Plated in Gold?

The atmosphere in the training hall was quite pleasant. Most of those who came here to learn martial arts were wealthy second-generation rich kids. In Tianyue City, they weren't the top tier, but they still qualified as the second echelon. Dropping a few hundred thousand or even a million a year on a hobby didn't cause them the slightest financial strain. To them, martial arts was just a pastime. When tired, they took a break; very few were as obsessed and earnest as Qi Yuan. So when word got around that Qi Yuan planned to enter the Martial Arts Tournament, no one was surprised. They came to Mingwu Dojo as hobbyists, just dabbling. Qi Yuan... was different. "Our dojo actually has a few others entering the tournament, but they're different—they're the elite seeds," Wang Shiqiao said, nudging Qi Yuan with a wink. "What's their best record?" Qi Yuan asked. "The best result was top twenty in Tianyue City. Unfortunately, only the top ten qualify for the national tournament. "Still, don't look down on the top twenty. Without taking gene medicine and without firearms, reaching the top twenty would make you an acclaimed champion of the entire city even back in ancient times!" As Wang Shiqiao spoke, envy shone in her eyes. After all, pushing the human body to its natural limits was always celebrated. Within their circles, it was held in even higher esteem. "Seems like our dojo's students are on the weaker side," Qi Yuan couldn't help remarking. "Don't let the elite members hear you say that, or they'll come looking for trouble. There's a formidable figure among them who counts as a big shot even across all of Tianyue City," Wang Shiqiao said, her expression full of admiring longing. Qi Yuan had no interest in this and went back to practicing the Mingwu Resonant Fist on his own. Wang Shiqiao, however, chattered on like an incorrigible blabbermouth. "The strongest person in our dojo is named Xu Tiehua. He's already trained his Mingwu Resonant Fist to the ninth layer. "Even Eldest Senior Brother might not be a match for him. "Not only is his martial arts formidable, but his family is also exceptionally well-connected. "Did you know? Yesterday, a prominent figure in Tianyue City died—none other than... Count Black Crystal. "In a few days, Count Black Crystal's funeral procession will be held. It's keeping a very low profile, and only a tiny circle was invited. "Every single attendee is among Tianyue's highest-ranking power players. "And Xu Tiehua... is qualified to attend Count Black Crystal's funeral!" Qi Yuan, who had been practicing the Mingwu Resonant Fist, paused briefly. Then he heard Wang Shiqiao say, "Envious now, aren't you?" The surrounding students indeed wore envious looks. They had some money and lived comfortably without worrying about food or clothing, but compared to Tianyue's true ruling elite, a massive chasm separated them. "Xu Tiehua isn't like us." "If he makes top ten in the city tournament, he can easily secure a post in the military with his family's connections." "We're just slackers." These students were very laid-back. To them, there was nothing worth striving for in this life; they were merely coasting along. Toward a hardworking genius like Xu Tiehua, they naturally harbored immense admiration. Of course, to the dojo staff listening in, their conversation came across as somewhat humblebragging. These staff members earned six to seven thousand a month; to buy a decent apartment in Tianyue City, they would have to go without eating or drinking for twenty to thirty years. The wealth gap in Qinyuan Kingdom was vaster than the divide between human and dog. A commoner could toil their whole life and still live worse than a wealthy person's pet. Qi Yuan turned a deaf ear to the chatter. Swinging his fists in the patterns of Mingwu Resonant Fist, the blood throughout his body simmered faintly. A dense sheen of fine sweat broke out along his spine before dissipating without a trace. At this moment, Qi Yuan's Mingwu Resonant Fist stepped into the fourth layer. "Mhm... still a scrub with a combat power of five." Qi Yuan didn't notice any obvious increase in his combat strength. However, if an ordinary person gained this same martial arts boost, dealing with one or two punks in the same weight class would be no problem—provided the punks didn't have knives. "So, I have to reach at least the seventh layer to count as... a certified martial artist?" Practicing a martial arts technique did not automatically make someone a martial artist. To obtain a martial artist certificate, one had to meet state-mandated requirements. These requirements varied across different styles or dojos. The rules were established by the Martial Arts Association. For instance, with the Mingwu Resonant Fist, one had to reach the seventh layer to qualify as a martial artist and earn a certificate. The martial artist certificate functioned much like professional occupational licenses on Blue Star in his past life. To work as a martial arts instructor or open a dojo, a certificate was mandatory. Mingwu Dojo had over a hundred students, yet only fifteen held a martial artist certificate. Even though an ordinary person could earn a certificate after three years of daily diligent training, it couldn't overcome the fact that... most people were too lazy to put in the work. 