Chapter 1: Yangzhi City’s Martial Valor University

It was time for dinner, and Chen Chuan sat down at the dining table.

Suddenly, Nian Fuli, his uncle, said, “Chen Chuan, you’ve graduated from high school. We don’t have any institutions for higher learning in Yangzhi City, and the salary I get from the Constabulary isn’t high enough for me to send you to Central City to study. Have you thought about where you want to go?”

Everyone fell silent. Yu Wan, Chen Chuan’s aunt, looked worriedly at him, while his cousins glanced back and forth between them while holding their bowls.

Nian Fuli continued, “If you haven’t thought about it and you haven’t gotten an offer from any university, I can make arrangements for you. But then, don’t complain about how tough it is, and don’t whine about being tired. Also, if I get you a job and you don’t like it, let me know right away and then find your way on your own.”

Chen Chuan looked Nian Fuli straight in the eye and smiled. “Are you in such a hurry to chase me out, Unc?”

Nian Fuli glared at him and said, “That’s

Uncle Fuli

to you, not Unc.”

Out of habit, he searched around the pocket in his shirt. Right when he touched the cigarette box, he cast a glance at his children and withdrew his hand, frowning.

“Stop grinning and give me an answer. I don’t need to worry about Nian Qian, since he’s already successful, but Nian Mo and Nian Lu are still young. In a few years, they’ll have to go to school, so we’ll have a lot more expenses. You’re already sixteen. I’m not asking you to repay me, I just want you to be able to provide for yourself. That makes sense, right?”

Chen Chuan nodded. “You’re right, Uncle.” After a moment’s consideration, he made a decision. “I’d like to forge my own way.”

“By yourself?” Nian Fuli looked Chen Chuan up and down. “Sure. Schools usually give you students a two-month break before a new term, right? I’ll give you two months as well. If you manage to become independent in that time, I won’t be butting into your business anymore.”

Yu Wan opened her mouth as if to say something, but then snapped it shut.

“Sure. That works for me,” Chen Chuan replied.

Nian Fuli sized him up and said, “Then, make sure you follow through and become independent.” He then picked up his chopsticks. “Let’s eat.”

Once he started eating, everyone else joined in as well.

Chen Chuan also reached out for his chopsticks. Just then, as if he had sensed something, he glanced up and saw a teenager who looked like him standing by the wall and staring at him gloomily.

His uncle and his family did not notice anything amiss; they were focused on their food. Or maybe... Chen Chuan was the only one who could see him.

He looked away. While eating, he started pondering about his future.

Before he knew it, he had already finished dinner. He grabbed his bowl and made to get up, but Yu Wan, who had been paying attention to him, stopped him. “Just leave it. I’ll wash the dishes. You should focus on your situation.”

Chen Chuan looked at Yu Wan, then at the stone-faced Nian Fuli. He put down his chopsticks and said, “Alright. I’ll be going back to my room now.”

Nian Fuli threw some vegetables into his mouth and chewed them slowly. He said nothing.

After Chen Chuan left, Yu Wan spoke up. “He’s still young.”

“Young, my foot,” Nian Fuli snapped back. “He’s already sixteen. When I was his age, I was already fighting on battlefields!”

“Yes, yes. You’re amazing, I know.”

When Nian Fuli finished eating, Yu Wan stood up from the table, grabbed a bottle of rice wine, and poured a glass for him. “I’ll go check up on Chen Chuan.”

“Go,” Nian Fuli shooed her off impatiently. He took a sip of the wine and felt much better. “That boy seems different from before...” he mumbled to himself.

“Dad, are you going to chase me out too when I’m sixteen?”

Nian Fuli turned around and saw Nian Mo, his youngest son, staring at him anxiously.

Nian Lu, his three-year-old daughter, chirped, “Dad’s definitely chasing you out! You eat the most meat!”

“I-I don’t eat a lot! Dad...” Nian Mo looked at Nian Fuli pitifully while holding his bowl.

Nian Fuli laughed and patted the back of Nian Mo’s head. “You’re my kid, brat. How could I not care about you? I’m going to give you my position in the future. Now, turn the radio on.”

“Okay.” Nian Mo happily jumped off his chair and ran to the old radio. Rustling sounds came from the speakers.

