August 28th. Only one day remained before the final exam.
Chen Chuan hadn't gone to Quan's House for the past two days, choosing instead to stay home and prepare for the upcoming final exam. As soon as he woke up in the morning, he went to the courtyard and began practicing the Great Scattering Hand over and over.
His movements were slow yet powerful, a perfect harmony of motion and stillness. He performed the normally aggressive Great Scattering Hand with a surprising sense of beauty.
Yu Wan came out wearing an apron, a gentle smile on her face as she watched him practice. Even if she didn't understand the techniques, she found the power and rhythm conveyed in Chen Chuan's movements to be deeply comforting.
In Chen Chuan, she seemed to see the shadow of another figure, one who had also practiced just like this in the courtyard. She couldn't help but murmur, "Second Sis..."
After several repetitions, Chen Chuan suddenly caught a fragrant aroma. He stopped his practice and said, "Auntie, are you making chicken soup?"
Yu Wan was a little surprised. She had only just started cooking it. She smiled and said, "You have a sharp nose, just like your Second Sis. Your final exam is tomorrow, isn't it? Auntie is making you some chicken soup to build up your strength."
Truth be told, a single bowl of chicken soup wouldn't do much to supplement Chen Chuan's training. But it was a kind gesture from Yu Wan, a show of concern for her nephew. Besides, after days of eating nothing but black-meat pumpkin rice and Nutrition Paste, he'd almost forgotten what real food tasted like.
He was in a good mood. "Thank you, Auntie. I've been eating out these past few days, so I haven't had a chance to enjoy your cooking. I've really missed it."
Yu Wan was delighted to hear him say that. "It needs to stew for a little while longer. You burn a lot of energy with your training. Do you want a few biscuits to tide you over?"
Chen Chuan smiled. "I want to save room for your chicken soup, Auntie."
Yu Wan chuckled and went back inside. "I'll go watch the stove. I'll call you when it's ready."
Chen Chuan practiced by himself for a while longer until he felt completely invigorated, then headed back into the living room.
Since it was a day off, the whole family was home. Nian Fuli was also home for a change. His belt was unbuckled and set aside as he read the newspaper. The radio was on nearby, playing a Zhang Mountain folk tune.
Chen Chuan came inside, picked up the thermos to pour himself some water, and noticed Nian Fuli's teacup was half-empty. He took it and filled it to the brim for him.
Nian Fuli glanced up at Chen Chuan. Seeming to remember something, he put down his newspaper and said, "Xiaochuan, that matter has been resolved. There are still a few loose ends, but you just focus on your exam. Don't ask too many questions. Your uncle will handle anything that comes up."
Chen Chuan realized he was talking about the assault. "Thank you, Uncle," he said.
Nian Fuli then asked, "So, are you confident?"
Chen Chuan said, "Mr. Yu is a good teacher. I've learned everything I was supposed to learn. And for that, I also have you to thank, Uncle."
Nian Fuli could see the confidence brimming in his eyes. He grunted in acknowledgment, raised the newspaper to cover his face, and went back to reading. But the toe of his crossed leg began to twitch.
Chen Chuan smiled. He carried his cup back to his room, set it on the desk, and pushed the window open a little. It had rained lightly last night, and the air was still fresh. The chirping of birds drifted in from outside.
After standing there for a moment, he turned and took a book titled *The Great Expansion* from his bookshelf. It was his favorite book, one he had been reading for a long time.
The Great Expansion was set sixty years ago during the third national expansion period. Back then, Yangzhi City was just a small county town that gradually developed after becoming a logistics and transport hub for the Pioneer Army.
However, the book wasn't primarily about military affairs. Instead, it told strange stories from the perspective of civilians in three pioneer groups, making it more like a bizarre biography and adventure journal. He found it fascinating, as the book described the local customs and traditions of each place in great detail.
In fact, Yangzhi City itself was rife with all sorts of strange urban legends. For example, there was the Skull Splitting Demon. At every crime scene, the victim's head would be split open, and their brain would supposedly be missing.
Because of its macabre nature and the fact that the victims were never ordinary people, the story was widely circulated.
There were similar legends, like the disappearance of an entire village deep in Zhang Mountain, the Jiaoshan Phantom, and the Face Kite. He had privately asked Nian Fuli about them, but Nian Fuli had scoffed, saying the Patrol Bureau had investigated these incidents. He claimed that while a few things were indeed difficult to explain, most of them showed signs of human involvement.
He also said that even if such evil things existed, they were nothing in the face of muskets and cannons.
Back in the living room, even though it wasn't dinnertime yet, the aroma of chicken soup wafted out. His two younger cousins, who were playing, caught the scent and immediately started clamoring.
"It smells so good!"
"I want chicken! I want chicken!"
"That's for our big cousin, not for you! You don't get any."
"I want some too! I want some too..."
"You don't get any! You just don't!"
