Chapter Thirty-Three: Ten Swords of Bleeding Heart

Lin Hao’s expression stiffened. This guy was clearly making veiled jabs at him. Whenever he made any progress, he would indeed broadcast it to his classmates—for example, when he was the first in the class to break through a blood vitality level of 3.0, then 4.0, reaching the qualifying line for top universities. If he didn’t talk about such achievements and enjoy the envy and admiration of others, it would feel like wearing splendid clothes while walking at night—pointless and unsatisfying.

Then there was the time, in the first semester of eleventh grade, when he was the first to reach the “stars fill the sky” state in mental cultivation, entering deep meditation, and even mastering the Divine Will Body Tempering Method ahead of schedule. News of every advancement he made spread through Class Five of Senior Three like breaking news, even reaching other classes.

Who in the school didn’t know about the excellence of Class Five’s monitor, Lin Hao?

He had never thought there was anything wrong with it. He was, after all, the best in the class—being admired was only natural. But hearing Xiao Nan put it that way, he suddenly realized—wasn’t this exactly what he did, always shouting about his achievements, afraid no one would notice? Was he being called shallow?

A wave of frustration rose in his chest. Lin Hao almost lost his composure but managed to suppress his annoyance, forcing a smile as he changed the subject: “Everyone passed today’s mental test smoothly, but don’t get complacent. Tomorrow is the martial skills assessment… I remember most of you practice swordsmanship. Take my advice: practice the Ten Bloodletting Strikes more—it’ll be very helpful in the matches.”

This was one of Lin Hao’s strengths: he always found ways to share useful information, giving his classmates a head start in their preparation.

After all, his father was the executive vice principal of Yuanjiang First High School. No matter how secretive the arrangements were, it wasn’t possible he wouldn’t hear about them at home.

“That’s great, that’s great! I practice the Bloodletting Sword…” Someone cheered.

“The Ten Bloodletting Strikes? Oh no, I’m still not very good at them,” someone else lamented.

“I only know the Basic Thirteen Strikes. Will that be a problem? In the practical matches, do we really have to fight?” another worried.

“If Teacher Tang is scoring, we’re in trouble. She’s so strict. I should have taken extra classes elsewhere,” someone sighed.

“I learned the Four Seasons Sword—will that count?” a classmate asked anxiously. Xiao Nan glanced over and found the face familiar.

“That light and airy Four Seasons Sword isn’t really suitable for beginners’ competitions, Dong Cheng. Why’d you pick that academy?” someone lamented nearby.

Most of the class had, in fact, chosen the Bloodletting Martial Hall for extracurricular lessons—a venue run by retired soldiers, teaching practical killing techniques, and known for being easy to learn and strong in real combat.

Even beginners could quickly boost their combat strength, a huge early advantage compared to other academies. For long-term development, however, it wasn’t the best choice—Bloodletting Sword was straightforward, with limited variations and not much room for advancement.

The Four Seasons Sword Hall, though, taught a Grandmaster’s sword style, said to offer infinite possibilities at higher mastery.

Of course, if one barely scratched the surface, it was nothing more than dancing with a sword.

Lin Hao was quite satisfied with how the topic he’d thrown out had sparked a heated discussion. His mastery of the Bloodletting Sword was already at a level of formidable power—seeing others worry gave him a pleasant sense of superiority.

When the hubbub finally quieted down, Lin Hao looked at Xiao Nan, his tone full of concern: “I know the sword skills of everyone else in class, and they’re not bad. Passing the assessment shouldn’t be hard for them. But Xiao Nan, last time you could barely handle the basic sword forms. As class monitor, I can’t help but worry. Why don’t we spar a little now? I have a few insights into swordsmanship that might help.”

Here it was—the act. Who would believe he was being so kind?

Xiao Nan inwardly scoffed. The malice was as obvious as a bright lamp in the darkness—did Lin Hao think he couldn’t see through it? Did he want to beat him down, destroy his confidence, and then offer some comfort to show his own magnanimity?

