Chapter 135: Tendency Towards Abuse

Xiao Yufan needed a full year to master combat, firearms, and martial arts—everything he had never been exposed to before…

The sole purpose of this passive learning was to survive the brutal beatings from several special forces soldiers.

Meanwhile, Xiao Yufan’s business and political education was overseen by an old, solemn man. Though the elder appeared unremarkable at first glance, from the soldiers’ occasional whispers, Xiao Yufan vaguely understood that this old man held an extremely high status.

Xiao Yufan needed an entire year to master combat, firearms, martial arts, and everything he had never been exposed to before…

The sole purpose of this passive acceptance was to survive the beatings from several special forces members.

Responsible for Xiao Yufan’s business acumen and political education was an ancient-looking old man. Though outwardly unremarkable, from the few words of the special forces members, Xiao Yufan vaguely knew that this old man held an extremely high status.

As for why such an old man would condescend to teach him, Xiao Yufan had no idea. He increasingly felt that the entire Situ family was not as simple as it seemed.

In addition to numerous survival skills, Xiao Yufan also delved deeply into assassination and stealth techniques, because only by becoming stronger could he survive in this place filled with abnormal individuals.

…

Xiao Yufan desperately absorbed knowledge from all aspects. There were no fancy words, only the profound lessons and experiences the special forces members imparted to him. There were no lengthy discourses, only absolutely practical skills and experiences.

Of course, whenever Xiao Yufan grew weary, Tianxuan would very “considerately” request to play some “little games” with him.

At first, Xiao Yufan thought this would be the only perk, as he also needed some relaxation. However, what awaited him was even more miserable times…

The content of the little games was quite varied, but what tormented Xiao Yufan the most was that every day, Tianxuan would lock him up with well-trained wolfhounds, and these were wolfhounds that had been starved for several days.

Facing the wolfhounds bare-handed, even if Xiao Yufan glared at Tianxuan with gritted teeth, it was futile. Life was more important, so for a long time, he lived with the wolfhounds.

From the initial three to the final ten, Xiao Yufan’s explosive power improved significantly, but the cost was his body covered in scars, with his clothes soaked in blood every time…

“These are just mindless wolfhounds. If you were facing dozens of people, you’d already be dead. Old Master Situ wants someone who can shoulder great responsibilities, not a coward!”

Tianxuan was not at all lenient with Xiao Yufan’s training. To survive better, one must adapt to more scenarios. This time it was wolfhounds, next time it might be assassins trying to kill him.

Every minute and every second was a torment for Xiao Yufan. He began to suspect that Tianxuan had a sadistic tendency, otherwise, how could there be so many endless ways to torment him?

Of course, there were slightly more humane games. To train Xiao Yufan’s reaction speed, Tianxuan would draw a circle and have Xiao Yufan stand inside, throwing balls at him…

The requirement was to move as little as possible, with minimal dodging. Of course, the circle kept getting smaller, and Xiao Yufan could only stand still, while the balls were upgraded to darts!

Sleep had become a luxury for Xiao Yufan since he arrived here. The elite special forces of the Tian Group had somehow found many skilled assassins, all to keep Xiao Yufan on constant alert…

The roles of the assassins also evolved from minor characters to high-level professional killers. Almost every night, a life-and-death struggle would ensue.

Thus, after an unknown period of time, Xiao Yufan’s physical abilities in all aspects had greatly improved, and he understood what it meant to lose track of time in the mountains. Here, he truly felt like each day was a year.

But even though each day felt like a year, time still flowed bit by bit, and after the pain came the successful transformation…

Two months later, on the underground arena, Xiao Yufan sized up the special forces elite before him, who had killed over a dozen people during a drug bust in Yunnan, feeling a chill in his heart.

It was said that this person, like his martial arts instructor, was an absolute king in the field of martial arts. Dressed in military attire with no expression, his dangerous aura kept Xiao Yufan on high alert.

Silence is the precursor to a storm, and soon this phrase was perfectly exemplified. Before Xiao Yufan could speak, the man had already appeared beside him, leaping into the air and kicking out. Xiao Yufan was sent flying before he could react…

Following up with a knee press, the man aimed at Xiao Yufan, who hadn’t yet gotten up. Enduring the pain, Xiao Yufan rolled away, narrowly escaping. Fortunately, the man didn’t pursue, otherwise, consecutive blows would have left him severely injured for at least three days.

“Tianxuan said your strength is already formidable, but in my eyes, you’re still too weak. With your current strength, challenging her is still far from enough!”

The man’s lips curled with a hint of disdainful mockery. Xiao Yufan had been too careless to let him get so close unprepared. With such reaction speed, in a real fight, the outcome would only be death!

Gritting his teeth, Xiao Yufan climbed up from the cold ground, gently wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth with a finger. The smile at the corner of his eyes appeared very sinister, cold and devoid of any emotion.

With a sudden push off the ground, Xiao Yufan closed the distance to the man again. His explosive power was indeed strong, but his earlier carelessness had made him look so pathetic. Now, having regained his composure, he adjusted his stance, ready to fight.

“Your explosive power is commendable, but the gap in strength is far from being bridged by mere explosive power…”

The man blocked Xiao Yufan’s heavy kick with his arm, stepping back two steps. Xiao Yufan flipped and landed, also stepping back two steps. The pain in his leg made him feel somewhat weak.

But he believed the man wasn’t faring well either. After fighting wolfhounds for so long, his leg skills had reached a masterful level. Combined with the man’s underestimation, his upper body was likely in a state of numbness.

“You’re strong, but so what? Now, doesn’t your arm feel like it’s about to be crippled? Arrogance sometimes comes at a cost…”

The smile on Xiao Yufan’s lips grew more pronounced. A move that evenly matched the man before him had clearly exceeded his expectations. Even if his lower body was also becoming numb, so what!

