As Fang Ping asked questions, the Director asked, head throbbing, in his office, "Did you say that he's Wang Jinyang's little brother?"
Zhang Yong replied quickly, "It's what he said. It hasn't been fact-checked yet.
"But I spoke with Tan Zhenping earlier, and he said that there's something between the two, indeed."
"This is trouble!"
The Director caressed his balding head. He had an inkling that he would be going completely bald in two years.
The balding man said after a deep breath, "We'll do it like this. You'll reassure him. He hasn't suffered from overly serious injury, anyway.
"As for Wang Jinyang…"
Zhang Yong replied immediately, "I think that Wang Jinyang may not stand up for him even if they're connected.
"His injuries are only mild. If we deal with this well, we can avoid his wrath."
"That'll be the best. You deal with it as you see fit.
"I have to deal with the post-incident affairs, so I won't be making an appearance, in case this goes south and beyond recovery."
Zhang Yong understood what the Director meant. If he liaised with the boy first, the Director can take up the reins in case they did not reach a consensus.
If the Director went, there was no way of knowing how it would go.
Also, Wang Jinyang was at Rank-3, the same as the Director, while Fang Ping was only an aspiring martial artist.
If Wang Jinyang was present at this time, the Director would definitely take up this case himself. As it was only Fang Ping involved this time, there was no need for him to intervene.
The two of them discussed other matters regarding the post-incident recovery. Zhang Yong did not stay for long. He returned to his office quickly.Chapter 67: Return to Sun City
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
In the Deputy Director's office.
Zhang Yong continued after a moment's consideration. "This incident is not directed toward you specifically…
"The army and the Department of Investigation Services has deployed men simultaneously to do a thorough sweep.
"The retribution that you're worried about won't happen.
"Of course, if you're still anxious, the Department can assign someone to protect you in secret until the incident is completely wrapped up…"
Fang Ping thought the possibility of him being attacked for revenge quite low. Plus, he would feel awkward if someone was watching over him.
He still nodded in acquiescence, though, for his own life and his family's safety. "If possible, I hope that both my family and I can be protected."
"No problem. We'll set about arranging this after you return to Sun City."
Zhang Yong was practically clamoring for this guy to leave immediately. The secret protection he would leave to his subordinates to carry out. He did not need to worry about that.
Next, he complimented Fang Ping.
Something along the lines of "young but accomplished", "prodigious", "a bright future"…
Any other high school student would be swayed by his words of praise.
Zhang Yong was a Rank-2 martial artist and the Deputy Director of the Department of Investigation Services too. He was quite an important person in Auspicious Sun City.
Fang Ping did not take his praises to heart. He let him go on for a while before piping up somewhat shyly, "Director Zhang, I heard my brother say that there's a reward for those who assist the government in apprehending criminals? Especially criminals who are martial artists."
The corners of Zhang Yong's lips twitched. His praise was all for naught, then?
After some thought, Zhang Yong explained, "There is, but there are necessary procedures.
"There are missions like this, but they are geared at martial arts university students.
"Sometimes the Department is short of hands. When we need assistance, we will work with martial arts universities to issue some missions.
"We only have a deal with martial arts universities. We don't assign missions to individuals, in case everything goes south…"
There were quite a lot of casual martial artists. If every one of them, as it was with the Department, held the right to sentence criminals, would there be any need for the Department?
The Department only worked with martial arts universities.
This also applied to some missions assigned by the army.
In the public's eyes, martial arts universities were also institutions under the jurisdiction of the government, and martial arts university students were under the government.
Coincidentally, martial arts universities were also striving to open up more opportunities for their students to train. This cooperation between the two parties was a win-win situation. Only with this deal could Wang Jinyang and the others have the chance to carry out missions.
Fang Ping was not a martial arts university student. Even if he really did assist in the process, rewarding him went against protocol.
Fang Ping was instantly displeased. He rolled up his sleeves and deliberately shook his bruised arms in front of Zhang Yong.
"I've been injured severely this time. Who knows if my future cultivation of martial arts would be affected…"
Zhang Yong was torn between laughing and crying in frustration. He considered his words before saying, "Fang Ping, this really is against protocol.
"A governmental department is not a corporation. We have to do things by the book.
"What if…"
Considering the fact that Fang Ping was quite the piece of work, Zhang Yong considered for a while before venturing, "We'll report this to the higher-ups and see if we can award and compensate you in the name of heroism."
"Uh, about how much would that be?" Fang Ping assumed an innocent tone.
Zhang Yong coughed lightly. "It may not be much, but we'll try our best to lobby for it on your behalf…"
It would not be much; that was what his words conveyed.
The most he could get was fifty thousand yuan.
The minimum, some ten thousand yuan.
As for the hundred thousand to a million yuan he was thinking about, well, he might as well keep dreaming about it.
The mission Wang Jinyang had accepted – the one that sent him after Huang Bin – had only paid three hundred thousand.
The authorities in Sun City had only increased the reward after he had escaped.
Fang Ping had only assisted in apprehending this time. He did not subdue the criminals, or kill them, for that matter. This reward amount offered to him was only due to Wang Jinyang's clout.
Fang Ping knew that he could get nothing more from the look on the other's face.
Having to apply and everything, and use Wang Jinyang's name, all for a couple thousand yuan… It was not worth it, in the end.
Fang Ping also worried that this would be blown out of proportion, attracting the notice of those lunatics, who would take revenge on him.
If he was rewarded cash or a few pills on the spot, he would have accepted them graciously.
Now that an application was necessary, Fang Ping could only forget about it. He said, with graciousness, "It's fine. As a progressive young man in the new era, working with the government to rid society of crime is my responsibility.
"Also, everything is owed to Director Zhang saving my life. I was kidding just now. Please don't take it seriously."
Now Zhang Yong was the one taken aback. The young man was calculating and stingy just now. He had feared that he would be difficult to dismiss.
Now he was suddenly all gracious!
It was good that Fang Ping decided to stop pestering him, though. Zhang Yong put on a smile quickly. "Fang Ping, you're of a different caliber indeed! You will definitely rise to the top of the university in the future…"
Platitudes such as that came easily to Zhang Yong.
He treated Fang Ping with more graciousness once there was no more conflict of interest between them.
He also tried his best to answer every question Fang Ping had.
