Chapter 43
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Chapter 43: The Alliance and the First Round of the Magic Power Competition
After exchanging greetings, Wu Qingqing picked up her phone again and pointed the screen at Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen.
A faint light flashed on the screen, revealing a cartoon avatar of a young man. “This is Mo Tianyi from Radiant Mountain High School,” she introduced.
Zhang Yu’s heart jolted. What the hell? A VTuber?
The young man on the screen nodded at Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen, introducing himself. “Hello, you two. I’m Mo Tianyi.”
“I’ve already checked the surroundings. We can speak freely here.”
Zhang Yu looked curiously at the phone screen and asked, “Where are you right now?”
Mo Tianyi smiled faintly. “I’m currently in the Spirit Realm, but the Spirit Realm is connected to the network, so I can contact you.”
His expression then turned serious as he asked earnestly, “Student Zhang Yu, I need to ask you something. Have you been accepted as a disciple by True Person Starfire?”
Before Zhang Yu could answer, Bai Zhenzhen stepped forward, blocking him and saying, “He hasn’t.”
“I told him about the pitfalls of becoming a Golden Core expert’s disciple and urged him to decline True Person Starfire’s offer.”
Zhang Yu looked at Bai Zhenzhen in surprise, wondering why she would say that. However, trusting A-Zhen implicitly, he remained silent and simply listened to their conversation.
Hearing Bai Zhenzhen’s words, both Wu Qingqing and Mo Tianyi on the phone screen flashed a hint of disappointment.
Wu Qingqing could not help but say, “How could you let Zhang Yu turn down this opportunity? True Person Starfire would have been an invaluable asset in his quest to enter the Ten Greats.”
Bai Zhenzhen scoffed. “That old geezer was kicked out of a Great Sect and half of his cultivation has already been taken away. If he gets divorced and his daughter cleans him out, we could probably find him under a bridge to ask to become his disciples. What would he even have left for us to gain? Becoming his disciple would be like being a beast of burden. I’d be better off hustling for odd jobs every day.”
“You…” Mo Tianyi sighed. He thought that if he had known this would happen, he should not have urged Bai Zhenzhen to try her luck at the art exhibition. Otherwise, Zhang Yu might have actually become a Golden Core disciple, and the chance for one of the poor students to enter the Ten Greats would have been that much greater.
Bai Zhenzhen continued, “I sought you out today because I want to introduce Zhang Yu to your people.”
“Although he’s just a tiny bit inferior to me, he’s still a rare prodigy, and the Student Council has him in their sights too.”
Mo Tianyi’s image on the screen seemed to refresh as he quickly composed himself. He smiled and said, “I’ve long heard of Student Zhang Yu’s talent.”
“This Magic Power Competition will be a good chance to see for myself.”
“That’s it?” Bai Zhenzhen said, displeased. “How about some real investment in cold, hard cash?”
Mo Tianyi sighed helplessly. “We’re all poor. Our resources are limited. You know our focus has always been on the Boss. We don’t have much to spare.”
“This is just a small token of my personal goodwill. Please don’t think it’s too little…”
With that, he transferred 2,000 yuan to Bai Zhenzhen.
Zhang Yu watched this scene and thought to himself, Jeez, So A-Zhen dragged me along today to ask for money. But it seemed this ‘Alliance of the Poor’ was truly impoverished and unable to contribute much.
Seeing the transfer notification on her phone, Bai Zhenzhen frowned. “Only 2,000?”
She knew who he was referring to. He meant the most accomplished, talented, and promising of these impoverished geniuses, the one everyone believed was most likely to break through the shackles and enter one of the Ten Greats.
This poor genius had earned the trust of these poor students, who had scrimped and saved to invest their limited resources in him.
They all pinned their hopes on this genius entering a top university and joining a Great Sect. They believed he could lift them all up with him, gradually tearing down the inescapable net of oppression that hung over Songyang City.
