Chapter Twenty-Eight: Who Was This Kind of Genius?!

Heh heh heh...

The man had been caught off guard by the sudden attack. Lying on the floor, he gaped, struggling to draw breath.

"You bastard..."

Clutching his chest, he got to his feet and glared out the window at Chen Yan.

"Do you know who I am?!"

"Chen Yan, get out of here!" Wang Yang blurted, only then realizing that Chen Yan had saved him.

"No one can save him, Wang Yang, you piece of shit!" Suit Man roared, glaring at Wang Yang as he raised a hand to slap him across the face.

Another brick came flying with pinpoint accuracy, slamming into the man's chest.

"Ah!!!" Suit Man howled in agony.

"You've got some nerve. So much nerve!"

He was just about to sit up when a figure appeared in front of him. It was the young man who had thrown the bricks.

"Do I?" Chen Yan asked.

"You!" The man gritted his teeth, his eyes dark with fury.

Chen Yan kicked him in the waist, pinned his chest with a knee, and raised his hand.

Like thunderclaps right beside his ears, the blows left the man's whole face stunned.

"Do I have some nerve? I'm asking you." Chen Yan spoke again.

"You dare!" the man roared furiously.

He was enraged and shocked. He was a martial artist, even if he hadn't trained much since graduating high school. After starting work, he'd been too busy pursuing his career.

But he was a martial artist.

How could he be unable to fight back? How was this kid so strong?

Chen Yan slapped him again, and the man's face quickly reddened.

"Do you know..."

Smack, smack, smack!

Chen Yan slapped him several more times.

"All I know is that you're weak."

Beside them, Wang Yang grabbed Chen Yan, anxiety in his eyes.

"Chen Yan, leave. I'll deal with him."

"Bastard, you fucking..." The Suit Man beneath him still barked on and on.

Chen Yan glanced at Wang Yang, but his hands never stopped.

Smack, smack, smack, smack!

The man finally quieted down. His eyes were filled with terror as he looked at Chen Yan.

Chen Yan kept going until he knocked him unconscious.

"Teacher, you can't deal with this."

Chen Yan's face was grim as he looked at Wang Yang.

"In his eyes, we aren't even people."

Wang Yang's mouth fell open. He squeezed his eyes shut and spoke with a tremble.

"But you shouldn't have gotten involved. You shouldn't have gotten involved. All I lost was a finger, just one finger...!"

Chen Yan pressed his lips together as he looked at Wang Yang. A nameless fury still burned in his chest.

He clenched his fists.

He wanted to kill someone.

Beside him, Wang Yang's lips moved soundlessly. It felt as if a pebble were wedged in his chest, making it hard to speak, hard to breathe.

What happened now?

This man wasn't powerful or important, but his master was Gong Qing, a member of the Gong Family.

"Secretary Ye, what happened?"

Someone suddenly called out from the courtyard. Another man in a suit, the driver, had spoken.

The driver stood frozen in the courtyard. When he saw what was happening inside, his pupils shrank. Then he hurriedly ran outside.

A while later, Xin Gongxian, head of the Green Mountain Town Martial Hall, arrived with a group of Martial Division officers.

They all gaped when they saw what had happened in the room.

Luoshan County, First High School.

The Sports Field shone brightly under the lights. The 143 students in the Town Martial Class stood in formation.

Beside them stood the principals of the three high schools, Chu Feiyuan, and the others.

Four people stood at the front.

They were Yin Yanjun, head of the Luoshan County Town Martial Division; Luo Puxin, chief instructor of the Town Martial Class; and Chu Lan, deputy instructor. The three stood subtly behind the person at the very center.

The person at the center had a head of white hair, yet his face looked only thirty or forty years old.

He wore a black Town Martial uniform and carried an indescribable air that inspired awe.

Bai Yuyue, head of the Military Martial Department of the Yunmeng City Town Martial Division!

Behind Bai Yuyue and the others stood three Stone Tablets covered with white cloth.

They were Origin Steles brought over from the three high schools.

Within the Town Martial Class,

"Zhang Qingsi, that guy at the front is Chu Xuansheng."

Gao Yuan and Zhang Qingsi stood at the back, craning their necks to look toward the front.

Quite a few students, like them, were sneaking glances at the handsome young man at the very front, dressed in a black T-shirt.

Some were the geniuses of Luoshan County's three high schools; others were the top students from the county's 23 towns.

Yet beside that young man, even they seemed utterly ordinary.

Chu Xuansheng, son of the Chu Family, was the strongest student in Luoshan County this year. They said he could rank among Yunmeng City's top thirty geniuses, too.

"Only by getting into the Town Martial Class can you make friends with a genius like him!" Zhang Qingsi murmured, pride rising in his eyes.

He'd made it. He was in the Town Martial Class, in the same class as Chu Xuansheng. He was a genius, too.

Nearby, someone said,

"Wu Chuhua, what's wrong? You seem out of breath."

"N-nothing."

"I heard someone thrashed you today. So you can have a day like that, too."

"Who said that? Zhang Tie? Got something to say about me, huh!"