When Fang Ping made to leave, he insisted on seeing Fang Ping off personally. Fang Ping did not refuse him.
Fang Ping asked as he walked, "Director Zhang, is something like this incident today common?"
"Not really. They're all amateurs. Malevolent attacks like this one today are rare.
"As for why it happened this time…"
Zhang Yong paused, hesitation evident. He still continued with his answer to Fang Ping's question, though. "The reason why it happened this time is related to Governor Zhang's leading a delegation to Tiannan.
"A part of the elites in Nanjiang had gone to Tiannan.
"These criminals thought that this was their opportunity to strike. This was why they behaved as they did…"
"Governor Zhang went to another province?"
Fang Ping muttered. He did not persist in asking for answers. Judging from Zhang Yong's expression, this was the limit of the information he could tell him.
When they walked to the carpark, a previous question in Fang Ping's mind rose to the surface, and so he asked again, "Director Zhang, you said that missions on assisting the apprehension of criminals are delegated to martial arts university students sometimes.
"Does this mean that martial arts university students all possess certain expertise in combat?"
"Of course!"
"But when I talked with Director Tan from Sun City, he told me that combat techniques are not necessary…"
Zhang Yong sneered. "I'll put it like this. Modern martial artists are divided into three main categories.
"The first one, martial arts university students.
"The second, martial artists from the army.
"The third, casual martial artists.
"There probably should be another category: people from a martial arts family. These people enter martial arts universities most of the time, though.
"Both martial arts university students and those from the army prioritize practical technique. Their rank is subsidiary to that.
"These two categories form the bulk of martial artists.
"The third type – casual martial artists – are not recognized in the field.
"Most think that casual martial artists lack wisdom and combat skill.
"Can a martial artist be called a martial artist if he doesn't possess either wisdom or combat skill?
"They're worse than brutes!
"Martial arts university students excel at both.
"Martial artists in the army might lack in the intellectual sense, but they're definitely formidable in battle.
"Most casual martial artists are useless. They have nothing but their ranks.
"The Director Tan you're speaking of should be Tan Zhenping, am I right?
"He learned everything from supplementary classes. There's a lot that he doesn't know. You don't need to take everything he says at face value."
Zhang Yong disdained Tan Zhenping. He did not even bother to conceal his feelings while he told Fang Ping plainly to not take him seriously.
Martial artists of that particular category were only martial artists by name in order to enjoy a few privileges.
They were not approved of by the field — unless they had proved their mettle.
After hearing his words, Fang Ping said thoughtfully, "You mean that true martial artists possess definite combat prowess, instead of just keeping up appearances…"
"That is a given!"
"But… Are the combat skills that martial artists possess useful in these times?"
As Fang Ping finished asking, Zhang Yong smirked. "What do you think?
"Haven't you felt its importance during today's incident?
"Although it rarely occurs, it doesn't mean that they never happen.
"Do you think you'd be able to survive the ordeal if you don't have a certain level of skill?
"Your opponent was only a rookie Rank-1 martial artist, too. When they reach Rank-3, firearms can only do limited damage to them.
"We can't operate tanks every time we go on missions, can we?"
There were some things that Zhang Yong did not bring up. The Catacombs, for example…
Of course, he did not know much about it because his rank was not high enough. He was only at Rank-2 currently.
Under normal circumstances, those at Rank-3 are privy to certain details. Rank-2 martial artists like him were mostly in charge of jobs within their responsibility.
Although Zhang Yong did not reveal anything to him in detail, Fang Ping felt emotional.
How long had it only been since then?
First, it was Huang Bin. Now it was those pagan lunatics. Sometimes, this society was not as peaceful as he thought.
If he did not enter this world, if he remained a civilian for his whole life, he probably would not know anything about this for his whole life.
Now that he had entered the world of martial arts, could he be willing to confine himself in Sun City for his whole life, as Tan Zhenping had?Sun City was too small. Tan Zhenping would be happy to stay there, but he would not.
He was initially on the fence about learning some combat techniques for self-defense.
Now it seemed to be compulsory.
He did not know how much his Vitality needed to be before he could break through to Rank-1. Practicing some combat technique was a must nevertheless.
There was also the matter of this attack orchestrated by this Genesis cult. Although Zhang Yong said that Auspicious Sun City had already assigned a crew to wipe up the mess and that the culprits on the scene were either captured or dead, who knows if there would be a next time?
He was targeted this time. How about next time?
So he would have to take some precautions. He must possess a certain level of prowess in combat.
Although he had not gotten anything from the ordeal, he got to face a real martial artist and glean some information from Zhang Yong. He did not really go home empty-handed.
What Fang Ping lacked now was not the resources, but knowledge about the inner workings.
…
When he arrived at the hotel, Wu Zhihao and the others had already returned.
They did not know that Fang Ping was attacked. They were still discussing previous incidents.
Auspicious Sun City had already asked to keep it quiet, and no one was killed, so there were fewer conversations on the subject by then.
When they knew that all culprits had been apprehended and some of them killed on the spot, they were less enthusiastic about this.
After lunch at the hotel, the procession of coaches left for Sun City in the afternoon.
Staying a day more in the hotel cost quite a lot.
There was also the matter of recent incidents in Auspicious Sun City, too. No one wanted to stay there for longer. Sun City was safer.
…
Fang Ping's eyes had a distant faraway look to them after he got on the coach leaving for Sun City.
He had come only to take his exams.
Now, as all sorts of incidents happened to him, most notably the attack on him, his understanding of martial artists had deepened.
Tan Zhenping's words to him were completely dismissed.
Sun City was too small, to the extent that most people paid no attention to those who seemed important to the people of the city.
Governor Zhang's excursion to a neighboring province, the pagan-orchestrated attacks, martial arts university students assisting the government in missions…
Those were gradually linked in Fang Ping's mind. He felt that there was something he did not know of.
"I'm close…"
Fang Ping muttered. After he took his cultural studies exams, soon it would be his entrance to a martial arts university.
He would know everything he wanted to know then.Chapter 68: Too Much Good News
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
In Sun City.
The coaches headed directly to the school gates.
The sky was already dark when the coaches arrived in front of the gates.
Fang Ping heard someone calling his name when he got down from the coach.
He knew who it was instantly after hearing her voice.
