For a Martial Artist like Qin Feng, who planned his training in decade-long increments, three days was but the blink of an eye.
During these three days, he did no physical training. Instead, he poured all his energy into cramming knowledge related to the Believers of Khorne.
Like the most precise learning machine, he digested and absorbed the massive amount of intelligence Hammer had compiled, word by word, constructing a knowledge base in his mind for the sole purpose of hunting Shi Dang.
He learned about the power system of the Believers of Khorne and their pathological worship of the number "8."
He familiarized himself with the various specialized pieces of equipment the Empire had developed to counter Chaos, from the "Soul Suppression" power armor to the "Silent" Alloy Blade.
He even began studying the classic battle records of legendary Demon Judges, trying to glean even the slightest bit of experience he could use against Shi Dang.
Just as he was immersed in this ocean of bloody and chaotic knowledge, an encrypted notification from the Canaan university system was silently pushed to his personal terminal.
With a thought, Qin Feng opened it.
The notification was brief: a public announcement regarding the final resolution of the background investigation into the "Shi Dang Corruption Incident."
The announcement stated that after a thorough investigation, the Imperial Court of Justice had traced accountability for the school bullying incident Shi Dang had suffered during his childhood on the Star of Enlightenment.
The investigation found that the student affairs department and relevant teachers at Star River Military Martial Arts High School had handled Shi Dang’s psychological issues in full compliance with procedures, had been diligent in their duties, and were completely without fault.
The root of the problem, however, was traced back to Shi Dang’s middle school years.
The middle school teacher who had accepted bribes, tacitly approved of, and even secretly protected the wealthy students who bullied Shi Dang had been taken from his retirement by the Empire’s law enforcement.
All of his assets were confiscated, and he was sentenced to three hundred years of hard labor in the mines. As of yesterday, he had been stuffed into a giant mining machine to immediately begin serving his sentence.
And middle school teachers were generally only Third-level Martial Artists, with a lifespan of about one hundred and fifty years.
As for the other individuals involved, all were held accountable and received extremely severe sentences, especially the parents who had permitted their children’s bullying.
...
Looking at the cold notice, filled with the Empire’s typical Iron Blood and efficiency, Qin Feng didn’t know what to say for a moment.
He switched off the light screen, and the room returned to darkness.
’Childhood really can cast a shadow over a person’s entire life.’
A scar that seems to have healed can be torn open by the whisper of Chaos at any unexpected moment, oozing pus and blood enough to drown all reason.
He still clearly remembered how his father, Qin Dahai, had reacted upon seeing the distinct bruise on his face—how his calloused hands had trembled, and how a towering rage had erupted in his eyes.
His father hadn’t chosen to just let it go; he had taken him straight to the principal’s office.
His homeroom teacher, Mr. Li Weiguo, and the principal both treated the matter with extreme gravity after learning the full story.
They didn’t side with anyone, but immediately launched an investigation and severely disciplined the bullies.
After that, no one ever bullied him again.
’A small fork in the road, yet it leads to a completely different life.’
’If Father had chosen to swallow his anger back then, if Mr. Li Weiguo and the principal had chosen to just smooth things over... what would I have become?’
Qin Feng didn’t dare to dwell on the thought.
Just then, a mechanical, emotionless prompt sounded in his mind, interrupting his thoughts.
"Master, it is now Imperial Standard Time. The 70th Warband Ranking Competition has officially begun."
It was Hammer’s voice.
"Alright."
Qin Feng’s gaze instantly pulled back from his recollections, returning to a state of calm focus.
He immediately opened the Subspace Network panel and skillfully entered the private domain of Cannan Star Martial Arts University.
On the main interface, a new section radiating a gilded light had appeared—[Tournament Missions].
He focused his intent on it.
HUMMM—
The scene before him suddenly opened up. A vast, boundless mission list, like a magnificent Star River, unfolded before his eyes.
Countless mission entries, like the myriad stars in the Star River, were packed densely in layer upon layer, stretching on as far as the eye could see.
Behind each mission, its name, reward, and—most importantly—its difficulty level were clearly marked.
What slightly alarmed Qin Feng was that this vast, seemingly endless sea of tournament missions was only the content of the [Fifth-level Martial Artist Mission Zone].
He couldn’t imagine just how enormous the mission pool for the entire Warband Ranking Competition must be.
"Hammer, filter for [Easy] difficulty missions. Requirement: [Solo Mission]," Qin Feng immediately issued the command.
This was no time to be overly ambitious. He needed to find the simplest mission first to familiarize himself with the entire process and, while he was at it, test his current strength.
"Yes, Master. Filtering for you now..."
Hammer’s efficiency was unparalleled. In less than a second, the vast Star River of missions rapidly transformed, leaving only a few dozen qualifying tasks clearly displayed before Qin Feng.
Qin Feng’s gaze swept quickly over them.
[Mission: Escort a merchant caravan to the Taran System]
[Mission: Clear out the interstellar locusts in the K-78 Asteroid Belt]
[Mission: Survey the geological structure of Planet Z-9]
...
His eyes finally settled on one of the missions.