Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Duan Lian could not believe his eyes.

A bone-chilling pain spread through his entire body from his throat.

He felt as if he had fallen into an abyss of death that was as cold as ice.

He still remained in the position where he fell after tripping over the spider threads. Due to his muscles relaxing and his limbs going limp, he could not tell how much blood he lost nor how deep was the wound on his neck.

He could only see a pool of sticky blood spreading out from around his neck. Soon, it reached his mouth and nose.

His chest was damp, and the air filled with a pungent scent of blood.

'He… He's mad!' Duan Lian's mind was blank. Countless chaotic thoughts appeared in his head, and fear, puzzlement, and regret fought for supremacy in his brain. He just could not figure out what was going on. 'This lunatic! Demon! Monster! Just why?'

He wanted to cry, but could not shed any tears. It was too late for regrets. He slapped himself fiercely in his mind and regretted the fact that he did not learn his lesson during the admission test and insisted on provoking a monster like Meng Chao.

But who would have thought that this monster would descend into such madness?!

“Do you know why you must die?” Meng Chao brought his b.l.o.o.d.y right hand in front of him and rubbed it on the floorboard, dragging out a really long b.l.o.o.d.y trail. His voice was very calm, and he looked as if he had just completed something really minor and common.

“It's not because of the grudge we formed during the admission test. I don't really care about that. Even if you really set me up, it's fine. Besides, I do prefer using these… strategies that require wit, not ones that require brute strength.

“It's because you're big and built, yet you're extremely petty and hold grudges! It has almost been two months since the admission test, but you're still bothered by it. You're filled with animosity toward me, and you told everyone that you're going to teach me a lesson.

“Many of the rumors about me lacking fighting spirit, not having enough room for growth, and being about to leave the martial arts course were released by you, right?

“I asked around and learned that you were like this even in high school. When anyone got into a conflict with you, you gave them a lot of flak.

“But your family has quite the authority, and they indulge you when you act absurdly. I'm poor, so I can't provoke you!”

He sounded troubled and wronged, but when his words entered Duan Lian's ears, they were even more terrifying than a demon's whispers.

“Honestly, time might provide us the chance to slowly wash away the conflict between us, and I wouldn't have had to use such a bad strategy.” Meng Chao continued speaking coldly. “But we're about to head to war in the depths of the fog, where there are dangers everywhere.

“Anything can happen, and we have to be focused at every second. I don't want to fend against monsters in front of me while fending against you behind me.

“If your mind suddenly went haywire and you decided to shoot me in the battlefield, I'd die without a grave. And don't say that it's impossible. Human thoughts are usually even more unfathomable than a monster's ill will. Would you have expected that I would suddenly slit your throat?

“I can't read your mind, so I can only guess your actions with the greatest malicious intent. Sorry about that!”

Duan Lian's eyes were bloodshot, and all he saw was a swaying red in front of him. He really wanted to say “Just because of that? It's all because of that?!”

But aside from making gurgling sounds, he could not make any other sound from his throat.

“Also, due to various reasons, I have to quickly promote the Ultimate Style. I need the students to support me. At the very least, you can't cause me trouble, but it's very easy for you to cause me trouble. You also have a lot of chances to do so.”

Meng Chao seemed to have read his mind based on his expression. “It's enough once I add these two reasons together. I'm pressed for time, and I have a lot of things I have to do. I don't have the time to sulk around like a child with you. I gave you the chance to become my friend just now, but you didn't treasure it. You chose to be my enemy, so this is the only thing I can do.

“There's naturally going to be trouble for killing you, but if I set up the murder site carefully and create an illusion of us fighting fiercely and me being at a disadvantage, which led to me panicking and killing you by accident, I'll have a good chance to escape the punishment of law.

“Of course, I was the one who snuck into your dorm, so this is going to be really troublesome to me, and your family will definitely not stop trying to take revenge on me. There's going to be a whole load of trouble.

“But that's okay. Regardless of whether it's the university's punishment, the judgment from law, or your family's revenge, all of it will happen later. Right now, I'm standing, and you're lying on the ground. I'm living and enjoying the pleasure of breathing freely, while you're about to die. You can only choke in the pool of your own blood. In the end, I won this match, no?”

Duan Lian's lips and eyelids twitched. All he could repeat in his head was one word 'Lunatic, lunatic, lunatic, lunatic!'

“And in your final moments, let me give you a friendly reminder.” Meng Chao tapped his cheek gently with his b.l.o.o.d.y hand. “In your next life, when someone like me extends a hand to you and offers friends.h.i.+p with a smile, it's in your best interests to take that hand firmly.”

Meng Chao pulled his b.l.o.o.d.y hand from Duan Lian's eyes, then retreated into the darkness, and his breathing vanished.

'D-Don't go!'

Duan Lian widened his eyes and opened his mouth to scream, but no sound came out.

He wanted to struggle, but he was afraid that his struggles would tear at the wound, which would make him bleed out even faster.

He could only watch as his blood continued spreading around him in the dark. Cold tears spilled out of his eyes, and they flowed even faster than his blood.

“Save me, Meng Chao! I was wrong. Spare me! I won't bother you again!”

