AEKMEM chapter 19

Chu Heng narrowed his eyes dangerously and said casually, “If Major General Mo wants to fight me, I’m happy to oblige. After the assessment, I won’t forget to come spar with you.”

“No…when did I say I wanted to fight you, Crown Prince?” said the Mo family’s Major General, trying to avoid the topic with a headache.

Chu Heng’s martial prowess was well-known throughout the empire, especially among the military, who knew just how terrifying he was. Not even a 2S-level beastman would stand a chance against Chu Heng. Let alone a mere S-level major general like himself.

“You just mocked my Crown Princess, so of course I have to get revenge for Qiaoqiao. If I don’t fight you, am I supposed to be as tasteless as you and mock my Major General’s wife?”

The other judges present all wore expressions of amusement.

How stupid would someone have to be to mock Chu Heng’s crown princess in front of him? Even if he didn’t like this Crown Princess, he wouldn’t allow an outsider to provoke him. Besides, Chu Heng seemed genuinely fond of this Crown Princess matched by the brain system.

Chu Heng was a reckless, domineering madman. Was the person provoking him tired of his comfortable life and want a good beating to wake him up?

Having watched the drama unfold, the representative of the First Army Corps, a major general of royal lineage, quickly stepped in to smooth things over: “Students who have the courage to participate in the assessment deserve recognition.”

However, Chu Heng wasn’t about to let it go: “Major General Mo, don’t forget you have to fight me after the assessment.”

“Oh, and—”

Chu Heng glanced at the representative judge from the Fourth Army Corps, a slight smile playing on his lips, but his eyes held no warmth: “This major general of the Fourth Corps, please go back and pass a message to your Corps’ Major General Zhou Xiaoran. After the assessment, I’ll be going to find him for a spar.”

“Last time, his younger brother, Zhou Xiaoxiao, schemed against my Qiaoqiao, but didn’t even apologize. He’s too weak. Being an elf, I can’t challenge him to a personal fight for revenge. So, I’ll have his older brother, Zhou Xiaoran, spar with me.”

“Okay, I will definitely convey the Crown Prince’s wishes to Major General Zhou Xiaoran.” The representative of the Fourth Army finished speaking, inwardly groaning.

Why did that young master of the Zhou family have to scheme against An Qiao to embarrass him? Scheming against Chu Heng’s crown princess is directly provoking Chu Heng.

However, knowing the inside story, the representative understood that Zhou Xiaoxiao couldn’t apologize later because he was recently attacked by the Bloodthirsty Vine, which nearly caused a mental breakdown and left him bedridden.

The Zhou family refused to believe it was an accident, insisting it was a setup orchestrated by Chu Heng. However, they couldn’t find any evidence. Moreover, the Zhou family was in the wrong.

Initially, the Zhou family wanted to demand an explanation from Chu Heng. However, after a series of troubles befell them, they were all too busy to deal with the matter further.

A major general from the Zhou family’s direct line was originally supposed to represent the Fourth Army Corps as a judge but was ultimately replaced due to his busy schedule.

Chu Heng’s actions left the judges and assistants present astonished.

He was truly a relentless madman!

Is this how you settle scores?

Even more astonishing was the fact that Chu Heng was settling scores for An Qiao.

Chu Heng, who once declared that he would never marry a crown princess and never pitied delicate beauties, actually raised his sword in fury for a beauty.

If outsiders saw him like this, they’d probably wonder if he’d become a completely different person.

When had he ever cared about anyone like this? To the point that even hearing others speak a single mocking word about his crown princess would make him domineering and unreasonable enough to personally seek revenge.

**

“Who do you think will be the top freshman this year?”

Among this year’s freshmen, three stand out:

One is Chu Wen from a collateral branch of the royal family, another is Xiong Yi from a remote planet, and the third is Mo Zhiyuan from the Empress’s family, the Mo family.

All three are at the peak of A-rank, nearly S-rank. Reaching S-rank so soon after reaching adulthood is rare, and achieving this level at their age is outstanding. Advancing to S-rank in the future is not a problem, and even reaching 2S-rank is possible.

The Mo family’s major general was the first to speak. His tone was laced with admiration and a hint of boastfulness: “Mo Zhiyuan is quite good. The assessment has just begun, and he has already hunted down an A-rank star beast, earning twenty points.”

The principal of the empire’s top military academy remained smiling, his demeanor gentle and approachable. “I think Xiong Yi has a good chance of winning.”

The major general of the First Army Corps, who was also from the royal family, smiled slightly. “Since you two are optimistic about them, I’ll favor Chu Wen.”

Those watching the assessment livestream were curious not only about who would win the “Chief” honor but also about how the new students would perform.

The most outstanding new beastmen students were determined to win.

Besides being curious about who would win the “Chief” honor, the freshmen participating in the assessment were all incredulous upon seeing An Qiao on the spaceship and learning that he was participating in this year’s freshman final assessment. They looked at An Qiao with subtle mockery.

