All Part of the Capital's Scheme

God.

Not like "God of Craftsmen" or "You are my God."

A real god, one that exists in myths.

Never mind the gods of ancient myths, who here have been proven to be just powerful martial artists.

Even if gods truly existed, what could they do?

Benbo'erba was at least a demon.

But while gods don't exist, demons certainly do.

From ancient demons like Hanba that scorch the earth for miles, to modern zombies that infect with a single bite, they are all demons.

However, in this place called the Divine Land, the feeling he got from great demons was like the time Deng'er crashed into the Pentagon – everyone knew about it, everyone had heard of it, but no one had personally experienced it.

As for lesser demons, they were like petty thieves. There were definitely people who encountered them, but most people hadn't seen them because they were dealt with the moment they appeared.

The Divine Land protected its people too well!

With a population of nearly two billion in the Divine Land, the probability of encountering a demon, on average, was pathetically low.

Li Ye had once suspected if demons were gods and had diligently studied ancient texts and modern papers.

But the more he looked into it, the colder his heart became.

As he'd said before, he wasn't even sure he could defeat Benbo'erba.

The demons revered as gods in the records were not something ordinary people could trifle with.

And lesser demons...

He had actually encountered one last year.

During the winter break last year, Ningjiang City experienced rare and terrifyingly cold snow, and he encountered a Snow Spirit...

He killed it by pouring hot water on it.

Demons were demons, not deities.

With modern methods for dealing with demons, some lesser demons could even be handled by ordinary people.

And not long after, relevant personnel came to inquire, asked him to promise to call the police next time he encountered something, and gave him a thousand yuan reward.

Good news: he was born in a relatively safe and humane country.

Bad news: his system was not humane.

Li Ye could feel the presence of the 'Godslayer System' growing weaker and weaker, as if telling him that the system would disappear once he turned eighteen.

Mediocre talent, inadequate system, precarious family background, life at a standstill.

If he didn't persevere, who would?

It wasn't like he would die if he didn't practice martial arts; in the Divine Land, the personal safety of ordinary citizens was trustworthy.

As long as he didn't court disaster, he could live to old age just like any ordinary person.

Leaving the school gate, Li Ye took out his key to start his electric scooter and headed straight home.

Li Ye's home was in an old residential complex called 'Green Water Shore.' Although old, its location was decent. To the south, it was only two blocks from the river, and from the tenth floor, one could have a panoramic view of the great river.

The environment of the old complex was naturally not great, but it was generally clean. However, as Li Ye passed by the building next door, he smelled a strange odor.

The garbage bins downstairs were emitting a peculiar stench.

Li Ye frowned slightly but didn't pay it much mind. The smell had persisted for three days, indicating a lack of timely cleaning. It would probably be gone by tomorrow.

He rode his scooter to the parking area at the base of his building, took the elevator up, and returned home.

Li Ye's home was in Building 10, Unit 1002. The total area was one hundred square meters, with three bedrooms and one living room. The housing price was not much different from his previous life, except for the absence of the evil thing called shared common areas.

After unlocking the door with his key, he saw his dad sitting on the sofa, watching TV with his phone in hand.

His mom was busy in the kitchen.

"You're back pretty early today," Li Ye said.

His dad, Li Haihua, was the maintenance supervisor for Ningjiang City's largest supermarket chain, earning around ten thousand yuan a month. He usually got home quite late, but today he was early.

His mom, Liu Qingxia, was also an employee of the supermarket chain, responsible for cashier and warehousing. She usually got off work on time.

"Not much work today."

Li Haihua said, "Go wash your hands, dinner will be ready soon."

Li Ye didn't say much, put down his backpack, and went to wash his hands.

He felt no awkwardness towards his parents because they were exactly the same as in his previous life.

Apart from the world being different, Li Ye felt like he was living his family life all over again.

After washing his hands, just as Li Ye was about to go help in the kitchen, he heard the TV.

[The following is a news report: Fu Yan, a martial artist from Jianghuai Province, successfully killed a demon that had been ravaging the Tongguan Mountain Mining Area in Jinze City, Jianghuai Province, at 1:00 AM today. The demonic threat has been completely eliminated.]

