Chapter Twenty-Four: The First Pot of Gold

“Damn it, I’ll kill you!” Daniel’s frenzied roar echoed, completely losing his mind, throwing himself into a wild, relentless assault against Hanshuo.

But Hanshuo was like a sturdy skiff amid a raging sea, seemingly always about to capsize, yet impossibly steady and unscathed.

By now, everyone fully acknowledged Hanshuo’s evasive speed; no one thought his earlier dodges were mere luck. Those who had worried for Hanshuo now wore relaxed smiles, even Jeff stood with arms folded, watching cheerfully.

Finally, Daniel’s stamina gave out; he stopped on his own, panting heavily, glaring at Hanshuo with a face drenched in sweat. Daniel roared, “Kid, if you’ve got guts, take a punch from me. All you can do is dodge—what good is that?”

It was just an angry complaint; even Daniel himself didn’t believe Hanshuo would accept a punch from him. Yet, to everyone’s surprise, Hanshuo stopped posing, nodded calmly at Daniel, and smiled, “No problem.”

At his words, the crowd began to size Hanshuo up again, many showing puzzled expressions. Hanshuo’s slender build made his agility plausible, but no one believed that a thin, untrained Hanshuo could match Daniel’s brute strength.

Even Daniel was startled by the answer, then burst into wild laughter, “Fine, fine, you’re asking for death, so don’t blame me!”

A powerful body and brute force had always been Daniel’s pride and his means of earning reward. Not matching Hanshuo in speed and agility was disappointing but bearable; now was his chance to display his strength and wipe away the humiliation. Daniel would not let it slip by.

He mustered all his strength; his right fist shot out, arm tensed with bulging veins, both speed and power at their peak, and he struck Hanshuo with a fierce punch.

Hanshuo’s eyes narrowed, a cold, venomous glint flickering within, like a viper lurking at its den, giving off a chilling, ruthless aura.

As Daniel’s fist neared Hanshuo’s face, Hanshuo concentrated his magic force into his clenched right hand and suddenly punched out, meeting Daniel’s iron fist head-on.

A sharp crack rang out.

Daniel let out a pig-like scream, his right arm hung limp, the once-tight fist curled like a chicken’s claw, trembling incessantly.

The ruthlessness faded from Hanshuo’s eyes; his face resumed its harmless smile as he withdrew his fist, shook his arm slightly, looked at his own knuckles in surprise, and murmured, “Hm, I actually took it.”

Daniel, seeing Hanshuo’s frail physique and having just thrown his full strength, clearly hadn’t intended a mere lesson—he meant to kill Hanshuo. But Hanshuo was no longer the submissive, timid soul he once was; he could play the fool, but when faced with someone who tried to kill him, mercy was not an option.

The collision of their fists created a bizarre scene, completely intimidating the knights and training dummies in the hall. Some of the commoners eyed Hanshuo with a hint of fear; those standing close to him instinctively stepped aside, giving Hanshuo the best spot.

The knight trainees were beside themselves with excitement, whispering among themselves. Some even speculated Hanshuo might be one of the rare barbarians or a humanoid beastman.

Daniel continued to howl in pain; his right arm trembled uncontrollably. That crisp sound had made it clear—everyone knew that a single punch had likely ruined Daniel’s arm.

Jeff, the old steward, looked at Daniel with regret and gently consoled him, “Daniel, I’m sorry things turned out this way, but your body is probably no longer fit to stay here.”

Hearing Jeff, Daniel glared at Hanshuo twice, then walked past him and out of the hall. Injuries from these brawls were common, and there were rules for such cases. Daniel understood his status and knew he was no match for Hanshuo, so he could only leave early.

Once Daniel departed, Jeff called out, “Alright, everyone may resume negotiations!”

At Jeff’s words, the knight trainees crowded around Hanshuo, each staring at him and shouting, “One gold coin!” “Two gold coins!” “Three gold coins!”

Normally, a commoner training dummy could be hired for ten to fifty silver coins depending on their strength. Skilled warriors could earn one to five gold coins, according to their rank.

Now, with offers of two or three gold coins, the price was extremely high. Though Hanshuo had shown his strength, he wasn’t a warrior; a skilled warrior could have killed Daniel with a single blow using battle energy. So two or three gold coins was an unbelievable fortune for a commoner dummy.

When the first knight trainee offered a gold coin, Hanshuo nearly agreed, but when the price rose to two, he stopped himself, waiting for higher bids.