「...The Railway Maintenance Department has announced that railway repairs scheduled for early June will be postponed once again due to a mudslide from Spill Hill...」

「A group of inmates has escaped from Enlightenment Reformatory. The government has placed a bounty on their heads. The primary escapees include: Fang Dawei, male, thirty-five years old, well-built, with a record of multiple burglaries, street shootings, and murder; Tong Baitao, male, twenty-seven years old...」

「A violent clash erupted at the intersection of New Channels Residences and Grain Street between the Blood Scars Gang and the Chain Links Gang. The incident left multiple homes damaged and resulted in dozens of casualties and injuries...」

Chen Chuan returned to his room. It was around nine square meters and served as both his study and bedroom. The windowsill and the old red lacquered wooden floor were clean, while the furniture was arranged in a neat and tiny manner. The place was clearly cleaned every day.

The walls held a few movie posters. As Chen Chuan cast a cursory gaze across them, he could instantly recall the name of each one:

The Lone Swordsman, the Beast of the Mountain, the Final Conquest...

The floorboards creaked when Chen Chuan went to the window. A photo on a corner of the worn desk caught his attention. It was of a couple wearing clothes that seemed to be made of very high-quality materials. The woman was youthful and beautiful, while the man was tall and handsome. The two were smiling brightly at the camera.

To the right of the desk was a two-meter tall bookshelf crammed full of books. When Chen Chuan looked over, he found that aside from old textbooks, most of them were extracurricular reading, such as

The Great Expansion, 15 Years of the Development and Order Era,

and

The Mysterious Agate Hill

.

“It’s a pity

Dual-Use Talents for Military and Civilian Life

and

Military Training Handbook for the Militia

are not here,” Chen Chuan mumbled under his breath. “At the very least, it should have

One Hundred Thousand Whys.

”

“What whys? Chan’er, can I come in?” Yu Wan asked from outside the door.

Chen Chuan’s parents had nicknamed him “Chan’er”. Now, aside from Yu Wan, only Nian Mo called him that.

“Come in, Aunty. It’s nothing. I was just working on a problem.”

“You’ve already graduated, so how come you’re still studying?” Yu Wan walked in. She was in her late thirties and had fair skin but an average-looking face. Meanwhile, Chen Chuan was boyishly handsome. He was tall and had red lips and white teeth. Only a subtle similarity in their facial features hinted at a shared bloodline when they stood together.

“Chan’er, don’t blame Fuli for what he said today. He has his own troubles. But, please, don’t act tough either. I’ll talk to him later.”

Chen Chuan smiled. “Don’t worry, Aunty. I’m not acting tough. I really do have a plan.”

After some hesitation, Yu Wan asked, “Chan’er, are you... thinking about going to Meng Shu?”

The image of a girl rose unbidden in Chen Chuan’s mind. He shook his head. “No, I’m not.”

Yu Wan said, “I’m glad you’re not. She’s from a well-off family, and the people around her are all arrogant pricks. As for you, you’ve always been stubborn. You may have been great friends when you were children, but that’s no longer the case.”

“You’re right,” Chen Chuan agreed. “Our old friendship doesn’t matter anymore. In any case, her butler sticks to her like a shadow when she leaves the house. Why should I look for her only to embarrass myself?”

Yu Wan felt much more at ease after hearing that and held up a cloth-wrapped bundle. She opened it to reveal stacks of ten dev.

The bills had pictures of green hills and rivers. The front portrayed a vast expanse of sky and land, while the back showed rice and wheat positioned above a nine-tasseled crown. The watermark was a felt cap.

Yu Wan grabbed Chen Chuan’s hand and placed the bills in it. “Take the money and use it whenever you need it. Don’t skimp on necessities. If you run out, I have more.”

Chen Chuan did not take it. “Does Unc know about this?”

Yu Wan shook her head in dismissal. “I saved this money for you.” She tapped his arm. “And don’t call him ‘Unc’. He doesn’t like it.”

Chen Chuan laughed and took the money, then said seriously, “I’ll take this as a loan. I’ll pay you back later.”

“Come now, we’re family. Why are you talking about loans and paying me back? Just take it.” Yu Wan relaxed only when Chen Chuan put the money away. “I’m leaving now. You’ve already graduated, so you don’t have to study so hard. But if you’re going to read, remember to keep the lights on. You don’t want to ruin your eyesight.”

