"You rotten punk! Your parents owe so much money. Even if we sold you off, do you really think you'd somehow pay it back?" Uncle Luo Ming's wife sneered.
Unlike his wife, however, Uncle Luo Ming's prior arrogance had vanished almost entirely. He couldn't help but notice that the atmosphere around his nephew was completely different from the past. He no longer dared to treat Nie Yan like a child he could easily push around.
"Little Yan, have you been training recently? Come, let your Uncle Lin see how much you've grown!" This recent development made Mr. Lin feel happy and rekindled his desire for a good fight. Seeing his old comrade's son finally grow up was also one of the things he desired to witness in his life.
Mr. Lin pushed past Luo Ming and Nie Yan's other relatives. Although the space in the house was a little narrow, it was still more than sufficient for sparring. In fact, a narrow space would actually better reflect the abilities of both fighters.
Uncle Luo Ming and the others all stared at Mr. Lin with bewildered looks on their faces. Just what in the world was Lin Ya planning to do?
"Yes!" Nie Yan nodded his head. He felt great respect towards Mr. Lin, but even more so a deep sense of shame. In his past life, due to their relation with the Nie Household, Mr. Lin and his family were targeted and fell into poverty.
Mr. Lin suddenly threw a fist at Nie Yan.
Nie Yan put up a horizontal guard with his left arm and retaliated with a strong sidekick. His leg produced a faint whistling as it flew towards Mr. Lin's chest.
"Nice kick!" Mr. Lin said, pleasantly surprised. He leaned to the side, dodging the kick, and then closed in with an elbow strike.
Nie Yan hastily got out of the way and returned with a powerful roundhouse kick.
Mr. Lin raised his arm to block.「Bang!」The strength of the kick forced him several steps back, regaining his balance only after supporting himself on a nearby desk. The great force that he had just been inflicted with shocked him, but the joy he felt at experiencing Nie Yan's growth firsthand greatly surpassed his alarm. He heartily laughed and said, "Not bad! Come, let's go again!"
They had several more exchanges, but the outcome of the battle still could not be determined. Luo Ming and the other relatives were filled with astonishment as the spectacular scene unfolded before their eyes. Lin Ya was an army veteran, and his ability in martial arts wasn't anything to scoff at. Even six grown men normally wouldn't be his match, yet Nie Yan had managed to last this long against him. Not to mention he was able to fight on par with Lin Ya the entire time. The fact that he could manage such a feat was simply just too inconceivable.
「Bang!」Nie Yan and Mr. Lin both retreated several steps.
"Little Yan, you've been learning martial arts, right? Not bad… Uncle Lin is already old, so I can't compare with you youngsters," Mr. Lin praised without restraint. He was happy for his old comrade. With Nie Yan's ability, as long as his academics weren't too bad, getting into the number one military academy wouldn't be a problem. They might even take the initiative to recruit him!
"I've only learned a little. Uncle Lin, you might be old, but you haven't grown weak at all."
"Being too modest isn't good either. So, have you thought about what you want to do for university...?" Mr. Lin nervously asked.
"No, I haven't," Nie Yan shook his head and replied. He still hadn't considered this matter. After all, that was still over a year away.
"Apply for the number one military academy then. I have an old army buddy working as a combat instructor there. I can ask him to put in a word for you. Besides, your talent is an additional reassurance. Your academics shouldn't be a problem either. Back then, your father had barely failed to get in, and it became one of the biggest regrets in his life, but you'll surely pass. Next year in January, the academy is hosting exams for special enrollment students. You must definitely apply then!" Uncle Lin exclaimed.
"En," Nie Yan solemnly nodded. In his past life, he wasn't able to pass the exam for the military academy. His father had been disappointed in him for a long time because of this matter. In addition, the moment his father received the results of that exam, he seemed to have aged several years. In this life, Nie Yan would definitely succeed his father's dream.
