Chapter 21: Dragon Fang
When Instructor Jian Qing left the classroom, the others—aside from basking in the joy of having ignited their martial meridians—couldn’t help but look at Chen Ning with pity.
After all, this was the Elite Squad. Out of a thousand new recruits, only fifty had been chosen. Yet among these elites, Chen Ning stood out—for being the weakest, with the strength of only a Level 1 War Soldier.
It was both ironic and suspicious.
Most of those around him regarded him with the same cold eyes one would give a crippled fighter. Someone even sneered,
“Heh, the weakest one here is still a Level 2 Soldier, and most of us are Level 3. Yet this guy’s only Level 1. How the hell did he manage to hunt a Level 3 and Level 2 zombie during the assessment?”
The one speaking was Xiao Zihao—not from Chen Ning’s previous unit, but the strongest newcomer from another unit. During the meridian ignition, just like Bai Yuhao, he had ignited four nodes at once through sheer force—becoming one of the rare Level 4 War Officer among the elites.
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TL Note: Xiao Zihao (肖子豪)
Different from the Xiao used for Xiao Guo (小果) which means Little Guo. The Xiao (肖) here is a surname.
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Xiao Zihao was close to Liu Xi. Both hailed from noble families of the Vermilion Phoenix City and had agreed to reunite in the Elite Division.
But then Xiao Zihao heard the news—Liu Xi had died during the assessment night.
From the beginning, Xiao Zihao found Liu Xi’s death suspicious. Liu Xi had been strong and had two subordinates with him, yet all three were killed. Something didn’t add up.
Now, seeing Chen Ning—who had only ignited one meridian node—he suddenly recalled Liu Xi’s words about some grudge between them.
Immediately, suspicion flared in Xiao Zihao’s heart.
He began to suspect that on the night of the assessment, Chen Ning might have ambushed Liu Xi’s team while they were exhausted from fighting a Level 3 Charger—stealing their kills, taking their zombie cores, and deceitfully passing himself off as a hero.
Otherwise—how could a mere Level 1 Soldier possibly slay a Level 3 zombie, a Level 2 zombie, and three Level 1 zombies?
When Xiao Zihao muttered his doubts, his voice was just loud enough for Chen Ning to hear.
The others picked up on the tone. They knew exactly what he was implying—that Chen Ning had cheated, perhaps even through murder of fellow trainees.
And one by one, their eyes turned strange.
Chen Ning frowned, irritation flickering in his gaze. “What do you mean by that?”
Xiao Zihao smirked coldly. With his strength as a Level 4 War Officer and his noble background, he had nothing to fear. Meeting Chen Ning’s eyes, he said icily,
“Nothing much. I just think a useless piece of trash like you could never have earned those results honestly. I know you had a grudge with my friend Liu Xi. I strongly suspect you killed him and stole his achievements. Do you really think a Level 1 Soldier could slay a Level 3 zombie? Who do you think you’re fooling?”
The air around them grew taut like a drawn bowstring. Suspicion deepened in everyone’s eyes.
Though Chen Ning had only ignited one black and one white meridian node, he knew his strength far surpassed a mere Level 1. But with his dual meridians, there was no clear measure for his true power.
Still, revealing his secret might expose something deeper—something tied to his identity of a demigod.
Yet facing Xiao Zihao’s arrogant taunts and the distrust in everyone’s eyes, Chen Ning felt there was only one way to silence them all—
A duel.
He would challenge Xiao Zihao and prove his strength in front of everyone.
As Chen Ning rose to his feet, his expression calm and resolute, Bai Yuhao—sitting not far away—immediately realized what he intended.
Bai Yuhao knew Chen Ning’s strength wasn’t truly just Level 1, but against a Level 4 like Xiao Zihao, he would still be outmatched.
Before Chen Ning could even speak, Bai Yuhao strode forward with a lazy smile.
“Heh, Xiao Zihao, even Instructor Butcher never questioned Chen Ning’s results. Throwing accusations without proof—don’t you think that’s a bit low?”
Xiao Zihao, who had been all too eager to provoke Chen Ning into a fight, hadn’t expected Bai Yuhao to step in.
He had been hoping for Chen Ning to lose his temper and challenge him—that way, he could crush him openly.
But now, Bai Yuhao’s interference spoiled everything.
Xiao Zihao knew Bai Yuhao’s background—the Bai family of Vermilion Phoenix City held influence even within the Imperial Army.
