The Feisty Girl

In the boys' dormitory, Si Ming, who was arranging his luggage, was unaware that someone was trying to poach his girlfriend. Of course, even if he knew, he wouldn't care much. He knew Murong Qing's personality very well; she hated frivolous guys the most. Anyone who wanted to confess on the first meeting would be rejected before they even opened their mouth. Besides, she wasn't the kind of sentimental, artsy girl who would only show off her writing skills and make people dislike her.

"I was wondering if there would be the cliché of ranking the eldest and second eldest, but it turned out to be a single room. I guess you can only say that money talks."

When Si Ming life, although there was an order of age, his roommates never mentioned it and always called him by his name. So when he saw the protagonists in those urban rebirth novels who ranked themselves as the eldest and second eldest among their roommates as soon as they entered college, he felt extremely awkward. He originally wanted to see if this problem existed in another world, but it turned out that everyone had their own room and they didn't give him a chance at all.

Because universities in Su State have not expanded their enrollment, the number of college students is very small. Therefore, key universities like Linked Mountains University, which have no shortage of money or land, usually arrange single rooms by default. Of course, if you want to live with someone, you can apply for double or triple rooms. In fact, because the country encourages childbirth, even cohabitation between opposite sexes is allowed by the school—provided that you are not afraid to let your classmates know about it.

Boys' luggage is usually quite simple. They just hang their clothes in the closet, put their toiletries in, and that's it. They can buy other things at the supermarket later.

The opening ceremony was scheduled for the afternoon, and Si Ming planned to meet his classmates beforehand. Since he didn't intend to study seriously in university, he deliberately avoided majors that required a lot of effort and chose a less popular major called "Ancient Pattern Studies," which had a relatively easy curriculum.

The so-called ancient patterns do not refer to ancient literature, nor do they have anything to do with archaeology. If we had to describe them, they would be somewhat similar to runic literature in Western fantasy, where specific ancient patterns are arranged to produce magical effects.

Ancient Pattern Studies was once a popular major, attracting many students who were not skilled in combat but longed for battle. However, after the Eternal Barrier descended and banned all Technique Method Divine Ability, Ancient Pattern Studies lost its practical value and became a purely theoretical subject. As a result, enrollment plummeted from booming to deserted, and many universities even canceled the major altogether.

Si Ming failed to meet his new classmates because his senior Hu Jixian, intercepted him at the dormitory entrance.

"Don't blame me, this is Ke Chajing's idea. She's afraid things might get complicated if things drag on, and she's worried that you might be intercepted by some other gang halfway through, so she sent me to help you complete the membership procedures." Hu Jixian shrugged, decisively throwing away the blame.

"This is only the first day, there hasn't even been an opening ceremony yet, and people can already join clubs?"

"In theory, as long as you sign in at the freshman registration desk, you officially become a student of this school and are eligible to join any club. By the way, Ke Chajing personally went to confront Murong Qing at her door. Of course, I don't think it was necessary. Murong Qing is one of the top four in the National Martial Dao League. Even if the president of the Martial Arts Club is blind, he wouldn't miss her."

Si Ming thought for a moment, realizing there was no rush to meet his classmate, and nodded in agreement, while also inquiring about the important matter on the way.

"Have the investigation results for the concert incident been released?"

"Yes, the criminals have confessed. They are all followers of the Primordial Venerable Sect, a notorious cult throughout the entire Sea Continent. They worship a deity called Primordial Ancestor Heavenly Venerable, who is said to have fallen into a deep sleep in recent years and rarely responds to the prayers of his followers. So they decided to perform a human sacrifice to awaken this deity."

"How can anyone believe in such blatant cult practices?"

Si Ming really didn't know what was going on in these people's heads. In the Sea Continent, having religious beliefs was considered low-class and easily subject to discrimination. The doctrines of the Primordial Venerable Sect sounded extremely evil, and normal people should avoid them like the plague unless they were born evil.

