Chapter 41: Fast Learner
Su Yu could hear the sound of the saber flying toward him. This time, he wasn't able to react. He knew the attack was coming, but his body couldn't react fast enough. He could feel the blade touching his back.
"It's over!"
The moment that thought crossed his mind, the saber was frozen. Not far away, Liu Wenyan was feeling very satisfied with Su Yu's performance. However, he did not show his true feelings.
Instead, he walked up to Su Yu with a frown and said, "You can't even deal with a trash injured Great Strength cultivator? That is a trash cultivator from the Myriad Race Cult that is weaker than those in the Windcatcher Department, those in the city guards, those in the Great Xia Army, in Martial Dragon Guards, and the front line.
"Any random soldier from the front line will be able to easily kill this opponent even with a lower cultivation level!"
Liu Wenyan appeared incredibly unhappy. To the side, the Windcatcher Department's chief did not know whether to laugh or cry. That was an enemy at the sixth-stage Great Strength Realm! And what was Su Yu's cultivation level?
He was only at the Source Opening Realm. He wasn't even at the eighth-stage where he could finally start using martial techniques. He was only a seventh-stage Source Opening cultivator, but he had nearly killed a sixth-stage Great Strength cultivator. This instructor was still dissatisfied? And he was even comparing this kid against a soldier from the front line? What joke was that? Even a soldier from the front line would need to be at least a fourth-stage Great Strength cultivator to kill someone like that. Thɪs chapter is updatᴇd by NoveIＦire.net
In terms of body quality, reaction speed, and explosive strength, Su Yu was far too weaker than his opponent. If it wasn't for his intelligence, he would have been killed the moment he attempted the ambush.
Su Yu looked sorry. He was gasping for breath with numerous wounds on his body. He smiled helplessly and said, "Instructor, his vitality is too strong. He lasted so long before dying. I couldn't get a chance to cut him twice."
"You only have one chance." Liu Wenyan said, "For a weaker party to kill a stronger party, there won't be multiple opportunities. There will only be one chance. If you had cut into his head instead of his shoulder when he was distracted, he would have been killed immediately.
"Do you think your enemies will give you a second chance on the battlefield? Immediately after an enemy encounter, one of you will die. Either you don't launch the ambush or you prepare fully before doing so to ensure the kill. Do not gamble with your life."
Liu Wenyan was stern, "Thus, you can only blame yourself for your bad judgment in timing your ambush. If I wasn't around, your enemy would have killed you with that final attack."
Su Yu nodded sullenly, accepting the criticism.
"Two merit points for a middle-stage Great Strength cultivator. But since I helped you with it, you'll only be getting one point for it. Do you disagree?"
"No." Su Yu shook his head. He was happy with one point.
A late-stage Great Strength cultivator would grant three merit points per kill while an early-stage Great Strength cultivator would only grant one point. Thus, the point he got was basically the same as what he would get for an early-stage Great Strength cultivator.
Only now did Su Yu realize how hard it was to earn merit points. Previously, he would be rewarded with one point per language mastered. It was time consuming, but still better than this where he had to put his life on the line to earn merit points.
If this was the case for the academy as well, how were those students that had yet to materialize their willpower supposed to earn merit points? How many of them were capable of killing Great Strength cultivators? Even on a battlefield, killing a Great Strength enemy would be a difficult task for a Great Strength soldier. After risking one's life, one would earn no more than three merit points. It was clear how hard it was to earn merit points.
A faint smile appeared on Liu Wenyan's face, but the smile vanished quickly. He said, "You will be considered to have graduated from my teachings after gaining the ability to kill a middle-stage Great Strength cultivator. Your performance today where you nearly got yourself killed is not acceptable.
"Do not hesitate to use any trick you can during battles. This is a matter of life and death, not a spar on a training field. Do not restrict yourself from any trickeries. We don't care. We only care about the result."
After bidding Zeng Hua farewell, Liu Wenyan started walking away. While walking, he said, "Why do you insist on using demonic beasts in your illusions? There are many things you can manifest in your illusions. Not everyone is afraid of demonic beasts.
"For example, you can create women, women who are nake--cough, cough. You know what I mean. You can even make me appear in your illusions. I'm a Skysoar cultivator. But then again, I'm not popular enough so you can consider using the mayor in your illusions instead. You should know what the mayor looks like. What do you think your opponent will feel upon seeing a Skysoar cultivator before them?
"There are many ways you can use your illusions. Do not limit yourself. I find that your thinking is too rigid as you're only using beasts in your illusions. You need more creativity."
Su Yu had a pensive look as he softly said, "Instructor...about naked women...cough, cough. I've not seen any before. I don't think I can create a convincing illusion of one. Why don't I—"
"What bullshit are you trying to say?" Liu Wenyan berated him before coughing. "I was making a random example. Don't think too much about it. Kid, keep those stupid thoughts out of your mind."
Liu Wenyan was regretting his earlier words. If this kid really went to those places to learn what naked women looked like and his father found out about it, would that old man rush back from the front line to look for Liu Wenyan?
Su Yu nodded obediently, but a new thought appeared in his mind as he said, "Instructor, do you think others will be fooled if I use the prefect as my illusion?"
"..."
Liu Wenyan glanced at him without saying anything. This was quite a gutsy kid. Xia Longwu was the prefect of Great Xia. This kid did not seem to feel any reverence toward that person.
Su Yu was still happily talking away, "If I create an illusion of the prefect, would I scare my opponent to death? Maybe they'll be in disbelief? Hmmm, why don't I add a woman beside the prefect? Prefect Xia is out on a date with a woman when the enemy stumbles upon them. Would that be enough to stun the enemy?"
Liu Wenyan stroked his beard while praising inwardly that this kid was actually a fast learner. But was this kid not aware that he was playing with fire there? Sure, sure, this kid was still very far away from Xia Longwu right now. But what if Xia Longwu saw the illusion in the future? Liu Wenyan wouldn't dare to imagine the consequences for that.
"Cough, cough. Sure, you do you."
Liu Wenyan was unwilling to say more. He had merely provided simple advice and this kid was taking the idea further expanded on it. What else could he say?
While Liu Wenyan was still thinking, Su Yu changed the topic and said, "Instructor. I saw the contents of this year's exam yesterday. The war academy exam rewards three drops of source qi liquid for the student finishing first..."
Liu Wenyan looked at Su Yu, wondering what this kid was trying to say.
"What if I take both exams? Won't I earn the source qi liquid if I can finish first at the martial academy exam?"
The first place he referred to was the first place in Nanyuan. The reward was provided by the mayor, not any of the academies. Those academies wouldn't really care about the first place holder of a small city like Nanyuan. Their interest would only be piqued if it was the first place holder in the entirety of Great Xia.
Liu Wenyan was speechless. "Are you going to scam the reward for yourself?"
"No, Instructor. The rules never mention that I must join a war academy after passing the exam. So it doesn't matter if I don't join after getting first place, right?"
].
"Are you so sure that you can get first place?"
Nanyuan might be a small city without a lot of geniuses, but...wait...this kid might really be able to get first place. This was Nanyuan City. Not a big city. The seventh-stage Source Opening Realm was more than enough.
Liu Wenyan shot Su Yu a glance. He had a feeling that this student of his was getting more and more bold recently. Look at how he was even thinking of scamming the city out of its first place reward now. He sank into thought. When did this student of his start changing?
Oh, Liu Wenyan suddenly recalled that Su Yu had started changing ever since he was told that he was too indecisive. Since then, this kid has changed. He was no longer indecisive. He was so decisive that it was scary at times. Not even Liu Wenyan had thought of scamming the city out of its reward before.
"You do you." Liu Wenyan couldn't be bothered to stop Su Yu. Instead, he said, "But don't let that get in the way of your cultural research academy exam. Also, Wu Wenhai might not care even if you snag the reward, but the person placing second will probably feel like killing you."
Su Yu did not seem to mind. Three drops of source qi liquid were on the line here. They were worth as much as everything he had. He wasn't about to give up on them when they were there for the taking.
"The two exams are going to happen at different times. I checked. I'll be able to take both."
Su Yu did not think there would be an issue with his plan. If the examinations weren't held at different times, the secondary school wouldn't have allowed the students to apply for multiple examinations in the first place. That was their way of giving their students more chances to get into an academy.
