Qualification

After returning to his room, Chen Chuan closed the door with a calm, natural expression, as if the fight just now were as routine as eating or drinking. He washed up first and changed into fresh clothes. Stepping back outside, he found Jing Lin gone. Only a few students remained, excitedly chatting amongst themselves, nodding in greeting when they saw him. He walked over to the public payphone. The dormitory proctor looked at him somewhat helplessly and said, "Student Chen, next time you spar, don't take it out on the wall. A lot of the paint was scraped off." Chen Chuan offered an apologetic smile. "My apologies, Teacher." The proctor chuckled. "Well, aim for the floor next time. If the damage is worse, that's fine—it makes it much easier for me to file a repair report, doesn't it?" Chen Chuan smiled as well. Once the proctor walked away, he lifted the receiver and dialed Cheng Zitong. When the call connected, he said, "Teacher, I just ran into someone claiming to be from Center City. He said he wanted to take me to see his teacher." Cheng Zitong's tone turned stern. "Where? When? Did you agree?" "I didn't." Chen Chuan gave a brief account of what had happened. Cheng Zitong said in a deep voice, "Understood. If this person comes looking for you again, refuse him outright. Remember, this is Yangzhi City's Wuyi Academy, not Center City. I'm tied up with something here right now and can't get away. If you run into any trouble, you can call Supervisor Gao at the Admissions Preparation Office directly. He'll help sort it out." Chen Chuan agreed. After hanging up, Cheng Zitong turned, about to speak to the person sitting on the sofa opposite him, only to find the seat empty. After hanging up the receiver, Chen Chuan checked his wristwatch. Not much time had passed; although washing up had taken a little while, mealtime hadn't passed yet. Taking the elevator down, he made his way toward the cafeteria. On the way, he reflected on the fight. Jing Lin was indeed somewhat different; he seemed to have freed himself from the shackle of needing breathing to drive mutated tissue. Yet, if that was all he could muster, Chen Chuan didn't consider it particularly remarkable. From what he had observed, the instructors at the academy operated at this level as well—unless Jing Lin possessed some other hidden talent, or was simply blinded by his own conceit. The reason he had refused to meet this so-called teacher was that he placed no faith in such an "opportunity." If it were truly that great, Cheng Zitong would have told him about it long ago. Furthermore, as his mentor, Cheng Zitong could never be bypassed in matters like this; at the very least, he would have had to be informed. Yet the other side had bypassed Cheng Zitong to approach him directly, and their words carried not a shred of respect. It was an arrogance bred into the bone. Amid his thoughts, he arrived at the cafeteria before he knew it. He pushed the matter to the back of his mind for now. After eating, he returned to the dormitory to resume training. Two more days passed in this manner. When the rest day at the end of the month arrived, he made a trip home. Nian Fuli was absent once again. According to Yu Wan, he had been burdened with a mountain of duties recently, yet far from feeling exhausted, he was brimming with energy. Chen Chuan could guess part of the reason. Smiling, he took out the stack of tickets and said, "Aunt, an academy instructor gave me these. You and Uncle can take my cousins to watch." Looking at the stack of tickets, Yu Wan was pleasantly surprised. Martial fervor ran deep across the Republic of Great Shun, and people from all walks of life were avid fans of arena matches. Ordinary citizens of Yangzhi City, however, could usually only watch matches hosted by various boxing gymnasiums. But whether in scale, competitive caliber, or duration, those gymnasiums could not hold a candle to Wuyi. Meanwhile, underground arenas run by organizations like the Blood Mark Gang and the Iron Chain Gang might boast higher skill levels, but they were excessively gory and indecent, and not places ordinary citizens could frequent. Thus, the year-end tournament held by Wuyi students was by far the most popular. In past years, tickets were nearly impossible to come by; she had never expected Chen Chuan to bring back so many all at once. Some could even be shared with the neighbors so they could go together to watch the matches. "Chan'er, Aunt will accept them then." "Chan'er, I want one too! I want one too!" Nian Mo was hopping up and down nearby. Yu Wan nabbed her younger son by the ear and scolded, "Weren't the things your cousin brought back last time enough to keep you busy? And how many times have I told you not to call your older brother by his childhood nickname!" "I'm polite! I'm polite! I always call him Big Brother!" Nian Lu tilted her little face up, her expression practically screaming *praise me, praise me*. Yu Wan gave Nian Mo's rear a light swat. "Your little sister is far better behaved than you." Chen Chuan smiled. "I'll bring something for both of you next time." Nian Lu immediately said with good manners, "Thank you, Big Brother!" He stayed the night at home. When he woke the next morning, it was already December. Though a full month remained until the New Year, households were already beginning their festive decorations. After breakfast, Chen Chuan said goodbye to Yu Wan and headed straight back to school. Upon stepping through the campus gates, he could hear the rhythmic running steps and cadenced chants from the Class B students' training grounds. On the paths, Class A students hurried along, merely exchanging brief nods when they crossed paths. In just a few days, the Class B students would undergo their tournament qualifiers, while the Class A students had to worry about final exams. Every year at this time, tension ran higher than ever among Wuyi students. In stark