Chapter 103: Spotted a Few Familiar Faces

Following closely behind some parents entering the campus, Xiao Nan lingered for a moment.

A short, thin middle-aged man with yellowish teeth squeezed his way over. Spotting Xiao Nan, he forced a smile and whispered, “Hey, want to place a few bets? I have inside information, guaranteed profit.”

What made him think I was an easy mark?

Xiao Nan glanced at him but didn’t respond. The man was undoubtedly a loafer from society, soliciting customers here to drum up business for a gambling den.

Seeing Xiao Nan ignore him, the yellow-toothed man grinned lewdly and decided to reveal a bit more, “Don’t doubt me—I’ve got the scoop on all eighty-three candidates taking the test this year. Except for that Xiao Nan from Class Five, everyone else has solid vitality. Barring surprises, they’ll all pass.”

“Why can’t Xiao Nan pass?”

“I’ve heard his vitality is shockingly low, and the only reason he passed the martial arts trial was because of backdoor connections. He’s rumored to have an excellent relationship with Teacher Tang Zhixuan from the martial arts department…”

The man spoke with utter conviction.

“Get lost!”

The yellow-toothed man wanted to say more, but Xiao Nan’s cold rebuke sent an icy chill through his body. Sweat broke out on his forehead as he staggered back several steps, glancing at Xiao Nan in fear, never daring to approach again.

The onlookers nearby glanced over in surprise, thinking, This student has quite a temper.

Xiao Nan himself was a little surprised.

Did I really project such authority?

“It felt as if I sensed his ill intentions, and by casually speaking, I stirred up a wave of mental energy… The bronze mirror responded slightly. Judging by his frightened reaction, he must have been truly terrified.”

Entering the campus, Xiao Nan was deep in thought.

For some time now, he’d been exploring the true capabilities of the bronze mirror, but had made little progress.

But reflecting on history, mirrors have been used not only as daily necessities but also, in certain circumstances, for uncovering secrets and warding off evil. This provided a hint.

As the saying goes, ‘A bright mirror hangs high…’

The ability to uncover secrets was easy to understand—his mental acuity exceeded that of others, allowing him to perceive subtle emotions that ordinary people would miss.

This wasn’t just his imagination; it had been proven.

As for warding off evil, Xiao Nan hadn’t verified it yet.

In this world, martial artists who train in robust, yang energy are everywhere. Even if there were wandering spirits, they’d likely be scattered by the sheer force of vitality. Such a function seemed rather useless.

But as things stood, it was not only useful, it was extremely valuable.

To ward off evil, perhaps, meant more than just frightening away ghosts and monsters—it might also suppress the evil within the human heart.

Take that middle-aged man, for example: he couldn’t withstand even a light reprimand, clearly harboring guilt, and was cowed both by Xiao Nan’s mental force and the aura of the bronze mirror.

He was nearly scared out of his wits.

“Mental power has much subtler uses than simply aiding the cultivation of the body. Used alone, it’s a potent form of attack.”

Since attaining the ‘Sitting Forgetfulness’ state of mind, Xiao Nan increasingly sensed its wonders. As he walked toward the lively center of the campus square, his consciousness half-immersed in the inner space.

There, he saw his own form within that space, surrounded by a web of golden patterns that had already begun to seep quietly into his body, no longer merely lingering on the surface as before.

This golden light was altering the nature of his mental power.

Or rather, it was changing the very essence of his soul.

What exactly was the thing he had obtained from the blood sacrifice of that monstrous beast?

He vaguely recalled an incident at the hospital when Gu Junwu from the Special Affairs Division had hinted at something—something divine.

At the time, Xiao Nan had been skeptical. Anything bearing the word ‘divine’ had to be lofty and remote; how could it possibly be acquired so casually from a mere monster, and in such a mysterious way?

But now, he was starting to believe it.

Ever since the bronze mirror absorbed those golden patterns, it was as if a kaleidoscope had opened up, surprising him again and again.

From his physical body to his spiritual state, now even his very soul was quietly changing—he could strike fear into others with a single shout.