Even if he could use an energy shield, you’re a failed Awakening Elf. You look like a gust of wind could knock you over. You have absolutely no combat power. Why would you participate in a dangerous assessment of hunting star beasts? Are you sure you’re not joking?

This assessment is no joke!

Is An Qiao thinking that he has several energy shields and therefore feels safe? Is he treating it like a game?

If you said you’d be a parasitic plant, then just be one! Why are you so clueless, you good-for-nothing?

Even an ordinary star beast in the Star Beast Forest would probably scare him to tears and make him faint with its ferocious attack stance!

**
An Qiao initially landed in the C-level assessment zone.

Upon entering the Star Beast Forest, a rich, refreshing scent of vegetation filled the air.

Lush, towering trees reached into the clouds, and various vines and flowers grew in an orderly yet chaotic fashion.

Birdsong and animal calls rose and fell as animals moved slowly through the jungle.

Sunlight filtered through the treetops, casting wispy beams of light that seemed to descend from the sky and create a serene and beautiful scene.

Especially striking was the large patch of wild roses in full bloom a few steps away. Each large, bowl-sized, vibrant red rose, its petals still glistening with dew, was exquisitely beautiful and inspiring joy at the sight.

But this was merely a facade of peace; danger lurked beneath.

Hidden among the vegetation were exotic plants that were inconspicuous yet deadly, and cunning star beasts disguised themselves as ordinary, harmless animals.

An Qiao slowly closed his eyes and took a deep breath of the fresh, grassy air.

The long-awaited, abundant scent of vegetation filled the air.

The lush greenery was vibrant and full of life.

Even his mood improved somewhat.

However, the humid, sticky air caused An Qiao to frown slightly.

Remembering the live-streaming camera on his wrist-terminal, he used his mental power to swiftly and decisively destroy it.

What should he do next?

First, he would go to the S-rank assessment zone to hunt star beasts and obtain star cores. After purifying them, he would use the star cores to restore his magic power.

**

Chu Heng, who had been watching An Qiao’s live stream, breathed a slight sigh of relief when he saw An Qiao land safely.

A young man in a snow-white robe appeared in the forest. His long, silvery-white hair cascaded down his back. His attire was unsuitable for a dangerous assessment. Yet, at that moment, he seemed harmonious with the forest. He complemented the vast expanse of vibrant wild roses a few steps away. It was as if he were born to be favored by nature.

The handsome, aloof young man tilted his head back slightly and slowly closed his eyes.

His skin was colder and whiter than ice and jade, and his proportions and demeanor were impeccable. His features were so exquisite that they eclipsed even the most vibrant wild roses.

His eyes were closed as if in a state of blissful reverie or devout reverence. His thick, curled eyelashes trembled slightly, and dappled sunlight filtering through the treetops cast a soft glow on his snow-white cheeks.

He was breathtakingly beautiful, captivating, and almost untouchable.

He was like a fairy from legend, beautiful as a dream.

At that moment, everyone watching the live stream held their breath, afraid to disturb the scene.

However, the next second, the screen abruptly went completely blank for an unknown reason.

“What happened?”

“What’s going on?”

“Is there a problem with the live stream equipment?”

Fortunately, the red safety dot was still on the screen, as was the points display. There didn’t seem to be any danger, and the personal terminal wasn’t malfunctioning. Only the live stream camera appeared to be broken.

At first, Chu Heng’s heart tightened, but he breathed a sigh of relief after learning that An Qiao was all right.

The malfunctioning live stream camera made Chu Heng think that An Qiao had sabotaged it on purpose.

Two days ago, An Qiao had insisted on coming to the Star Beast Forest to take the assessment. He didn’t explain why and asked Chu Heng not to ask. An Qiao said that he didn’t want to lie to him. At that moment, An Qiao’s words and expression made him realize that An Qiao wasn’t as simple as he thought.

He recalled how An Qiao had been attacked by the Bloodthirsty Vine but remained unharmed and how the Bloodthirsty Vine had unexpectedly bloomed and fawned over An Qiao.

He also remembered the rose bushes that An Qiao had planted himself. They were barely tended yet grew at an astonishing rate and bloomed quickly, thriving even better than the plants carefully nurtured by wood-elemental ability users.

If An Qiao were truly just a failed awakening elf, it would be impossible for him to achieve this.

Given the rumors of An Qiao’s failed awakening, he wondered if it was possible that he hadn’t completely failed?

As for why An Qiao was hiding it—

Let him hide it, everyone has secrets.

His worries eased slightly as he stared at the blank livestream screen. A strange thought flashed through his mind for a fleeting moment. Actually, it’s better that the live stream camera is broken.

That way, those people won’t be able to see An Qiao.

Recalling how mesmerized those people were watching the young man on the camera, Chu Heng felt an urge to beat them up and hide the young man so he could watch him alone.

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