Chapter Eighty-Five: Rui Bing

Ye Chong's very first lesson made him a highly controversial teacher. People debated about him endlessly—some were dismissive, some liked him, others felt repulsion or respect. Everyone seemed to have a different impression of Ye Chong. Yet on one point, they all agreed: Ye Chong was cold. This was no act, no attempt at being cool, but a chill that seemed to seep from his very bones. Almost everyone believed Ye Chong was angry, and the consequences would be severe.

No one ever doubted Ye Chong’s knowledge. His words, though terse, were delivered with ease and authority; his teaching was so rich in information that even the most dedicated instructors felt a pang of shame in comparison.

Now, apart from his daily visits to Grandpa Qian, all of Ye Chong’s time was spent in the modification chamber. As for sleep, the house on the rubbish planet was less comfortable than here.

Ye Chong looked at the transformed Frost Cantata, its surface completely changed. He could not connect it in any way to the once-luxurious blue and white Frost Cantata. The main color was now an unremarkable bluish gray. Ye Chong had made a simple change to its double-folded wings, and the Frost Cantata was utterly altered. Even Ye Chong, its user, could not link the two versions together. He reckoned it would be hard for anyone to recognize it at first glance. He carefully inspected all the optical circuits again, finding no problems.

Shang kept muttering about how ugly the color was, but Ye Chong paid no attention.

Ruisu stayed home, fuming. That damned Ye Chong—he had made her embarrass herself in front of so many people. The mere thought of Ye Chong made her grind her teeth in anger. She yanked at her pillow in frustration, not knowing how to deal with Ye Chong. Whenever she remembered those cold, unwavering eyes of his, she felt a chill run through her heart. She had a gut feeling—if she kept pestering him, Ye Chong might actually kill her. It sounded outrageous, but the intuition was so strong that Ruisu dared not make a move.

Her mother’s voice called from the kitchen, “Susu, go to the dojo and fetch your sister for dinner. That stupid girl, just like her father—once she starts practicing, she forgets everything! Susu, hurry up!”

Ruisu’s eyes sparkled instantly. She responded with a cheerful “Alright!” and dashed out the door.

The Ruisu family dojo was more than ten kilometers from home. In the Jiesa District, the Rui family dojo was fairly well-known. Though martial arts had declined, it was far from disappearing altogether. The rise of mecha had greatly diminished the status of martial artists, yet a group still steadfastly preserved these traditions. For professions like bodyguards, martial arts skills remained essential.

Ruisu’s father lost a match three years ago, and soon after, fell ill and passed away in despondency. The dojo was then taken over by Ruisu’s younger sister, Ruibing. Ruibing’s name suited her well—she was breathtakingly beautiful, but also cold and aloof. Years of martial arts training had instilled a fierce aura in her, and no one dared approach within two meters, save Ruisu and their mother.

Last year, Ruibing defeated the fighter who had bested their father three years prior. Since then, no one dared challenge her, and her reputation in the Jiesa District soared. As a result, the number of apprentices at the Rui family dojo increased dramatically, forcing Ruibing to spend more time there each day.

In truth, with the Rui family’s financial strength, Ruibing had no need to run a dojo. The father's death left a heavy shadow over Ruisu and their mother, who wished Ruibing would shut the dojo down. But Ruibing was stubbornly insistent, and after fruitless persuasion, Ruisu and her mother had no choice but to let her be.

Ten kilometers was nothing for a mecha—just a blink of an eye. Ruisu leapt lightly from her mecha, landing gracefully, her elegant posture catching the attention of the dojo apprentices. Yet nobody dared approach her; the young lady’s fierceness was even more terrifying than the master’s.

Ruisu put away her mecha and ran towards the dojo, greeting the apprentices along the way, “Train hard! I’ll buy you sweets later!” Her charming smile could make an unsuspecting person’s breath catch, but the apprentices fled as if from snakes or scorpions. Ruisu left behind a string of bell-like laughter as she headed towards the inner chamber.

Ruibing was tall, sitting cross-legged with waterfall-like black hair cascading down her back. Her eyes were half-closed, and her delicate features resembled Ruisu’s—two faint, sword-like brows, thin reddish lips tightly sealed. The white practice uniform made Ruibing appear even more heroic. Her slender, fair hands emerged from the wide sleeves, resting naturally on her knees.

