The conference hall fell silent in an instant. All eyes turned to Wu Shan, who stood alone in the center of the front row. Most of the students and teachers were shocked speechless, as if watching a tiger confront a lion.
Jiang Qiu's heart suddenly hammered in his chest. He raised his head and stared blankly at Wu Shan's broad back.
"Wu Shan, what is the meaning of this?" Li Ang's voice was low and grating, like a knife being sharpened. The black scar slanting across the bridge of his nose twitched menacingly with every breath. "You disagree with the results of my discussion with Director Zhao? Do you have a better proposal?"
The audience was dead silent. Zhao Gongzheng said nothing. It was as if the sky had fallen, crushing everyone into speechlessness. Only Wu Shan stood tall against it, fearless. "Heh, Director Li, every single year the practical training hunt is ranked by martial skill. On what grounds does Li Juefeng get the first pick this year?"
Upon hearing this, every teacher and student in the back rows frowned.
'Wouldn't Li Juefeng still get to pick first anyway?'
'What is Wu Shan doing? I never heard he had this big of a problem with Director Li, to openly cause trouble in a meeting...'
"Are you saying Li Juefeng wouldn't be the first pick if we rank by martial skill?" Li Ang narrowed his eyes, his voice booming with restrained power. "Wu Shan, do not deliberately disrupt the order of this meeting!"
"Director Li, on what grounds do you think Li Juefeng would be the first pick if we ranked by martial skill? I think the first pick should go to the top student from my Field Number Eight, Jiang Qiu!"
His voice was like a boulder dropped into a deep pool, sending giant waves through everyone's hearts. The other six students in the fourth row all turned to look at Jiang Qiu, their brows furrowed in confusion.
'This audacious?'
'He's coming out of the gate ready to clash head-on with Li Juefeng!'
'For Wu Shan to back him up so vocally... Holy shit, how highly must he value him!'
THUMP, THUMP, THUMP...
Jiang Qiu's heart hammered against his ribs. He pursed his lips and glanced forward. Several teachers from the resource department, the Martial Inspection Department, and those in charge of the fields had turned around, their unfamiliar gazes piercing him like stray arrows.
'Why is he suddenly making me fight Li Juefeng for the first pick?'
'Wu Shan must have lost his mind!'
"No one from your Field Number Eight can defeat Li Juefeng—" Li Ang's mouth was set in a grim line, but before he could finish, Wu Shan slammed a hand on the table and cut him off. "Is whether they can or can't up to you? Li Juefeng didn't even bother to show up for the meeting, and he gets the first pick? Today, I'm recommending the top student from my Field Number Eight, Jiang Qiu, for the first pick. If any other outstanding student has a problem with that, they can come up on stage and challenge him!"
Down on the floor, Wu Shan stood alone in the center of the front row, his large hand pressed on the table. His one good eye seemed to pierce through the air, while the stitches over his left eye twitched menacingly. The black emptiness beneath them looked as if something terrible was about to crawl out. His entire aura was as imposing as Taishan Mountain holding up the sky.
Meeting that gaze, a muscle in Li Ang's chiseled jaw twitched. His hands on the table clenched into fists. The sound of his heavy breathing spread through the conference hall via the microphone. "Director Zhao, what are your thoughts?"
"Since Teacher Wu Shan has recommended someone for the first pick, we will go with his recommendation. Li Juefeng had matters to attend to and did not participate in the meeting, so he will be moved to second. If any student disagrees, they may issue a challenge."
Zhao Gongzheng nonchalantly pushed up the glasses on his nose, his voice soft yet holding an unyielding weight. "Alright, Teacher Wu Shan, please be seated."
As his voice fell, hearts began to pound.
Jiang Qiu clenched his fists as the teachers' whispers swirled around him. "Why did Brother Shan suddenly go up against Director Li? What about his resources at the school from now on..."
"The last time Director Zhao spoke with Brother Shan, he made it clear this is his last class of students. After these next two months, what connection will he have left with our Eighth Middle School?"
"So he's planning to go all out before he resigns?"
"But this is going too far. In our year, besides the principal's grandson, is there any student who can compete with Li Juefeng? What Brother Shan is doing is pointless. The one who's really in a tough spot is that top student from his field..."
