Practical Combat Class / A Spar? I Accept

"Hey, do you think Xia Xueqing's going to beat Su Bai up?"

"Definitely. What Su Bai did to her was like asking for trouble! You know how she won't even let other boys touch her during sparring matches."

Su Bai took a deep breath, straightened his clothes, and walked over to the girl. "I'm sorry, Xueqing. I was out of my mind yesterday. Please forgive me."

"Hmph!"

Xia Xueqing wrinkled her dainty nose and turned her head away, refusing to look at him.

Su Bai felt awkward, unsure how to make it up to her.

If they were still together like they had been in his previous life, he could have just pinned her against a wall and everything would have been fine.

But now...

Su Bai thought about how he used to pursue Xia Xueqing. Suddenly, an idea came to him, and he turned and walked out.

When Xia Xueqing saw him leave, her brows furrowed, and disappointment flickered in her eyes. She thought he was avoiding her.

She actually did have some fondness for Su Bai.

Though his family was ordinary and his talent only so-so, she couldn't help noticing the drive in his eyes. And on top of that, Su Bai was handsome, which made him rather attractive.

After Su Bai had done that "shameful" thing to her yesterday, Xia Xueqing was surprised to realize that her first reaction hadn't been anger. Instead, she'd felt a strange sense of joy...

She'd spent much of the night thinking about it and couldn't fall asleep. She had no idea why she felt that way.

Could it be... I really like him? Xia Xueqing had never been in love before, and her big eyes were filled with confusion. She didn't know what this feeling was.

But Su Bai went too far. How could he do something like that to me in front of the whole class? So annoying!

Thinking of what had happened yesterday, Xia Xueqing blushed and lowered her head to review her textbook.

The students waiting for a show were disappointed when nothing happened, and soon everyone went back to their own business.

Ten minutes later, Su Bai returned with a cup of milk tea in his hand.

"Xueqing, I'm sorry. Please forgive me."

"Is this... strawberry-flavored?"

Xia Xueqing looked at the milk tea in Su Bai's hand in surprise. How did he know she liked strawberry?

She never drank milk tea when she was out. She only secretly ordered delivery when she was home alone, and her favorite was strawberry milk tea.

Even her parents didn't know that.

Xia Xueqing hesitated, but in the end she couldn't resist Su Bai's "temptation." She took the drink and sipped it, her glossy black ponytail swaying adorably behind her.

All the while, she wondered how Su Bai had found out what she liked.

It looks like Xueqing isn't angry. Thank goodness!

Su Bai chuckled to himself.

The world might have changed, but Xia Xueqing's tastes hadn't. That made the girl before him feel a little more real...

After that, things were simple. With the milk tea helping him out, Su Bai finally earned Xia Xueqing's forgiveness.

But that only worked because he was Su Bai. If anyone else had dared to do that to Xia Xueqing, she would have beaten him up before he got the chance to take advantage of her!

When Lin Hu entered the classroom and saw this "harmonious scene," he was stunned!

He'd been prepared to stop Xia Xueqing if she tried to beat up his best friend, even if he wasn't a match for her. He'd been afraid she might actually beat Su Bai to death!

But now... Lin Hu couldn't make sense of the two of them chatting and laughing together.

"I didn't know you were so good at flirting," Lin Hu said in surprise after Su Bai returned to his seat.

Su Bai smiled faintly as he watched Xia Xueqing's back. "What flirting? Xueqing just decided not to hold it against me. Otherwise, she would've beaten me up already."

"That's true, but Xia Xueqing's acting way out of character. Do you think she likes you?" Lin Hu asked boldly, his eyes gleaming with curiosity.

Su Bai gave him a strange look.

"Since when did you get so nosy?"

"What do you mean, nosy? I'm just a little worried about you," Lin Hu said seriously. "Getting involved with a girl like Xia Xueqing could bring you trouble."

He knew that if the two of them really got involved, Su Bai would be the one to suffer in the end.

Xia Xueqing came from such an influential family that she was on a completely different level from them. Forcing a relationship between them probably wouldn't end well.

Su Bai realized Lin Hu was genuinely worried about him, and his heart warmed. He was touched.

Lin Hu had helped him a lot in his previous life without expecting anything in return. Besides, Su Bai had been in no position to repay him back then.

