Unexpected

"No need for everyone to spend money. This is hardly anything, and with the end of the month approaching, we're at a critical juncture. It wouldn't do to get distracted."

Xu Yuan politely declined, then cast Chen Sanli a deep look. It suddenly occurred to him that while Chen Sanli loved taking advantage of others, he was not short-sighted or someone who acted without knowing the limits.

The man had an exceptionally shrewd side. When dealing with people, he often tailored his conduct to the person before him.

With easygoing and generous people like Li Shan and Qin Yang, he showed no restraint at all, taking advantage until there was nothing left to take.

But with people like Wang Huan and Gao Yuan, he did not overstep so much. Thinking about it now, it was because he valued Wang Huan's potential and thus wished to "let the still waters run deep."

"Now, he's probably treating me the same way. Inviting me to a meal is just to build ties, all so he can reap greater benefits from me in the future."

Xu Yuan saw through Chen Sanli as clearly as fire reflected in a mirror.

As everyone congratulated Xu Yuan...

Wang Huan watched Xu Yuan being surrounded and fawned over at the center, then compared it to his own lonely state. For the first time, he tasted the bitterness of being neglected, and it sat badly with him.

"What's there to be so proud of? He just got a Thunderclap Fist through the door. It's not like his cultivation broke through. Making such a huge fuss and even pooling money for a meal..."

Watching Chen Sanli and the others crowd around Xu Yuan, sourness churned in Wang Huan's heart. A sudden stab of irony struck him, as if someone were laughing in his face:

So what if you have the highest talent in the dormitory?

Xu Yuan has now become the first to fulfill one of the assessment requirements, while you still haven't accomplished a single thing. Don't you find that embarrassing?

The more Wang Huan thought about it, the worse he felt. Possessed by some strange impulse, he suddenly roared, "Can you keep it down? Just because you aren't studying doesn't mean others aren't!"

Wang Huan's sudden outburst instantly silenced the lively crowd. Everyone turned to look at him, unable to understand what had gotten into him.

The moment Wang Huan finished speaking, he regretted it. Seeing their puzzled expressions, he knew his burst of anger had come out of nowhere, yet he could not possibly reveal what he truly thought. In his embarrassment, he hurried into a quiet room.

But no matter how one looked at that retreating figure, it seemed somewhat bedraggled.

"What's wrong with Brother Wang?" Li Shan scratched his head and asked in confusion.

"Who knows?"

Chen Sanli's gaze flickered slightly, though he still wore his smiling expression.

Qin Yang was playful by nature. After enjoying the spectacle, he no longer cared about it, his mind lingering on the aftertaste of the opera he had watched last time. Xiao Sheng likewise could not be bothered to involve himself in such matters.

Gao Yuan and Tian Yang, however, both looked thoughtful. The former revealed an amused look, while the latter felt that this scene seemed strangely familiar.

Watching Wang Huan enter a quiet room once again, Xu Yuan raised an eyebrow and quickly understood why.

Wang Huan had always been arrogant, believing himself to possess the greatest talent. As long as no one surpassed him, he was fairly generous and loyal.

But if someone suddenly overtook him and the first place he had been so proud of became a joke, the intense imbalance in his heart would wipe away his sense of superiority and turn into jealousy.

Just getting a fist technique through the door broke him this badly. If my cultivation breaks through again, won't he explode? Xu Yuan thought.

Still, unless necessary, Xu Yuan would only act according to his own rhythm. He would neither deliberately do something nor deliberately avoid doing something.

The reason he had informed Master Chen as soon as his Thunderclap Fist entered the gate was also because he wanted to know whether being first brought any extra benefits. If there were, all the better. If not, so be it.

As for him and Wang Huan, they had never been the same kind of people to begin with. Why bother caring so much?

"Still, to learn from Tian Yang's lesson, I should be more cautious these next few days."

In truth, given Xu Yuan's current abilities, as long as he remained alert, he would never go through what Tian Yang had experienced.

