Chapter 27 - 20: Face Slapping
Leaving the slightly somber Department of Health building, Lin Yi walked with a light step.
He went straight to the nearest bank on the corner.
He pushed open the door and went inside.
He carefully deposited the thick stack of brand-new cash into his bank account.
His fingertips brushed across the cold ATM buttons. When the chime confirming the successful deposit rang out, his sense of security deepened.
When he returned to his familiar home, the communicator on his left wrist vibrated.
The screen lit up with a new message—
The bonus from the Department of Health had arrived.
"Your account 6217... has received a transfer of 22,440.00. Current balance: 53,095.41!"
Seeing that clear string of numbers, an irrepressible smile appeared on his face.
His savings now totaled over fifty-three thousand!
Not only that, but he was also holding a valuable Tier One dagger. If he were to sell it, he could easily get another sixty thousand.
A rough calculation came to one hundred and ten thousand in available funds!
This gave Lin Yi an unprecedented sense of ease and confidence.
He finally no longer had to pinch every penny or worry about Cultivation resources.
As for how to use this money...
With his Mosquito Avatar providing nourishment through Blood Sucking, there was no need to waste money buying Pills.
He could, however, start planning for the future.
After becoming a Martial Artist, Spiritual Weapons and combat techniques were both necessities. He would save the money for now and use it at a critical moment in the future.
For once, Lin Yi didn’t open the fridge to scrounge for eggs like he usually did.
He leaned back on the old sofa, comfortably took out his communicator, and swiped his finger across the menu of a food delivery platform.
A nourishing grand meal priced at "128" was added to the cart.
He placed the order and paid in one smooth motion.
He had transmigrated four days ago and had eaten eggs for all four of them. He was about to puke!
Now that he had money, why should he continue to be so hard on himself?
The lavish takeout was delivered quickly, its rich aroma filling the small room.
He savored this unusual dinner. The taste was indeed delicious, and the nutritional meal was well-balanced. This was what a Cultivator should be eating!
After dinner, Lin Yi didn’t continue his Cultivation.
His Qi and Blood value had already reached the limit for a Martial Disciple. Before officially stepping into the realm of a Martial Artist, he couldn’t advance an inch.
As for the Mosquito Avatar, it couldn’t find any First Grade Demon Beasts, and hunting ordinary wild animals wouldn’t provide valuable Experience Points.
’Since that’s the case, why not use this time to improve the Mosquito Avatar’s skill proficiency?’
The moment the thought occurred, he lay back on his bed, his consciousness sinking into that tiny yet incredibly powerful avatar.
As his mind connected, the transparent Mosquito Avatar instantly began to silently circle, dive, halt, and turn in the quiet room.
Every subtle vibration of its wings, every near-perfect blend with the ambient light.
The proficiency of the two skills, [Flight] and [Stealth], were slowly increasing.
[Flight Proficiency +1!]
[Stealth Proficiency +1!]
[Flight Proficiency +1!]
[...]
Line after line of system prompts that only he could see jumped before his eyes.
Was it boring?
Perhaps.
But when your goal is the sea of stars, every bit of accumulation is incredibly important.
He was immersed in this slow but steady sense of growth until the clamor outside the window completely subsided and the digits on the electronic clock quietly flipped to "00:00".
Only then did Lin Yi stop.
And go to sleep.
「The next morning.」
Lin Yi was awakened by the sound of his alarm clock.
The faint light of dawn seeped through the gap in the curtains.
He quickly got up, had a simple breakfast, and then shot out of his house like an arrow from a bow, running toward the school.
’Today I can apply to the school for the *Bone Tempering Skill* and begin my breakthrough to become a Martial Artist!’
Lin Yi’s heart was filled with excitement.
Stepping onto the familiar campus, he headed for the classroom of Senior Year, Class (1).
Just as he pushed open the classroom door, a wave of noise, even louder than usual, washed over him.
The center of the classroom was like a stage, with everyone’s eyes focused there.
Liu Yang was standing with one hand on his hip, his chin slightly raised, striding toward Luo Qian with unconcealed smugness.
"Luo Qian!" Liu Yang’s voice was deliberately raised, tinged with a condescending tone. "What’s your Qi and Blood value now?"
Luo Qian frowned and replied coolly, "9.13. What is it?"
