Girl, you form the head.

Chapter 41: Deepening Bonds
"Yan Le! Let's see where you run now!"

With a loud shout, Ju Feng pounced on Yan Le, who was sneaking away.

Yan Le had no time to dodge.

Yan Le had no choice but to beg for mercy.

"Then why don't you hurry up and admit your mistake?" Ju Feng snorted, then noticed several boys around her glancing at her chest. She immediately glared back fiercely, "What are you looking at? If you want to see, go home and look at your own mother!"

The boys immediately looked away awkwardly and quickened their pace to get away from the two.

Ju Feng released Yan Le at the right moment, and Yan Le quickly took deep breaths.

Ah, that was close.

"Now you should confess, right?" Ju Feng asked. "Where have you been these past two days? You haven't come to school, and I couldn't find you at your workplace. I couldn't get through to you on the phone either. If the teacher hadn't said you were indeed on leave, I would have called the police."

Calling the police is useless, because I'm right next to them...

Yan Le silently complained to herself, but dared not tell the truth. She could only try to cover it up: "I just found a job and worked for two days."

"Are you kidding me? Everyone who knows how to do this job has disappeared. We can't find them even at night." Ju Feng's brows furrowed slightly as if she had just thought of something. "You didn't go off to deal drugs, did you?"

"How can it be!"

"Is she being kept by someone?"

"Don't talk nonsense, that's not true!"

Ju Feng's expression changed: "You're really being kept?!"

"No, no."

"Look at yourself now!" Ju Feng pulled Yan Le into his arms, gritting his teeth. "Your answers were completely different when I asked you if you were dealing drugs and when I asked you if you were being kept by a sugar daddy!"

"How is it different?! My answer was always no!"

“The reactions were different!” Ju Feng grabbed Yan Le’s shoulders and shook her back and forth. “You were already completely guilty with your second answer! Don’t underestimate my observation skills!”

Yan Le was completely numb.

This is why she has been avoiding Ju Feng ever since she returned to school. Her friend's observation skills are just too sharp, perhaps because her father is a lawyer. And she is the kind of person who can't hide her feelings, so Ju Feng is completely at a disadvantage when facing her.

"Why are you degrading yourself like this!" Ju Feng was trembling with anger. "I've already told you, if you need money, I can lend it to you. Don't do that kind of thing!"

"I can't keep borrowing money from you... Besides, I'm not being kept at all!" Yan Le wanted to muster up the courage to refute Ju Feng, but faced with Ju Feng's sharp gaze, her courage immediately dissipated, and she became timid again, "At least it's not the kind of keeping you in the mind."

"Not the kind of sugar daddy/sugar baby arrangement I was thinking of?" Ju Feng frowned. "What do you mean? It's a 'pure' arrangement?"

"No, it's not... what does 'vegetarian' mean?"

"It just rubs against me, but won't go in."

Yan Le finally understood, but it was precisely because she understood that she became even more distraught. She raised her hands and surrendered to Ju Feng: "Please, I really didn't do what you're thinking. There's really a misunderstanding. I promise you, I didn't sell my body... my dignity! It was just a legitimate job."

"Really?"

"real!"

Seeing that Yan Le answered very confidently this time, Ju Feng finally let go of her shoulder, but a hint of suspicion still lingered on her face: "So what exactly did you go to do?"

"I really can't tell you that," Yan Le said, "but it's definitely a very respectable job, I can assure you!"

Seeing Yan Le solemnly raise four fingers, Ju Feng had no choice but to believe her.

"Alright," Ju Feng nodded. "Let's go to class first."

So the two of them went into a small experimental classroom. There were more than ten students in the classroom, and the two of them were the last to arrive.

"To be honest, I really don't understand what you're thinking." After entering the classroom, Ju Feng subconsciously lowered her voice. "If we just graduate normally, we have plenty of high-paying jobs to choose from, but you're doing some kind of crappy work every day, earning such a small amount of money. Besides, you and I are both in the Rising Star Class, and our tuition is even waived. I really don't know how you can be so short of money."

