Chapter 284: Chapter 9: Sisters at War (9)

Back then, it was Jiang Lin who approached him. When Lin Zifeng’s father was still around, he was able to live carefree as a playboy, attracting many women interested in his status and seducing him.

Jiang Lin was quite secretive, but Lin Zifeng knew all the tricks women use.

Jiang Lin was indeed quite good, so Lin Zifeng didn’t really mind her petty tactics.

It was a mutual affair,

At the banquet, those incidents happened, and Jiang Lin truly was a troublemaker. Still, he protected her, didn’t hand her over to the Royal Guard, and considered it being responsible for her. Unexpectedly, she dared to repay kindness with enmity.

Lin Zifeng remained rational and smart, deciding to shut himself away and not go out from that day onward.

After Jin Jie sent people to do that task, she received a large quantity of Demon Crystals.

In Jin Jie’s eyes, those Demon Crystals weren’t much, so she gave them all to Jiang Lin.

Jiang Lin declined them for a while, but inwardly she was very pleased.

Her mother was right; currently, she should focus on improving her strength. With these Demon Crystals, she could save herself a lot of trouble.

After all, there truly were no Demon Crystals at home.

However, Jiang Lin didn’t know that Jin Jie had decided to teach Ge Ning a lesson.

Earlier during the holidays, Jin Jie returned to her country to handle some matters and couldn’t be by Jiang Lin’s side.

Jiang Lin had just quarreled with Ge Ning a few times, yet Ge Ning dared to strike against Jiang Lin at the banquet.

Being a commoner, at such a banquet, if Your Majesty wanted to punish her, Jiang Lin wouldn’t have had any chance of survival.

Ge Ning was truly malicious.

If not taught a lesson, surely she would be even more unbridled in the future.

Jin Jie did have some influence within the Empire.

Her methods were quite harsh.

She directly had Ge Ning captured and threatened her in various ways, only letting her go when she was on the verge of collapse.

Jin Jie wasn’t afraid of Ge Ning. Ge Ning’s father was merely an Earl, while Jin Jie was a Duke. Though she couldn’t compare with the Dukes of the Empire, within the Empire, she had no reason to fear an Earl.

Ge Ning was released, but although the matter was unresolved, privately, the nobles of the Imperial City disapproved of Jin Jie’s actions.

After all, she wasn’t from the Empire, just a Duke from a small country, yet she dared to harm people so blatantly in the Empire.

Just like in the story, Jiang Lin kept causing trouble, while Li Shuning and the others had been constantly cleaning up after her, making a lot of enemies.

Currently, Jin Jie is doing the same kind of work Li Shuning and the others used to do.

There is one difference: Li Shuning and the others hold a higher status and have even stronger backgrounds than Jin Jie.

Ge Ning also had her own circle of friends, and her being bullied led members of that circle to feel indignant for her.

Naturally, they looked down on Jin Jie’s group even more.

Both sides found each other increasingly displeasing, gradually leading to some conflict.

Jiang Lin wanted to study well, but that was impossible.

With her talent for causing trouble, the academy was far from peaceful.

Eventually, Ge Ning’s group even exposed the fact that Jiang Lin had slept with Lin Zifeng.

In an instant, the image of Jiang Lin, the once illustrious, untouched commoner girl, was utterly ruined.

Accusations flew: vanity, seducing men, pretentiousness—every label one could imagine.

Jiang Lin was extremely resentful of Ge Ning.

It must be said that Jiang Lin was indeed quite skilled.

Under these adverse circumstances, she still managed to convince people of her innocence and that she was forced.

Gradually, people began to sympathize with her once more.

How they bickered and plotted against each other over those four years.

Li Shuning was already a Magic Master, Yuyu had become a Great Mage, and even the least successful, Nie Rou, had become an Advanced Mage.

Yuyu and Nie Rou were together now, and their families had exchanged tokens, intending to marry once they graduated from the academy.

According to Li Shuning, Jiang Lin was currently only a Mid-Level Mage.

Even Jin Jie was only an Advanced Mage.

In a few months, the academy’s tournament would commence.

Li Shuning and the others had two more years at the academy, while Jiang Lin’s brother and his group were in their final year.

This tournament was actually specially designed for them.

However, when the First Academy announced the tournament, especially the prizes, it immediately caused a sensation in the Empire, prompting other academies to develop some ideas as well.

Yet, the First Academy had its own foundation to remain the top academy.

Ultimately, the dean intervened, causing some of those ambitions to dissipate.

As in the story, it was to be a four-person team.

Li Shuning approached the person in charge, expressing her desire for a three-person team.

A three-person team inherently carried some disadvantage, given a rule that says the team with the most members remaining wins, and Li Shuning’s team naturally had one less member than others.

However, after all three members of Li Shuning’s team requested to be three, and considering their skills, the First Academy agreed to their request.

As for Jiang Lin, she was in a team with Jin Jie and others.

Li Shuning quietly awaited the arrival of the tournament.

Winning in the tournament would mean accomplishing half of the assignment.

Jiang Lin genuinely longed for those prizes.

She hoped to boost her own strength; she hoped to return to the Duke Mansion.

Entering the last two years at the First Academy meant not staying at the academy, but when she first entered the academy, she had seen her brother from afar, who appeared so proud, so dazzling, so captivating.

She too wanted such a life.

If her strength grew strong enough, surely even the Princess could not do anything to her.

But she knew that her current ability would likely not earn her any rewards.

Jin Jie and her group’s abilities were merely average at the academy.

What could be done?

How could she secure those prizes?

At this moment, Jiang Lin thought of Li Shuning.

Rumor had it that this woman was already a Magic Master.

Jiang Lin couldn’t help but wonder, had she not moved dorms and if she had bonded well with Li Shuning and her group, maybe she could have teamed up with them?

It was told that Li Shuning’s group was in teams of three.

If she were in Li Shuning’s team, the chances of winning would be greatly increased.

Then wouldn’t she have a chance to get those things?

Looking at Jin Jie and her group preparing things ahead, Jiang Lin felt a faint grumble inside.

If Li Shuning knew Jiang Lin’s thoughts, she might sneer, this woman, so selfish and greedy, had never changed.

Uncertain of her later payback to her brother, her mother into the Duke Mansion, and ultimately the fate of the Princess and her brother.

Li Shuning definitely wouldn’t think they truly lived as a loving family until their old age.

Finally, the day of the much-awaited competition arrived.

The academy’s dean and teachers were already waiting at the grand plaza.

Li Shuning and her team lined up, received their team badges, and stood quietly in the plaza.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep