Why Do All the Villains Look at Me Like This? - Chapter 31

On the day of the duel, nearly all the students and faculty were present. The school’s athletic field had been completely cleared and rearranged from end to end, leaving ample space. Several senior deans and professors, long-tenured figures on campus, were seated on the raised viewing platform, just high enough to take in everything happening on the field. The school had, essentially, given the tradition of the “duel” full honors.

Meng Xuexiao sat in a temporary waiting area built for the event, hugging his bag. Beside him stood Shen Zekai’s mecha.

Shen Zekai had, in the end, still allowed him to bring the mecha.

That surprised him a little.

After that last training session with the mecha, Shen Zekai had shifted his focus to teaching him victory strategies through other means, covering everything from survival skills to close combat, but had stopped letting him interact with the mecha.

Meng Xuexiao wasn’t stupid. He could tell that the reason Shen Zekai kept him away from the mecha was because he was afraid it might hurt him.

But still, the mecha had shown up here today.

Which could only mean one thing… This duel was dangerous enough that Shen Zekai had no choice but to compromise and let him use the mecha for self-defense.

Meng Xuexiao took a deep breath. His grip on his bag tightened, squeezing creases into the smooth leather surface, but he quickly relaxed again.

The waiting area was a small open pavilion, built for the duelists to rest in before the match. Meng Xuexiao had one side. Li Hao had the other. The pavilion was open on all four sides, so the spectators could see everything inside.

Feeling the many gazes directed at him, Meng Xuexiao only felt like an animal locked in a cage on display. Even with his back pressed tightly against the railing inside the small pavilion, the sense of unease still clung to him.

But he couldn’t let that unease show, at least… not too obviously.

He knew exactly what kind of looks those people were giving him. They were the same kind of eyes that guests in the stands of a Roman coliseum would have as they watched the beasts fight, more excited than if they’d been injected with adrenaline, desperate to see someone, anyone, engage in bloodshed.

At times like this, showing nervousness meant showing weakness. And a weak, timid prey was always the first target everyone wanted to tear apart. Like a pack of vicious dogs would always chase the one that turned and ran first.

Meng Xuexiao tried his best to even out his breathing. To hide the trembling in his fingers, he opened the bag in his arms and began organizing everything from the top, one item at a time.

He already knew by heart how everything inside was arranged, because he and Shen Zekai had packed it together that morning, piece by piece.

They’d checked through it then, everything that needed to be brought was already packed, not a single item missing.

But in this moment, Meng Xuexiao still repeated the process over and over, messing things up only to arrange them neatly again.

At the same time, he subtly perked up his ears.

Shen Zekai had told him that when the duel was about to begin, the most powerful director on the high platform would blow the horn, followed by a short opening speech.

As someone who had been forced into this duel, Meng Xuexiao secretly hoped the horn would sound as late as possible. But he also knew, some things were bound to come. Whether you stretch your neck out or shrink it back, the blade still falls.

Might as well… start early and end early.

He silently began counting down to the duel in his mind, counting and counting, all the way from positive numbers to zero, and then… into the negatives.

This situation… seemed a little off?

Meng Xuexiao couldn’t help but raise his head and glance up at the platform. The professors seated there also appeared to have noticed something was amiss. They were exchanging looks and whispering among themselves.

Had something unexpected happened?

But what kind of incident could be significant enough to cause the Federation Military Academy to delay a traditional duel?

Meng Xuexiao’s gaze swept across the entire field and finally came to rest on the pavilion opposite his own. That waiting pavilion was almost identical to his, except for the color—his was blue, and that one was a bright, striking red.

That was the waiting area prepared for Li Hao.

But right now, that red pavilion was completely empty, not a person in sight, not even a trace of any movement.

Li Hao… still hadn’t shown up? How could that be? Li Hao was the one who had initiated this duel. He should be the most eager one here!

Time ticked on. About half an hour later, the sound of a wheelchair rolling across the field echoed across the arena. The wheelchair crossed most of the grounds and came to a steady stop beside the red pavilion.

It was being pushed by two people, one of them a medical staff member from the infirmary, the other seemingly a teacher. After the chair came to a halt, the teacher hurriedly ran up to the platform and leaned down to whisper something into the ears of the professors and directors.

