"You're asking for death!"
Ma Hai turned pale with fright, then his embarrassment turned to rage. He lifted a foot and charged at Ning Chuan, ready to attack.
But the next moment, Ma Hai's foot froze in midair.
The saber resting against his neck was pressing into his skin.
He could clearly feel the cold metal of the blade.
Ma Hai looked at the smiling Ning Chuan, terror rising in his heart. His instincts told him that if he took another step forward, Ning Chuan really would dare to slit his throat.
"Y-you used violence in private, and you even launched a sneak attack! Are you trying to get expelled?"
Ma Hai swallowed and spoke in a stern voice.
The students in the class were all watching. At a time like this, he couldn't back down.
But the others weren't fools. They could tell that Ma Hai had already started to yield without realizing it.
Who would bring up school rules in a fight between students?
"Ning Chuan sure has some nerve!"
Quite a few students looked at one another in dismay.
Ma Hai was strong enough to rank among the top ten in the class, and he was on good terms with the class monitor, Zhang Wensi. He was usually overbearing and arrogant, and hardly any students dared to provoke him.
"Ning Chuan, put that saber away, now!"
On the podium, the physics teacher had finished gathering his lesson plans. He looked up, saw what was happening, and hurriedly spoke up to stop him.
"I know your Flash Thunder Slash has reached the Minute Subtlety Realm and responds as readily as your own arm, but you still can't do something so dangerous. If you make a mistake, with the power of Flash Thunder Slash, it won't be a small matter. It could lead to disaster!"
The physics teacher scolded him in displeasure.
"Sorry, Teacher Wang."
Ning Chuan smiled. "Ma Hai was curious about the realm my Flash Thunder Slash had reached, so I just let him experience it."
He turned his wrist and withdrew the Silver Blood Saber.
Ma Hai didn't relax. His face was ghastly, turning pale and red by turns.
His earlier words had become a laughingstock once again.
Ning Chuan's Flash Thunder Slash was at the Minute Subtlety Realm!
"A B-grade martial art at the Minute Subtlety Realm is enough to fight opponents two realms above you. No wonder Ning Chuan didn't give Ma Hai any face and took him down with a single strike!"
The classroom erupted in noise as many students couldn't help discussing it.
"Flash Thunder Slash is a purely offensive martial art. Its killing power is astonishing!"
"At school, aside from those at the higher stages of Awakening, I doubt anyone can stand up to Ning Chuan with a saber!"
"Doesn't that mean Ning Chuan has a shot at a key university, or even a prestigious one?"
Hearing the voices around him, Zhang Wensi's gaze darkened.
Being the class's star had always been his privilege.
Now someone else had stolen his thunder, and he was particularly unhappy, especially since it was Ning Chuan, who had previously rejected his request in public.
Zhang Wensi got up and walked straight over to Ning Chuan.
This was where the eyes of the class were focused.
Looking around, Zhang Wensi said with a smile, "A prestigious university is still very difficult to get into.
"I'm not looking down on Ning Chuan.
"I know very well how powerful Flash Thunder Slash is. There's no doubt about that.
"But the college entrance exam isn't an arena fight. It tests a student's overall strength. Having combat power on par with the sixth stage of Awakening alone only puts you at the level needed for an ordinary university."
After a pause, Zhang Wensi explained with a smile, "Take the year before last, for example. The college entrance exam in our Donglin Administrative Region involved crossing the Dragon Spine Mountain Range!
"Over three hundred kilometers. Without enough endurance, agility, observation, and other such qualities, you couldn't get a good result!"
"The class monitor is right!"
"If all you have is strong attacks, you're just a brute!"
Voices chimed in, agreeing with Zhang Wensi.
After all, Ning Chuan had been an unknown student before suddenly becoming one of the school's stars. His classmates were bound to feel resentment, jealousy, and other negative emotions.
"The grapes are sour when you can't reach them. If you're so capable, go cultivate a B-grade martial art to the Minute Subtlety Realm yourselves!"
Guo Renyu snorted, indignant on Ning Chuan's behalf.
"What did the class monitor say that was wrong?"
Ma Hai pulled himself together, a cold smile appearing on his face as he said mockingly, "It's not just the college entrance exam. It'll be the same when you graduate from university and look for work.
"In the modern Federation, how much fighting and killing is there?
"If your raw strength isn't high enough, no one will hire you.
"What good is it to be skilled in just one offensive saber technique? You'll be unemployed the day you graduate!"
Hearing this, Ning Chuan hefted the Silver Blood Saber in his hand.
He should have been harsher just now and let some of Ma Hai's blood, so he would remember the lesson.
"President Lu, what brings you here?"
Just then, someone called out, and everyone turned to look.
A pretty girl walked through the doorway. Her oval face was fair and delicate, and her beautiful hair, a light mix of cyan and blue, fell to her waist, as dazzling as the starry sky.
The classroom fell silent in an instant.
"Lu Mengyue!"
Ning Chuan's gaze flickered as he recognized the girl who had entered.
The president of the Qingshan No. 1 High School Student Council.
She had spoken on behalf of all the senior students at that morning's rally.
