Immortal Martial: Pushing Through Two Worlds From Reality Section 18

Jiang Shu hadn't said anything yet. The deskmate beside him, Wang Han, quickly spoke up. As he did, he even shoved his own books further onto Jiang Shu's desk, as if it were only natural.

"Ah, I thought you were just stressed out, taking some time to adjust, and then you'd come back. I feel like Horse Stance is pretty tough too. Don't we have Martial Arts Students at our school? None of them have even reached minor success yet. They'll just end up at a vocational college. Honestly, I think you'd be better off gambling on the college entrance exam—maybe you could still scrape by on the undergraduate cutoff."

"After all, martial artists look incredibly hard. A thousand jin of strength—back in ancient times, that'd make you a one-man army. Too hard."

Xu Shuhui shook her head. She was the class's academic monitor. In her mind, studying was the most important thing, the foundation of everything. Even after today's lecture from Mr. Zheng saying so much, she still felt that martial artists changing their fate was just an exception, a minority.

An isolated case couldn't represent the general rule.

Practicing martial arts might not really change your fate.

But studying well and getting into a good university—that truly could.

"Pfft, Xu Shuhui, did you even listen to the lecture today? Didn't you hear that Mr. Zheng guy say the martial path is the real future from now on? Jiang Shu's dropping studies to practice martial arts—his future's bright. Why would he care about studying?"

Wang Han curled his lips, pretending to take Jiang Shu's side, praising him.

But the sneer in his tone was plain as day.

Maybe some people could have a bright future through martial arts. But Jiang Shu? Who did he think he was?

Coming and going from the dorm alone, eating alone.

Senior year was almost over, and he still couldn't make friends with anyone in the class. He'd sent several messages asking to borrow the desk, and Jiang Shu hadn't even replied.

Sticking a scallion up a pig's nose and pretending to be an elephant—who was he trying to fool?

Playing the lone wolf.

What use would someone like that be in society later on!

But hey, Jiang Shu could only put on airs on Weixin.

Right now, he was putting his books right on the desk in front of Jiang Shu's face.

And Jiang Shu still didn't say a word!

Useless!

He was only fit for a vocational college anyway!

"There's no harm in studying more, right? Double insurance. Even if martial arts doesn't work out and you end up at a vocational school, you can still rely on your studies to transfer to a bachelor's program."

Xu Shuhui, raised in a traditional family, had conservative yet idealistic thoughts. She looked at Jiang Shu and couldn't help but suggest.

"Jiang Shu, what's the use of you practicing martial arts? Hear that? Xu Shuhui says you should transfer to a bachelor's program, hahahaha."

"And hey, Xu Shuhui, you're so concerned about Jiang Shu—could it be you have a crush on him?"

Wang Han's voice grew louder, and that last "crush" was so loud he practically wanted the whole classroom to hear. He really hadn't expected Xu Shuhui to say exactly what he'd been wanting to say.

Transfer to a bachelor's program, hahaha.

What a joke.

Someone who could only get into an undergraduate program through a transfer, and he still thought about practicing martial arts?

They were all classmates—who didn't know his real worth?

"Wang Han, what nonsense are you spouting!"

Xu Shuhui's bright eyes suddenly widened, a flash of anger in them. She turned her head immediately, but it was too late.

In senior year, under immense academic pressure, nothing caught the class's attention like gossip.

In that moment, countless pairs of eyes converged on their corner.

But Wang Han didn't care at all about Xu Shuhui's anger. He crossed his arms, smug as could be.

A single sentence could stir someone's emotions, could shake up the whole class.

He reveled in the spotlight of those gazes.

As if, in that moment, he was the protagonist of the classroom.

Mastering rhetoric beyond his years—that was his confidence for stepping into society!

He, Wang Han, whether he went into politics or business, was bound to achieve great things.

He didn't believe Zheng Yanbo's words. If martial artists were really that strong, why weren't other countries starting to practice martial arts?

In the future, martial artists would just be super special forces in the military, or elite bodyguards for corporate giants.

What truly controlled this world was still—

Power and money!

