Chapter 79: Exchange Student
Yang Shen was very curious about this. The Exotic Realms were an important component of society on Cyan Blue, but mentions in the news and other media always lacked detail.
They would only report on what sort of results were achieved in the development of the Exotic Realms, but rarely covered the living conditions or social situations there.
For example, Yang Shen had often heard that another continent on Cyan Blue was all grasslands and deserts, and was inhabited by the dark-skinned Niren.
But he didn’t know much about what they ate, drank, or their cultural customs.
Meeting an "exchange student" from an Exotic Realm—how rare!
No, that’s not right. The proper term is "Exchange Student"—as in, a fugitive roaming from school to school.
"Do you have any stories you can share? Of course, if it’s classified, then never mind."
Lin Yuebai lightly tapped her cheek with the end of her brush, then blew on the ink to dry it.
"The Exotic Realms are nothing special, really. Yanhua controls three in total, named after the year of their discovery according to the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches: the Si Realm, the Hai Realm, and the Xu Realm... I was in the ’Si Realm’ before."
"The Si Realm’s technology level is probably equivalent to Yanhua’s from 200 years ago. Outside of a few outposts from Cyan Blue, even electricity is a rarity. Since I was always running off to remote places with my grandfather, I was practically no different from the locals."
Yang Shen knew it was backward, but he hadn’t expected a 200-year gap.
"The ’Si Realm’ has been developed by Yanhua for nearly a thousand years. How is it still so backward?"
Lin Yuebai was speechless. "Do you hear yourself? Two hundred years ago, Yanhua was also in its pre-modern era."
"They say that 1,000 years ago, when the first Yanhu People set foot in the ’Si Realm,’ it was still run by an ignorant tribal system. The ones holding the highest power were called Great Witches, and they were constantly at war with each other."
"The way it is now is already the result of forcing its growth. Besides, do you really expect Yanhua to let an Exotic Realm’s level surpass its own?"
Lin Yuebai recalled the past as she looked at the calligraphy brush in her hand, which she had brought back from the "Si Realm."
"Actually, Aliens also have it tough, especially the common folk. Of course, I identify as a ’Cyan Blue-Yanhu Person,’ so they never truly saw my grandfather and me as one of their own."
"The ’Source Concentration’ over there is lower, and the locals’ constitutions aren’t very suitable for Martial Arts, so they developed the ’Witchcraft and Gu Technique.’ Of course, its prevalence is very low, not like on Cyan Blue where almost ’everyone has access to it.’"
’It’s one thing to have access to Martial Arts,’ Yang Shen thought. ’Having the talent and money to Refine your skills and make a name for yourself is a whole other story.’
According to Lin Yuebai, "Witchcraft" in the Si Realm was a symbol of status and heritage for a very select few. Those who mastered the Witchcraft and Gu Technique were forever worshiped and feared in the Si Realm.
But from Yang Shen’s judgment based on the Training Camp, Witchcraft might be used as a tool to oppress common people in the Si Realm, but on Cyan Blue, it was just a secondary ability far weaker than "Martial Arts."
When one cultivated both Martial Arts and Witchcraft, the latter could only be used for scheming and trickery.
In a direct confrontation, without the support of Martial Arts, you couldn’t even beat a police officer. A couple of shots—BANG! BANG!—and you’d be down for the count.
Witchcraft was primarily seen as "unorthodox."
Its application of "Source" was different from Martial Arts, and even more different from the Cultivation he knew of.
’I wonder if Lin Yuebai knows about ’Sun Worms’... But that little thing doesn’t exactly have a clean origin, and I don’t trust her enough to ask about it yet.’
"Do you know a lot about the ’Witchcraft and Gu Technique’?"
He felt Lin Yuebai should know quite a bit. After all, being an "Exchange Student" from a "Medical Family" easily led to such associations.
Lin Yuebai’s eyes darted around, but she ultimately suppressed the desire to chat. "Sorry, it gets very sensitive if I say more. I signed a lot of confidentiality agreements when I came back."
"Alright."
Information about the Exotic Realms wasn’t exactly "locked down," but it was certainly sensitive, especially since Lin Yuebai and her grandfather had been involved in some important project there.
Getting some free gossip was still a gain.
Yang Shen checked his watch and headed off to school without further hesitation. Lin Yuebai, meanwhile, tended to the "High Source plants" Yang Shen had brought.
This batch was large, with a total value of around twenty thousand yuan. Taking the boutique route meant being picky with customers, so it would probably take some time to sell them all.
If things went smoothly, she could take a 2,000 yuan cut for herself.
Lin Yuebai looked at the flowerpots covering the floor and muttered, ’Another month of being kept by President Yang... I was supposed to start a great enterprise and revive my family when I came back.’
’How did I end up just like one of those concubines in the Si Realm...’
The porcelain-like girl pouted, a little exasperated.
But at least... she could eat more than just Piaoxiang mixed noodles.
She could even add a tea egg!