"Tsk tsk tsk!" Liu Yang clicked his tongue dramatically. "A whole weekend has passed, and you haven’t improved at all? Still running in place?"
"Are you looking for trouble? You want a beating?" Luo Qian’s face darkened, his tone hostile.
"Heh!" As if he had been waiting for this moment, Liu Yang spoke quickly, showing off, "Let me tell you, my Qi and Blood is 9.15! I’ve surpassed you!"
His words were like a stone thrown into a calm lake, instantly creating ripples throughout the classroom.
"What?! Liu Yang, you’re at 9.15?!"
"My god! Weren’t you just 9.07 last Friday? An increase of 0.08 in two days? That’s insane!"
"Liu Yang! Quick, tell us, what kind of Divine Pill did you take? This rate of improvement is like you’re using a cheat!"
"Liu Yang, your godfather is too good to you! He’s really willing to spend the money!"
"Doesn’t that mean Liu Yang is now number one in Qi and Blood in the entire school?!"
A tide of chattering exclamations and envy surrounded Liu Yang.
He stood in the center of the crowd, his chest puffed out even more, pride practically overflowing from his face as he enjoyed this moment in the spotlight.
Just then, Liu Yang’s sharp eyes spotted Lin Yi, who had just walked to the door. He beamed and said, "Yo, Lin Yi, you’re here too! How about it, make any progress over the weekend? Your Qi and Blood... did you break the 9.05 mark?"
Lin Yi looked up at him. The sight of his smug, triumphant face just struck him as utterly ridiculous.
’Was there some deep-seated hatred between them?’
’It was just that Mr. Wang had taken a fancy to his potential and wanted to adopt him back then. But he refused, so the man settled for Liu Yang as a second choice...’
’And for such a trivial, old matter, Liu Yang was this obsessed with stepping on him to prove his superiority?’
’How pathetic and laughable.’
"I didn’t hit 9.05," Lin Yi said. "I’m at 10.0!"
At first, Liu Yang was gloating over the first part of Lin Yi’s sentence, but after hearing the second half, his face changed instantly. He practically shouted, "Impossible! You’re full of shit! You were only 9.03 on Friday! To skyrocket to 10.0 in two days? Do you think you’re some god who descended to earth?!"
The entire classroom instantly fell into a strange silence.
All eyes, filled with shock, doubt, and curiosity, snapped to focus on Lin Yi.
The air itself seemed to freeze.
"Believe it or not." Lin Yi couldn’t be bothered with him. Annoyed by such a pointless challenge, he walked towards his seat.
He was going to apply for the *Bone Tempering Skill* from the school today, so there was no need to hide it.
As for whether Liu Yang believed him or not?
’Was that important?’
But Liu Yang was completely infuriated by Lin Yi’s disdainful attitude. He relentlessly blocked Lin Yi’s path, his voice dripping with sharp sarcasm:
"Lin Yi! Aren’t you just upset because you used to be a little stronger than me, and now I’ve surpassed you? You’re jealous of me! Do you think telling such a flimsy lie will get to me? Why don’t you just go all out and boast that you’re a Martial Artist? That would be more intimidating!"
Convinced that Lin Yi was just bluffing to save face, he raised his voice even louder so the whole class could hear him.
Instantly, the classmates started whispering among themselves:
"Lin Yi is too proud, isn’t he? What’s the use of lying about his Qi and Blood value? The truth will come out as soon as he gets on the machine."
"Exactly. I always thought he was aloof, and now he won’t even admit defeat. He’s got no class!"
"He used to be better than Liu Yang in every way. Now that Liu Yang’s stronger, he’s jealous and can’t handle the blow to his ego!"
"Tsk tsk, I never thought he was this kind of person..."
Lin Yi turned a deaf ear, just wanting to go back to his seat for some peace and quiet.
’Getting tangled up with Liu Yang is a pure waste of precious life.’
’With this time, I might as well read a book.’
However, seeing that Lin Yi didn’t argue back, Liu Yang became even more convinced that he was bluffing.
His eyes darted around, and he came up with an idea:
"Lin Yi, since you’re so adamant that your Qi and Blood is 10.0, do you dare go to the Qi and Blood testing room right now and test it in front of everyone? Let us broaden our horizons and witness the skills of this ’peerless genius’?"
He deliberately emphasized the words "peerless genius," his tone dripping with sarcasm.
