Chapter Eight: This Is Not How You Use a Blade!

“Just wait and see. Within three months, our country will begin a massive recruitment of soldiers. With our abilities, as long as we enlist, we’re destined to become squad captains. I’ve spent years studying military strategy for this very moment!”

“The only reason I haven’t joined the army until now is because our nation hasn’t declared war on Hulan, and I’d be bound by all those bothersome military regulations, unable to focus on my studies of warfare!”

“But now my opportunity has arrived. I will rise quickly through the ranks by earning military merit. I’ll avenge the blood debt that weighs on my heart. I’ll slaughter three of Hulan’s cities—no, ten! Only then will my hatred be washed away!”

As the middle-aged scholar spoke these words, a fierce and violent aura burst from his eyes, causing Lin Fan, who was watching nearby, to narrow his gaze in alarm.

“This man carries a heavy air of malice. If his prediction is correct and our nation goes to war with Hulan within a year or two, then he is truly talented. If not, then he’s been blinded by hatred.” Lin Fan thought to himself, though he had to admit the scholar’s words rang mostly true.

After all, only someone as powerful as the kingdom’s sovereign could suddenly change the rules at the First Royal Academy and the Four Great Sects. And the only plausible reason for such a move was war.

A brutal war is the best crucible for forging young geniuses, and war itself demands a flood of talented youths to throw themselves into the fray, growing rapidly so that victory tilts in their favor.

“Scholar, since you’ve decided, the baldy and I will follow you. All these years, we’ve walked the edge of death for this very day. Before us lies not only the chance to build a legacy, but also to avenge a blood feud. I have absolute faith in your wisdom!” The gaunt middle-aged man looked at the scholar as he spoke. Though the burly, bald-headed man beside him said nothing, his determined gaze spoke volumes.

“Brothers!” the scholar suddenly laughed heartily, raised his cup to the other two, and after a deep drink, left the tavern with them in tow.

“Who were those three middle-aged men at the table in front of me just now?” Once they had left, Lin Fan called over the innkeeper’s assistant and asked.

“Sir, you don’t know?” The assistant looked surprised, then hurriedly forced a smile when he saw Lin Fan frown. “Those three are no ordinary men. The scholar is Xie Haining, leader of the Sea Shark Society. The skinny man and the bald giant are his vice-presidents, Ma Long and Xue Tao. All three are powerful cultivators at the Qi Induction level.”

“The Sea Shark Society was just a small gang in Xiaobei City, but under their leadership, it only took three years to grow into a behemoth, swallowing up all the other gangs. They’re now like local emperors here. Aside from the Four Great Clans and a handful of merchant alliances, there’s no one in Xiaobei City they fear offending…”

“How interesting,” Lin Fan murmured with a faint smile, committing their faces to memory. He had a premonition that these three would cross his path again.

“Well, well, isn’t this Xiaobei City’s most famous good-for-nothing?” A sneering voice suddenly interrupted. Lin Fan turned and saw a youth in a lavish black robe approaching, flanked by four bodyguards, contempt written clearly across his face.

“So, it’s the White family’s stray dog. Why, did you bring four mutts out scavenging today?” The youth was Bai Shaoming, the White family’s second son, widely mocked behind his back as a mangy dog for his notorious bullying and depravity. In Xiaobei City, his reputation was infamous—striking out at anyone he saw.

Before recovering his past life’s memories, Lin Fan often ran into Bai Shaoming, enduring his insults time and again. But he was only at the second stage of Body Tempering, and the Lin family had just begun to rise, so their guards were few. Lin Fan also disliked drawing attention, so he always ventured out alone.

Whenever he was insulted, he would simply leave without a word, avoiding conflict because his elder brother, Lin Ya, had told him, “If anyone bullies you, just come home—I’ll deal with them.”

Back then, before Lin Ya left Xiaobei City, he was the city’s true little tyrant, specializing in putting scoundrels like Bai Shaoming in their place.

