Starting Over

Linked Mountains University is very large and has a lot of people, so finding someone here is easier than finding a needle in a haystack. Fortunately, Si Ming and Nie Wanzhi are classmates, and the freshman courses are fixed. So when he doesn't have class, it means that Nie Wanzhi doesn't have class either. Given the premise of being short of money, the places she can go are very limited, namely the girls' dormitory, the martial arts hall, and the library. After all, she has classes in the afternoon, and she can't leave the school during this time. As far as Si Ming knows, she has never skipped a class.

After making a few inquiries, the two learned that Nie Wanzhi had gone to the martial arts school, and seemed to be "coming with great force."

"She went to the president's office with a dark expression, looking like she was about to fight someone. I didn't dare get within ten meters of her, afraid of being overwhelmed by her murderous aura."

"Killing intent my foot! What normal person has ever killed someone? You've been reading too many novels. Even if she did have murderous intent, could you tell? But she definitely looks furious, and if things don't go well, she might actually come to blows."

"Who told the president to announce such a new rule? She's the runner-up in the high school Martial Dao League. Many juniors and seniors in college can't beat her. She's more than qualified to be a substitute, if not a regular player. And yet she's been deprived of her chance to play. Of course she can't stand it."

This was clearly a hot topic that had just emerged, and everyone was discussing it with great interest.

Si Ming immediately grasped the key phrase. "What new regulations?"

"Just now, the president announced a new rule: freshmen cannot be regular members of the Martial Arts Club, and proposed to give more playing time to juniors and seniors."

"Such regulations are understandable. Third- and fourth-year students are facing graduation, and if they can make a name for themselves and achieve results in various Martial Dao League, it will help with their future employment."

"Actually, this is pretty much how people are selected in the past, but this time the president has made it a formal rule. Generally speaking, the senior students in their third and fourth years are stronger. After two years of guidance from martial arts PhDs, their cultivation has improved by leaps and bounds, unlike us who all followed unorthodox methods in high school."

"Junior Brother Niu, you're also a freshman, why don't you go with that 'fiercest and most vicious freshman' to protest to the student council president?"

"Forget it, we all know our own situation. Even without this rule, I wouldn't be a starter, and I have no hope of being a substitute. With this rule, I might be able to compete for a substitute position when I'm a junior or senior. So I wholeheartedly support this rule, why should I protest?"

In just a few words, Si Ming understood what had happened. Nie Wanzhi was definitely unhappy that her qualification to become a regular member had been stripped away, and the new president, eager to gain more support, had turned the unspoken rules into explicit regulations. The two had nothing to do with personal grudges; it was purely a struggle for interests.

Si Ming and Murong Qing exchanged a glance and strode toward the president's office. Just as they approached the door, they heard a loud bang, and a figure crashed through the door, continuing its momentum as it slammed into the corridor wall.

The person who was thrown out was Nie Wanzhi. There was a trace of blood at the corner of her mouth, indicating that the collision had caused her internal injuries.

"Nie, this is the power of a senior student. Now you understand why I issued this new rule, right? If you want to reason, I'll reason with you; if you want to fight, I'll fight with you. It's all just to teach you that even without this rule, you wouldn't be qualified to be a regular player!"

A handsome and refined young man walked out of the president's office; he was Chu Gengyin, the president of the Martial Arts Club.

"Don't tell me you're just the runner-up in the high school Martial Dao League. Even if the champion came, you'd still have to endure a year of hardship. This isn't me deliberately putting you down; it's for your own good. The skill level of a high school martial arts teacher is vastly different from that of a university martial arts teacher, let alone a prestigious university like Linked Mountains University. The haphazard things you learned before might have worked in high school because everyone was self-taught and hadn't received guidance from renowned teachers—we were all equally weak. But they won't work in university. Linked Mountains University sometimes even gets Spirit Transformation Grandmaster to teach you personally. Do you understand the difference?"

He paused, then adopted a gentler tone. "Your talent is exceptional, I admit that. But potential is not the same as ability. As long as you are willing to settle down and train under the guidance of a martial arts professor for a year, you will definitely undergo a complete transformation. I can guarantee that by your sophomore year you will be a substitute, and if your ability is recognized by everyone, becoming a starter is entirely possible."

Nie Wanzhi wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, looking at Chu Gengyin in fear. This guy, who looked refined and gentle like a manager in a large company, had unfathomable strength. Just now in the president's office, he blocked all her attacks with one hand, and defeated her with a casual counterattack. She didn't even see what move he made. This level of skill was enough to prove that he became the president of the Martial Arts Club not by relying on power and tactics, but by having real talent and ability.

But thinking of her family's astronomical debt, Nie Wanzhi gritted her teeth and stubbornly said, "I can't wait that long!"

Chu Gengyin's face darkened. He had already said everything he could, both good and bad, and stopped trying to persuade him. He said coldly, "Then I can only apologize. The Martial Arts Club is not a place for you to run wild. You are not capable enough to be a regular member. Wait until you can beat me before you raise any objections."

Nie Wanzhi was unconvinced. Just because she couldn't beat Chu Gengyin didn't mean she couldn't beat the other regulars. The university's Martial Dao League required ten people in total: seven regulars and three substitutes. She had seen one of the regulars and thought the chances of winning were fifty-fifty, and she still had a chance if she put up a fight. Moreover, as a freshman, she was growing faster than her opponent. There were still two months before the Martial Dao League started, and she was confident that she could surpass her opponent within two months. However, Chu Gengyin's announcement of the new rules completely extinguished her hopes.