He was determined to expose Lin Yi’s lie in public, making him lose face completely and become a laughingstock.
Lin Yi raised his head and gave him a cold glance. "Who are you? My son? Why should I have to cater to your feelings?"
The single sentence made Liu Yang flush red and nearly choke.
"You..." Liu Yang, infuriated and embarrassed, his face turning purple with rage. Anger burned away his last shred of reason. He ground his back teeth and swore, word by word, "Fine! Lin Yi! If you really dare to test it, and it really shows a Qi and Blood of 10.0, I, Liu Yang, will apologize to you in public! I’ll keep my word!"
This was practically the harshest bet he could think of.
Seeing his flustered, all-bark-and-no-bite appearance, Lin Yi sneered.
"What’s the use of a verbal apology? It’s not worth a dime!"
Liu Yang was at a loss. "Then what do you want?"
Lin Yi hadn’t wanted to bother with him.
But a sudden thought struck him.
A brilliant plan flashed through his mind.
’I was just worrying about how slow it is to raise the proficiency of my Mosquito Avatar’s Paralysis skill, and how I couldn’t find a suitable punching bag...’
’Isn’t this Liu Yang a ready-made live target?’
’Since he served himself up on a platter...’
’Then don’t blame me!’
A barely perceptible smile flickered in Lin Yi’s eyes.
"If you lose, how about you act as my private training partner for a day?" Lin Yi said lightly.
"Private training partner?" Liu Yang was stunned for a moment, not expecting this request from Lin Yi.
He used to be afraid of Lin Yi hitting him, but not anymore.
His Qi and Blood had skyrocketed, and he believed that even in a real fight, Lin Yi would be no match for him.
So he immediately agreed. "Fine! You got it!"
"Alright," Lin Yi stood up crisply, his tone relaxed. "Since you’re so eager to have your eyes opened, let’s go. To the testing room, so I can broaden your horizons."
He took the lead, striding out of the classroom.
Liu Yang quickly followed, afraid Lin Yi would run away. "Hmph! Let’s see how you’ll get out of this!"
The classroom instantly erupted!
"Let’s go, let’s go! Quick, let’s watch!"
"There’s a good show to watch! Lin Yi and Liu Yang are making a bet!"
"Oh my god, could Lin Yi really be at 10.0?"
"No way! An increase of almost 1 point in two days? You could beat me to death and I wouldn’t believe it! Liu Yang’s got this in the bag!"
A large crowd of people rushed out, each with their own thoughts.
Watching the spectacle, curious, doubtful, gloating...
They all poured out of the classroom, following behind the two, forming a small stream of people heading toward the Qi and Blood testing room.
Luo Qian also hurriedly squeezed his way to Lin Yi’s side, lowering his voice, his face full of worry. "Lin! Are you crazy?! Why are you getting into it with a petty person like Liu Yang! What if... it’ll be so embarrassing when you’re exposed!"
Lin Yi turned his head and gave him a perfectly calm, even slightly playful smile. "What’s there to panic about? Don’t worry, just wait and watch the show."
Seeing Lin Yi’s confident eyes, which showed not the slightest hint of panic, Luo Qian’s heart skipped a beat.
A huge sense of shock seized him.
’Could it be...’
’No!’
’This is absolutely impossible!’
Luo Qian’s heart felt like it was being roasted on a fire, both shocked and filled with incredible apprehension.
He followed closely behind Lin Yi, his pace quickening involuntarily.
The group soon arrived at the quiet Qi and Blood testing room.
The white room was filled with the faint smell of disinfectant. A silver-gray, professional Qi and Blood testing machine, shaped like a luxurious lounge chair, sat quietly in the center.
Liu Yang folded his arms, a cold sneer on his lips, as if he could already see Lin Yi’s humiliation. He urged, "Lin Yi, be my guest! Let’s see your 10.0!"
Lin Yi’s expression was calm. Without a moment’s hesitation, he walked straight to the machine and lay back steadily.
Luo Qian took a deep breath, suppressing the storm in his heart. He stepped forward and skillfully picked up several cold, slightly sticky sensor pads.
Under the burning gaze of dozens of pairs of eyes, he carefully attached the pads one by one to key sensor points on Lin Yi’s arms, chest, and temples.
Instantly, the testing machine began to beep, and Lin Yi’s Qi and Blood value started to appear on the screen.
BEEP... BEEP... BEEP...