Friend Jiang Tao

Besides Jiang Tao, Chen Mo also saw a message from his homeroom teacher, Zhao Qiankun. It asked how his injuries were and told him to rest well and return to school once he had recovered.

Chen Mo replied that he was nearly recovered and estimated that he could return to school next Monday. At the same time, he thanked his teacher for the concern.

Next, he looked through the messages Jiang Tao had sent him.

Jiang Tao had been Chen Mo's desk mate throughout their three years of high school, as well as his sparring partner in practical martial arts classes.

Jiang Tao's martial arts aptitude was a little lacking, but his family circumstances were far better than Chen Mo's. Jiang Tao had once told him that his father was a Martial Artist, so he had ample nutrition and had grown tall and brawny.

He stood one meter ninety tall, with muscles bulging all over his body—a physique like the hulking fitness fanatics Chen Mo had seen in his previous life.

Jiang Tao did not think himself superior just because his father was a Martial Artist. He was willing to be friends with Chen Mo, and he would even lend Chen Mo cultivation resources from time to time.

However, Chen Mo had his own principles. He was unwilling to accept gifts; he would only borrow.

After some time, Chen Mo would return what he had borrowed.

Their strength was about equal. Three years of attending class and practicing martial arts together had forged a deep friendship between them.

Thinking of those memories, Chen Mo already regarded Jiang Tao as a close and trusted friend.

Jiang Tao had a cheerful personality and was not someone with deep, scheming thoughts. Chen Mo felt quite at ease around him.

Chen Mo opened his friend Jiang Tao's chat window and saw the messages he had sent.

There were quite a few, some of them sent yesterday. At the time, Chen Mo had no energy to check his phone, and with his parents watching over him, they would not let him use it either.

That was why he had not seen Jiang Tao's messages.

Only now, with his phone in hand, did he see them.

Most of the earlier messages were words of concern. When Jiang Tao saw that there was no reply, he called Chen Mo's father once.

After learning that Chen Mo was injured, he had wanted to visit him, but unfortunately, he had not had the time.

Jiang Tao had messaged him today because he had learned from Chen Mo's father yesterday that Chen Mo had woken up, so he asked how he was doing.

"Mozi, how are your injuries? I'll come see you at the hospital at noon today."

"Mozi, you have no idea! I've missed you to death after just two days apart! Hurry up and get better. Without you at school, I don't even know how to get through the days."

Seeing these two latest messages, Chen Mo's face went dark. A shiver ran through him, and he hurriedly typed a reply:

"Taozi, that's too much! You're being so mushy that I've got goosebumps!"

"Even if we're close, we're not that close. I like women, damn it. What if my parents see messages like this and get the wrong idea?"

Just after sending the two messages, Chen Mo received a reply from Jiang Tao:

"Hehehe..."

"Sorry, Mozi! I couldn't help it! You have no idea—without you, during martial arts class, the homeroom teacher made me spar with him."

Apparently finding typing too slow, Jiang Tao directly sent a voice message. After Chen Mo connected, he heard Jiang Tao complaining:

"You know the homeroom teacher. He's a Seventh-grade Martial Artist. Making a Fifth-grade Martial Disciple like me spar with him—isn't that just abuse? And you know how famously strict he is."

"When I spar with him, one glare from him feels like facing a Fierce Beast. My whole body trembles, and my hands and feet won't obey me. When he hits me, it's like an adult beating a baby. Tell me, can that even achieve the effect of sparring?"

"Hahaha!" Thinking of his buddy being abused by their teacher, Chen Mo laughed without the slightest sympathy.

"Wuwuwu!" Hearing Chen Mo laugh, Jiang Tao immediately pretended to cry and said pitifully, "Mozi, how can you laugh at me? We're brothers! This really hurts my feelings."

"Alright, I won't laugh anymore! But although the homeroom teacher is strict, he wouldn't bully the weak with his strength. Getting one-on-one special training from him is a stroke of luck too!"

Chen Mo quickly stopped laughing. He knew Jiang Tao was only pretending to cry, so he did not comfort him.

"Heh! That's true! But I don't want this kind of special training! Facing him is even scarier than facing my dad. A Martial Artist's Momentum is just too terrifying."

Jiang Tao stopped pretending entirely, and the crying tone vanished from his voice.

"Pressure creates motivation! Taozi, how's your strength after the homeroom teacher's special training? Don't tell me that when I get back to school, you still won't have improved?"

"How could that be! I was just about to tell you—under the homeroom teacher's pressure, I broke through to Sixth-grade Martial Disciple! Now, you're no longer my match!"

As he spoke, Jiang Tao chuckled. "And you got injured, so you've already lost several days. By the time you return to school, I'll have improved even more! Then you'll have to call me Big Brother!"

"Hehe, can't be helped, Mozi. You'd better work hard!"

Although Jiang Tao's words sounded a little "arrogant," Chen Mo knew he meant no harm.

Every time Jiang Tao broke through, he would say things like this. Yet within a few days of Jiang Tao's breakthrough, Chen Mo would break through as well.

Thus, their realms had always remained neck and neck.

"Taozi, don't get cocky for too long. In a few days, I'll catch up to you!"

Chen Mo's tone was brimming with confidence, and he did not forget to glance at his System Panel.

With the System Panel, even geniuses were within his reach.

"Haha... Catch up if you can, but as long as you haven't broken through, I get to be Big Brother for one more day!"

Jiang Tao did not mind in the least.

Being Big Brother was merely a joke between brothers.

The two were only a few days apart in age. In their past sparring matches, each had won and lost. Sometimes, joking around, they would bet that whoever won was the Big Brother, or that whoever had the higher realm was the Big Brother.

"Whatever! Oh, right, Taozi, I'm already handling my discharge. You don't need to come over. Tomorrow's Saturday—my injuries should be healed by then. Let's meet at the park we used to go to."

"Alright! It's settled then! Mozi, you'd better work hard! The homeroom teacher said there'll be a quiz next Monday. The top three in the class will get generous rewards. If you haven't improved, he'll personally step in to guide you."

"Let's not even think about rewards. The top three spots are always monopolized by those guys. As for personal guidance from the homeroom teacher, I've already experienced it."

"You definitely don't want to experience that kind of exquisite agony. After the special training, even a tough guy like me had to walk while holding onto the wall, let alone someone with a small frame like yours."

"Hahaha..." Thinking of Jiang Tao hobbling along the wall, Chen Mo could not help laughing aloud. "Taozi, there's still martial arts class this afternoon..."

"Fuck! I forgot because you didn't mention it!" Jiang Tao could not help swearing. "I'm about to get brutalized again! Mozi, I miss you!"

"Missing me won't help! Taozi, I can't help you either! But I'll support you in spirit—hang in there, hold the line. Once you get through today, you'll be free!"

"Sigh! My life is truly bitter!" Jiang Tao could not help lamenting.

The two chatted for a while longer, only hanging up when the class bell rang.

Chen Mo also finished the discharge procedures.

"Home!"