The Mastermind Behind the Failed Martial Arts Exam

When Zhang Shan asked his question, just as Chen Lin was about to ask who Ding Yushi was, information about the woman's identity suddenly appeared in his mind.

Ding Yushi, a female martial arts student who trained at the same martial arts school as Chen Lin, and the woman his predecessor had a secret crush on.

A few months before the martial arts exam, this woman suddenly acted very warmly towards his predecessor, making him believe for a time that she had also fallen in love with him.

As a result, in his joyous mood, he spent a lot of time with her, wasting a considerable amount of time practicing martial arts.

After failing the martial arts exam, this woman never appeared again.

After carefully recalling the memories of his predecessor before the martial arts exam, Chen Lin seriously suspected that the person who drugged him before the exam was, more likely than not, this woman.

The reason he made such a deduction was because of Duan Xingze, the man beside Ding Yushi.

As the two strongest martial arts students of the new generation at Lieyang Martial Arts School.

Duan Xingze and Chen Lin were not exactly mortal enemies, but they were like fire and water, incompatible.

Whenever the two met, the air itself would spark.

And in order to compete for the only spot in the upper academy of Lieyang Martial Arts School.

The two had clashed frequently, both openly and covertly.

Because Duan Xingze's strength was inferior to Chen Lin's, he was always the one at a disadvantage.

This led to Duan Xingze harboring great resentment towards Chen Lin.

Originally, with Chen Lin's strength, even if he couldn't get into the upper academy of Nanqing Martial Academy, getting into the middle academy would have been more than enough.

Unfortunately, in the first match of the selection competition, Chen Lin, who had been drugged, encountered a fully prepared Duan Xingze.

During the match, due to his physical condition, Chen Lin was relentlessly attacked by Duan Xingze, causing him to fall into a coma with severe injuries, disqualifying him from the subsequent matches.

Consequently, he couldn't even get into the lower academy of Nanqing Martial Academy.

Although Chen Lin currently had no direct evidence to prove that Duan Xingze was the mastermind behind the drugging, based on the principle that whoever benefited from it was the mastermind, Chen Lin felt that Duan Xingze was the most suspicious.

Because without his competition, the upper academy spot allocated by Nanqing Martial Academy to Lieyang Martial Arts School was practically within Duan Xingze's grasp.

And if one also considered Ding Yushi's change in attitude towards his predecessor before and after the martial arts exam, as well as her current intimate behavior with Duan Xingze, Chen Lin became even more convinced that Duan Xingze was the mastermind.

"A'Lin, what are you spacing out for? Did you and Ding Yushi really have a falling out?" Zhang Shan asked cautiously, looking at Chen Lin's expressionless face.

Chen Hongbo, who was driving the donkey cart, also unconsciously lightened his whip movements upon hearing this.

"There's nothing between her and me, we're just ordinary friends!" Chen Lin replied expressionlessly and fell silent.

In his heart, he silently reminded himself, "Women are troublemakers. I need to be more careful in the future and not be fooled again."

"Oh, isn't this the genius martial artist of our Lieyang Martial Arts School, Chen Lin! Tsk tsk, what a shame. In a short while, you'll be a mere peasant, like cattle and horses, hahaha!"

Duan Xingze, riding a tall horse, looked down at Chen Lin and mocked him loudly.

"You son of a bitch, what the hell are you talking about?" Zhang Shan was instantly enraged.

"Isn't that the truth? He's eighteen this year! The martial academy won't accept nineteen-year-old martial students. If he can't get into the academy, he'll have to spend his life toiling like cattle and horses, digging in the dirt! The thought of that scene makes me feel incredibly comfortable."

Duan Xingze felt an immense sense of accomplishment from being able to openly humiliate his former rival and personally ruin his life.

"You~"

Zhang Shan was about to curse again but was stopped by Chen Lin's hand.

"A'Shan, don't bother with him. There's no need to argue with a mad dog." Chen Lin glanced at Duan Xingze and calmly advised Zhang Shan. Then, with a calm expression, he turned to the silent Ding Yushi and questioned, "Was the food I ate before the martial arts exam drugged by you?"