Even though the force of his Thunderclap Fist was still weak, that was only in comparison to Zhao Qiusheng. Against ordinary martial artists, it remained no small threat.

"If people don't offend me, I won't offend them. But certain people had better not come looking for trouble..." Xu Yuan's eyes darkened. He opened a quiet room and began tempering his qi and blood.

Xu Yuan's successful entry into the gate brought considerable pressure upon the others in the dormitory.

From that day onward, everyone visibly trained harder. Qin Yang did the same, but compared to the others, he still carried a few traces of laziness.

Wang Huan, however, gradually grew distant because of it. Whenever they called him to eat or get up, he ignored them and left ahead of everyone else.

After dinner, even Chen Sanli and Li Shan began additional evening training with Xu Yuan and the others. Qin Yang had never had the habit of practicing martial arts at night, so he naturally returned to the dormitory.

As for Wang Huan, relying on his great talent, he likewise only trained during the day.

That night, darkness deepened.

When everyone returned to the dormitory after training, they found Wang Huan and Qin Yang sitting on their beds with some cold dishes and wine they had brought back from outside, chatting merrily.

Wang Huan was in a foul mood and clearly meant to drown his sorrows in drink. His face was flushed red as he drunkenly said:

"I'm not trying to say anything, but what the hell is Xu Yuan? Back in the outer courtyard, who knows which corner he was hiding in while he watched me become the first to break through as a martial artist. Even the martial master who taught us valued me most—Wang Huan!"

"Now he's merely gotten a martial technique through the door. What's there to be proud of? Look at all of you, acting like you've never seen the world. Especially that Chen Sanli—he's just like a lapdog..."

"Brother Wang, they're back." Qin Yang was still fairly sober. Seeing Xu Yuan and the others enter, he felt deeply awkward and hurriedly signaled Wang Huan with his eyes.

"So what if he's back?" Wang Huan opened his bleary eyes and glanced around. Patting the empty space beside him, he said, "Come on, Brother Xu. Come drink a couple of cups with us."

"I'll pass." Xu Yuan replied blandly. He gave Wang Huan a look and walked straight toward his own bed.

"So wishy-washy... You don't even dare drink. What great prospects could you possibly have in the future?" Wang Huan grumbled in dissatisfaction.

At those words, Xu Yuan stopped.

"Brother Wang, you've had too much. Let's call it a night." Qin Yang felt his face burning. Speaking ill of someone right in front of them was truly an ugly scene.

He could only stress once more that this was drunken nonsense.

"I'm not drunk!" Wang Huan refused to appreciate the gesture and continued boisterously, "You don't know this, but we used to be Laborers. When Xu Yuan first arrived, he looked around carelessly, got so scared he knelt on the floor, and nearly got beaten by the cook. That scene..."

"How could he have been as spirited as he is now? Still, he only has a bit of comprehension when it comes to fist techniques. I'd say that bottleneck at the second meridian will trap him for the rest of his life!"

Those words were exceedingly vicious, an outright curse.

Xu Yuan suddenly turned around and looked coldly at him.

Tian Yang's brows also shot up in anger. Xu Yuan was his lifesaver, and over the past month, the two had become inseparable, part of the same small group. Hearing those words, he naturally felt that when one suffered humiliation, they all suffered humiliation.

At that moment, if Xu Yuan made a move, he would step forward with him.

"My dear Brother Wang!" Qin Yang felt his face burn even hotter than if he had been drinking. He wished he could find a crack in the ground and crawl into it.

Wang Huan sobered up a little then. Seeing the others staring at him with different expressions, he realized something was wrong. But he was riding a tiger and could not dismount, and with liquor in his belly, he forced himself to save face. "Am I wrong? Some people, they just..."

A cold gleam flashed through Xu Yuan's eyes. Just as he was about to step forward, someone else moved faster than he did.

Chen Sanli's palm landed solidly across Wang Huan's face. With indignation and disappointment on his face, he said, "Wang Huan, how can you be this kind of person? Talking behind Brother Xu's back like that—I truly misjudged you!"