Chapter 41
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Chapter 41: Conspiracy and the Magic Power Competition Begins
Zhang Yu was initially taken aback when he saw the complex Energy Flow Diagram.
But after actually trying it, he realized it was much simpler than the Cosmic Orbit Energy Gathering Method he practiced daily.
Compared to the full-body Magic Power circulation established by the Cosmic Orbit Energy Gathering Method, this new route for converting magic power into sharp Sword Qi was incredibly simple.
Zhang Yu had already advanced the Cosmic Orbit Energy Gathering Method’s circulation all the way to Level 10, having practiced it countless times.
So practicing this new technique felt as effortless as a university student from his past life dominating grade school kids on a mental maths competition platform.
So when he began following the projected Energy Flow Diagram and channelled his magic power to his right arm, he felt a sharp enegy erupt from his fingertips after just a brief attempt.
This sharp energy could not even be called Sword Qi, and its power was only slightly stronger than a box cutter. Still, it thrilled Zhang Yu.
“A-Zhen, look! I did it!” he exclaimed.
Ugh! You Shrimp Head, Zhang Yu! You steamed goose-hearted person! Bai Zhenzhen thought.
[Note: Bai Zhenzhen uses two pieces of modern Chinese internet slang. The first, “虾头” (xiā tóu) or “shrimp head,” is slang for an idiot. The second, “蒸鹅心” (zhēng é xīn) or “steamed goose heart,” is a pun on “真恶心” (zhēn ě xīn), which means “truly disgusting.”]
Teacher Yan also immediately turned to look, her eyes widening in surprise. “Have you studied this before?”
When Zhang Yu shook his head, she sighed in admiration. “It seems you have a natural talent for this.”
After realizing Zhang Yu’s talent, Teacher Yan taught with even greater dedication.
She then taught him several basic Magic Power conversion routes, such as heating, cooling, and electrification. Watching Zhang Yu master them all in such a short time, she nodded repeatedly and praised him effusively.
“That’s all for today. Practice diligently when you get back.”
“Don’t forget to come at the same time tomorrow and the day after. I’ll give you two more supplementary lessons.”
“We’ll cover dispelling magic power and magic power invasion.”
Watching Zhang Yu’s departing figure, Teacher Yan thought to herself, Kid, I hope you crush those eight students who skipped the extra lessons at the Magic Power Competition.
As for actually ranking in the competition, making in the top ten, winning prize money, or earning bonus points for university interviews…
Teacher Yan had never even considered such things.
If it were a sports competition, Songyang High School might have had a chance.
While competitions and the National College Entrance Examination were different, Songyang High School had produced the city’s top Physical Education student before and was traditionally a sports powerhouse.
But in competitions other than sports, the top three famous schools had always dominated. Their only rivals were themselves, and even Key High Schools like Songyang High rarely dared to get involved.
According to Teacher Yan’s most optimistic prediction, Zhang Yu would achieve the highest score among Songyang High School’s ten contestants, leaving those who had not attended her tutoring sessions to deeply regret their decision. After the Magic Power Competition, they would rush to her, begging for tutoring and offering her money.
***
Meanwhile, after leaving the classroom, Zhang Yu checked his phone and found a message from Zhou Chechen. He had agreed to let Zhang Yu continue fulfilling the loan contract and making monthly payments.
Zhou Chechen had previously purchased Zhang Yu’s 700,000-yuan loan debt, becoming his new creditor. However, to show good faith, he had told Zhang Yu that he did not need to rush the monthly payments.
Over the past few days, Zhang Yu had brought up the loan payments with Zhou Chechen via his phone several times. Zhou Chechen had initially declined, but he finally agreed to the request, expressing that he understood Zhang Yu’s reluctance to carry debt.
“So he agreed?”
Zhang Yu reluctantly paid this month’s 15,000-yuan loan installment. It pained him, but he refused to be saddled with an overdue loan. Just as Bai Zhenzhen had warned, it would become a handle for others to use against him, one that could be forcibly exploited at any time.