Ruisu gave a joyful cry and pounced on Ruibing. Ruibing sensed her sister’s arrival the moment Ruisu entered, opened her eyes, and, seeing her sister draped over her, gave a helpless smile. Instantly, it was as if the room brightened, ice flowers bloomed in a sudden burst—stunning!

Who was the elder sister and who the younger? Ruibing must have wondered.

Ruisu hugged Ruibing’s snowy neck, affectionately saying, “Sis, Mom wants us to come home for dinner! She’s scolding you for being a crazy girl, hehe…”

If the students of Blue Ocean Academy saw this scene, they would probably faint, leaving only eyeballs scattered across the floor!

Ruibing gave a quiet “Alright” and stood up, Ruisu’s weight seemingly making no difference at all. Her movements remained smooth and natural.

Ruisu, still clinging, was like a koala hanging from Ruibing; Ruibing was clearly used to it and felt no discomfort.

Before leaving the room, Ruisu sprang down, stuck out her tongue mischievously, and said, “Hehe, can’t let them see, or I’ll lose face!”

Ruibing showed a look of resigned understanding.

Ruisu knew her martial-arts-obsessed sister was extremely traditional, staunchly adhering to customs and resisting anything modern. She never used mecha and walked home every day.

At the dinner table, Ruibing sat upright and formal, while Ruisu sprawled lazily, utterly unrefined. While their mother was fetching dishes, Ruisu sidled up to Ruibing and pleaded, “Bingbing, I was bullied at school! Bingbing, you have to help me!”

Ruibing replied coolly, “Impossible.” She understood her sister well; she knew all about Ruisu’s “Witch Su” reputation at school. If the witch didn’t trouble others, it was already a blessing—who would dare provoke her and ask for trouble?

Ruisu grumbled, “It’s that Ye Chong, the hateful guy!” She shook Ruibing’s arm, tearfully, “He’s new, and right away he bullied me. I couldn’t beat him. Boohoo, Bingbing, you can’t let me be bullied like this!”

Ruibing looked at her sister with suspicion.

Ruisu wept as she complained, “That guy is amazing! So fast I couldn’t even see him!” Ruibing’s eyes sharpened at this. Her fighting spirit was instantly ignited—she hadn’t met any worthy opponents in the past year or two, and at her level, further progress was nearly impossible without real combat. She trusted her sister’s judgment; Ruisu had shown far greater talent in martial arts as a child, though her interests later shifted. This had left their father frustrated for a while. Even so, Ruisu’s skills were far above ordinary, so if she said she couldn’t win, the opponent surely had the level of a martial artist!

Seeing her sister’s eagerness for battle, Ruisu secretly laughed, then continued, “Bingbing, he bullied me in front of so many people. You have to help me get revenge! Bingbing, I beg you!” Her plea was pitiful and moving.

Ruibing hesitated, but couldn’t resist her sister’s persistent entreaty and finally nodded in agreement.

“Yay!” Ruisu cheered, raising her arms. The mist in her eyes vanished instantly, replaced by a dazzling smile—no trace of the earlier misery remained.

Ruibing rolled her eyes, clearly unsurprised.

Ruisu giggled; she knew that once Ruibing agreed, she would always follow through.

Ruisu and Ruibing walked together through the campus of Blue Ocean Academy—a pair of lovely sisters, Ruisu radiant and alluring, Ruibing cold as frost. The contrast of their styles was striking, and their presence drew nearly everyone’s gaze.

Ruibing’s white practice uniform was especially eye-catching.

Neither was affected in the slightest. For Ruisu, entering Blue Ocean Academy meant stepping onto her own turf—why would she feel intimidated? Ruibing’s resolve was so firm, she would not flinch even if a mountain collapsed before her, let alone at such a minor scene. Their confident bearing made them appear even more self-assured.

Ruisu had already found out where Ye Chong had been recently.

Blue Ocean Academy’s Modification Chamber No. 1, reputed to be the most advanced mecha modification chamber on Blue Ocean Star. The chamber’s supervisor, seeing “Witch Su” before him, felt instantly nervous. Her reputation was at its peak—everyone feared her, yet the principal valued her greatly. She requested entry; how could he refuse? Moreover, Ye Chong was inside, and rumors about the two abounded. Perhaps she was here for a rendezvous—if he ruined their plans, he’d likely be in trouble the next day!

Sensing the situation was precarious, the supervisor slipped away.

Ruisu and Ruibing stormed into the modification chamber, their momentum fierce and unstoppable.