Study Monster Cultivation System - Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Evil Will Never Triumph Over Good, Little Imp

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Only Li Zheng was still on the ground.

Lin Yujing was conflicted as she looked at Li Zheng. She revealed a shred of guilt.

She struggled for a long while before turning her head and bending over. She reluctantly extended her right hand.

“Hm…”

Li Zheng was thinking about whether or not to forgive her when Jiang Qinghua rushed over and pulled him up.

“Straight-A Student Li, why did you fall after just one hit? Fortunately, Liu Xin was smart.” Jiang Qinghua said as he brushed off the dirt on Li Zheng’s shirt.

“I am sorry.” Li Zheng deeply felt that he was a burden to the team. He also felt that the basketball court was very dangerous. “I am to blame for this round.”

Li Zheng could see that his rate of relaxation was declining gradually.

With the increase in stress and the pressure from Lin Yujing, the energy recovery rate was only at 0.8.

“Lin Yujing succeeded. My experience is not good,” he thought.

“The 10 Game Coins given to me by the system seem to be for enhancing the experience.

“Basketball seems to be the best activity for relaxation aside from flirting.”

Li Zheng started to deliberate about whether or not to spend the Game Coins.

Lin Yujing subconsciously revealed her true nature when she saw that Li Zheng was fine. She squinted and let out a scoff, “Tsk.”

While she had felt a little remorseful a moment earlier, she was now infuriated once again.

Jiang Qinghua smiled when he saw the situation, “Hehe, Yujing, this is the first time Li Zheng is playing. Go easy on him.”

Lin Yujing turned her head. She raised her hand and made a motion that signaled goodbye.

Jiang Qinghua thought, “She’s too…

“Infuriating.

“Her morals are not congruent with her academic talent!

“What did she mean by that? Did she think that she had successfully defended her territory?”

“I’m alright, let’s continue.” Li Zheng tossed out the Game Coins in his mind as he spoke.

“Acquire Foundational Basketball and Accurate Shots,” he said in his head.

A system prompt appeared.

[Increase in basketball ability detected.]

[The upper limit of your energy recovery rate has increased to 10. (Currently 0.7)]

[The upper limit of the energy you can recover daily has increased to 75 minutes.]

Li Zheng now realized that the Game Coins should be used like that.

Only by improving his basketball technique could he enjoy the match.

This was completely congruent with what Lin Yujing was doing.

“Yes, I’ve got the knack for this,” he thought.

Li Zheng ran to his position as a warm-up, a little excited. Even his stride was different.

He thought, “What I did before was just strolling. This is what getting into position really is.

“Getting into position as an average professional athlete.”

His movements started to become unpredictable. He twisted his body frequently and noticed the position of his teammates at the same time.

His field of vision and attitude had changed completely.

Li Zheng started to fully immerse himself in the match now.

His energy recovery rate rose steadily.

“Yes, this is true basketball,” he thought.

The score now was 2 to 0. The losing side threw the ball in. The ball once again landed in Lin Yujing’s hands.

Lin Yujing glanced toward Li Zheng. She decided to let him off this time and score a point first.

She slipped around Liu Xin and started to move along the outer line.

Liu Xin was supposed to use any means at his disposal to guard her like a piece of sticky candy. However, Lin Yujing was ultimately a girl. He had no choice but to maintain an appropriate distance.

Li Zheng could guard the ordinary girl with minimal energy.

The ordinary girl was very cooperative. She did not struggle much and only engaged in some half-hearted movement.

It was peaceful between the two of them.

On the other hand, Jiang Qinghua was engaged in a slugfest with Qiao Bixia.

Jiang Qinghua knew that if the Tank was to catch the ball, she would definitely dribble the ball with her back facing him and squeeze him toward the hoop with her lower back.

This was the style of the fierce tiger. She forced everyone back with her bulk.

Jiang Qinghua would not be afraid if it was a boy that used this technique.

However, if the Tank was to crash into him with her butt.

He would not be able to hold her back.

He was afraid that he would develop a psychological trauma and not dare to block the back of any girl in the future.

Thus, he had to constantly block the front of Qiao Bixia to not allow her to easily get the ball.

