Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Fang Ping did not need to go to school for the next few days, so he poured his time into cultivating.
29th April came in the blink of an eye.
At night, in Lakeview Gardens.
Li Yuying helped her son pack up for the trip. She asked, worried, “Pingping, do you really not want Mom to go with you?”
“Mom, the school has already taken care of our food and lodging. There’s no need to trouble yourself over this.”
“But...”
Li Yuying was still worried about her son traveling so far a distance alone.
Fang Yuan said from beside her, a little jealously, “Mom, Fang Ping’ll probably come back here after the 3rd. You won’t need to accompany him...”
Fang Ping glared at her. Li Yuying admonished her too, “Nonsense!”
The physical assessment would be held on the 1st of May, and the results would be released two days later.
If one had passed the assessment, he would have to stay in Auspicious Sun City and prepare for the practical test, which would be held on the 7th, and the general sciences test on the 10th.
The longer one stayed in Auspicious Sun City, the more tests he had passed.
The longer he stayed, the higher was the possibility of getting accepted into a martial arts university.
Under her mother and brother’s glares, Fang Yuan muttered sheepishly, “I’m only riling Fang Ping up deliberately so that he can stay in Auspicious Sun City longer...”
After that, Fang Yuan cheered up a little. She suggested experimentally, “Fang Ping, what if I accompany you there and take care of you?”
“You, take care of me?”
Fang Ping glowered. How useless would he have to be if he needed this girl to take care of him?
He did not deign to continue this topic, but then Li Yuying said, seemingly convinced by the suggestion, “Pingping, what if...”
“Mom!”
Fang Ping interrupted her immediately. “Judging from this personality of hers, I might be the one who will need to take care of her instead of the other way round. I’ll count it as a blessing if she doesn’t cause a fiasco!
“Also, she has school tomorrow. How can she go with me?”
“Fang Ping!” Fang Yuan said, belligerent, “Don’t forget that I’m doing your laundry this couple of days...”
“Why don’t you tell the class how much you charge for an item of clothing?”
Fang Ping rolled his eyes. Fang Yuan was home the previous two days, and Fang Ping did not want to bother washing his clothes — he had needed to change every time he cultivated.
At last, this girl volunteered to do his laundry for him — charging a fee for every item she washed, of course.
Now, this girl had the nerve to take the credit!
Fang Yuan was again sheepish after subjected to her mother’s glare. She said, “I’m helping you to save your money! Who’s charging a fee...”
Fang Ping did not know what to say to that. He did not call out her lie.
After everything was packed up, Li Yuying handed him a pile of notes that obviously totaled over a thousand yuan.
Fang Ping did not take it. He said with a smile, “Mom, I have some with me now. Plus, the school will pay for food and lodging. All of it is included in the registration fee.”
He was discovered buying a great deal of junk food for Fang Yuan by his parents.
Fang Ping had mentioned offhandedly his earning a lot from selling Wang Jinyang’s autographs, and let Wang Jinyang take the credit or the blame.
Old Wang had no way to refute him, naturally, and Fang Yuan had always thought this the truth.
The Fangs had thought Fang Ping a little too reckless for selling a martial artist’s autograph, but they did not question his actions after Fang Ping told them that Wang Jinyang knew of this.
Fang Ping had told her that he had some money in his hands, but Li Yuying insisted on giving him some money nevertheless.
Her son would be out for an unknown period alone. He would be helpless if he had no money with him.
Li Yuying was not detached from society. She had heard many laments about the amount of money they had spent priming their kids for the martial sciences exams.
Some sold their homes, while others borrowed loans from banks or their relatives.
They had been the exception; they had merely spent some thirty to forty thousand yuan since the day Fang Ping decided to pursue martial sciences.
This was a considerable amount to the Fangs, but it did not even measure up to the amount others had spent on buying pills before the physical assessment.
Fang Mingrong had wanted to purchase a pill for Fang Ping a few days before the physical assessment. If he could not afford a Vitality Pill, a Blood and Qi-replenishing Pill would do too.
Fang Ping refused adamantly, though, with a confident declaration. Fang Mingrong could only put that thought aside.
Their son understood their situation and did not want to burden the family.
The couple was sad, though, feeling that they had let Fang Ping down.
Li Yuying ended up pressing the money to Fang Ping forcefully. She gave him some advice before going out to clean.
Fang Ping fished out the pile of money that she had stuffed in his pocket. He did not even need to count them to know that she had given him 2000 yuan.