Su Yu had registered for both cultural research academy and war academy examinations. Thus, he could sit for both of them. It was the 1st of June today. The examinations weren't that far away.
Over the past ten or so days, he had followed Liu Wenyan everywhere hunting for Myriad Race Cult members. Although he had not gotten much chance to actually fight, he could feel that he was getting near the eighth-stage.
Perhaps a few more cultivation sessions and a few drops of blood essence would push him into that stage. And at the eighth-stage Source Opening Realm, would there still be a match for him in Nanyuan among the students?
The first place was basically his. He was basically getting three drops of source qi liquid for free. Why would he say no to that? Liu Wenyan kept his mouth shut. He felt like he had led this kid astray. This was such a simple and innocent kid before. But now, he was starting to get all these messy ideas in his brain, such as trying to look at some naked women and so on. Liu Wenyan was very worried. This kid wouldn't really go and do so, right?
"Su Yu, before willpower materialization, your willpower can waver very easily. The moment you get near the fairer sex, you will cripple your willpower. Do you understand? This is why I'm still single after all these years. Don't do anything stupid."
Su Yu blinked. Was that true? But he had never heard that before! Then again, he only knew two cultural researchers, Liu Wenyan and Bai Feng. Furthermore, he had only spent a day with Bai Feng. Thus, Liu Wenyan was naturally the authority in willpower cultivation for him.
"I understand. I will chop whoever dares to entice me to death!" Su Yu nodded his head with a solemn declaration. He would show no mercy to anyone who dared to ruin his willpower materialization.
"..."
Liu Wenyan had a feeling he had just said something wrong again.
"A teacher should serve as a role model...I should be very careful in what I say in the future. If this kid fails to get a wife in the future...forget it. If that really happens, I'll try introducing some girls to him in the future."
Liu Wenyan was feeling very helpless. A teacher couldn't be caught lying. He had to watch what he said around Su Yu in the future.
Chapter 42: Think More (1)
Master and disciple returned together. Recently, they had been leaving home early and returning home late. After entering the city, the two went separate ways. Su Yu returned home while Liu Wenyan went to school.
...
At the neighborhood's entrance. The rıghtful source is NoveI(F)ire.net
Chen Hao was crouched sullenly while counting the ants on the ground.
When he heard footsteps, he looked up and saw that it was Su Yu. He complained, "Yu, why are you so late?"
Seeing that it was Chen Hao, Su Yu smiled and asked, "What are you doing here?"
"Waiting for you! What else?" Chen Hao grumbled, "You have been following Instructor Liu out of the city recently. What are you doing? The instructor is really unfair. He's not your private teacher. Why is he only taking you with him? Some of our schoolmates are already starting to gossip."
He had an envious expression as he spoke.
"That's a Skysoar! And he is teaching you alone! Yu, why don't you get Instructor Liu to take me along as well?"
Before Liu Wenyan achieved willpower materialization, even if he was very good at the myriad languages, he was still a regular Great Strength instructor. But after reaching the Skysoar Realm, he turned into a big shot of Nanyuan in the blink of an eye.
Even Mayor Wu Wenhai was only a second-stage Skysoar cultivator. Liu Wenyan was someone who had killed someone at that cultivation level before. News of that had spread around Nanyuan. Thus, every single student in Nanyuan Secondary School aspired to learn more from Liu Wenyan.
Even if the students were too young to understand the benefits of learning from a Skysoar instructor, their parents would know. Chen Hao had been scolded by his father every day after returning home. His father would complain that he was incomparable to Su Yu. Look at how Liu Wenyan kept Su Yu by his side every single day. As for Chen Hao, despite his good relationship with Su Yu, he had not gained any benefits at all.
"Are you sure?" Su Yu had a wide smile as he said, "If you're sure, I'll tell Instructor Liu tomorrow."
"Forget it." The resentment on Chen Hao's face faded as he said helplessly, "I'm too scared of Instructor Liu. I'll tremble in fear just standing near him. He is much fiercer than before."
"That's not him being fierce. He has just achieved willpower materialization recently and he hasn't refined his body. That's why he can't control his aura that well."
Su Yu tried explaining things on the instructor's behalf. The instructor had a merciless mouth, but he was a good person. Also, Liu Wenyan really wasn't that fierce. After willpower materialization, he had not gotten the opportunity to refine his body. Even now, his body had only reached the Infinite Strength Realm. He was somewhat unable to fully withdraw his willpower, so he would look dignified and imposing all the time. For weak cultivators like the students of the secondary school, he naturally appeared fierce.
Chen Hao didn't understand what Su Yu was trying to say, but he did not really care about that topic. As he walked with Su Yu, he was grinning from ear to ear as he said, "Yu, I'm near the fourth-stage! I have been hearing rumbling sounds in my ear recently. Do you think that's the sign of my acupoint opening?"
"So you're here to show off?"
"That's absolutely not true!" Chen Hao protested. "Even if I can reach the fourth-stage, isn't that the stage you're in? Why would I look for you to show off? It's my father. He wanted to invite you to our house for a meal. Do you remember the kill I claimed previously?
"I said that I made the kill but my father beat me up for lying.And then...I told him that I made the kill with you. He immediately believed me. He said that you have a good brain and you have intentionally allowed me to get the kill. Therefore, he wanted to treat you to a meal. But you have been busy for the past month. I wasn't able to see you."
Chen Hao had a pitiful expression. He had lived a rather miserable life for the past month due to his father's anger. He couldn't believe his father. Yu was only a fourth-stage Source Opening cultivator as well. Why did his father refuse to believe that he was the killer? The moment he mentioned that Su Yu was present, his father concluded that Su Yu was the main contributor. That was too unfair!
Before that Chen Hao had lied to himself so much that he nearly convinced himself that he was the killer, but the beating he received from his father had brought him back to reality. He remembered that he wasn't the actual killer. It was Yu. He was confused. Why had he been believing that he was the killer all this while?
"Uncle Chen is too polite." Su Yu smiled, "Didn't you buy the kill from me? You spent over ten thousand dollars on it. You even gave me the merit points. The additional thirty marks for the exam is useless for me."
"I told my father that we're basically family. There is no need to be a stranger, but my father insisted on treating you to a meal." Chen Hao stated magnanimously, "Just come for a meal. Uncle Su is not around so you'll be eating instant noodles anyway."
"Sure." Su Yu did not refuse. He was quite familiar with Chen Hao's father. He had met Chen Hao's father many times before when his father was still around.
Ever since his father had left, he had been following Liu Wenyan around so he hadn't gotten the chance to visit the Chen family.
Chen Hao did not say anything else. He walked with Su Yu for a while before asking, "Yu, have you grown stronger after following Instructor Liu around?"
"A little."
"How much longer do you need to reach the fifth-stage?" Chen Hao sounded somewhat unhappy. "Someone in class is talking behind your back. It's Zhou Chong. He was a fourth-stage Source Opening cultivator before. While you were away, he reached the fifth-stage. He's saying that you're relying on trickeries to fawn on Instructor Liu. Even if you can enter a cultural research academy, it's not because of your ability."
Su Yu was indifferent, "Why waste time bickering with him? You're better off using that time to cultivate."
"Yu, you can't say that!" Chen Hao was unwilling to let the matter go. "I'm getting ready to fight him one-on-one. There's not much difference between the fourth and the fifth stage anyway. I'll wait until I reach the fourth-stage before looking for him. That bastard only has the guts to talk about someone behind their back.
"I would have declared that you've killed Great Strength cultivators before if you hadn't made me keep it secret. That fellow really thinks very highly of himself."
Chen Hao was indignant. So what if that fellow was a fifth-stage Source Opening cultivator? What was so special about that? His friend, Yu, had even killed two seventh-stage Great Strength cultivators before.
After scolding in indignation, Chen Hao saw that Su Yu really didn't care so he asked curiously, "You have so many wounds on you. Have you been in special training? Have you reached the fifth-stage?"
Su Yu really wasn't looking very good. He even had a couple of scars on his face.
Seeing that Chen Hao was repeating the same question, Su Yu smiled, "Fifth-stage? Hao, is this as much as you amount to?"
"What do you mean?"
"Nanyuan's sky is too low." Su Yu did not mind speaking frankly to his best friend. With a sigh, he said, "Nanyuan is too small. The sky above Nanyuan is too low. Everyone's worldview is too narrow. Source Opening...what's so special about the Source Opening Realm?
