"So you're saying the ground just happened to collapse and crush Song Wenkang to death?"
Sun Wenbin looked at Xu Ziming, who wore an earnest expression, and his own face turned a little strange.
"Absolutely, officer. I'm only a student whose Life Energy Level starts with a 3. How could I possibly beat a True Martial Sect Disciple?"
Every word Xu Ziming said carried a rare sincerity, as if that really was what had happened.
"Fine, let's say that's what happened. Then, as for the 5,000 Blue Star Coins reward..."
"Hey, officer, one thing is one thing. We can at least say we risked our lives for public safety and the stability of the nation. That reward should still be paid."
Sun Wenbin finally couldn't keep a straight face. He had no choice but to take out the book, Dedication Ritual, and wave it in front of Xu Ziming.
"Do you know what this is?"
"Rat-Man Cultivation Diary."
"Pfft!" Wang Hu, who had been watching the show from the side, couldn't hold back any longer. A mouthful of tea sprayed out.
Xu Ziming hadn't said that on purpose. He simply didn't want to get mixed up in all this nonsense. All he had to do was cultivate in peace, and he could get into college.
Fighting the alien races was something for his future. How had he ended up at this stage already?
From now on, he could never come home late again.
"Student Xu, I'm not joking with you. Besides this book, did you find anything else on Song Wenkang?"
"You found out about that too?" Xu Ziming immediately rummaged through his clothes with a helpless look.
Sun Wenbin and Wang Hu's eyes lit up at once. They were after that drop of Qilin Source Blood, but when they arrived at the scene last night, they hadn't been able to find it anywhere.
Neither Song Wenkang nor the wristband space belonging to the kid in front of them had any Qilin Source Blood.
"You're looking for this, right? It's a whole 10,000 Blue Star Coins. I'm not the kind of person who'd embezzle it, so I'll hand it over to the state."
On the way, Xu Ziming had transferred 20,000 of the coins into his own account. There really was only 10,000 left in it now.
Seeing this, Sun Wenbin gave up completely. He covered his eyes with one hand and waved the other.
"Keep it for yourself. Looks like Song Wenkang didn't have that thing on him at all."
It was no wonder he thought so. How could a high school student with a Life Energy Level of a mere 3.2 make a drop of Qilin Source Blood, with its immense life force, disappear right in front of the two of them?
Could he have some kind of cheat, some sort of system?
Don't be ridiculous. Even if he had a system, there was no way his Life Energy Level would still be a mere 3.2.
"Go back to school first. The reward will be transferred to your bank card shortly. As for the certificate of merit... we've already given it to your homeroom teacher."
At that point, Sun Wenbin suddenly glanced at Wang Hu.
"Xiao Xu, would you be interested in working as an off-site Martial Artist for our police station? The benefits are pretty good, and there's almost nothing else you'd need to do."
Regardless of Xu Ziming's current Life Energy Level, the fact that he had defeated Song Wenkang was clear to everyone.
He already had the strength to defeat a Martial Artist. If they could bring him into the police station, he would surely complete his first Life Evolution within two years.
The Martial Way cultivation system in this world revolved around Life Evolution. The simplest one happened when one's Life Energy Level reached 5.0.
At that point, there were no requirements for undergoing Life Evolution beyond meeting the Life Energy Level threshold. For every Life Evolution after that, Life Energy Level was still only the most basic requirement.
"Thank you for the offer, Officer Wang, but my current goal is the Martial Arts College Entrance Exam. I'm afraid I can't take on a position as an off-site Martial Artist for the police station."
"Hahaha, no problem. In that case, I hope you get into one of the Five Great Spirit Academies. You can think about it again after you get into college."
As he spoke, Wang Hu walked to the entrance of the police station. He tapped his wristwatch, and a police Flying Boat descended from the sky.
"Get on. I'll take you back to school." He pointed at the Flying Boat and climbed aboard.
Xu Ziming naturally didn't refuse and climbed in after him.
He had to admit, this was his first time riding a Flying Boat. It was incredibly fast, reaching 260 kilometers per hour even in the city.
In just two or three minutes, they arrived at his school.
"Go to class. I'll be off." Wang Hu watched Xu Ziming get out, waved, and then vanished in a flash.
Xu Ziming had just been about to ask why he was in such a hurry when the scene before his eyes stunned him.
His giant portrait was hanging on the unchanging gate of Pengcheng No. 3 High School, followed by a long string of words.
Congratulations to our senior student Xu Ziming for stepping up to defend Pengcheng and defeating True Martial Sect Disciple Song Wenkang! Young...
The beginning said that he had defeated Song Wenkang, and the rest was a long string of inspirational quotes. Even more outrageous, his portrait made him look like an idiot.
"Look, it's Xu Ziming!"
As soon as he walked onto campus, people around him recognized him.
His fame at Pengcheng No. 3 High School had already reached a certain level. You could fail to recognize the principal, but you couldn't fail to recognize Xu Ziming, who had supposedly killed a True Martial Sect Disciple with a single sword strike.
As for how the "killed with a single sword strike" story had started...
He made his way to the classroom door under a sea of stares. Before he even went inside, he could already hear Dai Fei's voice.
"My buddy Xu Ziming is insanely strong. Even that True Martial Sect Disciple, who supposedly had the strength of a Martial Artist, was killed by a single sword strike. The scene was so intense..."
Xu Ziming silently walked up behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Huh? A-Ming, you're back!" Dai Fei immediately left the crowd and gave Xu Ziming a fierce hug.
"Stop spreading rumors in class."
Xu Ziming shoved Dai Fei away in disgust and covered his face with one hand.
The person who had mocked Xu Ziming earlier immediately lowered his head when he saw him come in, afraid of being noticed.
"You and Zhao Yong are competing tomorrow, right? How are you planning to crush him?"
Dai Fei pushed Xu Ziming toward the outside, not wanting anyone else to hear what the two of them were talking about.
"We're classmates. It's not like we need to fight over everything. If it weren't for the scholarship spot..."
"No, A-Ming, you can't think that way. My dad always told me that the Martial Way means struggling against people, against the heavens, against all things in the universe."
"As the old saying goes, 'One general's success is built on the bones of ten thousand soldiers.' That's just as true today. I don't have the talent, so I can't make it, but you're different. I believe you can do it!"
Dai Fei patted Xu Ziming on the shoulder. "I'll let you in on a secret: my Life Energy Level has gone up by 0.1 recently. Maybe I can get into a martial arts college too."
Xu Ziming fell silent for a moment. He looked at Dai Fei and smiled. "All right. When you get into college too, we'll celebrate properly."
"Of course. I've already studied the locations of the Five Great Spirit Academies, and I've found a decent college in every city. Wherever you go, I'll go too."