Who? Jiang Fu?! Wasn't he dead?!

009

After leaving the Villa District,

Jiang Fu walked a little farther

before he managed to hail a taxi.

The taxi driver spotted the Ninth High School uniform Jiang Fu was wearing.

He immediately grew enthusiastic. "Hey, you're a student at Ninth High School! Heading back to school?"

Ninth High School was the best high school in Bincheng District Nine.

It was also the only school in District Nine with a Martial Arts Department.

Students at Ninth High School had a good chance of becoming martial artists someday!

Jiang Fu opened the door and sat in the back.

"Not school. The Martial Artist Guild."

At the words "Martial Artist Guild," the taxi driver's eyes widened.

A possibility sprang unbidden into his mind.

"You're going to the Martial Artist Guild to..."

Jiang Fu made no attempt to hide it. "Get certified as a martial artist."

The taxi driver's eyes lit up. "Martial artist certification!?"

He grew excited.

"You got it!"

"Buckle up, young man. Off we go!"

A moment later,

the driver stepped on the gas.

The taxi shot forward like an arrow.

The driver had never expected

to pick up a student heading to the Martial Artist Guild to get certified!

Martial artists!

They held an exceptionally high status in society.

Not only were martial artists powerful fighters, they were also guardians who protected the cities and ordinary people.

In many people's eyes,

the cities' peaceful, steady development

owed much to martial artists venturing into the Wilderness Zone to hunt mutated beasts and gather resources.

"Just what I'd expect from a Ninth High School student! Young and accomplished!"

"So, young man, how old are you? Already about to become a martial artist!"

The driver's voice held excitement and a trace of respect.

Jiang Fu answered honestly, "Eighteen."

"An eighteen-year-old martial artist!?"

The driver sounded even more excited.

An eighteen-year-old martial artist!

In Bincheng District Nine, that definitely put him among the geniuses.

Getting into Martial Arts University and becoming a powerful martial artist was practically guaranteed.

Along the way,

the driver chattered nonstop, talking to Jiang Fu about anything and everything.

Jiang Fu watched the scenery outside while chatting with the driver.

As the taxi drove on,

the tall buildings on either side gradually disappeared.

In their place came scenery resembling the countryside of his previous life.

Fields, orchards, livestock farms, and the like.

None were particularly large, though.

Suddenly,

Jiang Fu felt his surroundings darken.

He looked through the windshield.

At the edge of the land, a vast gray mountain range seemed to rise, stretching unbroken across the horizon.

As the car continued forward, it grew steadily taller.

It became the dividing line between heaven and earth.

This was Bin City's city wall.

It stood three hundred meters tall and was a full fifty meters thick.

It had been built using an exceptionally sturdy core.

Virtually indestructible, it could withstand invasions by high-level realm beasts.

It kept the wilderness outside the city.

It was precisely because this protective wall existed

that ordinary people could live in the urban area without being slaughtered by mutated beasts or even realm beasts.

"We're here, young man!"

In front of the Martial Artist Guild's entrance,

the taxi came to a stop.

Jiang Fu asked, "How much do I owe you, sir?"

The taxi driver waved his hand. "Nothing, nothing!"

"Once you get into Martial Arts University and become a powerful fighter, just kill a few more mutated beasts for us!"

"Oh, right. Let's exchange contact details."

"Whenever you need a ride, I promise I'll be there!"

As he spoke,

the driver took out his phone.

Jiang Fu's expression stiffened.

A phone?

The original owner of his body hadn't owned one.

As for Jiang Fu...

In his previous life, ALS had left him bedridden for three years.

He had long since stopped thinking about phones.

Seeing Jiang Fu's expression, the driver asked, "You don't have a phone?"

Jiang Fu was a little embarrassed. "I really don't..."

The driver gave him a thumbs-up. "No wonder you're becoming a martial artist so young!"

"Unlike my boy, Li Haotian. All he does is stare at his phone every day. No ambition at all!"

