Catfish

Gu Jinglong lightly tossed the money bag, and a crisp jingling of coins sounded from within. It seemed to contain quite a bit of money.

He grinned. "Do you want to know how much is in this money bag?"

Some students nodded.

The scar-faced Vice Principal did not keep them guessing and immediately gave the answer. "The signing bonus is one hundred and fifty Silver Coins, and this month's stipend is eighty Silver Coins, for a total of two Gold Coins and thirty Silver Coins. Do you think that's a lot?"

The entire group erupted.

This was more than a lot.

It was outrageously generous!

Among this group, the student with the highest stipend received only fifteen Silver Coins a month, while the largest signing bonus did not exceed thirty Silver Coins.

Compared to that, Cheng Han's stipend alone was nearly equal to that of five or six people.

Gu Jinglong suddenly shouted, "Cheng Han, catch!"

With a flick of his wrist, the money bag shot through the crowd at considerable speed toward Cheng Han. Its angle was particularly tricky, making it very difficult to catch.

This was undoubtedly a test.

A moment later.

The money bag swiftly swept past Cheng Han's side.

At that moment, everyone thought he would miss it.

Cheng Han suddenly kicked his right leg backward, striking the money bag with incredible precision in a motion like kicking a shuttlecock.

Bang!

The money bag instantly changed direction, flying diagonally upward.

What was noteworthy was that before kicking, he had not even looked at the money bag, yet he had struck it perfectly.

This was clearly an extremely difficult move.

Smack!

A hand swept out and steadily caught the money bag.

It was Cheng Han.

He put away the money bag and calmly replied, "Thank you, Principal Jing Long."

The other students nearby wore varied expressions.

Some looked astonished, clearly shocked by that display.

Others looked wary, evidently not too fond of this lower-grade student.

Gu Jinglong chuckled approvingly. "Cheng Han, it seems I underestimated you. Your skills are better than I imagined."

The scar-faced Vice Principal added, "No more than three people in the Prep Class could pull off such a fine blind kick. Although Cheng Han is only a third-year student, most of those present cannot match him in physical ability."

Cheng Han sighed inwardly.

I know you want me to be a catfish, but do you have to be this impatient?

Gu Jinglong promptly brought the topic to a close. "All right, enough chatter."

The scar-faced Vice Principal swept his gaze over the group before getting to the point. "In today's training class, I will demonstrate the second form of the Nine Elements Strengthening Body Technique, the Embracing Furnace Stance, then guide everyone through practicing it."

Gu Jinglong displayed a soldier's decisiveness, taking several steps back before shouting, "Watch carefully!"

Before everyone's eyes, he assumed a rather strange posture, as though he were holding some large object in his arms.

The word "embracing" in Embracing Furnace Stance came from this very posture.

Cheng Han blinked.

With the help of three Residual Seals, he clearly sensed an extremely subtle fluctuation of Source Energy rising within Gu Jinglong's body.

During past schoolwide Grand Assembly Drills, the two Vice Principals had demonstrated the Nine Elements Strengthening Body Technique many times, but they had only assumed the poses. This time, they were showing the real thing.

The other students seemed to notice nothing. They simply stared intently at the scar-faced Vice Principal, clearly unaware of the Source Energy fluctuations.

Gu Jinglong suddenly roared, "Fire!"

His voice was so loud that it rang clearly throughout the entire hall.

The students standing nearby felt their eardrums buzzing.

Cheng Han's heart stirred, and he immediately muttered inwardly, Analyze the Embracing Furnace Stance.

Since the "reference target" was right before him and he had directly sensed the fluctuations, the analysis went exceptionally smoothly. An Information Stream instantly surged into his mind.

Only a few breaths passed.

Gu Jinglong's face, as well as the exposed skin on his hands and feet, began to take on a faint dark-red hue. Steam even rose from the top of his head.

Most strangely, there was not a trace of sweat on his body.

The sight was truly bizarre.

Every student stared without blinking.

Although they had watched this more than once, witnessing it again still filled them with awe.

A few more seconds passed.

Gu Jinglong withdrew his stance and straightened his back.

His gaze swept around before he called out a name. "Jun Changkong, you practice the Embracing Furnace Stance best in the Prep Class. Tell us your understanding of it."

This was the Prep Class's teaching style. They would not simply provide the answer, but instead had students share their thoughts.

A handsome Youth—Jun Changkong—answered loudly, "'Embracing the furnace' means using one's own body as the furnace, one's own energy as fuel, and Source Energy as flame, forming a 'human furnace.'

"Then, with the power of the Source Sense Imprint, we ignite this human furnace, using it to cleanse the marrow and temper the body, strengthening the physique bit by bit."

The other students nodded one after another.

They felt that Jun Changkong's explanation perfectly accounted for all the unusual phenomena from the demonstration.

Everyone except Cheng Han.

Based on his earlier analysis, he knew full well that Jun Changkong's answer was utterly wrong.

Gu Jinglong called on a second person. "Cheng Han, tell us your view."

He added meaningfully, "I hope you will not hold anything back."

It was clear this guy had heard about certain things.

Cheng Han smiled helplessly and answered in an even tone, "Personally, I believe that what the Embracing Furnace Stance embraces should be an 'illusory furnace.'

"To give an example, suppose we are in a freezing wilderness, on the verge of dying from the cold, when we unexpectedly discover a warm, blazing furnace.

"Driven by the desire to survive, we throw our arms around it without hesitation. Our bodies draw warmth from it and gradually regain their vitality.

"From this perspective, the Embracing Furnace Stance does not treat the 'self' as the furnace, but an 'external object' as the furnace. I call this furnace the Furnace of Life..."

Before he could finish.

Jun Changkong could not help interrupting. "When we circulate the Embracing Furnace Stance, it is clearly our own bodies that heat up. We are the furnace, so how could it possibly be the Furnace of Life?"

Cheng Han said nothing.

He could not be bothered to argue with the guy. I've already said it. Believe it or not, that's up to you.

He had not kept anything to himself either. When practicing the Embracing Furnace Stance, visualizing the Furnace of Life would greatly improve its effects.

Gu Jinglong looked at the others and asked, "Which explanation do you agree with?"

The students voiced their opinions one after another.

"I think Jun Changkong is right."

"Jun Changkong clearly explained the roles of the Source Sense Imprint and Source Energy. His view is more reasonable."

"Jun Changkong's explanation is eloquent. Cheng Han just sounds like he's making up a story."

The situation was completely one-sided.

No one supported Cheng Han.

Gu Jinglong shook his head. "I only just realized that Yan Dongting got himself a huge bargain. A signing bonus of one hundred and fifty Silver Coins and a stipend of eighty Silver Coins are truly worth it."

The implication was obvious—Cheng Han's explanation was the correct answer.

The man raised his brows and cursed without restraint, "What a fucking bunch of idiots!"

Cheng Han sighed.

By this point, he could already see that the scar-faced man seemed to be deliberately using him as a "catfish" to stir up the stagnant waters of the Prep Class.

Thinking further, just how dissatisfied was this guy with the people of Lan Lou?

Cheng Han silently performed a Deduction, and a realization dawned on him.

Factions?

Interesting!

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