He would be going on a trip to Auspicious Sun City, which would last at least three days and more than two weeks at most.
This amount of money was an exorbitant expense to the Fang family.
Fang Ping thought for a while before taking it with grace.
Their financial situation was not that dire yet, and the martial sciences exams were coming soon.
After he had finished taking the tests, everything plaguing the family would be resolved on their own.
His mother had left, but Fang Yuan had not.
The girl was interested in going to Auspicious Sun City. She perched her chin on her hands and looked at Fang Ping. “Fang Ping, are you really not going to bring me along?
“I can do your laundry for you... no fees charged!
“I can carry your bags and clothes for you when you’re taking an exam...
“If you don’t pass, I’ll be there to support you...
“...”
“Focus on your studies! There are lots of opportunities for you to travel in the future. Don’t cause me trouble this time!”
Fang Ping refused immediately.
Saying that Fang Yuan would cause him trouble was going a little overboard, but he would definitely not bring any deadweight along.
Fang Yuan said, slightly disappointed, “After you leave, I’ll be so bored during the 1st of May holiday...”
Quarrels and spats aside, the siblings had not been separated for so long since they were little.
Now that Fang Ping was out alone, Fang Yuan knew without second thought how bored she would be.
Fang Ping kneaded her cheeks with a grin. “Go and play with your friends if you’re bored. Remember to call me if something comes up. Do you remember my number?”
“Mm.”
Fang Yuan also knew that Fang Ping purchased a mobile phone.
Fang Ping told her that he had used the money he earned from selling autographs to buy one. Fang Yuan did not question that statement. She had only thought her brother unscrupulous for stealing her ideas, making big money out of it and not giving her a share of the profits.
This was also the reason she charged a fee for the laundry she had been doing for him. Who asked him to spend his money so exorbitantly?
The siblings chatted idly for a while. Despite the girl’s proclamations that Fang Ping would fail, she had gritted out in resolve before going out. “Fang Ping, if you come back after the 10th, I’ll treat you to KFC!”
Fang Ping could not help the chuckle that escaped from his lips. He said as he teased, “Judging from what you have said, you have quite the sum of money in your savings, haven’t you?”
“No!”
Fang Yuan hastily denied that, afraid that Fang Ping would know how much money she had saved up.
She had counted the money in her savings. She had saved almost 300 yuan!
She could not let Fang Ping know about this!
Fang Ping laughed. “You little miser!
“What is a few hundred yuan after your brother gets in?
This year, for the martial sciences students, we can get a scholarship of a few million yuan if our Vitality is high enough.
“When I get the money, I’ll move us to a bigger house, and buy you delicious food and new clothing...”
His words made Fang Yuan dizzy. She did not even know how she had walked out of the room.
...
The next day.
Fang Ping arrived at the school gates at 7:50 am with his backpack.
Eight large coaches were parked in front of the No.1 High School gates.
Next to the coaches, students came together in small groups, whispering among themselves.
There were lots of cars beside the coaches, too, a far larger number than usual.
Fang Ping was getting ready to look for his classmates in Class (4) when he heard someone calling his name.
He glanced in the direction of the sound to see the older Tan brother, Tan Hao, waving at him.
When he saw Fang Ping looking in their direction, Tan Hao shouted loudly, “Fang Ping, over here!”
His voice was loud, so loud that it attracted curious stares from quite a lot of people nearby.
As Tan Hao called Fang Ping’s name, a middle-aged man chatting with the school’s higher-ups turned his head to look at him too.
When Fang Ping walked towards them, surprise showed in his eyes with every step Fang Ping walked.
His eyes had already betrayed a slight alarm when there were only 3 meters between him and Fang Ping.
On the other hand, due to his higher-than-average Mentality, Fang Ping’s attention was also increasingly drawn by the man as the distance between them shortened.
Fang Ping turned his head sideways to see the middle-aged man looking at him. He quickly put on a smile and nodded to show deference.
The middle-aged man was even more astounded after his action. Did this boy know him, or did he sense who he was?
Tan Hao did not sense the wordless exchange between them, naturally. As Fang Ping stayed rooted to the spot, he said with a laugh, “Fang Ping, has your stance improved these few days?”
“It’s going well...”
While the two of them were chatting, the man behind Tan Hao shrugged off the school’s higher-ups and stepped forward with a smile. “Hao, is he Fang Ping, the classmate you were talking about?”
Tan Hao said quickly, “Mm. Dad, he’s Fang Ping.”
“Fang Ping, this is my dad...”
