Chapter Fifty-Two: Pierced Heart with a Single Sword

"Alright."
A wave of cheers erupted around them.
Only now did everyone see clearly what the boy in the blue-and-white school uniform from Yuanjiang No. 1 High School had done.
He had fearlessly collided with the beastman, stabbing a sword and blinding both of its eyes. Though the beastman’s wounds seemed superficial, it was now blind.
The beastman flailed wildly, swinging its fists in all directions but remaining stationary, panting heavily, seemingly drained of strength.
Several people, emboldened, picked up steel rods and machetes, approaching stealthily.
Perhaps it was righteous indignation, or perhaps loved ones had been killed in the beastman's earlier rampage, but their eyes were red as they prepared to strike from behind.
More people in the crowd shouted for violence, though most dared not act themselves.
The scene felt vaguely familiar, reminiscent of a war film from a previous life…
Suddenly, Xiao Nan understood why the beastman, who had been reading quietly in the bookstore, immediately began slaughtering when its identity was revealed.
Even with limited intelligence, the beastman knew that once exposed, it could be killed.
After thirty years of conflict between the two sides, with the overwhelming power of state propaganda, beastmen had been reduced to mindless, savage monsters—man-eating demons.
Perhaps this beastman had acted ruthlessly to vent its rage, or maybe to intimidate and facilitate its escape.
In fact, if Xiao Nan hadn’t slashed it with his sword, the beastman—no matter how wild—would not have lingered.
This was evident from the fact that it didn’t kill the dozens still hiding in the store, but instead charged straight onto the street; it wasn’t mindlessly lost in bloodlust.
Of course, the patrol police arrived faster than expected, opening fire by chance, and Xiao Nan, unexpectedly formidable, blinded it with a strike—none of this had been anticipated.
But if one truly regarded beastmen as mindless animals, then it was oneself who lacked sense.
Xiao Nan’s laughter faded as he steadied his breath, calming his churning blood—now regaining composure.
Since breaking through the “Oblivion Realm,” his senses had grown sharper; every sound and movement at the scene flashed through his mind, orderly and clear, without confusion.
“No wonder the homeroom teacher said that, after reaching the Oblivion Realm, one's spirit greatly aids in actual combat. This scanning-like ability to control the field is the most crucial factor.
The enhanced neural response and the ability to intimidate opponents with spiritual force are only expected functions.”
From the corner of his eye, Xiao Nan saw the beastman’s hair at the nape standing upright, the tiny muscles around its ears twitching and trembling, expanding and contracting—
It was listening to its surroundings.

On the surface, it appeared frenzied and confused, swinging blindly; in reality, it was seeking an opportunity to strike back.
Without thinking, Xiao Nan knew that the beastman was searching for him.
The beastman seemed able to distinguish certain sounds amid the chaos.
He decided to test this.
Glancing at “Moonlight” in his hand, a surge of boldness rose in Xiao Nan’s heart… If he allowed this blind beastman to continue harming people, it would be a disgrace.
He waved his hand, stopping Zhang Xiaorou, who was about to rush over from afar, and shouted, “Careful, that guy is pretending!”
With those words, Xiao Nan didn’t care whether the hot-blooded crowd rushing in for an easy kill understood or not; a chill rose within him, just as he’d expected.
Without hesitation, his body darted to the side, executing a roll and moving seven or eight meters away from his previous spot.
Before he could stand, a wave of panicked screams erupted nearby—the spot he’d just occupied was rocked by a thunderous crash.
The ground shook violently.
“Boom, boom, boom…”
Broken stones shot like arrows in all directions; Xiao Nan was struck several times, pain radiating through his body.
He sprang up and looked back—
He saw the towering beastman crouched low, roaring in fury as it hammered the ground, sending clouds of dust flying and leaving craters in the cement.
Clearly, even blind, the beastman realized its sudden, ferocious attack had failed to harm the one who had blinded it.
“After reaching its peak, the energy recedes.”
Xiao Nan narrowed his eyes amid the crowd’s screams and frantic retreat. He pressed his toes to the ground, holding his breath and focusing, a flush of crimson spreading across his face.
Right hand gripping “Moonlight” in reverse, he leapt—light as a cat, he soared into the air…
His body stretched out, landing directly above the beastman’s back.
As the beastman hammered the ground, Xiao Nan rose into the air, both hands raised, sword held backward, tip downward, and with a hiss, plunged the blade into the beastman’s back.
The sword sank to the hilt.
Blood sprayed like a fountain, and amid deafening roars, Xiao Nan flipped backward, coldly watching the beastman’s final frenzy.
He had poured all his strength into this blow, borrowing the force of descent, aiming for a gap in the beastman’s back bones, and thrusting straight into the heart.
Though resistance was immense, with “Moonlight” in hand and his arms adding force, the sword penetrated the beastman without mishap.

Thus, when facing a weapon, whether prepared or unprepared makes a great difference.
If one watches a weapon approach, alert and tense, the muscles at the target point will tense, the skin bulge, and defense increases by several levels.
But when taken by surprise, with relaxed flesh, it’s much easier to pierce through.
Xiao Nan chose the moment when the beastman’s attack failed, its rage unspent—a perfect opportunity.
No one expected him to deliver a deadly blow then, not even the onlookers.
…
The beastman thrashed and pounded the ground for over ten seconds before collapsing, lifeless. Only then did the crowd’s anxiety ease—several rushed forward, kicking and beating the body in fury.
Some, having recovered from their fright, approached Xiao Nan to thank him, but halfway there, fear and timidity overtook them; they only called out their thanks from afar before joining the vengeful crowd.
It was said beastmen were savage killers, eating human flesh, but ordinary people rarely faced them directly.
Now that the danger had passed, many were still eager to watch the spectacle.
Had it been any other day, seeing such a scene, Xiao Nan might have laughed, even mocked the crowd without mercy—but now, he felt none of that.
His face was pale as paper, standing rigidly, trembling uncontrollably… Through the dust-laden skin and clothes, Zhang Xiaorou could see something was wrong.
“What’s the matter, Xiao Nan? Are you alright?”
Her face was full of worry, eyes reddened, cheeks dusty.
When the beastman smashed the ground, dust flew everywhere—no one remained clean.
“I’m fine, Xiaorou, go retrieve my sword.”
Xiao Nan forced a smile, assuring her he was okay.
Still worried, Zhang Xiaorou gave him another look before hurrying into the crowd to pull out the sword.
She hadn’t considered why Xiao Nan asked her to retrieve it—perhaps he was exhausted from exertion, or maybe his earlier wounds had flared up, leaving him weak.