Chapter 55: Out of Control (Part 2)

Ranked eighth and third on the Martial Review List, Zhao Kai and Gules were both outstanding warriors, each at the sixth stage of internal force—one a master of the long spear, the other a giant axe. Unfortunately, neither had brought their weapons. Naturally, no one would bring a spear or an axe to a physical education class. The two could only use their internal force to help Ye Ran fight against the berserk Alisa.

“Stand behind me. Don’t come forward,” Ye Ran ordered, channeling streams of energy to shield himself as he flashed forward, meeting Alisa head-on. Zhao Kai and Gules immediately added their force to his. Ye Ran’s jade-hued dagger clashed in midair with Alisa’s carved knife, sending sparks flying. Yet in less than a quarter of an hour, Ye Ran was driven back.

Fresh wounds appeared on his body, while Alisa remained unscathed.

Zhao Kai and Gules immediately saw what was happening. Zhao Kai shouted, “Instructor, don’t hold back! Alisa has lost her mind—if you don’t knock some sense into her, all three of us are done for!”

The first time Alisa went berserk in the laboratory incident, not even the Hall of Fame experts could subdue her without hurting her; only someone of Sun Jiulou’s caliber could do so. Ye Ran was still far from that level.

Gules called out as well, “Instructor, this isn’t the time for chivalry—think about us, too!”

“Hmph, understood.” After two exchanges, Ye Ran had gauged Alisa’s strength. Her ranking as number two on the Martial Review List was no empty boast. Even with the combined force of Zhao Kai and Gules, they couldn’t gain the upper hand, and her madness only grew. If he didn’t knock her out now, things would soon get worse.

His resolve hardened, and he prepared to strike decisively. Ye Ran twisted his wrist and clenched his fist, joints cracking audibly. He crouched and sprang high into the air, spinning as he drew the energies of Zhao Kai and Gules upward. Behind him, two nearly invisible “wings” spread rapidly, visible even to the naked eye.

He was unleashing the final form of the Soaring Bird Style.

With a whoosh, Ye Ran’s entire body was enveloped by energy as he plummeted straight down. There was a heavy thud as his force split Alisa’s energy like waves parting before the prow of a ship. She gave a low laugh and drove her knife upward in a reverse thrust.

But with Zhao Kai and Gules’ energy behind him, how could Ye Ran yield? Before Alisa’s blade could reach him, the powerful current overhead pressed her down completely. Ye Ran delivered a solid kick to her wrist, sending her carved knife flying, but Alisa only laughed, flicking her hand to send a flying knife spinning toward him.

The blade came so swiftly and unexpectedly that Ye Ran couldn’t dodge—he took the hit, but used his left foot to stomp hard on Alisa’s chest, sending her hurtling away.

Bang—bang—

The girl flew backward, head thrown back, and crashed heavily to the ground, rolling dozens of times before she finally dissipated the force.

Ye Ran’s heart skipped a beat. He knew all too well the strength of that last blow—even having pulled his punch at the last moment, an ordinary person could never have endured it.

He yanked the carving knife from his thigh and, ignoring the bleeding wound, rushed forward.

“Alisa, are you all right…”

“I’m fine, hahaha, of course I’m fine!” Alisa, who had lain motionless a moment before, suddenly plunged her hands into the synthetic track, laughing loudly as she tore up a long strip of the surface and threw it over Ye Ran, wrapping him up completely. The wind howled as she flung dozens of carving knives, then charged forward herself.

With a hiss, twelve carving knives pinned the plastic down precisely. Alisa darted up, her blade slicing through the plastic as if it were tofu.

But she had barely cut three inches before she halted. A jade-hued blade split the plastic, followed by a sharp rip—Ye Ran tore the tough material apart, seized her wrist, and drove his knee into her abdomen, doubling her over. As she tried to retaliate, Ye Ran slapped her across the face.

Smack—a crisp, ringing blow.

Zhao Kai and Gules were both stunned.

Ye Ran coldly yanked two short knives from his chest and said, “Are you sober now, Alisa?”

A burning sensation swept through her, and Alisa traced her fingers lightly across her cheek, lips still curled in a smirk.

But the wild heat in her eyes slowly faded.

Ye Ran released her, wiped the blood from his mouth, and said, “Alisa, you never actually lost control. Why did you do this?”

His voice was cold and severe.

Someone truly berserk had no consciousness, no sense of pain, and certainly no tactical awareness—they would simply fight to the death. Alisa, clearly, was not in such a state.

Her ruse infuriated Ye Ran all the more.

Alisa fixed her gaze on him, then laughed quietly, “Instructor, there’s something on you that excites me.”

“Tell me, instructor, just how many people have you killed?”

“Hm?” Ye Ran frowned.

Alisa smiled softly, stepped close to whisper in Ye Ran’s ear, “Instructor, only blood and art can excite me. Do you know how potent the scent of blood on you is? I can see it. The almost solidified blood aura on you isn’t red—”

“It’s purple.”

…

From afar, several figures rushed over. Ye Ran saw Xu Nan, Zhang Nuo, and Sun Jiulou among them. Atop the teaching building, Luo Ning closed his fan and descended the stairs.

The rest could be left to Sun Jiulou and Teacher Meow. Several girls gasped in shock when they saw Ye Ran and hurried him to the infirmary.

Ye Ran did not linger in the infirmary. After a quick bandaging, he returned to his office, leaving the intern nurse marveling silently.

This new instructor is something else—his body was covered in wounds, yet he hadn’t so much as flinched while she cleaned them.

“Ha, I thought this would be an easy job. Turns out, it’s a high-risk occupation,” Ye Ran muttered self-deprecatingly, reclining in his chair.

Teacher Meow, in her white dress, entered just in time to hear his remark and chuckled, “Your job is indeed a good one—you’re just unlucky, that’s all.”

“Don’t get up, you’re hurt enough as it is,” she said quickly as he tried to rise.

“Is Alisa all right?” Ye Ran did not stand on ceremony, asking about Alisa first.

Teacher Meow, ever at ease, pulled out a chair and sat opposite him. “She’s fine. Old Sun is handling her case in the administration office.”

Ye Ran nodded. “That’s good.”

Teacher Meow smiled. “Xiao Ye, this incident wasn’t entirely an accident, so I need to ask you a few things. There may be some questions—will that be a problem for you?”

“Of course not. Go ahead, Teacher Meow,” Ye Ran said, waving his hand with a smile.

He knew there was no avoiding this matter.