Encountering Robbery, Killing to Establish Prestige

The setting sun slanted west, dyeing the wilderness a golden red.

Lin Fan and the other three walked on the road back to the academy, each carrying exhaustion, but their eyes flickered with excitement.

The packs on their backs were bulging, filled with the richest spoils of this mission—the Demonic Core, fur, and teeth of the Steel Fang Rat King, along with materials from over twenty regular Steel Tooth Rats. Roughly estimated, the total value exceeded 300 Academic Credits, and that didn't even include the 50 Academic Credits reward per person for the mission itself.

"We're rich, we're really rich this time!" Zhao Tie Zhu carried his heavy pack, but his steps were so light he felt like he could float. "I've never earned so many Academic Credits at once! After we get back, I'm buying the best body-refining medicinal bath ingredients, and I'll get a sturdier shield too!"

"Don't celebrate too early." Zhou Ming, though unable to hide his joy, remained rational. "The most dangerous time in the wilderness is often when you're returning with a full haul. Many hunting teams aren't wiped out during the hunt, but ambushed and robbed on their way back."

Chen Dahu nodded, cautiously scanning their surroundings. "My dad said to be extra careful on the way back. Some people don't want to risk hunting themselves, so they just wait on the necessary paths to rob others of their gains."

Lin Fan walked at the front, silent, but his senses were heightened to their limit.

The keen hearing brought by [Basic Footwork] allowed him to catch subtle movements within a hundred meters, and his perception of the surrounding Origin Energy was also enhanced as [Basic Breathing Technique] circulated. It was a mystical experience, as if the entire world was presented in his mind in another form.

Suddenly, his footsteps halted.

"Someone's here," Lin Fan said softly, raising a hand to signal the team to stop.

"Where?" Chen Dahu immediately gripped his long saber.

"Fifty meters ahead, behind that large rock." Lin Fan narrowed his eyes. "Three people, they've hidden their presence, but their heartbeats are too heavy."

Zhou Ming's expression turned grim. "Just as I suspected, robbers."

"What do we do?" Zhao Tie Zhu asked nervously. "Do we take a detour?"

"We can't detour," Lin Fan shook his head. "This is the only road back to the academy, with steep slopes on both sides. They chose to ambush us here, knowing the terrain."

"Then we fight our way through!" Chen Dahu gritted his teeth. "We just killed the Steel Fang Rat King, are we afraid of three robbers?"

"No," Lin Fan said. "Let's assess the situation first. If it's a misunderstanding, that's best. If not..."

He didn't finish, but a cold glint flashed in his eyes.

The four continued forward, but their formation had subtly shifted: Lin Fan still in front, Chen Dahu to the rear left, Zhou Ming and Zhao Tie Zhu to the rear right, maintaining a distance that allowed for mutual support at any time.

The fifty-meter distance was quickly covered.

As they passed the large rock, three figures indeed emerged from behind it, blocking the path.

They were three young men, around twenty years old, wearing the standard uniforms of Jiangnan Academy, but with different insignia embroidered on their cuffs—the marks of senior students. The one in the lead was bald, with a scar across his face and a ferocious gaze. To his left was a tall, thin man idly playing with a dagger. To his right was a short, stout man carrying a thick iron rod.

"Yo, freshmen?" The bald man grinned, revealing a set of yellow teeth. "Nice haul you've got there, carrying so much stuff."

The tall, thin man twirled his dagger, his gaze sweeping over the four's packs. "Steel Tooth Rat materials? And... is that the aura of a Rat King? Tsk tsk, you've got good luck."

The short, stout man slammed his iron rod onto the ground, making it shake. "Put down your things, and you can leave. We only want the materials, not your lives."

Outright robbery.

Lin Fan's expression was calm. "Seniors, we are freshmen from the academy, and we just completed the task of clearing out the Steel Tooth Rats. These are mission materials that need to be returned to the academy for Academic Credits."

"Mission?" The bald man scoffed. "In the wilderness, who cares about your mission? The rule is—finders keepers. We've been waiting for a long time, can't we just wait for nothing?"

"Exactly," the tall, thin man chimed in. "Juniors, you need to understand the rules of the wilderness. The first lesson for freshmen is learning to share."

Chen Dahu couldn't help himself. "Share? What you're doing is called stealing!"

"Stealing?" The short, stout man's eyes widened. "Don't speak so harshly. We're helping you lighten your load, so you don't get too tired. This is senior's care for juniors."

Zhou Ming pushed up his glasses. "What if I say no?"

