Fourth: Punching Strength Test

The next day.

Today was the punching strength test. Chen Yan knew this was an enormous opportunity, so he arrived at school early.

[Saint Breaking Realm: Level 1 (2/3)]

[Saint Breaking Fruit:

Strength: (54/100)

Blood Qi (9/100)]

Sitting at his desk, Chen Yan thought about how he had told Wang Yang yesterday that he had struck out a red glow.

Wang Yang had only sighed.

Chen Yan knew what that sigh meant.

But he had the Saint Breaking Tree. Surely that could change something.

Just then.

Students began filing into the classroom. Head Teacher Wang Yang was already waiting at the front of the room.

"Once Classes One and Two are finished, our class will take the punching strength test. Those who pass won't just be eligible for the upcoming Town Martial Bonus selection.

"The school will also directly reward each of you with 1,500 yuan."

Wang Yang spoke, and the classroom erupted in cheers.

"Don't get excited just yet. Class One has already finished, and only seven students passed." Wang Yang spoke again, and the cheering died down.

"Every test measures the effort you've put in over many years. A single test is enough to show who's been slacking and who's been working hard."

Wang Yang raised his voice. Everyone in the classroom, except for a handful of students, lowered their heads.

"Bro Hu, do you think you'll pass?"

Hu Yuan's deskmate asked him.

Hu Yuan was tall and strong, and his test results had always been pretty good.

"One hundred and sixty kilos... Of course I can." Hu Yuan answered confidently. He was strong and stood out among his classmates.

"Class Three, get ready to begin the punching strength test!"

Principal Zhang Yue's voice came over the broadcast.

Wang Yang waved his hand, and the whole class left the classroom for the training room.

The training room was spacious. As soon as Chen Yan entered, he spotted several lines written on the blackboard at the far end.

[Punching Strength Results]

[First place: Class One, Yu Zhiwen, 563 kilograms]

[Second place: Class Two, Wang Yu, 385 kilograms]

[Fifth place: Class Three, Zhang Qingsi, 257 kilograms]

The students of Class Three let out a chorus of surprised exclamations.

"Director Xia Tong already tested Zhang Qingsi."

Wang Yang explained,

"Zhang Qingsi only just awakened his blood qi and hasn't gotten used to it yet. Once he does, his punching strength will keep improving."

Chen Yan looked at the name in first place, his gaze trembling.

Yu Zhiwen had punched with a force of 563 kilograms, leaving Wang Yu, in second place, far behind.

What was more, Yu Zhiwen was a girl. Chen Yan had seen her around before; she seemed quiet and refined. He hadn't expected her to be so terrifyingly strong.

A punch like that could probably kill a bull.

As for Wang Yu, in second place, he hadn't awakened his blood qi and followed the Body Tempering Path.

To achieve such terrifying punching strength through sheer physical power, he must have an impressive physique and excellent punching technique.

"Class Three, let's get started. Go in the order of your seats."

A female teacher stood in front of a machine taller than she was and spoke.

That was the Force Tester. One punch, and it displayed the punching strength.

Each person got three attempts.

Soon, a student walked nervously up to the Force Tester.

"Pay attention to how you put your strength into it," Wang Yang said.

"Yes, teacher." The boy took a deep breath, then threw a punch.

Thud!

The soft-covered sensor at the very center of the Force Tester shook violently.

"Wang Xueyuan, 135 kilograms."

The female teacher recorded his score as she read it aloud. Wang Xueyuan's face fell, and he walked straight away.

"You have two more tries," the female teacher said.

"I'm not testing again. The gap's a bit too big." Wang Xueyuan replied, head bowed, his voice full of dejection.

"Next," the female teacher said, without offering any consolation.

Chen Yan's seat wasn't near the front, so he had to wait quite a while.

"Yucheng, 124 kilograms."

"Zhao Xi, 130 kilograms."

"Zhang Wei, best of three attempts: 158 kilograms. Just short."

The punching strength test didn't take long, and soon nearly twenty students had been tested.

"I told you to work hard. What's the point of crying now?" Head Teacher Wang Yang's expression darkened.

Some boys who had been confident to begin with had tears in their eyes.

Reality was far harsher than anything they had imagined.

Class Three's results were far worse than Classes One and Two's. Of the sixty students in the class, a third hadn't even had a single person pass.

"Hu Yuan," the female teacher called.

Hu Yuan heard his name and clenched his fist. A trace of nervousness showed in his eyes as he walked forward.

"Hu Yuan, remember to put your strength into it properly!" Wang Yang reminded him. Hu Yuan was one of the students he had high hopes for.

The other students began cheering him on, too.

Yesterday, Zhang Qingsi had planned to treat everyone to barbecue, but Hu Yuan had ended up paying the bill himself. He had even bought drinks for everyone afterward, and his reputation had quickly risen.