The Rising Star Class, also known as the elite class of the Sacred Music Academy, is selected only by students whom the academy deems sufficiently talented and exceptionally outstanding. The academy will reimburse all tuition fees for these students.

Don't underestimate this expense. Training a special individual is very expensive, and only well-off families can afford it.

"And with so many jobs, aren't you afraid that your studies will suffer and you'll end up being kicked out of the rising star class?"

Yan Le was genuinely afraid of this. Her grades used to be below average in the rising star class, but after her sister's accident, they plummeted, and she's now basically stuck in last place.

Of course, even the last-place student still has room to fall further, which is to be directly expelled.

Although she wasn't expelled from the academy, being expelled from the Rising Star Class meant that Yan Le, given her current circumstances, definitely wouldn't be able to afford both the expensive tuition at Sacred Music Academy and her sister's even more expensive medical expenses. So, it was practically equivalent to being expelled out.

If that's the case, Yan Le will have no choice but to leave the academy and find a job sooner.

But what can she do without a graduation certificate?

...I hope she can't end up as a college student who's kept full-time by Officer Deng.

The thought sent a chill down Yan Le's spine. She immediately clasped her hands together and pleaded with Ju Feng for help: "So I need your help, my dear sister, please lend me your homework to copy!"

"Sigh, really," Ju Feng said helplessly, taking out her notebook. "But what's the point of just copying homework? Do you think this is an ordinary school?"

"Let's procrastinate as long as we can." Yan Le took the workbook with a grin. "What if one day my special ability suddenly has an epiphany, and I can advance straight to the fifth level and graduate? That's impossible, isn't it?"

“You really are…” Ju Feng was about to sigh when he suddenly caught something out of the corner of his eye, and his lips twitched immediately. “It seems you should pray now that your special epiphany has come true.”

what?
Yan Le looked over and saw their teacher leading a specially made doll into the classroom. Just a second ago, Yan Le was all smiles, but now he was completely gone. He had only three words in his mind: "We're doomed."

Just as Jufeng said, Sacred Music Academy is not an ordinary school, the kind where you can get by copying homework or cheating.

The Sacred Music Academy, especially the Rising Star Class she was in, constantly monitored the students' special abilities, and special abilities cannot be faked.

"Why is there another assessment?!" Yan Le lowered her voice, her tone filled with disbelief. "It feels like we just had the last assessment not long ago."

"It's been a while now," Ju Feng said with a hint of helplessness. "Have you been working every day and gotten your schedule all mixed up?"

"That shouldn't be the case. Shouldn't working be like living through an eternity? I don't feel like so many years have passed."

Ju Feng glanced at Yan Le: "It's no use talking nonsense at a time like this."

Yan Le knew this, of course, but there was nothing she could do.

She barely passed her last special ability test, barely earning proof of being a third-tier special ability user. But since then, her abilities have barely improved, so passing again this time seems highly unlikely. Oh no, this is really bad. Can't today just be a regular test, not a formal assessment?

Yan Le prayed silently in her heart.

Yan Le's heart sank completely after the teacher straightened the specially made doll and casually said "test".

She wasn't sure if it was just her imagination, but the teacher seemed to glance at her, as if the glance was directed at her.

The assessment method is very simple: just transfer the special ability into a specially made doll.

This specially made doll is made of high-density anti-paranormal material, which can greatly block the propagation of paranormal particles. If the paranormal particles of the examinee can penetrate these materials and act directly on the doll, it proves that the examinee's paranormal strength meets the standard.

"Let's begin." The teacher took out the list. "Let's go in order. First up, Ju Feng."

Ju Feng gave Yan Le a "good luck" look, then walked onto the stage, placed his hand on the puppet under everyone's gaze, and closed his eyes.

Soon, the sound of wind gradually filled the quiet classroom.

"Tear".

Seconds later, the doll's outer garment was torn apart from the inside out by several invisible wind blades, leaving it covered in wounds.

"Pass." The teacher bowed her head to take notes, and said calmly, "Your progress is slower than I expected, Jufeng. Did you really give it your all?"

"Yes, teacher, I have done my best."