Li Ye glanced over. The news anchor on TV sat upright, speaking in a clear, standard accent. As she spoke, the screen shifted to an aerial view of the devastated mining area, the surrounding rocks looking as if they had been cleaved by a knife, with huge gashes everywhere.

Then, it changed to a photo of a middle-aged man with a determined expression standing at the entrance of the mining area.

It only took two seconds before the screen switched back to the announcer.

[Subsequent cleanup is proceeding simultaneously. Residents in the affected area are advised to take precautions against residual pollution and to drink bottled water or honey-lemon water for the next three days.]

[We will now continue with the rest of the broadcast.]

Li Haihua exclaimed, "Little Ye, did you see that? The fight was insane, the whole mountain side is cracked."

He then asked, "What kind of demon was that? Jinze is our neighboring city, should we also prepare some bottled water?"

"There's no need, Dad," Li Ye said with a chuckle. "If it was just a simple reminder to drink bottled water, it would mean the local groundwater was polluted, and then we'd need to prepare. But the mention of honey-lemon water means it's not a groundwater issue. Honey-lemon water is effective against heavy metal poisoning."

"It's probably to guard against airborne pollution like mineral dust. Something that can cause this kind of pollution, especially in a mining area, is most likely an 'Ore Skeleton Ape' or a 'Toxin Dust Ore Demon'."

"Demons of this type generally have a fixed range, and once they're dead, there isn't much pollution left. Drinking that stuff is just a precaution."

The Ore Skeleton Ape is a mountain demon. The hair it sheds becomes mineral dust. Once it attaches to someone, it carries its aura, causing the victim to unconsciously move towards the demon's location and disappear inexplicably.

In Japan, this is known as 'Kamikakushi'.

The Toxin Dust Ore Demon is more like a parasite. It emits mineral dust. Inhaling it can lead to heavy metal poisoning and cause the demon to grow inside the body.

But regardless of which one it is, their activity range is limited and they cannot spread over a large area.

However...

Li Ye took out his phone and searched for news about Jinze City. Soon, he found the information he needed.

A month ago, a mining accident occurred in the Tongguan Mountain Mining Area.

Both types of these demons are related to mining accidents. The former is formed when corpses combine with ore and grow within the mountains.

The latter is the manifestation of resentment from a mining accident turning into a demon.

"What are you looking at?" Li Haihua asked.

Li Ye shared the news he found, and Li Haihua slapped his thigh. "I knew it! Fu Yan isn't an official, so why would suppressing a demon make the news? Black-hearted capitalists mining illegally, it's all a scheme by those capitalists!"

Li Ye: "..."

"Let's eat. What capitalists and such," his mother, Liu Qingxia, said as she brought the food to the table, giving Li Haihua a glare.

Steamed Sea Bass, Stewed Beef Brisket with Tomatoes, Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs, Saltwater Shrimp, Stir-fried Carrots with Wood Ears, and Stir-fried Asparagus with Lily Bulbs.

When Li Ye was training in martial arts, he always ate very well, especially with the crucial upcoming year before his third year of high school.

"And have this too. Drink it while it's hot. I had a day shift today, so I came back early to stew it for you."

Liu Qingxia placed a bowl of soup in front of Li Ye.

The soup was a dark golden-red, with a layer of amber-like oil floating on top and semi-transparent tendons stewed inside.

The dishes on the table were home-style, but overall, they weren't cheap, and this bowl of soup was even more expensive.

Dragon Blood Stewed Mountain Ginseng and Deer Tendon, which enhances Blood Essence and strengthens tendons and bones.

Deer tendon and mountain ginseng, red dates, Angelica sinensis, goji berries, and old ginger are not that expensive in today's developed society, costing only a few dozen yuan. The expensive ingredient that gives the soup its dark golden-red color is the 'Blood Ganoderma'.

It's an excellent ingredient for enhancing Blood Essence. One gram is enough for a bowl of soup, and one gram costs two hundred yuan.

