He watched, wide-eyed, as the class monitor he'd fawned over, Wang Guanjia—a student who hadn't known defeat since joining Class Eight—had his spear shaft shattered by Jiang Qiu before everyone's eyes.
The corner of Qian Cheng's mouth began to twitch uncontrollably. The Wooden Spear in his hand trembled slightly, and his heart pounded with unease.
'How could Wang Guanjia possibly lose?'
'His father was once a Spear Leader at this very school—an outstanding student with profound Spear Technique. It gave him the chance to start learning the Ancient Martial Spear Technique more than two years ahead of everyone else!'
'His dad is a teacher in the school's resource department now. He could probably get his hands on official Martial Arts Resources to strengthen his body—stuff a hundred times more effective than the medicinal baths sold on the market!'
'And his Talent is incredible. He could have gone straight into Class One as a top student, but he came to Class Eight and has been number one ever since!'
'And his relationship with Teacher Wu is so good... so, so good...'
'So why did he lose?'
The sound of two sharp footsteps seemed to stomp on his chest, shattering his thoughts. He turned to see an imposing, short-haired girl walk before Director Zhao with a spear in hand. Cupping her fist, she picked up where Jiang Qiu had left off. "Director Zhao, I am Liu Zili, a student of Class Eight. I request to challenge the third name on the qualification list—Qian Cheng!"
"So, another challenger for someone on the list?" Zhao Gongzheng shot a meaningful glance at the silent, awkwardly smiling Wu Shan before turning his gaze to the students. "Who is Qian Cheng? Step forward and accept the challenge. The winner becomes a Spear Leader; the loser remains in Class Eight!"
THUMP, THUMP, THUMP...
Under that piercing gaze, Qian Cheng gripped his spear shaft tightly. He gritted his teeth, his chest tight as hot blood rushed through his veins with every beat of his heart. Adrenaline surged. "Director Zhao, I am Qian Cheng!"
The moment he stepped forward with his spear, his body trembled with heat. He shot a vicious glare back at Jiang Qiu, a flash of uncontrollable killing intent erupting in his eyes.
'To become a Spear Leader, my family went over 200,000 into debt buying medicinal baths and precious bone-healing drugs! Our house in the commoners' district is about to be seized to cover it!'
'I have to defend this spot today. I have to defend it even if I die!'
"Sigh..."
Jiang Qiu let out a soft sigh. In a moment of silence, the scene on the floor had already exploded into a flurry of flying spear-shadows and whistling wind. Neither combatant gave an inch, clashing head-on.
That Liu Zili was one of the seven challengers—five men and two women. And although she, like him, had been born in the Shantytown, her Ancient Martial Spear Technique was clearly far superior to Qian Cheng's.
SCREECH—
A sudden gust of wind ruffled Jiang Qiu's hair. In the blink of an eye, Zhao Gongzheng was standing between Qian Cheng and Liu Zili, his hands clamped like iron vises around the humming, vibrating spear shafts. On one side, the spear tip was stopped just short of piercing Liu Zili's shoulder. On the other, it had mercifully not run Qian Cheng completely through the chest.
"The victor is decided! Liu Zili has earned a spot as a Spear Leader!"
Zhao Gongzheng casually yanked the spears from their hands and, with a CLATTER, tossed them into a corner. He turned a cold face to Wu Shan. "Wu Shan, I believe you and I need to have a serious discussion about how Martial Arts instruction should be conducted."
"Yes."
Wu Shan snorted, a cold light glinting in his one good eye.
"Does anyone else wish to make a challenge?!"
The thick lenses of Zhao Gongzheng's glasses could not hide the sword-sharp glint in his eyes. His deep, rough voice drowned out the sound of everyone else's breathing.
After a thorough scan of the crowd, he plucked the qualification list from Wu Shan's hand. "Since there are no further objections, I declare this proficiency test concluded. The Class Eight students who will become Spear Leaders are: Jiang Qiu, Wang Guanjia, Hu Ye'ye, and Liu Zili!"
"The selected students will be certified as honor students before noon. This afternoon, wait for the announcement to go to the elite training hall and receive your spears. Dismissed!"
THUMP. THUMP. THUMP.
