The Storm Stirred by a Butterfly

After school, Lin Mo placed all the distributed textbooks on his desk and inside the desk compartment.

He himself carried the military training uniform and school uniform back home.

As he approached his rented apartment, Lin Mo stopped by a nearby fast-food restaurant to order a roasted meat rice meal.

Just as he stepped out with his food, he spotted Xie Yuling walking home with a bag full of groceries.

Xie Yuling hadn’t expected to run into Lin Mo either, but she simply nodded and walked past him without a word.

Lin Mo didn’t mind.

He also bought a stuffed pancake from a street vendor—loaded with chicken strips, pork floss, and cheese—a premium version by all accounts.

His appetite had grown significantly lately, so he naturally needed to eat more.

......

[Today’s Mission: Reach the highest point of the sect and absorb the essence of heaven and earth.]

Same as always.

Except yesterday, when he took the Body Strengthening Pill, Lin Mo could feel its effects had already peaked.

"So, is it time to start cultivating immortality now?"

After changing into his military training uniform, Lin Mo headed downstairs for breakfast.

By the time he arrived at the classroom, most of his classmates were already there.

Everyone had changed into their military training uniforms, though some had gone to the restroom to do so.

Many were excitedly discussing the upcoming training—topics like shooting guns and military combat exercises.

Lin Mo sat quietly, resisting the urge to point out that military combat drills and shooting were out of the question.

This was just school military training—standing at attention, marching in formation, and singing military songs.

That was all.

Noticing Lin Mo’s relaxed demeanor, Jiang Yunlu sidled up to him.

"Aren’t you nervous about the training?"

Lin Mo blinked. "It’s just military training. Why would I be nervous?"

His calmness seemed to ease Jiang Yunlu’s own nerves.

A boy sitting to Lin Mo’s left suddenly handed him a newspaper.

"Hey, Lin Mo, check this out. Apparently, there was an intruder on campus yesterday, but they were subdued instantly."

Lin Mo took the paper and skimmed the article.

The details were completely different from his past life.

Back then, it had been labeled a safety drill, but this time, it was outright called an intruder incident.

Was it because he had intervened?

Lin Mo pondered. In his past life, no one had been hurt during the "drill"—the security guards were fine, and Jiang Yunlu had been unharmed.

So the only variable was Lin Mo himself.

But he still couldn’t figure it out.

The newspaper mentioned that a student had bravely stepped in to protect a female classmate, subduing the intruder.

Neither Lin Mo nor Jiang Yunlu’s names were disclosed, likely suppressed by the school.

The article concluded with a warning against reckless heroism in such situations.

Lin Mo folded the paper and handed it back.

"Guess we should trust the school’s security measures."

The newspaper-loving boy was Lin Jiajun, who shared Lin Mo’s surname.

In his past life, Lin Mo had also learned about such incidents through Lin Jiajun’s daily newspaper habit.

Lin Jiajun came from a political family—high EQ but still carrying a youthful spirit.

Rain or shine, he spent every break reading newspapers, making him somewhat of an oddity in Class 8, Grade 10.

Lin Jiajun nodded and continued spreading the news to the rest of the class.

Nearby, Jiang Yunlu, who had been eavesdropping, stole a glance at Lin Mo.

"I was supposed to be the one leading you to safety, but now it’s like you saved me," she whispered, leaning close enough for only him to hear.

"That’s just classmates helping each other," Lin Mo replied matter-of-factly, leaving no room for argument.

Jiang Yunlu studied him for a moment before turning away to chat with another girl.

Soon after, Chen Xiaoya entered the classroom with a tall man in camouflage—clearly their military instructor.

All first-year students were then led into the hallway.

They lined up in separate columns by gender, then rearranged by height.

Once organized, they had to wait for the class ahead to move before they could follow.

The September sun in Yangcheng wasn’t sneaky—just brutally scorching.

"It’s so hot. How long do we have to stand like this?"

"Who said that?!" Instructor Qian barked.

The boy who had spoken immediately shut his mouth.

"Ten extra minutes of standing at attention!" Instructor Qian declared sternly.

The man was built like a tank, every movement radiating military discipline.

From Lin Mo’s memories, this instructor wasn’t some two-year conscript.

For veterans like him, serving as a school instructor was more like a working vacation.

But not just anyone got the assignment.

With a seasoned soldier in charge, standards were naturally stricter.

Anyone slacking off got personal "adjustments" from the instructor.

As for Lin Mo, his posture was flawless—back straight, muscles perfectly controlled.

His bodily control now far surpassed ordinary people’s, down to flexing or relaxing individual muscles at will.

After nearly half an hour, sweat poured down everyone’s faces. Some less athletic students were already trembling.

Instructor Qian wasn’t completely heartless. Seeing most had reached their limits, he finally waved them off.

"Fall out! Rest in the shade. If you need the bathroom or water, report first!"

The class erupted in relieved cheers, mustering just enough energy to shuffle toward the shade.

Some girls headed to the restroom in groups after reporting, but most went for water.

Guangba High’s field had drinking fountains, though the school store also sold ice-cold beverages.

So many students reported just to buy drinks there.

Lin Mo simply drank from a fountain and returned.

Even with his enhanced physique, standing under the sun had left him sweating.

Fifteen minutes later, Instructor Qian’s whistle summoned them back.

A few boys were missing, nowhere in sight.

Several minutes passed before they finally strolled back, laughing and snacking.

Instructor Qian’s frown deepened. "Where were you? Five laps, now!"

One boy protested, "But we reported earlier, sir!"

"Make it ten!" Instructor Qian cut him off. "And I’ll be watching. Miss one lap, and you’ll stand through lunch!"

The boy opened his mouth again, but his friends dragged him away to run.

Lin Mo watched them go. Just like his past life—they’d gone to buy snacks, dawdled, and now faced punishment.

The déjà vu was uncanny.

Next came marching drills.

Having practiced since childhood, few made major mistakes.

By noon, the training ended, and the class was dismissed.