Though the world was a little different this time around, their friendship was real. Lin Hu was still Lin Hu.

But Su Bai had changed...

Now that he had the Stat-Adding System and a Kamui Eye waiting to be unlocked, he was confident he could repay Lin Hu's kindness and pursue Xia Xueqing!

Chapter 10: Practical Combat Class

"Xueqing's family may be influential, but your buddy isn't a pushover either. You'll see," Su Bai said with a confident smile.

He hadn't been timid in either life. Now that he had a system, he could boldly pursue any girl he liked—and this was Xia Xueqing, no less.

Lin Hu sighed after hearing that. He thought Su Bai had let his feelings cloud his judgment. "Bro, you know you're already in trouble, right?"

"What trouble?" Su Bai asked, stunned.

Lin Hu checked that no one nearby was paying attention, then lowered his voice. "You know Wang Qiang, right?"

"Yeah, the guy in Class Two who likes to fight," Su Bai replied with a nod.

"Good. He heard yesterday that you'd harassed Xia Xueqing, and he said he'd teach you a lesson in today's practical combat class. So watch out. If you have to, ask the teacher for sick leave and skip it."

"Everyone at school knows he likes Xia Xueqing. He's been warning other boys to stay away from her for ages, and then you went and... Sigh."

Su Bai had good grades, but he was far too skinny, and his chakra refinement progress was always near the bottom of the class. Lin Hu was worried Wang Qiang would hurt him.

Su Bai couldn't help laughing at that. What kind of nonsense was this?

If you liked a girl, go after her. How was threatening other guys with your fists supposed to help you win her over?

Childish!

Su Bai had long since outgrown the naïveté of his student days before he crossed over. Looking back on things like this now, he found them a little ridiculous.

He knew Wang Qiang, a prominent figure at Yangcheng No. 1 High School. His father was a department-level official at the Yangcheng Municipal Government, and his family was very well-off.

Though he couldn't compare to Xia Xueqing's family, he still counted as part of the upper class. He and Su Bai's group came from completely different worlds.

Wang Qiang was domineering and often bullied other students in his grade because he was strong.

He didn't dare bully them openly, though. The school kept a close eye on students and prohibited fighting, so Wang Qiang could only use sparring during practical combat class as an excuse to teach a lesson to people he disliked.

The students he picked on feared his family and his strength. They dared not speak up, swallowing their anger and enduring it in silence.

The Wang Qiang of Su Bai's previous life hadn't been quite so overbearing. He was just the son of a minor official, and in that more harmonious society, having a department-level official for a father didn't give him any particular sense of superiority.

But things were different now. After the Magic Beasts invaded, society had become sharply divided. The higher a person's position, the more superior they felt, looking down on ordinary people struggling to make ends meet. That was what had made Wang Qiang so domineering.

Thinking of this, Su Bai smiled helplessly.

"Now that you mention it, it does sound like trouble. But I'm not afraid of him in practical combat class. He's only a Ninja Apprentice."

"Bro, are you still half-asleep? Wang Qiang mastered the Three Body Technique ages ago. Half a month ago, he even raised his Chakra Level to 0.7 cards. That puts him near the top of the whole grade, and you're saying you're not afraid?"

Lin Hu reached out to feel Su Bai's forehead, thinking he had a fever.

Su Bai only smiled, offering no further explanation.

0.7 cards?

If this had been him a day ago, he would have been wary. Back then, his chakra was only 0.03 cards, a huge difference.

But now... Su Bai could only laugh.

If Wang Qiang really came looking for trouble, Su Bai wouldn't mind teaching him a lesson!

Lin Hu was about to say more, but their homeroom teacher, Wang Hai, walked in. He could only fall silent.

Wang Hai looked over the students, pausing at Xia Xueqing and Su Bai before speaking. "I won't waste time. As I've said before, the college entrance exams are only about ten days away. You all need to stay focused and prepare."

"I hope you'll take today's practical combat class seriously. Teacher Chu only comes to our school once a week. This is your best chance to get some guidance!"

After the Magic Beasts invaded, the way schools taught their students changed. Students still had to master academic knowledge, but they also had to build their courage.