The various schemes flickered through Xiao Nan’s mind, and he couldn’t help but smile.

“No need to trouble you, Monitor. Today we got our Blood Vitality Pills, so it’s most important to go home, boost our vitality, and adapt our bodies. Practicing swordsmanship is most effective after that.”

“No need to be so polite. It’s only right to help each other as classmates,” Lin Hao replied, his smile growing ever more sincere. “Come on, everybody—watch and learn. A little sparring doesn’t take much time.”

So he was being pushed onto the stage like a duck driven up a perch.

Xiao Nan was thoroughly unimpressed, inwardly sneering. This wasn’t an official assessment—who had the time to put on a show? He wasn’t lying; time really was tight.

He dropped the pretense and spoke directly.

“Monitor, it’s really not necessary. My swordsmanship is already well-honed. Passing the test will be easy. If I show my techniques now and everyone sees them, they’ll find ways to counter them, making it harder for myself.”

“What?”

“So boastful…”

“He must be joking—he says he’s sure he’ll pass? Even I’m not that confident, ha…”

Even Wei Yunyun, usually cool and reserved as the class academic officer, covered a smile and interjected, “Since Xiao Nan doesn’t want to reveal his skills early, let’s not force him. Monitor, let’s just wait and see his moves tomorrow!”

Indeed, when someone who rarely smiled did so, it was especially striking.

After Wei Yunyun’s words, everyone fell silent, smiling as if it was all a joke, convinced Xiao Nan was just trying to dodge a spar.

His aim, obviously, was to avoid being forced into a demonstration.

With the conversation at this point, even Lin Hao was a bit embarrassed, unable to insist any further without coming off as pushy and undermining his image as class monitor.

A burly boy, well over six feet tall, stepped forward, grinning to smooth things over: “If you want a sword match, you should come to me—Big Bear. Lin Hao, don’t waste everyone’s time. We’ve all got things to do.”

This was Xiong Bing, the class’s PE officer, whose spiritual cultivation had reached the meditative state and whose blood vitality was close to the 4.0 mark. Usually, he and Lin Hao didn’t see eye to eye—they were rivals.

He was naturally strong, and while his blood vitality was a bit lower than Lin Hao’s, he was hardly weaker in terms of raw strength.

“Pointless,” Lin Hao muttered, a hint of regret in his eyes. He’d have to be crazy to spar with this big bear. There was nothing to gain, and the outcome would likely be a draw, undermining his prestige as class monitor.

It wasn’t worth the trouble.

Abandoning the idea of a spar, Lin Hao gave Xiao Nan a long look, waved his hand, and dismissed the group.

…

“A man of hidden talents! Xiao Nan, since our way home is the same, I’ve got a car—let’s go together,” Xiong Bing said, winking as he came over to greet him.

Were they really that close? Xiao Nan couldn’t recall. Still, he didn’t refuse—a ride was better than walking.

As they left the classroom, Sun Kai approached, hesitating. “Congratulations, Xiao Nan, you passed the Spiritual Tempering test. Did you spend a lot on Divine Incense? I can’t believe your mom would go that far. But where did you get the money?”

He couldn’t take his eyes off the small, white porcelain bottle in Xiao Nan’s hand, his heart filled with envy.

“Just got lucky. Didn’t expect to pass, either.” Xiao Nan answered gently, “You know, our house is pretty valuable. We took a loan against it…”

Sun Kai was actually a decent person. Whenever the original Xiao Nan had trouble with his studies, Sun Kai would patiently explain things, never holding back. Occasionally, he’d show off a bit, but that was just youthful pride.

Since their situations were similar, they’d grown close, sharing a certain bond. Still, there were some things beyond his ability to help with.

Sun Kai nodded, his expression darkening a little as he thought of his own family, but he forced a smile. “With the school’s resources after passing the mental test, you should have no problem getting into an ordinary martial arts university… But it’s not a sure thing. If your blood vitality and technique aren’t up to standard, you could still be eliminated. Put in extra effort for tomorrow’s martial skills exam.”

“I will.”