He wanted to shout these words, but he could not make any sound. Pain had already sealed his throat shut, and the gurgling sounds turned into hissing.

Was it because his blood was gus.h.i.+ng out madly from his artery or was it because his windpipe was cut? Whatever it was, it was the sound of his life spilling out of him.

Duan Lian did not dare continue with that train of thought.

He felt his vision turning darker and his consciousness fading away. The pain in his throat became dull, as if a beast named Death was eating him inch by inch.

Duan Lian was continuously eaten up by Death for three minutes, five minutes… then ten minutes.

His mind gradually stepped away from despair and filled with puzzlement.

'Why… am I not dead yet even after I lost so much blood? I even feel like I've recovered some strength in my limbs…'

He gritted his teeth and pushed himself up from the floor.

When he looked at the blood that covered half of the room, he found it unbelievable. He shuddered and touched his neck, but he did not manage to feel the wound. Instead, he touched an incredibly elastic pouch made of a monster's bladder or some other organ. It was as thin as a cicada's wings.

Incredibly sticky bioglue covered one side of the pouch. After great difficulty, he tore it off his neck.

Contained in it was a liquid similar to blood. There was a small tear on it, and when he pressed the pouch, blood gushed out.

“This is…” Duan Lian was dumbfounded.

Click!

Someone turned on the lights, and the room lit up. It was as if he had returned from h.e.l.l to the land of the living.

Meng Chao crossed his arms in front of his chest and leaned against the wall while staring at him with a grin.

“Sorry about that, Duan Lian. I played a harmless prank on you. You won't mind, right?” Meng Chao put on a sincere, friendly, and hearty smile.

“The blood is fake. Your throat wasn't cut. But you did suck in pores that have very mild hallucination effects. The bindii that stabbed your toe also had highly-effective muscle relaxants and nerve numbing agents extracted from monster poison. Then, when I 'cut' your throat, I stuck the pouch on you and injected some biopharmaceutical drugs that cause great pain and disrupt your senses. That's all.”

“You…”

Duan Lian had been hovering at Death's door. He alone knew what it felt like during the ten minutes just now. His limbs were still weak, and he no longer had the courage to be angry.

“We're fated to be coursemates, you know? Unless it's completely necessary, why would I do something so cruel?” Meng Chao said. “But I really do want to resolve the conflict between us. It's better to get rid of enmity than deepen it, you know? We've been going on and on about something so small for two months. Do you really want to keep that grudge for a whole year?

“Now, let me be frank. I believe you know my personality. We should put an end to the matter during the admission test, don't you think so?

“Duan Lian, as a compensation, why don't we become friends, and I'll teach you the Ultimate Style?”

Meng Chao walked over and smiled sincerely. He stared at the artery on Duan Lian's neck, and when he extended his hand, it was the b.l.o.o.d.y hand.

Duan Lian stared at his hand and did not dare to look into his eyes. Even so, he still shuddered.

He gulped with great difficulty and extended a trembling hand to grip Meng Chao's lightly.

“That's good.” Meng Chao sighed in relief. “That's the best outcome. If I really had to kill you, there would be a lot of things I had to do, and it'd be so troublesome!”

Duan Lian was speechless.

“Hahahaha! I was joking! You know I was joking, right?”

Duan Lian was even more speechless.

He had just gone through a terrible shock and had temporarily lost his ability to think.

“I'm not someone who likes to put up an act. It's meaningless to hide my strength when I have abilities and can strike you in the face when you come to me aggressively and provoke me. But if I did it, you'd just end up with even more loathing and bring out more of your family's power to fight against me, and I'd just be striking you in the face repeatedly. It's meaningless, don't you think?

“It would be better to do what I'm doing now and let you see my true face so that we can prevent further misunderstandings and conflicts from happening. It's perfect this way! We can achieve harmony!

“Now, we're friends, so help me out. Tomorrow, go to Ms. Li and tell her that you lost the challenge and accept your defeat wholeheartedly. That won't be a problem for you, right?

“Among the ten challengers, you're the strongest, and you're ranked the highest. If you take the lead to admit defeat, no one else will say anything about it.”

Duan Lian still said nothing.

But before he could even think about it, he had already nodded like a chick eating grain.

“That's great. Problem solved. I'm leaving. Sleep tight!”

Meng Chao left Duan Lian's room with light footsteps.

As Duan Lian stared at the blood that came out of some unknown monster on his floor and smelled the pungent scent, he wanted to cry, but no tears came to him. How was he supposed to “sleep tight” in this sort of environment?!

Three seconds later, Meng Chao pushed the door open and entered again.

Duan Lian's door could lock automatically on its own, but he had somehow managed to open it without making a sound.

“By the way, I almost forgot to tell you, but I smeared Poisoned Arrow Lizard's venom on your toilet seat. It might just be a thin layer, but it's colorless, odorless, and transparent, and the venom is very strong. If you get in contact with it for ten seconds, you'll be numb for an entire night. If you want to p.o.o.p, remember to use alcohol to wipe off the venom.”

This time, Meng Chao truly left.

Duan Lian remained sitting on his bed like a cracked stone statue. While all sorts of emotions raced through him, he lived through the longest night of his life.

Turning Animosity Into A Friendly Relations.h.i.+p