Faced with Chen Lin's questioning, a hint of panic flashed in Ding Yushi's eyes. Then, with a flushed and indignant expression, she retorted, "Chen Lin, how dare you slander me! I, Ding Yushi, conduct myself with integrity and openness. How could I be such a despicable person?"

"Yushi, the martial arts exam was a month ago. There's nothing to be afraid of for someone whose future is destined to be that of a peasant! If you did it, you did it. What can he do to you? He has no evidence anyway, so why are you afraid of him?"

Duan Xingze arrogantly admitted his wrongdoing without any pretense.

He was now extremely eager to see Chen Lin's reaction upon learning the truth.

Chen Lin thought to himself, As expected.

Exposed by Duan Xingze in public, a hint of annoyance flashed in Ding Yushi's eyes, but she dared not complain. Enduring her inner discomfort, she coquettishly said, "Xingze! Why did you have to expose me! Now I'm so embarrassed!"

Chen Hongbo, who had remained silent beside them, heard that the culprits behind his son's martial arts exam failure were these two people. He immediately raised his voice in anger and questioned, "You, how could you do this? How did my son offend you to make you harm him like this? You, you are simply beasts!"

"Hahaha! Curse! Curse all you want! Just curse to your heart's content! I, this young master, love to see you peasants rage in helplessness. Seeing you furious yet unable to do anything to me makes me feel much better."

Duan Xingze was completely unfazed by Chen Hongbo's scolding. Instead, his expression became even more manic as he mockingly laughed at them.

"A'Lin, let me go! Even if I can't beat this guy, I'll fight him! This is too much!" Zhang Shan struggled, trying to break free from Chen Lin's restraint.

"Don't do anything futile. I will settle this with him sooner or later. Believe me, it won't be long." Chen Lin said with a chilling expression, unwilling to let others get hurt because of his own affairs.

He wanted to avenge his predecessor with his own hands!

Duan Xingze pointed at Chen Lin and said to Ding Yushi with utter contempt, "Look, Yushi, did you hear that? Someone who's about to become a peasant is actually boasting about settling accounts with me later. Isn't that hilarious?"

"Xingze, let's go! The celebration banquet Qunxing Tower is holding for you is about to start. If we don't leave soon, we'll be late!" Ding Yushi reminded him with a shy expression.

Her last shred of conscience made her unable to face Chen Lin in his current state.

"Hahaha! You're right! I can't let these peasants delay my important matters!"

Duan Xingze laughed heartily, gave Chen Lin a contemptuous look, and then the two rode their horses away into the distance.

A cold glint flashed and vanished in Chen Lin's eyes, nameless emotions stirring within his heart.

Nanqing City, as the city bordering Dongyan and the monster territory, was divided into an inner and outer city, with six main streets segmenting it into sixteen market districts.

Chen Lin's home was located on Willow Leaf Lane in the Locust Tree Market of the outer city.

About a dozen families lived in the alley. The well-maintained two-story courtyard at the entrance of the alley was his home.

However, they were not the only residents of this courtyard; two other branches of the Chen clan also lived there.

When Chen Lin was discovered to have talent for martial arts, the Chen Clan Patriarch, to allow Chen Lin to focus on his training, specifically allocated a portion of this residence to Chen Lin's family.

If Chen Lin could be admitted to the upper division of the Nanqing Martial Academy, this property would most likely be directly transferred to his name as a reward from the clan.

However, with Chen Lin's failure in this martial arts examination, let alone receiving the deed to this property, if he could not become a member of the War God Temple within the next month, or obtain the status of a Demon Slayer Envoy.

His entire family would have to move out of this residence and go to the suburban mountain village, which offered no security whatsoever, to toil laboriously.

Such situations were not uncommon in the memories Chen Lin possessed.

All larger families in the city were like this.

Anyone who failed the martial arts examination, unless they could repay all the money and interest subsidized by the clan in one go, would have to sell themselves into servitude to pay off their debts.