"At the capital, there are plenty of ninth-stage Source Opening cultivators our age, waiting to enter an academy before breaking through into the Great Strength Realm. Some only need half a year in the academy to reach the fifth-stage Skysoar Realm. Hao, that's Skysoar Realm! That's already the peak of Nanyuan.
"Our mayor is only at the Skysoar Realm. In Great Zhou, an academy student can reach the Skysoar Realm in only six months, surpassing our mayor. Tell me. What's the point of competing against all these people in Nanyuan?"
If this was in the past, Su Yu would definitely go teach Zhou Chong a lesson. But now, he couldn't be bothered. Fifth-stage Source Opening Realm? Big deal. That was incredible in Nanyuan. But Nanyuan was such a small city. After witnessing what Bai Feng could do and hearing about the super genius from Great Zhou, he no longer cared about these tiny conflicts.
Liu Wenyan and Bai Feng had shown him a brand new world, allowing a country bumpkin like him to get a glimpse of a bigger world. Thus, upon hearing about what his classmate was saying behind him, he only found the matter funny. He did not care.
"Yu..." Chen Hao was stunned. "How does any of that relate to us? Geniuses of the capital, geniuses of Great Zhou, those people are unrelated to us, right?"
The world Su Yu spoke of seemed so very far away for Chen Hao. That world had nothing to do with them.
"Why not?" Su Yu looked at Chen Hao. "Are you happy to stay mediocre for life? They're humans. We're humans as well. Why can't we be geniuses as well?"
"But..." Chen Hao wanted to retort, but he couldn't think of anything. With a gloomy voice, he said, "That is still too far away for us. I was only asking if you've reached the fifth-stage. Why did you tell me about all that?"
"I'm at the seventh-stage." Su Yu smiled, "I'm getting ready to reach the eighth-stage."
"..."
Chen Hao was stunned. He reached out to touch Su Yu's head, wanting to check if Su Yu was sick. However, his hand was slapped away.
"I'm not hallucinating. I'm really at the seventh-stage." While walking into his apartment building, Su Yu said, "There are twenty-four days away before the exams. I can probably reach the eighth-stage easily. The ninth-stage will be a challenge. But there is still around a month remaining, so I might still be able to reach the ninth-stage before entering the academy.
"I've been spending a lot of my time on other stuff. Otherwise, I would have advanced even faster.
"Do you understand now, Hao? Zhou Chong is a fifth-stage Source Opening cultivator. For me, that's nothing. You want to join a war academy. You want to grow strong. You want to do well. In that case, you need to work harder. Don't focus only on the Source Opening Realm. Set your sights higher."
Chen Hao was stunned for a long while before saying, "But even if I set my sight on the Skysoar Realm, I won't be able to reach it."
"One's worldview determines one's future. If you focus only on the Source Opening Realm, that will be the upper limit for you. You won't even have the motivation to climb higher."
Su Yu solemnly said, "In the past, I only aimed to reach the Infinite Strength Realm. I'm happy surpassing only my father. Or maybe reach the Skysoar Realm and become Nanyuan's mayor or something like that. But after seeing and learning more about the world, Skysoar Realm is merely the starting point for me. I will have more goals for the future.
"In the past month, I have worked harder than before. I know that I'm nothing. Am I a genius? Not really. At most, I'm only somewhat talented. In the capital, I'll be an ordinary person. This little talent I have is nothing to be proud of."
The book in Su Yu's mind had caused his ambitions to grow. But more of his change was a result of what he had learned from people like Liu Wenyan. He had been happy with knowing eighteen languages in the past. He was prepared to take it easy during the two months before the entrance examination. But after learning about the world of cultural researchers and geniuses, he was no longer happy with his previous goals.
The Skysoar Realm was not the end point. It was the starting point. Thus, he had not complained a single time no matter how tired he was during the past month. He knew that he needed to work hard. There were people out there with better background and talent. If he did not work harder to catch up, how could he grow?
"Yu, you changed." Chen Hao mumbled. "After Uncle Su left, you changed. Wait...do I need my father to leave so that I can push myself harder? Why don't...I leave the family?"
"..."
Su Yu was dumbfounded. This was what this fellow got out of all the things he said? Just how did this fellow's brain work?
"A rotten wood really can't be carved!" Su Yu cursed.
Liu Wenyan had been scolding him like that recently. He rejoiced that Chen Hao wasn't learning from Liu Wenyan as well or the old man would probably get a heart attack from sheer anger.
Chen Hao ignored Su Yu and continued mumbling, "Are you really at the seventh-stage and near the eighth-stage? That doesn't sound possible. You were still at the fourth-stage last month. How did you reach the seventh-stage so suddenly?"
"Nothing is impossible." Su Yu thought for a bit before explaining, "It will be unlikely that you can suddenly become strong. But you can prepare yourself for it. For example, spending one extra hour each day to train your martial techniques. That way, you can save a lot of time after you reach the eighth-stage.
"You can also read more. I'm not even going to talk about any other book. Have you even fully grasped the Source Opening Codex? Read it dozens of times each day. Imprint it into your soul. That will make cultivation smoother for you.
"I have a copy of the Source Opening Codex here. It was written by Teacher Bai. It has grown weaker now, but it's just nice for you. Read it whenever you have the time."
If the Source Opening Codex was given to Chen Hao in the beginning, he wouldn't be able to read it as his willpower was too weak. Now that the willpower imprinted in the text was slowly dissipating away, it had weakened enough for Chen Hao to read.
Chapter 43: Think More (2)
The text was no longer as effective, but it still contained traces of a Skysoar cultivator's prowess in it. If Chen Hao made good use of it, his progress in the Source Opening Realm would be much smoother.
Chen Hao scratched his head anxiously, but at the same time, he was also feeling excited. "I'm afraid of reading. I'll doze off the moment I read."
"Fight it!" Su Yu opened the door of his home and said flatly, "If you can't even treasure the opportunity given to you, then forget your dream of growing strong. Reach the Great Strength Realm and come back to Nanyuan. That will be all you amount to. Don't go to the Allheaven Battlefield lest you throw your life away. People unwilling to grab the chance thrown their way are not qualified to talk about growing strong.
"I don't want to pick up your corpse from the Allheaven Battlefield one day in the future."
"Pah!" Chen Hao muttered, "If someone is going to be picking up my corpse, it'll be my parents..."
"I—" Su Yu's words were stuck in his throat. There was no helping this fellow.
"Thank you, Yu." Chen Hao suddenly turned solemn. In a somewhat bleak manner, he said, "I'm stupid. I'm not as smart as you. You're right. I'm a rotten wood that can't be carved. You're so smart. You even work harder than me. But like my father said, I probably won't be able to keep up with you even if I try my whole life doing so.
"In that case, I'll listen to you. From now on, I'll spend one extra hour each day practicing martial techniques. I'll also spend one extra hour...reading!"
Chen Hao promised, but he was finding it hard to finish his words. Those two extra hours would be extremely painful for him. He could still tolerate martial technique practices, but reading...was an activity that he felt could kill him.
"Why not...one and a half hour on martial techniques and half an hour on reading?" He asked as he looked at Su Yu with hesitation.
Su Yu was feeling more and more helpless as he scolded, "Brainless brute! Don't waste your breath. Just do the reading at my place. I'll cultivate while watching over you. This will only benefit you."
/p>
During his cultivation, he would consume blood essence, resulting in a higher density of source qi around him. It would definitely benefit Chen Hao to stay with him while he was cultivating.
He could have Chen Hao read outside when he was cultivating in his bedroom. The higher source qi density would help in Chen Hao's acupoint opening. In fact, he was going to consume his drop of source qi liquid soon. At that time, he would be able to gather even more ambient source qi around him.
"Sure. I'll definitely fall asleep reading alone..."
"That's why you're at the third-stage while I'm already at the eighth-stage." Su Yu rolled his eyes as he said that. He then entered the bathroom to wash up. While doing so, he said, "Don't tell anyone I've reached the seventh-stage. It's pointless. Also, the next time you see Zhou Chong talking bad about me, just beat him up."
"What?" Chen Hao blanked out. But Su Yu just said that he wasn't bothered with that matter.
