Chapter 187: Zhang Yu’s Time
From Wang Hai’s many years of life experience, whenever he encountered a situation in Kunxu that he couldn’t comprehend, it usually meant that major powers were pulling strings in the background.
And once ordinary people were drawn onto the chessboard of those corporations and great clans, they rarely met a good end.
It was this principle that had kept Wang Hai as just a P.E. teacher for decades.
But it was also this principle that ensured that, decades later, he still had a job as a gold-medal P.E. teacher.
As for Lin Hui, a new teacher who had only been hired by Songyang High School last year, Wang Hai could understand her eagerness as a newcomer to seize this opportunity and make a fortune. He’d had the same mindset when he was young.
But whether it was Lin Hui or Zhang Yu, Wang Hai was not optimistic about their futures.
Sigh, when ordinary cultivators get caught in the vortex of these major powers, they might make a lot of money at first, but the final outcome is usually bankruptcy, picked clean until there’s nothing left.
Those people at the top, which one of them is willing to let someone profit for free, without expecting a return?
On Zhang Yu’s side, even after receiving the Dragon-Elephant Preparation, he still found it hard to believe that Songyang High School would be so generous as to provide free alchemical enhancers to students.
This isn’t the culture of our Songyang High School.
Could there be something wrong with this enhancer?
Only after watching the surrounding students inject the substance and begin their body tempering with renewed vigor did Zhang Yu cautiously inject a tiny amount himself.
I’ll give it a try. My Spring and Autumn Endless Zen is already at level 10. Even if there’s a problem with this enhancer, I should be able to expel it…
Shortly after that minuscule dose of Dragon-Elephant Preparation entered his body, Zhang Yu felt a fire ignite within him, a heat that spread to every corner of his being.
His first impression was that this alchemical enhancer was incredibly potent, like a stick of dynamite detonating inside him, making him want to dance wildly for three days and three nights.
His second impression was that it was incredibly toxic.
Having advanced his Spring and Autumn Endless Zen to level 10, Zhang Yu’s sensitivity to medicinal and alchemical toxins had reached an unprecedented peak.
He could feel that the toxins and impurities in this enhancer were at least ten times more potent than those in ordinary ones.
But it’s still within the control of the Spring and Autumn Endless Zen.
However, being in public, Zhang Yu was unwilling to reveal his Spring and Autumn Endless Zen. He channeled the potent energy and began cultivating the Crimson Marrow Primordial Qi instead.
Nearby, Lin Hui watched this silently, a faint, imperceptible smile playing on her lips. She thought to herself, This is no ordinary Dragon-Elephant Preparation. This is Raging Dragon Preparation.
While its effects are several times stronger than the Dragon-Elephant Preparation, capable of comprehensively boosting one’s energy, stamina, and blood qi to greatly enhance body tempering efficiency, it has one major drawback… it’s addictive.
Once you have it the first time, you’ll have it countless times more.
You won’t be able to stop.
At that moment, Lin Hui could almost see the future: Zhang Yu, using the Raging Dragon Preparation again and again, growing ever more dependent on the incredible boost to his body tempering, using more and more, until he finally realizes his addiction and kneels before her, begging for more.
As the bell rang, P.E. class ended, and it was time for school to be dismissed.
Fu Ji lamented, “First, you can’t skip the general knowledge courses.”
“Then, you’re forced to only practice basic cultivation techniques in martial arts class.”
“And now, in P.E. class, they give you such a potent and toxic enhancer.”
“These tactics are getting more outrageous by the day.”
Although Zhang Yu was grateful for the chance to acquire basic cultivation techniques from the school for free, he could also sense that this was not a gesture of goodwill.
In a later conversation, Fu Ji confirmed his suspicions. “This is clearly a deliberate attempt to waste your time. Are you sure you want to practice these basic cultivation techniques?”
Zhang Yu said calmly, “I have my own plans. Solidifying my foundation is a good thing for me.”
Fu Ji did not understand Zhang Yu’s reasoning, and could only guess it had something to do with his awakened potential.
After P.E. class, Zhang Yu had asked Bai Zhenzhen and a few others how they felt after taking the enhancer. Their experiences were completely different from his, a clear sign that they had been given a different substance.
They even swapped my body tempering alchemical enhancer? Zhang Yu thought. This is targeted specifically at me.
After hearing Zhang Yu’s account, Bai Zhenzhen’s brow furrowed. “I heard these recent school reforms were proposed by the Student Council. Could it be that Zhou Chechen is up to his old tricks again, trying to get revenge on us?”
Zhang Yu sighed. “That Zhou Chechen. He was quiet for a while, but now he’s stirring up trouble again.”
Just as Zhang Yu was about to leave the school grounds, Su Haifeng, accompanied by another middle-aged teacher, blocked his path.
Su Haifeng said coolly, “Zhang Yu, the school takes your development very seriously. After noticing your poor performance in Daoist arts, we have specially hired a teacher to provide you with tutoring.”
“From now on, after school every day, you will study with Teacher Zhou for four hours before you leave.”
“And remember, according to Songyang City regulations, the four hours immediately following dismissal are considered part of the normal school day. Since tutoring has been arranged, you are forbidden from skipping it.”