The grin on the bald man's face vanished. "Then don't blame us seniors for teaching you what 'respecting your elders' means."

The atmosphere instantly became tense.

Lin Fan suddenly spoke. "What are your names, three seniors?"

The bald man was taken aback, then said proudly, "Listen up, I'm Zhang Kuang, a second-year senior student. This is Li Rui, and this is Wang Tie. Our 'Mad Wolf Squad' has some reputation in the Regular Class. If you know what's good for you, cooperate obediently, and avoid suffering any physical pain."

"Senior Zhang Kuang," Lin Fan nodded. "If we hand over the materials, will you really let us go?"

"Of course," Zhang Kuang patted his chest. "We only seek wealth, not to harm people. That's the rule of the road."

"Alright then," Lin Fan said, slowly putting down the pack on his back.

Chen Dahu and the other two looked at him in surprise.

"Brother Fan, you..." Chen Dahu was anxious.

Lin Fan raised a hand to stop him, continuing to speak to Zhang Kuang. "However, Senior, I have a question."

"What question?" Zhang Kuang asked impatiently.

"The academy regulations state that students cannot engage in unwarranted fights, nor can they rob others of their property," Lin Fan said calmly. "Aren't you afraid of being punished by the academy for doing this?"

Zhang Kuang burst into laughter, as if hearing the funniest joke. "Punished? Kid, you're too naive. The academy never interferes with what happens in the wilderness. As long as no one dies, who cares if a few freshmen get robbed of some materials?"

Li Rui also laughed. "Freshmen have to pay 'tuition' every year; it's a tradition. You're not the first, and you won't be the last."

Wang Tie swung his iron rod. "Enough nonsense, put down your things and scram!"

Lin Fan nodded, seemingly finally understanding. "So that's how it is. There are no rules in the wilderness, only strength."

He completely put down his pack and straightened up.

"So," Lin Fan looked at Zhang Kuang, "if our strength is greater than yours, can we also rob you of your things?"

Zhang Kuang and the other two were stunned.

Immediately after, they erupted into louder laughter.

"Hahaha! What did he say? Stronger than us?" Zhang Kuang laughed so hard tears were about to stream from his eyes. "A freshman who just enrolled a month ago claims to be stronger than us, the second-year seniors?"

Li Rui wiped the corner of his eyes. "Junior, did you get scared silly by the Demonic Beasts just now? The three of us are 2nd Grade Martial Artists, and Senior Zhang Kuang is even a 2nd Grade, Third Stage. What about you guys? One is 1st Grade, and three haven't even reached 1st Grade..."

Wang Tie directly raised his iron staff. "It looks like we need to teach you a lesson before you know the immensity of heaven and earth."

The battle was about to break out.

But Lin Fan was exceptionally calm.

He quickly analyzed in his mind: Zhang Kuang, 2nd Grade, Third Stage, should be a Strength type; Li Rui, 2nd Grade, First Stage, plays well with daggers, should be an Agility type; Wang Tie, 2nd Grade, Second Stage, wields his iron staff with great power, also a Strength type. Their coordination should be skilled, but judging by their loose formation, they clearly didn't take the freshmen seriously.

This was an opportunity.

"Dahu, you deal with Wang Tie, just stall him," Lin Fan quickly and quietly arranged. "Zhou Ming, Tie Zhu, you two keep Li Rui occupied. Zhang Kuang is mine."

"Brother Fan, Zhang Kuang is 2nd Grade, Third Stage!" Chen Dahu reminded him.

"I know," Lin Fan said. "Follow the plan."

Before he finished speaking, Zhang Kuang impatiently said, "You refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit! Wang Tie, go!"

"Alright!"

Wang Tie roared and charged at Chen Dahu, dragging his iron staff. The iron staff scraped deep furrows on the ground, his momentum astonishing.

Chen Dahu, unfazed, met him with his long saber held horizontally. Saber and staff clashed, emitting a piercing metallic screech. Chen Dahu retreated three steps but held his ground firmly.

"Got some strength!" Wang Tie exclaimed, then swung his staff again.

On the other side, Li Rui moved like a phantom towards the flank, his target the seemingly weakest Zhou Ming and Zhao Tie Zhu. But Zhao Tie Zhu didn't retreat this time. He raised his shield, blocking in front and protecting Zhou Ming behind him. Li Rui's dagger stabbed at the shield, splashing a few sparks.

"Yo, you play well with shields," Li Rui said flippantly, then moved again, searching for an opening.