If she was a little bolder...
She could even get a vegetarian chicken! That would be so extravagant!
* * *
Another day of school began. Classes were as predictable as ever.
The closer it got to the gaokao, the more repetitive the content became.
Academic classes were just pure review and test-taking, one after the other.
As for PE, the theory had been taught long ago. The rest came down to individual ability.
(Note: financial strength was the most important component of academic performance.)
Only Yang Shen was singled out by Huo Jun to be taught weaponry.
Strictly speaking, for seniors in a system "where scores are king," weaponry was a bit off-topic.
But Huo Jun, being a Madman, obviously didn’t care. And Yang Shen’s mindset had already changed since his breakthrough on the verge of battle.
He was a Martial Artist and a Seeker, aiming for the much longer-term "great struggle," not the "small struggle" of test-oriented education.
Among the five major subjects of Martial Arts, his scores for Subjects Four and Five were already near-perfect. Only his realm level slightly dragged down the pure numerical stats of the first three subjects, but it wouldn’t hold him back for long.
Learning some weaponry wasn’t a problem. After all, if he missed this opportunity with Huo Jun, it would be hard to find another True Gang Realm master willing to teach him so selflessly.
Given Huo Jun’s realm and the treatment Yang Shen was currently receiving, if these lessons were offered to the public, plenty of people would be willing to pay seventy or eighty thousand per session just for their children to get abused.
But for Yang Shen, it was all free. The only catch was the rather harsh prerequisite to start.
He had to kill someone.
The only regrettable thing was that when Yang Shen once again suggested that Xu Bamboo join in, Huo Jun, while not objecting, still said he didn’t have time today.
His main focus today was shooting Yang Shen. Rubber bullets were quite precious.
If another person joined, that would be one less round of bullets for Yang Shen.
As for the training results, Yang Shen’s progress amazed Huo Jun. Yesterday, his success rate had only been 50%, but today it had already reached 70%.
Yang Shen was improving his resistance to bullets at an extremely fast pace.
No, it was his resistance to "high-speed ranged attacks." If it were throwing knives or arrows, he would handle them with even greater ease.
For a "Practical Martial Artist," this was an extremely precious and important ability.
After school let out at six, Huang Gang glanced over from his corner of the classroom, and Zhao Mengmeng in the front row also kept looking back from time to time.
Yang Shen and Xu Bamboo exchanged a look. He had already told her about adding two more "hangers-on," and Xu Bamboo had no objections.
On the contrary, Xu Bamboo found it lively. It felt like they had a secret base.
The two of them stood up first, and Huang Gang and Zhao Mengmeng immediately grabbed their bags and followed.
...
Meanwhile, the "ten-person group" wiped away their sweat as they came up from the basement, having apparently just finished their special private PE class.
A few passing students saw the legendary ten-person group and quickly stepped aside, lowering their heads to let them pass first.
The hierarchy at a Martial High School was just that blatant. If you weren’t careful, you could get cornered in the bathroom and beaten up by a top student, and they could still tell the teacher, "I was just tutoring him."
If these top students were already the dominant figures in Nanliang High School’s hierarchy before, the formation of the "ten-person group" could be seen as the school fanning the flames.
In the eyes of the underachieving students, ’You are my god!!!’
Tian Zihan basked in the others’ envy, feeling quite satisfied. ’It proves my whole family’s sacrifice was worth it!’
Thus, he spoke even louder:
"Everyone, should we have a group dinner this weekend? A new restaurant opened on the commercial street. I think it’s a branch from Jianghuai City, and the food is great!"
The other nine didn’t react much. Cao Wei, in particular, immediately shot him down. "What good restaurants could there be on the commercial street? They’re all cheap shops for poor people."
Tian Zihan froze and didn’t dare say another word.
Just then...
A figure leaped down from the staircase above.
The young man had grown quite a bit taller, but thankfully his loose-fitting school uniform still fit. He had a backpack on and brushed past the ten-person group.
Cao Wei immediately shut her mouth, nervously pressing herself against the wall to make way.
The others also turned to look.
Yang Shen was agile in mid-air, a smile on his face, his bangs scattered by the wind.
He didn’t recognize the ten-person group at all, or perhaps he did and just didn’t care.
Behind him was Xu Bamboo, smiling just as freely. Her speed was not one bit slower than Yang Shen’s, and she called out, "Shenzi, what’s the rush~?"
Yang Shen laughed. "Warming up!"
Time seemed to slow down. The eyes of every member of the ten-person group followed the young man and woman, one after the other, but the pair only had eyes for the path ahead.
A moment later, two more people came chasing after them. One hapless guy shouted, "Wait for me!" while a young girl leaped up, stepped on his shoulder, and continued the chase.
Only after the group had completely disappeared into the distance did the ten-person group on the stairs remember how to breathe.
Then there was silence... and they each went their separate ways.
Only Tian Zihan kept watching in that direction, taking a long time to look away.
His eyes were full of envy.
* * *