At the instant Meng Chao pounced, Zuo Haoran shrank into himself. His force execution method changed again, and he switched from the fierce and powerful Reckless Bull Force to Dragon Snake Force, the force execution method that allowed the user to accumulate force.

Crackle, crackle.

A string of explosive sounds that sounded like firecrackers came from his body. He was like a python who had been lying in wait for ten years and had finally turned into a real aquatic dragon.

Even his spine bulged out from his flesh, making him look like an aquatic dragon with its claws out and teeth bared. He was about to charge into the sky.

A fierce and excited expression appeared on Zuo Haoran’s face. With a growl, he moved his spine and delivered a strange punch with his right hand.

It was like a steel needle that could pierce through bones, and it went right under Meng Chao’s ribs.

Before even hitting with Heart Hammer, Zuo Haoran was already imagining Meng Chao falling to the ground and spasming while he vomited and cried.

There was something extremely amazing about his skill. When his father taught him the move, he also showed him a few variations of it so that he could make his hidden force stay in the target’s body for a very long time, and if no one examined the target’s body in-depth, they would not be able to discover it at all.

Over the next few days, Meng Chao would just feel a bit of pain under his ribs, but he would not find anything strange about it.

When he would discover it, it would be too late. He would have no proof, and Zuo Haoran would just need to deny it flatly. No one would be able to do anything to him at that time.

Meng Chao had just recovered from his wounds, so this would be adding insult to injury. Haha! Forget about getting into college, it would even be up for debate as to whether he could get into a high vocational college!

Zuo Haoran was very happy about the future.

Then, he saw the eyes of his opponent.

His eyes were as cunning as those of a hunter, as callous as those of a butcher, as brutal as those of a monster, and as calm as those of a doctor.

When Meng Chao looked at his target like that, he seemed to have become someone else.

He changed from a high school student to a person who had returned from the apocalypse.

His force execution method shifted from Ripple Force to Reckless Bull Force, and the change was even smoother and more discreet than that of Zuo Haoran.

But it was not the same Reckless Bull Force. It was the future Master Level Reckless Bull Technique!

The contribution points he had gained through the future Ripple Force were enough to upgrade a few of the basic skills by a level, and the first Meng Chao chose to upgrade was Reckless Bull Technique, which had great force, power, and could destroy everything in its wake!

Zuo Haoran felt as if his chest had been struck by a charging rhinoceros.

Meng Chao’s fist was like a horn whose force went from his chest to his back.

Crack.

Zuo Haoran’s spine made a loud noise.

He was sent flying high like a kite whose string snapped and broke a sapling before he fell to the ground in a heap. He looked like a puddle of mud that Meng Chao had just violently stomped over.

“…”

Zuo Haoran’s eyes went wide, and he stared above himself at a loss.

The sky was still as blue as ever, but he felt as if his world was crumbling rapidly.

Puzzlement, distress, remorse, loathing, pain, hatred, and all sorts of emotions flowed freely on his pale face.

He opened his mouth like a fish that was washed ashore by a wave. He tried to breathe, but could not get any oxygen. His upper body burned from pain, but his lower body was growing cold, and soon all feeling from it disappeared.

The two completely different feelings made his eyes go wide. Madness and despair fought for supremacy in his mind.

Meng Chao walked over while slowly wiping off the blood from his nose. He stopped where he blocked off Zuo Haoran’s view of the sky.

“You—” Resentment was all over Zuo Haoran’s face, but he soon came to an understanding.

“Yup. I held back during the test. I hit the gauge casually and ran without trying hard,” Meng Chao admitted generously.

“Why?” Zuo Haoran could not understand it no matter how hard he tried.

“This is just the first stage of the national college examination. I have no interest in standing out like some low-class clown. Besides, if I did too well, what would I have to do if you refused to fight me?” Meng Chao shrugged.

“You did it intentionally! You set me up!” Zuo Haoran’s eyes were practically spitting flames.

“That’s right. I intentionally scored second place in class so that I could compete against you in terms of shooting skills. Then, we could leave the examination hall together. The homeroom teacher and our classmates would stay inside, so no one could interrupt us when we went to spar.”

Meng Chao crouched down and sighed. “But I still gave you a chance. Before we started sparring, didn’t I tell you that we’ll only have a brief fight, stop when the victor is decided, and put all differences behind us?

“Don’t go disbelieving my words now. I was serious. If you hadn’t been despicable enough to use a brutal method to cripple me, you wouldn’t have reaped what you sowed.”