At this moment, Zhang Kuang had walked up to Lin Fan.

They were five meters apart.

"Kid, this is your last chance," Zhang Kuang said, clenching his fist, his knuckles cracking. "Kneel and apologize, leave your stuff, and I'll spare you."

Lin Fan didn't speak, merely adopting the starting stance of the Basic Fist Technique.

Simple and unadorned, utterly unremarkable.

Zhang Kuang let out an enraged laugh. "Good, good, good! Then I'll break your bones and let you know what a gap is!"

He moved.

The Speed of a 2nd Grade Martial Artist was indeed far superior to that of a 1st Grade. Zhang Kuang's figure traversed the five meters almost instantly, his right fist whistling through the air, aimed straight at Lin Fan's face. This punch was devoid of any flourish, pure Strength and Speed. The surface of his fist even emitted a faint glow of Origin Energy—the nascent stage of externalizing Origin Energy.

For an ordinary 1st Grade Martial Trainee, this punch would have put him out of commission for a month.

But Lin Fan was no ordinary 1st Grade Martial Trainee.

The moment the fist was about to land, Lin Fan moved.

No dodging, no blocking, but throwing out a punch of his own!

Basic Fist Technique—Straight Punch!

Equally simple and unadorned, equally unremarkable.

But the Speed of this punch was faster than Zhang Kuang's!

"What?!" Zhang Kuang's pupils contracted sharply.

He hadn't seen Lin Fan's movement at all, only felt a terrifying force coming from the fist, followed by a piercing pain.

"Crack!"

A crisp bone-cracking sound.

Three of Zhang Kuang's right hand finger bones instantly snapped. The entire person staggered backward from the force, his face turning ashen.

"You..." He looked at Lin Fan in disbelief.

Lin Fan retracted his fist, his expression calm. "Senior, your punch was too slow."

"You're asking for death!" Zhang Kuang roared furiously. His left hand transformed into a blade, slashing towards Lin Fan's neck with fierce Origin Energy. This strike, born of rage, was even more powerful than before.

Lin Fan still neither dodged nor blocked, meeting it with a palm of his own.

Basic Fist Technique—Push Palm!

Palms met, and energy surged outwards.

This time, Zhang Kuang retreated five steps, his left arm numb, almost losing all sensation. Lin Fan, however, merely swayed slightly, his feet not budging an inch.

"Impossible!" Zhang Kuang finally realized something was wrong. "You're clearly 1st Grade, how can you have such great Strength?!"

Lin Fan didn't answer, instead launching his own attack.

He took a step forward, his fist following his body.

Still the most basic moves from the Basic Fist Technique—Charge Punch, Hook Punch, Swing Punch, Elbow Strike, Knee Strike... each move was as simple as could be, but each move's Speed was at the extreme, and its Strength was terrifying.

Zhang Kuang reacted hastily but found he couldn't keep up with Lin Fan's rhythm at all.

Those seemingly simple moves came alive in Lin Fan's hands, with tricky angles and strange power application. Every clash sent surges of blood and energy through him.

What was even more terrifying was Lin Fan's seemingly vast combat experience; he could always predict Zhang Kuang's movements and block his attacks in advance.

"You... Who exactly are you?!" Zhang Kuang grew more alarmed as they fought.

"New student, Lin Fan," Lin Fan said, landing a Side Kick to Zhang Kuang's abdomen.

"Pfft!"

Zhang Kuang spat out a mouthful of sour liquid, his body curling like a shrimp as he flew backward, crashing heavily onto the ground.

On the other side, the battle was also nearing its end.

Although Chen Dahu's strength wasn't as good as Wang Tie's, his combat experience was rich, and his swordsmanship was steady. He focused solely on defense, holding Wang Tie back firmly. Wang Tie, despite having Strength, couldn't break through Chen Dahu's Defense and was so anxious he yelled.

Li Rui was in an even worse situation. He had intended to quickly finish off Zhou Ming and Zhao Tie Zhu, but he hadn't expected the two new students to coordinate so well. Zhao Tie Zhu's shield defense was watertight, while Zhou Ming constantly pointed out his flaws from the side and occasionally harassed him with hidden weapons. Li Rui's prolonged inability to break through their defenses began to make him impatient.

When they saw Zhang Kuang defeated by Lin Fan, both of them froze.

"Boss!" Wang Tie exclaimed.

Li Rui turned and tried to run.

"Trying to leave?" Lin Fan's figure flickered, blocking Li Rui's path.