Tan Hao explained to Fang Ping, while he had actually guessed the man’s identity.
His being around Tan Hao, the uncharacteristically fawning smiles on the higher-ups’ faces, and the higher-than-average Vitality.
Fang Ping knew who he was, after a moment’s thought.
He did not expect Tan Hao’s father to tag along.
Tan Zhenping gave Fang Ping a scrutinizing look but smiled after he heard Fang Ping’s greeting. Tan Zhenping nodded and said with a laugh, “Fang Ping, I’m in charge of coordinating the physical assessment of the candidates from Sun City as a representative from the city and liaising with the relevant parties.
“You can come to me for help anytime if there is anything you don’t understand.
“When you arrive in Auspicious Sun City, Tao and Hao will be with the candidates from No.1 High School. You can seek them out if you can’t find me.”
Tan Hao was slightly surprised by his words, but then he did not think any more about it when he remembered that Fang Ping had Wang Jinyang’s support.
All the higher-ups in No.1 High School were taken aback. What in the world was happening?
These higher-ups tasked to lead the excursion did not know Fang Ping.
Tan Zhenping, as the only representative from the city government among the leaders, was in a much higher standing than them. He was also the only martial artist among them.
His words confused them.
Fang Ping was also surprised, not by Tan Zhenping’s courtesy but because of his assuming the role of leader of this excursion.
The martial sciences exams were crucial. They were going to take them in Auspicious Sun City, too, so the accompaniment of Sun City’s higher-ups was not unexpected.
When they arrived at Auspicious Sun City, there were lots of emergency situations that could prove hard to diffuse without a martial artist.
That was why a martial artist from the government would be tasked to lead the excursion every year.
Fang Ping had not expected this representative to be Tan Zhenping.
He had heard Wu Zhihao say that Tan Hao’s father worked for the government, but he did not ask for details.
Fang Ping hurriedly thanked Tan Zhenping for his courtesy. “Thank you, Uncle Tan.”
“You’re welcome. Go on and chat. We’ll leave together when the coaches from other schools arrive.”
Tan Zhenping explained further. Even Tan Hao thought that his father had gone overboard with the genial reminders.
Although Fang Ping had Wang Jinyang’s support, he was not even present at this moment. Was there really a need to inform Fang Ping of everything in the finest detail?
Those questions stayed questions. Tan Hao, being the straightforward person he was, did not dwell on it.
Tan Tao, who had not uttered a word since then, eyed his father. Tan Zhenping did not say anything to that, turning back instead to continue his conversation with the school higher-ups.
Through the conversation, Tan Zhenping did not concentrate on it. He was still glancing at Fang Ping from the corner of his eye.
He had heard about Fang Ping from his sons. He had also heard rumors that Wang Jinyang had put his hopes on him.
Tan Zhenping did not put too much basis on them. Fang Ping and Wang Jinyang were not related at all. It would not be wrong if Wang Jinyang had seen the other’s potential and gave him some advice.
He, Tan Zhenping, was a martial artist too. He too had done something like this.
When he was in a good mood, it was not that strange to give some advice to those who had potential after meeting them.
He did not always remember them after the first encounter, though.
Tan Zhenping had sensed something out of the ordinary when Fang Ping walked towards them.
This boy’s Vitality was unusually, astoundingly high!
Tan Zhenping was only a Peak Rank-1 martial artist. He could not sense low Vitality levels, unlike people like Wang Jinyang.
Wang Jinyang had been able to sense Fang Ping’s Vitality when it was at 120cal, but Tan Zhenping was incapable of it. If the other’s Vitality was not high enough, he could not feel the difference at all.
If he had sensed something amiss, it meant that Fang Ping’s Vitality was very high!
Tan Zhenping could even feel the Vitality roiling in his body, threatening to spill out at any moment.
Tan Zhenping knew all too clearly what that meant.
Aspiring martial artists who manifested this were only half a step away from becoming a martial artist!
‘How many cal is this boy’s Vitality at?’
Tan Zhenping speculated in his mind. He reached the conclusion that this student Fang Ping’s Vitality must not be lower than 140cal!
This was scary!
This meant that Fang Ping had a clear shot at getting into a martial arts university. If he had gotten good enough grades in the cultural studies exam, he could even be admitted into the Big Two.
This kind of person... Maybe the other would be at a higher rank than himself the next time he saw him.
At this moment, some pleasantries were necessary even if Tan Zhenping was not willing to lower his dignity by sucking up to him.