Amid Wang Han's loud laughter, every student in the class turned to look at Jiang Shu and Xu Shuhui.

In that moment, both Jiang Shu and Xu Shuhui seemed to become actors on a stage.

Xu Shuhui's eyes reddened. She gritted her teeth at Wang Han, unable to say a word.

Having only ever focused on her studies, this was the first time she'd encountered something like this. She had no idea how to handle it.

She only knew that the more she tried to explain, the more absurdly the rumors would spread.

All she could do was sit frozen in her seat. She wished she could bury her head in the sand like an ostrich, ignoring everything, caring about nothing.

But then, in her eyes, Jiang Shu—who was usually quiet and reserved in class—stood up.

Under the scrutiny of dozens of gazes, he opened his mouth and broke the silence:

"Wang Han, has no one ever told you that you talk too much?"

Having been deskmates for over a year, he and Wang Han already had plenty of friction.

After breaking through the In-Utero Mystery, he had focused solely on martial arts, ignoring the trivialities of class.

He had thought the conflicts would fade with time.

Instead, his repeated dismissals only made things worse.

Perfect.

Today, he would settle all grievances at once.

Watching Xu Shuhui, who was at a loss under the stares of the whole class, Jiang Shu's voice was unhurried: "Wang Han, you're using my desk without even asking my permission. I haven't called you out for that, yet you're the one running your mouth everywhere."

"Spreading a few rumors, and you think you've grasped the truth and played everyone's hearts. What, are you the only one in the class with eyes? If Xu Shuhui really had a crush on me, why no sign in sophomore year, none in junior year? It just so happens that I take a leave, come back for a few minutes in the classroom, and you catch it."

"If you're really that perceptive, I suggest you stop studying. Turn around, leave campus, go to the bus stop, take Route 7 for three stops, get off, and within a hundred meters there's a police station. Go apply there and see if they're still taking police dogs."

"That's still a government job, way more useful than you ending up at some vocational college."

Having scraped by in society for over a decade in his past life, he hadn't made it big, but he'd honed a knack for reading people.

Wang Han's current behavior was just that of a clown trying to grab attention.

Bad at studying, trying to prove himself impressive in other ways.

When Jiang Shu didn't want to bother, he could just ignore him.

But once he opened his mouth—

What was Wang Han, anyway?

"One last thing: I'm on leave, not dropped out. So the desk is still mine. The books inside are still mine. Before you go apply at the police station, you'd better move my books back, every single one, and put them in the desk."

"Consider it training for your skills. After all, police dog training includes retrieval exercises."

"Jiang Shu!"

Wang Han never expected that Jiang Shu, who had always seemed easy to push around, would be so vicious today.

Police station. Police dogs.

Jiang Shu dared to say that about him!

Who did he think he was?

He'd taken the desk, so what?

Jiang Shu was on leave—why couldn't he use it?

The more Wang Han thought about it, the angrier he got. Rage burned like fire, rushing to his head.

He shot up, pointed a finger at Jiang Shu's nose, and snarled: "Jiang Shu, didn't I send you a Weixin message about using the desk? You didn't reply! What, on leave and you still won't let anyone use your desk? Treating school property like it's your own? Disgusting!"

"I just tossed your books in the corner of the classroom, didn't sell them as scrap or burn them. Move them back? If you want them so bad, take them home yourself. Now you're playing the good student, acting like your books have to be in that desk."

"The classroom desk isn't yours—it's the school's. If you're not using it, the rest of us can!"

Standing on his moral high ground, Wang Han grew more self-righteous with every word.

As his speech ended, the guys he usually hung out with chimed in: "Yeah, Jiang Shu, you're not using the desk. What's the big deal if Wang Han puts his books there? You've been deskmates for over a year, and you can't even let him store some books?"

"I don't see the issue either. If I switched to Martial Arts Student and took leave, you guys could use my desk, even use my books as scratch paper. I'm not taking the college entrance exam anyway."

"As for the crush thing, Wang Han was just joking. Why can't you take a joke? Of course we know Xu Shuhui doesn't have a crush on you. She's the study monitor, good-looking too. What would she see in you? Look in a mirror."