The morning mist had yet to lift, and the alleys of the Slum District were still shrouded in gray.
Lin Fan pushed open the courtyard gate, then carefully turned and closed it behind him. His younger sister, Lin Xiaoyu, was still asleep. Since taking the Lung Cleansing Pill, she had been sleeping much more soundly these past few days, and color was gradually returning to her face.
Today was the fifth day before the assessment.
Lin Fan planned to go outside the city to the "Rocky Beach" for special training. The terrain there was complicated, with rocks jutting out everywhere, making it an excellent place to practice footwork. If he could break through to Minor Accomplishment Level in Basic Footwork amid such difficult terrain, his agility in actual combat would improve tremendously.
He checked his belongings: a waterskin, some dry rations, a small packet of Hemostatic Powder, and the Pig Iron Short Sword he had picked up at the secondhand market. Though it was only the most ordinary Mortal Grade Low Rank weapon, it was still better than fighting bare-handed.
"Let's go."
Lin Fan took a deep breath and stepped into the morning mist.
The alleys of the Slum District twisted and turned like a gigantic spiderweb. Having lived here for sixteen years, Lin Fan knew every little lane like the back of his hand. He chose a more secluded route that would get him to the West City Gate as quickly as possible.
But after walking just two streets, Lin Fan's steps faltered.
Something was wrong.
It was too quiet.
It was early morning, the busiest time in the Slum District. People fetching water, lighting fires, and heading to the morning market should have been everywhere. Yet this alley, usually full of passersby, was completely deserted.
There wasn't even a dog barking.
Lin Fan's pupils contracted slightly. He slowed his pace and quietly circulated Basic Breathing Technique, sharpening his senses to their limit.
The wind, the faint calls of vendors from the main street in the distance, the steady beat of his own heart... and the barely audible sound of a loose roof tile shifting atop a building to his left.
Someone was there.
More than one.
Lin Fan continued forward without showing any reaction, but his body had already tensed. He surveyed his surroundings: the alley was about two meters wide, with low mud-brick houses on either side. Twenty meters ahead was a corner, beyond which lay the relatively open vegetable market.
If they planned to attack, the likeliest place would be...
At the corner.
Sure enough, when Lin Fan was ten meters away, three figures emerged from behind the corner and blocked his way.
The one in front was Wang Hao.
Today, Wang Hao wasn't wearing his usual ornate brocade martial uniform. Instead, he had changed into a black outfit suited for action, with a sheathed saber at his waist. The two followers behind him were dressed in black as well. Both were burly, with vicious looks in their eyes. They clearly weren't ordinary students from the Academy who only threw their weight around.
"Well, well, if it isn't our 'slum genius.'" Wang Hao folded his arms, a mocking smile on his lips. "Out so early. Where are you rushing off to?"
Lin Fan stopped, his expression calm. "Move."
"Move?" Wang Hao laughed. "Lin Fan, do you think that just because you signed up for the Academy, you can really stand on equal footing with us?"
He stepped forward twice, his gaze gradually turning cold. "I looked into your background. Your parents died, and you lived on relief money until you were ten. Then you hauled ore at the mines and carried cargo at the docks. You've done the dirtiest, hardest jobs there are. Someone with your background thinks he's fit to enter the Martial Arts Academy?"
Lin Fan watched him in silence as the essence of Basic Footwork flowed through his mind. He was calculating the distance, the angles, and the possible escape routes.
"I know what you're thinking," Wang Hao sneered. "You think passing the assessment will let you turn your life around? Dream on."
He pointed at the two followers behind him. "These two are official members of the Wang Family Guard, both 2nd Grade Martial Artists. How many moves do you think you can last against them?"
The scar-faced man on the left grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth. "Young master, why waste your breath on this brat? Just break his legs and toss him into a stinking ditch. Let's see how he takes the assessment then."
The one-eyed man on the right didn't speak, but his right hand was already resting on the hilt at his waist. A faint killing intent radiated from him.
2nd Grade Martial Artists—and clearly veterans who had been through life-and-death battles.