Especially if these wealthy individuals learned of his ambition to break through the blockade and get into one of the Top Ten Universities, an overdue loan would become a major weakness.
After this 15,000-yuan payment, plus the 3,000 for tutoring, Zhang Yu’s savings had dwindled to just over 43,000 yuan.
Sigh, money really doesn’t last long.
I hope this Magic Power Competition will let me earn a bit more.
***
Meanwhile.
Just as Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen left the Demonstration Class classroom for Teacher Yan’s extra lesson, Liang Qin returned from the restroom. Seeing Zhang Yu’s empty seat, his brow furrowed.
After searching the entire floor without finding a trace of Zhang Yu, he could not help but curse inwardly. He was just here a moment ago. Where did he run off to?
Is this guy deliberately avoiding me?
Just because he got lucky and became a Golden Core disciple, does he have to be so arrogant?
If you hadn’t become a Golden Core expert’s disciple, you wouldn’t be much stronger than me…
Fuming, Liang Qin stormed out of the hallway and received a phone call.
Listening to the caller’s inquiry, he mumbled, “Yeah, he’s already gone home.”
“Nothing happened all day.”
“Ever since he became a Golden Core expert’s disciple, his attitude has been awful. He treats his classmates like they’re thieves, as if he’s afraid someone will find out his secret to improving his scores.”
“I know. I’ll keep an eye on him. Don’t forget to send the money.”
After hanging up, Liang Qin wore a distracted expression until he received a text message confirming the transfer. Only then did a smug grin spread across his face.
It was all because Liang Qin was desperately short of money lately.
While most people at Songyang High School, students and teachers alike, were struggling financially, Liang Qin was even more broke than the average poor person.
In fact, his family’s circumstances had once been quite comfortable. Though they did not live in the city center, they were not in the distant suburbs either. Instead, they lived in an apartment building on the edge of the city.
His mother was a full-time housewife and his father was a junior employee at a company. While supporting his education was a strain, they had always managed to provide for his basic needs.
Things changed a month after he enrolled at Songyang High School.
Perhaps it was the crushing academic pressure or the steady decline in his class ranking. Or perhaps it was the relentless pressure from one top student after another, the deliberate or inadvertent displays of wealth by affluent students, or the unyielding strictness of the teachers.
Liang Qin could not say for sure why, but after excelling all the way from elementary to middle school, the top student suddenly found himself drifting off in his high school classrooms.
Halfway through his Breathing Technique practice, he would inevitably open his eyes to scroll through his phone.
During body cultivation, he always felt weak and listless.
When studying talismans, he could not help but space out.
He… seemed to be losing interest in his studies.
What would happen if he lost his passion for learning at Songyang High School?
Just the thought made him feel suffocated, and his condition worsened.
It was at this moment that a second-year student he had met by chance introduced him to a way to relax and release his stress.
“Try playing on this platform,” the student suggested.
Liang Qin asked hesitantly, “Is this… gambling with magic power?”
The other student just laughed it off. “A little gambling is just for fun. If you win, you can relax for a few days and take a break. If you lose, it just gives you a bit of pressure to study even harder.”
The student patted Liang Qin’s shoulder and urged, “I had trouble adjusting when I first entered my first year too. I just played on this platform to unwind.”
“You don’t need to be afraid. Geniuses like us who managed to get into this high school have willpower beyond that of ordinary people.”
“As long as you control yourself and don’t get addicted, a little relaxation is harmless and might even earn you some extra magic power…”
Thinking of his lifelong self-discipline, Liang Qin ultimately could not resist giving it a try.
It was a platform where you could deposit money to place bets and gamble for Magic Power.
Winning allowed one to siphon Magic Power from others through a Parasitic Spirit Root. Losing meant either helping others cultivate Magic Power through the same method or settling the debt with money.
On the first bet, Liang Qin lost.
On the second, he lost again.
Just when he thought he would lose all his money and that the platform was clearly unreliable, he won 0.3 Magic Power on his third bet.