"Why are you acting all surprised? You're doing so to train your combat strength." Su Yu said righteously, "He's a free target practice. A fifth-stage Source Opening cultivator. He's the perfect opponent for you. Whoop his ass. Give him a bloody nose and swollen eyes. Whack him until he shut his mouth. Make him feel fear each time he sees you. Do you want me to personally make a move on him?
"I'm someone who has killed Great Strength cultivators before. Do you want me to bully a kid like him? Just beat up anyone who dares to run their mouth at school. Don't be scared of getting beaten. That can be a form of training as well.
"If you don't even have the courage for that, you should just quit cultivating now."
Su Yu was basically talking like Liu Wenyan. It was quite refreshing to not be on the receiving end for once.
Chen Hao nodded blankly while muttering, "What if it's a girl?"
"Whoop her ass!" Su Yu said solemnly, "Will the battlefield care about your gender? Will the females of the divines and devils not kill? Will they spare you? Just whoop their ass. As long as you leave no lasting damage on them, everything will be fine."
"Oh..." Chen Hao felt like something was off about that logic, but Su Yu sounded so convincing.
"Even if it's a girl, beat her up as well. Instead of spending her time studying, she's running around gossiping. If you don't beat them up, they'll think that you're afraid. Hao, man and woman are the same. Just beat up anyone you find talking bad about me. You won't go wrong with that."
"Wh-what if they get the parents involved?"
"What are you afraid of? So what if the parents are involved? Will they dare to lay their hands on you as Great Strength cultivators? Tell them the school's purpose is to nurture experts. Declare that nobody below the eighth-stage Source Opening Realm can beat you. Tell them you will accept all challenges.
"Tell them to get a seventh-stage Source Opening cultivator to beat you up if they're really so amazing. Also, no matter how badly you're beaten, don't learn from them and go running to your parents. That would be too embarrassing."
Su Yu continued urging Chen Hao on, "Seventh-stage Source Opening cultivators are nothing special. Just be careful and fearless. They might not be able to beat you. After whooping the ass of a seventh-stage cultivator as a third-stage cultivator, who would still dare to provoke you? What can their parents even do? If the parents dare to bully you, just report it to the principal. It doesn't make sense for an adult to bully a child.
"Also, your father is a deputy at the Traffic Department. Which parent would actually dare to touch you? Nobody will take fights between children seriously."
Chen Hao nodded repeatedly. The more he listened, the more sense Su Yu made.
"Then...I'll start kicking asses tomorrow?"
"Yes. Whoop Zhou Chong's ass first. After the beating, make a public declaration challenging anyone that are unhappy with you. They might really deliver themselves to you. This is a good opportunity for you to get some combat experience. This is free training, understand?"
Finally, Su Yu was done bathing. After putting his clothes on, he walked out of the bathroom and said, "Come on. Let's eat. Remember, don't tell your father this is my idea. Just say that you want to grow strong. Otherwise, your father will come looking for me. A good cultivator should never trouble their friend!"
"Don't worry. I won't tell him!" Chen Hao patted his chest as he promised. He was already a man! He wasn't a kid that would go running to his parents at the first sign of trouble!
Su Yu gave Chen Hao a thumbs-up and said, "By the way, before you start fighting, remember to get an instructor to watch over you. You kids might not know when to stop. If the instructor asks, just say that you're training. The school won't stop you."
"Alright."
"Also, before beating up a girl, remember to loudly shout that man and woman are both cultivators. Emphasize that you're not bullying a girl. Tell them to shut up and stop gossipping if they don't have the balls to fight you. Remember to do all that before fighting. It won't be a good look if a girl starts crying after being beaten by you."
"Ok. I won't forget that."
"Remember, when fighting a girl, don't hit her face. That would be too harsh."
"Ok. What else?"
"Hmm...yes. Do not tell anyone that I taught you all this."
"I won't. Don't worry."
"..."
After a while, they arrived at the Chen family's residence. After the long talk, Chen Hao felt enlightened. He was starting to get impatient. From tomorrow onward, he would begin combat training!
He was going to punch his way through the Nanyuan Secondary School. There were so many free training partners waiting for him there. According to Yu, hiring a single training partner would cost a hundred dollars per hour. If he could spend three hours fighting in the school each day, that would be the same as earning three hundred dollars per day.
And over the period of one month, he would earn at least ten thousand dollars! At that time, he could just pretend that the savings he gave Su Yu had all been spent on combat practice. He thought to himself that Su Yu was indeed the smart one. Su Yu had always been good with numbers.
…
Chen family's residence.
This was an apartment unit with four bedrooms and two living rooms. It was located in a different neighborhood than Su Yu's home. However, it wasn't too far away. That was why Chen Hao could be frequently seen below Su Yu's home. Their homes weren't that far from each other.
In fact, a few years ago, the two actually resided in the same neighborhood. After Chen Hao's father, Chen Qinghe, obtained a promotion, he bought a larger unit in a different neighborhood nearby.
The moment Su Yu walked through the door, Chen Qinghe, who was busy watching television, stood up and laughed heartily before saying, "Yu, you're here. Come, take a seat. Dinner will be ready soon. It has been a while since I last saw you."
"Uncle Chen. Is Aunt Chen in the kitchen?"
Chen Hao's mother spoke from the kitchen, "Yu, just watch some television for now. Dinner will be ready soon. I'm making your favorite red braised pork today."
Su Yu thanked her with a smile. In truth, there was a time when he was slightly tired of eating red braised pork as his father had cooked too much of that dish. But now that his father wasn't around, he was starting to miss it.
After Su Yu sat down, Chen Hao wanted to sit down as well. When Chen Qinghe saw that, the smile vanished from his face as he berated, "Go serve our guest some tea. Where is your etiquette?"
Chen Hao left to get tea while mumbling unhappily.
After Chen Hao left, Chen Qinghe's face turned friendly again as he said, "Yu, thank you for your help. Hao isn't too good with his brain. Falsely claiming a kill is a major offense. If it was anyone else, we wouldn't have claimed the kill.
"But you and Hao grew up together and that was your idea so I'm not worried that something bad will happen. You've been smart since you were young. You're much smarter than your father and me."
Su Yu softly said, "Uncle Chen, there won't be any issue with that. But I'm worried. I don't know if it's the right choice to help Hao enter a war academy."
Chen Qinghe sighed and shook his head. "I thought of that before. But when I think more, I doubt I can stop him. You know him. He's too stubborn. Since he wants to join a war academy, he will join a weaker war academy even if he fails to join the Great Xia War Academy.
"Rather than letting him join a weak academy, we might as well let him join a better one. At least he will see more opportunities there."
Chen Qinghe looked at Su Yu and solemnly said, "I've been wanting to invite you to a meal for a while. I want to thank you, but at the same time, I also have a favor to ask from you.
"You'll definitely be going to the capital. You won't be in the same academy as Hao, but I believe that you will definitely do better there. On the battlefield, you will eventually become a commander while Hao will be a cannon fodder. I'm begging you to take care of him when the time comes."
Su Yu hastily said, "Don't worry, Uncle Chen. I'll naturally do that. We have been friends for so many years."
Chen Qinghe waved his hand and sighed again before saying, "Helping one or twice is fine, but if you have to keep doing so, no friendship will be strong enough to endure that. In the end, Hao still needs to rely on himself. If he's really without any talent, he can return to Nanyuan after graduation. It's actually quite good over here. And if he's even slightly capable, growing to a point where he won't be a burden for you, he can be your follower..."
"Uncle Chen, you're too—" Su Yu was about to say something when Chen Qinghe interrupted him, "He won't be able to be more than a follower. Whose follower he becomes will be very important. That fellow isn't too smart. If he follows someone else, he might really be thrown aside like some cannon fodder one day, dying without even knowing what's happening. It's a cruel world out there. The myriad races can harm humans. But humans can also harm their fellow humans as well."
Chen Qinghe had a bleak tone, "Yu, I can only entrust him to you. You're at the same age, but I don't need to worry about you. Hao is different. I have been trying to teach him to be smarter, but I failed."
Su Yu had nothing to say. He could only nod.
At that point, Chen Hao finally returned with a cup of tea. With a hearty laugh, he said, "Dad, what are you talking about?"
Chen Qinghe glanced at Chen Hao and grumbled, "We're talking about how stupid you are, wondering when you'll grow up." Official source ıs novelꞁire.net
Chen Hao shut his mouth sullenly.
"How I wish you're a girl. If that's the case, I can tell Su Long to marry you over to Yu. Unfortunately, you're a boy, a boy with a big body and a small brain."