The two little ones were giving Nian Fuli a headache. He put down his newspaper and called toward the kitchen, "Hey, Yu Wan, why don't you just stew another chicken?"
"I want *this* one! I want *this* one..."
"This child is so disobedient..." Yu Wan rushed out of the kitchen, grabbed Nian Mo by the ear, and gave his bottom a couple of quick smacks. Nian Mo let out a dry, wailing cry.
Hearing the commotion from his room, Chen Chuan couldn't help but smile.
The family ate together for both lunch and dinner that day.
Before dinner, Nian Fuli said to Chen Chuan, "Don't be too nervous tomorrow. Back in my day, the first time I went onto the battlefield, I didn't even know the meaning of fear."
Yu Wan said, "Your uncle isn't exaggerating. He really was very brave back then. It's just that after he came back, he was always saying that if a certain bullet had been off by just a little more, it wouldn't have been a hole in his helmet—it would have been the end of him."
Nian Fuli rubbed the stubble on his head and sighed. "Before I joined the army, I only had myself to feed and no one else to worry about, so I didn't have to think too much. After I started a family, I got more timid. I always feel like I was too reckless when I was young. But if you don't push yourself when you're young, you'll inevitably regret it when you're old."
He looked at Chen Chuan and said, "Kid, take the exam seriously. To put it bluntly, whether you'll be drinking wine and eating meat or eating husks and wild greens all comes down to tomorrow."
Chen Chuan smiled. "Uncle, Auntie, I'm confident."
"Good. Enough talk. Let's eat. Eat up, get your fill, and rest well. You'll need your energy for tomorrow." With that, Nian Fuli picked up his chopsticks, and the family began to eat.
After dinner, Chen Chuan took a walk outside. When he returned to his room, he placed an alarm clock on his desk. With a single thought, his Second Self instantly merged with his body, and he began to count silently.
When he opened his eyes and looked at the second hand, two minutes had passed. This was the result of his recent efforts.
A true life-or-death fight is usually decided in a matter of seconds, ten at most. So for a one-on-one duel, this was more than enough.
Regardless, over the past three months, he had done the absolute best he could. Now, all that was left was to await tomorrow's test.
He double-checked the things he needed to bring for the next day, then relaxed and went back to reading his book. When the grandfather clock struck ten, he turned off the light and went to sleep as usual, quickly falling into a deep slumber.
The night passed. Around five in the morning, he woke up full of energy. But Yu Wan had woken up even earlier, having already prepared breakfast for him and reminding him not to be nervous.
Chen Chuan, however, wasn't very nervous at all. This came from confidence in his own strength.
The final exam didn't have a specific start time; candidates were only required to arrive before eight o'clock. Nevertheless, to avoid rushing, he decided to get to the school a little early.
After leaving the house, he saw that the sky was a hazy blue. The sun had just begun to rise, and there weren't many people on the road yet.
He rode his bike past the city center plaza and smoothly turned onto the main road leading to Wuyi University Hall. There, he saw that both sides of the road were lined with security guards maintaining order, each with a short baton and a dagger tucked into their belt.
They must have been sent by Wuyi University Hall to keep the peace. After all, with so many students gathered in one place—all of them hot-blooded young martial artists—problems could easily arise if proper arrangements weren't made.
He rode a little further and could already see the school gate, but the open area in front of it was cordoned off with barrier ropes. A security guard standing at the street corner stepped out and waved at him, motioning for him to park his bicycle in the designated area.
He dismounted and pushed his bike toward the empty lot where several rows of bicycles were already parked. After parking his bike, he walked through the opening left in the barrier rope cordon.
A long line of early-arriving candidates had already formed ahead. Each candidate's identity had to be checked one by one. Anyone without a student ID—whether it was damaged, forgotten, or lost—would be denied entry. No excuses would be accepted.
Manning the gate were two academy instructors and three teaching assistants, all with grim expressions. Combined with the patrolling security guards, the atmosphere was extremely tense.
As before, Chen Chuan entered through a side gate. At the entrance, they checked his ID number and photo to confirm his identity, then inspected his belongings. Nothing was allowed inside except for food, water, toilet paper, and a towel for washing up. Finally, after signing his name, he was permitted to enter Wuyi University Hall.
As they were lining up to enter the gate, a small car slowly drove up. An instructor proactively went over to ask a few questions. The student inside didn't get out; they simply presented their student card and were immediately allowed to pass.
None of the students entering through the side gates thought anything of it. On the contrary, most of them cast envious and longing glances at the car.
Just then, he heard a few chirps overhead. Chen Chuan looked up. Against the clear sky, illuminated by the now-bright sunlight, he could see a few small birds circling high above.
"Student, your ID card."
Chen Chuan snapped back to reality. "Thank you," he said, taking the card. After putting it away safely, he tightened the strap of his shoulder bag and strode through the main gate of Wuyi University Hall.
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