The Martial Arts classroom of Class Nine, Senior Year Two.
On the electronic blackboard at the back of the classroom, the rankings for the four Martial Arts events in this final exam were displayed.
[First place: Li Zhichao, 355 points]
[Second place: Jiang Ye, 330 points]
[Third place: Xu Sisi, 315 points]
[.]
"Brother Jiang, congratulations!"
Tao Xiaogang, Xia Qing, and the others came over to congratulate him. "You got second place in the class."
Jiang Ye looked at them and smiled. "Congratulations to you, too. You all made it into the top thirty this time."
There were a hundred students in the class.
Making the top thirty meant they were already in the upper-middle tier.
Tao Xiaogang scratched his head and grinned. "I have to thank you, Brother Jiang. If you hadn't led us through the fourth event, I'd never have scored that high."
In the usual virtual exams, he could only manage twenty or thirty points at most.
This time, he'd scored a full fifty.
Xia Qing and the others had all scored over forty points, too.
It might have seemed like only a twenty-point gap, but that was enough to overtake more than a dozen places.
In the college entrance exams, twenty points could be enough to leave hundreds of thousands of people behind.
"Then you'll have to work even harder," Jiang Ye said with a smile. "Don't let your rankings slip when the next semester starts."
"Haha, we won't."
As they chatted, Chen Zilu walked into the classroom, dressed in a plain white dress and white lace-trimmed socks.
"You've all seen the results of this final exam."
With her cool, composed air, Chen Zilu stood at the front and briefly reviewed the results.
Ten minutes passed in a flash.
Chen Zilu didn't waste time. After a brief conclusion, she said, "Jiang Ye, Li Zhichao, come to my office."
With that, she strode out of the classroom on her long legs.
Everyone knew the semester was over, so they began packing up to head home.
"A Ye, what did the teacher want you two for?" Wen Yuehui asked, puzzled.
"Probably something about our scores." Jiang Ye was a little puzzled, too, though he had another guess in mind.
A moment later, in Chen Zilu's office,
"There's something I need to tell you."
Chen Zilu looked at the two boys in front of her and smiled. "The school is holding a trial in a month. Would you like to take part?"
"A month from now? During summer vacation?" Jiang Ye was a little surprised.
He'd guessed it had something to do with the trial.
He hadn't expected it to happen so soon.
Li Zhichao frowned. "Doesn't the Ordinary Class only get one spot in the trial? Can both of us take part?"
Chen Zilu replied calmly, "Rules are dead, people are alive. If you're outstanding enough, the school can make exceptions."
Hearing that, Jiang Ye's heart stirred.
He guessed Chen Zilu had specifically applied to the school for an extra spot for him.
Chen Zilu continued, "This is the lowest-level trial. Anyone who's reached Great Accomplishment in the Star Martial Cultivation Method can take part, and it'll be held right here at school."
"But if you've only reached Great Accomplishment in the Cultivation Method, your chances of passing are very low."
"There's also some risk if you fail. You won't be in danger of losing your life, but it could affect your future cultivation."
After hearing all that, Jiang Ye and Li Zhichao fell silent.
The trial carried danger, too!
Still, they weren't surprised.
Any trial carried risk. Otherwise, what would make it a trial?
Chen Zilu said, "This is your only chance. If you've decided to take part, tell me now."
As soon as she finished speaking,
Jiang Ye and Li Zhichao said in unison, "I'll take part."
Chen Zilu nodded, unsurprised.
"Li Zhichao, you can go back. Jiang Ye, stay a moment."
"Okay."
Li Zhichao glanced at Jiang Ye, then turned and left.
Jiang Ye looked at Chen Zilu. "Teacher, what else is up?"
Chen Zilu flicked a disk-shaped object toward the wall.
With a soft buzz, it stuck to the wall.
It was a soundproofing device.
Only after setting it up did Chen Zilu look back at Jiang Ye.
"Not bad. You went from twenty-fifth place to second in a single semester." Her eyes curved as she smiled, captivatingly radiant.
Chen Zilu really was beautiful, cool and bright, far more so than any woman Jiang Ye had ever seen. Even Zhao Qingli from Class One couldn't compare.