Zhang Yu was left speechless.
What kind of ridiculous rule is that? The four hours after school are part of the normal school day? Is that something a sane person would say?
Hearing the subject of the tutoring, Zhang Yu was stunned. “Daoist arts? Tutoring?”
High school Daoist arts were just talismans, weren’t they?
Wasn’t it a subject where progress was directly proportional to how much money you spent?
That needed tutoring?
But when Teacher Zhou led him into a classroom and handed him a stack of three hundred test papers, Zhang Yu felt a profound sense of malice.
The teacher before him said flatly, “Do the papers. Practice a hundred times, and the principles will reveal themselves.”
“From now on, you will come here every day to do test papers. The more you do, the better your test-taking ability for talismans will naturally become.”
Zhang Yu’s eyes narrowed, a powerful wave of resentment rising within him. They want to waste another four hours of my day.
Teacher Zhou noticed the subtle shift in Zhang Yu’s expression, a hint of mockery in his eyes.
“What? Do you intend to defy the school’s official academic plan? Do you want to receive a demerit?”
Zhang Yu took a deep breath and silently began working on the stack of talisman test papers.
While Zhang Yu was doing his test papers, Bai Zhenzhen kicked the door of the Student Council office open with a loud bang.
Seeing He Dayou behind the desk, Bai Zhenzhen demanded coldly, “Was the after-school Daoist arts tutoring for Zhang Yu arranged by the Student Council?”
He Dayou quickly threw his hands up in surrender. “It has nothing to do with me! It was all the president’s idea.”
Bai Zhenzhen asked, “Where is Zhou Chechen?”
A moment later, Bai Zhenzhen, crackling with lightning, shot like a thunderbolt toward the third-year students’ training grounds.
Seeing Zhou Chechen and Lan Ling cultivating in the distance, Bai Zhenzhen said coldly, “Zhou Chechen, cancel Zhang Yu’s tutoring immediately. If you don’t, I will challenge you once every day, and I will beat you until you vomit every time I see you. Let’s see what face you have left to remain at this school.”
Zhou Chechen, however, didn’t even spare her a glance, simply waving a dismissive hand. “Get her out of here. Don’t disturb our cultivation.”
The next moment, Bai Zhenzhen saw a blur flash before her eyes, moving so fast that she only had time to cross her arms to block.
Bang!
Bai Zhenzhen was sent flying like a meteor, landing outside the training grounds in an instant.
At the same time, a young man sauntered toward her, chuckling. “The name’s Zhou Hao. I’m in charge of Zhou Chechen’s security now.”
“So, what’s it going to be? Shall I beat you until you vomit all the way out of here, or will you leave on your own?”
With a soft whoosh, Zhou Hao instantly appeared in front of Bai Zhenzhen.
“By the way,” he added, “I’m a graduate of one of the 72 lower-tier colleges. My major was security.”
“With your high school level, you don’t stand a chance against me.”
Bai Zhenzhen stared daggers at Zhou Hao, feeling his aura at the peak of Qi Refinement. She knew he was right.
She thought to herself, The 72 lower-tier colleges?
Among universities, besides the 10 elite institutions, there were the 36 upper-tier colleges, the 72 lower-tier colleges, and then vocational schools and other miscellaneous institutions.
The 72 lower-tier colleges represented 72 third-rate universities. While not impressive among universities, it meant that he had been at the peak of Qi Refinement for over ten years and had mastered an unknown number of level-10 cultivation techniques.
A cultivation gap of more than ten years… Bai Zhenzhen gritted her teeth, knowing that even if she used her full strength, she would be no match for him.
Seeing Bai Zhenzhen turn and leave decisively, Zhou Hao nodded. “That’s right. A wise person adapts to the circumstances.”
“Also, Zhou Chechen wanted me to ask you: for one million, would you be willing to betray Zhang Yu?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” Bai Zhenzhen snapped, whirling back around. She said matter-of-factly, “Just transfer the money. I’ll go stab him a couple of times right now.”
Zhou Hao said coolly, “Sign the contract first, then you’ll get the money.”
Bai Zhenzhen snorted and left without another word.
As she arrived at a small flower garden, intending to cultivate while waiting for Zhang Yu’s class to end, she sensed through her detection ritual that a camera was aimed at her.
A school camera? No, that’s not the location of a school camera…
Sensing the bright point of light in her vision, Bai Zhenzhen’s frown deepened. Someone is secretly monitoring me? Is it Zhou Chechen’s people as well?
Considering the possibility that the person watching her was a university student on par with Zhou Hao, Bai Zhenzhen knew that shaking them would be incredibly difficult.
If they keep watching us like this… we won’t even be able to go to the Dark Learning Gang.
This guy is systematically eroding our space to cultivate and earn money.
At that moment, Bai Zhenzhen felt a pressure she had not experienced in a long time.
Especially as Zhou Chechen deployed his schemes one by one, a pressure far stronger, heavier, and more difficult to resist than anything he had done before began to close in on them from all sides.
It was like a bottomless abyss, threatening to swallow her and Zhang Yu whole.