He was proven right. Fang Yuan jogged toward him excitedly, her face alight with joy. "Fang Ping, you're finally back!"
Fang Ping was initially quite morose after the attack.
After he saw Fang Yuan, his mood improved a lot instantly. He pinched her round face and laughed. "Why did you come?"
Fang Yuan pouted and shook her head, freeing herself from Fang Ping's grasp. Only after that did she say happily, "I'm here to welcome you back! Fang Ping, do you know that your name's blown up now…"
The girl talked incessantly, pride evident on her face.
Fang Ping's Vitality was 149cal, first place in Auspicious Sun City.
The adults would probably pay less attention to this news, but the students knew lots about it.
No.1 High School had also done some promotion revolving around this news. 149cal was the highest result in the school's history.
If Fang Ping's cultural studies exam results were not too abysmal, he could enter a normal martial arts university easily. The Big Two would prove to be a little difficult.
The experimental middle school that Fang Yuan attended was not that far away from No.1 High School.
As Fang Yuan attended that school, now most of the students in the experimental middle school knew that the brother of Round Face in Form 2 placed first in Vitality in Auspicious Sun City and thus was definitely a shoo-in for martial arts university admission.
Admiration toward martial arts university students was practically carved in their bones.
This made Fang Yuan the center of attention, too. The teachers were also more gracious toward her compared to before.
Fang Yuan could not stop grinning when she told him about that. She said, ecstatic, "Now if someone calls me Round Face, I tell them that I'll send my brother over to rough them up. No one dares to call me that anymore!"
Fang Ping did not know what to feel. Her threat was defacing his dignity!
'Would I, an eventual martial artist, help you beat your classmates to a pulp?'
While the girl pranced about happily, Fang Ping hauled the presents he had bought out of the car wordlessly.
Fang Yuan was ecstatic at the sight of the packages of various sizes at first, but then she complained, "You only know how to waste money!"
Fang Ping did not listen to her complaints. He waved at the others and walked with his things on hand and a smile. "This is not really a waste. Your brother is really getting rich this time."
"Did you sell your autographs?"
Rendered speechless, Fang Ping asked exasperatedly, "Can you not think about selling autographs all the time? How little does an autograph cost?
"Can't you set your sights somewhere higher?
"Your brother is an aspiring martial artist with a Vitality that doesn't even pale in comparison to a martial artist's. Do I need to sell my autographs for a living?"
After putting down the girl with his words, he laughed. "There's a residential area named Scenic View Gardens near the experimental middle school you go to. Do you know of it?"
"I do! Some of my classmates live there. The area is so pretty…"
Fang Yuan said that somewhat enviously. Their house was old and dilapidated, and the space cramped, in an old area like Lakeview Gardens.
Scenic View Gardens was newer. Its exterior appearance alone trumped Lakeview Gardens' tenfold.
"Good that you know it. Your brother came first in the Vitality assessment!
"Both Auspicious Sun and Sun City rewarded me a healthy sum."
"Reward?"
Fang Yuan asked curiously, "What kind of reward?"
"Sun City rewarded me with a unit in Scenic View Gardens…"
"What?"
Fang Yuan froze in disbelief. There were people who were rewarded houses?
Fang Yuan heard that there was a reward from the city's authorities for those who placed first in the tests.
Most of the time, the reward came in the form of cash – a modest amount of cash at that – even for the best performing student in the Gaokao.
Now they had given her brother a house even when the Gaokao had not ended yet?
Seeing her slackened jaw, Fang Ping laughed jovially. "Why, are you petrified by joy?
"Tomorrow's the weekend. I'll take you to the new house for a look.
"Scenic View Gardens is nearer to your school. You can sleep in after we've moved to the new house…"
"Fang Ping…"
Fang Yuan said, dazed, "Is everything you say true?"
"Of course!"Fang Ping said teasingly, "You didn't believe me last time when I said that my Vitality was at 149cal.
"Now I tell you that I was rewarded a house, and you don't believe me either.
"What if the two of us make a bet, in which the one who loses will get their cheeks pinched 100 times?"
Fang Yuan would not be so stupid to make a bet with him. Although everything seemed surreal, it might be true in retrospect…
At the thought, Fang Yuan asked happily, "Fang Ping, did they really give you a house?
"Can we go take a look now?
"Is it big?
"Are there many rooms?
"Is the living room spacious?
"…"
The girl instantly started bombarding Fang Ping with countless questions.
Fang Ping's head throbbed. He did not bother to respond to her questions.
During his return home, he could seize the chance to tell his parents about the house and give them a sum of money for daily expenses.
Huang Bin's money was illegal, so he could not very well explain how he got it.
This time it was different. The 2 million Jin Keming had given him could be considered as a semi-public reward.
Tan Zhenping knew of this too. If his parents really had questions regarding the money, Fang Ping could ask Tan Zhenping to vouch for him.
Tan Zhenping would not stoop so low as to suck up to Fang Ping, but he would definitely not refuse to do him such a small favor.
Especially now!
Few people knew of the attack on Fang Ping, but Tan Zhenping, the main chaperone of the Sun City entourage, knew.
He also knew that Fang Ping had managed to be on an even footing with a ranked martial artist for a long time.
Previously, Fang Ping's Vitality was at 149cal. He was an aspiring martial artist.
Now that he had proved capable of engaging in battle with a martial artist, it was evident that the honing of his bones progressed remarkably and that he had broken through his limit. He could be considered as halfway to Rank-1.
Once the chance arrived and he had a Rank-4 martial artist watching over him, he could choose to break through as a martial artist.
With Fang Ping's innate talent, Tan Zhenping felt that he could succeed in breaking through in one go, and become a martial artist on the same rank as himself.
Under those circumstances, Tan Zhenping would be most glad to help Fang Ping in backing up his bluff.
…
When Fang Ping arrived at his house, Fang Mingrong was not back yet, Li Yuying was preparing dinner.
When Fang Yuan stepped into the house, she blurted out everything about the new house immediately.
Li Yuying was shocked, too.
Had Sun City rewarded her son a house just for an exam?
In no time, Li Yuying joined forces with Fang Yuan, asking questions relentlessly.
When his father returned home, it would turn out to be the whole family demanding answers…
Fang Ping had lost count of the times he explained everything. At last, he could only say, "Director Tan from the Department of Education in Sun City is in charge of this.