Hearing that, Chen Hao grimaced while Su Yu shivered. He started imagining Chen Hao as his wife...and he erased the thought immediately. That was too scary a thought to even entertain. After a short while, Mother Chen was finally done cooking. With the dishes served, they all sat around the dining table.
Chapter 44: Three Targets
This wasn't Su Yu's first time eating at Chen Hao's place, so he wasn't shy. It had been quite a while since he last had any proper food, so he ate to his heart's content. After the meal and a short chat with the Chen family, he took his leave.
He had just stepped through the door when Chen Qinghe appeared with a case in hand. He pushed it into Su Yu's hands and softly said, "Take this. This isn't for what you did to help Hao with the cult member. He will repay you for that himself. This is my gift to thank you for the care you're going to show my son in the future. I might not sound like I'm worried, but I'm really afraid that one random day, I'll receive news that my son is dead. Yu, I can only beg for your help!"
Su Yu had a complicated feeling. Chen Qinghao was a deputy head of the city's Traffic Department, a Great Strength cultivator, and a soon-to-be head of the Traffic Department. But for the sake of his son, he was lowering himself before a kid like Su Yu.
Su Yu was only a Source Opening cultivator. Sure, he was going to join a cultural research academy, but he didn't understand why Chen Qinghe had so much faith in him. After thinking about it, he decided to accept the case.
...
Before long, Su Yu was on his way home.
After he left, Chen Hao said, "Dad, why were you so courteous toward Yu today? That feels so awkward."
"What do you know?" Chen Qinghe couldn't even be bothered to explain himself.
Chen Hao was not satisfied. He said, "What do I not know? I've known Yu for so many years. We're close enough that he'll lend me a hand even if you haven't asked for his help."
"Helping you once or twice can be attributed to your friendship. If he helps you three or four times, that would be due to his kindness. But more than that would ruin your relationship."
Chen Qinghe's face fell as he said, "With how you're behaving, it's only a matter of time before you get yourself in trouble. What if that keeps happening? Su Yu isn't your father. Why should he keep doing so? Eventually, you'll find your friendship declining. Will you be shameless enough to keep sticking to him then?"
"Dad, you look down on me too much."
"You're right." Chen Qinghe did not deny that. "If you're really going to the capital, keep to yourself and focus on cultivating. Don't create trouble. Don't bother Su Yu if there is nothing important. Only ask for his help if there is really something you can't solve."
"Yu is also going there as a student. It's not like he's going there to become a big official or something..."
"You!" Chen QInghe sighed, "Can the two of you be the same? Even ignoring the fact that he's smarter than you, who is Liu Wenyan? He is a Skysoar cultural researcher. He has an extensive network in the Great Xia Cultural Research Academy. He has high expectations of Su Yu, so things will be different for Su Yu there.
"There's also a person called Bai Feng that was here in Nanyuan for a bit. I asked around and found that he's an assistant researcher. Recently, he's aiming to break through into the seventh-stage Skysoar Realm.
"Before leaving Nanyuan, he told Su Yu to look for him in the academy. Commander Zhang from the city guards and the others were there to hear that. Do you know what that means? That means he looks highly on Su Yu as well. As for you...why hadn't you grabbed the opportunity when it was before you?
"Su Yu will benefit from Liu Wenyan's network in the academy. He will also obtain Bai Feng's care. He is smart. After a few years, when you're still a regular soldier, he might have grown into a big shot already.
"Don't forget about Su Long as well. Yes, he's a Great Strength cultivator, but he's a veteran of the Devil Subduing Army. I'm nothing like him."
Chen Qinghe sighed, "What is the Devil Subduing Army? That is the army led by the prefect back then. A few of the current 1000-man commanders in the Martial Dragon Guards are from the Devil Subduing Army.
"Su Long might not be a big deal, but he is still someone from the army and can be considered their comrade-in-arms.
"More than half of the higher ups in the Martial Dragon Guards and the Great Xia Army came from the Devil Subduing Army. As long as Su Yu isn't a fool, he can use that as the pretext to get the two powerful forces as his backer."
Chen Hao blanked out. "Will that really work? Dad, Uncle Su is only a Great Strength cultivator. Does he even know those big shots?"
"It's not the issue of knowing or not knowing them." Chen Qinghe shot his son an unhappy glare and said, "You don't understand the military. If Su Yu really asks for their help, after telling them that his father is a member of the Devil Subduing Army, a veteran that has returned from retirement, the folks in the military will instantly find him more agreeable. The military is famous for how protective they are of their own. They will at least make sure that nobody can bully Su Yu.
"They probably won't give him that big of a help, but with them around, nobody in the capital can bully him. If things get too troublesome, even the prefect might personally get involved. That had happened before."
Chen Qinghe stopped at that. He had indeed heard of something like that happening before. Xia Longwu was known as the iron-blooded war god. He greatly valued his fellow soldiers. That was especially true for the batch of veterans that had fought under him twenty years ago. A lot of the people from back then were now occupying high positions in the Martial Dragon Guards and Great Xia Army.
It was a pity that Su Long had retired back then. Otherwise, if he managed to survive until today, he would have gotten a rather high position as well. Furthermore, Su Long was a tad bit too weak. If he was at the Infinite Strength Realm, he would have definitely been accepted into the Martial Dragon Guards. Nᴇw novel chapters are publɪshed on novel·fıre·net
Compared with Su Yu, Chen Hao would be completely alone in the capital. Chen Qinghe was no Su Long. He was a big deal in Nanyuan, but nobody knew him in the capital. At one point, Chen Hao became utterly confused, so he decided to stop thinking. He only muttered that Uncle Su was incredible and...returned to his room. Chen Qinghe was speechless. He could guess what his son was thinking.
His son must be asking why his father wasn't a Devil Subduing Army veteran as well. That was most definitely what that kid was thinking right now.
...
Su family's residence.
After returning home, Su Yu opened the case he got from Chen Qinghe. His expression changed the moment he saw the contents in the case. The case wasn't small, and there were multiple items in it. A few small bottles could be seen in the case. There was also a single bone fragment there. Unlike the previous incomplete bone fragment he saw, this was a complete bone fragment.
"Is this...an original text of a myriad race cultivation method?"
Su Yu was stunned. He also saw that there were three bottles in the case. When he opened them, he found a drop of source qi liquid in each bottle.
"How generous!"
Su Yu was stunned. Three drops of source qi liquid had a market price of three hundred thousand. Even more valuable was the original myriad race cultivation method. Even if it was only a Great Strength cultivation method, it was still incredibly valuable.
The bone fragment Su Yu had gotten from Bai Feng was incomplete. It was only one third of the full copy yet it was considered a treasure. Even Liu Yue coveted it. This wasn't something you could buy with just money. Merit points were required as well.
Su Yu was no longer a clueless child, so he knew all that. Also, these original texts couldn't be purchased in Nanyuan Secondary School. They were only available for purchase in the capital.
A single Great Strength original text, whether it was a cultivation method or martial technique, and regardless of which race it originated from, would have a price tag of no less than thirty merit points. The original texts of the divines or devils would be even more expensive.
"This..."
Su Yu knew that this wouldn't be a cheap gift. But he had not expected this. He even suspected that Chen Qinghe had used all the merit points he had saved over the years to purchase that single original text.
Su Yu did not know what to say. Three hundred thousand. As a deputy head of the Traffic Department, Chen Qinghe had definitely earned more than his father, but it also wouldn't be easy for him to gather thirty merit points.
/p>
People like Chen Qinghe would only earn around five to ten merit points per year. Su Yu did not know how much merit points Chen Qinghe had spent for the gift, but the contents in the case were probably worth about six to seven years of Chen Qinghe's total income. His salary, employment benefits, and rewards had all been spent on the contents of the case.
"Uncle Chen is overestimating me too much."
Su Yu felt helpless. He understood that this gift was a form of investment for Chen Qinghe. Naturally, the investment was made on behalf of Chen Hao. Chen Qinghe hoped that Su Yu would take care of Chen Hao after achieving something for himself in the capital. And Chen Qinghao had held nothing back.
He wasn't even aware that Bai Feng had accepted Su Yu as a student in advance. He also wasn't aware that Su Yu had already reached the seventh-stage. Just based on what he knew of Su Yu from before, he had prepared such valuable gifts without worrying that he would waste his effort.
