32: Spray each other

As per tradition, before the Martial Arts Exam,

there was bound to be a leader giving a speech.

At this moment, a tall, imposing man stood on the stage, his back straight as a sword or a spear, like a towering mountain.

His voice was strong, resonant, and deafening:

“Students, all of you here are the darlings of society, talents eyed by thousands.”

“Today is the grand Martial Arts Exam; I hope you achieve immediate success and are all admitted to Martial Arts universities.”

“Many students have spared no effort to pass the attribute value test!”

“But life is only once, cherish it!”

“A Martial Artist must strive, but that doesn’t mean striving blindly. Many students have prepared Medicinal Pills for the attribute test, for a temporary burst, and this is allowed by the rules.”

“However, you must consider carefully: some students, at all costs, take Medicinal Pills beyond their tolerance limit to gain a brief burst.”

“Every year, students from all over the country try this reckless act, and every year it results in casualties!”

“A Martial Artist is not a brute, much less a boor! One who can govern the country with their mind and defend it with their might! Only those who are proficient in both civil and martial arts are true Martial Artists! Those who only possess martial power without using their brains are thugs, boors, not Martial Artists!”

“Therefore, as per tradition, I am reminding everyone one last time: in the upcoming attribute prediction, you are responsible for all consequences of any unexpected incidents!”

Although the man said a lot,

the students present listened with solemn faces.

Regarding increasing attributes through taking pills, there were mainly two paths.

One was Medicinal Pills with mild properties, which could permanently increase attribute values.

However, they could easily lead to drug resistance.

Therefore, one had to spend more money to buy Medicinal Pills with different ingredients to avoid drug resistance.

The other Dao was temporary burst!

These Medicinal Pills were usually very expensive, mostly used in life-and-death battles for desperate counterattacks without regard for oneself.

Some people could survive the immense impact of the drug.

But others, after the burst, rapidly entered a state of decline and exploded to death.

Therefore, every year during the Martial Arts Exam, people would remind students to choose carefully and treat their lives with caution.

If one exploded into a bloody fireworks display on the spot, it would be a loss not worth the gain.

Most students would not choose this method.

But every year, across the country, there were always lunatics who disregarded everything and took burst Medicinal Pills.

At this moment, a wave of discussion broke out among the students:

“Who was that speaking just now?”

“You don’t know him? Third-Rank Martial Artist Lu Fang! He’s the Deputy Mayor of Lingnan City!”

“Hey, just a deputy?”

“Lingnan City doesn’t have a full Mayor right now either.”

“Hiss… isn’t that the top boss then?”

...

Among the Changtu County student team.

Qi Chuanyu pulled out a golden Medicinal Pill, a smile playing on his lips.

Liao Zhongyang gave him a disdainful look: “Still need to take pills?”

“Naturally, I don’t.” Qi Chuanyu looked up and let out a long cry: “Better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of a Phoenix. I, naturally, want to contend for this year’s Champion!”

Liao Zhongyang disliked hearing the word “Phoenix tail” the most.

He grumbled: “Don’t even think about it, I can beat you without taking pills!”

“Heh heh, if Shen Bei said that, I might take it a bit more seriously, but you?”

Qi Chuanyu’s gaze was scornful: “Just be a good Phoenix tail!”

“You—”

Liao Zhongyang’s molars ached with anger, feeling an urge to give Qi Chuanyu an electric punch.

Just then.

Two students walked out from the Kaiyuan County student team.

One had dyed yellow hair, ear piercings, smoky makeup, and a non-mainstream outfit with leather pants and chains as the essence of his style, with intricate patterns creating an overall sense of decadent vitality.

The other student looked ordinary, but his teeth were all uniquely shaped.

“Hey, Qi Chuanyu!” Little Yellow Hair walked up with an arrogant swagger: “Do you remember me, hey?”

Qi Chuanyu glanced at him indifferently: “Niu Liu, right.”

“My name is Niu Yanben, hey!”

“Hey your big head, ghost!” Qi Chuanyu looked impatient: “I don’t know what old man gave you that name, it’s a real tongue-twister!”

