Chapter 101 - 100: What a Sincere Disciple
Just as Cao Wei was fidgeting awkwardly, her movements growing stranger by the second, a slender hand landed on Yang Shen’s shoulder.
Xu Bamboo had appeared behind him at some point. "What’s all the excitement about?"
Yang Shen pointed at Cao Wei. "I just can’t seem to guide her... Something feels off."
Xu Bamboo smiled. "Maybe it’s the person that’s off..."
The moment Xu Bamboo arrived, Cao Wei’s expression immediately became calm, even stern. Her punches and kicks regained a certain sharpness.
The change was visible to the naked eye!
Yang Shen looked at Xu Bamboo. ’You’re a miracle worker!’
’Her legs were like jelly just now, and now she’s full of life!’
Yang Shen then strolled a few more laps among the ten-person group, like an old man out for a walk, offering a pointer or two from time to time.
Xu Bamboo was a little bewildered. She didn’t understand why Yang Shen was showing such goodwill, but she didn’t press the issue.
After they moved a short distance away, Xu Bamboo handed him a bottle of "Initial Realm Passage."
A supplement that cost 2,000 yuan a bottle, yet she drank it like it was sweet water to quench her thirst.
The two of them sat on the mats, sipping from their small bottles. Xu Bamboo said, "That Pill you gave me, whatever it was, seems to be working... My progress in Mid-stage Marrow Refining has sped up!"
Yang Shen smiled. "As long as it’s useful. One a week. Don’t stop taking the medicine."
Xu Bamboo said nervously, "You didn’t take out a loan to buy these, did you? Is the interest rate high? Do you want me to help you pay it back?"
’Now that’s a true friend, willing to help someone pay off their loans.’
But Yang Shen just shook his head and told Xu Bamboo the story of his romantic Mr. Lei’s burial at sea.
After hearing the story, Xu Bamboo clicked her tongue in amazement. "That’s incredible... A potion that increases the efficiency of Strengthening Qi and Blood Value... It must be incredibly precious."
For many wealthy families, obtaining Source Supplements wasn’t the barrier; the inability to actually strengthen their Qi and Blood was.
To solve this problem, one usually needed a more expensive or more suitable Cultivation Technique, and most importantly: talent.
Increasing the efficiency of Strengthening Qi and Blood Value, for a Martial Arts Practitioner, was no different from increasing "talent" itself.
Thinking about how Yang Shen had shared something so precious with her, Xu Bamboo felt that the Initial Realm Passage she was sipping tasted even sweeter.
In truth, Xu Bamboo’s perception of taking the Bone Marrow Cleansing Pill was "an increase in the efficiency of Strengthening Qi and Blood Value."
But it wasn’t the same for Yang Shen. Possessing Qi Sensitivity, his experience was more subtle, akin to an accumulation of potential, or perhaps an increase in the depth of his marrow cleansing.
Even among those who were Innate, there were different levels. Some gained immense benefits during their "Innate Rebirth," laying a solid foundation for the next several decades, while others only had "minor gains."
The difference lay in the "preparatory work" done during the Marrow Refining stage.
In any case, Yang Shen didn’t lack the ability to strengthen his Qi and Blood Value.
He had mastered the "Rising Sun Fist Intent," and with the "Buddha Sound Body Refining Technique" working 24/7, he could strengthen as much source as he could get.
He could strengthen it till he burst.
Just then, the newly promoted number one student in their grade, Yuan Rui, walked over.
He was a boy who wasn’t particularly tall, and his build was nowhere near as strong as Tian Zihan’s, but he was the only person in all of Nanliang High School who had previously seemed to be in the same league as Xu Bamboo.
Of course, that was just how it seemed. Yang Shen had already tested him and found he was far weaker than Zhuzi was in her early-stage Marrow Refining, let alone the Mid-stage Marrow Refining Zhuzi of now.
In the ten-person group, Yuan Rui was a pragmatist of few words. He wasn’t as emotional as the others, nor, it seemed, as bizarre.
Everything he did was for the college entrance exams. He was also one of the four people Yang Shen had rescued from Jinkang Pharmacy.
"Yang... I get the feeling you’re intentionally guiding us... Out of curiosity, may I ask why?"
Yang Shen looked at him and could sense a glimmer of intelligence.
’This one’s a normal person!’
’Not dense like Tian Zihan, or clueless like Cao Wei.’
’In the absurd world of Nanliang High School, he was a rare species.’
So Yang Shen decided to be direct: "Yes. I want to take on disciples."
Yuan Rui frowned slightly. That word was clearly not in the common vocabulary of his peers... or if it was, it was used by the poor students who liked to play video games...
"Take on disciples... to collect a fee?"
Yang Shen snapped his fingers. "You see the essence behind the appearance. You’re right!"
This was undoubtedly a much easier angle for them to understand.
Unsolicited goodwill can sometimes be counterproductive.
Yang Shen said calmly, "I already work as a private tutor outside of school. I have many students, ranging from trash who can’t even beat someone in the Bone Training stage, to adults who have reached the Innate Realm, from Martial Arts researchers, to degenerate playboys. They’re all my students."