The Martial Arts Heavenly Ladder certainly had a good eye.
"It's because you taught me well, Teacher," Jiang Ye replied honestly.
"You're always so modest."
As Chen Zilu spoke, the admiration in her gaze only grew.
Jiang Ye's results this time had surprised her, too.
She'd introduced him to Zhang Jianwu, thinking that if Jiang Ye made the top ten, that would already prove how talented he was.
She hadn't expected him to charge straight into the top two.
It had made her look good, too.
Chen Zilu took a paper bag from her desk drawer. "Take this. Use it for dietary supplements."
Jiang Ye took the bag and opened it. Inside were thirty thousand yuan.
"Teacher, what's this...?"
He stared at Chen Zilu, stunned.
The scholarship for students in need awarded to the second-place student was only ten thousand yuan, and it wouldn't be paid out until senior year.
Thirty thousand? He wasn't even in first place. How could he possibly qualify for that much?
"I made a bet with Director Zhang."
Chen Zilu chuckled. "I bet you'd pass the trial, so don't let me down."
Jiang Ye looked astonished.
In other words, the thirty thousand yuan was a private "sponsorship" from his teacher?
"Teacher, isn't thirty thousand too much? You need money to cultivate, too." Jiang Ye never accepted help from others without good reason.
Especially when money was involved, he had to be careful.
"I'm your teacher. I can afford it."
Chen Zilu looked at him. "But you're different."
"For the next month, you need to do everything you can to improve. That's the only way you'll have a chance of passing the trial."
"During that time, you'll need to eat Martial Arts Ingredients every day to improve your chances of passing." Her voice was clear and cool.
Jiang Ye was secretly alarmed.
From the way she put it, the trial might be much harder than he'd imagined.
Chen Zilu crossed her right leg, revealing a slender stretch of jade-white, tender skin beneath her skirt.
Her voice was unhurried.
"There are many kinds of Martial Arts Dietary Supplements. To improve as quickly as possible, you'll need to choose the highest-quality ingredients, like Tiger Gallbladder and Whale Eye."
"They cost a fortune. The thirty thousand is for your supplements."
"Lastly, this is a loan. You'll pay me back later."
Chen Zilu gave Jiang Ye a slight smile, her raised foot swaying gently, a hint of playfulness in the gesture.
Jiang Ye said, "I'll pay you back when the senior-year scholarship comes through, or after I earn money from the trial."
"Let's talk about it after you graduate. It's only thirty thousand. I'm not short of that little bit of money right now."
Chen Zilu waved a hand, once again stressing that she could afford it.
Jiang Ye felt a little helpless.
Just how rich was she? Thirty thousand meant nothing to her?
Could her family have a whole mine?
After a brief silence, he clasped his hands respectfully. "Thank you, Teacher."
Jiang Ye understood perfectly well.
Whether it was the bet she'd mentioned or the way she'd insisted he repay her, she was just trying to protect his pride.
Some help was charity.
And some help was someone holding an umbrella over you.
Having lived two lives, Jiang Ye understood that all too well, and felt even more grateful.
Chen Zilu smiled faintly.
"By the way, Ancheng might not be very safe for a while. Try not to go out much during the holiday," she said suddenly.
Not very safe?
Jiang Ye's heart stirred. Could this be because of the Shadow Calamity?
Chen Zilu continued, "If anything comes up, message me on VChat. My V account is czl23060901000."
Jiang Ye hesitated, then said, "Teacher, do you have a phone number? I'll buy a Communication Watch and contact you then. Cell phones are too expensive."
Chen Zilu glanced at him, then took a watch from her desk drawer. "Use my Communication Watch for now. You can contact me with it, too."
"Okay."
At this point, Jiang Ye didn't bother being polite. He took the watch.
"Teacher, I'll head back, then."
"Mm. Go on."
Chen Zilu waved a hand.
Jiang Ye nodded and turned to leave the office.
But before leaving, he suddenly remembered something and looked back at Chen Zilu.
A panel appeared.
When Jiang Ye saw the two lines of text floating above Chen Zilu's head, his heart jolted in shock.
Before you continue