Morning High.
Unlike other days, the moment Chen Yan arrived, he drew plenty of attention. Many students looked at him with envy and awe.
To defeat a Blood Qi Martial Artist with nothing but raw physical strength was the stuff of legends in a small town.
But Chen Yan had done just that, right in front of everyone.
Chen Yan sat at his desk, and classmates kept coming over to talk to him. Though most students still privately looked down on fawning and flattery, they understood that Chen Yan was no longer on their level.
Hu Yuan came to the classroom entrance and spotted Chen Yan at once. His expression turned uncertain, but in the end, he lowered his head and went to his seat.
His father, Hu Zeyuan, had repeatedly urged him that morning to personally hand Chen Yan a gift from his backpack. But he couldn't bring himself to do it.
The memory of Chen Yan ignoring his earlier apology made it even harder.
At that moment, his heart was filled with regret.
A while later, Zhang Qingsi arrived in class. He quietly took his seat, his expression calm and carefree, as if he hadn't been defeated by Chen Yan at all.
Only the hint of mockery in his eyes as he looked at Chen Yan gave him away.
Time passed slowly. At eight in the morning, the school broadcast came on.
"Yu Zhiwen from Class One, Gao Yuan from Class Two, and Zhang Qingsi from Class Three, report to the area behind the Teaching Building immediately."
The moment the announcement ended, the students' expressions shifted.
Zhang Qingsi stood up, lifted his chin, and walked to the front of the classroom. Smiling at everyone, he said:
"Hello, everyone. I'm glad we got to spend this semester together. I'll be going to the county to study in the Town Martial Class. Until we meet again."
For a moment, the classroom fell silent. Then a wave of cheers broke out.
"Brother Zhang, you're going to the county?"
Hu Yuan was the first to stand.
"That's right. Everyone at school who awakened their Blood Qi will be going." Zhang Qingsi smiled, glancing at Chen Yan out of the corner of his eye.
"We'll be in the same class as Chu Xuansheng."
The classroom erupted with astonished cries.
"Holy crap, Chu Xuansheng!"
"Brother Zhang, you're amazing!"
"Brother Zhang, will we still get to see you?"
"You're going to be classmates with Chu Xuansheng? I'm so jealous."
As everyone marveled, Chen Yan furrowed his brow and froze for a moment. But he quickly composed himself, stood up, and walked out of the classroom.
He was going to ask the principal what was going on.
Watching Chen Yan's retreating figure, Zhang Qingsi narrowed her eyes, but continued chatting casually with her friends.
"What's Chen Yan going out for?"
"Does he think the Town Martial Class spot is his?" Hu Yuan stood up, grinning from ear to ear. "He didn't even awaken his Blood Qi."
A nameless anger welled up inside Chen Yan. He clenched his fists. He was going to ask the principal why this had happened.
Luo Puxin had told him that winning the Town Martial Bonus would earn him a place in the Town Martial Class. Wang Yang had said the same.
So why had he been cut?
"Chen Yan."
A man's voice came from around the corner of the Teaching Building. Chen Yan turned and saw Chu Feiyuan.
Chu Feiyuan walked over.
"You're going to see the principal?"
Chen Yan frowned slightly and nodded.
"Here's the situation." A faint smile appeared on Chu Feiyuan's lips. "This is the county's first time organizing a Town Martial Class. Your school had three spots. I wanted you to go, but once the list was sent to the county, the people up there said you hadn't awakened your Blood Qi."
As he spoke, Chu Feiyuan patted Chen Yan on the shoulder.
"That's the rule. There's nothing I can do to change it. But I figured you'd feel this was unfair, so I came to explain. I even argued with someone from the county about it for half the day yesterday..."
Chu Feiyuan shook his head slowly.
Chen Yan's expression shifted, and he was about to speak, but Chu Feiyuan continued:
"Look, I, Chu Feiyuan, am a member of the Chu Family, after all. You know the Chu Family, right?"
"I do." Chen Yan nodded. Of course he knew the Chu Family, a major power in Luoshan County. The Chu Family was practically the county's undisputed leader.
"Ah." Chu Feiyuan gave a bitter smile. "That person knew I was from the Chu Family, too. You know how everything depends on influence these days, but they wouldn't give me the time of day. And rules are rules. If you haven't awakened your Blood Qi, it doesn't matter how strong you are."
Chu Feiyuan looked at Chen Yan.
"If you keep making a fuss, it'll make things difficult for the Chu Family, too. Sigh..."
"I understand. I can still study at Qingshan High," Chen Yan said quietly.
"Exactly." A satisfied look appeared in Chu Feiyuan's eyes. "It's all the same wherever you study. What matters is the person!"
With that, Chu Feiyuan shook his head and went downstairs, leaving Chen Yan standing alone.
Only after Chu Feiyuan had left did anger surface in Chen Yan's eyes. He glanced toward the spot where Chu Feiyuan had disappeared, his gaze icy.
If Chu Feiyuan had said those things to someone else, they might have believed him.
But Chen Yan knew they were all lies.
