Monday, March 1 arrived, bringing the nationwide martial arts class assessment day right on schedule.
Across Great Xia's nine provinces and thirty prefectures, all 165 cities held their martial arts class assessments that day!
There was little fanfare, though.
Martial arts students were few, their classes small, and not many families were involved, so even though this assessment carried more weight for them than the college entrance exam, it lacked the same spectacle.
There were no road closures or bans on honking... everything went on as usual.
The only nervous people were the martial arts students about to take the assessment and their parents.
"Yuanzi, don't put any pressure on yourself over the assessment. With the way you are now, I couldn't ask for anything more."
Zhang Yaying walked Xu Yuan to the residential complex's entrance, fussing over him the whole way, her voice full of concern and worry.
She wasn't worried that her son would fail, because passing had never been possible in the first place.
She was worried that he would give up on himself after failing and go back to his old ways.
"I know, Mom. Go on home."
Unaware of what Zhang Yaying was thinking, Xu Yuan waved and headed straight for No. 3 Middle School.
When he arrived at No. 3 Middle School, Xu Yuan immediately spotted Fatty, who had specifically waited for him at the gate.
The guy was still eating from a bag of steamed buns, his cheeks so stuffed that he couldn't even speak clearly.
"Mmph, mmwah, mmph..."
"What the hell are you saying? Swallow first." Xu Yuan was speechless.
"Gulp~~~ Brother Yuan, I just thought of a problem."
"What problem?"
"What if I pass the assessment?"
"Passing is a good thing. What else would you do?" Xu Yuan couldn't quite follow Fatty's train of thought.
"But you won't pass. Doesn't that mean I won't get to keep hanging out with you?"
Fatty looked utterly earnest. "Why don't I hold back, then? We can join the Divine Guard Army together."
Xu Yuan felt a little touched, but also a little speechless.
Even Fatty didn't believe he could pass the assessment.
"Just take the assessment without worrying. I'll definitely pass. If you fail, you can go join the Divine Guard Army on your own."
"Really? Brother Yuan, have you been hiding your cultivation realm?" Fatty's eyes lit up.
"No. As for how I'll pass, you'll find out during the assessment."
Keeping him in suspense, Xu Yuan strode through the school gates and headed straight for the martial arts department.
Fatty scratched his head, unable to work out how Xu Yuan could pass.
Still, since Brother Yuan had said so, he just needed to give the assessment his all.
The assessment wasn't held in a classroom, but in a comprehensive testing hall covering over two thousand square meters on the martial arts department's ground floor.
Inside were punching-power testing machines that could withstand punches weighing ten thousand jin, testing pods that could precisely evaluate dozens of martial skills, and a regulation hundred-meter track and timing equipment for measuring speed.
Speaking of regulation hundred-meter tracks, there was a funny story.
When Great Xia first introduced its martial arts class policy, the martial arts students at one high school performed exceptionally well in their speed tests.
So high school martial arts departments from nearby cities sent people to observe and learn, hoping to see how that school had taught its students to run so fast.
Once they arrived, they discovered that the students weren't fast at all. The damn school administrator responsible for building the testing grounds had embezzled the funds, leaving too little money, so their track was ten meters shorter than everyone else's.
That incident prompted inspections of high school martial arts departments nationwide.
Now, every high school martial arts department's speed-testing track met the standards to the letter.
Xu Yuan and Fatty walked through the school for a while and soon arrived.
By then, nearly everyone from the senior-year martial arts class had arrived, but the testing hall's doors hadn't opened yet. They waited outside in little groups, discussing assessment-related topics.
"Sigh... I'm ready to just lie flat. Those of us below the third stage can't pass anyway."
"Lie flat? Are you asking for Niu the Brute to smash your damn head in?"
Niu the Brute was the students' nickname for Niu Gang.
"I'm so jealous of the talented ones. Once they pass, they get to learn a second-tier martial skill and cultivate at the Azure Cloud Martial Arts Base for several months for free."
"Yeah, a second-tier martial skill costs over a hundred thousand. Several months in the base's cultivation rooms would cost over a hundred thousand too. That's nearly three hundred thousand..."
Those were the topics the poor students discussed, their words full of envy for others.
Meanwhile, the top students at the skin-polishing fifth stage or higher, who were guaranteed to pass, looked composed as they discussed what would happen after the assessment.
"I heard they changed the rules for cultivating at the martial arts base this year. I wonder what they've changed?"