"I have his phone number. Dad, Mom, what if I call him and let you guys ask him yourself?"
Li Yuying gave him a sideways glare. Fang Mingrong chuckled dryly.
They had been ordinary their whole lives. Now Fang Ping offered to let them ask the Deputy Director of the Department of Education themselves. How could they possibly dare to?
The other was a martial artist, too.
Their son had answered everything with such conviction that they had no choice but to believe him, even though everything still felt surreal to them.
Fang Ping relaxed when he saw them back off. He said softly, "Dad, Mom, please don't tell anyone else about this. This is an extra reward. The authorities haven't made the knowledge public.
"If anyone else knew about this somehow and got jealous, the authorities might take the house back. It's not worth it."
Fang Mingrong said sternly, "It's true. Rest assured both your mom and I will not tell anyone else about this. Yuanyuan, you better sew your mouth shut too!"
Fang Yuan was a little peeved. She muttered, "I wanted to tell my classmates, too! So, Fang Ping, we can't move into the new house now?'
Fang Ping said teasingly, "We can, but I've thought about it. You can't keep a secret, so only Dad and Mom will come along with me while you're gonna live here and watch over the house alone."
"No!"
Fang Yuan wheedled petulantly with a pout on her face, "Bro, take me with you. I won't tell my friends anything, how about this?"
The Fangs had smiles on their faces as they asked about the specifics of the house, disregarding Fang Yuan.
Fang Ping explained simply that the house was already upholstered and ready for them to move in anytime. The couple agreed unanimously that they should take the next day off to take a look at the house.
If it was not for Fang Ping's recent return, they would have departed immediately with how excited they were.
At the sight of his family talking about the house excitedly, Fang Ping coughed dryly and said, "Dad, Mom, I haven't finished yet.
"The house was a reward from Sun City. Auspicious Sun City has also rewarded me, but with cash instead of property."
"Has Auspicious Sun rewarded you too?" Li Yuying was astounded.
Fang Mingrong remarked wistfully, "I've known that martial artists are different from us since forever. Now you've gotten such massive rewards even when you're not a martial artist yet. How much more extravagant will this be when you become a martial artist…"
According to what his son had told him, he estimated that the Scenic View Gardens unit alone costs seven to eight hundred thousand yuan!
This was more than the couple's annual salaries combined!
Now Auspicious Sun City had rewarded his son too. This made Fang Mingrong happy and proud, but he felt quite sad at the same time.
His son had not graduated yet. He was still a high school student, but he was far more capable than him. He did not know whether he should feel inferior to him as his father.
The couple forgot to ask about the money, but the money-loving Fang Yuan did not. She asked immediately, "Bro, how much did Auspicious Sun City award you?"
Fang Ping gave her a look from the corner of his eye. He said exasperatedly, "Now you're calling me Bro! You're really driven by money, huh, little girl!"
"Bro…"
Fang Yuan pulled at his arm and said cutely, "I'm merely happy for you, am I not?
"Also, your money is mine, and mine yours.
"What if… what if I take all my savings out and treat the family to KFC tomorrow?"
"You sure know how to calculate…"
Fang Ping did not know if he should laugh or cry. 'After I eat a KFC meal, all my money will be yours. What a fine little plan this is!'
He did not say any more on the subject. Fang Ping cleared his throat. "Auspicious Sun City awarded me… Awarded me four hundred thousand yuan.
"I'll save a fourth for myself in preparation for when I attend martial arts university.
"The rest I'll hand over to Mom. The family won't need to live so frugally in the future.
"And on the matter of Dad's job. Your job working in the pottery factory isn't ideal. It'll hurt your body after a long time.
"I've talked to Director Tan about this. He said that the Department's currently short of a security guard. You won't need to do much; you only need to register visitor information.
"Work starts at 8:30 in the morning and ends at 6 in the evening. You'll have a day off every week. Monthly pay's 5000 yuan.
"Dad, if you don't have any qualms about it, you can start work after a few days."
Fang Ping did not dare to tell them the real amount. If he had told them he got a few million, his parents would probably suffer from heart failure.
He had to save some for himself, too. Martial artists spent money like water. Although he had the system, he needed the Wealth.
After getting into university, Fang Ping wanted to try his hand in opening a business. He could not hope to bump into hapless victims every time.
After those words, the other people in the house froze in shock.
Four hundred thousand yuan!
Was money so easy for him?
Also… A job in the Department of Education!
The Department of Education was more than an empty shell. It was one of the institutions in the city that had actual influence. Even a position in their security detail was coveted by countless people.
No one could get a job there without connections.
His son had relations with the director of the Department of Education!
Fang Mingrong was more disbelieving of the job compared to the house.
He was only an ordinary factory worker. He toiled day by day in the pottery factory. He got two days off per month and earned three thousand yuan for his trouble.
Now he could be a security guard that earned 5000 per month doing nothing but sitting in a kiosk and jotting in some words.
The main point was not the high salary. When one started work in the Department of Education, he was considered as a governmental officer. Even if he was only a security guard, he was still a half-fledged officer. Had he, Fang Mingrong, finally gotten to see the day when the government paid him?
While Fang Mingrong was in disbelief, Li Yuying was shocked.
Fang Yuan did not think so much of this, unlike her parents. Her brain was filled with the sentence; "A reward of four hundred thousand yuan".
"So much junk food…"
"So much food…"
"I can finally go see a movie…"
"…"
Thousands of thoughts raced from the depths of her mind. She looked at Fang Ping again, but she did not see him. What she saw was a mobile treasure chest emitting golden rays of light.
No one expected so many changes to take place after Fang Ping's ten-day-long departure.
There was too much good news that his parents struggled to digest them properly.
Fang Yuan was excitedly roping Fang Ping in to have lunch with her the next day so that she could use everything she had up and the two siblings could share Fang Ping's fortune.
The girl had disregarded the difference between their wealth.
…
The Fang couple did not sleep well that night. They chatted in whispers until midnight came.
Fang Yuan, on the other hand, slept soundly with a sweet smile on her face. No one knew what good things she was dreaming about.
Fang Ping cultivated the Methods of Honing once before he flipped through the Basics of Leg Techniques.
He prepared to hone his lower limbs at Rank-1. Leg techniques suited him more.