Li Rui gritted his teeth and thrust his dagger towards Lin Fan's throat. It was a desperate attack, incredibly fast.

But Lin Fan merely tilted his head slightly, the dagger grazing past his neck. At the same time, he struck Li Rui's chest with a palm.

"Bang!"

Li Rui flew out like a kite with a broken string, smashing into a large rock and falling unconscious.

Seeing this, Wang Tie finally became scared. He threw down his iron rod, raising his hands high. "I surrender! I surrender! Junior, spare me!"

The battle ended.

From start to finish, it took less than three minutes.

Zhang Kuang lay on the ground, his right fist deformed, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth, his eyes filled with shock and unwillingness.

Wang Tie knelt on the ground, trembling.

Li Rui was unconscious.

As for Lin Fan and his three companions, apart from Chen Dahu sustaining minor injuries and Zhao Tie Zhu's shield getting a few scratches, they were almost completely unharmed.

Lin Fan walked up to Zhang Kuang and crouched down.

"Senior, I understand the rules of the wilderness," he said calmly. "The strong can take from the weak. Is that right?"

Zhang Kuang's face turned ashen, but he couldn't speak.

"Then now," Lin Fan extended his hand, "hand over your Academic Credit cards."

"What?!" Zhang Kuang's eyes widened. "You... you want to rob us?"

"Not robbing," Lin Fan corrected. "It's 'sharing.' We need to reciprocate the care seniors show to juniors."

Chen Dahu and the other two gathered around, looking at Lin Fan with complex expressions.

They hadn't expected Lin Fan to do this, but upon thinking about it, it felt justified—if they had lost today, would Zhang Kuang and the other two have let them go? No.

These were the rules of the wilderness.

Zhang Kuang gritted his teeth, pulled a silver card from his pocket, and threw it to Lin Fan. "There are 80 Academic Credits in here, all for you!"

Wang Tie quickly handed over his card as well. "I have 50 Academic Credits."

Li Rui was unconscious, so Lin Fan searched him and found a card with 60 Academic Credits.

A total of 190 Academic Credits.

"Thank you for your 'care,' seniors," Lin Fan said, pocketing the Academic Credit cards. "Now, may I ask you to leave?"

Zhang Kuang, supported by Wang Tie, stood up and stared fixedly at Lin Fan. "Kid, I've got your number. This isn't over today!"

"I'll be waiting anytime," Lin Fan replied calmly.

Zhang Kuang and the other two left in a sorry state, not even taking Li Rui's iron rod.

Silence returned to the wilderness, with only the sound of the wind blowing.

"Brother Fan..." Chen Dahu began, hesitating.

"You think I was too ruthless?" Lin Fan asked.

Zhou Ming shook his head. "No, I think you did the right thing. If we didn't have strength today, our fate would have been much worse than theirs."

Zhao Tie Zhu said softly, "I just feel... it's a bit unreal. We beat the second-year students and took their Academic Credits."

"This is the world of martial arts," Lin Fan said, looking at the three of them. "There's no right or wrong, only strong and weak. Today's lesson is more important than any theory."

He paused and continued, "However, don't actively publicize this matter. But there's no need to deliberately hide it either. Zhang Kuang and the others lost so much face; it will definitely spread. What we need to do is be prepared."

"Prepared for what?" Chen Dahu asked.

"Welcome more challenges." Lin Fan looked towards the academy. "When we show our strength and value, some people will want to step on us, and some will want to recruit us. The days ahead won't be peaceful."

The four packed their belongings and continued on their journey.

The sun had completely set, leaving only a faint dark red on the horizon.

By the time they returned to the academy, submitted their mission, and exchanged their Academic Credits, it was already dark.

But just as Lin Fan had predicted, the news had already begun to spread.

The next morning, a piece of news spread throughout the Regular Class: the four freshmen, Lin Fan and his companions, had ambushed the second-year "Mad Wolf Squad" in the wilderness, breaking their captain Zhang Kuang's right arm and leaving Li Rui severely injured and unconscious.

In an instant, Lin Fan's name was all over the Regular Class.

Some admired him, some were jealous, some feared him, and some... were secretly plotting.

Meanwhile, in a certain corner of the academy, Wang Hao heard the news and, with a dark expression, smashed the teacup in his hand.

"Lin Fan... it's you again!"

And in the dean's office, Chen Daoxuan listened to Teacher Zhang's report, a glint of interest flashing in his eyes.

"Defeated a Rank 2, Tier 3 with Basic Fist Technique... interesting."