Chapter 8: Your Health Bar is Shorter than a Dog's
Traductor: TheFluentWhisper
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The next morning, Li Changye woke up early. Instead of practicing, he strolled around the Tianxuan Martial Academy.
He knew well that with his limited natural talent, regular training wouldn't get him far. He could only rely on gaining strength by defeating others.
His gaze, filled with a burning desire and murderous intent, scanned his surroundings, and an idea formed in his mind.
Since he gained the ability to see health bars, he'd had a special advantage beyond just gaining experience from kills—he could assess his opponents' strength by looking at their health bars.
If someone's health bar was longer than his, they were likely stronger, and defeating them would be risky. But if it was shorter, then he had a chance.
So, in the academy, whenever Li Changye saw a student with a health bar shorter than his, he would walk up to them, drape an arm around their shoulders in a friendly manner, and say, "Hey, fellow student, would you like to improve your combat skills? Why don't we sign a deathmatch contract and have a real fight on the life-and-death platform?"
Hearing his insane proposition, the students would turn pale, shake free of his grip like they'd seen a ghost, and run away without looking back.
Li Changye went through several students like this, only to be met with cold rejections and fearful retreats.
He sat down on a bench, sighing in frustration. "Who am I supposed to fight, anyway?"
Just then, a cat's meow caught his attention. He turned his head and saw a cat gracefully passing by.
It was a snow-white cat, plump and adorable, with mismatched eye colors. Li Changye admired its health bar—it was even longer than that of most humans.
This was no ordinary cat. It was the treasured pet of the outer courtyard's dean, with the bloodline of a mystical beast, known as the Glazed Snow Shadow Cat, and worth a fortune.
Seeing that no one was around, Li Changye thought, "Just one strike. If I miss, this cat will get away."
Gripping his sword tightly, he unleashed an incredible surge of power. In a flash, he brought his Fierce Five Tigers Gate-Breaking Technique to its peak, striking with ruthless force.
The cat didn't even have time to react before it was slain.
Without a moment's hesitation, Li Changye turned and fled.
"Congratulations! You've slain a feline mystical beast, +200 XP."
"It seems I made the right bet," he muttered as he hurried off.
Soon, students discovered the cat's corpse, sparkling an uproar across the academy. The dean of the outer courtyard was furious and placed a 2000-silver bounty to catch the culprit.
Li Changye, upon hearing the bounty amount, felt a twinge
of regret.
"That cat was so valuable… I should've sold it instead. It would've made a fortune."
As he brooded over his missed opportunity, a chubby young man waddled over with a warm smile and called out, "Big Brother!"
Li Changye looked up and laughed. He recognized the chubby fellow—it was Wang Fugui, another student at Tianxuan Martial Academy, although they weren't in the same class.
Wang Fugui's rotund frame made him look like a walking ball of flesh, struggling to breathe after only a few steps. He was one of Li Changye's followers.
When Li Changye first arrived at the academy and was bullied, he'd mentioned that his father was Li Xiao, the Emperor of the Southern Territories. Unexpectedly, rather than gaining respect, he'd faced more ridicule. After all, the Emperor of the South was a renowned martial arts grandmaster, and yet his son couldn't even pass the first level of Body Refinement.
Only Wang Fugui was impressed, eagerly pledging his loyalty.
Now, Wang Fugui came up to Li Changye, showering him with over-the-top flattery.
"Big Brother, I've heard of your victories. I can't believe you took down that punk He Tian. I never liked him."
"And that brute Cao Hu—the top bully of the outer courtyard—you finished him off too!"
"My admiration for you flows like an endless river."
"Oh, really?" Li Changye gave him a cold smile. "So you're willing to go through fire and water for me?"
"Of course, no question about it," Wang Fugui replied, thumping his chest.
"Excellent." Li Changye looked at him with a sinister smile.
Wang Fugui shivered, suddenly uneasy.
In the afternoon, Li Changye invited Wang Fugui to a deserted alley. The place was damp, dark, and silent—perfect for foul play.
Wang Fugui glanced around curiously. "Boss, why'd you bring me here?"
Li Changye flashed a strange grin and pointed into the distance. "Look over there. That's the brothel, full of beautiful girls. You can see them from here."
Understanding dawned on Wang Fugui's face, and he tiptoed to peer over, his face lighting up. "Wow, there really are a lot of beauties."
While Wang Fugui was distracted, Li Changye quietly drew his sword. His heart was torn, wrestling with hesitation, but finally, he resolved himself.
He silently vowed, "Sorry, Wang Fugui. For the sake of my journey to strength, you must be sacrificed!"
"Don't worry, I'll burn offerings for you every year. Your sacrifice will be worth it. When I become the strongest, I'll spread tales of your loyalty. I'll also care for your family."
"Farewell."
Just as he was about to stab Wang Fugui, he saw a fierce wolfhound approaching.
In the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of its health bar. His whole body shook, and his sword clattered to the ground.
"What was that?" Wang Fugui turned around in surprise.
Li Changye pointed to the dog and then to him, his eyes wide. "Wang Fugui, am I seeing things? Your health bar… it's shorter than a dog's!"
"Huh? What health bar?" Wang Fugui looked confused.
Li Changye trembled in shock. Wang Fugui's health bar was pathetically short, while the nearby dog's bar was at least twice as long.
Could there be something special about this dog?
Li Changye picked up his sword and charged at the dog, his Five Tigers Gate-Breaking Technique unleashing a roar that filled the alley.
The dog was instantly cleaved in two.
However, Li Changye froze in disbelief.
"Congratulations! You've slain a dog, gaining 1 XP."
"One point?!" Li Changye stood in a daze, at a complete loss.
Wang Fugui came over, looking puzzled. "Boss, why'd you kill a dog?"
"It's nothing." Li Changye looked at him thoughtfully. "By the way, which department are you in?"
"Oh, I'm training to be a cook at Tianxuan," Wang Fugui replied cheerfully.
"A cook?" Li Changye was stunned. Wasn't Tianxuan for training martial artists? When did it start offering culinary classes?
Wang Fugui laughed. "Tianxuan doesn't just train martial artists. They have other programs too—alchemy, strategy, medicine, and literature. In non-martial programs, we don't have separate inner and outer courtyards."
"People without the aptitude for martial arts usually switch to other departments."
"So, you're not a martial student? You're studying to be a cook?" Li Changye realized with a jolt.
"Yep!" Wang Fugui grinned. "I'm planning to be your personal cook once I'm qualified."
"Perfect."
Li Changye sheathed his sword. Any thoughts of killing Wang Fugui vanished.
What a joke—Wang Fugui's health bar wasn't even longer than a dog's. Killing him would've barely been worth any experience.
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