“I-I…” Zuo Haoran’s face was full of fear.

The unknown was always the most terrifying, and right then, he did not know what was going on with his lower body.

“Your spine should have cracked from the shock. Your organs aren’t bleeding severely, so your life is not in danger. Don’t worry,” Meng Chao said. “With Dragon City’s medical skills, even if your spine cracked, it’s not as if you can’t get it treated.

“Just get a good doctor and rest well for two years, then you should have no problem regaining the mobility of a normal person. But it’ll be difficult for you to cultivate, get into college, or become a superhuman. Still, I don’t think a person like you should become a superhuman. It’ll be good for you and the society if you don’t.”

“You—” Zuo Haoran started shaking uncontrollably.

Meng Chao, who had blocked off half of the view of the sky, was like a demon in human skin in his eyes.

But what Meng Chao said was the truth.

Just then, two notifications had popped up in his field of vision.

[You severely injured normal citizen Zuo Haoran. You probably saved a large number of soldiers far into the future. Increased contribution points by 99.]

[The future cannot be predicted. Destiny is filled with many ups and downs. Changes done far into the future contribute little to the current civilization. It’s only when you control the present are you able to create the future.]

‘True. I’ve crippled Zuo Haoran, so he won’t be able to get into college or become a superhuman. This means it’ll be impossible for him to be in charge of an entire line of defense and run away at the last moment, thereby harming a lot of soldiers.

‘But this is just one possible future.

‘If we look at this through the butterfly effect theory, my return to the past has already changed many things. Who can say what will happen in the distant future?

‘So, while I have made contributions to civilization, I haven’t done much yet. It’s best to teach elite citizens future martial arts. This way I’ll be able to get instant results.’

After thinking about this, Meng Chao cast Zuo Haoran a compassionate look.

Could he be considered to have saved the class rep?

Even though he was injured badly and might be unable to become a superhuman, if he looked at it from another angle, this meant that he would not have the chance to become a traitor and become the subject of scorn. He would also never be pinned on the pillar of disgrace.

He could live a simple life as a normal person in the prospering Dragon City, which could also be considered as a form of luck.

No matter what, the grudge between could be considered as settled now. Meng Chao no longer had the slightest bit of interest toward Zuo Haoran.

“Lay still here. I’ll go and call the school doctor. Oh, but it’s not as if you can move.” Meng Chao started heading out of the grove.

Zuo Haoran coughed up blood then.

His originally handsome and righteous face was now a mess of tears, snot, and blood.

When Meng Chao was halfway out of the grove, he suddenly came back.

“I almost forgot something.”

He started groping about Zuo Haoran’s body, and soon, he brought out a recording pen from the pocket in his pants.

Meng Chao whistled. “Look at what we have here? Mr. Class Rep, your ability to learn is this great! You started learning how to record things behind others’ backs as well, huh?”

Crack!

He crushed the recording pen and put all the parts carefully into his pocket. Then, he patted around a little more to make sure that Zuo Haoran did not have a second recording pen before he left in satisfaction.

Zuo Haoran was in complete despair. Aside from using his head to beat against the soft sand, which ended up with his face being covered in dirt, he could do nothing else.

Ten minutes later, not only did the school doctor come, their homeroom teacher, Demon Yan, the teaching director, Principal Sun, and all the Class 6 students—they had just finished their tests—came over.

The bloody scene in the depths of the grove shocked everyone.

The students sucked in sharp breaths, while the homeroom teacher was scared out of his wits. Demon Yan scowled, and his face turned incredibly dark. The teaching director began jumping in anger after almost having a heart attack.

Even Principal Sun, who had been constantly dozing off, opened his beady eyes, which was a rare sight. He looked back and forth between Meng Chao and Zuo Haoran.

“You have absolutely no regard for the rules! How could you beat him to this state?!”

The teaching director was mad with anger. As he watched his heavily injured nephew, he felt like tearing Meng Chao apart. “Student Affairs Office, hurry up and subjugate the student who broke the rules! Wang Longjun, how do you even teach your students? I-Is he even a student anymore?! He’s practically a murderer, a criminal, a-a—”

He started hiccuping because of his anger, then led two teachers from the student affairs office toward Meng Chao.

The homeroom teacher wanted to stop him, but he could not find a reason to do so. He could only rub his hands as he descended into panic. “What should we do?! Meng Chao, you were too rash!”

