Chapter 134: You Care About Me, More Than You Realize

"Your strength is truly impressive, though it is a pity your reactions are so slow and your wits so dull," Xiao Nan said with a chuckle.

This was more than just mockery. Judging by the strength displayed, Li Shaohua was clearly the superior of the two by a significant margin. The immense force he had added at the last moment—utilizing some unknown technique—had actually allowed him to crush the air with his bare hand, creating a vacuum explosion. Even if it did not reach four thousand pounds of force, it was certainly around three thousand. His behavior—smiling with hidden malice while suddenly increasing his grip—was clearly intended to shatter Xiao Nan’s hand bones. It was vicious.

This technique of creating a vacuum explosion was, in fact, the entry-level practice for Tang Zhixuan’s "Wave Moon Slash." At this stage, one’s internal energy is so potent that splitting gold and stone or injuring an opponent from a distance is merely a trivial matter.

Hearing these words, Li Shaohua was so infuriated he nearly vomited blood. On the surface, he had actually lost. The way the surrounding students were looking at him made it impossible for him to let it go. He couldn't exactly say, "I hadn't even exerted my full strength yet when that brat let go; this is cheating." After all, it was supposed to be a test of strength, yet he had suddenly employed a sword technique to force their hands apart. Well, it was impossible to explain, and no one would listen anyway. They would only think he was making excuses.

For a long time, he had considered himself the strongest high school student in Yuanjiang No. 1 High. Although he had been overshadowed by Qin Shuang for a while, that woman had left, hadn't she? Besides, as for who was truly the strongest now, that would have to be settled in a fight.

Whether in the past or the present, he had never truly regarded Xiao Nan as anything more than an eyesore, like an ant on his path. If he happened to see one, he would simply crush it. He had never expected that the boy would become his rival for a training spot in the Void Crystal Chamber, let alone steal so much of the limelight. He had reached out to shake hands not for any damn reason like "getting to know" each other, but to seize the opportunity to show off his dominance. At the very least, he wanted to humiliate his opponent and plant the seeds of defeat in his mind. On the surface, he was targeting Xiao Nan, but in reality, it was a provocation and a counter-strike against the stakeholders, Su Yuqing and Zhang Yi.

"You are overthinking things." A faint smile flickered at the corner of Xiao Nan’s mouth.

Wang Yuanzhi’s eyes lit up as he watched, and he let out a hearty laugh. "Good, good! The two of you are indeed evenly matched, like Yu and Liang of old. I am already looking forward to this upcoming duel."

He did not specify who was Yu and who was Liang. However, seeing his eyes fixed intently on Xiao Nan, watching him with growing admiration, everyone knew exactly what he meant.

Li Shaohua stood frozen, his face flushed red, unable to find the words. In the end, he could only grit his teeth, nursing his resentment in secret. Yet, he still had to maintain a gentle smile, which made everyone present frown in discomfort.

***

Once the matter was settled, there was little else to discuss. Li Yuanchen and his son were the first to take their leave. Li Yuanchen said little; he had keenly sensed that Superintendent Wang Yuanzhi’s attitude was subtly different from usual. He wondered if the outcome of today’s trial had left the Superintendent dissatisfied, or if Li Shaohua’s underhanded tactics had been discovered but left unexposed for some reason.

Li Yuanchen walked through the corridor with a dark expression, boarded his car, and only once they were well away from the base did he ask in a deep voice, "Shaohua, are you certain of your victory?"

"That brat is nothing but a schemer! In a head-on duel, I can kill him in one strike," Li Shaohua said through gritted teeth, his tone vicious. He had been holding this in for a long time.

"Who cannot boast? You must be able to back up your words with action," Li Yuanchen said, clearly dissatisfied. "Was what your brother did today at your request? Why didn't you tell me beforehand?"

"I was just testing him. I thought that since the brat didn't have much skill, I could get rid of him easily and quietly, removing a competitor without anyone noticing." As Li Shaohua spoke, his voice grew quieter, and he finally added in a dejected tone, "It’s all because of Lin Hao. That piece of trash was useless, and his father is just as stupid. They even wasted one of my precious Moon-Piercing Crossbows..."

