Getting Started

Wang Chen's words set Zheng Fa thinking: did these patterns have something to do with mathematics competitions?

"Does anyone in our class do competitions?"

"Our class?" Wang Chen gave him a strange look. "There are barely any people in all of Qingshui Middle School who do competitions! That's a field only the powerhouses of provincial key high schools can set foot in!"

Qingshui Middle School was actually fairly decent within the city.

Every year, there would always be one or two students with the potential to get into top universities, but compared to provincial key high schools? They could not even pretend to be in the same league.

"Still, I heard Tang Lingwu has been studying competitions in private."

Zheng Fa's gaze could not help drifting toward the front of the classroom.

In the first row by the podium, a ponytailed girl was resting her chin on one hand as she read. Morning sunlight slanted in through the front door, falling across her profile and fingers, making her look youthful and exquisite.

Tang Lingwu, the class's ultimate powerhouse. She had held first place in the class for all three years, was a strong contender for first in the school, Old Chen's little treasure, and the uncrowned king of the class despite holding no class officer title.

Though her looks were enough to attract bees and butterflies, few boys in the class dared act recklessly in front of her—some brave soul had already proven that Old Chen might not beat you to death if you called him bald to his face, but if you dared harbor improper thoughts toward Tang Lingwu...

Then sorry, you would receive the full one-stop package of being moved to another seat and having your parents called, guaranteed to turn a wayward son back from the brink.

"First love is normal, but why should a toad flail around on the ground when a swan is flying just fine up in the sky?"

Old Chen's words had nearly made that boy cry.

From then on, even the air around Tang Lingwu became quiet and studious.

Still, because of Old Chen's special treatment, she inevitably kept to herself in class and seemed to have few friends.

Zheng Fa picked up the patterns he had drawn and headed toward Tang Lingwu.

"Bro, you're really brave!" Wang Chen cried out in alarm, stopping Zheng Fa. "What are you trying to do?"

"I'm going to ask Tang Lingwu about them."

Zheng Fa brushed aside Wang Chen's arm and walked over to Tang Lingwu's desk.

"Tang Lingwu, can I bother you for a moment?"

Not just Wang Chen—other students were also glancing in that direction, openly or otherwise.

Ever since that boy had been harshly punished for expressing interest in Tang Lingwu, no classmates—more precisely, no male classmates—had gone up to speak to Tang Lingwu without reason.

Tang Lingwu set down her book and turned to look at Zheng Fa. Her face clearly said one thing: You already have.

"I wanted to ask whether you're preparing for mathematics competitions."

Tang Lingwu nodded.

"Then... are these patterns something that might appear in a mathematics competition?"

Zheng Fa placed the sheets before Tang Lingwu.

Tang Lingwu frowned as she studied the patterns, then slowly shook her head.

"They aren't?"

"You may have some misunderstanding about mathematics competitions." Seeing his disappointed expression, Tang Lingwu actually began explaining. "Geometric figures like these can appear, but there still has to be a question, a problem to solve. They would not just give you a few figures by themselves."

Zheng Fa suddenly understood.

Even the College Entrance Exam would not just give you a diagram.

What could anyone possibly tell from that alone?

"Still, these geometric figures ought to follow some kind of pattern." Tang Lingwu examined them more carefully, frowning. "Perhaps the person who drew them had some idea behind them, but I can't see it."

"I see..."

Compared to his own intelligence, Zheng Fa still trusted the top student Tang Lingwu more.

"Maybe the teacher who teaches me competitions would understand them better."

Zheng Fa perked up and could not help shamelessly asking, "Could you ask your teacher for me?"

He was not actually familiar with Tang Lingwu, but at this moment, he could not help being a little presumptuous.

After all, he knew perfectly well that Gao Yuan wanted to understand these patterns in order to keep his position as a bookboy.

In truth, Zheng Fa needed that position even more than Gao Yuan did.

