Martial Talent!

Every single person in the courtyard quieted down. They all watched Drog as they waited for him to place his hand on the martial talent testing stone and reveal his martial talent.

"I am Yun Xia! I am the elite amongst the elite! Come and reveal my A-rank martial talent," Drog thought as he moved his right hand towards the martial talent testing stone. He placed his hand on it.

A few seconds of silence passed.

The elder frowned. "F-rank martial talent! Trash!" he said in a voice that everyone in the courtyard could hear.

Drog's pupils constricted and he got shocked so much that he spaced out as this was the first time in his life that anyone called him – 'trash'. He, who was an elite among the elite. He, who graduated from the most prestigious academy. He, who studied at the best university in the world with a scholarship. He, who had everything from material to non-material things. He, who never failed at anything.

"What are you spacing out for, you trash! Go down and let another test his martial talent!" the elder roared, returning Drog back to reality.

Drog frowned. "Look again. I have A-rank martial talent not F-rank martial talent."

"No, you have F-rank martial talent, you trash. Now go down the platform or I will kick you off myself," the elder said.

"I told you to look again!" Drog said in an annoyed voice which was high enough for everyone in the courtyard to have heard him. "It's impossible for me to have F-rank martial talent!"

"You failed. This is the last time I am repeating myself. Get down the platform or I am kicking you off."

Drog opened his mouth to say something, but before he could say even a single word, the courtyard was enveloped in people's angry shouts.

"Get down, you trash!"

"Stop delaying!"

"Get the fu*k off and stop wasting our time!"

"Yeah!"

"Get down!"

"Get down!"

…

"Get down!"

Drog coldly harrumphed, turned around and stormed off the platform as he thought, "I am going to make you pay for this humiliation, old man!"

Leaving the courtyard, Drog walked in silence for a few minutes, but then someone tugged his arm. He turned his head back and saw big sister Ri.

"Drog, are you okay?" she said with concern in her voice.

"I am fine," Drog replied without any emotion in his voice.

"Let's return to the village. Even if you are trash, you can still lead a simple life."

"Even if I am trash? Lead a simple life? Me? Bullsh*t! I am the elite amongst the elite! I am Yun Xia!" Drog thought. He tugged his arm, but he found that he couldn't get free from big sister Ri's grip. "Let me go," he coldly said.

Big sister Ri weakened her grip as she said, "Drog—you…"

Drog turned his head away from big sister Ri and walked away from her without even saying a single word. And even though he said nothing to her, she said something to him, "Drog, I will be waiting for you in the shop where we ate the meat buns."

At first, Drog only calmly walked, but before long, he was running and no less with tears in his eyes. "Why am I running? Why am I crying?" he thought. "Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!" He ran and ran, but was abruptly stopped when he collided with someone and bounced off, falling down onto the ground. Raising his head, he saw a figure dressed in black.

The figure looked down at Drog. "You should be careful, brat!" it said and walked off into the distance.

Drog attempted to get up but his finger grazed something. He grabbed this something and looked at it. It was a pendant. On the front side of the pendant, there was a black jade implanted with a beautiful design around it. And on the back side, there was a word – 'death' written.

"What a beautiful pendant," Drog thought. "Did that black-clothed figure drop this?" He stood up and looked around. "I can't see him or her anywhere… I am not going to go out of my way and look for them. If they find me, I am going to give it back, but for the time being, it belongs to me." He put the pendant on his neck and hid it under his rags. He walked to the meat bun shop and found big sister Ri standing by the entrance. He walked up to her.

"Have you calmed down?" big sister Ri said when Drog stopped in front of her.

"Let's return to the village," Drog said.

Big sister Ri nodded her head. "Alright."

Unlike the journey forward when Drog travelled on big sister Ri's back, the journey back they walked side-by-side.

They returned to the village when it was late in the night, but even so, they were greeted by Go, Ro and No who stood by the village gates.

"Hello, big sister Ri," Go, Ro and No said in unison.

Big sister Ri widely smiled. "Congratulations on passing, Go, Ro, No. I am proud of you three."

"Thank you, big sister Ri," the three said one after another.

Go turned his head to Drog. "I saw you on the platform Drog. You are trash just like I always thought." He started laughing.

Ro and No both nodded their head in agreement. "Yeah," they added one after another and started laughing as well.

Drog glared at Go, Ro and No, but before he could say or do anything, big sister Ri said with anger in her voice and on her face, "Apologise to Drog immediately."

Go, Ro and No slightly nodded their heads. They, all looked at Drog. "I am sorry, Drog," they said in unison.

"Good." Big Sister Ri smiled and nodded her head.

Drog didn't stop glaring at Go, Ro and No even when they apologised to him. "You three insulted and laughed at me. I am going to make you three pay, but not only you, big sister Ri and that old man as well," he thought.

"Go, when will the sect arrive to take you three away?" big sister Ri said.

Go turned his head to big sister Ri. "In a week's time, big sister Ri."

Big sister Ri nodded her head in understanding. "I see. I will go and prepare dinner for you four. It will be ready in half an hour." She walked into the village.

Go turned his head to Drog. "Trash, come to the usual spot." He smirked. "That is if you are man enough!"

"Let's go Ro, No!"

"Alright!"

"Yes, big brother!"

Go, Ro and No disappeared into the depths of the night. Drog glared in the direction where they disappeared into and walked in it himself. He arrived at the place where he first opened his eyes.

"So the trash has arrived," Go said and smirked. Ro and No smirked as well. They all surrounded Drog.

"I am going to make you all pay," Drog said.

Go, Ro and No laughed.

Drog approached Go, but because it was dark, he didn't see a rock below his left foot and tripped on it, falling flat on his face. Go, Ro and No burst into laughter and rushed at Drog before starting to ruthlessly kick him from all sides. Drog got a sense of déjà vu as this was how the previous Drog died. He didn't let himself get overtaken by this feeling and did the only thing that he could do in this situation, he curled up into a ball in an attempt to defend his most vital areas.

After kicking him for some time, Go, Ro and No got both bored and tired. They stopped kicking him but spat on him a few times. "Don't even return to the village. You trash! If you come back, I will kill you!" Go said and left together with Ro and No.

Drog felt pain throughout his entire body, but he knew that he would live, but only because he curled up into a ball and protected his most vital areas. He rolled over on his back. "I am not going to make them pay! I am going to fu*king kill them!" he screamed in his head and then a sudden voice sounded, "What is your name?"