"I can definitely do this!" Hu Yuan said with a low growl. He stepped up to the Force Tester, his nervousness fading as his confidence returned.

His dad had told him to suck up to Zhang Qingsi, but who wouldn't want to make it on their own?

Thud!

The sensor shook violently, and a string of numbers appeared on the Force Tester's display.

"One hundred and fifty-seven kilograms. Just short," the female teacher said.

Hu Yuan's expression faltered. He hurriedly said,

"Teacher, I'd like a second try."

"Fine."

Hu Yuan took a deep breath and put his strength into another punch.

Thud!

"Teacher, I..."

"Third attempt. Get ready."

Hu Yuan returned to where his class was gathered, his face ashen. The classmates around him exchanged complicated looks.

They made gestures of comfort, but amusement still flickered in their eyes.

159 kilograms. That was Hu Yuan's best score.

He had missed passing by just one kilogram.

If he'd fallen short by a wide margin, Hu Yuan wouldn't have been so devastated. But the 1,500 yuan had slipped away right before his eyes.

Hu Yuan sat dejectedly on the ground. Wang Yang's sigh rang in his ears, followed by the female teacher's voice.

"Chen Yan."

"Okay." At the sound of that voice he hated, Hu Yuan wanted to watch Chen Yan get eliminated with his own eyes. But when he thought of his own result, he couldn't even be bothered to look up.

Tears welled in his eyes.

"Hu Yuan, you were so close. Why not take another swing..."

A classmate's suggestion reached his ears. Hu Yuan froze, hesitating.

But when he thought about how close he'd come to passing, he looked at Wang Yang hopefully.

"Teacher Wang, I'd like to try one more ti—"

Thud!

The sound of a fist hitting the Force Tester rang out.

In an instant, the entire Class Three erupted in cheers.

"Chen Yan, 167 kilograms."

Every thought in Hu Yuan's mind ground to a halt. He stared blankly toward the front.

"Chen Yan, do you want to take a second attempt?" the female teacher asked with a smile, surprise in her eyes.

His form was clearly poor, yet he had passed with a single punch.

That meant the student had a lot of strength.

"No need."

Chen Yan smiled.

"As long as I passed."

"Chen Yan, not bad!"

Even Head Teacher Wang Yang hadn't expected Chen Yan to pass. After all, Chen Yan had lost a year, and being bedridden for that long must have weakened his body.

Wang Yang gave him a thumbs-up and patted him on the shoulder.

"Go to the classroom next door to collect your reward. After that, you're free to do as you like."

Wang Yang turned to Hu Yuan. He had naturally heard what Hu Yuan had just said.

"No, Hu Yuan. The school rules allow three attempts."

"Huh?" Hu Yuan gaped. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Chen Yan walk past him, and his expression darkened even further.

In the classroom next door, Principal Zhang Yue sat at a desk. He had naturally heard the commotion from the training room.

"Chen Yan, Class Three. Here's your 1,500-yuan reward. The College Entrance Exam is only a few months away, so keep working hard!"

Zhang Yue beamed at Chen Yan. He knew about Chen Yan's circumstances, and he was surprised by Chen Yan's performance.

Then, remembering something, Zhang Yue continued,

"I wanted to tell you this yesterday. Chen Yan, the red glow from your punch yesterday was a sign of awakening."

Chen Yan fell silent. Zhang Yue continued,

"I think it failed, but it shows you worked hard enough. Your aptitude just wasn't there.

"Your physique is quite good. I think you'd be much better off following the Body Tempering Path."

Chen Yan took the Red Packet, his expression shifting. Now he understood why Wang Yang had sighed.

But he wasn't willing to give up.

He had the Saint Breaking Realm. He believed there was still a chance.

Zhang Yue looked at Chen Yan. He'd been through this himself, so he knew Chen Yan couldn't accept the result.

But what good was refusing to accept it?

Chen Yan would be better off switching paths sooner and making a name for himself in a different field.

Still, Zhang Yue didn't say more. Chen Yan would have to figure it out for himself.

After collecting his reward, Chen Yan went straight home.

His family's noodle shop wasn't far from the school. Even from a distance, he could hear a commotion.

"Why did you pay someone else back, but tell me you'd pay me back later?"

"You think I, Hu Zeyuan, am easy to push around? Don't give me that relatives nonsense. My sister's already dead."

"You're too scared to go into Inner Qingshan, and the shop's about to go under. How are you going to make money after that?"

"You're useless. Pah!"

That was Hu Zeyuan's voice. Chen Yan saw passersby stopping to watch the spectacle, while the proprietress of the clothing shop next door was staring at him strangely.

A moment later, his uncle Hu Zeyuan strode out of the shop, his face cold.