It was too far away, Meng Xuexiao couldn’t make out what was being said. But he immediately recognized the person in the wheelchair, Li Hao.

Li Hao looked terrible, his body was braced in several places with splints, and even his spine appeared to be injured. He sat stiff as a board, afraid to move even an inch.

Looking at Li Hao’s miserable state, Meng Xuexiao couldn’t help but recall the man’s self-assured expression three days ago.

How had he ended up like this before the duel even began…? It looked like he had been deliberately ambushed.

But wasn’t Li Hao supposed to have close ties with Wu Zian? Who would risk offending Wu Zian to mess with Li Hao?

Could it be…

Meng Xuexiao quietly glanced toward Shen Zekai.

He wasn’t in favor of Shen Zekai going head-to-head with Wu Zian, because if they clashed, it would definitely lead to mutual destruction. Shen Zekai, as the student representative, needed reputation and support far more than Wu Zian did.

Fortunately, Shen Zekai seemed to be just as surprised by this as everyone else. His eyes were full of shock. When he noticed Meng Xuexiao’s gaze, he subtly shook his head to indicate that he truly had no idea.

Meng Xuexiao breathed a quiet sigh of relief. Looks like this time, he’d really gotten lucky, like a blind cat running into a dead rat.

He never considered himself a saint. In a duel arena this dangerous, his opponent being injured was, to him, an undeniably good thing.

Maybe… this duel wouldn’t need to continue at all.

At that moment, the deans and professors on the high platform had finished their discussion. They glanced over at Li Hao a few more times, and one of the directors stood up and blew the horn.

Meng Xuexiao’s eyes widened sharply, and he couldn’t help but glance at Li Hao again.

Injured like that, and he still insists on going through with the duel?! Was he trying to get himself killed?!

If that was really the case, then Li Hao was definitely a madman.

And who could say what a madman would do once the duel began?

There’s an old saying that went: “Better to anger a strong man than provoke a lunatic.”

A chill ran down Meng Xuexiao’s spine.

It was at that moment that he felt a steady, reassuring gaze land on him.

It was Shen Zekai.

Just a moment ago, Shen Zekai had used his authority as the student representative to loop around and briefly check in at the red pavilion. He’d also taken the opportunity to speak with the medical staff who had brought Li Hao.

Had Shen Zekai learned something?

“Don’t worry, Li Hao isn’t doing this willingly.” Shen Zekai mouthed the words clearly.

“The duel rule binds the challenged party, forcing them to accept, but it also binds the one who initiates the challenge.”

“The professors and directors were just discussing this. Since Li Hao initiated the duel and drew so much public attention to it, he now has to take responsibility, even if he’s injured, the duel must go on.”

So… Li Hao was being forced by the Federation Military Academy to carry out his duel obligation…

“But this might not actually be a good thing for you.”

Shen Zekai’s expression shifted slightly, worry creeping into his brows and eyes.

“Blades have no eyes on the dueling field. You and Li Hao don’t get along. Originally, Li Hao planned to maim you during the duel.”

“But now that he’s the one seriously injured, and you have the upper hand, you’ve become a threat to him.”

Meng Xuexiao immediately understood what Shen Zekai meant.

A beast was already dangerous enough, but a wounded beast that felt cornered was even worse.

Li Hao, now fearing for his own life, might strike back desperately. If he had only planned to fight with eighty percent of his strength before, now he’d go all in—a full-blown fight to the death.

Even though… Meng Xuexiao had never once wanted to take his life.

Meng Xuexiao’s first instinct was to go talk to Li Hao and explain everything clearly, that he never wanted to cause trouble in the first place, and certainly didn’t want a duel. All he wanted was to live peacefully at the Federal Military Academy.

But… would Li Hao believe him?

Of course not. He would just think it was some kind of trick.

At this point, Meng Xuexiao could only let himself be pushed forward by the increasingly out-of-control situation.

On the other side, the director on the platform had begun formally confirming the duel’s details with Li Hao, a necessary pre-duel procedure.

“Student Li Hao, three days ago, we received your duel request. The duel arena is B073, please confirm.”

Before Li Hao could respond, most of the upper-year students present suddenly changed expressions.