Even calling Bai Zhenzhen to the art exhibition last time might have been a way to groom her. They hoped that once she became a Golden Core expert’s disciple, she could use her status to help their Boss.
Bai Zhenzhen said, “Didn’t we agree to watch out for each other and to stand united? Are you all just paying lip service? Did I waste my membership dues?”
Mo Tianyi shook his head with a wry smile. Compared to Bai Zhenzhen’s 2,000 yuan membership fee, the amount she had already taken through various means had long surpassed tens of thousands.
If Bai Zhenzhen had not shown such exceptional talent, and if they had not believed she could divert a significant portion of attention away from their Boss in the future, they would never have invested so much in her.
Sensing the awkward atmosphere, Wu Qingqing smiled and said, “Zhenzhen, don’t worry. Our Boss is at a critical juncture right now, and everyone’s funds are limited. Mo Tianyi manages the money, but he still needs approval from the Seniors before he can release any funds.”
“How about this? Student Zhang Yu is so talented. If he can manage a good ranking in the upcoming Magic Power Competition, it will give Mo Tianyi the justification he needs to ask the Seniors for money for you.”
After some back-and-forth, Bai Zhenzhen finally grabbed Zhang Yu and left the stands.
Watching them leave, Wu Qingqing sighed. “Zhenzhen only comes to us for money. She treats us like an ATM.”
Mo Tianyi said, “When it comes to getting into the Ten Greats, her determination is truly the strongest among us. That’s why she’s so desperate for money.”
Mo Tianyi could clearly sense that Bai Zhenzhen never intended to rely on their Boss for protection after he made it into the Ten Greats. She wanted to get in herself.
Mo Tianyi continued, “I just didn’t expect her to bring Zhang Yu along this time to ask for money.”
Speaking of Zhang Yu, Wu Qingqing said with admiration, “Raising his score by 70 points in a month? Zhang Yu is truly impressive. He’s worth investing in.”
Mo Tianyi shook his head. “If he were from a wealthy family, this performance would indeed be enough to contend for a spot in the Ten Greats.”
“But unfortunately, he’s one of The Poor.”
He sighed and lamented, “For The Poor to break through the ceiling above them, just having high Monthly Exam scores is far from enough… far, far from enough…”
Behind Wu Qingqing, Ye Qianyun had been silently reading her book the entire time, as if the world around her held no relevance.
***
On the other side, Bai Zhenzhen walked alongside Zhang Yu and said, “Yu Zi, when the Magic Power Competition starts later, you have to make your mom proud!”
[Note: Bai Zhenzhen is playfully referring to herself as ‘mother’ (‘ma’), a colloquial way in Chinese to assert a friendly, senior, or nagging role among close friends.]
“At least place in the top ten. That will give me some real leverage when I ask them for money.”
Wait a minute. I thought you seemed pretty forceful when you were demanding money just now.
Zhang Yu pondered for a moment before voicing his doubts. “Besides mutual support and pooling funds, are there any other ways for The Poor to break into the Ten Greats?”
In his view, it seemed unrealistic to think that relying solely on a few impoverished students scrimping and saving would be enough to break through the wealthy’s stranglehold and gain entry to the Ten Greats, even if they were all prodigies of the cultivation from their respective schools.
Bai Zhenzhen explained, “That’s precisely what I want to learn from them.”
“As far as I know, their Boss is a Second-Year student from one of the top three famous schools.”
“I don’t know what methods he used, but it seems he hasn’t signed any contracts with schools or Student Councils, hasn’t been jointly targeted for elimination, and still retains his eligibility for the National College Entrance Examination.”
“I want to know how he managed to do it.”
“The only way, as it seems now, is to gradually increase our influence within their group, find their Boss, and then figure out a way to make him reveal his methods.”
Zhang Yu asked curiously, “Then how do we increase our influence?”
Bai Zhenzhen said matter-of-factly, “We’re students. The best way to increase our influence is through exams, competitions, and good grades!”