Zhang Qingsi looked over, his eyes flickering. Wu Chuhua was one of Second High's top five geniuses, and someone he wanted to befriend.

He was about to speak, but Wu Chuhua looked coldly at him.

"What are you looking at? Get lost!"

Zhang Qingsi froze, anger appearing in his eyes, but he soon swallowed it. Wu Chuhua wasn't someone to mess with.

"Serves him right for getting thrashed," Zhang Qingsi sneered inwardly.

Just then,

"Unfair!"

A young man's furious roar rang out across the school grounds. Zhang Qingsi and the others hurriedly looked over.

"The Town Martial Class quotas are unfair! I, Zhang Mancang, want justice!!!"

All 143 students in the formation turned to look at the figure who had suddenly charged onto the Sports Field.

"Unfair?" Bai Yuyue frowned at Zhang Mancang, then looked at Luo Puxin behind him.

"I don't know what he's talking about either." Luo Puxin's expression was just as grim. He stepped forward and looked at Zhang Mancang.

"Your name is Zhang Mancang?"

"Yes!" Zhang Mancang replied, visibly nervous.

"I won the Zhang Ni Town Martial Bonus. I was supposed to get into the Town Martial Class, but someone else took my spot!"

A commotion broke out.

His words sent shock waves through the crowd. Some of the 143 students in the Town Martial Class looked surprised; others whispered among themselves. A few looked frightened.

At the front, Yin Yanjun, head of the county Town Martial Division, looked surprised, while Bai Yuyue, head of the city Military Martial Department, frowned.

Many students in the Town Martial Class froze in an instant. Like Zhang Qingsi, they stared fixedly at Zhang Mancang.

In an instant, sweat beaded on Zhang Qingsi's forehead. He grew tense.

He was the one who had taken Chen Yan's place in the Town Martial Class. Zhang Mancang's appearance made his heart pound violently.

"Someone took your spot!" Luo Puxin cried in astonishment. Then he looked at Chu Lan, standing beside Bai Yuyue without saying a word.

"Deputy Instructor Chu, you set the quotas."

Bai Yuyue's expression turned cold as he looked at Chu Lan.

"Chu Lan, Luo Puxin just got back from the Frontline. He's still new here.

"You were put in charge of admissions to the Town Martial Class because the higher-ups trusted you, and you went and changed the quotas on your own?!"

The man named Chu Lan calmly stepped forward and bowed respectfully to Bai Yuyue.

"Yes, but I had a good reason for doing it."

Luo Puxin narrowed his eyes. Chu Lan seemed far too calm.

He'd set all this up today. If everything went normally, Chu Lan would never be able to remain in the Town Martial Division.

"A good reason?" Bai Yuyue radiated authority without needing to raise his voice.

"You changed the quotas set by your superiors, and you call that a good reason?"

"Yes." Chu Lan remained calm.

"Minister Bai, Director Yin, our goal in holding the Town Martial Class was to gather the county's most gifted students and have them compete in the College Entrance Exam, bringing glory to Luoshan County!

"But the way the Town Martial Bonus is awarded is often unfair."

Luo Puxin narrowed his eyes. Yin Yanjun, who had remained silent until now, sighed.

"Martial Dao competition has winners and losers. That's already fair enough. It's best not to change the rules set by your superiors. The more you change them, the harder it is to explain.

"You let someone else into the Town Martial Class because you wanted to be fair, but other people will assume you took a bribe."

Yin Yanjun sounded as if he were sighing, but every word was like a needle aimed at Chu Lan.

Beside the students in the Town Martial Class, Chu Feiyuan's face turned ashen. He felt as though countless needles prickled his back, and sweat trickled down his forehead.

How could he not see that the higher-ups were going to punish Chu Lan over the Town Martial Class quotas?

Hadn't Luo Puxin taken their money? Why was he targeting Chu Lan now?

This was... a trap!

It was over.

He'd changed several quotas himself.

Among the students, Zhang Qingsi clenched both fists, trembling all over.

He hadn't expected anyone to dare come here and expose the changes to the Town Martial Class quotas. Even though it wasn't Chen Yan, he was still afraid.

"Zhang Qingsi, what's wrong?" Gao Yuan asked from beside him.

"Could it be that you..."

"Shut up!" Zhang Qingsi shouted angrily. The next moment, he realized a lot of his classmates were looking his way, and he fell silent.

Zhang Qingsi was drenched in sweat. He felt like a rat crossing the street, hated by everyone.

He'd thought he was a genius, too. Now he felt like a bug.

At the front, Chu Lan spoke up.

"I was wrong to change the quotas on my own, but even if I have to bear the blame, I'll make sure a true genius gets into the Town Martial Class!"

Chu Lan stepped forward and pointed at Zhang Mancang.

"Zhang Mancang, have you awakened your Qi and Blood?"

"No." Zhang Mancang shook his head.

"Have you trained in the Body Tempering Path?"

"N-no." Zhang Mancang looked flustered.

"But I really did beat Cun Gao, who had awakened his Qi and Blood!"

"Cun Gao had awakened his Qi and Blood. He lost because his Qi and Blood were in disarray, not because you were stronger than him!"

Chu Lan sighed, looking somewhat helpless.

