A goddess dwells in my heart.

Chapter 14 Arrogance

The noisy schoolroom fell silent instantly. Everyone turned around in astonishment, their eyes all focused on this taciturn and eccentric man.

Lu Zheji was quite pleased with the attention focused on him. He cleared his throat and continued shouting:

"I! Am! an! idiot!"

"..."

"Does anyone want to punch me?"

"..."

The entire room was deathly silent; you could hear a pin drop.

A barrage of gazes were cast toward Lu Zheji, the kind of gazes that genuinely looked at an idiot.

Under the intense gazes, the goddess experienced embarrassment for the first time in her life, and even the aloof goddess couldn't help but curl her pearly toes.

If she weren't certain that she was hidden deep within Lu Zheji's sea of ​​consciousness, unseen by anyone, she would have wanted to immediately sever all ties with this idiot.

A gentle voice broke the silence; it belonged to the student surnamed Liu, who was surrounded by the crowd.

"Does Young Master Lu perhaps want to find someone to practice martial arts with?"

Lu Zheji replied, "That's right."

The student surnamed Liu's eyes flickered slightly, and a gentle smile returned to his face, but his tone carried a subtle hint of condescension: "I am not very talented, but I can accompany you for a while... provided that Young Master Lu is willing."

A chorus of amused glances immediately fell upon them, but no one dared to utter a sound of scorn or mockery. Having spent a long time in Chang'an, even the most dissolute among them had learned to be cautious in their speech.

In particular, this person's surname is Lu.

Lu Zheji blinked: "I have a grudge against you?"

A peak-level cultivator in the second realm actively challenging a newcomer to the second realm is hard not to interpret as a provocation or humiliation.

Within your sea of ​​consciousness, the goddess's voice rang out: "You have not had any conflict with him. In my opinion, he simply dislikes you."

Liu Changtian spoke proudly: "Young Master Lu, do you still remember Miss Shen who sat next to you three years ago? She was forced to drop out of school because of your slander. Today, I'm here to seek justice for her!"

When this painful past was brought up in person, Lu Zheji's lips twitched.

He paused for a moment, then said thoughtfully, "This matter is indeed my fault. I was insensitive and overly self-conscious, and I misunderstood Miss Shen's good intentions, causing damage to her reputation. I admit this."

"However, there is one thing that needs to be corrected. Miss Shen was going to transfer to a school in a neighboring country. She was not forced to leave by me. She came to say goodbye that day. I misunderstood her meaning."

Lu Zheji's quick admission of his mistake surprised Liu Changtian.

Although he didn't know Lu Zheji's exact background, he knew perfectly well what the surname Lu meant in the academy.

I thought that such a young master would be arrogant and unwilling to admit his mistakes, but I didn't expect him to be so easy to talk to.

"You just accept it like that?" Liu Changtian's tone was complicated.

Lu Zheji spread his hands: "Otherwise what? It was my fault to begin with, why shouldn't I admit it?"

These words were ostensibly addressed to Liu Changtian and his classmates, but in reality, they were spoken to the inspector in his heart.

He still remembered that the goddess believed Emperor Wu was a great villain who would ruin his reputation in his later years.

At that moment, he said to the goddess in his heart, "Being brave enough to admit mistakes and correct them is also one of my excellent qualities."

The goddess's indifferent gaze softened slightly: "Even if I know you're saying this to please me, it's always good to do the right thing."

Lu Zheji was in a better mood after receiving praise. He turned to Liu Changtian and continued, "If we have the opportunity to meet again in the future, I will apologize to Miss Shen in person. By the way, Brother Liu, since you stood up for her so much, are you acquainted with her?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Changtian instinctively straightened his back and declared loudly, "I, Liu, am indeed an admirer of Miss Shen!"

He waited three years for those words.

The Lu royal family is now in decline. Lu Zheji has been unknown in the academy for many years. He has never made any connections for the imperial examinations, and he even resorts to such clownish tricks when looking for someone to practice martial arts. It is clear that he is a paper tiger with no power or influence in the family.

Liu Changtian, on the other hand, was exceptionally talented. He started as a sixth-rank officer in the Demon Slayer Division, with a bright future ahead of him!

With this shift in power, he finally gained the confidence to make up for the regret of not daring to stand up for his goddess back then.

Lu Zheji's easy admission of his mistake, though somewhat unsatisfying, made him truly realize that his immeasurable future seemed to have already made these once-admired princes and nobles lower their proud heads.

Now, he could finally hold his head high and speak out his admiration in front of everyone, a sentiment he had never dared to utter before!

I wonder if I'll ever have the chance to see Miss Shen again in this lifetime, to make up for all the regrets...

So he was just a simp… Lu Zheji held back from saying it aloud, only complaining to the goddess in his heart: “I don’t even have the heart to tell him that back then, they only invited me because they didn’t think there was any need to get to know the other classmates. Sigh, I’ve avoided another unnecessary dispute. Not making enemies easily and being kind to others are also my good qualities.”

Are you the kind of child who always seeks praise from your parents for everything you do? The goddess replied helplessly, "I only ask that you distinguish right from wrong. You don't need to consider my opinion on such trivial matters of competitiveness and youthful impetuosity."

Why didn't you say so sooner? You made me miss the chance to mock those simps...

Liu Changtian was basking in the self-satisfaction that "even arrogant young nobles have to take him seriously" when he suddenly noticed a middle-aged man in the robes of an academy teacher walking into the school with his hands behind his back.

He is the instructor in charge of Class A No. 2, Instructor Wang.

Liu Changtian's expression turned serious, and he quickly suppressed his smugness. Just as he was about to step forward to pay his respects, he saw Lu Zheji, who was always aloof, step forward first, cup his hands, and say:

"Instructor, I'll be demonstrating martial arts in the class exam later. My partner is that...that..."

As Lu Zheji spoke, he turned to look at Liu Changtian, who was still standing there, and asked with a matter-of-fact expression:

"By the way, what's your name again?"