'At this rate, I should be able to get my martial artist certificate in another half month?' Qi Yuan thought to himself. After absorbing the essence blood of the mutated sea monster, Qi Yuan's martial aptitude had improved significantly, and his cultivation speed had increased accordingly. On top of that, he was already an immortal cultivator. Achieving in half a month what might take an ordinary person a year or two was completely normal for him. Once he broke through to the seventh layer and became a true martial artist, Qi Yuan could take a secret substance to achieve a breakthrough. 'Looks like I'll need to find some time to contact Carnival and ask about the secret substance.' To Qi Yuan, this was just a casual video game. Why do something yourself when you could have NPCs do it? Time passed swiftly. Qi Yuan practiced martial arts the entire time, looking completely out of place among the other students present. Not far away, Wang Shiqiao sat on a couch playing on her phone. Just then, a woman's voice came over: "Qiaoqiao, you haven't actually caught feelings for that guy, have you?" The speaker was petite and delicate, yet within her body lay powerful energy. She was one of the few in the dojo who held a martial artist certificate. Wang Shiqiao glanced at Qi Yuan, who was training diligently, and smiled. "What do you mean 'caught feelings'? Aside from fooling around, can't two people just be friends? Having a handsome guy like him as a friend makes you look good when you're out and about." At first, Wang Shiqiao had indeed been drawn to Qi Yuan's looks and coveted him. Later, she realized Qi Yuan wasn't what she'd envisioned—he wasn't someone like her. So she reined in those designs and treated him like an ordinary friend. Of course, if they had drinks together one day, she wouldn't mind crossing the boundary beyond friendship either. "Good thing you think that way. His... family isn't well-off; he's the child of a martyr. Coming to the dojo probably wiped out all his savings. Seeing how serious he is, unlike you guys who just play around as a hobby, he's taking this as a profession," the petite woman said, sounding distinctly superior. Wang Shiqiao burst out laughing. "Xing Yu, who knew you had such a strong sense of class?" Wang Shiqiao was on great terms with Xing Yu; the two were dorm roommates. Wang Shiqiao came from a moderately wealthy family, while Xing Yu's background was ordinary—even poorer compared to the rest of their dorm—hailing from a small town. Through Wang Shiqiao's connections, Xing Yu had climbed into a billionaire's bed and successfully made her status official. After serving the old man for several years, Xing Yu's bitter days were bearing sweet fruit—the old man was on his deathbed. She stood to inherit a huge chunk of his estate. In the eyes of their former classmates, Xing Yu was a total winner in life. It was seeing Xing Yu look down on Qi Yuan like this that made Wang Shiqiao laugh out loud. Xing Yu didn't get angry, merely saying softly, "In the future, I can play with as many men like that as I want." "You haven't set your sights on Qi Yuan too, have you?" Wang Shiqiao said, utterly speechless, before adding, "I just feel like there's something different about his aura. Money probably won't sway him. If it could, I'd have whipped out my wallet ages ago!" "How could there be anyone in this world whom money can't move? It's just a matter of whether it's enough," Xing Yu stated with certainty. "What if the hundreds of millions you inherit can't move him at all?" "Is he plated in gold?" Xing Yu couldn't help laughing out loud. "Don't tell me he's more expensive than Xu Tiehua?" "Hey, isn't it a bit impolite to talk about people behind their backs like that? "Besides, while I may not be plated in gold, I'm worth far more than gold plating!" Right then, a hearty voice rang out as a well-built, middle-aged man walked over. Though middle-aged, he had a bit of a baby face and wore a collared shirt, but everyone in the dojo knew explosive muscles lay beneath that shirt. This man was Xu Tiehua. The number one student at Mingwu Dojo, his presence was even more commanding than Eldest Senior Brother's. Seeing Xu Tiehua appear, a flush crept over Xing Yu's face. The other students also turned their eyes toward Xu Tiehua one after another. Some people became the center of attention the moment they walked into a room. "Ahem... eavesdropping on little girls' private pillow talk—aren't you worried your ears will rot off?" Xing Yu said coyly, showing none of her earlier imperiousness. The others also greeted Xu Tiehua, though facing him, they unconsciously felt a sense of inadequacy. After all, Xu Tiehua was true high society—a man qualified to attend Count Black Crystal's funeral. Xu Tiehua greeted those present, then walked over to Qi Yuan, his expression genial. "You're Qi Yuan, right? Second Senior Brother mentioned you're entering the Martial Arts Tournament this year?" His purpose in coming here was specifically to meet Qi Yuan. "Yeah." Qi Yuan looked at Xu Tiehua and nodded. "I didn't expect our dojo would