“Your leg is about to be crippled too! If I hadn’t held back, do you think you’d still be standing here now?”

Ignoring Xiao Yufan’s disdain, the man looked at him with a playful gaze for a long while, then spoke with a hint of contempt. If it were a real life-and-death situation, Xiao Yufan wouldn’t even have the right to speak…

In addition to these survival skills, Xiao Yufan also delved deeply into assassination and stealth techniques. Only by becoming stronger could he survive in a place filled with so many freaks.

…

Xiao Yufan absorbed knowledge from all fronts with all his might. There were no fancy words, only the harsh lessons and experiences drilled into him by the special forces soldiers—no lengthy lectures, only absolutely practical skills and techniques.

Of course, whenever Xiao Yufan felt exhausted, Tianxuan would, in an extremely “thoughtful” manner, suggest some “little games” between them.

At first, Xiao Yufan thought this would be his only privilege, since he did need some appropriate relaxation. However, what awaited him was an even more miserable experience…

The games varied greatly in content, but the most tormenting one for Xiao Yufan was when Tianxuan locked him in a room daily with trained attack dogs—specifically, ones that had been starved for several days.

Fighting the dogs unarmed, Xiao Yufan could only glare at Tianxuan in frustration, but it was pointless. After all, survival came first. So for a long time, he lived side by side with these dogs.

Starting with three and eventually facing ten, Xiao Yufan’s explosive strength improved significantly. But this progress came at a cost—his body was covered in wounds, and his clothes were constantly soaked in blood.

“These are just mindless dogs. If you were to face dozens of humans in this state, you’d already be dead. The old Situ wants someone capable of great responsibility, not a coward!”

Tianxuan showed no mercy in Xiao Yufan’s training. To survive better, he had to adapt to more scenarios. Today it was attack dogs; tomorrow, it might be assassins.

Every minute and every second was a torment for Xiao Yufan. He began to suspect whether Tianxuan had a sadistic tendency, otherwise how could he come up with so many endless, cruel methods?

Of course, there were also slightly more humane games. To train Xiao Yufan’s reflexes, Tianxuan drew a circle on the ground and had him stand inside while throwing balls at him…

The requirement was to move the body as little as possible, with minimal dodging. Naturally, the circle eventually became smaller and smaller until Xiao Yufan could only stand still as the balls were upgraded to darts!

Sleep had become a luxury for Xiao Yufan since arriving here. The Tian team’s special forces recruits, somehow acquiring many assassination experts, ensured Xiao Yufan remained constantly vigilant…

The attackers started as minor threats but gradually evolved into professional high-level assassins. Almost every night, a life-or-death struggle unfolded.

So, whether it had been days or months, Xiao Yufan no longer knew. His physical abilities had improved significantly, and he finally understood the saying, “Time has no meaning in the mountains.” Here, every day felt like a year.

Yet even through this unbearable passage of time, it still flowed steadily forward, and after suffering came the transformation of success…

Two months later, on the underground arena’s fighting stage, Xiao Yufan sized up the current opponent before him—a special forces elite who had killed over a dozen people during drug busts in Yunnan. A chill ran through him.

It was said this man, like his martial arts instructor, was an undisputed master in hand-to-hand combat. Dressed in military uniform, his expressionless face radiated danger, keeping Xiao Yufan on high alert.

Silence was often the precursor to a storm, and this saying was soon perfectly demonstrated. Before Xiao Yufan could even speak, the man had already appeared beside him in an instant. Xiao Yufan barely had time to react before he was kicked flying…

Then came a flying knee aimed at Xiao Yufan, who hadn’t even risen yet. Gritting his teeth through the pain, Xiao Yufan rolled aside narrowly escaping. Fortunately, the attacker didn’t pursue, otherwise a continuous assault could have left him seriously injured for at least three days.

“Tianxuan said your strength has grown significantly. But in my eyes, you’re still too weak. To challenge her, you’re still far from ready!”

The man’s lips curled into a contemptuous sneer. Xiao Yufan had been caught off guard too easily. Such reaction speed in a real battle would only result in one outcome—death!

Gritting his teeth hard, Xiao Yufan rose from the cold floor. He gently wiped a finger across the blood at the corner of his mouth. The sinister, emotionless smile on his face turned even colder.

With a sudden push from both legs, his body lunged toward the opponent again. Xiao Yufan’s explosive power was formidable. He had simply been too careless before, which made him seem so disheveled. Now aware, he adjusted his stance and prepared to fight this man head-on.

“Your explosive power is commendable, but the gap in strength cannot be bridged by sheer burst capability alone…”

Blocking Xiao Yufan’s powerful kick with his arm, the man took two steps back, while Xiao Yufan flipped and landed, also retreating two steps. A wave of pain surged through his leg, leaving him momentarily weak.

But he believed the other man wasn’t faring much better. After battling trained dogs for so long, Xiao Yufan’s leg techniques had reached a level of mastery. Combined with the opponent’s underestimation, his upper body was likely now numb and aching.

“Your strength is indeed formidable, but what does that matter now? Right now, don’t you feel like your arm is about to be crippled? Sometimes, arrogance demands a price…”

His smile grew even more intense. Managing a draw with this opponent had already exceeded his expectations. Even if his lower body was now numb, so what?

“Isn’t your leg also nearly useless now? If I weren’t holding back, do you think you could still be standing here like this?”

Ignoring Xiao Yufan’s contempt, the man stared at him for a while with an amused expression before speaking with a trace of disdain. In a real fight to the death, Xiao Yufan wouldn’t even have the chance to utter a word…