Military Academy

Military Academy

Myriad Blood Bead

Level: 1, 37% Blood Souls: 10

Early that morning, Li Fei woke from bed and the first thing he did was inspect the Myriad Blood Bead within his body. He found that its level had already changed to Level 1, 37%.

The Myriad Blood Bead automatically absorbed energy from within him, so his appetite had become much larger than before. The extra food he ate was the portion absorbed by the Myriad Blood Bead.

But Li Fei's stomach was only so big, and his digestive capacity had its limits. The Myriad Blood Bead could only absorb energy slowly, so its level could only rise gradually. At present, it increased by an average of 1% each day.

"I heard that martial artists eat far more than ordinary people. Once I become a martial artist, the Myriad Blood Bead's upgrade speed should be able to increase."

That was all Li Fei could hope for.

After getting up and putting on a white short-sleeved shirt and black trousers, Li Fei went out for his usual morning run with Li Tianyu.

As students of the Conflict Mitigation Department, this was one of their required daily exercises.

More than half an hour later, the two returned together and ate breakfast with Li Lei and Zhang Yuqing.

After breakfast, Li Fei changed into a black student uniform and went out with Li Lei.

"Get in."

Li Lei called out and opened the Golden Wind Brand sedan assigned to him by the Overseeing Bureau.

Li Fei skillfully took the front passenger seat and fastened his seat belt.

Li Lei was taking him to register at the Military Academy today.

On the drive, Li Fei saw a Tram stopped beside a platform, with nearly a hundred people desperately squeezing inside.

The Tram was a "new thing" that had only appeared in Xingcheng last year. With it, many workers who could not afford bicycles found commuting much more convenient.

But because Trams had only been introduced recently, not much track or wiring had been laid, so there were only a limited number of them. Yet there were too many people going to work, and the city now had morning and evening rush hours every day.

The familiar sight left Li Fei somewhat emotional. He was now someone with a car, so he no longer had to suffer through that.

As they passed an alley, Li Fei saw an Overseeing Bureau van parked outside. The alley was packed with people, and he could not help asking:

"Uncle Li, what's going on?"

Li Lei glanced at the alley. "The bureau received a report yesterday. Someone discovered a Tranquil God Sect hideout. Looks like it's been confirmed, so they came to shut it down today."

Li Fei asked curiously, "Uncle Li, can people from the Tranquil God Sect use sorcery?"

Li Lei said disdainfully, "The core believers might know a few spells, but they're all tricks for playing god and fooling people. They're useless against anyone with a firm will."

"What do powerful spells look like, then? Can they summon wind and rain, move mountains and overturn seas?"

Li Fei continued asking.

His former self had been a closed-mouth gourd who did not like talking to Li Lei, so Li Fei could only pry out much of the information himself.

"Haha, summon wind and rain, move mountains and overturn seas? Xiao Fei, what novel did you see that in?"

Li Lei laughed at his words. "If spells were really that powerful, the Great Blue Dynasty wouldn't revere martial artists above all else. The greatest use of sorcery lies in military formations, allowing the most elite Imperial Guard Army soldiers to cultivate Military Baleful Intent. That is what the Great Blue Dynasty relies on to dominate the world."

"Military formations? Military Baleful Intent?"

Li Fei had not expected that sorcery in this world was mainly used in the military. It was different from what he had imagined.

After that, he asked Li Lei more questions about martial arts and sorcery, deepening his understanding of this world.

More than twenty minutes later, Li Lei drove up to a stone archway.

The archway had three entrances, one large and two small. The largest was nearly twenty meters wide, and three characters, dancing like dragons and soaring like phoenixes, were carved above it—Military Academy.

Li Lei drove directly through the central entrance.

The roads inside the Military Academy were broad, with two rows of ginkgo trees on either side. Golden leaves were scattered across the ground.

This place looked much like the vocational school Li Fei attended, except it was larger. On the field, more than a hundred sturdy men in black short-sleeved shirts were running as they loudly shouted slogans:

"Strive unceasingly!"

"Repay the nation through martial arts!"

"Strive unceasingly!"

"Repay the nation through martial arts!"

"..."

His experience within the system in his previous life had made Li Fei cautious and thorough. Since he had decided to attend the Military Academy, he had done detailed research beforehand and carefully studied its materials, so he knew the origin of those slogans.

Building Military Academies throughout the land had been a policy proposed by Tong Bai, the previous Grand Secretary of the Inner Cabinet. Its purpose was to encourage everyone to practice martial arts, strengthen their bodies, and strive unceasingly, while enabling those with talent to repay the nation through martial arts and make the country ever stronger.

The slogan, "Strive unceasingly, repay the nation through martial arts," had been set by Tong Bai. Military Academies everywhere treated it as an instruction, requiring students to shout it every day while training.