Though Hanshuo wasn’t here for money, he understood its importance—it mattered as much as it did back on Earth. He could earn two gold coins, so why settle for one?

The knights approached Hanshuo, offering ever-rising prices, though most stopped at two or three gold coins, given Hanshuo was just a commoner, not a powerful warrior.

“Five gold coins!”

Hanshuo’s patience was rewarded with a windfall; a handsome, gold-haired, gentle-looking intermediate knight offered a price higher than all the others.

At his declaration, everyone fell silent, astonished. One person remarked, “Lawrence, an intermediate warrior is only worth five gold coins. This kid has some strength, but he’s definitely not worth five. Isn’t your offer too high?”

Lawrence smiled gently, “It is a bit high, but we arrived late; all the warriors have been chosen, so there’s no more to pick from. We have no choice but him.”

Hearing this, the others nodded. Indeed, among all the dummies left in the hall, Hanshuo was the strongest. If the warriors were still around, Hanshuo wouldn’t command such a price, but now he was the best available and everyone was eager for a sparring partner—his value soared.

“My extraordinary friend, five gold coins—what do you say?” Lawrence smiled at Hanshuo.

Hanshuo glanced around—no one raised the price further. Seeing that Lawrence was the strongest among them, Hanshuo nodded, “Deal.”

“I’m Lawrence. Here are five gold coins. I hope you’ll help me in the trial ahead!” Lawrence approached Hanshuo, took five gold coins from his ornate purse, and handed them over.

Hanshuo accepted the coins, feeling a surge of excitement. When Brian had been sold to Babylon Academy of Magic and Martial Arts, it had been for the same amount. Now, five gold coins for a single session—enough to buy Brian’s life. For someone of Hanshuo’s status, five gold coins was a fortune, more than enough to secure his freedom.

“My name is Brian. Please guide me.” Hanshuo slipped the coins into his battered purse and politely smiled at his benefactor, Lawrence.

“Follow me. Let’s see if you’re worth those five coins!” Lawrence said, heading out of the hall, with Hanshuo close behind.

The knight academy’s trial grounds were much like those of the magic academy, though missing many magical tools and with more obstacles in the corners. In this spacious arena, only Hanshuo and Lawrence stood; the floor was paved with rough, hard stone that was firm underfoot.

Lawrence entered, changed into a clean white training outfit, removed his sword, and placed it aside. He regarded Hanshuo with interest, smiling, “Those five coins aren’t easily earned. Are you ready?”

Hanshuo told himself that his body, forged by magic force, was now vastly superior to Brian’s original frail form. The strange magic force seemed to offer some resistance to battle energy, so he wasn’t afraid of Lawrence damaging his body with it. He nodded at Lawrence, prepared.

“Remember, you’re a sparring partner. You can dodge and defend, but not attack!” Lawrence seemed to sense Hanshuo was inexperienced, so he explained before starting. Once Hanshuo understood, Lawrence slowly approached.

As he drew near, Lawrence’s speed suddenly increased, like lightning. His empty left hand shot forward like an unsheathed sword, fingers pressed together, stabbing at Hanshuo’s chest.

Knights, having trained in battle energy, possessed strength and speed far beyond any ordinary person. Lawrence’s thrust was at least ten times faster and stronger than Daniel’s earlier attacks.

Hanshuo’s vision blurred as Lawrence’s arm reached his chest. Alarmed, Hanshuo quickly channeled his magic force, twisted his body, and dodged to the side.

With a tearing sound, Hanshuo’s shirt was ripped open by Lawrence’s strike. He felt a chill across his chest and, seeing the fluttering fabric, was grateful for his timely escape.

But before he could finish feeling relieved, a powerful force slammed into his abdomen, sending him stumbling back until he landed heavily on the hard stone floor, his stomach knotting in agony.

Looking up, he saw Lawrence’s kick still poised in the air, a mocking smile on his face. “Brian, I held back this time and didn’t press the attack. Next time, I won’t be so merciful.”

Lawrence’s kick had been infused with battle energy, but he had only used it to strengthen his body and attack, not to channel it directly into Hanshuo to destroy him from within.

Because of this, Hanshuo’s magic force didn’t react abnormally; his body simply endured the brute impact, and even his newly strengthened physique suffered immediate damage.

Hanshuo nodded, his brow furrowed, enduring the pain as he stood, coldly gazing at Lawrence. “I’ll be more careful. Again!”