Lin Fan's heart sank. If it were just Wang Hao, he was confident he could hold his own or even win. But against two 2nd Grade Martial Artists as well, he had no chance in a direct fight.
"Wang Hao." Lin Fan finally spoke, his voice so calm it took Wang Hao by surprise. "The assessment is coming up. If you attack me now, the Academy won't just ignore it."
"The Academy?" Wang Hao burst into laughter. "Lin Fan, are you really this naive, or are you just pretending? You think the Academy cares about a pauper who hasn't even enrolled? If you die and your body gets tossed into the Wilderness to feed Demonic Beasts, who's going to investigate? Who would dare?"
His smile gradually grew vicious. "I came here today to give you a little 'lesson before the assessment.' To make you understand that there are people you'll never be able to afford to offend."
As soon as he finished speaking, the scar-faced man sprang into action.
There was no warning, no wasted words. He darted forward like a leopard, his right hand curled into a claw as he aimed straight for Lin Fan's throat! His movements were fast, precise, and vicious—the technique of a killer!
But Lin Fan was faster.
The moment the scar-faced man's shoulder twitched, Lin Fan moved. He didn't retreat. Instead, he stepped diagonally forward to the left. The movement looked simple, but it placed him precisely in the blind spot of the man's Force Trajectory.
[Basic Footwork: Proficient (898/1000)]
The scar-faced man's claw missed, and a flicker of surprise flashed through his eyes. He reacted quickly, sweeping his left leg across in a rush of wind.
Lin Fan leaned backward, putting force into his waist and abdomen. His whole body drifted back half a meter like a willow catkin, narrowly avoiding the kick. At the same time, his right hand swept to his waist. The Pig Iron Short Sword slid from its sheath and slashed at the scar-faced man's wrist!
"Hm?" The scar-faced man withdrew his hand and stepped back. He glanced at the shallow cut on his wrist, his expression darkening. "Kid, you've got some skill."
Seeing this, the one-eyed man moved too. He didn't draw his saber. Instead, he threw a punch with each hand, his fists heavy as mountains, cutting off Lin Fan's room to dodge left or right.
The two worked together seamlessly, one on each side, their attacks surging like waves.
Lin Fan pushed his footwork to the limit, weaving and dodging through the narrow alley. His movements weren't flashy in the slightest. He used only the simplest sidesteps, slides, and retreats, yet every one of them was just enough to evade an attack.
[Basic Footwork Proficiency +1] [Basic Footwork Proficiency +1] [Basic Footwork Proficiency +1]
The Status Panel refreshed at a frantic pace.
The pressure was immense. Being surrounded by two 2nd Grade Martial Artists had Lin Fan's nerves stretched to their limit. Several times, their fists skimmed past his cheek, while their blades and claws nearly tore open his clothes.
But the more dangerous it became, the calmer Lin Fan felt.
He could sense his footwork proficiency climbing at an astonishing rate. Each hair's breadth escape deepened his understanding of the technique.
903... 912... 928... 945...
"This kid's footwork is strange!" the scar-faced man growled. "Stop holding back!"
The two exchanged a glance, and their attacks suddenly grew fiercer. The scar-faced man drew a short saber, its blade flashing like snow. The one-eyed man changed his stance, and a faint tiger's roar seemed to echo from his fists.
Wang Hao watched from behind, his expression shifting from mocking to grim. He hadn't expected two 2nd Grade Martial Artists working together to still be unable to take down a pauper kid right away.
"Useless!" he cursed under his breath, putting a hand on the hilt of his own saber.
Just then, a glint flashed in Lin Fan's eyes.
An opening!
The scar-faced man and the one-eyed man had grown a little impatient after their prolonged assault. Their coordination faltered for an instant—less than half a second, but that was enough for Lin Fan.
He shifted his step and slipped like a fish through the gap between them, making straight for the alley wall!
"Trying to run?" the scar-faced man roared, slashing his short saber at Lin Fan's back.
But Lin Fan wasn't running at all.
