Truly, a Name Fits the Person!

Lin Li glanced at the nameplate on the other man's chest—the examiner's name was Hao Zhuang, and he truly lived up to it: a burly man through and through.

Gulp.

Lin Li, who had never even been in a fight, let alone battled a beast, couldn't help swallowing hard when he saw his examiner was such a fierce, intimidating figure.

"Damn, is this for real? Why'd they assign me a tough guy like this as my examiner? If we end up fighting, and he slips up, he'll probably knock me out cold with one punch."

The two-meter-tall examiner frowned slightly when he saw the candidate was a young man in his early twenties with a student-like demeanor. "You're Lin Li, right?"

"Yes, Examiner Hao."

Hao Zhuang said to Lin Li in a deep voice, "You just graduated from university this year, didn't you?"

Lin Li nodded.

"With that soft, fair skin of yours, you probably haven't been to a Martial Arts Hall to learn or practice fighting techniques, have you?"

Lin Li nodded again, muttering to himself, Back in the day, my cultivation talent was so awful I couldn't even become a Cultivator. Later, my dream was to be a Salted Fish, so of course I never went to a Martial Arts Hall to learn fighting skills.

After asking two questions and getting only nods in response, Hao Zhuang's expression grew even more stern. "Don't bother taking the test. The way you are, you won't pass."

"Huh???" Lin Li was stunned by Hao Zhuang's words, then quickly spoke up, "Examiner Hao, I haven't even started yet. How can you just fail me outright? That's not following procedure."

Hao Zhuang said flatly, "Someone like you, with no fighting experience at all—even if you pass the Beast Hunter Qualification Exam and get your Beast Hunter License, the moment you go out into the wild and run into a beast, you'll most likely die. Go to a Martial Arts Hall first, learn some fighting skills, and come back for the exam once you have some combat experience."

Lin Li realized then that the man genuinely thought he'd get himself killed in the wild if he got the license. Though the intention was kind, Lin Li had his own plans.

"I could get the Beast Hunter License first, then go to the Martial Arts Hall to learn fighting techniques later! It's not like I'm heading out to hunt beasts right away."

Hao Zhuang's face showed disbelief at Lin Li's words, but since the candidate had said so, as an examiner, he couldn't stop him from taking the test. He'd just have to go a little harder during the exam to make the kid back down on his own.

The staff member who had brought Lin Li to the exam venue walked over to a timer beside the ring, set the time, and said to Lin Li, who had stepped onto the platform, "Mr. Lin Li, are you ready?"

"Hoo..."

Lin Li took a deep breath and said to the staff member, "Ready."

"Beep."

The staff member pressed the timer's switch, and the countdown began.

"Young man, the Beast Hunter profession is very dangerous. One slip-up and you'll lose your life. You should know that from the scars on my body," Hao Zhuang said seriously, looking at Lin Li, who was on guard.

"Beauty Salons offer Supernatural Scar Removal services these days. Why don't you get rid of those scars?" Lin Li tried to stall, playing along with the man's words.

"Because keeping these scars reminds me, every moment, to stay vigilant when I'm out in the wild," Hao Zhuang replied.

"Fair enough! But I'd still suggest you go to a Beauty Salon for Supernatural Scar Removal. You're not bad-looking, and those scars might hurt your chances with girls." Lin Li said to Hao Zhuang with good intentions.

"..." Hao Zhuang hadn't expected Lin Li to say that. He froze for a moment, thinking to himself, Could it be that the reason I can't win over the girl I like is because of these scars?

The staff member standing below the ring noticed that twenty seconds of the exam time had already passed and the two on the platform still hadn't moved. He called out, "Hao Zhuang, don't forget your role as the examiner."

"I know, I haven't forgotten. I'll start now." Hao Zhuang snapped back to reality, still mulling over whether the girl he was pursuing had rejected him because of his scars.

None of your business! Can't you just stand there and watch quietly? Lin Li shot a glance at the meddling staff member, grumbling inwardly.

"Here I come. Watch yourself." The moment Hao Zhuang's words fell, Lin Li felt a figure appear before him, and then he saw a fist the size of a casserole dish flying toward his stomach.

"Thud."

At the last second, Lin Li quickly crossed his arms in front of his stomach to block. But the force behind the punch was too great. Even with his arms shielding him, the blow sent him flying backward, crashing heavily to the ground.

"Sss... that hurts." Lin Li gasped, feeling his right arm, which had taken the hit, ache terribly.

"If you can't even handle this much pain, don't ever go out into the wild. Out there, when you fight beasts, getting hurt is inevitable. And the pain from those injuries will be far worse than that punch I just gave you." Hao Zhuang withdrew his right fist and said to Lin Li.

Rubbing his swollen right arm with his left hand, Lin Li got up from the ground and glanced at the timer below the ring. Two minutes were still left.

How has only one minute passed? Did that staff member tamper with the timer?

Hao Zhuang strode toward Lin Li. Seeing the burly examiner approaching, Lin Li immediately retreated backward, but the ring was only so big. Before long, he had nowhere left to run.

"In the wild, you can't just show your back to a beast. That panicked retreat of yours could easily cost you your life." Hao Zhuang spoke as he lunged at Lin Li.

"Thud, thud, thud..."

The sound of fists hitting flesh echoed across the ring. Though Lin Li had never fought anyone before, even a cornered rabbit will bite. He might not have eaten pork, but he'd seen a pig run.

Cornered, Lin Li swung his fists wildly at Hao Zhuang, attacking fiercely, but his punches were easily dodged, and his body took another hit in return.

"Damn it, again." Face flushed red from the blow, Lin Li charged forward once more.

Despite being two meters tall and built like a tank, Hao Zhuang moved with startling agility. He effortlessly dodged the dozen or so punches Lin Li threw at him, then repaid him with a dozen of his own.