Shen Zekai immediately stepped forward, “Li Hao may have acted impulsively when he made that choice. The decision was inappropriate. Director Zhang, please reconsider.”

Dueling at the Federal Military Academy typically took place in a holographic simulation, much like the one Meng Xuexiao had experienced during his mecha operations class. The environments and visuals were virtual, but any injuries sustained inside were very real.

However, duel arena B073 was different. That one directly teleports participants to a distant, physical location. Because it wasn’t a simulated environment, duel arena B073 was unpredictable. If something went wrong there, they couldn’t simply shut down a program to rescue a student in time, making it extremely difficult to provide aid when needed.

Strictly speaking, B073 isn’t even a dueling arena, but a high-stakes testing ground used to determine the top ten students within the Federation Military Academy.

These top ten students are considered the most elite candidates, highly valued and given the opportunity to intern with the Federal Military itself. B073 is extremely dangerous, and far more difficult than any other dueling field.

Every time it is activated, the participating students must sign a life-and-death waiver, stating that if they die inside, it is due to their own lack of strength. Even their families are not allowed to make trouble for the school afterward.

Because of this, countless students forfeit the exam every year.

This kind of arena is completely unsuitable for a freshman like Meng Xuexiao!

Director Zhang glanced at Shen Zekai, his voice calm and expressionless, “A high level of danger doesn’t mean no one survives. Whether Li Hao made his choice on impulse or was fully aware of the arena’s conditions, he must take responsibility for his own decision.”

“Student Li Hao, confirm now.”

“Yes,” Li Hao responded.

His head hung low and combined with the splints and injuries all over his body, he looked even darker and gloomier.

Meng Xuexiao watched as Li Hao maneuvered his wheelchair forward and signed the confirmation form for the duel. The rubber wheels of the mechanical chair rolled slowly over the pavement, producing a harsh squeaking sound as they scraped against the cement.

The pen tip scratched faintly as it wrote, and with the final stroke, Li Hao turned his head to glance at Meng Xuexiao.

His face was wrapped in layers of bandages, revealing only a single eye—an eye bloodshot to the point of madness.

He looked just like a deranged cyborg villain from a horror movie.

Meng Xuexiao’s hand couldn’t help but slowly tighten into a fist.

It seemed that Li Hao wanted him dead even more than he and Shen Zekai had anticipated. There was no longer any room left for retreat.

With a crisp “pa”, the pen in Li Hao’s hand fell to the ground.

To the spectators, it looked like he was furious at being unable to enter the duel in peak condition and had chosen to throw the pen in frustration.

But only Li Hao himself knew, the pen had fallen because his hand was trembling.

From the moment the medical staff pushed him into the pavilion, and he saw Meng Xuexiao, his hand hadn’t stopped shaking.

Not from rage, but from fear.

His thoughts unconsciously drifted back to a few days ago.

That day, Wu Zian hadn’t held back in the slightest. Li Hao had lain there like a heap of broken flesh, limp on the floor, believing again and again that he was on the brink of death. Being partially paralyzed had already seemed like the best outcome he could hope for.

But then, a teacher arrived with medical staff from the infirmary and stopped Wu Zian.

“Student Wu, please show some restraint.”

“The duel has already been made official. There’s no reason to cancel it. After all, this has already become a big deal. In order for Student Li Hao to appear on the dueling ground on time, we need to take him to the infirmary for immediate treatment.”

“This is school policy.”

Wu Zian’s movements paused slightly. He didn’t look at the teacher or the medical staff, he just stared at Li Hao, as if sizing up a piece of garbage being sold by the pound, weighing whether there was still any value in recycling it.

In the end, he smiled, revealing sharp canine teeth, like a wolf.

“Alright then,” Wu Zian sneered casually, pointing at Li Hao.

“But before you take him away, I want to whisper a few words to him, you don’t mind, do you?”

“Of course not. Go ahead,” the teacher replied politely.

A genius with an S-rank physique had always been placed above others from the start.

Wu Zian’s smile widened.

He bent down, grabbed a fistful of Li Hao’s hair, and yanked his head up, pressing his lips close to Li Hao’s ear, “Li Hao, you’d better remember this.”

“If Meng Xuexiao comes out of that duel with even a single hair missing, you won’t just be rooming with those half-dead guys in the infirmary anymore.”