"How many ways can they change cultivation? I'm more concerned about which second-tier martial skill to choose. All three our school offers are too rough and crude. They don't suit us girls at all."
"I've been thinking about that too. I wonder if they'll add a palm technique or sword technique this year?"
Compared with the top students' composure and the poor students' relaxed attitudes, the middling students at skin tempering fourth stage looked much graver.
The others were either guaranteed to pass or guaranteed to fail. They knew where they stood.
But whether these students could pass was truly uncertain.
Hardly any of them spoke, their expressions heavy.
There were two lively ones, though.
Zhang Chao and Yang Xiaoyu kept chattering among the middling students, looking unbearably smug.
"Why didn't you go to the martial arts base on Saturday? Look at me and Old Yang. With a little guidance from Master Bao, our Savage Bull Heart-Shattering Butt went straight to major mastery. Passing is in the bag now!"
"In the bag? If I perform well, I feel like I might even make the top twenty!"
"Will you two sons of bitches shut the fuck up? Keep talking and we'll cripple you!"
Several students at skin tempering fourth stage couldn't take it anymore and clamored to beat the pair up.
Xu Yuan watched in amusement, though he was also a little puzzled. "Wasn't I the one who taught them? Why are they talking about some Master Bao? Is someone impersonating me?"
"No, it's because you guarantee they'll learn, Brother Yuan. That's why everyone calls you Master Bao now," Fatty explained.
Xu Yuan: "..."
"Well, Xu Yuan, how do you still have the nerve to show up for the assessment?"
Just then, a voice dripping with mockery came from the crowd.
Xu Yuan followed the voice and saw Sun Hao looking over teasingly. "What, aren't you afraid Zhang Baosheng will break your legs?"
His expression was full of amusement and gloating. You would never have guessed that just days ago, he had been draping an arm around Xu Yuan's shoulders.
Xu Yuan wasn't surprised in the slightest, though.
Wasn't that just how beasts behaved?
When they hung out with you, they could act like your brother from another father and mother.
Once they stopped hanging out with you, they could turn their faces and show you endless malice!
Xu Yuan had seen plenty of people like that.
So he wasn't angry at all. On the contrary, his eyes even brightened a little as he looked at Sun Hao.
Why?
Because this was number nine on the Beast Ranking!
After recovering from his injuries last night, Xu Yuan had started thinking about him.
He had been thinking about taking this beast to the pedestrian street after the assessment to bring some warmth to the beggars there.
It wouldn't take much. Giving away two or three thousand would drop this beast's Sin Points below Xu Yuan's.
Then Xu Yuan would rise to ninth on the Beast Ranking and receive another reward!
What if Sun Hao refused to give anything?
Heh, did he think he could fucking refuse just because he said so?
As for how Sun Hao knew about his business with Zhang Baosheng?
Zhang Baosheng must have spread it himself.
A biting dog didn't bark. Since Zhang Baosheng loved barking so much, Xu Yuan took him even less seriously.
Thinking of all this, Xu Yuan couldn't help grinning, revealing a mouthful of white teeth.
Sun Hao had been gloating, but the sight suddenly made his scalp prickle.
"What... what are you smiling at?"
"I see that your sins run deep. I fear a bloody calamity awaits you!"
Xu Yuan beamed. "But don't worry, Hao. You're my dearest friend, my brother, my own flesh and blood. Once the assessment is over, I'll take you out to do good deeds and accumulate virtue, and help you avert this calamity!"
Sun Hao: "..."
Was this guy fucking nuts?
Spouting all this mystical crap.
A bloody calamity, my ass!
"Psycho!"
Cursing under his breath, Sun Hao stopped responding to Xu Yuan.
"Xu Yuan, weren't you pretty cocky online? Now that you've seen me, why don't you even dare let out a fart?"
While they were talking, another voice drifted over.
Xu Yuan turned and saw a boy with an absurdly high hairline staring at him.
Zhang Baosheng!
Just like his father, he already had a greasy air about him despite his youth.
Seeing him, Xu Yuan slowly wiped the cheerful expression off his face. "I wasn't even going to bother with you. Why the fuck are you opening your mouth?"
"What did you say?"
Zhang Baosheng's expression turned cold.
This trash Xu Yuan actually dared challenge him?
Most people would have started trying to reason at this point.
"I hit your dad because your dad did such and such first..."
But Xu Yuan couldn't be bothered with that bullshit. He said directly to Fatty beside him, "Fatty, go trade yourself for him!"