Hearing the words, "number one military academy," Luo Ming snapped back to reality. His nephew's recent show of ability frightened him. Nie Yan was actually able to beat an army veteran who'd been through several wars. Two years ago, Old Liu's son had passed the entrance exam for the academy. Yet every year he came back, he'd still be put in his place by Lin Ya. Taking this into consideration, Nie Yan entering the military academy shouldn't be a problem.
Just what kind of place was the number one military academy? It was the nation's top university specialized in nurturing talented individuals! So long as one passed the entrance exam, they would receive a scholarship which granted them a minimum of sixty thousand dollars each year. In addition, once they enrolled, they would at least receive the rank of a company officer. Every person's performance in exams directly correlated to their military ranks. Some people, after graduating the academy, would be regiment officers or higher.
As the proverb goes, "Citizens should not oppose officials." If Nie Yan really was able to succeed and graduate from the military academy, who knows if he might hold resentment in his heart over today's matters.
Luo Ming and the others felt their scalps go numb when they saw Nie Yan's ice-cold expression.
"Luo Ming. I'm thinking if Little Yan passess the entrance exams for the military academy, paying back those loans won't be a problem, correct...?" Lin Ya said to Luo Ming. If they continued to hound Nie Yan and affected his frame of mind and studies, Lin Ya was thinking it might be necessary that he teach these people a lesson.
"This shouldn't be a problem, right…?" Lin Ya said in a menacing tone, causing Luo Ming to shrink back.
Nie Yan's other relatives also no longer dared to speak so harshly to him anymore.
"Little Yan, try your best. If you enter the military academy, auntie will be happy and proud," Nie Yan's paternal aunt said with an embarrassed yet obviously fake smile.
"Yes! Little Yan, do try your best! We'll be taking our leave first, then."
Nie Yan didn't reply but simply stared at them with frosty eyes. Only now, after hearing that he could potentially enter the academy, did these four snobbish lowlives begin putting on friendly airs in front of him. However, there was still a zero percent chance that he would forgive them.
Having said so, Nie Yan's relatives awkwardly left the house one after another. Lin Ya on the other hand stayed a while longer to chat with Nie Yan to give him some words of encouragement.
"Little Yan, do your best! You must succeed in entering the academy. If there's anything troubling you, just tell your Uncle Lin. So long as you get into the academy, all your problems will vanish without a trace. If you do, you'll turn your parents' lives around as well. Work hard! Uncle Lin will be taking his leave now," Lin Ya said.
"En! Thanks, Uncle Lin," Nie Yan nodded. What Lin Ya didn't know was that his family's prospects would turn around before he even graduated high school. Once his parents returned, their financial circumstances would take a significant turn for the better.
After Lin Ya left, Nie Yan didn't leave the house for the whole day. Instead, he stayed at home, studying hard and relearning everything that he had forgotten. After coming back to the past, he wasn't willing to live through his days muddleheaded. He would work hard to take full control of his fate. After seeing his relatives' reactions today, it only further solidified his belief that only by becoming strong would those petty, despicable people fear him and stay far away. Otherwise, he would be harassed by them to no end.
When the clock struck five in the afternoon, Nie Yan logged on and made his usual runs of emptying the marketplace of all Black Phenol, Black Phenol Recipes, and the other various materials. After finishing his business, he went to kill the field bosses that had respawned, Gato the Lion King and the Ogre Devourer. By repeating what he did the previous day, he was able to kill them effortlessly, but those two weaklings were stingy and only dropped three pieces of Gold-grade equipment and one Fortune Gem. Thankfully, one of them happened to be a set item he wanted—Blackblood Gloves: Resilience +7, Dexterity +12.
The other two pieces of equipment were for a Priest and a Paladin, though Nie Yan didn't plan to sell them since he wasn't lacking in money. In the future, he would have a steady flow of income arriving in his pockets. He would rather let them rot in his storage than put them on the marketplace lest they enter an enemy's hands. On the other hand, if an acquaintance wanted to purchase them, then he would think it over.
Not long after logging in, an announcement entered his ears: Sosil Valley had opened!
This incredibly exciting news caused countless guilds to rush over so they could get a headstart in the new dungeon.