However, there was no way to say this, because it was the president who issued the new rules, not the regular member.

Impatient to remain in the background any longer, Si Ming finally asked, "President Chu, is it true that new regulations have been issued?"

Seeing that there were other people present, Chu Gengyin quickly put on a nice-guy expression and said, "This student looks unfamiliar. He must be a freshman as well. I know the new rules are a bit unfair to you, but they are the result of extensive discussions by the Martial Arts Club Management Committee and have been approved by the club's instructors. Non-Self personal whims. Please understand."

In truth, Si Ming didn't care. He had absolutely no interest in Martial Dao League or anything like that. Even if they invited him, he wouldn't bother going. What was the point of participating in such a competition for him? Was it just to beat up kids?

He'd be better off using that time to cultivate. He's not an invincible master; he could be a hero for fun, like that bald guy. It doesn't matter if he wastes his life, since the author has designated him as the strongest, and no one can catch up.

Murong Qing forward, frowning, and said, "Even if the new students are stronger than the older students, they can't compete? Isn't that unfair?"

"No, it's actually quite fair. Freshmen will eventually become upperclassmen, and they'll enjoy the same treatment. No one will be an exception. That's fairness. Of course, those who drop out or repeat a year are exceptions, but they shouldn't need any special treatment, right?"

Chu Gengyin smiled and continued, "Even if you miss a year, you still have three more years. But the senior students only have this one chance left. Your decision directly affects their future. Can you bear to ruin other people's lives for your own short-term gains? We are all students from the same school. Shouldn't we be united, friendly, and considerate of each other? Mozi spoke of universal love. Is the universal love you all talk about just empty words that you abandon as soon as your own interests are involved?"

Murong Qing was somewhat persuaded; wasn't her purpose in establishing the Mutual Aid Society precisely for mutual benefit and assistance?

The Mohist School philosophy of universal love was precisely the ideal she advocated. Even though she knew it was an overly idealistic goal, she decided to start with herself.

"Senior Brother Chu, you're as silver-tongued as ever. What you're saying is that you're the one who ruins other people's lives and deprives them of their interests?"

Ke Chajing strode over, followed by her "stand-in" Hu Jixian as always.

Upon seeing the newcomer, Chu Gengyin frowned slightly and said, "Junior Sister Ke, you are a third-year student and a designated member of the Martial Arts Club. This new rule seems to have nothing to do with you, right?"

Chapter 439 Starting Anew

"How can it be unrelated!"

Ke Chajing shouted, pointing at Si Ming and Murong Qing, "These two were recruited into the club with great difficulty after I begged them to. They promised to fight together in the Martial Dao League, defeat Heavenly Black Imperial Yellow, and dominate the country. But you just stripped them of their right to participate with a new rule! Where does that leave my dignity?!"

Chu Gengyin said calmly, "Saving face is a minor matter. I can apologize to your two junior brothers and sisters on your behalf. In the end, the new rules are actually old rules. Even in the past, if we could take care of the senior students, we would often give them priority to perform. Now I'm just making the tacit rules explicit."

"In the past, senior students did have priority to play, and sometimes we would let the less capable seniors play to make an impact. But that was only when we were confident of winning. If we encountered a strong opponent, strength would still be the priority."

"Strength is certainly important, but we cannot abandon the Mohist spirit of Mohist School love. We should be tolerant of each other and learn to think from other people's perspectives. There may be a gap in strength, but there are all sorts of variables in actual combat. I believe that senior students have a stronger will to survive, and they can perform better in the ring."

Hu Jixian smiled and said, "President, Mozi not only advocated universal love, but also the virtuous and capable. Even the emperor should be a virtuous person. Is the head of a mere martial arts team more noble than the emperor?"

"This guy is the most troublesome," Chu Gengyin quickly retorted. "It's not that I don't value merit. Even if we only choose from third- and fourth-year students, the strongest will come first. Those who are not capable enough cannot become regulars. I promise here that I will never give anyone special treatment. Meritocracy and universal love are not contradictory; they can coexist. It's just that sometimes we need to consider priorities. Precisely because the emperor's position is extremely noble and the responsibility is great, meritocracy is more important. Compared to that, the regulars of the martial arts team seem insignificant, so meritocracy can be secondary."

"Senior Brother Chu, has anyone ever told you that you're more suited to be a politician than a martial artist?" Ke Chajing snorted, dissatisfied. "The martial arts world doesn't require humility. Here, the weak have no voice. If you can't accept defeat, get out!"

Chu Gengyin shook his head and said, "Junior Sister, your words are too cold-blooded. Apart from being martial artists, we are all classmates. Senior students need a stage to prove themselves even more than freshmen. You could have pulled someone up from the cliff, but instead you chose to kick them into the abyss? Can you bear to do that..."

"Who cares! Everyone is responsible for their own life. He didn't work hard to cultivate in the past, and now that he's about to get off the train, he's thinking about taking advantage of others. What was he doing back then? Why should someone who works hard to cultivate give the opportunity to a lazy bum?"

"Everyone who becomes a regular member of the martial arts team has trained diligently, I can guarantee that. Moreover, the new rules are not just my opinion, they were passed by a vote of the management committee."

Hu Jixian laughed and said, "I remember that freshmen are not eligible to join the management committee. In other words, this rule was decided by a group of vested interests. Can this really be called fair?"

Chu Gengyin's expression remained unchanged as he said, "Junior Brother, if you feel this is inappropriate, we can convene all members of the Martial Arts Club for a vote. I can even take a step back and only ask the freshmen to vote; they are all victims of the system, so their votes should be credible, right?"