"I know you won, and by the rules, you should've gotten into the Town Martial Class. But Cun Gao is a better fit!"

A commotion broke out.

Bai Yuyue frowned, and Luo Puxin looked at Chu Lan.

Something was wrong!

Chu Lan should barely have remembered Zhang Mancang and Cun Gao's names. Why did it look as though he'd prepared for this in advance?

"I want to challenge Cun Gao again!" Zhang Mancang cried, his face flushed as he clenched his fists.

"Then let's have you fight again," Chu Lan said softly.

"Ridiculous!" Bai Yuyue said with displeasure. He clearly didn't agree to another match. Chu Lan was the problem; there was no need to give him a chance to make excuses.

"I also think they should fight again," Luo Puxin said, a chill rising in his heart. That was exactly why he'd set things up.

He'd secretly trained Zhang Mancang and knew his current strength.

In a moment, Zhang Mancang would crush Cun Gao, proving once and for all that Chu Lan was making a mockery of the rules and ruining someone's future!

Bai Yuyue frowned. He glanced at Luo Puxin and Chu Lan, then sighed.

"Then let's fight one more time."

Among the Town Martial Class students, a tall, thin figure stepped forward and looked calmly at Zhang Mancang.

It was Cun Gao.

Among the students, Zhang Qingsi stared fixedly at Cun Gao's back, his eyes gradually filling with helplessness.

He could almost picture himself—the one who had stolen someone else's place—being hauled out by an official from the Town Martial Division in a moment.

Sweat poured from Zhang Qingsi. He didn't even dare look at the fight between Cun Gao and Zhang Mancang.

Even Gao Yuan, standing beside him, had shed his usual honest, simple-minded demeanor. He looked at Zhang Qingsi with scorn and pity.

The next moment.

Crash!

A commotion broke out.

"Zhang Mancang is no match for Cun Gao," Yu Zhiwen said with a frown. She had come to the Town Martial Class alongside Zhang Qingsi.

"Hm?" Zhang Qingsi hurriedly looked over.

Then, with a thud—

Cun Gao sent Zhang Mancang flying with a punch. Zhang Mancang lay on the grass, his face full of terror.

"I... lost."

It was as though time had stopped.

Luo Puxin glanced behind him. Bai Yuyue's expression had grown rather grim, and he was looking at Luo Puxin in wordless disapproval.

"Minister Bai, our investigation found that Chu Lan had arbitrarily altered the quotas of twenty-one students," Luo Puxin hurriedly said.

"You..." Bai Yuyue wanted to curse, but instead he turned a cold gaze on Chu Lan.

"I'll report this when I get back!"

"Yes!" Chu Lan saluted, his expression still utterly calm.

"But though I was wrong, I have no regrets."

Hearing Chu Lan's words, Luo Puxin's face instantly turned livid. He then glared at Zhang Mancang, who was sprawled on the ground.

Zhang Mancang hadn't even shown his full strength. Anyone could see that he had been flustered throughout the fight and made mistake after mistake.

But the fact remained: Zhang Mancang had lost, and lost miserably.

"Minister Bai, the students who were stripped of their Town Martial Class quotas..." Luo Puxin gritted his teeth and continued.

"We'll discuss it later," Bai Yuyue said quietly, slowly shaking his head at Luo Puxin.

The Oath-Taking Ceremony continued.

Inside the Town Martial Class.

By now, the students who had taken other people's places to enter the Town Martial Class had also breathed a sigh of relief.

Zhang Qingsi let out a breath, a smile creeping uncontrollably across his lips.

Cun Gao had actually won—and won with such ease.

A moment ago, he'd nearly thought the High Command would throw him straight out of the Town Martial Class.

"I lost to Chen Yan, but I really was a little flustered back then. Give me another chance and I won't lose."

Beside him, Gao Yuan laughed heartily, his meaning unclear.

Up ahead, Bai Yuyue and Yin Yanjun spoke in turn.

"I hope you won't disappoint the hopes we've placed in you. These three Origin Steles will remain here, for you to study and comprehend!"

As Bai Yuyue spoke, he swept out a hand. Chu Lan ran over with a smile and pulled the white cloths off the three Stone Tablets behind them.

All the students looked over, their faces alight with smiles.

The Town Martial Class had certainly gone all out this time!

"[Crimson Gang Body Tempering Canon] is the foundational Breathing Technique for all Hard Body Martial Arts in Summer Country. Students on the Body Tempering Path may all learn it, while students on the Qi and Blood Martial Path have..."

As Bai Yuyue spoke, he suddenly frowned and looked at the three Origin Steles behind him. His gaze settled on one of them.

He slowly approached and placed one hand on that Origin Stele. Then he suddenly spoke.

"Which school does this Origin Stele belong to?"

"It's from Second High," Chu Lan replied. Had Bai Yuyue noticed something?

At that moment, Bai Yuyue's brow furrowed deeply. He looked at Luo Puxin.

"Go find out who came into contact with this Origin Stele today!"

Bai Yuyue's pupils contracted sharply. The Origin Stele had actually infused someone with its origin in such a short time!

Who?

Who was this kind of genius?