The students looked at each other at a loss. They found themselves unable to say anything.

The class rep had been quite mean, so if the two ended up fighting each other to a bloody pulp, the students would still be willing to side with Meng Chao. It didn’t matter even if they had to do so in the face of Principal Sun and the teaching director.

But Meng Chao had decided to lay a heavy hand and snap Zuo Haoran’s spine. Wasn’t that too much?

Of course, there were some who found it strange. “Since when did Meng Chao become so strong that he could cripple the class rep?”

Meng Chao appeared to be relaxed. He crossed his arms and just stood still. Even when the teachers from the student affairs office came over, he did not care. He just took two steps backwards.

“What now? Are you still thinking of fighting back?” The teaching director had a fierce look.

“Meng Chao, you can’t keep making mistakes!” the homeroom teacher quickly said.

“No, I’m perfectly fine with going to the student affairs office. Things have already progressed to this state, and I am indeed responsible for it. It’s not something I can shake off,” Meng Chao said in a leisurely tone.

“But I have some evidences here that I should bring out to all of you now, or else, I won’t be able to know when they’re destroyed in the dark. Mr. Yan, I trust you the most. Please look below the trees around us with banners tied on them. I’ve put eight super high-definition micro video cameras on them. They should have recorded the fight just now from multiple angles. We’ll know what happened when we look at them.”

The crowd was stunned.

Even the teaching director was taken aback. “Why did you put video cameras over there?”

Meng Chao smiled. “I didn’t come here to fight against the class rep to settle our personal grudge. We were just going to spar and exchange techniques. We wanted to improve together. The class rep is strong, and it’s rare for me to spar with him, so it’s only par for the course that I’d want to record the entire session from a 360-degree angle. Then, when I go back, I could examine it carefully and improve more.

“Don’t you always record our cultivation processes and fights to analyze our mistakes? I don’t see anything wrong with what I did.”

The teaching director had nothing to say about it.

Demon Yan cast a glance at Principal Sun and searched around the area. Soon, he brought out eight video cameras.

When Meng Chao saw the video cameras in Demon Yan’s hands, he said, “It’s true that Zuo Haoran is injured, but I don’t understand what happened. I’ve just recovered, and my limbs are weak. There’s no way I could deliver such a heavy punch. Mr. Yan, Mr. Wang, Teaching Director Ma, please watch the videos before the students and help me figure out what happened, or else…”

“Or else what? Do you think that the school will falsely accuse an innocent man?” The teaching director braced himself. “Mr. Yan, turn on the videos, let’s have a look.”

Each micro video camera had its own super high-definition monitor.

Demon Yan handed the eight video cameras to the teaching director and the homeroom teachers of the other third year classes. Wang Longjun managed to get himself one as well.

Chu Feixiong and the other students quickly went behind Wang Longjung and craned their necks to take a look.

The fight was very short. It only lasted a bit over two minutes. First, Meng Chao was beat up so badly that his face was a bloody mess. Then, he pounced on Zuo Haoran. After that, Zuo Haoran went flying while coughing blood.

The normal students could not understand it, but the homeroom teachers looked contemplative. The teaching director’s face turned white, and Demon Yan’s pupils shrank.

He gathered up the other video cameras and slowed down the video five times and replayed the final scene several times from different angles.

Then, he cursed softly and strode to Zuo Haoran, who was on the stretcher.

“Tell me. What move were you about to use against Meng Chao?” Demon Yan asked while glaring at him.

Zuo Haoran’s face was pale. He could not say anything even after a long time had passed.

“Hurry up and tell me. Even if you don’t tell me, I already know it. But if we don’t figure out what sort of injury you have, you might miss the optimal time to be treated, and your injury will accompany you for life!” Demon Yan’s expression was fierce.

The ruthless instructor’s intimidating presence was not something the heavily injured Zuo Haoran could stand up to. He shuddered and said, “I-It’s Heart Hammer.”

When he said these words, before the students reacted, the homeroom teachers sucked in sharp breaths and jerked in shock.

“You know Heart Hammer?”

“You were just sparring with another fellow student, and yet you used Heart Hammer! What were you thinking of doing?”

“Ah! Zuo Haoran, y-you were too rash!”

Everyone was shocked and remorseful.

The teaching director covered his face. He looked as if everything was over.

“Mr. Yan, what’s going on? How was Zuo Haoran injured? We want to know.” Chu Feixiong stood out to represent all of Class 6.

