Chapter 17: Scores and Secrets
“So hungry.”
Qian Shen rubbed his stomach, completely uninterested in the paintings at the art exhibition. He just wanted to find a place to have a big meal.
He had, after all, just finished a supplementary body tempering session before rushing over, and his rumbling stomach made him feel like he could eat an entire cow.
“I’m going to see if I can find anything good to eat.”
After telling his classmates who had come with him, Qian Shen started searching through the exhibition hall.
The students who came to the art exhibition with him were not the least bit surprised by this.
Diligently studying the Immortal Dao and arduously tempering their bodies day after day, the nutrients they required and the portions they ate naturally far exceeded those of ordinary people.
For a top student like Qian Shen, who trained arduously twenty-four hours a day, the daily food intake was even greater. Eating only five meals a day would make his private tutor worry if he had lost his appetite.
Just then, Qian Shen’s gaze suddenly lit up, his eyes locking onto the buffet table.
He strode forward, grabbed a plate of large shrimp, and downed them in a few bites, but after eating for a moment, he frowned.
“How is this food so lacking in nutrients?”
As the top student of Songyang High School’s freshman class, the perennial number two, Qian Shen’s success was not only due to his own talent and hard work but, most importantly, his family’s wealth.
To enhance the effects of his cultivation, especially the efficacy of his body tempering, the food he usually ate was rich in all sorts of Immortal Dao elements.
For a score-chaser like him, taste was secondary; the ability to increase his cultivation efficiency was all that mattered.
He could certainly afford the seafood provided at the art exhibition’s buffet, but he had no interest in spending money solely to satisfy his palate, instead feeling it was a waste of his time and stomach capacity.
Seafood, gourmet meals… if it can’t improve my scores? Then it’s just trash.
So, as Qian Shen scanned the other dishes on the table, he called over a server, wanting to ask if there was any other food available that could be used as a dietary supplement.
“Everything edible is right here. Take what you want.”
Hearing the server’s somewhat cold voice, Qian Shen couldn’t help but frown, and when he looked up, he saw a familiar face.
Qian Shen glanced at the server uniform on the other person and said with surprise, “You work here?”
“Yes,” Bai Zhenzhen said expressionlessly. “Is there anything else?”
Qian Shen, however, frowned and said, “Are you that short on money?”
“You should hurry up and sign a contract with the student council. Otherwise, continuing to waste time on meaningless jobs like this will only drag you down on your path of the Immortal Dao.”
“Even if I were to surpass you then, there wouldn’t be any satisfaction in it.”
Qian Shen’s tone was filled with emotion; after all, he had always regarded Bai Zhenzhen, the only girl in his year who could surpass him in total score, as his rival.
He felt that Bai Zhenzhen must think the same way.
The next three years of high school, the entire grade level, and even the entire school, would be the battlefield where their two great talents would contend with and yet cherish one another.
They were supposed to break through their limits in one competition after another, ultimately getting into a top-tier university together three years later.
But in response to Qian Shen’s heartfelt sentiment, Bai Zhenzhen just said flatly, “Are you telling me what to do?”
Before Qian Shen could answer, Bai Zhenzhen continued, “A guy with a total score just over 600 is going to teach me, a 650, what to do?”
Faced with Bai Zhenzhen’s blatant academic discrimination, Qian Shen, a staunch believer in the supremacy of scores, felt his confidence instantly deflate. The 50-point gap felt like a mountain crashing down on him.
Your score is higher, so you must be right.
In that moment, in Qian Shen’s eyes, it was as if three glowing numbers, 650, were hovering above Bai Zhenzhen’s head, emitting a powerful pressure that crushed him so much he couldn’t utter a single word of rebuttal.
Bai Zhenzhen frowned. “No, seriously, why are you staring over my head when you’re talking to me?”
Qian Shen snorted coldly and turned to leave.
Just you wait, Bai Zhenzhen. Wasting your time like this, it won’t be long before I surpass you.
Who would have known that just a few steps after turning around, he would almost collide with two security guards.
It was Zhang Yu, who had come over to check on the situation, and Zhao Tianxing, whom he had dragged along.
Having just seen what looked like a conflict between Bai Zhenzhen and Qian Shen, Zhang Yu, as a security guard, had hurried over.
Qian Shen looked at the two of them, and although they wore security uniforms, they were his classmates, so he recognized them at a glance.
“550 and 580?”
Hearing this form of address, Zhang Yu paused for a second, then realized in the next moment that 550 was his total score from last month’s exam, and 580 was, he supposed, Zhao Tianxing’s total score?
Good grief, this guy only sees scores and can’t even remember his classmates’ names, can he? Another one who’s studied himself into a freak.
But in truth, it wasn’t just names that Qian Shen couldn’t remember. In fact, for any student below 550 points, he remembered neither their names nor their scores.
After all, to him… below 550? Weren’t they all just NPCs? Was there any need to remember them?
Someone like the 550 before him was already a sub-human in Qian Shen’s eyes.
Based on his observations during this period, the other party would likely score below 550 on the next monthly exam, at which point there would be no need to remember him at all starting next month.
And looking at the security uniforms on Zhang Yu and Zhao Tianxing, Qian Shen shook his head again.
“How did you two end up working here too?”
Facing the 550 and 580, the confidence that had just been crushed by the 650 instantly swelled back up within Qian Shen.
He said arrogantly, “Instead of seizing the time to study and cultivate more, what are you two doing wasting your time here?”
Zhang Yu said, “Aren’t you here too?”
Qian Shen chuckled confidently. “I specifically postponed my tutoring session today to come here and comprehend the peerless martial art within the Celestial Paragon’s Martial Demonstration Scroll.”
Zhang Yu said, “Yeah, we’re also here to comprehend the Celestial Paragon’s Martial Demonstration Scroll.”