"Alright, you may leave."

Ju Feng returned to his seat and whispered to Yan Le, "I've been trying my best to shuffle the internal materials of the doll for you. You should have an easier time afterward."

"Ju Feng!!" Yan Le almost wanted to kneel down and bow to Ju Feng.

The dolls are consumables; the more they are used, the lower their quality becomes. Therefore, the difficulty level decreases for those who are tested later in the process.

Yan Le happened to be the last one on the list, which is why she was able to pass by so close to the top several times.

If everyone took the test like Ju Feng, maybe she really could pass.

The thought of "maybe" only lasted for a few seconds. When the second student was about to take the test, the teacher called him back.

"Let's change the order." The teacher raised her head, her sharp eyes piercing through the crowd and landing directly on Yan Le. "Yan Le, you go first."

"...Huh?" Yan Le was stunned.

"What's wrong?" The teacher pushed up his white-rimmed glasses. "Is there a problem?"

"No... no problem."

Now that things have come to this, what else can Yan Le say? She can only walk onto the stage under everyone's gaze, and looking at the specially made doll that is still almost at its peak, she can't help but sigh heavily in her heart.

It seems like we're really doomed this time.

In fact, Yan Le had long expected this day to come, because she was not a genius like her sister who could work hard to earn money while maintaining her studies. She had to do her best just to take care of one thing.

Because of her lack of talent, she had to give up one of them, and that one could never be her older sister.

Yan Le took a deep breath, then raised her hand and reached out to the doll.

At that moment, a strange image suddenly popped into her mind—the silver-red knight leaping high into the air and delivering a kick.

Her body froze, and a bold idea sprouted up like bamboo shoots after a spring rain.

"What's wrong?" The teacher frowned immediately when she saw Yan Le stop moving. "Are you afraid to take the test?"

"No, teacher, I just... want to try a different approach." Yan Le said, while distancing herself from the puppet.

"What, do you need a running start?" The teacher's brows furrowed even deeper, and the others couldn't help but laugh out loud, while only Ju Feng looked worried.

Faced with the laughter of the crowd, Yan Le couldn't help but wonder if she had lost her mind.

But for some reason, she just wanted to try, as if a voice inside her was telling her, "Go for it."

Oh well, so be it, I'm already dead anyway.

With a determined heart and a "what the heck" attitude, Yan Le rushed toward the doll.

As if injected with a spring, she leaped high into the air, her body drawing a graceful arc in the air. Then, with lightning speed, she cleanly and decisively kicked the doll.

With a "bang," the doll made a muffled sound.

Everyone was astonished because Yan Le's movements were so beautiful, like a professional gymnast, but with an added sense of power that gymnasts don't have.

No way, this guy really knows how?
Yan Le was also surprised. She just wanted to kick casually, how could it have such an effect?
No, she really does?
But after a brief moment of surprise, everyone came to their senses and looked at the doll again.

A flame mark did appear on the doll's chest, but it disappeared quickly, as if swallowed up by the doll without a sound.

It seems to be just for show.

The teacher pushed up her glasses and said rather sarcastically, "It seems our Yanle spends all her free time on physical performances, so she doesn't..."

Before the words were finished, the flame mark reappeared, spreading all over the doll's body like blood vessels.

The next second, scorching flames shot into the sky, as if to burn everything, engulfing the doll with overwhelming force, and even the air was distorted by the heat.

Everyone was stunned, including Yan Le.

She stared blankly as the flames burned the doll to ashes, unable to utter a single word.

For a moment, the entire classroom was deathly silent, as if everyone's ability to speak had turned to ashes along with the flames.

It's unclear how much time passed before the teacher finally broke the silence.

"qualified."

……

"Ding! Your bond with 'Yanle, the Fusion Material' has deepened, and the Dual Knight's Fiery Rage has been enhanced—the use of the Tier 1 Final Battle Skill 'Fiery Knight Kick' will no longer be restricted by the synchronization rate."

Seeing the sudden pop-up notification, Bai Chi, who was driving, couldn't help but look bewildered.

(End of this chapter)