Initiation

Initiation

Wang Chen's words made Zheng Fa start wondering whether these diagrams had something to do with math competitions.

"Does anyone in our class do competitions?"

"Our class?" Wang Chen gave him a strange look. "There aren't even many people in all of Qingshui Middle School who do competitions! That stuff is a field only the strong from provincial key high schools can set foot in!"

Qingshui Middle School was actually fairly good within the city.

Every year, there would always be one or two students with the potential to enter top universities. But provincial key schools? They were not something Qingshui Middle School could compare itself to.

"Still, I heard Tang Lingwu has been studying competition material on her own."

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

At the seat in the first row by the podium, a ponytailed girl was propping up her chin as she read. Morning sunlight slanted in through the front door, falling across her profile and fingers, making her look youthful and refined.

Tang Lingwu, the class's top powerhouse. For three consecutive years, she had taken first place in every class-wide exam, a strong contender for first in the school, Old Chen's little darling, and the uncrowned queen of the class despite holding no class officer title.

Though her looks were enough to draw bees and butterflies, few boys in the class dared get fresh with 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 intentions toward Tang Lingwu...

Well, sorry, but a full one-stop package of seat reassignment and calling your parents would guarantee you turned over a new leaf.

"Puppy love is normal, but the swan is flying just fine in the sky. Why's a toad down on the ground flailing around?"

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

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

Yet because Old Chen treated her so specially, she inevitably kept to herself in class, seeming as though she did not have many friends.

Zheng Fa picked up the diagrams he had drawn and walked toward Tang Lingwu.

"Bro, you're really brave!" Wang Chen paled and grabbed Zheng Fa. "What are you trying to do?"

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

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

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

Not only Wang Chen, but the other students also intentionally or unintentionally looked in that direction.

Ever since a boy who had expressed interest in Tang Lingwu had been ruthlessly dealt with, no classmates—rather, no male classmates—had gone up to speak to Tang Lingwu for no reason.

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

"I wanted to ask whether you're preparing for math competitions?"

Tang Lingwu nodded.

"Then... are these diagrams something that appears on math competition exams?"

Zheng Fa placed the sheets before Tang Lingwu.

Tang Lingwu frowned as she studied the diagrams, then shook her head slightly.

"They aren't?"

"You may have some misunderstanding about math competitions." Seeing his disappointed expression, Tang Lingwu actually began explaining. "Geometric figures like these can appear, but there has to be a question, a problem to solve. They won't just give you a few shapes."

Understanding dawned on Zheng Fa.

Even the college entrance exam would not just give you a diagram.

What could anyone possibly tell from that?

"Still, these geometric figures should follow certain patterns." Tang Lingwu examined them more carefully, frowning. "Maybe the person who drew them had some idea in mind. I just can't see it."

"I see..."

Compared with his own intelligence, Zheng Fa trusted top student Tang Lingwu more.

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

Zheng Fa's spirits lifted, and he could not help asking shamelessly, "Then could you ask your teacher?"

He and Tang Lingwu were not actually close, but he could not help being somewhat presumptuous now.

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

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

At least Gao Yuan had a steward father waiting at home.

If Zheng Fa were sent back, his 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 watched him quietly for a while before slowly nodding. "The teacher who teaches me competitions actually lives at Qingshui Middle School. I go to his house for tutoring every weekend. I'll take you to ask him then."

"Take me?"

"I don't know what you want to ask. 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 diagrams."

"You really... did it all for those diagrams?" Wang Chen's expression suddenly turned lecherous.

"What else would it be?"

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

The more Wang Chen spoke, the more serious he became. He had practically convinced himself.

Zheng Fa shook his head. "You've misunderstood."

"It's not just me. I'd guess everyone misunderstood."

Wang Chen curled his lip. Sure enough, several nearby classmates were smiling at him suggestively, seeming to carry a trace of respect as well.

Zheng Fa felt somewhat helpless too. High school students tended to start hooting whenever they saw a boy and a girl talking together. Whether it was real or not did not matter—they just liked to make a fuss.

Especially when it was Tang Lingwu.

"Forget it. I can't control what they think, but there really isn't anything between us."

Zheng Fa had far more important matters on his mind than these classmates did. He truly did not have that many romantic notions.

"They don't matter, but..." Wang Chen pointed toward the doorway. "Old Chen seems to have misunderstood too."

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

Over the following days, Zheng Fa attended class quietly, striving to appear wholly focused.

At the same time, he woke 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 faculty housing.

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

Moreover, Zheng Fa got up very early. It was only six by the time he finished his stance, and most people were still asleep then.

Thus, for several days in a row, no one discovered him practicing.

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

Ever 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 inside him would flicker in and out, beyond his control.

Later, he could sense that warm current with every breath.

By today, while practicing, the current no longer vanished. Instead, it carried a feeling of flowing on without end.

"I've truly entered the gate!"

Instructor Xu had once told them that when the warm current within their bodies flowed in a circle around their waist, abdomen, and hips like a thread, that was when the Pine Crane Stance had truly been mastered at the beginner level.

That was exactly how he felt now!

After ending the stance, Zheng Fa immediately sensed the difference.

Apart from the hunger that came with daily practice, his waist and abdomen were warm, giving him the illusion that his hips and legs contained a surging force yearning to burst free.

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

Gathering all his strength... he jumped!

Whoosh!

Ouch!

Zheng Fa felt as if his thighs were springs, launching him straight into the sky!

Branches and leaves above his head struck his face in a rapid crackle.

His head had even burst through the canopy more than three meters above!

When Zheng Fa finally landed on the ground, still shaken, he clutched his chest and blurted out:

"Holy shit!"

No, that was not his voice.

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

(End of chapter)