Practical combat class was the best way to do that. The Federation didn't need "good kids" anymore. It needed warriors willing to fight the Magic Beasts!

Once Wang Hai finished speaking, the students began murmuring excitedly.

"We get to see Teacher Chu again! I'm so excited!"

"Yeah, Teacher Chu's my idol. He's only a few years older than us, but he's already a ninja who's fought Magic Beasts. That's so cool!"

"Exactly! Teacher Chu is seriously cool, especially that scar on his neck. It's so manly!"

"Hehe, I heard Teacher Chu isn't married yet. I wonder if I have a chance..."

Everyone was looking forward to practical combat class. Getting guidance from a real ninja was incredibly important for those about to take the college entrance exams!

There were many schools across Yang City, so not all of them had ninja instructors.

As far as Su Bai knew, the only ninja at their school besides their teachers was the principal, a Chunin who had once fought Magic Beasts in the Wasteland Zone. The other teachers were "Genin" in administrative jobs who had rarely ventured into the Wasteland.

They only taught students how to refine chakra and train in the Three Body Technique. There was no comparison between them and Teacher Chu, who had fought Magic Beasts in the Wasteland Zone!

"I wonder when I'll get to go to the Wasteland and fight a Magic Beast for real!" A glimmer of anticipation flashed in Su Bai's eyes.

He'd had enough of the "dull" life he'd spent in a wheelchair for years after a car accident in his previous life. He had always yearned for the thrill of a fiery, high-adrenaline experience.

After watching that video of someone fighting an Iron-Horned Sheep in the infirmary yesterday, a seed had been planted in his heart: the desire to have an exhilarating battle against a Magic Beast!

Wang Hai explained a few more things to keep in mind during practical combat class. Around 8:30, the bell rang, calling everyone to gather on the school field.

"Come on, Teacher Chu's here. Let's head out and line up." Wang Hai led the students, who had been impatiently waiting, outside.

Su Bai followed at the back of the group. Just as he did in the classroom, he ended up at the back for practical combat class.

There was no helping it. Though he was slender, he stood a full 1.8 meters tall. Only Lin Hu, the "big guy," was taller in their class.

The practical combat class was held on the field outside the school. It was about the size of two soccer fields, with no sports equipment at all—just open ground.

There was no basketball, soccer, or table tennis equipment, the sort of thing every school in Su Bai's previous life had. The field was only used for running, exercise, and practical combat drills.

After all, it was a different era now. All those recreational forms of exercise had been done away with...

There were six senior-year classes at Yangcheng No. 1 High School, each with fifty or sixty students. By the time Wang Hai's class arrived, more than two hundred people were already gathered on the field.

The eyes of every student and teacher were fixed on a man in his mid-twenties. He wore a loose martial arts uniform and had a scar on his neck that looked as if it had been left by a beast's claws.

He was Teacher Chu, the instructor in charge of practical combat classes for the senior students at Yangcheng No. 1 High School—Chu Yuan!

Chapter 11: A Spar? I Accept

Chu Yuan's sharp gaze swept over all the students. Everyone he looked at lowered their heads, feeling an inexplicable pressure. Su Bai was no exception.

He's so strong. Just one look from him made me feel a hint of fear, as if I were staring into the eyes of a ferocious beast! Su Bai's heart gave a hard thump. Chu Yuan had left a deep impression on him!

Even though Su Bai had now reached the minimum chakra requirement for a Genin, he still couldn't withstand the murderous aura surrounding Chu Yuan. He knew this was the kind of presence that couldn't be gained through training alone. Chu Yuan was a real ninja!

Wang Hai was a Genin too, but his presence was nowhere near Chu Yuan's. They weren't even on the same level.

Chu Yuan stepped forward twice and narrowed his eyes, his voice cold.

"Same as always. Find a partner and pair off for practical combat. If there's anything you don't understand, come ask me."

He was direct and efficient, with no wasted words. He got right to the point, and the students began pairing up under the guidance of their teachers.

Soon the students in their pairs began sparring. The field filled with thuds and clouds of white smoke as they used the Three Body Technique, still far from mastering it.

Chu Yuan stood on a two-meter-high platform, silently watching the students. Every so often, he nodded or shook his head.

When students came to ask him questions, he patiently answered them all. Those who received his guidance were delighted.