Yuan Rui was filled with awe! ’He’s in the same grade as me, his scores are skyrocketing, and he’s managing to be a private tutor on the side?!’
’And he has so many students?’
Yang Shen continued, "Of course, I don’t think simple tutoring meets my current needs. My time is precious, after all. So I’m hoping for a looser master-disciple relationship, and the corresponding fee will be lower."
"Are you interested? By the way, I only teach the *Sixth Set of Initial Realm Body Refining Fist*."
Teaching just that was more than enough, since it was the main focus for all high school students.
Yuan Rui pondered... ’A loose master-disciple relationship?’
’Does Yang have some kind of special fetish?’
But Yuan Rui didn’t find it strange. In Nanliang High School, who didn’t have a special fetish of some kind!
He’d even heard rumors that some people liked to eat shit...
’As long as there are practical benefits, that’s all that matters!’
Yuan Rui’s willingness was stronger than expected. "I’m very interested, but my study schedule is packed. As for time..."
Yang Shen said, "Just the last half hour of gym class. If the results are good, you’ll adjust your own schedules. I can’t make huge promises, but I can definitely help you raise your assessment grade for the *Sixth Set*..."
Before his voice had even faded, Yuan Rui had dropped to one knee as if toppling a mountain of gold or a pillar of jade, and cupped his hands:
"Master, please accept this disciple’s bow? How much is the tuition?"
One could only say he was a true pragmatist. Face wasn’t something he considered; points were.
If he could raise his score by even 5 or 10 points with Yang Shen’s help, that would be enough to beat out 500 or 1,000 top students of the same level in the college entrance exams.
Think about it! If someone could help you beat 1,000 people, what’s wrong with calling them Master?
You’d even call them Dad!
Yuan Rui’s outburst left Yang Shen speechless; he hadn’t even had a chance to deliver the second half of his pitch.
’I’ve still underestimated the absurdity rate of Nanliang High School!’
’They say a man’s knees are worth gold. Just listen to that sound—how crisp was that?’
Just as he was about to speak, a dark shadow rushed over. Cao Wei also dropped to her knees with a THUD, scraping her delicate knees red.
"What’s wrong? What’s happening?"
She had no idea what was going on.
But she saw a chance to kneel before Yang Shen and decided to take it first and ask questions later.
Yuan Rui explained the situation, and Cao Wei immediately followed suit. "Master, please accept this disciple’s bow."
Yang Shen was originally thinking, ’This whole disciple ceremony is like a child’s game. Are you two even sincere?’
’For it to go this smoothly, it feels like they’re messing with me! Are they trying to sugarcoat a trap?’
But then he opened the system and saw that the family member count had already changed to (7/10), and two more names had been added to the list.
’So sincere! They’re so damn sincere!’
Although, according to Yang Shen’s understanding, the family member bond wasn’t unbreakable. It was just like how even with blood relatives, there was still the possibility of "being expelled from the family," "betraying the family," or "disowning one’s biological father."
A master-disciple relationship was never that serious of a bond to begin with, but as long as he could keep the numbers stable until the mission was complete and he got the reward, everything would be fine.
The system probably wouldn’t retract the reward. Otherwise, in the long years to come, if the Immortal Race were to suffer some great war or calamity and its population dwindled, would the system just strip him of everything he’d earned?
The commotion here attracted the attention of the others in the ten-person group, but for now, they were just watching... After all, the ten of them weren’t that close.
But with these two breakthroughs, it would be much easier for Yang Shen to proceed... In the future, he would only guide Yuan Rui and Cao Wei. Once they showed progress, given the level of absurdity at Nanliang High School, the others would willingly offer up their own knees...
Yang Shen helped the two of them up. One’s expression was completely normal, not feeling the slightest bit of shame.
When points were on the line, kneeling to a peer was nothing; he’d even be willing to lick their boots.
As for the other one, the moment Yang Shen’s hand touched hers, her cheeks flushed, giving off the feeling that her "filial devotion" had already mutated into something else the instant she became his disciple...
Xu Bamboo sucked on the empty bottle of Essence Liquid, offering no comment...
But the sound was very loud...
It sounded like the bottle was about to implode from the vacuum.
After the system recognized them, Yang Shen could now conveniently check their Life Charts.
"Yuan Rui: Second-level Qi Cultivation"
"Life Chart: Pragmatic and Calculating"
"Pragmatic and Calculating: Does not pursue empty achievements or false reputation. Does not speak of feelings; excels at calculating gains and losses."
...
"Cao Wei: Second-level Qi Cultivation"
"Life Chart: Admires Harm, Submits to Fate"
"Admires Harm, Submits to Fate: Finds joy in suffering, peace in pain. The crueler the abuse, the deeper the love."
Yang Shen: ...
’Nanliang High School is really... full of "talented" people.’
’Compared to them, my own "Life of Labor and Struggle" seems downright moderate and balanced!’
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