However, was the Tank that easily controlled?

The two of them rammed into each other frequently as they fought for position.

Amidst their entanglement, Qiao Bixia squeezed out half a body’s worth of open space and raised her arms to ask for the ball.

Lin Yujing saw it. She jumped and tossed the ball.

At this moment, an unremarkable figure flashed past.

The ball was stolen!

It was Li Zheng.

“Hm??” Lin Yujing exclaimed in shock.

The spectators erupted with alarmed shouts. Li Zheng, who had looked scrawny and weak in the past, seemed to have been suddenly invigorated.

They did not know that Li Zheng had been observing the situation for a long time. He had been waiting for this moment.

Li Zheng did not hesitate after snatching the ball. He dribbled out of the three-point line in the blink of an eye.

His movements were sharp, his strides fluid.

Judging from the strength of his dribbles, Li Zheng seemed as though he was a highly experienced player.

The ordinary girl froze in place. She felt that the ordinary boy had betrayed their silent promise.

Lin Yujing was annoyed by Liu Xin and did not have the time to defend.

Li Zheng, an average professional shooter outside the three-point line, was unguarded.

“Shoot!” Liu Xin roared.

“Pass!” Jiang Qinghua freed himself from Qiao Bixia and raised his arms as he asked for the ball.

Li Zheng weighed his options and thought that shooting was the ideal choice.

He looked at the hoop.

Took a breath.

Aimed.

Jumped.

Shot.

Li Zheng’s body was still extended in the air.

But he was confident that he had made the shot.

Whoosh.

A clean three-pointer.

The ball was unbelievably steady.

That was true relaxation.

[Energy recovery rate: 8.2 ↑]

4 to 0.

“Oh damn!” Liu Xin roared, “Brother Li, you sure hide your skills well.”

Jiang Qinghua also froze, “When did you practice…”

Li Zheng shrugged and smiled, “It was a fluke, a fluke.”

The two fangirls turned mute.

In their hearts, they thought that Li Zheng’s posture was even suaver.

A few meters away.

Lin Yujing.

She was about to explode.

She glared at Li Zheng. She felt humiliated. It was as if she had been teased.

Her face turned completely red. Her fists were clenched tight.

“Hm…”

While she had given off the aura that she was not to be trifled with previously, she was now giving off the aura that no one could afford to offend her.

It was the girl’s team’s throw-in. It was the match point.

Lin Yujing once again organized an attack.

Liu Xin’s footwork started to get messy. He could not fully keep up with Lin Yujing’s speed.

Lin Yujing turned around and freed herself from Liu Xin after she made a simple maneuver. She broke past Liu Xin.

Jiang Qinghua hurried forward to intercept her.

Lin Yujing followed a set pattern and tossed the ball accurately toward Qiao Bixia.

Qiao Bixia had been containing herself for a long while.

“Ah!” she roared and made the others think that she was going to dunk the ball.

In the end, she had no choice but to restrain herself and make a lay-up instead.

Even though she scored easily, her anger seemed to not be alleviated one bit.

“Defense, defense!” Qiao Bixia roared.

4 to 1. It was Li Zheng’s throw-in.

At this moment, Liu Xin was panting heavily. He grabbed onto his knees and rested.

Jiang Qinghua ran out of the free-throw lane and stepped forward to ask for the ball.

Liu Xin had expended most of his stamina after having chased Lin Yujing for so long. There was no harm in getting Jiang Qinghua to organize the attack.

Li Zheng passed the ball to Jiang Qinghua.

Jiang Qinghua waved his arm and sent Liu Xin into the inner line after he caught the ball.

This was Coach Jiang’s newest strategy–an exchange of positions.

Qiao Bixia was also busy commanding her team. She got Lin Yujing to guard Jiang Qinghua.

Jiang Qinghua finally got what he wanted.

He was not anxious when faced with Lin Yujing. He showed off his techniques.

He dribbled the ball between his legs, bent his body and dribbled the ball low, quickly stepped from side to side, and continuously twisted his body.

He continuously made flashy, yet meaningless movements. It felt as though he was playing street basketball.

