Chapter 24: When You Try to Stay Low-Key but the Government Says No
Lin Yan woke up with a headache.
Not the normal kind—the government-is-watching-you kind.
Star's voice popped into his mind before he could even open his eyes.
"GOOD MORNING, MASTER. CONGRATULATIONS. YOU ARE CURRENTLY BEING OBSERVED BY SIXTEEN CAMERAS, THREE DRONES, AND ONE VERY ANNOYING GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL WHO HAS NOT BLINKED IN SIX MINUTES."
Lin Yan sat upright. "...Star."
"Yes, Master?"
"Why."
Star replied cheerfully, "Because you tried to lose on purpose and accidentally looked like a monster doing it."
Lin Yan rubbed his face. "I literally faked an injury."
"Yes. Unfortunately, you faked it so badly that three examiners wrote 'Oscar-worthy performance' on your evaluation."
Lin Yan: "..."
Government Attention Arrives
Outside the scholarship compound, armored vehicles hovered silently. Soldiers in dark uniforms stood in neat lines, their expressions colder than space vacuum.
Lin Yan swallowed.
"I told you to keep me low-key."
Star responded innocently, "MASTER, YOU UNSEALED POWER MID-FIGHT, CAUSED A LOCAL ENERGY SPIKE, AND MADE A GOVERNMENT DRONE DO A BARREL ROLL INTO A WALL."
"That was an accident."
"THE WALL DISAGREES."
Mu Qingxue Appears
A familiar chill swept through the corridor.
Mu Qingxue stepped forward, her footsteps calm, controlled, and somehow louder than everyone else's.
She stopped in front of Lin Yan.
Her eyes scanned him—slowly, thoroughly—like she was peeling him apart layer by layer.
"You lost on purpose," she said.
Lin Yan blinked. "I… tripped?"
Star screamed internally:
"MASTER THAT IS WORSE THAN THE SPACE SANDWICH EXCUSE."
Mu Qingxue leaned closer. "People don't trip and still crack reinforced combat flooring."
Lin Yan smiled awkwardly. "I have… heavy bones?"
She didn't laugh.
That was the problem.
Interrogation Begins
A government official stepped forward.
"Lin Yan. Second-ranked candidate. Orphan. No registered martial lineage. No known cultivation master."
He tapped his tablet.
"And yet you exceeded physical limits, suppressed output mid-combat, and maintained consciousness under lethal pressure."
The official looked up.
"Explain."
Star whispered urgently:
"MASTER. SAY SOMETHING NORMAL. DO NOT SAY 'I'M BUILT DIFFERENT.'"
Lin Yan opened his mouth.
"…I train a lot?"
The official stared.
Mu Qingxue crossed her arms. "You're lying."
Lin Yan shrugged. "So are half the people here."
That earned him a few sharp breaths from the officials.
Star whispered proudly, "MASTER, THAT WAS BOLD. STUPID. BUT BOLD."
Sudden Test — No Warning
Without warning, the ground lit up.
A combat seal activated.
A government suppression construct materialized—metallic, armed, and very much not part of the exam schedule.
Gasps erupted from the crowd.
The official spoke coldly.
"One last verification. Survive thirty seconds."
Lin Yan's smile froze.
"Wait—this wasn't in the brochure."
Star panicked.
"MASTER! THAT THING CAN RIP YOU IN HALF! GOOD NEWS: YOU MIGHT ONLY LOSE ONE ARM!"
Lin Yan sighed. "Star."
"Yes?"
"…help."
Action Explodes
The construct attacked.
Fast.
Lin Yan dodged—barely—his body moving on instinct, gene-enhanced reflexes screaming.
He countered with a punch.
Not full power.
Just enough.
The impact cracked the construct's armor and sent it skidding backward.
The arena went dead silent.
Mu Qingxue's eyes widened—just a fraction.
Star lost it.
"MASTER YOU JUST VIOLATED THE 'SLIGHTLY OP' AGREEMENT!"
Lin Yan gritted his teeth. "I'm improvising!"
The construct charged again.
Lin Yan flipped over it, landed awkwardly, and accidentally kicked it in the joint.
The machine collapsed.
Thirty seconds weren't even up.
Aftermath
Silence.
Then murmurs.
Then chaos.
The government official slowly lowered his tablet.
"…Interesting."
Mu Qingxue stared at Lin Yan like she'd just discovered a hidden star.
"You're hiding something dangerous," she said quietly.
Lin Yan met her gaze.
"Yeah," he replied. "So are you."
For the first time—
She smiled.
Star whispered ominously:
"MASTER… THIS IS HOW STORIES BECOME LEGENDS OR TRAGEDIES. STATISTICALLY… BOTH."
Lin Yan exhaled.
He just wanted a scholarship.
Instead—
He'd caught the attention of the government, a terrifying rival, and something inside himself that was no longer willing to stay asleep.
Chapter End Hook
From a hidden observation room, a voice spoke:
"Mark Lin Yan for continued surveillance."
"And prepare the final round."