Chapter 32

After receiving two consecutive phone calls, Chen Mochuan was now wide awake, his sleepiness completely gone.

However, the deep fatigue within his body had not yet dissipated, making it still unsuitable for any form of cultivation.

Feeling bored and restless, he summoned the Golden Light Screen.

Having practiced the Root-Solidifying Stance for over four hours earlier, and with the help of the pure energy digested from the Boiling Blood Beast meat, he had pushed the proficiency of this stance training to [Mastery (36%)], a significant improvement.

Yet, compared to that, the increase in his Blood-Qi Value was even more astonishing; the screen clearly displayed [Blood-Qi Value: 4.01].

From this moment on, Chen Mochuan had officially stepped into the ranks of a Level 4 Martial Artist.

Breaking through a Blood-Qi Value of 4 was a week earlier than he had anticipated.

Chen Mochuan recalled the rankings from the monthly exam and knew that although his classmates were also improving, his Blood-Qi Value should now be able to rank around 150th, marking a small leap forward.

"High-tier Ferocious Beast meat is truly a great supplement; just that tiny piece of jerky allowed my Blood-Qi Value to increase by 0.3 in such a short time."

"Those rich kids and second-generation martial artists born with silver spoons in their mouths probably eat this grade of Ferocious Beast meat every day. At my age, they might have already broken through the limits of the human Essence Gate and become Martial Artists in the Mortal Shedding realm."

"No, that's not right. They don't have the Spirit Devourer ability and can't reach my level of absorption efficiency. If they ate like this every day, their bodies definitely couldn't handle it; it shouldn't be as exaggerated as I imagine."

"Besides, wanting to become a Martial Artist isn't just about reaching a Blood-Qi Value of 10; it requires meeting several other conditions as well."

After studying the screen panel and letting his thoughts wander for a while, Chen Mochuan remembered he had school tomorrow and needed to rest well to recover his state. He stopped thinking about those messy matters and forced himself to drift off to sleep.

The next morning, in the classroom for the Grade 12 Martial Arts Department key class, the Martial Arts General Knowledge teacher Zhang Qionggui stood on the podium, imparting knowledge to the students.

"The Putrid Hyena is one of the most common Tier 2 Ferocious Beasts in the Wilderness Zone. Their saliva contains putrefactive bacteria that can cause wounds to fester rapidly. They love carrion and often move in packs."

"In addition to conventional physical attack methods, Putrid Hyenas can also spray corrosive pus. You must be on guard against this when battling them."

"Their weakness is their extremely poor vision; they rely heavily on their sense of smell. Strong fragrances or odors can interfere with their judgment..."

Chen Mochuan listened attentively. Unlike most students who chose to use their Personal Terminal to record knowledge, he firmly believed that "the palest ink is better than the best memory" and was writing furiously, quickly taking class notes.

Just as Zhang Qionggui began to explain another type of common Ferocious Beast, the classroom door was pushed open gently, interrupting her lecture.

The homeroom teacher Han Zhen appeared at the doorway. After whispering a few words to Teacher Zhang, he looked toward the back row and said, "Chen Mochuan, come out for a moment. Principal Wang has something to discuss with you."

Everyone in the class turned their heads in unison to look at Chen Mochuan. It was not common to be called away directly by the homeroom teacher during class, let alone to go see the principal.

Chen Mochuan felt puzzled, but he stood up and left the classroom under the curious gazes of his classmates.

"That's a rare sight. It's my first time seeing someone called away by the principal during class."

"I just saw the homeroom teacher bring two police officers upstairs. Could it be because of that?" said a student who had just returned from asking for permission to use the restroom.

The floor above the key class classroom was the school's administrative area, where the principal's office was located.

"Could he have committed a crime and been tracked down by the police?"

"Talk nonsense and you'll get a kick in the teeth." This was Li Biao speaking up.

"That shouldn't be it. I think Chen Mochuan is a pretty good guy." Some students were skeptical.

"Then why do you think he was called away right after the police arrived?"

"Thump! Thump! Thump!"

Three knocks on the podium echoed from the front of the classroom, and the noisy discussions in the room immediately quieted down.

"Everyone be quiet, we're still in class!" Zhang Qionggui stopped the commotion.

She hadn't encountered such a situation in years, which had left her momentarily stunned, but now that she had reacted, she immediately began to restore order to the class.

Chen Mochuan followed Han Zhen upstairs. Seeing his homeroom teacher remain silent, he felt a bit nervous. Why would the principal want to see him?

Lately, he had been diligently studying and practicing martial arts at school, just like usual, with nothing out of the ordinary.

That meant it was something outside of school... A guess formed in his mind.

Soon, the two arrived at the principal's office and knocked softly.

"Please come in."

Pushing the door open, the first thing Chen Mochuan saw was Principal Wang Binren, who was usually stern and serious, now beaming with a bright smile while chatting with someone.

On the guest sofa on the other side sat a male and a female police officer. The male officer was none other than Li Feng, who had driven him home the other day.

Chen Mochuan knew his earlier guess was correct; he had been called here because of the Ferocious Rat incident.

"Good child, come in quickly." Seeing Chen Mochuan, Principal Wang greeted him warmly and patted the seat next to him, "Come, sit here."

Chen Mochuan followed instructions and sat down obediently, though he leaned toward the edge of the sofa to show respect for his elder.

Li Feng smiled and spoke in a very gentle tone, "Student Chen Mochuan, we meet again. We are here today on behalf of the Special Situation Brigade of the Antu City Police Department to specifically express our gratitude for your actions the night before last."

"You reported the incident in a timely manner during a crisis and provided key information, assisting us in quickly controlling the scene and avoiding the risk of civilian casualties... This high level of social responsibility and heroic behavior is worthy of commendation."

Chen Mochuan smiled and nodded, "Officer Li, you are too kind. I only did what I should have done."

Principal Wang's face was filled with a sense of pride as he spoke at the right moment, "Student Chen Mochuan's actions truly demonstrate the excellent qualities and sense of responsibility of our students at No. 8 High School."

As he spoke, he looked at Chen Mochuan, "The two officers have already briefed me on the situation. The school is also proud of your performance during that critical moment."

Seeing this, Li Feng's expression turned formal, "Yes, according to our verification, after encountering danger, you not only chose to call the police immediately, winning precious time for the police to handle the emergency."

"Furthermore, after escaping danger, you took the initiative to dissuade other unsuspecting citizens from approaching the danger zone, effectively avoiding potential casualties. This fully reflects your excellent quality of remaining calm in the face of danger and caring for public safety."

"To promote righteousness and encourage citizens to actively participate in maintaining public safety, upon the report of the Special Situation Brigade and the approval of the Municipal Bureau, it has been decided to award you the honorary title of 'Advanced Individual for Bravery' in accordance with the Songjiang Province Citizen Police Assistance Reward Measures, along with a bonus of five thousand yuan as encouragement."

Li Feng knew clearly that the reason this commendation could be so swift and of such appropriate stature was largely due to the appreciation and promotion by Captain Liang Wenbin, but Chen Mochuan's actions themselves did indeed meet the criteria for commendation, and there was nothing improper about the procedure.

Being able to gain the favor of a Martial Artist in the Inner Scene Realm, this outstanding young man had a promising future ahead.