Strength Is King

The areas around the school were not too chaotic.

After all, they fell under the education district's jurisdiction. Public security was relatively better, and there were more surveillance cameras.

But Li Jinshui was now most afraid of surveillance cameras. Terrified of leaving a trace, he could only plunge headfirst into those secluded little alleys.

Although he was bare-chested with his shirt wrapped over his face, shirtless martial artists wandering the streets were hardly uncommon. Compared to the bizarre outfits worn by those Drifters, this was nothing at all.

"Ding!"

Just then, his phone's message alert sounded.

Li Jinshui took it out and glanced at it. It was from Yao Xiaona.

"Classmate Li Jinshui, what you said just now made me very unhappy. I only just realized that you were maliciously speculating about my parents and family. You're disgusting and such a turnoff. My parents are absolutely not the kind of people who abuse their private power. They treat me so well. I won't allow you to speak about them like that. Apologize."

Apologize my ass!

Li Jinshui was so furious that flames seemed to burst from his head. Go investigate it first if you have the guts. If those people really hadn't met with trouble, I'd be even more relieved.

He typed as he ran, wanting Yao Xiaona to confirm it for him.

Before he could even finish writing the message, the screen flashed, and Yao Xiaona's second text came in.

"Also! Even if my parents and family really did those things, it would only be because they love and care about me too much. What's wrong with them protecting their daughter? If you apologize to me, I can guarantee that nothing will happen to you, and you won't need to transfer schools either. But you must also promise to listen to me from now on. You can't willingly sink into depravity. I'll personally arrange a strict study schedule for you. It'll definitely help you regain your heart for martial arts!"

"..."

After reading that message, Li Jinshui came to an abrupt stop.

Damn it, Yao Xiaona really had no humanity.

If a normal person had said those things, he might have been willing to consider it.

But Yao Xiaona—someone who could talk about hitting rock bottom and bouncing back, taking out Assault Loans, and collecting Drug Trial Funds...

And he was supposed to let her arrange everything for him from now on?

Listening to her meant certain death!

With someone like her, he would probably be sent off to reincarnate by her family the moment he made her even slightly unhappy.

"Heh, truly the lofty rich, handing out their self-righteous charity!"

Li Jinshui sneered and raised a hand to his forehead. Amaterasu!

You think that having money and power lets you trample on other people's dignity as you please?

You think grassroots martial artists have to become your tail-wagging, puppet-string beggars?

Wrong!

We martial artists possess iron bones and unyielding spines. We would rather die standing than live kneeling!

His fingers flew across the screen as he edited a text message.

"Okay, thank you, class monitor. I got so scared just now that I ran out of school, but then a few Drifters surrounded me and stole all my money!

"Now they're demanding that I give them another sum of money before they'll let me go, boohoohoo.

"So can you lend me a little more money?

"o(≧v≦)o

"Mwah!"

Okay, send!

Watching the words "Sent Successfully" appear on the screen, Li Jinshui's lips curled upward.

A martial artist couldn't just charge in blindly. He had to use his brain!

He stuffed his phone back into his pocket and continued onward, weaving wildly through the twisting alleys.

Before long, he finally emerged beside a main road.

The view here was broad and open. Looking up, he saw the words "Daming Technology" flashing across the electronic screen outside a commercial building not far away.

"Daming Technology, Delivery Youth Training Camp..."

Li Jinshui fell into thought.

He had already looked it up online. Although the Delivery Youth Training Camp assigned elite personnel to the various delivery stations, it was not under Flash Group Delivery. Instead, like the delivery company itself, it was a subsidiary directly under the parent company, Daming Technology.

Li Jinshui was no stranger to these names.

Over the long river of history in this high-martial world, there had also once been several dynasties similar to those of Earth.

Nowadays, nearly all the world's top capital giants were named after those ancient dynasties.

Such as Daqin Heavy Industry, Dahan Martial Research, Datang Pharmaceuticals, Dasong Finance, Daming Technology, Daqing Insurance, and so on.

They were all colossal capital giants, monopolizing every aspect of people's food, clothing, housing, and transportation, permeating every little detail of everyone's lives.

Their strength and deterrence needed no questioning.

And the Delivery Youth Training Camp being directly under Daming Technology meant the chances of outsiders being able to reach into it were very small.

"Looks like... the Delivery Youth Training Camp is a suitable place to go."

Li Jinshui made his decision quickly.

Whether or not he could become a Single King Seed was not important. The main thing was that it was relatively safe, and he could stay there for a full three months—enough time for him to develop properly.

Of course, there were still risks.

For instance, Yao Xiaona's parents or relatives might happen to be high-ranking figures in Daming Technology or the Youth Training Camp, or their network of connections might extend there...

What if he was unlucky enough for that to happen?

Heh, then he would fight until the very last moment and slit his throat to return to heaven!

"Unfortunately, I can't find any information online about Yao Xiaona or her family. Otherwise, knowing myself and knowing my enemy, I could have stayed farther away. Now there's no choice but this."