The deaths of Lin Hao and the thick-browed Blood Blade Guard, Han Zeng, were never brought up by anyone afterward. Their actions were ugly, no matter how one looked at it. To mention them would not only bring shame to the military camp but would also cause Yuanjiang No. 1 High to lose face. Those in the know would say that the Yuanjiang Military Base was full of degenerates, or that Yuanjiang No. 1 High was full of people who turned on their own, murdering classmates and shooting arrows from the shadows. Regardless of the narrative, none of it sounded good. It would affect the current stability and unity.

The dead were gone. Let it drift away with the wind and pretend it never happened. In the shadows, they would investigate what needed investigating and kill those who needed to be killed. Regardless, from this day on, Li Yuanchen would have to be extremely careful in his dealings with the military. Li Yuanchen had clearly grasped this message from the attitude of Superintendent Wang Yuanzhi, and it made him deeply uneasy.

Others could pretend this had nothing to do with them, but Li Shaohua could not. He had masterminded the whole affair, and it had failed miserably. He had lost face, and he hadn't achieved his goal. What was even more infuriating was that he hadn't secured the training spot in the Void Crystal Chamber and was now forced into another duel. He could not swallow this resentment.

"Not much skill?" Li Yuanchen sneered. "If he has no skill, how did he manage to make you, the Second Young Master of the Li family, suffer and lose face?"

"Father, I was wrong. I shouldn't have been so arrogant. Regardless of whether he has skill or not, I should have treated him with caution." Li Shaohua sensed the shift in tone and quickly admitted his mistake, appearing very submissive.

Li Yuanchen nodded. "If you continue to look down on others, I would truly doubt your ability to deal with that brat and secure the spot. This matter concerns the Li family’s grand plan; you must not ruin it."

"If we succeed, we can achieve longevity and live forever," Li Shaohua said, nodding eagerly. He smiled wantonly, acting as if the heroes of the world were beneath his notice.

"Quiet," Li Yuanchen barked coldly. "Do not speak of this again. Do not even think about it." After scolding him, he fell into deep thought for a moment before saying, "Every time I see that boy, I... I feel a sense of unease. Since you are confident you can win, kill him during the duel. Do not hold back."

"That goes without saying. Unless I hack him into seventeen or eighteen pieces, how can I show off my skills?" A fierce light flashed in Li Shaohua’s eyes, and his aura became terrifying and sinister.

"Didn't I tell you not to over-practice the Primal Spirit Contemplation? You’ve pushed yourself past your limits again." Feeling this aura, Li Yuanchen flew into a rage and slapped Li Shaohua across the face.

With a crisp "crack," the blow left Li Shaohua’s face swollen and blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

"I was wrong. I won't over-practice next time," Li Shaohua quickly apologized, bowing his head. The red light in his eyes grew more intense, but he restrained his aura so that Li Yuanchen would not notice.

***

"What do you want me to say?" Tang Zhixuan said helplessly. "Do you know what a foolish thing you did today?"

"I don't know," Xiao Nan shook his head. He actually quite enjoyed watching Tang Zhixuan get so angry she stomped her feet. It was a bad habit, really. However, it wasn't entirely Xiao Nan’s fault. In his eyes, this teacher of his always wore a facade of a seductive vixen, her eyes perpetually languid as if she had just woken from a dream. Xiao Nan found it fascinating—how could a woman with such an air be so violent to her core? She would draw her sword and strike at the slightest provocation.

His conclusion was that this woman was actually just a simple-minded, straightforward soul. Her nature was direct and bold, and her martial arts and techniques followed the same fierce and powerful path. Just like earlier, when she saw he was in danger, she didn't hesitate for a second, rushing out in a flurry to save him. Anyone else would never have done such a thing. There was no need to speak of "doing it for someone's sake"—how could there be so many "sakes" to account for?

*You care about me very much, though you don't even realize it yourself...*