have an extra entrant this year. "Counting you, four of us are participating. With four people... beyond the singles tournament, there's also the team event. "If you have some free time, the four of us could spend a bit of time each day training together to prepare for the tournament!" Xu Tiehua extended an earnest invitation. Team events relied not only on individual strength but also on tactics. The rotation order of the four members and the roles each played were critical. That was why Xu Tiehua had come to invite Qi Yuan: to get him acquainted with the other teammates first. Qi Yuan shook his head and declined outright. "The competition is three months away—plenty of time. We can sync up during the last few days. Right now... I'm busy raising my strength." He was only at the fourth layer of Mingwu Resonant Fist, still several layers shy of becoming a certified martial artist. During this period, he needed to ramp up his strength aggressively. In this inaugural Martial Arts Tournament, he had to take first place. Hearing Qi Yuan's words, Xu Tiehua blinked in surprise, then chuckled. "You're right. Raising your own strength is what matters most. How about this: whenever you feel ready, come find me." Xu Tiehua was easygoing and very considerate toward Qi Yuan. Anyone else might have lost their temper on the spot upon being flatly rejected by Qi Yuan. "Sure," Qi Yuan nodded. Xu Tiehua said nothing more, bade Qi Yuan farewell, and left the dojo. Watching this, Wang Shiqiao nudged Qi Yuan and shot him a knowing look. "Why'd you turn down Young Master Xu? "You only just joined the dojo. In the singles event... well, you'll probably get knocked out in the first round. "Why not prepare for the team matches with them? Xu Tiehua is pretty strong; you might be able to last a few more rounds with him and pick up some extra experience." Wang Shiqiao's words reflected what most people were thinking. Qi Yuan had just entered the dojo and wasn't even a certified martial artist; entering the tournament was practically throwing himself to the wolves. "My goal is to win the Martial Arts Tournament. As for the team event... we'll see," Qi Yuan replied honestly. "You..." Wang Shiqiao rolled her eyes. "With your level, winning the championship? If you can win the tournament, I'll eat your shit!" Hearing this, Qi Yuan gave Wang Shiqiao a faint, contemplative look. "Are your motives that deep?" "Huh?" Wang Shiqiao was dumbfounded. "Where in the world could there be such a good deal? Scheming for free food and drink right under my nose." "Piss off!" Wang Shiqiao cursed loudly, finally catching on to what he meant. Night fell, and people began trickling out of the dojo. Wang Shiqiao said goodbye to Qi Yuan and left together with Xing Yu. Qi Yuan walked out of the dojo with a languid air. "Mr. Qi... what a coincidence! To think I'd run into you here!" By the roadside, a sedan's window rolled down, and a fair, slender pair of hands reached out, waving at Qi Yuan. Inside the car, a pretty young face appeared, delight shining in her eyes. "Oh, you're... Wu Qi?" Qi Yuan recognized the person in the car, his expression calm. "Are you heading home, Mr. Qi? It happens to be on my way. Why don't I give you a ride?" Wu Qi offered. Even though she tried hard to appear composed, one could tell her heart was far from calm. Yesterday on the cruise ship, Qi Yuan had left a profound impression on her. As a pragmatic woman, she knew exactly what she was after. Having encountered someone of such elite status, she naturally wasn't about to let him slip away. It so happened that one of her friends mentioned seeing an exceptionally handsome student at Mingwu Dojo and had sent her a photo. She had recognized Qi Yuan at a glance. In an instant, she felt this was ordained by heaven—her stroke of good luck. Without the slightest hesitation, she drove straight over to manufacture a chance encounter. Qi Yuan smiled faintly. "You don't even know where I live. How could it be on your way?" Inside the car, Wu Qi flushed, a flutter of panic rising in her chest. Then she heard Qi Yuan say: "You NPC, you can be my driver today." He could save on cab fare, which made Qi Yuan quite pleased with himself. With that, he got into Wu Qi's car. Ecstasy lit up Wu Qi's face, and her heart pounded even faster. "If I told you right now that I'm not interested in you and have no desire to get intimate with you, would you think I'm totally full of myself?" Sitting in the car, Qi Yuan suddenly chuckled as a thought struck him. After all, such remarks really sounded like some delusional guy with unearned confidence, not to mention heavily patronizing. Wu Qi froze, a heavy wave of disappointment welling up inside her. Still, she forced a smile. "Mr. Qi, you're joking." "Do you know why I got into your car?" Qi Yuan spoke again. Confusion filled Wu Qi's eyes; she hadn't expected him to ask such a thing out of the blue. Why? She was completely bewildered. "Because you're... a little special." Qi Yuan's gaze seemed to pierce through Wu Qi's body, fixing straight onto her blood. Under such scrutiny, Wu Qi felt entirely uneasy, as if her clothes and defenses had been stripped away, leaving her exposed naked before him.