The instant he reached the wall, he planted his right foot hard against it and used it to push off, reversing direction. He shot over the two men's heads even faster than he'd gone in!
[Basic Footwork: Wall-Stepping Force, Proficiency +5]
The sudden change in direction caught both the scar-faced man and the one-eyed man off guard.
By the time they turned around, Lin Fan had already landed three meters behind them. He didn't pause, sprinting back the way he had come!
"After him!" Wang Hao shouted furiously.
The three immediately gave chase.
But the alleys of the Slum District were Lin Fan's home ground.
He was like a fish slipping into water, darting through the labyrinthine lanes. He turned left, then right, passed through low doorways, and vaulted over crumbling walls... Every movement flowed naturally, without the slightest hesitation.
[Basic Footwork Proficiency +2] [Basic Footwork Proficiency +2] [Basic Footwork Proficiency +3]
The sounds of pursuit gradually faded into the distance.
Wang Hao and the others weren't familiar with the area, and Lin Fan soon left them behind. When Wang Hao came panting to a fork in the road, all three alleys before him were empty. He had no idea which way Lin Fan had gone.
"Young... young master, we lost him," the scar-faced man said, his face dark.
"Useless! You're all useless!" Wang Hao kicked the nearby earthen wall. Dust sifted down in a shower.
His face was livid, his eyes filled with venom.
He had thought the ant would be easy to crush, but it had escaped right from under his nose. It was a tremendous humiliation!
"Lin Fan... you're good." Wang Hao ground the words out through clenched teeth. "At the assessment, I'll show you what happens when you offend me, Wang Hao."
He turned and said coldly to his two followers, "We're going back. Also, find out where that brat's sister lives."
The scar-faced man was startled. "Young master, if you go after an ordinary person, and word gets out..."
"I said, find out." Wang Hao's eyes were as cold as ice.
The two lowered their heads. "Yes."
Meanwhile, two streets away.
Lin Fan leaned against the rear wall of an abandoned woodshed, catching his breath.
His back was soaked in cold sweat. That chase had seemed easy, but it had been perilous. If he'd been half a step slower or taken one wrong turn, they could have cornered him.
He opened the Status Panel:
[Basic Footwork: Proficient (981/1000)]
He was just nineteen points away from breaking through to Minor Accomplishment Level.
That life-or-death chase had boosted his footwork proficiency by nearly a hundred points. As expected, actual combat was the fastest path to growth.
But there was no joy on Lin Fan's face, only a solemn expression.
He had seen the look in Wang Hao's eyes at the end. It wasn't simple humiliation or revenge. It was genuine killing intent.
And Wang Hao had mentioned his "sister."
Lin Fan clenched his fists, his nails digging deep into his palms.
If Wang Hao dared lay a finger on Xiaoyu... he would make the Wang Family pay a price they couldn't afford.
But for now, he needed to grow stronger, faster.
The training plan at the Rocky Beach would stay the same, but he would double the intensity. He also needed to find a way to get a decent weapon. The Pig Iron Short Sword had already developed cracks during the fight.
And...
Lin Fan looked toward the West City Gate.
Thirty li outside the city lay a place called "Wind Howl Valley," where fierce Gale Wind blew all year round. They said that practicing footwork there was several times more effective than usual. But the danger was several times greater too. The Gale Wind cut like blades, and the slightest carelessness could leave him injured.
He hadn't dared go there before, but now...
"I have to go." Lin Fan made up his mind.
The assessment was close, Wang Hao's threat hung over him, and his younger sister needed his protection. There was no way back. He could only move forward.
He straightened his clothes, made sure no one was following him, and set out again.
This time, he didn't take the main road. Instead, he followed the most secluded paths in the Slum District, taking a long detour before leaving the city through the South City Gate.
Beyond the city, the breath of the Wilderness rushed toward him.
Lin Fan looked back at the towering walls of Jiangnan City, his gaze resolute.
When he returned, he would make everyone know that even a boy from the Slum District had the power to shake the heavens.
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