“Got it.”

Yu Wan gave Chen Chuan a few more reminders before she left.

Chen Chuan shut the door and yanked on the cord switch by the door. The small ceiling lamp lit up and let out a dim, yellow light.

He went to the bookshelf and picked a random book, then sat down on the bed and flipping through it with interest.

After a long time passed, he heard the mantel clock outside chime ten times. Since he had something to do the next day, he put the book back on the bookshelf, washed up, turned off the lamp, and went to sleep.

Unlike him, the identical-looking boy remained standing by his bed in the darkness and staring at him gloomily.

While Chen Chuan slept, he felt as if he had returned to his previous life.

After working for a few years, he went on a backpacking trip. In one of the museums, he saw an exhibition for ancient mirrors that piqued his curiosity. Once inside, he saw a ceiling mirror. The moment he looked at it, his reflection stared him back in the eye.

Chen Chuan’s vision swayed, and he felt as if he had turned into a baby. He watched himself come into the world, grow into a child, then a teenager. One day, a blue car rushed into his view. When the roars of its engine faded in the distance, Chen Chuan descended into darkness.

Light shone through the sliver between the curtains and chased away the sleepy haze left by the night in Chen Chuan’s mind.

He opened his eyes and turned to the alarm clock on the bedside table. It was 5:50 a.m. He shook his head, got out of bed, dressed himself, and went out to brush his teeth and wash his face.

Nian Fuli worked at the Constabulary and started early in the morning, so he had already left, while Nian Mo and Nian Lu were still sleeping. Yu Wan had left to buy groceries, but there was a breakfast waiting on the table.

Chen Chuan ate, then returned to his room and put on his one and only school uniform. The crisp, gray-black uniform was made of wool and full of youthful spirit.

He buttoned up the jacket and put on his student cap. After smoothing out his uniform in front of the mirror attached to the closet, he retrieved a gray canvas crossbody bag from behind the door and put a water bottle inside it. The bicycle was in the courtyard, so he went there to pick it up.

I’ll just act according to plan for now,

he decided while looking at the rising sun.

He got on his bicycle, flicked the bell with his thumb, letting out a series of clear rings, and rode out of the alley. A couple turns later, he reached the main road.

Nian Fuli was the captain of their district’s Constabulary branch, and everyone who lived around them were constables and their families. Thanks to that, their area was quite safe. Their road was also wide and flanked on both sides by parasol trees.

The late May sunlight mingled with the dark green tree leaves and gave a boost to Chen Chuan’s mood.

After riding along the road for half an hour, he entered the downtown square. The tallest buildings in Yangzhi City were all there. Most of them were built during the Great Expansion and were almost sixty-years old. Due to the tense circumstances back then, the buildings were made of solid materials and looked cold and stern on the outside, which created an extra sense of sturdiness.

After a tram passed by, a group of eight or so dubious-looking people walked over from the other side of the road.

One of them seemed sensitive to stares, since he suddenly turned around with a fierce glare. When he saw Chen Chuan’s bag, he cursed under his breath, spat in Chen Chuan’s direction, and left.

Once Chen Chuan passed through the square, he turned left toward the northbound road. About five minutes later, a stylish cornice showed up to the east. As Chen Chuan drew closer, he saw that it was attached to the gate of a university.

There were three gateways that were one hundred paces wide all together. A stone plaque hung above the center one with the words “Martial Valor University” carved into it. They held a sense of strength and elegance. Chen Chuan could see imposing cars coming and leaving through the gates.

He pressed on the brake levers and put his feet on the ground to stop in front of the stone plaque. A brief introduction of the university was carved beneath the name.

Martial Valor University was built during the 15th year of the Development and Order Era. It changed its name officially during the 35th year of the Development and Order Era. The current chancellor is Cheng Yunbai.

Behind the gates was a wide, flat yard. The sun at 8 a.m. was bright, so when it shone on the gates and the two buildings behind them, it gave them an elegant yet somber character.

Chen Chuan looked around. After a moment, he saw an inconspicuous sign near one of the side gates: “This way to the admissions office.”

He exhaled and got off his bicycle. A quick glance around revealed his practically identical shadow looking at him from near one of the gates. Chen Chuan then looked away. With a relaxed expression, he pushed the bicycle through the side gate.