Li Jinshui shook his head, pulled out his phone, and followed the road ahead.

Since he had decided to go to the Youth Training Camp, he first needed to find somewhere to take the Supplement Potion, raise his Stake Standing to minor mastery, and then figure out how to get the Basic Lightness Skill started too...

Along the way, he avoided surveillance cameras as much as possible.

Fortunately, it was broad daylight. There were very few Drifters on the streets, and almost all of them were genuinely homeless poor people.

He drew no one's attention. Following the map navigation all the way, he eventually arrived beneath a martial arts hall.

This martial arts hall was located inside an apartment building. It specialized in renting out training rooms to martial artists, with excellent security and privacy.

"Manmiao Private Martial Arts Hall!"

Li Jinshui glanced at the hall's signboard and strode forward.

A security guard was stationed at the entrance downstairs. This profession was in demand everywhere and highly sought after.

Moreover, all security guards in the city belonged to the same Great Security Company. Touching even one of them was equivalent to declaring war on the entire Security Company.

Li Jinshui showed the guard his reservation information for the martial arts hall. Only after the other party called to verify it was he allowed upstairs.

"Welcome to Manmiao Martial Arts Hall!"

As soon as he exited the elevator, the hostess at the hall entrance immediately came forward with enthusiastic warmth.

"Mm, I have a reservation." Li Jinshui nodded blandly, still carrying the air of a financial conglomerate heir, his gaze cold and aloof.

The hostess was a professional with exceptionally high standards.

Even though the phone displaying Li Jinshui's reservation order was battered beyond belief, and even though he was bare-chested with his shirt covering his face, she had no intention of looking down on a customer and maintained her smile.

"Pfft, hahahaha, you... you're Mr. Cold-Blooded Yet Passionate Prince, aren't you?"

The hostess's smile grew increasingly brilliant. "Your training room has been prepared. Please follow me, hahahaha."

"Lead the way!" Li Jinshui used his deep, bubbly voice and stepped after her.

The martial arts hall was huge, occupying an entire apartment floor.

Quite a few martial artists were resting in the lobby, while others sparred at the arena.

Li Jinshui gave them a simple sweep of his gaze, then followed the hostess into the training room area.

"Sir, your training room is number 11. Go straight ahead."

The hostess stopped at the corridor entrance, pointed out the direction, then asked again, "Would you like a sparring partner? We have beautiful female sparring partners, experienced master sparring partners... Oh, right, I nearly forgot to ask. Do you need the 92 or the 95?"

"I don't need a sparring partner. As for the Blood Qi Tester, I only use the best. I want the 95 version!" Li Jinshui said, pulling a crumpled plastic bag from his pocket.

This was the cash he had withdrawn from the bank on the way here, to avoid having his trail discovered too quickly.

The bank was one of Dasong Finance's businesses, and it did a decent job protecting customer privacy. Though it was not absolute, even if the Yao family had enough influence to check his bank transactions, they would not be able to obtain them so easily in such a short time.

Besides, he had withdrawn cash to use. That counted as an extra layer of protection.

As for things like phone and internet data, those all belonged to Daming Technology anyway. He had put all his eggs in Daming's basket; if he was truly tracked down, there would be nothing he could do about it.

"I booked eight hours. This is the full payment. If I book at least eight hours, can I stay overnight in the lobby for free?" Li Jinshui counted out a stack of cash from the plastic bag and handed it over.

"Yes, sir. I wish you a pleasant training session!" The hostess accepted the money and walked away, struggling not to laugh.

Li Jinshui looked at the cash that had instantly been cut in half and felt a little pained.

The training rooms were charged by the hour only—three hundred yuan an hour, with no daily rate.

That one go had cost him twenty-four hundred yuan, leaving him with only a little over two thousand yuan to his name.

If Yao Xiaona did not transfer money to him again, tomorrow would become rather hard to survive.

Unfortunately, he had received no reply after sending that message. Things were probably more likely grim than promising.

"I can only train first!"

Li Jinshui entered training room number 11.

With a click, he locked the door and took the Supplement Potion from his pocket.

Although this thing was worth twenty thousand yuan, and selling it could let him recover a bit of money, that would only mean spending a few more days hiding. It was nothing but cowardice.

"In this high-martial world, strength is king!"

Li Jinshui twisted open the potion bottle. Looking at the viscous medicinal liquid inside, sparkling like a crystalline sapphire, he tipped his head back and drained it in one gulp.

Accompanied by a cool, strange medicinal fragrance, the liquid slid down his throat and turned into a refreshing icy spring spreading from his abdomen. Then it suddenly surged like a vast sea, roiling as it rushed toward all four limbs and eight meridians.

"What pure and powerful medicinal energy!"

Li Jinshui did not dare delay. He immediately took a deep breath and assumed the stance of Stake Standing.

[Gathering Spirit from the Mundane, Heaven Rewards Diligence, Basic Stance Technique +10]

[Gathering Spirit from the Mundane, Heaven Rewards Diligence, Basic Stance Technique +10]