contrast, he strolled leisurely across campus with both hands tucked into his trouser pockets. Back in the dorm, he changed clothes and headed to the weapons training hall he frequently visited. The managing instructor there knew him well; every time he entered, a simple nod of greeting was all that was needed. Today, however, he sensed something unusual about the instructor. As he entered, the instructor's gaze remained fixed straight ahead, as though not seeing him at all. Chen Chuan paused to consider, then continued inside. Pushing open the doors, he saw the vast practice hall was completely empty. None of the students who usually trained here were anywhere to be found. Only a tall, slender man stood there, wearing a half-smile that was not quite a smile. The instant he walked in, he guessed the man's identity. Yet he did not retreat; instead, he turned back to pull the double doors shut behind him, then walked over and came to a stop before the man. The man looked at him with keen interest and said, "You're sharp. I noticed your stride faltered for a fraction of a second when you entered the building—you must have realized something was off today. And yet you still walked in. Is that because of your trust in the school's environment, or your confidence in yourself?" Chen Chuan thought for a moment and replied, "A bit of both, I suppose." The man said, "Fascinating. Your confidence must have been built up by surviving brutal fight after fight, by defeating opponent after opponent. Quite good." Chen Chuan could read the man's gaze. It was like appraising an item under consideration—hovering in a limbo between acquiring it and discarding it at any moment, and thoroughly savoring the pleasure of that evaluation. Such an attitude unquestionably placed oneself on an exalted pedestal. This was arrogance just the same; though expressed differently from Jing Lin's, at its core it was no different. Chen Chuan said, "So he really is your student." "Student?" The man seemed mildly surprised, then slightly amused. "Wrong. He's merely a toy of mine." A malicious curl touched the corner of his lips. "He's an illegitimate son. As a child, he was frequently abused by the heirs, yet he couldn't bring himself to run away from his family. Because even while being beaten, insulted, and tormented, his life was still better than most commoners in Center City, better than ninety-nine percent of the people in the slums. "Deep down, he craves superiority, craves revenge, craves trampling those who once beat and abused him beneath his boots. So I deigned to toss him a chance—simply because I truly wanted to see how the next act of this drama would unfold. "To watch a play, one must buy a ticket, so I didn't mind giving him some guidance. But I couldn't give him too much, because then it would become dreadfully boring. Do you know? In Center City, he was timid and self-abasing, terrified of even raising his voice to anyone. Yet out here in the provinces, he turns arrogant, aloof, looking down on everyone. Isn't that utterly fascinating?" Chen Chuan said, "Then does your presence here have a similar motive?" "No, no, no," the man immediately denied. "I never start watching another play before finishing the current one. Originally, I only acted on a whim, wanting to meet you to see whether you were truly as formidable as the newspapers bragged. But after Jing Lin returned, I looked into your background a bit more. And I found that you suit my requirements very well." "Requirements?" The man looked at him and said, "People from small places like you want nothing more than a legitimate opportunity to gain a foothold in Center City. And as a student of Wuyi, there are basically only two paths to reach Center City. "One is testing into the Main Academy on your own, but those quotas are exceedingly limited, virtually nonexistent outside recommended students. The other is far more realistic for someone like you: establishing personal patronage with someone qualified to go to Center City, entering as a retainer. Even so, this opportunity isn't available to just anyone; if you aren't outstanding enough, no one would look twice at you. "Whether through your past deeds or the strength you showed in defeating my toy not long ago, you have proven your ability. You have earned the qualification. "Therefore, as long as you agree to become my retainer—nominally, of course, you would serve as my student's sparring partner—you can accompany me to Center City." He smiled playfully again. "Having trouble making up your mind on the spot? That's fine. I have always been generous toward talented people. I'll give you two days. Once you've thought it through, you may come find me." With that, he started walking toward the door. Chen Chuan said, "May I ask how to address you?" "Tan Wang." Tan Wang brushed past him, pulled open the door, and turned back to say, "I forgot to mention—I don't like being refused. Enjoy your rest day." Having said his piece, he strode straight out. Chen Chuan stood in the empty training hall, pondering for a moment. After a short while, he too walked out. After leaving the training hall, Tan Wang returned directly to the villa in the center of the lake. But just as he stepped into the training quarters, his eyes narrowed. Someone was sitting on the sofa where he usually sat. It was a lion of a man with a broad mouth and large nose, unruly hair spilling over his shoulders, and a frame so massive and powerful that he seemed to bend the sofa beneath him. He wore a belted training robe, beneath which well-defined blocks of muscle bulged. His robust body seemed to harbor a terrifying, breathtaking power; even from this distance, it exerted a stifling pressure. Tan Wang's narrow eyes squinted slightly. "Who are you?" The man slowly rose from the sofa. With that simple movement, a vastly more imposing pressure radiated outward. In a deep, powerful voice, he replied, "He Xiaoxing." …… ……