But now, things were different. Lin Fan had recovered his memories from his previous life and reached the ninth stage of Body Tempering. His strength now exceeded ten thousand jin. A mere sixth-stage Bai Shaoming and a few seventh-stage guards were nothing to him.

Shaking his head, Lin Fan sighed inwardly: “How cowardly I used to be!” Where once he’d meekly turn away from such bullies, today he would not.

“Negative emotion value from Bai Shaoming: +359!”

“Negative emotion value from Bai Bao: +321!”

“Negative emotion value from Li Feng: +348!”

“Negative emotion value from Liu Qi…”

“From Zhang…”

Suddenly, lines of text flashed across Lin Fan’s mind—his system was displaying notifications. He couldn’t help but laugh; who would have thought he could harvest negative emotions this way?

Such an opportunity couldn’t be wasted.

“You useless trash, did you just insult me?” Bai Shaoming jabbed his finger at Lin Fan’s nose, incredulous.

Seeing the negative emotion points pile up, Lin Fan’s mind opened to a new world of possibilities. He instantly shot back, “So what if I insulted you? I just did, you moron!”

As a former well-behaved youth of Earth’s twenty-first century, Lin Fan needed no teacher when it came to cursing—his retorts came naturally.

“Negative emotion value from Bai Shaoming: +647!” The system flashed again. Lin Fan was overjoyed; he’d thought only hatred could generate negative emotion points, but now he realized how wrong he’d been. Negative emotions weren’t limited to hatred—they included anger, jealousy, complaints, frustration, anxiety, and more. As long as someone felt negativity toward him, the system would convert it into points.

“You mangy mutt, I’ll tear you to pieces!” Bai Shaoming’s face flushed deep red, as if flames might shoot from his eyes. He charged at Lin Fan with a roar, fist raised.

“Get back—!” Lin Fan barked coldly and lashed out with a sudden kick. With a resounding crack, his foot slammed into Bai Shaoming’s chest, followed by a sickening snap of breaking bones. Bai Shaoming was sent flying back at even greater speed.

Crash! One of the tables shattered as Bai Shaoming’s body crashed through it. He coughed up a mouthful of blood and fell unconscious before he could utter a word.

“You’re courting death—!”

Bai Shaoming’s four bodyguards had been smirking when their young master attacked. They knew Lin Fan was only at the second stage of Body Tempering, while their master was at the sixth—just a stage below them. Crushing Lin Fan should have been effortless. They only had to stand by and watch.

But the moment Bai Shaoming was sent flying, those smiles froze on their faces.

Their expressions changed drastically. Their master had been grievously wounded right in front of them; this was a dereliction of duty. If they returned to the White family, given how the master doted on his son, even if they weren’t killed outright, they’d be skinned alive.

Moreover, given Bai Shaoming’s vengeful nature, their failure today would mean endless torment.

In that instant, their eyes turned bloodshot. With a chorus of metallic rings, they drew the long knives at their waists and charged at Lin Fan with a roar.

The blades, flashing like an interwoven net, slashed toward Lin Fan with lethal intent. They showed no restraint, intending to hack Lin Fan to pieces to atone for their failure.

“That’s not how you use a blade.” Just as the four guards’ blades were about to strike, Lin Fan suddenly looked up, his eyes gleaming. With a flash, his figure vanished from view.

Bang! One guard barely had time to react before Lin Fan’s kick sent him flying three or four meters, blood pouring from his mouth. At the same instant, the guard’s sword fell into Lin Fan’s hand.

“Watch carefully—this is how you wield a blade!” Lin Fan announced in a deep voice. His eyes shone with determined light.

In that moment, a razor-sharp arc of sword light flashed.

Slash!

Slash!

Slash!

Three sounds in quick succession, like a knife slicing through tough hide, rang out. The remaining three guards screamed in agony, clutching at their right arms with their left hands.

Crash!

Three sword-wielding arms hit the ground in unison, a single, crisp sound. Immediately, blood spurted from the severed limbs, staining the floor a deep crimson.