Chen Yan's expression darkened. Hadn't his uncle come to demand repayment just yesterday?

When Hu Zeyuan saw Chen Yan, he froze. Without even asking anything, he gave a "hmph" and left.

"Dad, what's going on?"

Chen Yan walked into the shop and saw Chen Yuxu sitting in a chair, looking rather dejected.

"Hm?" Chen Yuxu froze. When he saw Chen Yan had come back, the dejection vanished from his face. He asked with a strange expression,

"Why are you back so early today?"

"Dad, how much do we still owe?" Chen Yan didn't answer. He asked outright.

Chen Yuxu's expression shifted, and he waved a hand.

"Don't worry about that, kid. I'd never let it become your problem."

Smack!

Chen Yuxu saw the Red Packet in Chen Yan's hand and was about to ask about it, but then he saw Chen Yan pull out several one-hundred-yuan bills.

"Y-you got all that money from where?"

Chen Yuxu asked in shock.

"I passed the Punching Strength Test. The school awarded me fifteen hundred." Chen Yan counted out the money, tucked the remaining five hundred into a red packet, and handed it to Chen Yuxu.

"We owe their family a thousand, right?" Chen Yan asked.

"Well..." Chen Yuxu was at a loss for words, but still nodded.

"Do we have a promissory note?"

"We do."

Chen Yan stuffed the thousand yuan into his pocket and ran off, leaving Chen Yuxu standing dumbstruck in the shop.

Looking at the red packet in his hand, Chen Yuxu clutched it tightly and slowly sat down.

"Ha..."

He opened his mouth and let out a laugh.

"Hahahaha." Laughter mingled with a tangle of emotions on Chen Yuxu's face, leaving him with a jumble of feelings.

"My son's really made something of himself."

Chen Yan ran out and saw Hu Zeyuan standing at the entrance of the Barbecue Shop, about to go in.

"The usual?" the shop owner asked with a smile. Hu Zeyuan was about to answer when he spotted Chen Yan hurrying over, and gave him a sidelong glance.

"I'm here to repay the money." Chen Yan ran up to Hu Zeyuan and took the thousand yuan from his pocket.

"Repay the money?" Hu Zeyuan frowned, then laughed. "I knew your family still had money."

Chen Yan only said calmly, "The promissory note."

Hu Zeyuan froze, then said coldly, "What kind of way is that to talk to me?"

"Then I won't repay it." Chen Yan turned away, not bothering to acknowledge Hu Zeyuan.

"Wait!" Chen Yuxu barked, narrowing his eyes at Chen Yan before taking a slip of paper from his pocket.

Chen Yan examined the handwriting on it. Hu Zeyuan had been carrying it around, clearly intent on making his father pay the whole amount back today.

Chen Yan took the promissory note back and handed Hu Zeyuan the thousand yuan. Just as he was about to leave—

"Hold on."

Hu Zeyuan spoke coldly.

"What if some of it's counterfeit?"

He ran one hand over the markings on the bills, inspecting them closely.

But Chen Yan didn't stop. He simply left.

"You can be my witness. If there's any counterfeit money, we'll check it together!" Hu Zeyuan said to the barbecue shop owner beside him.

"Come on, you're family." The shop owner couldn't bear to watch and tried to talk him down.

"Let me tell you, family's who you need to watch out for." Hu Zeyuan checked the money as he spoke. Only after confirming none of it was counterfeit did he stuff it into his pocket, disgruntled. "Add a grilled pig's leg today."

As he spoke, Hu Zeyuan spotted his son walking along the roadside with his head bowed.

"Ahem!" Hu Zeyuan cleared his throat, but saw that his son hadn't noticed him. He hurried over, grabbed Hu Yuan by the arm, and asked, "Why are you back so early this morning?"

As soon as he finished speaking, he saw Hu Yuan looking at him with a mournful face.

"Dad, I didn't pass the Punching Strength Test."

Hu Zeyuan froze, then smacked Hu Yuan on the forehead.

"How did you not pass? I feed you meat at every meal, and you still didn't pass?"

"Dad... only two people in our class passed." Fear surfaced in Hu Yuan's eyes as he tried to defend himself.

"Only two?" Hu Zeyuan's expression softened a little. "Which two?"

"Zhang Qingsi," Hu Yuan said.

"Mm." Hu Zeyuan's expression was no longer so grim. Zhang Qingsi had already awakened his blood qi, so of course he'd pass.

"Who else?"

Hu Yuan hesitated beside him, his expression terribly complicated.

Hu Zeyuan smacked Hu Yuan on the forehead and glared fiercely at his son.

Fear deepened in Hu Yuan's eyes. He struggled to get the words out, as if they were too hard to say.

"Chen Yan."

Hu Zeyuan nodded.

"Hmm?"

He stopped dead, standing there in a daze.