Chapter Fifty-Seven: No Such Thing as a Chance

"...This is the third incident involving barbarians in a busy part of the city in recent days. We urge citizens: if you encounter strangers with abnormal appearances or suspicious behavior, please do not attempt to approach them. Report to the police as soon as possible."

On the television, footage of Xiao Nan's desperate battle with the barbarian played over and over... Two policemen fired their guns and were killed on the spot. In the end, the barbarian was run through the heart with a single sword and fell in agony.

Of course, the bloody scenes of the barbarian beast devouring human flesh and brutally slaying others had been edited out.

"Those reporters act so fast. Doesn't this world have any news censorship at all?"

Xiao Nan frowned. This must have been footage captured by the surveillance cameras in and outside the shop.

At the time, he hadn't considered that such a gruesome case would be broadcast immediately, nor had he thought to conceal his own identity.

Fortunately, the camera angle was off, and his face wasn't clearly captured...

Later, on the street, the dust from the battle with the barbarian clouded the air, making the footage blurry. For those not well acquainted with him, it would be almost impossible to recognize who was fighting from the fleeting, indistinct shadows.

It wasn't that he was unwilling to be in the spotlight; rather, Xiao Nan was well aware... he had benefited from the blood ritual at the villa. Although the city lord's officials had not suspected him, being too high-profile could easily attract unwanted attention.

That would not be good.

...

Lanzin High School, cafeteria.

Xiao Bei sat sulking, listlessly picking at her rice...

The food in the cafeteria was unappetizing; she had no desire to eat.

She remembered she still had a few pieces of peach kernel pastry in her bedside drawer—how she missed them.

Xiao Nan was really something—he didn't even call after such an important event as the martial arts test. Did he pass? How could a grown man be so unreliable?

Her gaze wandered, staring dully at her noisy classmates as if she still hadn’t woken up. Suddenly, her eyes drifted to the television above the window.

As the news played, she jolted, and pinched the arm of the classmate beside her.

"Ouch..."

Fang Luoluo nearly dropped her spoon in pain and shouted angrily, "Xiao Bei, what are you doing now?"

"No, Fang—Grandma Fang, look, look, isn’t that Xiao Nan on TV? He’s amazing, he killed the beast barbarian with a single sword."

"If you call me Grandma again, I’ll tear your mouth apart." Fang Luoluo’s face flushed; she quickly hunched over to conceal her ample chest.

She glanced around, relaxing only when she saw no one was paying attention, and then looked curiously at the television.

"He does look a bit like him, but is that possible? Your brother probably couldn't even beat me, let alone fight a barbarian. Tsk tsk, look at the crater in the ground—how much strength would that take? Touch it and you’d be dead, right?"

"You don't know, that's the Four Seasons Sword technique; you don’t need much force to use it... He wasn't always this strong. And just think who taught him—me! If I taught him, how could his swordplay be anything but excellent?"

"Yeah, right..."

Fang Luoluo ignored her. She knew her friend's penchant for bragging all too well. "If you say so. Now hurry up and eat—you need to grow if you want to get strong enough to fight barbarians one day."

"You're mocking me, aren’t you? Definitely mocking me for being short." Xiao Bei glared, eyes wide and fierce.

"So you noticed, huh? Ha ha..." Fang Luoluo burst into laughter, her body shaking like a flower in the wind. Serves you right for coming up with that nickname.

She crossed her arms over her chest, wary that Xiao Bei might leap at her and start a scuffle—especially to guard against any sneaky moves.

This was the cafeteria; so many classmates were around.

Strangely, Xiao Bei didn’t react this time. She simply rolled her eyes at Fang Luoluo and turned back to the television, muttering, "I never thought of it—Xiao Nan is getting stronger and stronger.

No, I have to catch up. It would be so embarrassing if he surpasses me... Huh, who’s that woman? Shameless."

On the television, it just so happened to show Xiao Nan reaching out to ruffle Zhang Xiaorou’s hair, while she looked utterly delighted.

The gesture was all too familiar, and Xiao Bei felt a pang of discomfort.

...

Emerald Garden Community, No. 17 Villa, Xuefu Road.

The lake shimmered with sunlight, lush green grass stretching all around.

Lin Hao lounged half-propped on a silk-cushioned chair, bare-chested... A layer of slick, pungent ointment coated his skin—the healing salve made from snake blood and oil, specially procured from a hunting team.

It could gather and guide the blood and energy through his meridians.

Beside him, a middle-aged man moved his hands up and down as if plucking invisible strings, tracing over Lin Hao's meridians.

A faint flush colored his palms, sweat beading on his brow from the effort.

This was Lin Anguo.

Looking at his son, so crushed and despondent, Lin Anguo's heart ached. He spoke gently, reassuring him, "Don’t worry, there will be no aftereffects. With this box of 'Serpent Dragon Balm' and the 'Meridian Rejuvenation Pill' you just took, your injuries will heal completely in two or three days. Your vitality will even improve—it won’t impact the college entrance exam at all."

"It was him. It was him..." Lin Hao seemed not to hear, suddenly propping himself up and staring fixedly at the television on the wall. Watching the figure sweep his sword across the barbarian’s eye, he gritted his teeth.

"Hmm?"

Lin Anguo glanced back, narrowing his eyes as well.

"That’s Xiao Nan?"

"It’s him. The swordplay is unmistakable; I remember it clearly."

Yes, no one could know better than Lin Hao the subtle brilliance and trickiness of that 'Slanting Spring Rain' move. Back then, amid the net of sword qi, the blade had suddenly darted and struck his chest and abdomen—he’d had no time to react or defend.

"So what if it’s him? Don’t waste your attention on opponents with no future. Look farther—think of Li Shaohua, or Qin Shuang."

Lin Anguo’s expression grew stern. He glanced at the television, a flicker of coldness in his eyes, and began lecturing his son.

"Qin Shuang is another matter—her talent is simply daunting. Li Shaohua? Is he really that strong?"

"Stronger than you think. I even suspect he’s hiding something extraordinary. Watch for it—during the martial arts exam this year, he’ll have to show his hand."

"What a pity about those two sticks of Mind-Soothing Incense. If I’d gotten them, maybe I could have broken through to the 'Forgetfulness Realm.'"

As for Li Shaohua’s strength, Lin Hao wasn’t actually that concerned; he only cared about whether he could gain any benefit from him.

"The Mind-Soothing Incense is in hand, and even the 'Meridian Rejuvenation Pill' you just took was given by the Li family," Lin Anguo replied with a faint smile.

"Would he really be so generous?" Lin Hao asked in disbelief.

He’d tried to help Li Shaohua suppress Xiao Nan, but achieved nothing, only allowing Xiao Nan to steal the limelight. And even so, he’d still get a reward?

"Hmph... everyone wants something. For some reason, Li Shaohua is determined to win the 'Empty Crystal Chamber' at No. 1 High. Since your father is the school principal, how could he achieve his goal without paying a price?"

"Vice principal, actually," Lin Hao corrected, all smiles now that his injuries would heal quickly and the Mind-Soothing Incense was his.

"Not for long—soon to be principal," Lin Anguo replied kindly, unfazed. "As for Xiao Nan, don’t waste another thought on him. He’s not worth your effort. I could crush him into the dirt with a flick of my hand. In ten days, it’ll be the Vitality Test. Heh heh..."

"But what if... what if his vitality surges in the meantime?"

At the memory of that sword, Lin Hao shivered again, unexpectedly unsettled. He didn’t want to go through that again; he was already traumatized.

"There are no what-ifs. And besides, who do you think manages the school’s testing equipment?"