"There will never be a shortage of fools in the world who are easily fooled, and the Primordial Venerable Sect does indeed have some tricks up their sleeve. It is said that they possess a very peculiar drug that can greatly enhance a person's physical fitness and cultivation, and even help martial artists break through bottlenecks. Therefore, many people choose to jump into it without hesitation, even though they know it is a pit of fire. You must be careful. As far as I know, the Primordial Venerable Sect likes to retaliate. You have disrupted their operations, and they may be targeting you." This was the reason why Hu Jixian came to see Si Ming today.

"Let them come. I haven't been getting enough exercise lately anyway."

If the Primordial Venerable Sect had any real experts, they wouldn't have been treated like rats in the street, afraid to show their faces. With just a bunch of lowly minions who hadn't even reached the Spirit Transformation stage, how could Si Ming possibly take them seriously?

Hu Jixian warned, "The people of the Yuanzun Primordial Venerable Sect. If they can't deal with you, they'll target your family and relatives, so be very careful."

Si Ming thought for a moment. His public identity was that of an orphan with no family or relatives. The only close people he had were the friends he lived with in the orphanage. Murong Qing and Hongdou were strong enough to protect themselves, and Liu Qingqing might not be able to find anyone. Yu Shuying was now a gang leader, so their safety was not a concern. The only remaining people were Ying Zhou, Murong Wu, and Yao Bilian.

"Understood. I'll contact my friends in the Mohist Knight Guard and ask them to help look after it."

Chapter 420 Fiery Girl

Personal safety is a major issue, so Si Ming did not go directly to the Martial Arts Club with Hu Jixian. Instead, he first called home to tell Yao Bilian to be careful recently. Then he sent a telegram to the Mohist Knight Guard base in Tange City, asking Jiang Zhengtai, Pan De and others to keep an eye on things.

In fact, Yao Bilian also came from a prominent Lineage and could be considered a member of the Aristocratic Clan in a sense. However, aristocratic Aristocratic Clan in Su State are very different from the Aristocratic Clan in the Nation of Beauty. They have no special privileges and are mostly impoverished. At most, they would have a clan gathering during festivals, or if someone among them became successful and wanted to help their relatives, they would turn it into Lineage business.

While Lineage businesses have many drawbacks, the Su State is currently experiencing a period of growth, with business opportunities everywhere. In such an environment, these drawbacks are often overlooked. Moreover, even on Earth, most private enterprises adopt a Lineage -run management model. Even in countries with developed market economies, Lineage businesses are the most common form of business, and many globally renowned large enterprises still retain Lineage characteristics.

However, purely Lineage businesses only have limited room for survival and growth in certain industries and within certain scopes. They cannot become the true protagonists in market competition. When the market changes faster and competition becomes more intense, the drawbacks of closed Lineage management, which is completely controlled by Lineage members, will become apparent. Therefore, Lineage businesses are often only suitable for small-scale operations, and various shortcomings will emerge when they grow to a large scale.

But none of this concerns Si Ming. He rarely hears anything about family or company from Yao Bilian. Yao Bilian herself doesn't care much about Lineage matters, except for mentioning it briefly when developing the smart suitcase. Now, he can take advantage of this relationship. He thinks that as long as Yao Bilian asks, it won't be difficult to get bodyguards to protect her.

"If you have any news about the Primordial Venerable Sect in the future, please be sure to let me know. I am happy to contribute my efforts to eliminating the evil cult," Si Ming said to Hu Jixian.

"Definitely. I'm all about strategy. You guys are the ones who charge into battle, but my job is to oversee things from the rear and strategize."

"Damn it, I'm not exactly a muscle-bound Laozi either. Do I look like a fierce general charging into battle? At best, I'm just a strategist." At this moment, Si Ming completely forgot his preference for subduing people with brute force.

"That's true. It's really strange. The Martial Arts Club has no shortage of body-training martial artists, but they are either tall and strong or sturdy and robust. In any case, they are not narrow in the waist. But your build is only average, even a bit thin. Where do you get such strength?"

Although Hu Jixian had never seen Si Ming unleash the power of the three great gods, just from his memory, the strength Si Ming displayed during the entrance test far exceeded that of ordinary people, enough to make most body-refining martial artists blush with shame.