Combat techniques and cultivation methods were different. The Methods of Honing did not necessitate a formal entrance to Rank-1. It mainly honed several major vessels in the body.
Combat techniques were much more complicated. They incorporated some force expulsion methods that could not be represented well only via text.
Without a mentor guiding the practitioner, the effects would not be obvious even after cultivation.
Fang Ping called Old Wang again that night, but he was still uncontactable. This baffled Fang Ping.
Where in the world did this guy go?
Or did he change his phone number?
Aside from Wang Jinyang, there was no one he knew that could give him guidance. He was barely acquainted with Zhang Yong, while Tan Zhenping was not versed in combat at all.
"Did Old Wang not pick up the phone because he knew how high my Vitality was and felt threatened?"
Such guesses materialized in Fang Ping's mind as he mulled over the matter. He could only put his intention to practice combat techniques aside.
Chapter 69: Blood-tinted Peace
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The next day.
May 11th, Sunday.
Scenic View Gardens.
When they entered the house, everyone aside from Fang Ping showed their joy and surprise.
The two floors, the spacious living room, the sun-bathed balcony, and the brand-new upholstery…
After living in an old house for years, the Fang couple had already gotten used to the dank and humid single-floored living environment. Upon the sudden entrance to a new house, it looked lavish and extravagant to them even though the upholstery was actually quite ordinary.
Fang Yuan was almost driven crazy with excitement. After she walked in the door, she jumped on the sofa and rolled around.
Next, she got up and bounded up the stairs.
Looking at their daughter's excited antics, a smile broke out on Fang Mingrong's face, one that he found hard-pressed to tamp down. He turned to look at Fang Ping. "These furniture…"
"They're all cheap stuff that came along with the upholstery…"
Fang Ping did not tell them that he had bought them himself. While he accompanied his parents into the living room, he said with a smile, "You can throw them away and replace them with new ones…"
He knew that all he said would be meaningless. He did not expect to successfully ask his parents to move in so shortly after he had bought the house; the newly bought furniture had not been broken in yet.
As he had expected, Li Yuying admonished him. "They're all new. How can we possibly throw them away?
"They're quite good already…"
Li Yuying's gaze swept around the lower floor, muttering all the while, "Really good!"
"The lighting is nice. The place is spacious and lights up nicely."
"…"
After a while, everyone went up to the upper floor.
Fang Yuan had already chosen her room upstairs. Seeing her parents walk upstairs, she said with glee, "Fang Ping, I want this room!"
There were two bedrooms, a gymnasium, and a study upstairs. They were all quite spacious.
The new bedrooms were all larger than those in the old house. They were currently bare, though.
When Fang Ping bought furniture then, he had only randomly bought a small sofa bed for the study.
At her words, Li Yuying entered the room for a look. After taking a look, she scolded her daughter. "What room? We're not moving into the new house…"
Fang Yuan was taken aback. Disappointment was clear on her face.
Fang Ping froze as well, but then he recovered with a smile. "Mom, you aren't thinking of saving this for my marriage, are you?
"I'm going to martial arts university!
"I've been rewarded a house even before becoming a martial artist. Do you think that I'll be short of houses after I've become one?
"Martial artists in Sun City won't live in houses like this one no matter how weak they are.
"After I graduate from university, I'll be living in a mansion.
"Plus, it'll be hard to say if I'm even returning here…"
Fang Ping had known what his mother was going to say when she opened her mouth.
"This spacious house – a new one, at that – must be saved until my son gets married."
Until this moment, Li Yuying still probably had not come to terms that her son was not the ordinary Senior Three student she knew him as, but an aspiring martial artist.
Now it was Li Yuying's turn to be rendered speechless. Fang Yuan started to plead, "Exactly! Fang Ping's gonna get into martial arts university. Martial artists are all rich!
"Mom, let's move in, pretty please!
"This house is so near to our schools, too…"
Her daughter was pleading with a pout, while her son told her that he would not be short of houses. Li Yuying had no choice but to look toward Fang Mingrong.
He hesitated for a moment. When he wanted to speak, Fang Ping cut in with a smile. "Dad, Mom, don't think too much about it. Today's Mother's Day, coincidentally. I didn't prepare a gift for Mom, so think of this house as a Mother's Day gift.
"Dad, don't be jealous. I'll give you something too when Father's Day comes."
"This kid!"
Fang Mingrong was all smiles. He no longer hesitated. He looked at his wife and said, "Pingping's already said so. Let us live here for now.
"We're going to buy some furniture and daily necessities when we have the time. After a while, we'll move here."
"Dad, let's move in now…"
Fang Yuan went into her plaintive whining mode again. She only wanted to live in this big house right now.
Fang Ping smiled as well. "While the whole family's here, we can buy the furniture we need after a while later. After we buy everything today, we can live here starting tomorrow.
"There's nothing in the old house that's worth salvaging. We only need to take some clothes with us…"
"How can we treat this as something so trivial!"
Li Yuying stopped him. "We'll have to choose an auspicious date to move in. We'll also have to invite our relatives to a housewarming banquet. How can we move in just at a whim…"
"Also, we'll have to tidy up the old house for rental after we move here…"
At her admonishment, Fang Ping did not attempt to convince her otherwise.
He had already told his parents of the house. The arrangements after that were to their discretion.
Fang Yuan looked dead to the world. She wanted to move here now, but her parents wanted to delay for a lot longer. She was in despair.
The family reached an agreement, though. They were going to look at furniture today and purchase everything they needed.
When they went out, Fang Yuan pulled Fang Ping to the back, and she said to him, with an expectant look on her face, "Bro, today's Mother's Day, so you said that the house's a gift for her.
"You're going to give Dad a gift on Father's Day too.
"During Sister's Day someday later, what are you gonna give me?"
Fang Ping was perplexed. Sister's Day, her ass!
Where did this Sister's Day come from?
As if she knew that Fang Ping would not understand her, Fang Yuan said seriously, "It's actually Children's Day, but you can celebrate it as a Sister's Day too…"
Fang Ping did not know whether he should laugh at the joke. He deadpanned, "So there's also a Brother's Day, then?"
"There is! Youth Day on May 4th. It's a pity, though, that you weren't at home on the day of the festival. I prepared a gift for you, but I didn't give it to you!"
"Haha!"
Fang Ping rolled his eyes sky-high. This precocious kid was simply annoying!
