Mysterious Confidence

The Next Morning.

Sunlight fell gently like gauze across Shen Tianling’s cheek, casting soft shadows over his flawless, sculpted face. Bathed in morning light, his features exuded a dangerous charm—so refined, it could drive someone to crime.

Linhai No. 1 High School.

Wearing his school uniform, Shen Tianling crossed the street and walked through the school gates, heading directly toward the teaching building.

It was October.

The dry rustling of yellowing leaves echoed as they floated gently to the ground.

---

Inside the high school’s main building, motivational banners lined the back walls of every third-year classroom:

“Excel in culture, excel in combat. Without striving and struggle, how can you grow?”

---

On the east side of the first floor stood a particularly spacious classroom—nearly a thousand square meters.

Unlike ordinary classrooms, there were no desks or chairs. One side held racks of cold weapons—swords, sabers, spears, staffs.

The other side was lined with specialized training instruments.

This was Class 9 of Grade 12: Martial Training Classroom.

As Shen Tianling stepped into the room—before he even reached his assigned training area—an excited voice rang out.

“Brother Ling! You finally came back to school! Do you know how famous you are now?!”

Turning his head, Shen Tianling saw a burly classmate with a scruffy beard hurrying over.

This was Li Yang, Shen Tianling’s childhood friend since elementary school and a student of the school’s elite martial class.

“What are you doing here? This is the regular class building. You get demoted or something?” Shen Tianling chuckled.

“With my god-tier talent? As if!” Li Yang stroked his beard smugly. “I came to find you. Didn’t you beat up Su Yong from the school team the other day? Our homeroom teacher was still hesitating about moving you to the elite class, but guess what—at 11 PM, he personally called me and told me to bring you over to report in.”

Hearing this, Shen Tianling smiled to himself.

The Starfire Martial Hall sure acts fast. The school found out that very night, huh?

He understood exactly why the elite class teacher had acted so swiftly.

It wasn’t about him beating Su Yong.

It was because the school had learned that Shen Tianling had tested as an S-rank Spiritual Aptitude.

Until now, the highest in Linhai No. 1 High School was A-rank—and only three students had that. An S-rank was enough to make the school bend over backward to support him.

Shen Tianling nodded, stretched lazily, and walked toward the exit. “Lead the way. Let the elite class welcome the arrival of their king.”

[Li Yang feels speechless. Thinks you’re just showing off. Reputation +200]

“Alright then, let’s go.” Li Yang said.

---

Linhai No. 1 High had both regular classes and elite martial classes.

In terms of resources, the elite class had ten times the support of the regular ones.

Aside from joint assessments, elite class students trained in special martial facilities built just for them.

Meanwhile, regular students could only train in shared spaces.

The elite class building was separated from the martial training building by a small field and the administrative offices.

---

Soon, Shen Tianling stood before the elite class building—ancient and elegant in design.

That was when he saw a figure he would never forget for the rest of his life.

Liu Ruyan, daughter of the Liu family.

She wore a training suit and carried a complicated expression in her eyes—resentful and conflicted.

But today, she was alone. No group of girlfriends flanking her like before.

“So, all of you with the surname Liu just can’t leave me alone, huh?”

“One after another, like it’s your family mission to find trouble with me.”

Shen Tianling’s voice was cold and calm.

Same pose. Same expression.

How could he not know why Liu Ruyan was standing here?

It was either about her boyfriend Su Yong, or her younger brother Liu Sheng.

With the Liu family’s power in Linhai, finding out someone’s background was child’s play.

“Shen Tianling!”

“What’s your problem?!”

Liu Ruyan pointed at him and shouted, “First you beat up my boyfriend. Then you nearly killed my little brother yesterday!”

“All because I rejected your confession a few days ago, right?!”

“You just want my attention, don’t you? So you’re retaliating by going after everyone around me?!”

“Well, congrats. You’ve got my attention now. But I’m so disappointed in you. I was even thinking about maybe—”

SMACK!

Before she could finish, Shen Tianling’s hand swung sharply across her face.

[Li Yang feels unfamiliar toward you, thinks he’s dreaming. Reputation +300]

“I already warned you—don’t make up your own narrative in front of me.”

Shen Tianling turned to Li Yang. “Let’s go. I’m in a hurry.”

“B-Brother Ling… what… what was that just now?” Li Yang stammered.

Shen Tianling was famous across school as Liu Ruyan’s number one simp. Even Li Yang, his childhood friend, had nearly lost their friendship once just for criticizing her in private.

Li Yang had always hated seeing his friend be such a doormat.

Shen Tianling wasn’t bad-looking—why waste himself chasing after one girl?

And not just any girl. Liu Ruyan had always kept him dangling like a backup plan.

But what he saw today completely shattered that image.

Shen Tianling slapped Liu Ruyan.

No gentleness. No hesitation.

Pure, cold-blooded dominance.

Li Yang honestly thought he was dreaming.

“What am I doing?” Shen Tianling shrugged. “I’m educating a self-absorbed b*tch.”

“And as for her brother, tell your parents to discipline him properly. That kid’s even more of a dumb*ss.”

[Liu Ruyan feels unfamiliar toward you, thinks you’ve changed. Reputation +500]

“You… You’re insane!” Liu Ruyan finally snapped out of her daze.

She had been raised like a princess since birth—never once humiliated.

And now, today, the boy she had always thought of as her backup dog just slapped her.

She had assumed everything Shen Tianling did—beating Su Yong, then Liu Sheng—was all to get her attention.

In truth, he had gotten her attention.

He was shockingly strong.

One slap sent Su Yong flying.

He nearly beat Liu Sheng to death.

It all felt too deliberate—so much that Liu Ruyan had begun convincing herself: He must like me.

That’s why she blocked his path today.

She thought if she spoke kindly, maybe hinted at dating him, he’d revert to being her loyal puppy.

But this “dog” had evolved.

Not into a guard dog, but into a lion.

Yet what Liu Ruyan had never realized…

He had never been a dog.

And definitely not a guard dog.

He was a lion—a king lying in wait.

And now, today…

This lion had finally awakened—bold, fearless, and ready to rule the wild.