Even now, he still remembered the thrill he felt at that moment.
He still remembered the satisfaction of extracting 0.3 Magic Power from the Parasitic Spirit Root the platform sent after he cashed out.
The sublime feeling of his Magic Power suddenly surging was an experience he would never forget.
From then on, he would occasionally place small bets on the platform.
At first, it was just as the senior had said.
If he won, the Magic Power he gained relieved the pressure of his magic power classes for several days, making life much easier. If he lost, he would redouble his efforts to cultivate it all back, which gave him a new sense of motivation.
Right. As long as I can control myself, this platform is helpful, not harmful.
That is what Liang Qin thought two months into the semester.
But now, four months into the semester…
Regret! Regret! Regret!
Every time Liang Qin thought about secretly using his parents’ bank card and the mountain of debt he had accumulated, he would jolted awake from sleep, staring fearfully at his bedroom door as if someone would burst in at any moment to take his Dantian, his organs, and his very flesh and blood…
But at this very moment, standing at the school gate and looking at the 500 yuan he had just received, Liang Qin felt his hands itch again.
Moments later, watching the freshly earned 500 yuan vanish in an instant, Liang Qin pounded his chest and stomped his feet, once again consumed by regret.
“It’s okay, it’s okay.” He consoled himself. “I’ll just keep following Zhang Yu tomorrow and get more money.”
“Next time I win 300, I’ll stop immediately.”
“As long as I use absolute willpower to control my greed, I can slowly pay off my debt bit by bit…”
Lost in thoughts about his Heaven Mending Plan, Liang Qin walked home.
[Note: The “Heaven Mending Plan” (补天计划, bǔ tiān jìhuà) is a reference to the Chinese creation myth of the goddess Nüwa, who mended a hole in the sky with molten stones to save the world from a great disaster.]
***
In an office at Songyang High School.
Su Haifeng watched the man across from him hang up the phone and said, “So it was you who sent Liang Qin out?”
“But that student has become a degenerate gambler. His words are unreliable.”
The man opposite him smiled faintly. “I just had him keep an eye on Zhang Yu for me. He was just a disposable pawn, a way to make use of some trash. I never expected him to actually uncover anything.”
Su Haifeng shook his head. “Zhang Yu has already spoken with the Student Council. He will likely sign the contract soon. Are you still not giving up?”
The man replied coldly, “I was the one who got Zhang Yu into this school. Although events have developed beyond my expectations, I will not let this go so easily.”
“Rest assured, I have received word that Zhang Yu and the Student Council will sign the contract after the next Monthly Exam.”
“I will work quickly and get everything taken care of.”
***
In the days that followed, Zhang Yu joyfully cultivated the Desolate Bull Soul-Pacifying Mind Art every day, feeling a deep sense of fulfillment and satisfaction as his Dao Heart Level improved bit by bit.
Beyond that, he continued to attend his regular classes each day.
He also occasionally practiced the techniques he had learned from Teacher Yan in preparation for the Magic Power Competition.
More than ten days passed in the blink of an eye, and the day of the competition finally arrived.
During this time, thanks to the vigorous progress of his Level 10 Desolate Bull Soul-Pacifying Mind Art, Zhang Yu’s Dao Heart Level had risen to Level 2 (42%).
He felt that he would probably be able to reach Level 3 around the time of his next Monthly Exam.
Meanwhile, his Magic Power had also steadily increased through day and night cultivation with the Cosmic Orbit Energy Gathering Method, now reaching a level of 15.4.
Zhang Yu’s sudden surge in Magic Power once again astonished his classmates. However, after noticing that his physical strength remained virtually unchanged, they could only marvel, concluding that he must have poured all his energy into absorbing spiritual energy and refining his magic power. They guessed he was going all-out to prepare for the Magic Power Competition.
***
On this day, at the entrance of Songyang High School.
Teacher Yan was leading Zhang Yu, Bai Zhenzhen, Qian Shen, He Dayou, and the others onto a bus bound for the venue in Songyang City for the first-year Magic Power Competition.