This is a standard 'snack' for students training in martial arts.

Li Ye said, "Mom, you don't need to prepare this anymore. I told my teacher today that I'm switching to liberal arts."

His parents froze upon hearing this.

Li Haihua put down his chopsticks, his tone laced with reluctance, "Can't you train for another year?"

Liu Qingxia chimed in, "Yes, wasn't your physical fitness test score very good?"

They had discussed their son switching to liberal arts before. Although they strongly opposed it, Li Ye had always been decisive since he was young, and they couldn't stop him.

Li Ye picked up a piece of meat and put it in his mouth. "I've looked at the data for this. Only 10% of high school preparatory students nationwide can enter the martial path. It's even more extreme at our school; the data for the past two years is 100:1."

"'Excellent,' 'good,' and 'qualified' have different standards at different schools, so they can't be taken too seriously. Your son isn't cut out for this. It would be better to focus on improving his liberal arts scores in this final year and get into a good university."

Li Ye chuckled, "Training martial arts doesn't guarantee great results. Many people spend so much energy practicing martial arts, and in the end, they only achieve one 'Qi Circulation,' which isn't very impactful."

"Look at our homeroom teacher. He's almost forty and has only achieved one 'Qi Circulation.' Besides looking younger, he's pretty much the same. He's just a teacher in high school."

He said casually, "My general knowledge scores are very good. If I get into a good university, I might be able to work as a security consultant for a large company after graduation. The salary would be much higher than a teacher's."

"Don't talk nonsense, why aren't you cut out for it!" Liu Qingxia exclaimed. "You're definitely capable of both martial and academic excellence! If you say you're quitting, I won't agree. And what about that Thunderclap Martial Hall matter? You quit without even discussing it with us, that's definitely not acceptable!"

Li Haihua also shouted, "Little Ye, you're being foolish! How can liberal arts compare to martial arts? In ancient times, martial arts students were the officials! Do you know that for civil service exams and recruitment, martial arts students are always ranked first!"

"The decision about practicing martial arts rests with your mother and me. You should drink your soup first. Improving your Blood Essence is always good, and a healthy body is more important than anything!"

Li Ye didn't respond. He just took a sip of the soup, then buried his head and focused on eating, devouring the food at an astonishing rate. The dishes and meat on the table visibly decreased.

"I'm going to write some practice papers."

Li Ye drank the last bit of broth, set down his bowl and chopsticks, wiped his mouth, and returned to his room.

Li Haihua and Liu Qingxia exchanged a look. The former picked up a piece of fish, ate it, and sighed heavily.

They knew this would happen when their son stopped going to Thunderclap Martial Hall a while ago.

He had always been determined and intelligent since he was young, and rarely made mistakes.

They also knew there was no fault in his decision. Although Li Ye didn't say it, as parents, they understood perfectly that the family was truly out of money. In fact, they were twenty thousand in debt for his martial arts training.

But...

It wasn't about wanting their son to become a dragon or bringing glory to their ancestors. While their son's future was important, they also knew that if Li Ye hadn't genuinely enjoyed martial arts, he wouldn't have been so diligent when training at the hall, often returning injured.

They had been young too and understood what martial arts entailed. Those who achieved what Fu Yan had were the exceptions, living in a different world.

The ones they truly interacted with were like Li Ye's homeroom teacher.

Achieving Qi Circulation once just made it a bit easier to find a job; otherwise, there wasn't much difference from ordinary people. Life went on, work went on.

But before achieving Qi Circulation, martial arts training was incredibly arduous.

When they were young, let alone martial arts halls, they couldn't even be bothered to practice Guiding Methods. That was the life of truly ordinary people.

Their son definitely loved martial arts!

After a moment, Li Haihua seemed to make up his mind. "Let's hire another master!"

Liu Qingxia paused her hand, which was picking up food. "Okay!"

Li Haihua gritted his teeth. "I'll go borrow some more money tomorrow. No matter what, we can't leave him with regrets! Even if Young Master is determined, he must train during the summer vacation!"