Jiang Fu coughed. "Sir, you can give me your contact details. I'll get in touch once I buy a phone."

He looked around.

There didn't seem to be any taxis near the Martial Artist Guild or the safe exit.

Ordinary people rarely came here.

As for martial artists...

They drove their own cars here.

Besides, entering the Wilderness Area required a car too.

The driver's eyes lit up.

He hurriedly retrieved a card from the storage compartment beside him and eagerly handed it to Jiang Fu.

Jiang Fu took the business card.

Li Dazhi.

Contact number: 135xxxxxxxx

Jiang Fu glanced at it, then put it away.

Standing by the roadside, he watched the taxi disappear into the distance.

An indescribable feeling stirred in his heart.

"This world doesn't seem as bad as I imagined."

Whatever the reason behind it,

at the very least,

Jiang Fu had felt kindness from a stranger.

The Martial Artist Guild stood beside the safe exit.

It was a seven-story building.

It occupied an enormous area.

Inside the main entrance on the first floor was a vast lobby.

Besides the Martial Artist Guild's reception desk,

there were many other areas.

The Rest Area, Accommodation Area, Dining Area, Entertainment Area, Training Area, and Trading Area.

It was now 2:35 p.m.

There weren't many people in the First Floor Lobby.

Jiang Fu approached the Martial Artist Guild's reception desk.

He tapped lightly on the counter.

"Hello."

"Ah!"

The young woman in uniform behind the desk, who had been looking down at her phone, startled at his voice.

She quickly put her phone away and looked up at Jiang Fu.

"Oh... it's you? Jiang Fu."

Jiang Fu paused. "You know me?"

At the same time, he glanced at the name badge on her chest.

Martial Artist Guild receptionist, Xu Lulu.

Xu Lulu rolled her eyes at him.

"You really do have a short memory, Jiang Fu."

"I was the one who helped you the last time you came for martial artist certification!"

"Oh," Jiang Fu said, smiling a little sheepishly.

Xu Lulu composed herself. "What brings you here this time...?"

Jiang Fu grew serious. "Someone maliciously canceled my martial artist registration."

"I've come for secondary certification."

Xu Lulu frowned. "Maliciously canceled?"

Jiang Fu nodded without explaining further.

Xu Lulu picked up the phone beside her. "All right, please wait a moment."

Then,

she explained Jiang Fu's situation to the person on the other end.

Right afterward,

Jiang Fu heard

a stunned voice from the other end of the line.

"What did you say?!"

"Who? Jiang Fu?"

"The Jiang Fu from Old Xu's Fourteenth Class at Ninth High School!?"

"He's come to the Martial Artist Guild for secondary certification?!"

"Are you sure it's Jiang Fu?"

"Wasn't he dead?!"

Xu Lulu looked at Jiang Fu in confusion.

Jiang Fu rubbed his nose.

"Well... I didn't quite die."

The person on the other end seemed to realize he had lost his composure.

He quickly steadied his voice. "All right. Bring him to the Martial Artist Certification Hall on the second floor."

Xu Lulu put down the phone and said apologetically, "Supervisor Shen had too much to drink at lunch. Please don't take it to heart."

"I'll take you to the Martial Artist Certification Hall."

As she spoke,

Xu Lulu stepped out from behind the reception desk.

She gestured for Jiang Fu to follow.

The second floor.

The union supervisor's office.

Shen Yan set down the phone.

He muttered, "This is unbelievable. He suffered such severe injuries, yet not only did he survive, he even came here for secondary certification as a martial artist!"

As he spoke,

he cautiously glanced at the girl sitting on the sofa opposite him.

The girl was wearing the uniform of Ninth High School.

She wore a black duckbill cap, its brim pulled down low.

It revealed only a hint of her fair chin.

She sat with her legs crossed, head lowered as she played on her phone.

The girl did not look up.

She was clearly uninterested in what Shen Yan had said.