Gao Yuan would at least still have his Guan Family father to rely on if he went home.

If Zheng Fa were sent back, the family's life, which had only just begun to improve, might take a sharp turn for the worse.

If there was even a sliver of hope, Zheng Fa was willing to throw his pride away.

Tang Lingwu looked quietly at him for a while before slowly nodding. "The teacher who teaches me competitions actually lives at Qingshui Middle School. I go to his home for tutoring every weekend. I'll take you there then, and we can ask him."

"You'll take me?"

"I don't know what you want to ask, either. Wouldn't it be better for you to go yourself?"

When Zheng Fa returned to his seat, he still felt that Tang Lingwu was not as cold as she appeared.

"Bro, what did you say to her?"

"Didn't you know? I just asked about these patterns."

"You really... for these patterns?" Wang Chen's expression suddenly turned lecherous.

"What else would it be?"

"Didn't you just find a few random pictures somewhere and use them as an excuse to talk to her?"

The more Wang Chen spoke, the more seriously he took it. He was starting to believe it himself.

Zheng Fa shook his head. "You misunderstood."

"It's not just me. Everyone probably misunderstood."

Wang Chen curled his lip. Sure enough, several nearby classmates were smiling at him suggestively, seemingly with a trace of admiration.

Zheng Fa was a little helpless too. For high school students, seeing a boy and a girl talking together often made them eager to stir things up. Whether it was true or not did not matter—they simply liked doing it.

Especially when it involved Tang Lingwu.

"Forget it. I can't control what they think, but there really is nothing going on."

Zheng Fa had far more important things on his mind than this bunch of classmates. He truly did not have that many romantic notions.

"They don't matter, but..." Wang Chen pointed toward the doorway. "It looks like Old Chen misunderstood too."

Zheng Fa looked up and saw Old Chen standing at the front door with a stern face, his gaze fixed on Zheng Fa's face like a searchlight.

Over the next few days, Zheng Fa attended class quietly, doing his best to appear completely free of distractions.

At the same time, he got up an hour early every morning to practice the Pine Crane Stance.

He did not dare go to the park anymore. Instead, he found a spot behind the Qingshui Middle School staff housing.

The place was tucked into a corner by Qingshui Middle School's wall, with several old trees outside concealing it. Zheng Fa practiced inside, and unless someone deliberately looked for him, he was not easy to spot.

On top of that, Zheng Fa rose very early. It was only six after he finished his stance, and most people were still asleep at that hour.

Thus, for several days in a row, no one discovered that he was practicing.

On Friday morning, Zheng Fa was once again immersed in the warm current within his body.

Since Instructor Xu had taught him the Pine Crane Stance, he had practiced for nearly a week between the Xuanwei Realm and the modern world.

At first, the warm current in his body flickered in and out of existence, beyond his control.

Later, he could sense it with every breath.

By today, during practice, the current no longer vanished. Instead, it seemed to flow on without end.

"I've truly gotten started!"

Instructor Xu had once told them that when the warm current within their bodies moved in circles through the waist, abdomen, and hips like a thread, that was when they had truly entered the Pine Crane Stance.

That was exactly what he felt now!

After drawing in his stance, Zheng Fa immediately sensed the difference.

Aside from the hunger that came after every day's practice, warmth filled his waist and abdomen, giving him the illusion that his hips and legs held a vast power waiting to burst forth.

Zheng Fa looked around at the empty surroundings and bent down.

He used all his strength... and jumped!

Whoosh!

"Ow!"

Zheng Fa felt as though his thighs were springs that launched him straight into the sky!

Branches and leaves above his head slapped against his face with a crackle.

His head even burst through the tree canopy more than three meters overhead!

When Zheng Fa finally landed on the ground, still shaken, he could not help clutching his chest and letting out a cry:

"Holy shit!"

No, that was not his voice.

Zheng Fa looked up to see that the curly-haired old man from the park was staring blankly at him.

(End of Chapter)