He could not help it. He had been holding it in for a long time. It was finally time for him to show off.

The two fangirls cheered like lunatics.

“Handsome, handsome, handsome! Show off your skill!”

“Exceptional! Exceptional!”

After a frenzied wave of showing off, Jiang Qinghua suddenly accelerated and easily tossed Lin Yujing aside. He charged toward the inner line.

Handsome Jiang would forever be Handsome Jiang, while girls would always be girls.

Qiao Bixia charged forward to intercept as she always did when she saw the situation.

At the same time, Li Zheng also broke past the ordinary girl and created space in the outer court.

Liu Xin, who was unguarded, manically raised his arms and asked for the ball at the inner line.

As long as Jiang Qinghua was willing to pass the ball, they would win no matter who he passed it to.

However, Jiang Qinghua did not look at them. He charged toward the Tank.

He chose to shoot the ball himself.

Under the pressure of the Tank, Jiang Qinghua jumped up forcefully and made a blind hook shot.

Bam. The ball hit the backboard.

“It’s mine!” Qiao Bixia let out a furious shout. She turned around and pressed into Liu Xin as she caught the rebound. She then threw the ball toward Lin Yujing.

Lin Yujing was also rather irritated. She shot the moment she caught the ball.

Just as she was jumping into the air.

An arm blocked her line of sight.

“Hm…” Her mind went dark.

However, she could no longer stop her action.

The ball had left her hand.

It flew up toward the sky.

But.

That arm blocked the sky.

It then fiercely flicked downward.

Bam!

Blocked!

Li Zheng slapped the ball out of the court with his palm.

Lin Yujing staggered when she landed on the ground. Her legs turned limp and she fell in a sitting position.

On the other hand, Li Zheng landed lightly.

He hopped as he glanced toward Lin Yujing. He curled the corner of his lips up and returned the smirk Lin Yujing had just given him.

[Energy recovery rate: 10 ↑↑↑]

“Evil will never triumph over good, little imp!” Li Zheng shouted in his head.

Lin Yujing stared blankly at Li Zheng. Her face turned rounder as she pouted. Tears welled up in her eyes. Her ponytail was about to collapse.

Qiao Bixia was also on the verge of breaking down, “Who are you? You are so strong!”

“He’s no one else. He is my Brother Li,” Liu Xin panted, smiling. “We are going to be so strong for the basketball competition…”

The spectators also slipped into silence.

“Are you alright…” The ordinary girl ran over to help Lin Yujing up. “It’s not over… It is our throw-in.”

“No… I’m not playing anymore… I’ll… I’ll never play again…” Lin Yujing suddenly covered her face with her hands and ran toward the side of the court.

“Jingjing…” Qiao Bixia hurried forward and said, “This is but the start of a new beginning…”

“It was like this during the test… It was like this at the pavilion… It was like this at the library… It’s like this at the basketball court…” Lin Yujing wiped away her tears and grabbed her bag. “I… I… I am so weak…”

She cried as she ran off the court.

The spectators looked at Li Zheng once again. They could not help but feel a little angry.

“Who’s that? Why was he so heavy-handed against a girl?”

“I heard that it was Lin Yujing who first knocked him down.”

“Is a girl knocking into you called knocking? It’s called a gift!”

On the court, Li Zheng stood with his hands behind his back as always. He faced the criticism with a cold demeanor.

He thought, “Lin Yujing, the evil we bring onto ourselves is the hardest to bear.

“As a person who has grasped study techniques, you should have improved along with your classmates to strive toward the college entrance exams together.

“However, you wanted to keep the advantage for yourself and force your competitors away.

“Your thoughts were impure.

“Yes. I’m not even going to teach you the last big question.”

Just as Li Zheng was savoring his victory, a mountain obstructed the area in front of him.

“Our Jingjing said… She said that she will never play basketball again…” Qiao Bixia’s tiger-like eyes were wide open. “Li Zheng, I’ll remember you.”

[Flirting: Qiao Bixia.]

[Energy recovery rate: – 19.8.]

“Damn it, why!” he thought.

“I have never spoken a word to her.”