Inspired a classmate to break through? When did that happen? How come I didn't know?
And who broke through?
Jiang Youtian or Wei Qi?
Neither should be possible. Those two were still some distance from late-stage martial apprentice. How could they just break through like that? Unless the system had chosen them too.
What caught Jiang Fan's attention most was those 100 points. A hundred points was no small amount. Apart from the high point totals he had earned from Crazy Old Man, this was the second-highest amount.
So who exactly broke through?
Early the next morning, the news of Lan Shengxue becoming a Martial Artist stormed to the top of the trending list with thunderous force.
Netizens, their enthusiasm blazing like fire, flooded the comments below.
"Badass! A genius! She hasn't even taken the martial exam, and there are still three months to go, yet she's already a Martial Artist? Isn't she way too much of a genius?!"
"666! I offer up my knees."
"Hahaha! She's the proud daughter of heaven from our Donglang City! As someone from the same city, I feel so honored!"
"You above me, you're only from Donglang City. I'm from Ancheng, just like Lan Shengxue. I'm the one who should feel honored."
"Stop arguing, you two. I'm Lan Shengxue's schoolmate. Hehehe-I'm so proud. Everyone around me is asking me about her now. Going to the same school as her feels like the proudest thing in my life."
"..."
Jiang Fan came across the news while eating breakfast.
Realization dawned on him. So last night's points had come from Lan Shengxue.
Although he had no idea what he had done to inspire her, he had never expected to farm so many points from this girl. Just like Crazy Old Man, she was a treasure trove.
Should I farm some points from her whenever I have nothing else to do?
The moment the thought arose, Jiang Fan dismissed it himself.
Women will only slow down my blade draw. No matter how many points there are, I should avoid getting involved if I can.
When Jiang Fan arrived at school, he found reporters crowding the gates. Some were local, while others had rushed over from other cities. All of them had come to interview Lan Shengxue.
"As expected of Lan Shengxue. She's so popular! I'm jealous, so damn jealous." There was more than a little sourness in Wei Qi's words. At the same time, he fantasized about how wonderful it would be if he were the one who had become a Martial Artist.
Tong Shuyao had already been envious, jealous, and hateful toward Lan Shengxue. Now that hatred had seeped into her bones.
Now she, who had shared the title of school belle with Lan Shengxue, was nothing but a joke.
"Yes, Lan Shengxue really is amazing. Compared to her, I'm like mud beneath the clouds," Tong Shuyao said, deliberately sounding self-conscious.
Hearing this, Wei Qi hurried to comfort her.
"Shuyao, don't feel inferior. You really are far worse than Lan Shengxue, but you're not the only one. None of us can compare to her."
Listening nearby, Jiang Fan silently clicked his tongue at this attempt at comfort. Since you're so good with words, keep talking. You're guaranteed to be forever alone.
Tong Shuyao bottled it up until her face turned livid and purple. She wanted nothing more than to punch Wei Qi a couple of times.
Wei Qi continued comforting her. "Whatever else, you're an early-stage martial apprentice now. Just look at that useless Jiang Fan. Yesterday, to play to the crowd, he actually begged Lan Shengxue to go along with him and say he'd passed registration and joined the special training class. Isn't that hilarious?"
Wei Qi had spotted Jiang Fan nearby long ago. He had said it deliberately.
Jiang Fan's expression remained indifferent, his tone carrying a hint of coldness. "Who told you I begged Lan Shengxue to play along?"
"Don't deny it. Everyone knows. Otherwise, how could your pathetic 19 N of qi and blood get you through registration? Jiang Fan, don't take everyone for fools."
Just as Jiang Fan was about to say something else, a petite female reporter ran over and thrust an interview microphone up to his mouth.
"Hey, student! Are you a third-year student? You know Lan Shengxue, right? What do you think about her becoming a Martial Artist?"
The reporter had a baby face, and her little pink mouth rattled on nonstop like a machine gun.
Wei Qi grew annoyed. "Hey! Why aren't you interviewing me?"
The reporter replied with her almond-shaped eyes wide open, "Because you're not as handsome as him."
Wei Qi choked.
He straightened his back and puffed out his chest. "I'm a middle-stage martial apprentice!"
"Oh, not bad, but you're not as impressive as Lan Shengxue," the reporter said.
Wei Qi choked again.
Jiang Fan noticed the press badge hanging in front of the reporter's chest. Guo Rou, a local reporter from Ancheng.
"Hey, student, you still haven't answered my question. What do you think about Lan Shengxue becoming a Martial Artist?" Guo Rou asked eagerly.
Jiang Fan thought for a moment before answering, "Pretty impressive."
Hearing this bland answer, Guo Rou felt something strange stir inside her.
Shouldn't he have said something full of admiration, like, "Wow! I admire her so much! She's amazing, a true role model for our generation!"?
But as she thought back over what Jiang Fan had just said, his tone had been so calm, and his expression had barely changed.
It was as though she hadn't asked about Lan Shengxue becoming a Martial Artist, but about the weather today, and he had answered, "Pretty good."
Before the reporter could recover from that strange feeling, a mature woman around 175 centimeters tall, dressed in a professional, hip-hugging skirt, walked over.
"Rou, how many times have I told you? Don't interview ordinary people. Interview fellow members of the special training class. That's how you can learn more about Lan Shengxue."
The mature woman wore gold-rimmed glasses, her hair piled high in a bun. She looked thoroughly capable and neat.
"Sister Zeng, why did you come over? Didn't you say you'd let me practice interviewing on my own?" Guo Rou asked.
Zeng Hualing walked straight past Jiang Fan and shot Zeng Hualing an exasperated look. "If I didn't come, with that boy-crazy personality of yours, you'd spend all day chasing handsome guys to interview. What would you get out of that?"
As she spoke, she cast a casual glance at Jiang Fan.
No wonder Guo Rou had come over to interview this male student. His looks really were beyond reproach.
But in this era, being handsome was no use.
With her thoughts exposed, Guo Rou stuck out her tongue.
"All right, didn't that student just say he was a middle-stage martial apprentice? Go interview him." The "student" Zeng Hualing referred to was undoubtedly Wei Qi.
The moment Wei Qi heard this, he straightened his clothes and puffed his chest out high, ready and waiting to be interviewed.
Reluctantly, Guo Rou held the microphone in front of Wei Qi. "May I ask what you think about Lan Shengxue becoming a Martial Artist?"
"Amazing! Just what you'd expect from Lan Shengxue! To be honest, even though I'm also in the special training class, I'm on a completely different level from her. Actually, I'm extremely talented too! My qi and blood has already reached 119 N..."
Jiang Fan silently made his way through the crowd toward his classroom. No one paid attention to him, and no one cared.
Back in the empty classroom, he ignored the clamor outside, lay down over his desk, and caught up on sleep.