Luo Puxin was the chief instructor of the Town Martial Class. The rule he had mentioned wasn't that students had to awaken their Blood Qi to enter.
Chu Feiyuan had lied to him, then brought up someone with tremendous influence, and warned that making trouble would put the Chu Family in a difficult position...
Not one of his words had been an outright threat, yet every single one threatened Chen Yan.
Time passed slowly as Chen Yan drew a deep breath.
Ring, ring.
The bell rang.
On the Sports Field, a black sedan drove along the edge of the grounds as Principal Zhang Yue and Director of Teaching Xia Tong watched.
Inside the car, Gao Yuan and Yu Zhiwen looked out the window.
Gao Yuan saw Chen Yan and waved with a smile.
In the front passenger seat, Chu Feiyuan followed his gaze.
On the Teaching Building, Chen Yan waved back with a smile.
Yu Zhiwen looked at Chen Yan on the Teaching Building, pressed her lips together, then turned away.
She thought it was funny. Others might not know, but her grandfather had once been a martial artist and had wide connections. He knew what this year's Town Martial Class admission requirements were.
Chen Yan had been stripped of his spot, and he still had no idea. It was pretty pitiful.
But what did that have to do with her?
The Town Martial Class was the greatest opportunity their year had ever gotten. Chen Yan had missed it, which meant the gap between them would only grow wider.
Chu Feiyuan slid the Sunglasses perched on his forehead down over his eyes, a faint smile playing on his lips.
It seemed Chen Yan knew how to behave after all.
He was just some country kid, with a narrow outlook and little sense.
Gao Yuan curiously inspected the car's interior, touching everything. Zhang Qingsi, seated beside him, frowned slightly and muttered:
"Country bumpkin."
"Hey, it's my first time in a sedan." Gao Yuan scratched his head and smiled.
"Chen Yan."
Wang Yang had appeared beside Chen Yan at some point. Together, they watched the black sedan drive away.
"Your spot was given to someone else." Wang Yang's expression was grim, and he stumbled over his words.
"It's fine, Teacher." Chen Yan smiled. He could sense how Wang Yang was feeling.
"You're not going to fight for it?" Wang Yang asked.
Chen Yan said nothing, only gazing quietly at the Bronze Statue on the Sports Field.
"How can you just give up?"
A deep voice suddenly rang out.
"They're bullying you. Are you going to bully yourself, too?" Wang Yang stared intently at Chen Yan. "Are you really going to let them walk all over you?"
Chen Yan opened his mouth, then hurriedly said:
"Teacher Wang, that's the Chu Family."
"I'm not telling you to go against the Chu Family. It's just one spot. Why are you dragging the whole Chu Family into it? You beat the son of the Town Martial Division Chief. Does that mean you've made an enemy of the entire Town Martial Division, the whole of Summer Country, the whole world?"
Wang Yang gripped Chen Yan's arm. His eyes looked cloudy, but now they shone with the fierce sharpness of a falcon.
"If you don't fight for what's in front of you, you'll miss a hundred lifetimes of chances. Give up an inch, and you'll lose a whole horizon!"
"In the Town Martial Class, the teachers are Second-grade martial artists. Some specialize in Horizontal Refinement, others in Blood Qi. They eat beast meat, and you can trade your scores for Medicinal Baths.
"Origin Crystals for Blood Qi Martial Arts and Breathing Technique Origin Crystals—you can get all of them if your scores are good.
"You're giving all that up!?"
Chen Yan's mouth fell open. Something flickered in his eyes as he looked at Wang Yang.
Then Wang Yang said, more firmly than ever:
"Do you really want to keep me, someone who can't even awaken Blood Qi, as your teacher?
"I can't even beat you!"
Wang Yang's voice echoed again and again in Chen Yan's mind. After a moment of confusion, Chen Yan's gaze gradually grew firm.
"I understand. I can't just give up!"
Wang Yang nodded, a smile slowly spreading across his face. If Chen Yan had kept backing down, Wang Yang would have been deeply, deeply disappointed.
"What are you going to do?" Wang Yang asked.
"I'll go challenge them. I'll show them that I, Chen Yan, deserve a place in the Town Martial Class."
Chen Yan shouted:
"I'll beat Zhang Qingsi again!"
Wang Yang froze. He hadn't expected a single sentence from him to make Chen Yan come up with that plan.
Wait!
Wang Yang looked at Chen Yan. This kid must have already thought up the plan earlier.
You little brat, you even fooled me?
"That plan won't work. You'll really make enemies that way." Wang Yang hurriedly grabbed Chen Yan.
"Then I'll go to the Town Martial Division and demand justice from the higher-ups." Chen Yan thought of Luo Puxin. That was what he most wanted to do.
Challenging them was a little too reckless. Who would do that?
He couldn't pass up any chance to grow stronger, especially when that opportunity should have been his in the first place.
"That won't work either. The Chu Family's influence runs deep in the Town Martial Division. If you don't find the right person, things could go badly." Wang Yang shook his head.
Chen Yan frowned and looked at Wang Yang. Wang Yang winked at him and smiled.
"Come on. They're taking the back door."
"I'll take you through the back door, too."
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