Demon Yan cast a glance at Principal Sun. When he saw that the principal was not reacting to the situation, he faced the excited students and answered honestly.

“Zuo Haoran used a very powerful killing move called Heart Hammer during the sparring session just now, but he hasn’t mastered it, and there were obstructions in his force execution. The explosive strength was all gathered on his spine, and the moment he was about to release it, Meng Chao hit his chest, which caused the strength at the depths of his spine to explode. It resulted in his spine exploding.”

“Heart Hammer… as in the attack described ‘with a crack of the whip, a needle seeps into bones’?” After saying this, a student who was very well-read finally remembered what it was and could not help but cry out. “This is a domineering killing move only used against monsters who have strong defenses.

“The power of the punch can pierce the organs and destroy the heart. Zuo Haoran actually tried to use it on Meng Chao? Isn’t that too diabolical?”

“I see! So he reaped what he sowed?”

“So, Meng Chao was actually defending himself?”

“Meng Chao didn’t injure Zuo Haoran, he hurt himself. You can’t blame Meng Chao for this!”

Demon Yan handed the eight video cameras to the teaching director. “Teaching Director Ma, do you have any opinion regarding my judgment?”

The features of Ma Qingyun’s horse-like face bunched up so much that he looked like a fried dough twist. The color of his face changed several times, but in the end, he said fiercely, “N-no matter what, this was caused by them fighting in secret. Meng Chao, why did you come to the grove to fight against Zuo Haoran?!”

“Teaching Director Ma, allow me to say this again, we were not fighting but sparring, and it was an accident. That Heart Hammer was also something Zuo Haoran mentioned that he would demonstrate to me beforehand. That’s why I believe that it would be better to categorize the whole thing as an accident,” Meng Chao said calmly.

“Otherwise, it would be very hard to understand what went on. Zuo Haoran and I only have a little disagreement between us, which is something that can be resolved with a few words. Why should he use a move that is said to be able to deliver needles into bones with just one crack of a whip?

“That’s a little over the top. If things really go out of hand, it’ll be bad for me, Zuo Haoran, Class 6, and the school. What do you think?”

The teaching director’s expression changed.

The homeroom teachers furrowed their brows.

He was right. Students fighting against each other was common, but if they used Heart Hammer during a fight, were filmed doing it, and word about it spread out, it would be difficult for them to control how things would blow up.

If it were not handled properly, Ninth High School’s reputation would be ruined.

Even the teaching director himself would be disgraced for teaching a nephew who was ruthless and ended up reaping what he sowed. He would have trouble progressing the career ladder.

But if the students were just sparring and an accident occured, it was a different matter.

The teaching director was still hesitating, but at that moment, Principal Sun, who had not spoken since the start, finally opened his mouth.

“Teaching Director Ma, Zuo Haoran is still lying there. Shouldn’t you send the boy to the hospital? The other classes are still going through their tests. If we continue with the argument, we’ll affect the children’s future. That will not be good.”

The small, shriveled up old man spoke feebly. Since he was missing a few teeth, he spoke with a lisp, and he did not sound imposing at all.

But the teaching director looked as if he had just been struck by a stick. He instantly held his anger back, lowered his head, and said, “Yes, Principal Sun.”

“Mr. Yan, ask Meng Chao what exactly happened and how did the accident occur. Then, write a report about it. By the way, put on a friendlier face. Don’t scare the children now.”

“Understood, Principal Sun!\'” Demon Yan instinctively saluted. It looked like a ruthless instructor was facing his own ruthless instructor.

“It’s pretty good, hmm?”

Principal Sun smiled and returned to how he usually looked like—a mascot who only knew how to doze off. His hands were placed behind his back when he walked out of the grove.

The class released a long sigh. Judging by the looks of it, the incident would be classified as an accident.

However, Meng Chao should have coincidentally and unintentionally hit a fatal spot on Zuo Haoran, right? It was not wrong, then, to say it was an accident.

What else could have happened? There was no way Meng Chao could have countered Heart Hammer! It would make absolutely no sense if he did!

While the class watched with a complicated gaze, Meng Chao was led away by Demon Yan.

But they did not go to the office or the student affairs office. They only strolled about the schoolyard.

Demon Yan walked at a moderate pace in front of Meng Chao when he suddenly asked an unrelated and very strange question. “How much did you hold back during your speed and strength tests this morning?”

Meng Chao did not intend to hide and thought about it. “About twenty to thirty percent?”

