Zhining was still fine, but when Li Yuanzhao saw Li Yun’s arm wrapped in gauze, clearly injured but still smirking contently, he couldn’t help shaking his head.

Given Li Yun’s strength and status, such injuries were likely due to impatience to excel in the task.

Compared to the showy Li Yun, Li Yuanzhao couldn’t help thinking of Li Hao.

He liked playing with Li Hao, not only because their backgrounds were similar, but also because he genuinely admired the air about Li Hao.

How to describe it? Using some of the strange terms Li Hao once used, it was all about the “swagger.”