Badge in Hand, Enemies Meet on a Narrow Road!
His expression was calm, as though he had just done something utterly insignificant.
His composure stood in such stark contrast to the violence he had displayed during the test that the people around him doubted he was the same person.
Xiao Han paid no attention to the dumbstruck onlookers or the complicated look in the examiner's eyes.
He gave the examiner a slight nod in acknowledgment, then turned and headed for the exit.
Wherever he went, the crowd instinctively parted to make a path, their gazes following his retreating figure with awe and envy.
Done! Next, I should go check out the Martial Skills Pavilion, Xiao Han thought.
He stood once more before the same service window as before.
The young woman behind it was still lost in thought, her head lowered and her fingertips tapping the desk absentmindedly.
What she had just seen on the surveillance feed had been astonishing.
When she suddenly caught sight of someone approaching out of the corner of her eye, her body jolted, and she snapped her head up.
"Ah! Xiao... Xiao Han!"
Her voice turned syrupy sweet, and her cheeks flushed red.
There was panic in her eyes, and something that looked a little like... admiration?
She scrambled to her feet, nearly knocking over the cup on her desk with her elbow.
"Um... congratulations!"
"You... passed the assessment, and your results were exceptional!"
She tried to steady her voice and sound more professional, but the end of her sentence still wavered a little, betraying her feelings.
"P-please show me your identification and proof of assessment..."
"I-I'll get your martial artist badge processed right away!"
Xiao Han handed the documents over. Seeing how different her attitude was from before, he had a rough idea why, but he said nothing.
The young woman took the documents, and when she accidentally touched Xiao Han's fingers, her face grew even redder.
She took a deep breath, forced herself to calm down, and began entering the information into the terminal at high speed.
"All done, Xiao Han!" A few minutes later, the young woman held out a brand-new badge with both hands. "This is your martial artist badge. Please keep it safe."
Xiao Han took the badge. It felt cool to the touch, and its material seemed finer than that of an ordinary martial artist badge, with a subdued sheen.
On the front was the Dragon Country Martial Artists Association's soaring dragon emblem, while his name and a serial number were engraved on the back: "P-G00789."
The special P-G prefix seemed to stand for perfect genius or something similar, setting the badge apart.
"Your martial artist allowance of twenty thousand Federation credits has been deposited into your account. Please check that you've received it. Also, this is a resource package the association prepares for every newly promoted martial artist. It contains some basic cultivation supplies."
The young woman handed him an exquisite little brocade pouch.
"Thank you." Xiao Han pinned the badge to his chest and casually put away the pouch.
Just as Xiao Han was about to turn and leave, the young woman seemed to muster her courage. Her cheeks flushed as she said in a tiny voice, "Um... Xiao Han, could I have your contact information? If you need anything in the future, you can come directly to me..."
Her eyes were full of anticipation, with a hint of shyness.
Faced with a genius who was so young and handsome, with limitless potential, she would have been lying if she said her heart wasn't stirred.
Xiao Han looked back at her.
Although the young woman was ordinary-looking, her shy, timid manner made her look quite cute at that moment.
But his thoughts were entirely occupied with improving his strength and his plans for what came next, and he had no time to deal with such things.
"Sorry, I'm about to head into the wilderness for training, so it might not be convenient." Xiao Han found a reasonable excuse and politely declined.
The young woman forced a smile and nodded. "Ah... o-okay. Then I wish you a smooth training trip! Stay safe!"
Xiao Han nodded slightly and, without lingering, turned and walked out of the martial artist center.
With his martial artist certification taken care of, the next step was to choose suitable martial skills at the Martial Skills Pavilion. Then he could begin training in real combat.
However, he had barely taken a few steps beyond the entrance when he ran straight into a group of people.
There were about five or six of them, all looking like hoodlums. Their leader had a head of eye-catching yellow hair and a smug look on his face. He seemed to have just completed some task and was boasting about it to the lackeys beside him.
Enemies meet on a narrow road.
Their leader was none other than Zhao Yu!
Zhao Yu was talking animatedly, spittle flying, when he looked up and suddenly saw Xiao Han. The smug look on his face froze instantly.
The next second, the humiliation of being suppressed by Su Linglong's aura at yesterday's awakening ceremony and being secretly mocked by everyone welled up in his heart. Zhao Yu's face swiftly went from white to green, then from green to black, so dark it looked as though water could drip from it.
His gaze instinctively swept over Xiao Han. When he saw the brand-new martial artist badge on Xiao Han's chest, still bearing a special sheen, Zhao Yu's eyes instantly bulged as though he had seen a ghost, and he let out a shriek:
"Impossible! How could you possibly have passed the martial artist certification?!"
His shout was so loud that it immediately drew the attention of the people entering and leaving the martial artist center.
The lackeys behind Zhao Yu were dumbfounded too. They rubbed their eyes and stared closely at the badge on Xiao Han's chest, all looking as though they had seen a ghost in broad daylight.
"Brother Yu, are we seeing things? Is that really a martial artist badge?"
"Holy shit! Wasn't his martial soul still double-F trash yesterday? He's a martial artist today?"
"Th-this bastard must be using cheats, right?!"
"He definitely cheated! Martial artist certification is so hard. How could trash like him possibly pass?!"
The lackeys' voices were neither loud nor quiet, carrying clearly to the ears of the people around them, as well as Xiao Han's.
Zhao Yu looked at Xiao Han's calm, indifferent expression, then compared it with himself, who had only reached the Martial Apprentice Fourth Level through hard work and had been so pleased with himself for awakening an A-rank martial soul.
An uncontrollable jealousy gnawed at his heart like a venomous snake, twisting his face.
Why?! Why was this guy trash everyone laughed at yesterday, yet today he could transform into a martial artist?! And he'd even gotten a badge that looked extraordinary?!
Rage and jealousy burned away the last of Zhao Yu's reason. He sprang forward and planted himself directly in front of Xiao Han, blocking his path, his voice full of undisguised malice and suspicion:
"Xiao Han! What kind of fucking dogshit luck did you stumble into?! Speak! Did you use some shady trick to pass the certification?!"
Xiao Han stopped, his calm gaze falling on Zhao Yu's face, twisted with jealousy, as though he were looking at a stone in the road that was in his way.
"A good dog doesn't block the road. Get lost."
His voice was flat, without the slightest ripple, yet it landed on Zhao Yu's face like a resounding slap. Among the crowd watching the spectacle, some people couldn't help letting out quiet chuckles.
Zhao Yu's face, already flushed with jealousy and anger, instantly turned the color of pig liver.
The humiliation at yesterday's awakening ceremony, the frustration of being ignored by Su Linglong, and the embarrassment of being humiliated in public now—all those emotions erupted like a volcano in his chest!
"What the fuck did you say?!" Zhao Yu roared, his voice cracking slightly. "Xiao Han! Don't think you're so great just because you had some dogshit luck and became a martial artist! I have an A-rank martial soul! I was already at the Martial Artist Realm First Level yesterday! What the hell are you?!"