…
The family went to the furniture plaza together that morning.
Compared to Fang Ping's flippant purchasing habits, his parents took this more seriously. They gauged the exhibits of store after store and asked after the prices of what thousands of stores had to offer.
The family had shopped all over the plaza at least seven times, but they had yet to decide the store they were buying from.
Aside from his parents, who were absolutely boggled by the variety of choices, Fang Yuan went along seriously. She was mainly picking out furniture for her own room; she did not tire of it at all.
Fang Ping had already heard his parents delegate the rooms in low tones, though. One of the two bedrooms on the upper floor would go to Fang Ping, and the other themselves.
Fang Yuan would stay in the small bedroom downstairs.
Fang Ping was shaking with mirth after hearing the news. He did not divulge this to an elated Fang Yuan, because he wanted to know how her reaction would be when told the news after she had chosen her furniture.
Of course, Fang Ping did not care much about his living arrangements. After getting into university, he would not be at home for extended periods of time.
The morning went by quickly.
When lunchtime came, Li Yuying intended to return home and cook lunch, but Fang Yuan volunteered to treat everyone to a meal as a gift to Li Yuying.
Fang Ping could not help but admire this girl.
She had told him the past day that she would treat him to this meal, but now it was suddenly a Mother's Day gift. It was only that Father's Day had not arrived yet, or else this meal could be three gifts at once.
…
After lunch, the girl's small well of fortune was almost depleted.
After paying, she turned to give Fang Ping a beseeching look telling him that she would depend on him in the future. It made Fang Ping want to pinch her cheeks until they were swollen round.
The parents wanted to look at furniture some more in the afternoon. Fang Ping did not go along with them. He went to the bank instead, signing up for a debit card and transferring three hundred thousand yuan into it.
He had around 2 million left in his own card. He planned to save it as a fund for a business venture.
His previous sources of wealth were all untethered, unstable.
It was impossible that hapless benefactors like Huang Bin and Jin Keming would appear to give him money every now and then. If he ate at his fortune without replenishing it, his vault of money might not be able to sustain him throughout his attempt to reach Rank-2.
Martial artists spent a lot. Fang Ping was sadly intimate with that fact.
Even people like Wang Jinyang had no choice but to take up missions to fund his cultivation.
Although Fang Ping had Wealth to do the job instead, his Wealth storage had to be funded by money too.
…
As Fang Ping's family was busy purchasing things for their new house, Wang Jinyang, the subject of Fang Ping's thoughts for days, appeared in a military base in Tiannan, dragging his exhausted body forward.
Wang Jinyang showed no trace of his former composure and calmness.
His hair was a mess, his clothes torn beyond repair, and there were bloodstains all over his body.
There were other people alongside him.
The team that departed from Nanjiang Martial Arts University that day was led by Rank-5 martial artist Zhang Qingnan. It consisted of 16 teachers and 11 students, 28 people in total including Zhang Qingnan.
Now not more than 20 of them were left, either slumped on the floor or standing.
The demure and spotless Zhang Qingnan was covered in dirt. His right arm hung downward lifelessly.
Zhang Qingnan's gaze swept the space, his eyes were red-rimmed. He said hoarsely, "Our mission is accomplished. Tonight, the nine Grandmasters will conduct an attack for the last time in order to suppress the revolt in the Tiannan Catacombs once and for all!
"Students can return home for a good rest.
"Mr. Liu, you're taking the team back to school right after…"
"Qingnan, you're not leaving?" the mentioned Mr. Liu asked quickly.
Zhang Qingnan shook his head minutely. He declared in a low tone, "After the last assault, the entrance to the Catacombs will be closed by force. I'm bringing Shen Quan back home!"
"Mentor…"
Wang Jinyang said hoarsely, his eyes blood-red, "The President would not wish for you to risk your life in entering the Catacombs for a second time!
"I know. I know that you're blaming yourself, but this is not your fault!
"It was us that were too reckless and didn't listen to your commands, us that ventured into the depths and caused the President to be stuck inside the Catacombs.
"The situation's already fatally dire around the entrance. You're not a Grandmaster. One more attempt…"
Zhang Qingnan interrupted sternly, "You don't need to stop me. I'm the leader of NMAU's team for this mission!
"It's my fault that I've neglected all of you!
"We were 28 when we arrived. Now when we're departing, I'm taking everyone with us, even after they've already sacrificed themselves for the cause!"
"Mentor!"
"Qingnan…"
Zhang Qingnan set his face with determination. He said, "Mr. Liu, you're bringing the students home now!
"I'll return to school as soon as I find Shen Quan.
"As for Mr. Wang and the others…"
Zhang Qingnan gritted his teeth and said sadly, "Take care of their funeral proceedings and affairs, and apo… Apologize to their families on my behalf…"
Mr. Liu clenched his hands into fists. He gazed at Zhang Qingnan solemnly before declaring, "We're leaving!"
"Mentor…"
"Go! We're going back! Everything is already beyond our control. There's no point to staying here. We're taking Mr. Wang and the others home!"
Mr. Liu did not hesitate any longer. He turned back and got in the car.
At the sight of the others remaining rooted on the spot, he bellowed, "Up! Do you want to stay here, severing the roots of the University?
"We'll be here to take our revenge after we have the ability to do so!
"After we become Grandmasters, we'll be here to open the entrance again and take our revenge. We'll draw as much blood as they did ours! It's better than walking blindly into your deaths!"
Wang Jinyang gritted his teeth. His body trembled all over. After a while, he snapped cuttingly, "We're leaving!"
This place was no longer a place they could stay. They could only wait till they broke through into Grandmaster-level to have the hope to come back and exact their revenge!
As Wang Jinyang marched forward, the other members of the Martial Arts Club trailed after him.
Wang Jinyang turned to stare at Zhang Qingnan. He yelled, "Mentor, I'll be waiting for you at school! If you don't come back, I'll marry your daughter!"
"You bastard! Nini is only ten! You'd better believe that I'll break your legs!'
Zhang Qingnan retaliated jokingly. He waved his left hand. "Go. I'll return to school with Shen Quan after I find him."
The others did not speak as the car started up.
Chapter 70: Who Cheated?
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
In the late-night of May 11th, the undergrounds of South Sky shook as the grandmasters rushed forward to suppress the tremors.