"Sigh." Su Yu sighed. Chen Qinghe did all that for his son. Hao was probably unaware of that. And if he did find out, well, that fellow would probably come and ask for some of the stuff from Su Yu.
Su Yu knew very well that Uncle Chen would not take the gifts back even if he insisted on returning them. After giving it some thought, he decided to keep them. The original myriad race cultivation method was something Chen Qinghe didn't have a need for. He could only have purchased it for Su Yu. He had probably asked around a lot before knowing what to buy.
As for the three drops of source qi liquid, after some thought, Su Yu concluded that he might not need all of them. He still had a drop on him. He would also earn three drops from the war academy examination. Yes, he was already viewing the examination reward as his personal belonging.
Source qi liquid would be helpful during the Source Opening Realm. It was also useful during the Great Strength Realm, but it wouldn't be as effective anymore. Su Yu was already a seventh-stage Source Opening cultivator. He probably wouldn't need that many drops of source qi liquid.
"I'll just let Hao use it when he cultivates at my place. Looks like I've only gotten richer after Dad left."
Su Yu was somewhat speechless. His dad had left over three hundred thousand behind. Su Yu had thought that he would go bankrupt when he first started buying blood essence. But instead, he was getting richer and richer.
"Anping dollars and gold coins worth three hundred thousand, four drops of source qi liquid, one complete Great Strength original text, one incomplete Great Strength original text, two drops of blood essence, and thirteen merit points."
The merit points included the one point he had earned earlier in the day and the two points he had earned a few days ago when helping the Windcatcher Department capture a Myriad Race Cult member. After some calculation, Su Yu found that he had turned into a rich man.
"Well, since I'm rich, time to share the wealth with my little bro."
Su Yu smiled. The two drops of blood essence he had obtained as his spoils of war did not belong to iron-winged birds. He did not consume them rashly and had been keeping them around to be absorbed by his blood character. The Divine Character couldn't absorb much each time, but it could take its time and slowly grow.
"My next goal is to kill a middle-stage Great Strength cult member for my graduation exam and enter the eighth-stage Source Opening Realm. As for my willpower, I'll try to reach twenty percent as soon as possible."
Those would be Su Yu's goals before the academy entrance examinations. There were less than twenty-four days before the examinations. He was confident he would be able to achieve all three of his goals.
Chapter 45: The Name Comes Before the Man (1)
Su Yu was cultivating hard to achieve his three goals.
At the same time, Great Xia Cultural Research Academy.
This was an incomparably massive academy. Pavilions spread as far as the eye could see. Commerce District, Residential District, Education District, Grotto District, Social District, and so on split the massive academy into various sections. The academy was basically a small city.
/p>
Enrollment Center. Thᴇ link to the origɪn of this information rᴇsts ɪn NoveI(F)ire.net
Bai Feng had just finished his secluded cultivation session. For the first time in a month, he left his home to take in some fresh air outside. He walked into the Enrollment Center in an unhurried manner. It was still not the enrollment season, but this place was already getting busy. After all, the entrance examinations in the various cities were starting soon.
"Old Zhou, do me a favor. That's my nephew. I'll teach him myself after he's accepted into the academy. He is pretty good at the myriad languages. He is also quite talented in Divine Characters. His willpower is decent as well. You only need to be slightly lenient to him during the exam..."
"No!" A middle-aged man berated, "Even if you're going to teach him yourself, we still can't do that! If he can't even get through the entrance exam with his own abilities, it doesn't matter whose nephew he is. He can't be accepted."
"Old Zhou, you're clearly trying to make things hard for me."
"Don't try that on me. We have the records from Tianfeng City. Your nephew has spent five years in his secondary school to master only three languages. Am I right? Who are you trying to trick? He's untalented. Accepting him will be a waste of resources. If you can't accept that, feel free to go back home and teach him yourself."
"You!"
"What? Are you going to beat me up?"
"I—"
"What? You're only a junior researcher. You dare raise your voice against an intermediate researcher like me?"
"..."
The place was bustling with noise. Bai Feng shook his head. This was probably the noisiest place in the entire academy. Some were here to get someone into the academy through a backdoor. Some were here to snatch the new genius students. Not just anyone could maintain order at a place like this. Bai Feng did not bother going near the arguing duo. He looked for a shorter line and waited for a short while before it was his turn.
"Check Su Yu from Nanyuan Secondary School. See if there are any updates on his profile."
When the young woman at the counter saw that it was Bai Feng, she blushed and hastily said, "Working on it, Assistant Bai."
Bai Feng had a smile on his face, but inwardly, he thought, 'This girl doesn't know what she's doing. I will choose a different counter next time.'
He was unhappy that she had addressed him as Assistant Bai. Couldn't she have called him Researcher Bai?
"Su Yu, final year student at Nanyuan Secondary School, certified for eighteen languages, fifth-stage Source Opening Realm, twenty-one original earned merit points, recommended by Instructor Liu of Nanyuan. With a comprehensive grade of three hundred marks, he has a middle-low rating."
"Middle-low?" Bai Feng nodded. That was the grading given internally by the academy. In comparison with the students of the various cities, this wasn't a good rating, but it also wasn't a bad one.
"For this year's exam, two hundred marks would be enough for him to join the academy, right?"
The woman hurriedly said, "We're still unsure. But according to past trends, that should be sufficient."
One certified language would grant a student ten marks. At third-stage Source Opening Realm and below, one would earn ten marks per stage. From the third to the fifth stage, one would earn thirty marks per stage. Excluding the merit points awarded for certified languages, the remaining merit points would grant one ten marks per point. With a comprehensive grade of three hundred marks, Su Yu wouldn't have any issue entering the academy.
Of course, they wouldn't tell the students about the grading system. And if these recommended students were to somehow fail their first entrance examination, they would be given a second chance in case the first fail was due to some unexpected accident. That was the benefit of having this recommendation system in place.
Generally, someone at the third-stage Source Opening Realm with seventeen languages mastered was guaranteed to pass the examination. ?Some students with more merit points would have the requirements lowered, such as passing with only fifteen languages mastered.
Or perhaps one had a higher cultivation level, such as reaching the fourth-stage Source Opening Realm. That person would be able to get through the examination by mastering only fourteen languages.
Thus, as a third-stage Source Opening cultivator who had mastered eighteen languages, Su Yu was guaranteed entry into the academy. That was why he was considered a genius at Nanyuan. Previously, he had a low rating. That signified that he wouldn't be taken by any researcher as a student after entering the academy. With a new rating of middle-low, he could now be considered decent. If he was lucky, he could even attract the attention of a researcher and be recruited as a helper.
After a short silence, Bai Feng said, "Put Su Yu under me. I have two personal student openings, right? Give him one."
"What?" The woman exclaimed in shock. She hastily said, "Assistant Bai, he only has a middle-low rating."
"Is there a problem with that?" Bai Feng smiled, "That is good enough. He comes recommended by Nanyuan and Instructor Liu Wenyan is my martial uncle. Is there a problem with me accepting someone as my personal student?"
"No..." The woman was getting anxious. A middle-low student could be good enough for others, but for someone like Bai Feng, it would be too much of a waste for the limited openings he had.
"Assistant Bai, before becoming a full researcher, you can accept no more than two personal students. Su Yu has yet to enter the academy and has a rating of middle-low. It won't benefit you much to accept him..."
"Thank you. I know. Give him the opening."
Bai Feng had the same smile on his face as this woman was advising him out of kindness. However, he did not need any advice on this matter.
"Then..." The woman felt regretful. But Bai Feng was the one accepting a student. There really wasn't anything she could do about it.
Just as she was about to get started with the paperwork, a smiling individual walked over and said, "Bai Feng, you're accepting a newcomer as your personal student instead of someone already in the academy? And you're accepting someone with a middle-low rating? What are you thinking?
"This year, we have a lot of new students rated high. There are even a few high-high students in the list. And during the examination, even more might appear."
Bai Feng turned his head to look at the newcomer. A frown formed on his face. He was prepared to keep a low profile and leave after getting the job done. But this fellow was here creating trouble again.
"Liu Hong, I'm the one accepting a student here. That has nothing to do with you."
About five meters away was a young man standing with his arms crossed. With a smile on his face, the young man said, "That's right. But...I enjoy watching a good show."