"Huh? What do you mean?" Fatty didn't understand.
"Go beat him up! Fighting is forbidden before the assessment. If he fights back, he'll be disqualified! If he doesn't, beat him so badly he can't take the assessment!"
"Oh, got it!"
Without another word, Fatty stepped toward Zhang Baosheng!
Zhang Baosheng had been staring menacingly at Xu Yuan, looking utterly vicious.
But when he heard Xu Yuan's words and saw Fatty actually coming toward him, his expression changed drastically. "Fatty, are you an idiot? If you attack me, you'll be disqualified too!"
"I know, but I listen to Brother Yuan!"
Fatty kept walking, his skin beginning to take on a faint blue tint!
This was a sign that someone practicing the Savage Bull Skin-Toughening Method had reached skin tempering fourth stage!
The students watching instantly erupted!
"Holy shit, Fatty's actually reached skin tempering fourth stage?"
"Zhang Baosheng's only at skin tempering fourth stage too. He's in big trouble now!"
"He's going to ruin Zhang Baosheng's future over a disagreement? Is Xu Yuan that ruthless?"
Zhang Baosheng's face turned livid. He had never imagined that a single remark would lead to this.
That bastard Xu Yuan was far too vicious!
And the worst part was that fat bastard Luo Han actually listened to Xu Yuan! Damn it!
"Class monitor!"
As Fatty drew closer step by step, Zhang Baosheng could only retreat while casting a pleading look at the class monitor, Zhang Juye.
He had backed down.
He had a very good chance of passing the assessment. He wasn't hopeless trash like Xu Yuan!
He absolutely couldn't lose his eligibility!
Zhang Juye was a decent person.
Had Zhang Baosheng remained silent, he could have let it go. But now that he had spoken up, Zhang Juye couldn't stay out of it as class monitor.
"Xu Yuan, we have a bit of a friendship, don't we? Could you give me some face?" Zhang Juye asked.
That friendship naturally referred to his telling Xu Yuan about earning money by setting up a stall.
He didn't know whether it had helped Xu Yuan, but Xu Yuan had said he would treat him to a foot massage.
"Of course! How could I not give you face?"
As though performing a face-changing act, Xu Yuan instantly returned to his cheerful self.
Never mind Zhang Juye-he would have given face to anyone who stepped forward right then.
He would have thought it a bad bargain to actually trade Fatty for that dumbass Zhang Baosheng!
"But Zhang Baosheng has to slap himself once. He started this, after all. That's not asking too much, is it?"
Xu Yuan smiled, looking utterly harmless.
Making someone slap himself wasn't asking too much?
Zhang Juye's mouth twitched, but Zhang Baosheng really had started it, so he looked at him and said, "Decide for yourself."
Zhang Baosheng's face grew even more livid.
But looking at Fatty drawing ever closer, he could only raise his hand, utterly humiliated...
Smack!
A crisp slap rang out!
Xu Yuan grinned. "All right, Fatty. Come back!"
"Brother Yuan, I'm not scared. I'll trade myself for him!"
"Trade my ass. Is he even worth it?"
Xu Yuan laughed and scolded him, "I only told you to scare him. Get back here!"
"Oh, so that was it."
The fat guy scratched his head, turned, and went back behind Xu Yuan.
"Xu Yuan, you dare make a fool of me?"
Zhang Baosheng ground his teeth, his eyes all but spitting fire!
"Make a fool of you? Try running your mouth one more time." Xu Yuan wore a half-smile.
Zhang Baosheng instantly shut his mouth, leaving only a face full of stifled frustration and venom.
Xu Yuan gave a contemptuous laugh and paid him no further attention.
Now, many of the students looked at Xu Yuan with a new hint of wariness.
This guy was so underhanded!
How had they never noticed before?
However, some also cast disdainful looks at Xu Yuan.
"A piece of trash who can't even pass the assessment. All he can do is exploit the rules and pull a few dirty tricks."
"Exactly. Messing with Zhang Baosheng like this when he has no strength? Once the assessment ends, he'll probably be in for it!"
Zhang Baosheng was thinking the same thing: Fucking Xu Yuan, once the assessment ends, I'll make sure you learn what cruelty means!
After that little interlude, eight o'clock soon arrived.
Niu Gang, Lin Yuan, the principal and vice principal of No. 3 Middle School, and the other members of the proctoring team came into the students' view.
The noisy crowd instantly fell silent.
The proctoring team was here. The assessment was about to begin!