Chapter 28 - 28: Bear

"Mom, what's happening?"

"It's alright sweetie, it's alright. Just hide and wait for mommy or daddy to get you, okay?"

"Can I have Mr. Teddy with me?"

"No, sweetie. Please, just stay quiet, okay? Just… Oh my god, they're here!"

"Dear, get the gun! Mommy loves you, okay? Mommy loves you."

"I love you too, mo--"

Before he could finish his words, Yun Hao could not help but flinch as the snapping sound of the trunk closing in on him entered his ears. His mother was just in front of him just a few seconds ago, but now, only the darkness and his fettered breaths accompanied him.

"Mommy?" Yun Hao whispered. He wanted to shout, but as soon as he remembered his mother's orders to remain quiet. He quickly covered his mouth, letting out a small chuckle as he thought they were playing a game of hide and seek with his father.

"What do you want!?"

"...Daddy?"

Yun Hao then could not help but slightly tilt his head as he heard his father's scream. Did he find him already? Were his mother and father fighting because of him? Yun Hao wanted to get out of the trunk, but as soon as he heard an unfamiliar voice, he decided to remain still.

"Where is… h.. ch, Y…. Feng?"

Yun Hao couldn't really make out what the man was saying as it would seem that he was still too far away.

"What are you saying!?"

*BANG*

"No! W… why!?"

"Maybe... freshen up your memory."

"S-she had nothing to do with this!"

"Time... you to wake up, Feng. This world is--"

"Wake up, boy!"

"Ho!?"

Yun Hao let out a deep and very long gasp as he woke up from his unnaturally vivid dream. He quickly scanned the scenery around him, only to see a spacious room covered in white walls. He then looked towards the voice that woke him up, only to see Proctor Hannah smirking at him.

...Right. His meridians were currently being unlocked, wasn't it? He has completely forgotten about it due to the immense and excruciating pain that wrapped around his whole body. He was still awake during the opening of his 3rd meridian, but he couldn't remember what happened after that.

Did he actually pass out? Yun Hao then tried to stand up, his legs quivering from trying to lift his exhausted body. It would seem that even though the wave of excruciating pain was over, his body still remembers it. But still, with all of his effort, he managed to stand up.

"...You really are a monster," proctor Hannah could not help but let out a small breath as she patted Yun Hao's shoulders, but then, after a few more pats, she pushed him back down to the floor, "But you shouldn't be moving."

"W… what?" Yun Hao's voice was weak as he scanned the other applicants. And besides Jia Ning, the two other applicants, Sun Fang and Ding Shun were lying on the floor with their backs fully flat.

Jia Ning, on the other hand, was just breathing heavily as she was also looking at Yun Hao. And as soon as their eyes met, Jia Ning bowed her head towards Yun Hao, her eyes filled with nothing but respect.

"But… she's moving already," Yun Hao muttered.

"That's because she is from a Cultivator clan, she already has the blood of a Cultivator flowing through her veins," proctor Hannah quickly explained while still pointing the camera at Yun Hao, "While you, and the two others are just from normal families."

"But that man is…" Yun Hao pointed at the unmoving Sun Fang.

"He's just under the sponsorship of the Huang family, he's a normal human… like you," proctor Hannah squinted her eyes as she once again scanned Yun Hao's body. Weird, she thought. It should have been painful for Yun Hao to even move his body, and yet here he was, even managing to stand up.

Proctor Hannah thoroughly checked it earlier when she examined his body and nothing in his body suggests that he was in a bloodline of cultivators, not even his grandparents and their grandparents before them.

No… Yun Hao was just built different. Proctor Hannah could only shiver at the thought of what Yun Hao might become in the future if he strives for it. It truly was luck that she was the proctor this week.

Yun Hao then let out a long and deep breath as he let himself sprawl on the floor.

"Let me be the first to congratulate you, then," Proctor Hannah then sat beside him, pointing the camera towards the both of them,

"Congratulations. You're a Cultivator, Yun Hao."

Proctor Hannah once again patted Yun Hao. Although Yun Hao was a bit uncomfortable being touched on the chest by someone he barely even knows, he still raised his thumbs up towards the camera.

"Alright, rest up. We will begin the final test in an hour," proctor Hannah then once again patted Yun Hao as she stood up and made her way towards the cultivators. But before she could take 3 steps, Yun Hao called to her.