Annoyed and jealous, he snapped,
“Bai Yuhao, this is between me and Chen Ning. Why are you meddling?”
Bai Yuhao smiled politely. “Simple. Chen Ning’s my friend—and I trust him.”
Xiao Zihao’s expression stiffened. That proud Bai Yuhao—who usually looked down on everyone—was calling this slum-born weakling a friend? That was unexpected.
He stared at the two for a moment, then said darkly,
“That piece of rubbish may be your friend, but Liu Xi was my comrade!”
He turned to Chen Ning, his tone chilling.
“I’ll let you off for now, for Bai Yuhao’s sake. But if I ever find proof you killed Liu Xi, I’ll make sure you die miserably.”
With that, he strode out of the classroom, followed by half a dozen loyal subordinates.
The others dispersed soon after. Even though no fight broke out, most people found Xiao Zihao’s account more credible. After all, Chen Ning had only demonstrated the strength of a Level 1, and by all logic, he shouldn’t have been capable of killing so many zombies during the assessment night.
Chen Ning sighed and turned to Bai Yuhao. “You helped me again. Thanks.”
Bai Yuhao waved it off lazily.
“What’s there to thank? You think the word friend is just for show? Come on, let’s grab lunch. Instuctor Butcher’s supposed to hand out rewards later—something to look forward to.”
Together with Bai Yuhao, Su Luo, and the Luo twins, Chen Ning went to the cafeteria.
After lunch, they returned to their quarters.
Since joining the Elite Squad, their treatment had improved greatly—no more crowded dormitories. Each of the fifty elites now had a small private room.
Cramped but private—luxury by military standards.
These fifty were all the Butcher’s disciples—personally chosen for intensive training, destined to become officers of the Phoenix Legion.
Private rooms also meant uninterrupted cultivation of The Mighty Tigers Art..
Chen Ning sat cross-legged on his bed, closing his eyes to train.
With his dual martial veins, he had to work twice as hard just to keep up.
As he meditated, his consciousness drifted into illusion—
A pitch-black void, with a dried-up lake at its center.
On the left side—an inky black meridian shrouded in mist.
On the right—a gleaming white meridian pulsing with light.
Each had twelve nodes. Only the first node of each glowed faintly.
Following the Mighty Tigers Art, Chen Ning began cultivating.
Drip.
A drop of water fell into the lake.
That droplet represented the martial power he had generated. With each drop, the lake would gradually fill—and once full, he could attempt to ignite the next node of his dual veins.
Two hours passed in what felt like moments.
At first, the droplets came quickly—one per second. But soon they slowed, one per minute, until progress nearly halted.
Chen Ning opened his eyes, remembering Jian Qing’s lesson:
“The Mighty Tigers Art must be practiced alongside physical training. Physical exertion provides the energy the body needs to generate martial power. Train the body for half the day, then meditate for the other half.”
At 2 p.m., the shrill assembly horn blared.
Chen Ning sprang from bed, dressed swiftly, and rushed to the training field.
Rows of elite warriors stood tall and straight as spears.
Then came Butcher—massive, bare-chested, a cigar clamped between his teeth, exuding raw power.
He glanced around at his students and grinned broadly.
“I told you all before—joining the Elite Squad comes with rewards. But not everyone gets the same prize. The best rewards are the ones that fit you.”
He began the distribution.
Most received Bone-Cleansing Pills—treasures that healed hidden injuries and boosted strength by one level.
But those like Xiao Zihao and Bai Yuhao only smiled bitterly; they’d already used such pills from their family stores, and they knew its exclusive benefit could not be repeated—leaving them only with the keen sense of the futility of their situation..
Chen Ning’s reward, however, was different.
Butcher considered it remarkable that Chen Ning, with only the power of a Level 1 Soldier, had managed to kill so many zombies during the assessment night. It was precisely because of this feat that he decided to give Chen Ning the finest reward.
It was a standard-issue Tang sword of the kind only distinguished officers had the chance to obtain.
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TL Note: Tang Sword (唐刀)
The Tang Sword is a classic, prestigious, straight sword of ancient China, famous for its quality and balance.
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Moreover, this blade bore the proud name: “Dragon’s Fang”!
The blade was long and straight, sharp as a dragon’s tooth, elegant in design yet filled with killing intent.
Jealous eyes filled the room.
Especially Xiao Zihao—his gaze burned with naked greed.
In his mind, trash like Chen Ning didn’t deserve a blade like Dragon Fang.
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