It was twenty to thirty percent right now, but the figures might change in a few days.

“Why?”

“It wasn’t challenging, so I wasn’t interested in it.”

“Heh. And only the Golden Target was able to stir up your interest? Your shooting skills are pretty good. Who did you learn it from?”

“My dad. He was once an ace sharpshooter in the army. A few days ago, a Ghost-eyed Golden Winged Flame Beetle invaded Blessed Heavenly Garden. My dad dealt a headshot to it.”

“I see.” Demon Yao suddenly stopped still, turned his head around, and said, “What happened today was intentional.”

Meng Chao did not back down from the ruthless instructor’s suddenly fierce gaze. Instead, he took a huge step forward, as if he was trying to clash weapons against him. “Yes, it was intentional.”

“I need an explanation.”

Meng Chao shrugged. “It was purely self-defense.”

“Was it self-defense, or were you launching a preemptive strike? If you hadn’t been baiting him, Zuo Haoran might not have attacked you.”

“Am I supposed to stake my destiny on the possibility that he might not harm me?” Meng Chao smiled coldly. “Mr. Yan, right now, if there was a fierce monster standing beside you and your family, would you carefully judge whether it’s hungry or not, whether it would choose to spare you, or whether it was going through some difficulty?

“Would you try to decipher whether it is a kind monster? Would you think about whether you could find a better way to get rid of it?

“I’m just a high school student. When I handle matters, I am not able to pay attention to all details. I can only dig a pit and fill it with spikes. Then, I will stand behind that pit to see whether the monster will follow me. If it doesn’t come, I won’t bother it. But if it insists on coming after me, what can I do? Am I supposed to kneel down and beg it not to attack?”

Demon Yan stared at Meng Chao for a long time before saying, “Alright, I can accept this explanation. I’ll handle the trouble that will come later. Just focus on preparing for your exam!”

Meng Chao sighed in relief and smiled brilliantly. “Thank you, Mr. Yan. I knew that you’re the fairest and kindest teacher in the entire school.”

Demon Yan waved his hand. “You don’t have to flatter me. If you’re really thinking about thanking me, then have you ever thought about getting into military school?”

Meng Chao shook his head frankly. “Feixiong wants to become a general who fights in wars. Please help him. As for me, forget it.”

A cunning look flashed in Demon Yan’s eyes. “Why? I don’t think you’re the type who hates wars.”

Meng Chao had been a harvester for ten years of his life, and he had gained some occupational diseases because of it. He pouted. “Being a soldier is too crude. They use guns, cannons, and tanks to reduce the monsters into a mess. Resources that were originally in perfect shape end up mostly destroyed. Fighting in such a simple and crude manner isn’t my style.”

Demon Yan smiled. “Oh? And what sort of style do you like?”

“Meticulous, precise, and elegant.”

Meng Chao thought about it, and he could not help but brandish his hands. It was as if he was holding an invisible scalpel and surgery knives. “I like cutting into monster skin carefully, going through their blood vessels, gently caressing their organs, searching through every drop of their blood, and separating their organs perfectly before placing them in vessels filled with all sorts of medicinal liquid.

“In the end, a fearsome monster will become exquisite art. This is the art of a harvester, and I want to become an artist in this area.”

Demon Yan was unable to help it and shuddered when he saw the intoxicated expression on Meng Chao’s face.

Were all high school students this crazy nowadays?

Demon Yan took a few steps forward and said nonchalantly, “Last question. You said you dreamt of my death that day?”

Meng Chao was stunned. Then, he remembered what Demon Yan said. He was referring to the day he was reborn.

“Urgh… Mr. Yan, dreams are the exact opposite of reality. Are you bothered by this?” He scratched his head.

“Heh. I’m not bothered by it at all. Instead, I hope that’s the case.” While Meng Chao was shocked, Demon Yan said, “I was once a member of Dragon City’s regular army, Red Dragon Army. Even though I have been discharged from service, I will be a member of the Red Dragon Army till the moment I die.

“The greatest humiliation to a soldier is to die in his sleep. Since a person is going to die either way, I hope that I can die in a monster’s stomach and use my very last bone to pierce a monster’s heart. That is the best way for a member of the Red Dragon Army to die.

“So, thank you for dreaming of me fighting to my death, Meng Chao.”

This time, it was Meng Chao’s turn to be unable to speak.

Demon Yan laughed loudly and strode forward.