"Wait, Ms. Liu."

"Hm?"

"How… many did I unlock?" Yun Hao asked as he still tried to catch his breath.

"...Just 12," proctor Hannah let out a small sigh as she glanced at Yun Hao.

"I… see."

"Don't worry. It's not that big of a deal. Even I, only have 12 of my meridians open," proctor Hannah nonchalantly waved her hand as she continued her way to the other cultivators to discuss the results.

"..." Yun Hao could only close his eyes. Honestly, he was looking forward to having the Beast meridian. Although he had only seen one on television, how cool would it be like to have a Bear magical beast as a pet? Yun Hao could even have his own sparring partner available 24/7.

"It is as madame Hannah says, it's not that big of a deal."

"Huk!"

"S… sorry!"

Yun Hao's body jolted up as he felt something cold touching his stomach. He quickly turned his head towards the voice, only to see Jia Ning holding two water bottles. "I… I didn't know why I placed it there!"

"...It's okay," Yun Hao said as he grabbed the bottle being offered by Jia Ning, "Thank you."

"..." Jia Ning's eyes could not help but widen as she saw Yun Hao drinking all the water in one big gulp, "Do… you want more?"

"Thanks."

"..." Once again, Jia Ning's eyes widened even further as Yun Hao just suddenly grabbed the bottle from her. That was supposed to be hers and she was just being polite… are people outside of her clan really like this? Or maybe… friends treat each other this way!?

A bit of excitement was lit up inside Jia Ning as she thought of making her first friend outside of the clan. There was also the talkative Ding Shun, but sadly, he was still out cold.

Yun Hao then let out a satisfied sigh as he gave the bottle back to Jia Ning with still half of its contents. Did… Yun Hao want her to drink from the same bottle? Was this some kind of test of friendship?

If so…

Jia Ning closed her eyes, her hands trembling as she lifted the bottle towards her lips.

"What about you? How many did you unlock?"

But alas, before the mouth of the bottle could touch her lips, Yun Hao asked her a question.

"1… 13," Jia Ning stuttered.

"Nice," Yun Hao snapped his fingers, "What meridian is it?

"I don't know yet," Jia Ning shook her head, "We will find out on the last test."

"What about--"

"I have also unlocked 13!"

Before Yun Hao could even say anything, a loud voice interrupted their conversation. The two quickly turned their heads to see where the annoying voice was coming from, only to see Sun Fang crawling towards them with his face drowning in sweat.

"You also look like you need exorcism."

"W… what was that!?" Sun Fang crawled even fast, "You're just jealous I got 13 meridians open!"

"It's not that big of a deal," Yun Hao repeated the words that Jia Ning and Proctor Hannah said to him.

"O… of course, it is! Our potential has already been decided!"

"Why don't you say that again while sitting up?"

Jia Ning could only look back and forth between Yun Hao and Sun Fang as the two continued to bicker with each other. Fortunately, it only lasted for a minute before Sun Fang lost his breath.

After 30 minutes, Yun Hao could finally move his body normally again as he stood up. Stretching before punching the air to check if there was anything different now that he was a cultivator. But surprisingly, he doesn't feel any different.

"That technique… you're a pugilist, Mr. Yun Hao?" Jia Ning could not help but ask.

"Pugi… yes. I was," Yun Hao nodded his head, "I was actually quite popular back the-- He's still not awake yet?"

Before Yun Hao could finish his words, he noticed that Ding Shun was still fast asleep. "Oi, bro. The last test is about to start," Yun Hao then approached Ding Shun, nudging him to wake up.

"...Bro?" But even as he shook his whole body, Ding Shun still had no signs of waking up.

"...No," Jia Ning, who followed behind Yun Hao, could not help but let out a gasp. Hearing this, Yun Hao quickly called for Hannah.

"Coach! He isn't waking up!"

"Oh, he's dead," Hannah nonchalantly waved her hand before returning to talk with the other cultivators.

"W… what?" Yun Hao could not help but stutter, "Are... are you not going to do anything?"

"We've already informed his family, you don't need to worry about it."

"T... that's..."

Yun Hao could not help but look back and forth between proctor Hannah and Ding Shun. So all this time, while he was silently celebrating, there was a dead body lying around near them?

They.... they just left him here like this?