"Shut your mouth if it has nothing to do with you." Bai Feng couldn't be bothered to waste more time on that person. He turned to look at the woman at the counter and asked, "Are you done with the registration?"
"Yes, Assistant Bai."
"Bai Feng!" Seeing that Bai Feng was ignoring him, Liu Hong said, "Are you really going to accept a freshie as your personal student?"
"That has nothing to do with you."
Bai Feng started leaving. With a frown, Liu Hong said, "Yes, it has nothing to do with me. But have you thought of how many people you will offend by accepting this person as your personal student?"
Bai Feng looked at Liu Hong with his brows furrowed.
"Last year, my younger brother tried to become your personal student. You refused. Fine. You have yet to accept any student. Maybe you're waiting for a student with high-high rating. I understand that. My younger brother is not capable enough.
"But now, you're accepting a middle-low student? Bai Feng, how do you think my younger brother will take it? How will my family take it?"
Bai Feng sneered, "And that concerns me how?"
"You're right, Bai Feng. That does not concern you." Liu Hong solemnly said, "I don't mind either. It doesn't even matter how my family takes it. But my younger brother wasn't the only one who had tried becoming your student.
"Even high-high students have been rejected by you before. Now, you're accepting a middle-low student. What will they think?
"Yes, all that won't concern you either. But have you considered this? You're making enemies for that new student. Others will question the fact that they were rejected while a mediocre student is accepted. Is he better than them? Or is there a different reason?"
Bai Feng was indifferent. "So?"
"Nothing. It's fine for you to accept him. You still have one more opening. That one student will attract too much attention alone. Why don't you accept another student?"
"Your younger brother?"
"Of course not. He has already been accepted by Researcher Hu. I recommend Wu Qi's younger sister. She has a high-middle rating. That's pretty good. We never mentioned her to you since you have never been interested in accepting students before. Since that's changing this year, you might as well accept another student. What do you think?"
"What do I think? I think...you can piss off." Bai Feng said impatiently, "So what if she is a high-middle student? What do I care about Wu Qi? Am I supposed to be impressed because she's Wu Qi's younger sister? I will accept whoever I want!
"And if you people are unhappy...feel free to create trouble for the new student. As long as you don't kill or cripple him, suppress him however you want."
Bai Feng was completely indifferent. Suppressing Su Yu? If they could, feel free to do it.
"Who I accept as my student is none of your business. Piss off, Liu Hong. Don't bother trying to act all friendly to me. My words apply to you, to Wu Qi, and to everyone else. Go accept those students yourself instead of trying to send them my way. If you keep bothering me, don't blame me for being impolite."
Bai Feng was speaking quite loudly. He had wanted to keep a low profile, but with Liu Hong's disturbance, he had attracted quite a lot of attention.
He was very straightforward as he loudly said, "I can accept whoever I want as my student. Even if it's a cripple, so long as he can get through the entrance exam, I'll still accept him if I want. Are you trying to tell me what to do? Don't bother playing those stupid tricks on me!"
Leaving those words behind, Bai Feng left. The room sank into a short silence before sounds of discussion erupted.
"Bai Feng is accepting a student?"
"What is he thinking? He has rejected many people during the past two years. Why is he suddenly changing his mind this year?"
"I heard it's a student recommended by Liu Wenyan..."
"Liu Wenyan has recommended quite a lot of students before. Bai Feng never cared."
"I'm not sure. But after what happened here spreads, he will encounter a lot of troubles. After all, many people are paying close attention to Senior Hong."
"There's also a lot of little fellows keeping their eyes on Bai Feng. The competition for the slots three years later...Bai Feng will definitely get involved in it."
"Also, he will also be fighting for the limited positions of full researcher promotion."
An old man smiled, "What is this kid trying to do? A lot of people are wondering about that. Nobody will ignore the fact that he's suddenly accepting a student. Also, Senior Hong has quite a lot of valuable stuff. Everyone is eyeing what he has."
"True."
Someone laughed, "This is good. A good show will unfold. The academy has been peaceful for way too long. The competition for the slots seven years ago had caused quite a big ruckus. This competition only happens once every ten years. I was thinking that the show will only start in one or two years. But it looks like the show is going to start early this time."
"Great Xia only has twenty slots in total. Our academy will only be able to get five or six of them. Bai Feng will meet a lot of competitors. Let's see if he can hold them off."
"He's a seventh-stage Skysoar. He will be able to handle it."
"Nah, nothing is absolute. Also, those little fellows aren't simple individuals either. The next competition might be even more intense than before."
"..."
One person after another spoke out. Staring at the departing Bai Feng, Liu Hong remained silent. After thinking about it, he went to the counter and asked for Su Yu's records.
Chapter 46: The Name Comes Before the Man (2)
A short while later, Liu Hong entered a small villa in the Residential District.
"Wu Qi, Bai Feng is accepting a student this year."
A young woman was writing a Divine Character with a pen. Without looking up, she said, "So be it. Why would I care?"
"He's accepting a middle-low student. I suggested your younger sister...and he told me to piss off. This fellow is already a seventh-stage Skysoar. He is getting even more arrogant than before."
"He has always been arrogant." Wu Qi was still indifferent. "Apart from that period of time a few years ago after he was beaten up by that fellow from the war academy, he has never stopped being arrogant."
At the mention of that incident, Wu Qi smiled, "I'm still waiting for the show to start. A few years later when he finally reaches the ninth-stage, he will definitely go get his revenge. That person better not enter the Cloudbreach Realm too fast or the show will end prematurely."
Liu Hong said, "That's not the point. He's accepting a student. This is a good opportunity. Senior Hong is very hard to meet. His research center is firmly under Bai Feng's control. If we can get Bai Feng to accept one of our people as his student, that research center alone will be lucrative enough to satisfy all of us."
"Huh?"
Wu Qi finally looked up. Her eyes turned cold as she said, "Piss off." ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ NoveIꜰire.net
"Wu Qi, you—"
"Piss off!" She snorted with contempt in her eyes. "I am Wu Qi. I do not need to play these tricks to get what I want. Bai Feng is not my match. Regardless of whether it's the full researcher promotion exam or the competition three years later, I'll be present in both.
"Liu Hong, stop playing your tricks around me. You might not like the consequences."
Liu Hong clenched his fists and said, "If I'm really playing tricks with you, I won't be here to see you. Fight for opportunities. Fight for fortune. I don't care how others see me or know what I do. None of that matters. I have the right to fight for the opportunity when it is before me.
"Bai Feng controls Senior Hong's research center. I want to fight for that. Even Senior Hong won't stop me from doing so. If I win, that will only prove that I'm better than Bai Feng. There is no denying that. Wu Qi, do you look down on someone exercising his right to pursue a better station in life?"
Wu Qi looked up once again, "You're right. It is your right to do so. But...how does that concern me?"
"Don't you wish to get better support and a better future for your younger sister?"
"In that case, that will be between me and Bai Feng. I don't need you to get involved in my business."
"It's pointless. He won't be moved by either force or persuasion. We have to make sure he has no choice but to do so, and you alone won't be able to accomplish that."
Wu Qi stared at Liu Hong for a while before saying, "If you want my help, sure. As a payment, you need to let me study your force character for three months."
"..."
Liu Hong clenched his teeth in anger and said, "That's too much!"
"Not at all. If you disagree...feel free to go at it alone. I'm not interested in these stupid games. You're not even at the seventh-stage, so you won't be qualified to get involved in the competition and researcher promotion anyway."
Liu Hong took a deep breath and made up his mind, "Fine."
Wu Qi smiled, "Tell me. What do you intend to do?"
"Simple. Reduce Bai Feng's authority."
"Huh?"
"If his student fails three monthly exams, ranks low in the seasonal exams and the yearly exams, Bai Feng will lose three hundred points in one year. With that, his authority will drop one level. And in three years, he will no longer be qualified to take part in that competition.
"We don't even need three years. A year later, I'll be able to apply for control over Senior Hong's research center. At that time, with a lower level of authority, Bai Feng won't be able to stop me even if he's Senior Hong's personal student. After all, the research center was still made with the academy's money. It would be Bai Feng's fault for losing the research center.
"At that time, he will have no choice but to accept a new student to raise his authority. And he would need an outstanding student for that. If we prepare well, he will have no choice but to pick one of our own. And since he has to pick an outstanding student, there is only one or a few options. What do you think he will do?"
