Ch. 337 - The Life-or-Death Tribulation From Nineteen Years Ago

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A'Liang, however, did not give up. He kept pestering relentlessly, determined to get a potion out of Chen Shu.

Anyone who could extract credits from Liu Feng was clearly no ordinary person.

In the end, Chen Shu reluctantly caved and specially gifted him a bottle of... Bandit Brand Laxative!

He only had two bottles of Disguise Potion left, and both were already used up. As for the rest of his special potions, Chen Shu couldn't bear to part with them.

"Is this stuff strong?"

A'Liang examined the black powder in his hand.

Chen Shu gave a thumbs up. "Strong. Incredibly strong. Use it, and even a Gold-rank Beast Tamer won't be able to hold out."

"Really?"

A'Liang's mouth fell open, excitement flashing in his eyes.

Chen Shu said with deep sincerity, "Best not to use it lightly, and only use a little bit each time."

A'Liang carefully tucked it away.

...

The next morning. Teaching Building No. 1, Room 605.

By now, twenty-two students were already seated in the classroom, discussing various things among themselves.

The excitement of university life still hadn't worn off. Everyone looked forward to the college life about to begin.

Just then, a sweet-looking young woman walked in.

Her gaze swept over the students below, a gentle smile at the corner of her lips.

"Could the students listening to music up front please tell the students chatting in the middle to quiet down, so they don't disturb the students sleeping in the back?"

The moment this was said, everyone's eyes turned toward her. Laughter rippled through the room as all attention was drawn her way.

"I'll be your academic advisor and homeroom teacher for all four years of university. If anyone has any questions at all, you can come to me."

Her gaze swept across the room, and she immediately spotted that some people hadn't shown up.

The first-year Beast Taming cohort had five hundred students, divided into twenty classes of twenty-five each.

The homeroom teacher said, "Let's wait a bit for the students who haven't arrived yet."

The students below started murmuring.

"Who hasn't shown up yet? Wasn't it supposed to be eight o'clock? How come it's not even seven-thirty and they're still not here?"

"Are they seriously planning to cut it that close? Can't they show a little more commitment?"

Just as people were grumbling, someone spoke up: "Stop complaining. I think it's Chen Shu and his two friends who haven't shown up."

The moment Chen Shu's name came up, the classroom instantly fell dead silent.

As much as no one wanted to admit it, not a single person present could beat Chen Shu in a fight...

Because of Chen Shu's existence, every student in the entire grade was holding their breath, desperate to reach Black Iron rank as soon as possible.

It wasn't until nearly eight o'clock that Chen Shu and his two companions finally sauntered in.

"Huh? Senior Qiao Yue?"

Chen Shu recognized the woman at the front of the classroom immediately.

"Yeah, hurry up and take your seats!"

Qiao Yue nodded. She was indeed the one serving as homeroom teacher for Beast Taming Class 3.

She hadn't planned on becoming a Dragon Guard after graduation. Instead, she wanted to stay at Huaxia Academy and become a teacher.

"First, let me introduce myself. My name is Qiao Yue, and I'm also a fourth-year student in the Beast Taming Department!"

"Today, our Beast Taming Class 3 is officially established!"

"I hope that over the next four years, I can witness everyone's growth!"

Qiao Yue smiled warmly and said, "Next, let's have everyone come up and introduce themselves one by one!"

She displayed the class roster on the projector. The first name was A'Liang.

The roster was ordered alphabetically by surname. Who else could it be when his surname was "A"?

A'Liang cleared his throat, confidence brimming in his eyes, and walked to the front of the classroom.

His features were refined without being effeminate, and with his layered hairstyle, he bore a passing resemblance to a male lead from an anime.

"Hello everyone! I'm A'Liang! It's an honor to be in the same class as all of you. I hope we can all look out for each other over the next four years!"

He smiled gently, radiating the air of a peerless young gentleman.

But the very next sentence shattered everyone's impression entirely.

"I won't hide it from you. I'm proficient in all kinds of skills — reading horoscopes, observing celestial phenomena, fortune-telling, romance divination, occasional bodyguard and enforcer work, and long-term document fabrication — all varieties!"

A'Liang cleared his throat again and added, "Most importantly, my greatest specialty is: phone screen protector application!"

"..."

In an instant, everyone below gaped, their jaws completely frozen in place...

They could never have dreamed of an introduction this absurd...

"Here's my business card!"

A'Liang had printed cards long in advance and immediately handed them out.

"Everyone keep one. Aging appliances, clogged toilets — you can come find me for any of it!"

"..."

Up at the front, Qiao Yue was just as stunned. After three years of university, when had she ever seen a freshman this bizarre?

Qiao Yue couldn't help but speak up: "Ahem... A'Liang, was it..."

"Ah, look at me and my scatterbrain!"

A'Liang turned to face her, smacked his own head, and said:

"Teacher Qiao, here's a card for you! If you need anything, I'll give you twenty percent off!"

"..."

Before long, A'Liang had gone into extensive detail about his various skills, only finally stepping down reluctantly.

Qiao Yue exhaled. Finally, it was over.

But before she could feel any relief, another figure stood up.

Chest out, head high, Chen Shu walked up to the front with his short-cropped hair, a sunny smile on his face that made him seem instantly approachable.

"He actually seems like a decent guy."

The students below had this thought. They didn't know Chen Shu — they only knew he was freakishly strong and the sole Black Iron rank in the grade.

"Are you stupid, judging by appearances again? Did you already forget that A'Liang guy just now?!"

"Right, right. This one might be even more ridiculous..."

Just then, Chen Shu's expression froze. New options had appeared before his eyes.

[Option 1: Give a simple self-introduction. Don't be too flashy! Completion reward: Medium Beast Taming Power]

[Option 2: Remain silent and walk straight off the stage. Completion reward: Elemental Beast size +5%]

[Option 3: Activate torture mode. Provide a detailed account of your life story and deeds! Completion reward: Lightning Potion proficiency raised to Sage level]

Chen Shu paused briefly, his mind already made up.

He cleared his throat and began:

"Today, I'm very happy to have new classmates once again!"

"I can't go a single day without classmates around me."

Chen Shu started with a wistful remark, then continued:

"My name is Chen Shu, from Nanjiang City, known to all as the Nanjiang Bandit!"

"I have a bit of social anxiety, so my self-introduction might not be the best."

"The story begins with the life-or-death tribulation from nineteen years ago..."[1]

"?!"

The moment these words came out, every single person wore a blank expression. They could already tell something was very, very wrong with the vibe here...

[1] 十九年前的生死大劫 (shíjiǔ nián qián de shēngsǐ dàjié): A parody of cultivation novel tropes where protagonists begin their stories with epic "life-or-death tribulations" from centuries ago. Chen Shu is only 19 years old, so his "great tribulation from nineteen years ago" is, quite literally, his own birth. The deadpan delivery makes the punchline.