“And we get paid 800 an hour on top of it.”
“Earning money while comprehending a divine art, isn’t that a much better deal?”
“Hmm?” Qian Shen paused upon hearing this, looking at Zhang Yu with some surprise.
The words of a 550-pointer actually make some sense?
He looked at Zhang Yu and said, “550, I’ll remember you.”
“My name is Zhang Yu!” Zhang Yu couldn’t help but glance above his own head again. “Why do you keep staring at the space above my head?”
But Qian Shen quickly came to his senses.
“No, that’s not right. You two think you can comprehend the Celestial Paragon’s Martial Demonstration Scroll?”
Zhao Tianxing could feel more and more people looking over, and Qian Shen’s disdainful gaze made his cheeks flush slightly. He quickly waved his hands and said,
“No, no, no, I’m not trying to comprehend the Celestial Paragon’s Martial Demonstration Scroll.”
Qian Shen, however, couldn’t be bothered with Zhao Tianxing’s explanation and just shook his head with a sigh.
“The Celestial Paragon’s Martial Demonstration Scroll was personally painted by a Golden Core expert. The peerless martial art it contains is specifically meant to select true geniuses. Even I don’t have absolute confidence in mastering it, let alone you two.”
With that said, Qian Shen lost all interest in looking at the 550 and 580 before him and turned to leave.
Watching Qian Shen’s departing figure, Zhao Tianxing’s expression grew even more bitter.
Now, not only had the other boy seen him working as a security guard, but thanks to Zhang Yu’s careless words, he also misunderstood that he was here to comprehend the Celestial Paragon’s Martial Demonstration Scroll.
Zhao Tianxing was filled with bitterness, already imagining the ridicule he would face from his many classmates.
This is a huge embarrassment, he thought to himself.
The nearby Zhang Yu, however, didn’t have as many thoughts racing through his head as Zhao Tianxing. He looked at Bai Zhenzhen and asked, “Are you okay? You and Qian Shen don’t get along?”
Bai Zhenzhen pursed her lips and said casually, “What could happen to me? Most of the time, he just brings the humiliation on himself.”
Then her gaze turned to Zhang Yu, a little peculiar.
“You’re also planning to comprehend the Celestial Paragon’s Martial Demonstration Scroll?”
Seeing Zhang Yu nod confidently, Bai Zhenzhen thought to herself, This mountain of debt is driving Yu-boy more and more delusional. With his level… he even wants to try and comprehend a martial art left behind by a Golden Core True Person?
The nearby Zhao Tianxing just wanted to get out of there quickly. He tugged on Zhang Yu’s clothes, wanting to leave, only to find him exchanging looks and winks with Bai Zhenzhen.
Immediately after, he saw Bai Zhenzhen secretly pass a plate of seafood into Zhang Yu’s arms.
Zhang Yu said, “Old Zhao, want to try some?”
Zhao Tianxing said anxiously, “The captain said we’re not allowed to eat from the buffet.”
As he spoke, he hurriedly used his body to shield Zhang Yu, afraid that someone might see what was happening.
Zhang Yu said lightly, “Isn’t it perfect that Zhen is working here too? We can just skim a little off the top from the company.”
Just as Zhang Yu was tasting the large shrimp on the plate, a voice came from behind Zhao Tianxing.
“What are you two doing?”
The voice startled Zhao Tianxing, but when he turned and saw that it was their classmate, Zhou Tianyi, he breathed a sigh of relief.
Unconsciously, it seemed Zhao Tianxing was gradually getting used to wearing a security uniform in front of his classmates.
Zhang Yu looked at Zhou Tianyi in surprise.
“Old Zhou, you’re here too?”
Zhou Tianyi smiled. “Yeah, I came with Qian Shen and the others.”
“Really? How come I didn’t see you just now.”
“Heh, what brings you here?”
The two chatted briefly about their respective situations, while a nearby Zhao Tianxing once again urged Zhang Yu that it was time to continue their patrol.
Zhou Tianyi, however, suddenly put on a mysterious expression and said, “I’ve got a piece of gossip about a Golden Core True Person. I wonder if you’re interested in hearing it?”
Seeing the curious look on Zhang Yu’s face, Zhao Tianxing said, “The captain is already pinging us in the group chat, asking where we are…”
Zhang Yu nodded. “Never mind then, work is more important. I’ll hear it from you next time.”
Just as the two were turning to leave, they heard Zhou Tianyi say, “True Person Starfire is planning to retreat to the first layer because he had half of his cultivation taken away after leaving his post.”
“Hm?”
Both Zhang Yu and Zhao Tianxing immediately turned back around, waiting for Zhou Tianyi to continue.
Although the nearby Bai Zhenzhen didn’t look over, she too perked up her ears to listen.
Zhou Tianyi smiled and continued, “A Golden Core True Person can live for a maximum of 400 years, but True Person Starfire was already 350 last year and was ‘optimized’ by the Myriad Laws Sect.”
“When he left his post, half of his cultivation was reclaimed, leaving him unable to afford the expenses of the upper layers, which is why he wants to retreat to the first layer of Kunxu to focus on raising his descendants and teaching his disciples.”
Zhang Yu was once again shocked by this bullshit world.
“Wait… you have to give back half your cultivation when you quit?”
Zhou Tianyi stated as if it were obvious, “The sect cultivated him, gave him the opportunity and resources to form his Golden Core. Isn’t it normal for him to hand over half of his cultivation when he leaves?”
Just as the three were listening to Zhou Tianyi’s news about True Person Starfire, the crowd in the distance suddenly began to stir.
A guest said in a low voice, “Madam Li is here. The Celestial Paragon’s Martial Demonstration Scroll is about to be unveiled.”