Hu Jixian reached out and touched Si Ming's arm, slightly surprised. "You're stronger than I thought. It seems you're the type who looks slim in clothes, but compared to those burly beasts, you're still far behind. Are you some kind of superhuman strength?"

"Perhaps it's because the martial arts I practice are so unique; there's only one of its kind."

This reminded Si Ming that the "Supreme Plain Decay True Scripture" had been discontinued for a long time, and perhaps it could be put back on the agenda. As long as a suitable radiation source could be found, he could enter the next stage.

Given his level of strength, the defensive capabilities of the Jade-Clad Dharma Body were insufficient. Against experts of the same level, the opponent would break through his defenses with a single ultimate move, rendering it completely ineffective. It could only be used to bully Spirit Transformation, let alone a powerhouse like the Purple-Pupiled Spirit King. The Jade-Clad Dharma Body was practically useless in front of such a formidable opponent. He had only managed to survive back then thanks to the Bodhi Indestructible Body and the Thousand Buddhas of the Bhadrakalpa Formation Wise Tribulation.

"Girls would probably be more drawn to this kind of body-refining martial art that doesn't significantly alter one's physical shape. Ke Chajing once practiced the 'Long-Armed Divine Ape Art' for a period of time. After two months, her arms became much thicker, and she gained ten pounds. She was so scared that she immediately stopped, fearing that she would develop a bulky, broad-shouldered physique."

Hu Jixian echoed Si Ming, and casually revealed Ke Chajing's dark history, but did not ask Si Ming what kind of martial arts he practiced. He knew that if he could ask, Si Ming would have told him from the beginning.

Although the Su State promoted a martial arts revolution and made martial arts manuals public, there were still many private traditions. Just like Earth in the Internet age, although the cooking methods for many delicacies can be easily found online, there are still many small workshops that keep their "secret recipes". For example, sauces made according to specific proportions are protected by the shop owners as if they were a peerless secret and will never be passed on to outsiders.

The two chatted as they arrived at the Martial Arts Club. As a very popular sport, the Martial Arts Club occupied nearly a quarter of the gymnasium and had more than ten venues, including indoor and outdoor areas.

At the entrance of the Martial Arts Club stand two imposing stone lions, each a full two meters tall, taller than a person. On each side are a couplet: the first line reads, "Constrain human nature to understand the Paramārtha, uphold virtue as the foundation," and the second line reads, "Make friends with chivalrous people all over the world, and make friends through martial arts." A plaque reading "Linked Mountains University Martial Arts Club" hangs on the lintel.

Japan often refer to their clubs as "Budo Club" or "Kendo Club," and like to include "Do" in the name of their projects, which makes them sound very sophisticated. However, China people usually only use the terms "Wushu" or "Kenju," because the word "Do" is too weighty and all-encompassing, and cannot be expressed by martial arts alone. Martial arts can at most be considered knowledge or skills, and are not qualified to be compared with the "Do."

When China people talk about martial arts, they often refer to a state of being rather than specific techniques. For example, "Grandmaster" means that the other person has reached a very high level of understanding. Therefore, China martial arts practitioners usually refer to themselves as "martial arts scholar" or "martial arts expert," unlike the Japan who often use the term "Daoist School," as if they can truly master martial arts by using this term.

The same applies to the Sea Continent. You can name it the Martial Arts Club or the Martial Arts Society—the former emphasizes practical combat, while the latter focuses more on theory—but if you name it the Martial Arts Club, you will be ridiculed for being narrow-minded, arrogant, and ignorant, because the more one knows, the more one realizes how much one doesn't know.

Just like a familiar metaphor, the knowledge a person possesses is like a circle, and outside the circle is the unknown world. The more knowledge you possess, the larger the circle becomes, and the more unknowns you encounter. As a result, the more knowledge you learn, the more confused you become, and the more you realize your own ignorance and insignificance, naturally leading to humility.

The Chinese people admire humility as a virtue, not because humility is a form of subtle pretentiousness, but because they realize that only by being humble can they reduce the number of times they embarrass themselves.

Si Ming only looked at the Martial Arts Club's gate from afar without going in, because there was already a long queue at the entrance, which, even with a rough estimate, exceeded five hundred people.