“Damn it! Watch your mouth, or do you want to fight, hey?”

Qi Chuanyu scoffed.

Last year, when Qi Chuanyu was still in his second year of high school, he went to Kaiyuan County to visit a friend.

He ended up running into this guy, and they got into a fight over a disagreement.

It was hard to say who lost or who gained an advantage.

Both were injured.

At this moment, the student next to Niu Yanben chuckled a few times: “Brother Niu, this guy isn’t all that, is he? He’s gone quiet already?”

Qi Chuanyu originally didn’t want to bother with him, but how did it sound like he was scared, like he was being looked down upon?

Qi Chuanyu naturally wouldn’t tolerate that, and immediately started a barrage of insults: “Who are you? Your teeth are all crooked and messed up, they’ve all split apart, what’s up, afraid of close contact?”

Afraid of close contact…

Close contact…

Contact…

As the three most impactful words came out.

Liao Zhongyang on the side snorted a laugh through his nose.

“Damn it!” Niu Yanben’s face instantly changed: “Qi Chuanyu, your mouth really stinks! You remember this, his name is Du Ziteng, if you piss him off, no one can stop him, hey!”

“Du Ziteng? Go see a doctor, take some Antidiarrheal if you’re not feeling well!” Qi Chuanyu continued to retort.

Du Ziteng opened his mouth full of pointed teeth, his face twisted with a strange delight: “I really like you too much! Become a Martial Artist, otherwise, it’s no fun to abuse you.”

“Just you?” Qi Chuanyu said with deep disdain: “Didn’t Niu Liu tell you how I beat him up?”

“Who beat who!” Niu Yanben snorted a few times: “You’re just good with your mouth, hey!”

“Stop blabbering, you’re affecting my chances of becoming the Martial Arts Exam Champion.”

“If bragging paid taxes, you’d be bankrupt, hey!”

Just as the two were spitting insults at each other,

the Martial Arts Exam entered its final countdown.

Names began to be called for entry into the assessment.

Niu Yanben and Du Ziteng both raised their middle fingers and returned to their teams.

Qi Chuanyu looked at Liao Zhongyang, narrowing his eyes with a hint of complaint: “You’re not going to help me retort a few words?”

Liao Zhongyang clenched his fist and raised it high: “I prefer to speak with my fists. Moreover, you and I are competing for Champion, why should I help you?”

“Damn it!”

Qi Chuanyu rolled his eyes, twisted his nose, and pouted fiercely: “You’re the third person to leave me speechless.”

“Why not the first?”

“You’re not worthy!”

...

At this moment, Professor Gu Xinrou began her final pep talk: “Alright, students, those who have the means to take pills, you can take them now. After you pass the political review, the drug’s effects will peak.”

“Students, remember, for the political review, just tell the truth, because the examiners already have all your information, so don’t lie.”

The political review was also a very important step.

A Martial Artist represented individual power.

It was easy to lose control.

Unlike thermal weapons, which require division of labor to produce, missing even one step could prevent a gun from being made.

Theoretically, the more specialized the social division of labor, the lower the public’s resistance.

However, the emergence of Martial Artists broke this rule.

The strength of individual power could easily spark undesirable thoughts.

Therefore, the political review was extremely important, at least…

At this moment, Professor Gu Xinrou clapped her hands: “Alright, wait for the examiners to call your names and come forward one by one.”

The students all nodded.

Their hearts felt warm.

The beautiful teacher’s words were truly pleasant to hear.

Those students who were not in Class Three secretly regretted why they were so excellent yet ended up in classes after Class Three.

It was truly a major regret in life.

At this very moment.

The examination site was bustling with people, and the crowd of onlookers was vast.

Amidst the booming of salutes and the clamor of voices,

the Martial Arts Exam political review began!

And the first person to be called was… Shen Bei!

The examiner held up a microphone: “Candidate Shen Bei, please come forward!”

“Shen Bei?”

“Where is he?!”

“If he doesn’t come now, it’ll be considered a forfeit!”