Her good looks were part of the reason.
But more than that, it was her formidable strength.
At the peak of the ninth stage of Awakening, she was only half a step away from becoming a full-fledged martial artist and had a very good chance of getting into Galaxy University.
Zhang Wensi seemed to know Lu Mengyue well. He went up to greet her with a radiant smile and said gently, "Mengyue, what did you need me for? You didn't have to come in person. You could have just sent me a message."
"Zhang Wensi, I'm not here for you."
Lu Mengyue spoke coldly and continued walking, leaving Zhang Wensi standing there with an embarrassed look on his face.
The students nearby went red in the face from holding it in.
If not for Zhang Wensi's position as class monitor, they probably would have burst out laughing already.
Passing Zhang Wensi, Lu Mengyue took a few more steps and stopped in front of Ning Chuan under everyone's curious gazes.
"You're Ning Chuan, right?"
Lu Mengyue looked at Ning Chuan, a faint smile appearing on her pretty face as she asked.
"Do you need something from me?"
Ning Chuan raised an eyebrow, a little surprised.
In his memories, the original owner of the body and Lu Mengyue had never met.
Lu Mengyue nodded lightly. "I saw you kill the thunder sparrow this morning. Your Flash Thunder Slash is at an extremely high level, far beyond mine!"
As she spoke, she pressed her five fingers together and slashed forward with force.
A rumble burst from her body.
Compared with Ning Chuan's, however, the sound was very scattered and hardly resembled thunder.
"My Flash Thunder Slash hasn't been able to break through to the Proficiency Realm for a long time, so I'd like to ask you to guide me in cultivating it."
Lu Mengyue stated her purpose.
After a pause, she added, "As for the instruction fee, would a thousand yuan an hour be acceptable?"
The moment she finished speaking, the classroom erupted.
A student like Lu Mengyue, who stood at the top of the pyramid, had actually taken the initiative to ask Ning Chuan for instruction and offered such high pay.
Even in the fairly prosperous Qingshan City, the average monthly income was less than four thousand yuan.
What shocked everyone, however, was that Ning Chuan didn't immediately agree.
"What are you standing there for?"
Guo Renyu urged him anxiously from the side.
Ning Chuan remained unmoved.
He was very satisfied with Lu Mengyue's offer.
The problem was that Flash Thunder Slash had reached the Minute Subtlety Realm entirely through its own efforts. He had the corresponding insights, but he had no idea what the difficulties in cultivating it were, much less how to guide someone else.
As for muddling through and tricking her out of some pay, Ning Chuan had no such idea.
It wasn't that he didn't want to. He simply didn't dare.
The Extreme Path Martial Arts Hall, ranked first in Qingshan City, was run by Lu Mengyue's family.
Trying to fool Lu Mengyue was simply out of the question.
If things went wrong, he wouldn't just lose his pay; he'd get a sound beating too.
But a high-paying job like this was hard to come by.
Ning Chuan really didn't want to give it up.
As he struggled inwardly, his brows unconsciously knitted together.
Across from him, Lu Mengyue saw Ning Chuan's expression. After a quick thought, she immediately understood why he hadn't spoken.
She bowed slightly. "Ning Chuan, this was my mistake.
"A thousand yuan an hour is the instruction fee set by my family's martial arts hall. Since Flash Thunder Slash is one of the most difficult B-grade martial arts, the instruction fee should be higher.
"It simply didn't occur to me before. I wasn't looking down on you.
"I'm very sorry.
"Let me make another offer. Would three thousand yuan an hour be acceptable?"
"Huh?!"
Ning Chuan blinked.
An unexpected windfall?!
"I'll take the job."
Ning Chuan agreed decisively.
Judging by how freely Lu Mengyue spent her money, he could probably get the first hour's pay even if he didn't teach her well.
Three thousand yuan was no small sum. It was equal to two months of survivor benefits.
He'd be a fool to turn down free money.
"The college entrance exam is approaching, and there isn't much time. Let's start today. I'll wait for you at the school gate after classes."
Lu Mengyue spoke briskly, then took her leave of Ning Chuan and left the classroom.
Many students looked at Ning Chuan with particularly mixed feelings: envy, jealousy, and, more than anything, shame.
They had just agreed that Ning Chuan's Flash Thunder Slash was useless.
Yet Ning Chuan had landed a high-paying job thanks to it.
The slap in the face hadn't even waited until nightfall.
Guo Renyu laughed triumphantly and said loudly, "Three thousand an hour! Just teach a little, and he can make a hundred thousand in a month.
"In Qingshan City, even some full-fledged martial artists don't make that much.
"Even in those supercities, a martial artist would have to graduate from a key university at the very least to earn that kind of income!"
With that, Guo Renyu looked at Ma Hai, grinned, and said teasingly, "Not enough raw strength? Unemployed upon graduation? Can't find a job?"
Ma Hai's face turned livid. Without a word, he lowered his head and slunk out of the classroom.
He had lost a great deal of face.
Not far away, Zhang Wensi's expression didn't look much better.
He stared at Lu Mengyue's retreating figure, his gaze gloomy, and no one knew what he was thinking.