Chapter Thirty-seven: Recognition

Chen Bo and his companions were busy sweeping, and the surrounding crowd watched them with peculiar expressions. No one was foolish enough to mistake them for janitors—would janitors dress so elegantly? Moreover, judging by their bearing, their movements and gestures carried a hint of resolute vigor, clearly marking them as cultivators of no low rank. It was obvious they were students of Sunward Academy, likely freshmen.

Being stared at as if they were monkeys—even Chen Bo, thick-skinned as he was, felt somewhat embarrassed. It was just like being punished to sweep the floor back on Earth, with classmates laughing at him. This brought back memories of his youth, a strange sensation that was thoroughly unpleasant.

“Hey, why are these freshmen sweeping the floor?” wondered a senior student who was unaware of the situation.

“I bet they broke school rules and got punished by their mentors. Ha! When I first came to Sunward Academy, I was only fined a bit, suffered some bad luck. These freshmen not only lost money, but they're also getting physical punishment. What a spectacle! Haha!”

“You're just the pot calling the kettle black! But honestly, seeing them so downcast is pretty amusing.”

“These dozen or so guys violated school rules on their first day—I doubt their days ahead will be easy! I wonder what they did, I'm quite curious.”

“Can't you tell? They're all injured; they must've gotten into a private fight.”

The seniors, at least, showed some restraint in their comments. They understood the wisdom of not bullying the young and poor, having been through it themselves. But the other freshmen showed no mercy in their ridicule.

“These must be country bumpkins, always fighting—so uncouth.”

“What a disgrace! Does anyone know who they are? Tell us so everyone can have a laugh!”

“Huh? That idiot with the bandaged head looks familiar! Oh, I remember, some of them are from Dingjia Town, a remote little place. The wilds breed troublemakers!”

“Hey, I recognize someone too! Damn, how did he get admitted to Sunward Academy? I remember he couldn’t even cultivate—a total failure!” Someone noticed Chen Bo and recognized him, probably from a neighboring town.

“Stop bluffing. How could a failure get into Sunward Academy?”

“Why would I lie? That failure’s name is Chen—something, from Yan Town, also a backwater. I have relatives there; met him while visiting. He couldn’t even lift a chicken! They say he used to be a genius, though!”

“Oh? In what way was he a genius? Stop keeping us in suspense.”

Chen Bo and his group hurriedly finished sweeping and left. The longer they stayed, the stronger the urge to fight, so it was best to avoid trouble.

After they left, the elder who had extorted them appeared again. Looking at the spotless ground, he said with disappointment, “Were these kids born to do chores? Not a leaf left—they’ve swept it too clean. I almost feel bad cheating them.”

“That Chen Bo fellow—he’s Jingjing’s younger brother, I think. I’ve heard her mention him before. Broken meridians? Endured for a year? A weapon refiner? Interesting, very interesting. The boy harbors many secrets.”

“Plus, he carries all sorts of strange little trinkets, and they look quite exquisite.” As he spoke, a pale blue object appeared in the elder’s hand. If anyone from Earth saw it, they’d recognize it as a hair clip.

This was the crystal hair clip Chen Bo had won in a lottery long ago—beautiful, but hardly practical and fragile to boot.

The day passed quickly. The academy hung several long banners, welcoming the new students and hosting a formal reception. If the banners had been red with yellow letters, Chen Bo would have felt like he’d returned to Earth.

Chen Bo had always assumed the freshman reception would be held in a hall, as on Earth, but it turned out to be in the academy’s martial arena.

He didn’t join the others from Yan Town; he came alone. While everyone else clustered in groups, he wandered leisurely, attracting more than a few glances—some even recognized him.

“That guy looks like one of those punished yesterday! I hear he has a powerful background.”

“Where are the others? Seeing them so miserable yesterday nearly made me die laughing.”

“Did you hear? That’s Chen Bo, from a place called Yan Town. The most important thing—he’s a useless failure who can’t cultivate! His admission to Sunward Academy is all thanks to his sister.”

“What? You must be kidding! Who’s his sister? Can anyone wield such power here?”

“I’ve heard about it too. Chen Bo’s sister is Sunward Academy’s greatest genius in centuries—Chen Jingjing! And they’re full siblings. That connection alone could get him special treatment.”

“I’ve always wondered—how do you all know this?”

“Oh, that! He may be a failure, but he’s great at making enemies. All this was spread by his clanmates. One of them, a fairly talented guy, is named Long something.”

“Those clans are the darkest places. Us outsiders have it better.”

Chen Bo understood now—Chen Long and the others must resent him, tarnishing his reputation throughout Sunward Academy. The reasons for their enmity had been mentioned before.

Aside from Chen Long, the folks from Dingjia Town surely joined in. Clearly, his knack for provoking others was remarkable.

Still, Chen Bo wasn’t bothered. Let them talk; it wouldn’t cost him a thing. With his elder sister as a shield, life at Sunward Academy would surely improve.

After all, having connections and backing was its own form of strength.

Though Chen Bo wanted power to fulfill the three-year promise, he preferred to grow stronger quietly, without constant trouble.

Unfortunately, he was born with a protagonist’s fate—a magnet for trouble, Chen Bo mused with self-deprecating pride.

Through others’ conversations, Chen Bo gleaned much, like the current freshman reception.

It was a gathering organized by the senior students—a way to give the freshmen a taste of humility. The specifics were unclear, but likely involved showing off their strength and warning freshmen not to get too cocky.

As expected, the seniors behaved much like school bullies back on Earth, each showing off. Thus, a bunch of clueless newcomers unwittingly became their followers.

It was mutually beneficial: the freshmen gained a protector, the seniors gained attendants, and no one lost out.

Chen Bo, meanwhile, sat idly beneath a tree. His “famous name” had spread across Sunward Academy in just half a day. Many didn’t know what he looked like, but the name Chen Bo was already etched in their minds.

No one wanted to associate with a failure, and with Chen Jingjing behind him, who would dare accept the sister of the academy’s foremost lady as a subordinate? If found out, it could be fatal.

This made Chen Bo realize his sister’s name carried great weight at Sunward Academy.

“Who knew the main streamer had a sister—hello, streamer’s brother-in-law!”

“Damn, shameless!”

“I’m curious what the streamer’s sister looks like.”

“Since the streamer has such a girlish face, his sister must be a stunning beauty!”

“I still want to know what the streamer did to my two goddesses.”

“Just lurking.”

“Chicken Coop Killer tipped the streamer 100 gold coins—water experience, water experience, water experience, water experience, water experience, water experience.”

“Top comment, mute him!”

“Uniform seduction, s-girl lolita, at your service—call 158.”

“Hey, do you offer free shipping? No free shipping, no deal.”