After the Mingxin Reform began, the current Grand Secretary of the Inner Cabinet proposed granting Military Academies around the country a number of annual slots for the Conflict Mitigation Departments of the Twelve Universities. The local Military Academies would also cover all tuition costs for those students. The aim was to give children from humble families with talent for martial arts a chance to attend university and serve the nation.

And in this world, so-called "humble families" referred to families with relatively weak social standing. A family like the Li Family, whose head was a mid-level public servant and which owned a home, a car, and savings, was considered a humble family.

That made Li Fei secretly glad that his luck was not bad. If he had transmigrated into a commoner family, he would not even have been qualified to practice martial arts. Even with a cheat like the Myriad Blood Bead, changing his class and fate would have been difficult.

Li Lei parked at the designated parking area, then led Li Fei toward a building.

"Once we go up there, talk less. Do whatever they tell you to do."

Li Lei spoke seriously to Li Fei.

Li Fei nodded. "All right."

The two went up to the fifth floor and arrived outside an office bearing a plaque that read "Special Grade Instructor."

Li Fei had done his research and knew that Military Academy instructors were divided into three types: ordinary instructors, senior instructors, and Special Grade Instructors.

Ordinary instructors and senior instructors were not particularly remarkable, but Special Grade Instructors directly determined a Military Academy's strength and reputation.

Li Fei had not expected Li Lei to bring him to meet a Special Grade Instructor.

Li Lei lightly knocked on the door.

Soon, the door opened, and a stern middle-aged man wearing a gray long robe and black leather gloves on both hands appeared in the doorway.

"Mr. Hao."

A smile appeared on Li Lei's face as he greeted him politely.

"Captain Li."

Mr. Hao did not smile. He merely raised a hand to gesture for them to enter.

After entering, Li Fei glanced at the nameplate on the other man's desk. It bore the two characters Hao Yi, which was presumably his name.

Once they sat down, Li Lei got straight to the point and pointed at Li Fei.

"Mr. Hao, this is my boy."

Although Li Fei did not wish to call him his godfather, Li Lei always told others that Li Fei was his boy. This had led many people to believe that Li Fei was his son.

Hao Yi looked at Li Fei, his expression softening somewhat as he nodded. "He looks proper enough."

Here, it was necessary to mention Li Fei's appearance.

He had thick brows and large eyes, with an air of upright righteousness. At a glance, people would think he was a good man, an exceptionally upright man.

Joy appeared on Li Lei's face. "Does he meet Mr. Hao's standards?"

Hao Yi looked at him. "Captain Li, I may owe you a favor, but not just anyone can become my student."

Only then did Li Fei realize that Li Lei had actually brought him here to take on a master.

"Mr. Hao—"

"What rating did you receive on the drug test during your school physical?"

Hao Yi suddenly asked Li Fei.

Hearing this, Li Fei answered honestly, "Rank B-."

"Too low."

Hao Yi shook his head.

Li Lei sighed at that. The other man merely owed him a small favor, and bringing Li Fei here to seek apprenticeship had only been a gamble. He had not expected it to succeed in the first place.

"In that case, we—"

"Can you endure hardship?"

Hao Yi suddenly asked.

After shaking his head, he had been watching Li Fei's expression. Seeing that the boy remained calm and had not become dejected after being refused, Hao Yi felt that such temperament, combined with his upright appearance, made him willing to give him a chance.

"I can!"

Li Fei answered firmly.

During the two years when he had been targeted in his previous life, he had worked like an ox and horse for two years. Enduring hardship had become instinctive for him. Otherwise, he would not have worked himself to sudden death.

After all, when oxen and horses grew tired, they knew to rest. But when people worked like oxen and horses, they only poured themselves another cup of coffee and kept working.

Hao Yi nodded. "Do a horse stance for me."

Li Fei was cautious by nature, and Li Lei had already warned him beforehand, so without another word, he stood up and assumed a standard horse stance in an open space.

Seeing how obedient Li Fei was, Hao Yi became somewhat more satisfied. He picked up a small black porcelain bottle from the desk, poured out a pill, then rose and handed it to Li Fei.

"After taking this medicine, you will feel unbearable pain and itching throughout your body. If you can maintain your horse stance for ten minutes in that state, I will accept you as my student."

"Mr. Hao, this—"

Li Lei rose from the side, wanting to say something.

But Hao Yi did not look at him. He only stared into Li Fei's eyes. "Are you willing to try?"

If Li Fei showed even the slightest hesitation, he would take back the pill and send him away.

How could Li Fei fail to understand that this was a test?

He immediately snatched the pill and put it straight into his mouth.

"Xiao Fei!"

Li Lei called out, but Li Fei had already chewed the pill apart and swallowed it.

Ordinary people faced with a pill that might be poisonous would feel some fear and hesitation, even if they knew they could take an antidote afterward. But Li Fei had not hesitated in the slightest.

That decisive scene made Mr. Hao even more satisfied with Li Fei.

But it was still not enough to make him accept Li Fei.

Although he was willing to offer this chance, if Li Fei could not seize it himself, Hao Yi would not take him on as a student.