Chapter 17 - 16: Martial Artist! Yang Wu Jin!

Chapter 17: Chapter 16: Martial Artist! Yang Wu Jin!I would shuttle between two worlds every day. Once was during standing stake. The other time, also during standing stake. As I shuttled back from the Da Jing Dynasty world, it was already past six in the morning, and the biting cold wind blew through the cracks of the window, hitting Jiang Shu straight on. Qi Blood Transport sure saved me the money for a down jacket. Round it up, and it’s like earning a few thousand bucks. Today at the Hungry Tiger Martial Arts School, a senior brother broke through to the Qi Blood Great Circulation, but because he was too old, he couldn’t become a formal Disciple. He had to leave the school to accept recruitment by large households and became a high-ranking Protector. It seems that the practice of Martial Arts is definitely better the faster you go. Once you’re late, you won’t have a path upward and will become a Protector for a large household, forever stuck within the confines of a small county town. Class stratification, a world where resources are allocated by the upper echelons. Ordinary people without Talent really have no way out at all. Thankfully, I have a golden finger. Teacher Yan said there is a special Martial Arts lecture today; I wonder what new information the higher-ups will reveal. With a casual stretch, Jiang Shu glanced at the panel and lightly leaped out of bed. Dressed in his underwear, he put on his school uniform, opened the door, and went out. 「Xuanxing Calendar, 2027, March 1. Monday.」 The morning sunlight shone on every patch of land in Ji City. Ji City Fifth High School. When Jiang Shu arrived, it was just eight o’clock. Soothing music played from the campus broadcast system, with the voice of the school leaders coming through it. They instructed homeroom teachers to organize their class students to proceed to the playground in an orderly fashion. "Phew, if only there were such lectures every day, talking for one or two hours each time. Like today, I can just skip math and English classes." "Young man, you’re still too young to know that all gifts bestowed by fate have already been silently marked with a price. Today, you skip math class; tomorrow, you skip English class. Your college entrance exam scores will also fall short by that one or two points, failing to get you into your ideal university." "Get lost! Damn it, you were shaking vigorously in the bunk above me last night, and now you’re pretending to be all philosophical with me in the daylight. Talking about gifts of fate and ideal universities. What university can you get into? I think that X Science Academy you rated on some forum is quite suitable for you. The X Science University has its doors facing west; they don’t produce phoenixes, only birds." "Eh, is there such a good academy? Great, I’m going to list this as my choice right away!" "???" At the entrance of every classroom in the teaching building, the students had already lined up. Jiang Shu walked to the back of his class’s queue, very naturally taking his place at the end, and followed the large group downstairs, heading towards the playground. In no time, the playground was filled with students from all three grades of high school. Following the usual flag-raising ceremony, a school leader stepped onto the podium, tapped the microphone, and announced solemnly, "Teachers and students, good morning! After a whole winter vacation of rest and a few days of adjusting to school life, everyone must be full of energy and ready to throw themselves into studying. Here, I wish that all students’ grades will soar to new heights." "Our Xia Country has always said, ’The pen stabilizes the world through literary skills, the horse brings order to the universe with martial ability.’ To this day, our Xia Country has implemented Martial Arts Horse Stance for over three months. Our school has specially invited Mr. Zheng from Shengjing to come and reveal the true mysteries of Martial Arts to us." "Now, let’s welcome Mr. Zheng with our warmest applause!" Applause surged like a tide across the playground. A middle-aged man in a black jacket, under the gaze of thousands of students, walked onto the flag-raising platform. "Hello, students, my name is Zheng Yanbo. Today, I am honored to come to Ji City Fifth High School to talk to everyone about the Martial Arts of the Xia Country. Those students who are well-informed might know that today, not only at Ji City Fifth High School, but several other high schools have also organized special Martial Arts lectures." "Our Xia Country formally incorporated Martial Arts into the college entrance examination system last November. Achieve small success in Horse Stance, Qi Blood Sensing, and gain direct admission to an undergraduate university! Achieve Great Success in Horse Stance, Qi Blood Transport, and gain direct admission to a top-tier university! As for Perfection in Horse Stance, with Qi Blood Great Circulation throughout the body, one can directly enter an Academy! From this alone, it’s clear how much our Xia Country values Martial Arts." "I know that even now, many students are hesitating and wondering. If they were to enter university through Martial Arts, what major could they choose? After graduation, would society recognize their qualifications? In the age of the internet, in the era of modern weaponry, what’s the significance of Martial Arts?" "Then, let me tell you today." Zheng Yanbo paused for a moment, his gaze sweeping across the audience. As he expected, there were actually not many students on the field earnestly listening. With his eyesight, he could clearly see the state of all the students below. Some were looking around and chatting with each other, some had their heads bowed or raised, daydreaming, and there were even several in the front row who were closing their eyes, resting. Perhaps, only years later would they suddenly realize that on this seemingly ordinary morning, the gears of fate had already begun to turn. "Martial Arts will surpass all majors in universities! Martial Arts is entirely unlike any other field of study. Nowadays, graduates from ordinary universities are frantically sending out resumes, looking for jobs. They hope to land a job that pays a few thousand, working nine to five, living a life that seems to have its end in sight." "Liberal arts, science, engineering—none can greatly change their fate. Only Martial Arts can! A leap forward to become a dragon is a true transformation!" "Qi Blood Sensing, a strength of three hundred pounds. Qi Blood Transport, a strength of six hundred pounds. Qi Blood Great Circulation, a strength of nine hundred pounds. After achieving the Great Circulation, one becomes a true Martial Artist. Inner Strength bursts forth from within, fists explode through the air, easily lifting a thousand pounds!" "Visible Strength! Dark Force! Transformative Strength!" "These are the three new Realms of Martial Arts that our Xia Country has decreed. You don’t need to know the differences between these three Realms. You only need to know that even a Martial Artist at the first Realm of Visible Strength will have a status superior to that of an ordinary civil servant! When traveling, whether by high-speed rail or by airplane, it is all free of charge! All tourist attractions can be entered at will!" "In terms of employment, as long as they are interested in working, they can apply at any high school within Xia Country’s territory and will definitely become a Martial Arts teacher!" Zheng Yanbo spoke at a measured pace; this information, in fact, had not yet been made public. Therefore, when he announced it, an uproar went through the crowd below. The students were relatively unfazed; they had not yet entered society and did not think becoming a teacher with a formal appointment was particularly difficult. Their amazement was primarily due to the status and perks, such as free travel, which perfectly struck a chord with their restless hearts. The teachers, on the other hand, thought more deeply. Martial Arts had been incorporated into the college exam. A Martial Artist’s status surpassed that of civil servants, and they could easily become Martial Arts teachers in any high school. Furthermore, there was today’s grand promotion of Martial Arts. All of these things, without exception, demonstrated the Xia Country’s high-level commitment to Martial Arts, far beyond their imagination! Martial Arts was definitely not a whim the leaders had decided to promote! One leaf falls, and you know autumn is upon the world. Yan Dehou pushed his glasses up. He couldn’t help but look towards Jiang Shu at the end of the line. At this moment, on the flag-raising platform, Zheng Yanbo’s voice did not stop; he enunciated every word deliberately. The final message exploded like a bomb on the water’s surface: "But all this! It’s still not enough! It’s still far from proving the importance Xia Country places on Martial Arts!" "From now on, Martial Artists in the Visible Strength Realm will officially receive the National Martial Arts Cultivation Stipend." "No need to work—ten thousand per month!"