This was a power he was certain he’d never possessed before.

...

At the center of the square, a platform had been erected, about half the height of a person and covered with a red carpet.

The uncovered parts gleamed with a metallic luster.

On three sides, except for the school gate, seats had been arranged—likely brought out from the auditorium. These were for local dignitaries and students’ parents.

Yuanjiang No.1 Martial High was not a public school.

It was a private institution, founded by the old principal, Sun Yuanfang, who had pooled funds and invited like-minded friends to promote the martial arts and select talent for the nation.

Such privately run schools had their advantages: ample funding, the ability to hire better teachers, and top-notch equipment.

Students also enjoyed better welfare.

But there were drawbacks.

The school’s authority was naturally divided; important decisions required the board’s approval and could not be made by the principal alone.

Though not run for profit, the school could not operate recklessly. The demand for high educational standards, especially college acceptance rates, was strict.

Board members, after all, had interests at stake—be it reputation, status, or carefully cultivated networks.

Thus, for the annual vitality test, the board members usually attended in person.

Seated on the platform were a row of long tables adorned with flowers and tea.

Nameplates were displayed on the tables, and Xiao Nan spotted several familiar faces.

Zhang Yi’s bearded, rugged face stood out.

This brawny man had managed to make it onto the board? Xiao Nan was amazed.

He still remembered how, during the martial arts trial, Zhang Yi had worn a janitor’s uniform and secretly followed Zhang Xiaorou.

No wonder. With that status in the school, it would be easy to do as he pleased.

Beyond Zhang Yi, another familiar face sat on the dais—a woman with an elegant, dignified smile, radiantly beautiful and appearing no older than thirty.

She was Su Yuqing, Qin Shuang’s mother, now the head of the Qin family in Yuanjiang.

For an outsider to wield such power within the family—her skills must be extraordinary.

Xiao Nan barely glanced at her before she sensed it, turning to look his way.

He quickly averted his eyes, thinking, What keen spiritual awareness. Visibly, she looked even younger than his own mother—perhaps thanks to a life of privilege and mastery in martial arts.

Lin Anguo, naturally, needed no introduction. At the moment, he wore a broad smile, greeting people left and right with practiced ease.

He stayed mostly beside a stern, imposing man in blue, his attitude faintly deferential.

Xiao Nan recognized the man—Li Yuancheng, father of Li Shaohua, another of the school’s major patrons and its largest shareholder.

He was also head of the Li family, one of Yuanjiang’s two most prominent clans.

Apart from chatting with Li Yuancheng, Lin Anguo would occasionally exchange banter with two other somber-looking men in uniform.

These two, Xiao Nan did not recognize; they weren’t regular fixtures at the school.

But their badges bore the word ‘certified,’ and with a bit of deduction, Xiao Nan realized they were Ministry of Education officials sent to oversee and authenticate the school’s internal vitality assessment.

There was a running joke about this.

One year, a high school had recommended over a hundred thirty students for the provincial exams, only for more than eighty to be disqualified—a huge scandal.

This was because the school’s own assessments had been far too lenient, and no external supervisors were present.

Since then, all high schools understood it was better to be strict in-house than to face disgrace during the real exams.

This time, Lin Anguo had proposed using the ‘Rampaging Ape’ puppet, a retired military war machine, for the vitality test. Such diligence greatly pleased the Ministry.

Hence, he got along swimmingly with the two officials.

In contrast, Principal Sun Zhongli sat serenely at the center of the dais, smiling quietly, looking every bit the unassuming scholar, his gaze calm and detached.

Beside him, along with the director of studies, sat an elderly woman with snow-white hair.

Xiao Nan recognized her as well—another vice principal of Yuanjiang No.1, who rarely handled administrative affairs. She only intervened when students had psychological issues or were injured.

She was a gentle, loving lady surnamed Cui, affectionately called ‘Grandma Cui’ by the students.

For today’s vitality test, which involved the use of puppets, accidents and scrapes were almost inevitable.