“It’s the same for both the rich and the poor. Whoever gets the best grades gets their support.”
“It’s just that I’m not very good at this Magic Power Competition. We’ll have to see how high you can place.”
Shortly after Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen returned to Songyang High School’s rest area, Zhang Yu’s gaze suddenly shifted as he spotted someone in the stands.
“Liang Qin?”
Seeing Liang Qin wave at him with a look of encouragement, Zhang Yu nodded in acknowledgment.
What the hell? Did he really follow me all the way to Red Pagoda High School just to watch my match?
Dude, what’s your deal? you keep this up, I won’t dare turn my back on you anymore.
Meanwhile, Liang Qin watched Zhang Yu in the rest area with a faint smile. He then took out his phone, opened the betting platform, and prepared to place a bet.
Gambling was, after all, a beloved and routine pastime for the people of Songyang City.
The platform Liang Qin often used was a major one, even endorsed by the vice mayor. It offered a wide range of betting options that covered almost every form of gambling available in the city.
A quick search by Liang Qin confirmed his suspicion, revealing listings for various high school competition events.
He had taken leave to watch the competition, but his real purpose was, of course, to track Zhang Yu and collect his reward.
But when he saw the listing for the Magic Power Competition, Liang Qin couldn’t help the itch in his hands and got ready to place a bet.
At the same time, Zhang Yu noticed a promotional flyer for the betting platform drifting down nearby.
“Participate in the competition? Why not bet on it instead? New users receive a 100-yuan bonus…”
Zhang Yu was speechless. Are they seriously promoting gambling right inside the competition venue? Everyone gambles. That must be why the city is so orderly, right?
Bai Zhenzhen, standing beside him, immediately snatched the flyer away. She stared at Zhang Yu and said, “Yu Zi, you can’t mess with this stuff.”
Zhang Yu replied, “I think I have a pretty good chance of finishing in the top ten. If I bet a little…”
Bai Zhenzhen’s expression turned serious. “How much are you planning to bet? What if you lose?”
Zhang Yu said, “The probability of winning is high…”
Bai Zhenzhen continued, “If you win, that’s an even bigger problem. Your entire view of money will change. Because you’ve won once, you’ll always want to win again.”
As a native of Songyang City, Bai Zhenzhen had seen too many people fall prey to gambling.
She had even read news reports about Immortals losing their entire fortunes to it.
She continued to persuade him, “I’m afraid you’ll get used to relying on this and end up gambling yourself away. Yu Zi, you really can’t touch this.”
With a slight tremor in her palm, Bai Zhenzhen shattered the promotional flyer into dust.
Zhang Yu took a deep breath and channelled the Desolate Bull Soul-Pacifying Mind Art to suppress the distracting thoughts in his heart. “You’re right, A-Zhen. I was greedy. I really shouldn’t touch this stuff.”
He understood the logic perfectly well. It was just that the immense financial pressure had made him feel a momentary flicker of greed.
A few moments later, music filled the air, signaling the official start of the Magic Power Competition.
Drones controlled by Soul Cultivators flew out, delivering the props needed for the match.
As the crowd watched the items for the competition being placed on the field, gasps of surprise erupted one after another.
“They’re Flying Swords!”
“Are we going to be sword-riding? Is the first round already this hard? Flying Swords have never been tested in previous competitions!”
“It’s over, it’s over! I’ve never even used a Flying Sword before!”
The host approached a Flying Sword hovering in mid-air and announced, “Nine Heavens Swordlight Chills, One Sword Shakes Kunxu! We thank the ultra-lethal Nine Heavens Flying Sword for jointly sponsoring this Magic Power Competition.”
Fuck!
Zhang Yu cursed inwardly. A Flying Sword manufacturer sponsors the event, so you’re fucking testing us on Flying Swords in the Magic Power Competition? Have you no shame? If the Joyful Union Sect sponsored it, would you make us test Dual Cultivation? Go on, I dare you!