"Who knows? I just heard that the student who caused Brother Shan to get pulled aside by Director Zhao in the first place is that kid. Seems his name is Jiang Qiu, and he's a real rising star."
...
The meeting adjourned, and the teachers and students began to file out. Occasionally, someone would glance back at Jiang Qiu as he silently walked out from the last row, sighing with a 'tsk tsk' before turning away to talk with their friends.
Li Ang and Zhao Gongzheng gave Wu Shan one last deep look before striding out the door.
In the tiled corridor, Wu Shan walked in silence. Jiang Qiu followed behind him, fists clenched, his spirit slowly climbing out of its funk.
'I've got the first pick. A large area of Qingmu Town's Central Street will be the initial activity zone for the students of Field Number Eight. It's close to the distorted center of the Secret Realm, so it has a higher concentration of Demon Beasts. It's very dangerous.'
'But that's also an opportunity to make money. A single spear thrust could earn me several thousand.'
'There was even a flicker of an impulse, a craving for the 'Best Performance' award...'
As the thought occurred to him, a bright glint appeared in Jiang Qiu's eyes.
'That's right, why can't I win 'Best Performance'?'
'Am I afraid of Li Juefeng, the number one genius of the eight fields? Afraid of the resource department's Director Li?'
'It was Wu Shan who spoke up at the meeting. He should be the one to bear the greatest pressure. All I need to do is kill Demon Beasts according to the practical training hunt's requirements!'
'Once my performance surpasses Li Juefeng's—when I kill the Demon Beasts he can't kill and take the Demon Plants he can't take, when my kill count is far higher than his—who will the school's upper management value more, me or him?'
'Eighth Middle School has more than one director, and the eight fields shouldn't have only one Li Juefeng!'
...
In Field Number Eight, one sparring match after another came to a halt. The clash of weapons ceased. Students flicked away beads of sweat, and discussions broke out one after another.
"I hope we get a good spot for the practical training hunt. Hopefully not some remote corner full of ruins, where we can't even find a house to shelter from the wind, or worse, there are too few Demon Beasts and it's no fun..." one student muttered quietly, but was suddenly interrupted by a resentful voice. "What are you afraid of? With Brother Xie here, who can compare to us besides Field Number One? We've definitely locked in the second pick. You're worried we won't get a good spot?!"
The student who had been interrupted looked up and saw Li Si, who had just finished sparring with Xie Kuang, walking slowly with a hand on his lower back. He decided not to say anything more.
"Besides, it's not like any of us can get the extra rewards in the practical training hunt. Only the top students get a Wusu Fragrance just for participating. Is it really worth fighting over a good spot?"
The corner of Li Si's mouth twitched as he sat down on a long bench. Livid, rod-shaped welts spread across his arms, and he couldn't help but vent, "When the time comes, we'll just find a house or a cave to stay in, kill a few Demon Beasts casually, and then come back when the Secret Realm shrinks and disappears. What is there to fight about?
"Every year, the practical training hunt is just about killing Demon Beasts. We won't run into any High Tier Demon Beasts, and as long as we don't pick a fight with Middle Tier Demon Beasts, we won't lose any limbs. It doesn't matter if we get a good spot or not..."
Just as he finished speaking, BEEP— "Verification successful."
Wu Shan strode into the field with Jiang Qiu, his expression grave. "This year's practical training hunt is set in Qingmu Town. We've already scouted it. There is a fruiting Demon Plant there."
His calm voice landed like a boulder in a silent lake. Li Si froze. The students' eyes flickered with light. The sullen, silent Xie Kuangye's eyes flew wide, bloodshot as if on fire.
'There's actually something this good in the practical training hunt this year?!'
'But on second thought, that opportunity should go to Li Juefeng. After all, he gets to pick the Initial Land first, and it's not like the Demon Plant is going to run over by itself.'
'Even if some Demon Plants can run, we still can't compare to Li Juefeng. How could we possibly get it?'
Gradually, everyone's expressions turned to regret, and they sighed inwardly with resignation.
Just then, Wu Shan's voice suddenly boomed, "For the practical training hunt, Field Number Eight gets the first pick! The Initial Land is Qingmu Town's Central Street! And your lead student is—Jiang Qiu!"
"The first pick???"