The heavy footsteps receded into the distance. Jiang Qiu watched as Wu Shan followed the inspection team led by Zhao Gongzheng out of the hall. A wave of discussion immediately swelled around him.
"Director Zhao from the Martial Inspection Department has always despised staff who neglect their duties. A hands-off teacher like Wu Shan is going to be stripped of his position, at the very least!"
"It's hard to say. Wu Shan probably hasn't just been like this with our year. Besides, he's a Martial Artist with a distinguished war record. Firing him would be a loss for the school..."
"A war record means what, exactly? Every Martial Artist has a record of service! And this isn't the first person Director Zhao has had to straighten out! In previous years, Wu Shan might have been able to run his class like a tyrant, but now Jiang Qiu has dragged the whole problem into the light. Director Zhao has to deal with it!"
'The one-eyed Martial Artist, Wu Shan...'
Jiang Qiu fell silent as he watched more students leave the training hall.
'Compared to those Martial Artists who fought their way back from the battlefield, my old self was a world apart—always terrified of disaster, not even daring to meet their gaze.'
'But now, I can keep getting stronger through my Martial Arts practice. My potential is limitless!'
'I need to show Director Zhao, show the whole school, just what my future is worth. Show them how much care and protection I deserve!'
At this thought, a faint smile touched Jiang Qiu's lips. His eyes flashed, revealing an even more resilient light.
"Jiang Qiu, congratulations on getting the spot. You earned it."
Li Xueming offered a small smile before leaving the training hall with the other students. He looked at the boy standing there, chest held high, and sighed to himself.
'I trained with him for a day. I thought I knew his strength, but I still underestimated him.'
'Heh, to think there was a genius like that in our class and I never knew. From now on, we'll be in different worlds...'
"Thanks." Jiang Qiu returned the smile, which seemed to startle Li Xueming for a moment. Then, smiling to himself, Li Xueming turned and left.
CLINK.
Jiang Qiu placed his Wooden Spear on the rack and glanced back. Wang Guanjia happened to be looking over at that exact moment. Their gazes met in mid-air. One was like a deep, clear pool; the other, a fish stranded on the sand.
After just one look, Wang Guanjia's shoulders slumped. He shuffled aimlessly out the main doors, his lips moving as he muttered something to himself.
Looking toward the corner, he saw Qian Cheng lying on his back. His bloodshot eyes swam with tears, his teeth chattering audibly. A tear in the front of his school uniform revealed a patch of red staining the cloth beneath.
"Hnngh... sob... sniffle..."
The sound of his sobbing filled the dead air of the training hall.
'Everyone walks their own path. This is what happens when you can't see it through.'
As Jiang Qiu averted his gaze, a sharp, competent figure hopped into his line of sight. Her voice was as small as a hungry sparrow's. "Jiang Qiu, thank you."
Liu Zili stood before him, her short hair framing an oval face. She nervously clutched the hem of her clothes, revealing shallow dimples and a row of pearly white teeth.
The grimy collar of her uniform near her left shoulder was also torn, marked by a fist-sized bloodstain. Her left arm trembled slightly. Tears welled in her crescent-shaped eyes. "C-can I treat you to a meal?"
"No need." Jiang Qiu waved a hand, chuckling. "We'll be honor students from now on, so meals in the cafeteria are free. No need to waste money. Besides," he added, "you won this with your own effort and determination. You don't need to feel indebted or grateful to me. Just keep up the hard work. See you around."
The moment the boy's silhouette disappeared through the main doors, the tears brimming in Liu Zili's eyes finally broke free.
'I won. My name is really on the list.'
'Director Zhao said I'll get my spear. I'm going to be an honor student.'
'Dad, Mom, I didn't dare... I really didn't. But even though the spots on the list were already fixed, I just wanted to try...'
She couldn't suppress the sob that felt like it was gushing up from a deep well, rushing into her sinuses with a sharp, stinging burn.
She clenched her fists, staring at the spot where Jiang Qiu's back had disappeared. It was as if she were watching the sun rise from the East Mountain, a new dawn breaking before her. 'I'm cut out for Martial Arts. Now I have a chance to take the entrance exams. I'll definitely get into Northwest Martial University!'
'Jiang Qiu, thank you for being the first to challenge Wang Guanjia!'