Yang Sheng of Rumor

By five or six in the morning, the students of Bay City Martial Arts High School had already arrived at school early.

Because the school was holding a test today, there were especially many people present.

Besides the students, some prominent figures from Bay City had also come to attend.

Yang Sheng walked into the medicinal cuisine cafeteria.

This was the first time he had entered this place in three years.

Mainly because it was still too early, and Skysea Boxing Gym had not opened yet, so he had no way to get free medicinal cuisine.

After painfully spending two hundred yuan, Yang Sheng carried his tray to a corner and began eating in huge mouthfuls.

Compared with the free medicinal cuisine at Skysea Boxing Gym, the medicinal cuisine at Bay City Martial Arts High School was clearly more delicious.

The ingredients were also more varied. Aside from the staple food still being pitch-black, the other dishes at least had some color to them, making them far more appetizing.

"There are really a lot of people today."

A boy who looked somewhat youthful carried his tray over and sat across from Yang Sheng.

Yang Sheng looked up and discovered that every seat around him was already occupied.

This young junior probably could not find a seat, which was why he had come to sit in the corner as well.

The junior glanced at Yang Sheng and took the initiative to speak.

"Looks like everyone takes this school-organized test very seriously."

Like Yang Sheng, he wore a thin first-year training uniform, with sweat stains still on it. It seemed he had gotten up early and put in quite a bit of effort training.

"Yeah. After all, it's the first test in the school's history where you go home if you can't win."

Yang Sheng casually agreed.

The junior sneered. "Who knows what these Lower Registry people are thinking? Since the school has already advised them to leave, they should just go home obediently. Why insist on joining this kind of match?"

"I heard this test is a matter of life and death. Out of the ten Lower Registry participants, who knows whether even one will survive."

"Even if they don't die, they'll probably be crippled."

Yang Sheng paused before saying, "This may be the last chance for Lower Registry students. If they had any other way out, who would willingly walk toward a dead end like this?"

The junior said, "I didn't expect you to be such a sentimental person, Senior. Which class are you in?"

Yang Sheng said, "Third-year High-Aspiration Class."

The junior's eyes lit up. "You really are impressive, Senior. I also heard that one of the participants in this test is from your High-Aspiration Class. His name is Yang Sheng, and he's Lower Registry too."

"I heard Teacher Jiang Tian values him highly, but his opponent this time is Li Ya. I really don't know what Teacher Jiang is thinking. I used to respect him a lot."

"I never expected him to disregard even his reputation for the sake of a Lower Registry student. Rumor has it that Yang Sheng's family paid quite a lot to get him into the High-Aspiration Class, and it probably all went to Jiang Tian."

"They say Teacher Jiang is riding a tiger and can't get off now. Looks like he's really going to ruin his reputation in his old age."

As he spoke, Yang Sheng had already swept through all the medicinal cuisine on his tray like a whirlwind.

Yang Sheng glanced at him. "Probably not. How much money could a Lower-Registry Commoner possibly have?"

The junior hurriedly lowered his voice. "You don't know this, but these Lower-Registry Commoners are the best at scamming people. Plenty of us Upper Registry descendants have been cheated out of money by people like them. The school is absolutely right to promote Class-Divided Cultivation now. They should drive every Lower Registry person out of the school and give us some peace and quiet."

As the two talked, several people entered the cafeteria.

They were Liu Chang and several other students from the High-Aspiration Class.

The moment Liu Chang walked in, she instantly drew everyone's attention.

She was already tall, and her sharply defined features gave her a heroic air as she walked.

She was exceptionally eye-catching.

Liu Chang spotted Yang Sheng as well and quickly walked toward him.

The junior said in surprise, "It's Senior Liu Chang, the dream girl of every boy at Bay City Martial Arts High School."

Seeing Liu Chang walking in his direction, he immediately stood up somewhat nervously.

He raised a hand and greeted her.

"Senior Liu!"

But Liu Chang merely glanced at him before sitting down beside Yang Sheng.

With a faintly reproachful tone, she said, "Even Teacher Jiang, who's usually so calm, is a little nervous today. Yet you, the person involved, are still so relaxed, eating breakfast here."

Yang Sheng did not waste the final mouthful of food and ate it all before wiping his mouth.

"Even if I'm going to fight, I still have to eat properly and fill my stomach."

Watching the two of them talk, the junior felt as though he were having some surreal dream.

Liu Chang directly moved away the tray in front of Yang Sheng.

"My father had someone look for you last night?"

Yang Sheng nodded. "He also charged it to your account and gave me a secret medicine pill."

Liu Chang snorted. "That's because your senior sister here is generous and told him to do it herself. Otherwise, no one gets to charge anything to my account."

"Consider it your senior sister lending you a hand. You'd better give it everything you have in today's test."

Yang Sheng stood up. "I will."

Liu Chang stood up as well.

"Hurry to the martial arts arena. They should already be drawing lots and arranging the matchups there. Knowing your fighting order early will let you adjust your condition in time."

Only then did the junior react. He looked at Yang Sheng in disbelief as they were about to leave.

"Could you be... Senior Yang?"

Yang Sheng glanced at him. "You can remove the 'could.'"

The junior stood there dumbfounded.

Yang Sheng did not care about the words of such a minor character. Most Upper Registry descendants were extremely prejudiced.

Although Upper Registry descendants like Liu Chang were easygoing, the Liu Family behind her still judged people by strength.

If Yang Sheng had not displayed absolute talent and earned Jiang Tian's regard, neither the Liu Family nor Liu Chang would have spared him a second glance.

The school's martial arts arena was the venue for this test's matches. It was enormous, with a ring of stands around it that could hold several thousand people.

This arena was also the designated venue for the Yu Prefecture Martial Arts Entrance Exam.

Its overall structure resembled the arena of the Stellar Martial Arts Match System, and it looked immensely grand.

It displayed the deep foundations of Bay City Martial Arts High School.

Several private boxes had been set up in the middle of the stands, mainly to receive distinguished local guests.

This school test was being held on a grand scale, and many important figures who were usually difficult to meet had come.

Principal Tang stood at the entrance, greeting the honored guests with a smile.

"Chairman Xu, it is truly an honor for Bay City Martial Arts High School that you could take time out of your busy schedule to observe the test held by our school."

"I heard your school's Li Ya is a rising star of the next generation, second only to Wang Chao and Li Yan. I came on behalf of the Bay City Chamber of Commerce specifically to see how he performs."

"Thank you, thank you!" Principal Tang pressed his palms together.

"President Liu, we are deeply grateful for your presence. Liu Chang is waiting for you in the private box over there."

Liu Jianming nodded. "What number is Yang Sheng fighting?"

Principal Tang said, "The lots have not been drawn yet. The fighting order will be determined afterward."

Liu Jianming gave a grunt and walked past Chairman Xu.

His purpose in coming here today was actually the same as Chairman Xu's: to assess the students in the matches.

However, Chairman Xu was interested in Li Ya.

Liu Jianming was interested in Yang Sheng.

Hearing this exchange, Chairman Xu asked Principal Tang with some curiosity, "Who exactly is this Yang Sheng? Why haven't I heard of him before?"

Principal Tang said, "He is a student Teacher Jiang Tian took in specially some time ago. He is very talented, and he is the Lower Registry student facing Li Ya in this match."

Upon hearing Principal Tang call him a Lower Registry student, Chairman Xu shook his head.

"Class-Divided Cultivation is the trend of the times. I never expected Jiang Tian to go against the tide at his age. He really is getting old."