Liu Hong continued, "This is an open conspiracy. He was the one who had declared that we can do whatever we want. In that case, why should I be pulling my punches?"
Wu Qi shot him a glance before looking back down at the Divine Character she was writing. After a short while, she said, "That's a cheap scheme, but it should work well. So would my role in all this be protection against Bai Feng's revenge?"
"Yes. That fellow is too arrogant. If he really suffers a loss, he won't take it silently. I'm worried that he will make a move on me and seriously injure me, forcing me to withdraw from all competitions in the academy."
"Yes, that does sound like something he would do." Wu Qi smiled, "At least you're self-aware enough to know that he's better than you. If I'm the one making the decision, I would have told you to give up on competing against him. But you're also right that this is a good opportunity for you. Even if he's making a move on you, it will be an honorable challenge instead of some dirty schemes. How about this? If he challenges you, I'll challenge and injure him before he can face you."
"Agreed." Liu Hong was overjoyed. That was exactly what he wanted.
The stronger individuals in the academy weren't interested in a minor conflict like this. As for the weaker ones, they were unqualified to even get involved. As for the Cloudbreach experts, those were all the higher ups of the academy. Senior Hong wouldn't sit around and watch as those people get involved in a conflict between juniors.
"By the way, if Bai Feng's student keeps failing his exams, Bai Feng will definitely be forced to accept another student to increase his evaluation. If my younger sister really ends up as his student, she will definitely do her best to help her teacher. I won't have my sister hold back for your scheme. That will only ruin her future."
"Of course." Liu Hong smiled. "The more outstanding your sister is, the better it is. That will only cause Bai Feng to pour more of his resources to her. That is how things are done and nobody can change that. As a result, the other student will keep falling behind and continue lowering Bai Feng's evaluation. Even if your sister can pull Bai Feng's evaluation up, it won't be enough. Bai Feng will not be able to escape dropping a level."
Wu Qi nodded in agreement.
...
While the two were discussing, Bai Feng was walking around in the academy. A smile suddenly formed on his face as he said, "Bunch of fools. Trying to reduce my authority?"
He wasn't there to hear the discussion, but he could guess what Liu Hong was trying to do.
"Well, that would be an interesting show to watch." Bai Feng muttered to himself before shaking his head. Su Yu would probably encounter a lot of trouble after entering the academy. But...that could be good as well. How could an unpolished gem shine? Without any suppression, how would that kid understand that the academy was filled with geniuses? How would he understand that he wasn't that special?
"Completing a Divine Character in one day...I really hope Liu Hong can help me suppress that kid for a bit. Otherwise, it will be hard to stop the kid from getting too full of himself. But Liu Hong is an idiot. He won't end up sending fools over to be humiliated by that kid, right?"
Bai Feng laughed and shook his head. If that really happened, well, it had nothing to do with him.
p>
"Wu Qi, Xia Yuwen..."
Muttering the two new names, Bai Feng had completely forgotten about Liu Hong. That fellow was not even at the seventh-stage Skysoar Realm. He couldn't be bothered to pay much attention to someone like that. The two names he mentioned were his actual competitors in the academy. Even before this when he was still at the sixth-stage Skysoar Realm, he had never considered Liu Hong a threat.
"Su Yu." Finally, Bai Feng mentioned Su Yu's name. "This kid better not disappoint me. He needs to surpass and suppress the students of those fellows. Only then would I be able to get promoted into a full researcher earlier and become a team leader..."
There were still too many limitations for an assistant researcher. Without sufficient authority, there were many places he wasn't allowed to visit.
…
Nanyuan.
The secondary school had been in a mess for the past few days. Chen Hao had broken through into the fourth-stage Source Opening Realm. He then challenged the fifth-stage Source Opening Realm Zhou Chong.
There actually wasn't much difference between the two. With their cultivation levels, they were basically the same as a normal person. Zhou Chong had a higher cultivation level, but he was beaten until he cried. That wasn't the end of it. Chen Hao was not satisfied with beating Zhou Chong alone. He continued looking for more people to fight. On the first day, he fought ten different students.
He won some and he lost some, but he didn't care. He treated all the fights as training. In three days, he got into over thirty fights. If he hadn't been forced to take a sick leave by his mother due to the bruises on his face, he would probably continue fighting.
But even though Chen Hao was absent from school, he had started a new trend. In the past, everyone believed that those at the fourth-stage Source Opening Realm were incredible while those at the fifth-stage were akin to the stars in the sky.
But now, all those amazing individuals were merely people that had been whacked by Chen Hao. That opened a brand new world to the students in the school. Some of the students that were bully victims of the more talented students started stirring. Thus, on the day Chen Hao was absent, even more fights broke out in the school.
There were quite a lot of students eager to challenge the so-called talented students. Zhou Chong, in particular, was someone who had provoked many people in the past with his rude mouth. But since he was known as a genius, most people could only endure in silence. But on that day, no less than seven of them had stepped forth to challenge Zhou Chong.
The result of those fights didn't matter. They had still managed to hurt Zhou Chong. So many bruises were left on his face that unless one was very familiar with him, one wouldn't even be able to recognize him.
...
"This is ridiculous!"
In the office, Liu Wenyan shook his head, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. He was able to instantly guess whose idea that was. Chen Hao was a simple and honest student. Without someone inciting him, he wouldn't challenge Zhou Chong for no reason. Clearly, that was Su Yu's handiwork. Beside him, the principal was stroking his beard really hard. He seemed to be doing that a lot recently.
With a sigh, the principal lamented, "These kids sure are energetic. The exams are near. Why aren't they stopping? A few fights here and there is fine as that will give them more passion in cultivation. But..."
The principal felt like crying. "Why are they beating up girls as well? I'm worried about the future of these kids! There have never been too many girls in war academies. If these kids bring this habit with them to the academies, are they going to stay single forever?"
Liu Wenyan trembled as he realized how serious this problem was.
"Chen Hao...needs to have his ass whooped!"
Liu Wenyan was starting to get anxious as well. What were they to do with this batch of students? Every single one of them was running around shouting that men and women are equal on the battlefield. What the fuck was that? How were they supposed to find a wife in the future? Were the male students of this batch going to...stay single for life?
The principal sighed in desperation, "This trend is influencing more than the students of this batch. Their juniors are all watching. There are a lot of children between eleven and twelve in the school. I'm hearing news that even these boys are getting ready to challenge the girls in their classes..."
"Are they stupid?" Liu Wenyan was speechless.
"No. Apparently they heard from their seniors that only by beating girls can they temper their fortitude. Beating girls can help them improve in their cultivation."
"..."
Liu Wenyan looked at the principal. The principal looked at him. A dispirited expression covered both their faces. They couldn't go around spreading those words! If this continued, in a few years, the entire Nanyuan Secondary School would be turned into some sort of temple filled with monks who had taken vows of chastity.
That was too scary! And the moment that reputation spread, to the point even those in the capital learned of it, how were Nanyuan students supposed to get girlfriends in the capital? What the hell were those kids thinking?
The principal sighed yet again and said, "We'll see what we can do after sending this batch of students off. Old Liu, let's move on. Did you hear the news from the Great Xia Cultural Research Academy?"
As the best secondary school in Nanyuan, they naturally had some connections to the various academies. Thus, they were able to obtain certain news before other schools. Furthermore, there were also some Nanyuan Secondary School alumni in the various academies. All those people formed a reliable network of information for the principal.
Liu Wenyan nodded and indifferently said, "That's normal. Seems like they haven't changed. The issue is not Su Yu. It's Bai Feng. That fellow has recently broken through into the seventh-stage Skysoar Realm. The people there are feeling more and more threatened by him.
"Previously, he might be outstanding as a sixth-stage Skysoar cultivator, but there are still at least eight people with the same cultivation level in the same age group in the academy. There are even a few late-stage Skysoar cultivators there.
"People were even questioning his qualification to be ranked in the top ten. But now that he has broken through, he is starting to catch a lot more attention than before."
Bai Feng accepting a student would not have caused such a big ruckus previously. Sure, he would still attract some attention, but it wouldn't be such a big deal. But he had reached the seventh-stage. He had only advanced by a single stage, but that single stage signified that he would no longer meet any bottlenecks until the ninth-stage. That immediately placed him in the top five of the academy. Naturally, that ranking only included his peers, not the old timers of the academy.