Chapter Nineteen: The Level of Cultivation Methods (Part Two)

“Level Four!” The lieutenant announced Zhao Li’s result without preamble. Hearing this, Zhao Li was not surprised; he knew his own situation best. The true essence generated from so many combat techniques had been refined to the point of being unusable, so achieving this result was already quite satisfactory—in fact, it was more than enough and, most importantly, concealed his secrets well.

“Thank you, sir!” Zhao Li snapped off a crisp salute. The lieutenant returned it, nodding approvingly. “Those ten punches just now were well executed. You’ve done well, young man. Keep at it—I have high hopes for you.” He nodded again, his tone encouraging. “Your level isn’t the most important thing. As long as you meet the standard, don’t lose heart.”

“Next!” As Zhao Li left the testing chamber, he couldn’t help but notice a few faces sporting schadenfreude-laced grins. He paid them no mind, walking calmly to the side.

“Level Four! Next!”
“Level Five! Next!”
“Level Five! Next!”
…
“Level Six! Next!”
…
“Level Five! Next!”

A string of results rolled off the lieutenant’s tongue. In less than two hours, everyone had been tested. Aside from Zhao Li, who was done in under a minute, everyone else spent at least three minutes inside. Thankfully, all nineteen recruits scored above the minimum level—none fell short. There were two at level six, ten at level five, and the remaining seven, including Zhao Li, at level four.

The instructor, as was customary, escorted the evaluating lieutenant out. With no instructor present, the group was left to its own devices and immediately relaxed. The recruits, having learned their results, were full of excitement—especially the higher-ranked ones, who were nearly jumping for joy.

“Hey, Zhao Li, didn’t the instructor always give you extra training? Weren’t you supposed to be the fastest at cultivating? How come you’re only at level four?” Zhao Li was lost in thought, not paying much attention to the commotion around him. The voice startled him from his reverie.

“What?” He hadn’t caught the remark and asked absentmindedly, which only made a few people burst out laughing.

“What’s wrong, are you distracted because your result was disappointing?” The same voice, full of mischief, teased him. “Don’t worry, the instructor said levels aren’t everything. Don’t let it get you down!” A wave of laughter followed, with a few others joining in.

Zhao Li knew that voice well. There were only nineteen people in their squad—no one could fail to recognize each other’s laughter. It belonged to Li Xiuyuan, who had always seemed to harbor some resentment toward Zhao Li, especially when Zhao Li finished his training before anyone else. At those times, Li Xiuyuan’s gaze was openly hostile.

In this round of testing, Li Xiuyuan had achieved level six, tying with another recruit for the highest score in their phase of combat technique training. Seeing his own result, then Zhao Li’s, Li Xiuyuan felt a rush of vindication, as if a long-suffering, wronged prisoner had finally been exonerated, free to hold his head high.

His mocking laughter and so-called words of comfort were never meant to console Zhao Li; rather, they were intended to undermine him. In the past, Zhao Li always topped the group, and the instructor was always subtly partial to him, barely paying attention to Li Xiuyuan. This gnawed at him, but now, for once, he savored the reversal—delighting in Zhao Li’s “mediocrity” and eager for Instructor Xiao Qiang to see how wrong he’d been.

“Downcast?” Zhao Li chuckled softly. Years of guarding his secret had made him mature beyond his peers; their jibes didn’t bother him in the least. “Why would I be? This level is just an assessment standard—meeting it is enough. There’s no reason to feel low.”

“So you’re saying that getting the lowest score should make you happy, is that it?” Li Xiuyuan’s words drew angry looks from the other recruits who’d also scored level four. It was a cruel thing to say—what did he mean by “lowest score”?

Before Zhao Li could reply, Li Xiuyuan jabbed a finger toward Zhao Li’s face. “From now on, don’t act like you’re progressing faster than everyone else. Don’t rush out pretending to be first. Hmph, with a result like this, it’s obvious you were faking it all along. If you try that again, don’t blame me for being rude!”

Poor fellow—years of pent-up frustration were finally spilling out, and he no longer held back, openly provoking Zhao Li.

In the military, no one admired the weak. Zhao Li had always excelled, always enjoyed the instructor’s attention; no one dared speak against him. But now, with the test results revealed, Li Xiuyuan found his moment. A few others who were normally close to him quickly took his side.

In such moments, showing weakness meant you would never reclaim your standing again. That was the rule here. Zhao Li’s prior forbearance had been to protect his secret. Now that the results were out, no one would pay attention to a level four underachiever; he had nothing more to hide.

Given that, Zhao Li was in no mood to indulge Li Xiuyuan’s arrogance. He gave a cold, indifferent smile and replied in a calm, almost detached voice, “And what exactly do you mean by ‘rude’?”

Military discipline was strict—private fights were forbidden, and everyone knew the consequences. Corporal punishment was the least of them. Zhao Li’s question caught Li Xiuyuan off guard; they’d never had a real conflict before. Still, emboldened by the support at his back, Li Xiuyuan straightened. “If I say I’ll be rude, then I’ll hit you.”

No one noticed when Instructor Xiao Qiang had appeared nearby, but he was now close enough to hear their entire exchange. As the confrontation escalated, the instructor made no move to intervene. Instead, he quietly retreated a few steps, crossed his arms, and leaned against a column, a faint, amused smile playing on his lips as he watched the scene unfold.

Zhao Li caught sight of the instructor out of the corner of his eye and turned his head. Li Xiuyuan, too, glanced over. His heart skipped a beat—if the instructor saw this, there could be trouble. Xiao Qiang had always favored Zhao Li, but now that he’d scored only a level four, would he still shield him?

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For a while, the story will move away from training. The opening might not have been perfectly paced—thank you for your understanding! If you’re enjoying the novel, please recommend and support it. If you can vote for it, I would be deeply grateful!