That night, however, Fang Ping noticed nothing abnormal. It was not until dawn that Fang Ping went to school and learned of the news from the discussions among the students.
Thankfully, there had been a forewarning from the grandmasters and the masses managed to evacuate in time, greatly reducing the potential casualties amongst the public. Only a few people who refused to leave their homes were affected. Although there were not many casualties, there was heavy property damage.
…
Fang Ping did not think too much of the matter but was faintly aware of the tension that permeated the atmosphere.
Sun City that did not have many martial artists. Fang Ping had encountered many unfamiliar faces while roaming about on the road. This was not a normal phenomenon and it was not until the return of the governor of Nanjiang that the tense atmosphere gradually eased.
…
The next time Fang Ping got in contact with Wang Jinyang was on May 17th. This time, it was initiated by Wang Jinyang himself. He had not been able to contact Old Wang before and eventually, Fang Ping sent a text message and did not call again.
Wang Jinyang sounded tired across the phone.
"I had a few tasks to deal with these past few days and it was not convenient to carry my phone around…" he explained briefly upon picking up the phone.
Having justified his reason for not answering his calls, Wang Jinyang then asked, "You mentioned in your message that you wish to cultivate combat techniques?"
At Scenic Lake Gardens.
Fang Ping avoided Fang Yuan who was in the midst of happily decorating her room and made his way to the window sill.
"Well, isn't Brother Wang the one who was always talking about real combat? That's why I want to cultivate combat techniques but there's no one to guide me…"
Wang Jinyang frowned slightly.
"Of course, combat techniques must be cultivated! However, Vitality cultivating and bone-honing should be your main focus.
"For an aspiring martial artist, I don't recommend you to cultivate your combat techniques for now so as not to delay your breakthrough.
"It's not too late to cultivate combat techniques after you've broken through as a martial artist and enrolled yourself into Martial Arts University…"
Hearing this, Fang Ping noted that Wang Jinyang must not have known about the results of his physical assessment yet. After a brief thought, Fang Ping answered, "Brother Wang, my Vitality has already reached 149cal in the last physical assessment.
"Two days ago, I completed the preliminary bone-honing process and my Vitality broke through to 150cal.
"For the time being, I am not yet ready to breakthrough as a martial artist and since the speed of my Vitality elevation and bone-honing has slowed down, I thought about trying to cultivate my combat techniques…"
"What?"
Wang Jinyang, who had always been the embodiment of calm, was shocked then. He was actually somewhat impatient considering he had many things to deal with recently. Not to mention the fact that Zhang Qingnan had not yet returned kept him worried.
The president had also fallen into the catacombs and even though he had not officially succeeded him, Wang Jinyang was already serving as president and was dealing with the affairs of the martial arts society.
Wang Jinyang had already seen Fang Ping's message beforehand but compared to the others, his was a small matter. Not only that, the fellow seemed to be aiming high by thinking of cultivating combat techniques which was why he had waited until he had somewhat resolved the other matters before calling Fang Ping back on this day.
When he heard that Fang Ping had completed the preliminary bone-honing process, he was stunned.
"You are saying that you have completed the bone-honing?" he asked with disbelief.
How long had it been since he met Fang Ping!
Wang Jinyang first met Fang Ping in early April when they were at the bus station and Fang Ping's Vitality then had not been more than 120cal. Even after he had accidentally consumed the pills, it was still around 120cal. It had only been one month since then.
With a bit more than a month's time, Fang Ping told himself that he had completed the breakthrough of the limit cap on his Vitality and the preliminary bone-honing process. Now, he was even starting to prepare to cultivate combat techniques…
Wang Jinyang thought he had already seen all of society!It was not that he had never met a genius before. He was considered a genius himself. When he first entered the Martial Arts University, his Vitality was only around 120cal which was not that high. It was like Fang Ping's when he had accidentally consumed the pills.
With all the resources and opportunities given to him, it took him only 3 months to raise his Vitality from 120cal to 150cal! This elevation progress was enough to leave people shocked and in awe.
It had taken Wang Jinyang quite a long time to break through to Rank-1 and he had only managed that when he was almost with the first half of the semester in his First Year.
After breaking through Rank-1, he then broke through by leaps and bounds, breezing through to Rank-2 and then to Rank-3. Wang Jinyang became the record holder in Nanjiang Martial Arts University for the shortest time taken to breakthrough.
For aspiring martial artists, nurturing Vitality was tough work. It was different from bone-honing that it cannot be rushed or sped up.
For bone-honing, the progress could be sped up as long as you had enough resources and if your Vitality was strong enough.
On the other hand, even with lots of resources, raising Vitality must be done slowly or the body might get hurt during the process due to bodily limitation.
Now Fang Ping was telling him that he had already finished nurturing his Vitality…
Fang Ping noticed Wang Jinyang sounded surprised and even a little proud. He smiled and said, "I only just completed it and it's thanks to Brother Wang. If it wasn't for you giving me those books on Cultivation Methods and the pills last time…"
Wang Jinyang cut him off.
"There is no need to bring that up now. So, you have really completed the Vitality limit breakthrough and also the preliminary bone-honing?"
"Yeah."
"You can now find the opportunity to breakthrough as a martial artist since your Vitality has reached 150cal and you have completed the bone-honing.
"Of course, the risk from going through the inhumane transformation for the first time is quite high.
"If you can wait until after you've entered the Martial Arts University to breakthrough but that doesn't mean you can't become a martial artist now if you want. For people like us, there are risks but they are not as big as you may expect.
"You've got guts anyway and since you're not afraid of dying, it's not as if you can't breakthrough by yourself…"
Fang Ping's expression darkened. What did he mean by that? Saying that he was not afraid of dying?
Wang Jinyang did not care for what Fang Ping thought and quickly added, "But now that you have brought up the idea of combat techniques, I suppose you have also seen what I said in the book.
"150cal is the limit for regular people but it's not the limit we are after!
"For aspiring martial artists, the higher you elevate your Vitality, the more helpful it'll be later on.
"The reason why I was able to quickly complete honing my limbs was because I had high basic Vitality.
"When I was an aspiring martial artist, I did my bone-honing twice so that I could raise my Vitality and increase my body's strength…"
"Honing bones twice?"
"Exactly. Full body bone-honing twice, when most regular people can only go through it once without being able to continue further.
"When I completed my bone-honing the second time, it was a full-body honing.
"With my limbs honed faster compared to others as well as my Vitality being stronger than theirs, my breakthrough came much faster. Not only the limbs but my progress was also faster than others when it came to honing my torso bones at Rank-3."
"Are there any requirements for honing the bones twice? I find the speed of bone-honing now to be very slow…"
"Consume a pill! The Bone-honing Pill! The Bone-honing Pill can help increase your bone-honing speed.
"Not only that, if you still have money, you can buy some Body-strengthening Elixirs and use it with a bath. It can help elevate your body's strength.
"Bone-honing Pill, Body-strengthening Elixir, Vitality Pill for bone-honing, body strengthening, and nurturing Vitality respectively.
"By going through with that, you will be able to reach 150cal quickly.
"When all the standards are met, you will then naturally go through the second round of bone-honing…"
Fang Ping hurriedly asked, "Where can I buy the Body-strengthening Elixir? Also, Brother Wang, how high can one's Vitality reach after honing the bones the second time?"You can't get the Body-strengthening Elixir here in Sun City because not many people use it."
Although the Body-strengthening Elixir could improve physical strength, for most aspiring martial artists, it was not a matter of their body strength not being enough but rather that their Vitality was insufficient!
Their typical daily training would be enough to prepare them for their Vitality increment.
The ones who would usually use it were the people who wanted to nurture an even higher level of Vitality. They tended to have their Vitality and body strength raised to the absolute limit.
At this point, the Body-strengthening Elixir was the only thing they could use to enhance their body strength and thus, help them to adapt to the high-level Vitality.
Wang Jinyang finished with a final thought.
"How about this, I'll set aside some Body-strengthening Elixir with the school for you. It's not cheap though so I'll need you to pay for it. My cultivation is using up a lot of money lately…" Old Wang said sheepishly.
Last time, he had received Fang Ping's kindness. If it was another time, he would have given Fang Ping the same kindness.
Right now, however, he really did not have any more money.
He had just broken through to Rank-3 some time ago and had used up all his resources after spending them on some pills.
The reward he received from completing his mission was not little by any means, but not only did he have to use them for cultivation, he also had to save some up as reserves.
Not only that, Zhang Qingnan had still yet to return. While the Martial Arts University was different from past schools in the way that no teachers were assigned to any specific person, Zhang Qingnan was nonetheless Wang Jinyang's mentor and it was Zhang Qingnan who taught him his Methods of Honing, pole-standing, and combat techniques.
He had to take care of matters regarding Zhang Qingnan.
Hence, at this moment, Wang Jinyang made sure to state things clearly to Fang Ping despite feeling a bit embarrassed.
Fang Ping, on the other hand, did not think too much about it. His relationship with Wang Jinyang was formed on a deal to begin with and it was surprising enough that Wang Jinyang had continued to provide him guidance on cultivation even after the deal was done.
"I shall leave it to you then, Brother Wang," Fang Ping said immediately upon hearing his words, "Although I'm not sure about the price of the Body-strengthening Elixir needed to fulfill my cultivation."
"Since not many people use it, it's not too expensive. It's even cheaper to exchange it from the school. For now, I'll get 3 bottles for you for 500 thousand."
"Alright, I will transfer the money to you later."
Fang Ping was not hesitant about it either since he had no problems with elevating his Vitality. What troubled Fang Ping was the strength of his body and bones. Vitality could be used to speed up bone-honing but for body strength, it could only be nurtured slowly with Vitality and elevated gradually through training.
As they talked, Fang Ping suddenly recalled their earlier conversation and asked, "Brother Wang, what is the Vitality level needed to start the second bone-honing process?"
"180cal. Of course, this is just my personal experience. I'm not sure about the others.
"Cultivation is not unchanging and is different for everyone.
"You'll know when you have reached the right point."
Wang Jinyang did not have much more to say and finally finished, saying, "Regarding cultivating combat techniques, it can't be explained clearly with just 2 to 3 sentences.
"Look, how about I send you some videos later about cultivating combat techniques, including guiding videos by a professor of the Martial Arts University, and some of my personal opinion…"
After saying this, Wang Jinyang reminded, "Other things like the Methods of Honing, pole-standing don't count as secrets but for these videos on combat technique cultivation, remember not to simply spread it around!
"What are combat techniques? Clearly, it is the art of killing!
"Even with high Vitality and rank, it does not necessarily mean it has damaging power.
"However, as combat techniques get cultivated to a certain stage, it will surely come with a high damage power, so this should not be simply spread.
"Your Vitality and bone-honing have reached a certain stage now and you definitely can succeed in getting into Martial Arts University. That's why I am bending the rules and teaching you beforehand…"
"I understand, Brother Wang. Don't worry, I'll definitely keep it a secret!"
"Alright then…"
Wang Jinyang did not ask how Fang Ping's raised his Vitality so quickly.
Everyone had their own opportunity. For Wang Jinyang himself who had moved up 3 ranks in a year was also seen as abnormal in the eyes of others.
Fang Ping's rapid increase in Vitality might have been brought on by other benefits or it could be that he was simply a genius. There was no need to ask about these things clearly.
Wang Jinyang did not ask for Fang Ping's secret and neither did Fang Ping ask him for his. For example, what mission did Wang Jinyang went on this time? Or how much Vitality did the Wang Jinyang achieve during his time as an aspiring martial artist? At the very least, it was definitely 180cal.
Last time, Tan Zhenping mentioned that when they first became martial artists, their Vitality was just around 170-180cal which meant that during Wang Jinyang's time as an aspiring martial artist, his Vitality was not any lower than those who just became martial artists.
Fang Ping found it hard to imagine how Wang Jinyang had managed to elevate his Vitality to 180cal and above in such a short time and without getting help from the system!
Fang Ping had experienced himself that Vitality gets harder and harder to elevate the higher it increases.
By May 3rd, Fang Ping's Vitality had reached 152cal.
If in the case of cheating the system, with the half months' time that had passed, Fang Ping's Vitality had only just reached 160cal.
Fang Ping had significantly improved his Vitality and mental strength:
Wealth: 4650000
Vitality: 160cal
Mentality: 179Hz
Fang Ping was satisfied with these statistics but when compared to Wang Jinyang, it was to say who was the one who cheated.