Chapter 16 : Chapter 16
Chapter 16: To Poach Me? You’re Not Worthy.
Li Mu nodded.
Blackwater High School really had done an excellent job when it came to humane care.
In this High-Martial World, once students entered university, they would be divided into two categories of institutions: academic universities and martial universities.
Academic universities included departments such as Techniques Studies, Monster Studies, Genetics, Pharmacology, Forging, Abyss Geography, Energy Development, and so on.
Martial universities, on the other hand, were divided according to talent and weapon type—saber, spear, sword, staff, Beast-Taming, mecha, True Essence Firearms, and the like.
The divide between the academic and martial tracks would only grow more obvious with time.
Universities gradually began producing their own scholarly achievements and became qualified contributors to society’s rear-line support system.
Martial universities, meanwhile, devoted far more of their time to the wars within the Abyss.
Why should a man not carry a Wu hook and reclaim the fifty frontier provinces?
Humanity had managed to survive after the eruption of the Abyss
only because countless predecessors had carved out that future with blood and sacrifice.
That was why the Abyss-Suppressing Army held the status it did today.
Only by possessing extraordinary military merit
and strength capable of crushing all opposition
could one hold the highest level of influence in this High-Martial World!
And in order to distinguish what kind of university you would attend in the future, once one awakened a talent in the second half of senior year, one had to begin coming into contact with the Abyss.
Those who did not dare face the monsters of the Abyss, whose combat strength was poor, and whose cultivation speed was slow, had best switch early to the academic track and aim for an academic university in the future.
As for the true strong who were filtered out through that process, their natural target was the martial universities.
That was because the training resources of martial universities were several times, or even more than ten times, greater than those of academic universities...
Though the danger was far higher, martial university students would also achieve more in the future.
The moment the students entered the school, they began cheering loudly.
They ran at full speed toward their own classes.
Li Mu was unfamiliar with the place, so he could only keep following Xiao Lingtong.
What Li Mu had not expected was that even the principal knew about his transfer.
Old Ma from the Student Records Office and Zhao Qingshan had failed to catch up with Li Mu, so after they returned, they had reported the matter to the principal.
Naturally, the principal would not personally go looking for Li Mu over a single student’s matter.
But today, Principal Yin Changming just so happened to be standing together with the rest of the school leadership welcoming the new students.
And Li Mu just happened to walk straight toward them with the crowd.
Old Ma from the Student Records Office pointed at him.
“Hey! That’s him! That kid is Li Mu!”
At a glance, the head of the Student Records Office recognized Li Mu among the crowd.
Li Mu naturally saw him as well. He gave an embarrassed smile and took the initiative to walk over.
Principal Yin Changming was an affable middle-aged man. He had a lean build and a slight beard.
“You brat, you really made me suffer. I thought you had run off with my reward!”
Old Ma cursed with a smile, sounding annoyed but not truly angry.
“Leaders, I am truly sorry. The moment I received the technique, I could not wait to go and try it.”
“I did not make it back in time to report in.”
Li Mu bowed slightly to everyone in apology.
Old Ma smiled as he introduced them. “This is our principal of Blackwater, Yin Changming. And this is your homeroom teacher, Zhao Qingshan!”
Li Mu respectfully greeted them once more.
Yin Changming smiled and nodded, but very quickly his expression changed as he asked in surprise, “You are Second Grade?”
The moment those words were spoken, the school leaders all probed him with their True Qi.
Sure enough, Li Mu had already reached the Second Grade Realm.
At the side, Xiao Lingtong added, “He broke through on the train just now. We all saw it. Of course... people from the other schools saw it too...”
As soon as Xiao Lingtong finished speaking, all the school leaders were stunned.
They already knew that Li Mu had an F-Rank talent.
And yet now he had actually reached Second Grade. What kind of natural aptitude was that?
Talent and aptitude were two completely different things.
Aptitude was a martial artist’s comprehension, his understanding of the martial path, and his understanding of techniques. All of that was what forged a person’s aptitude.
Talent, meanwhile, was a trait bestowed upon a person by the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.
In principle, talent was absolutely more important than aptitude.
But the terrifying thing about aptitude was that it had no upper limit, and it was impossible to measure...
“I was stuck at the bottleneck of First Grade for a long time. It was about time I broke through,” Li Mu said, using the same excuse again.
Yin Changming smiled and nodded, lightly patting Li Mu on the shoulder.
“Good! A hero truly does emerge from his youth!”
“Come on. Let’s go inside and get something to eat first.”
Li Mu could sense it very clearly.
Although Yin Changming’s eyes were full of approval, there was also a faint trace of a sigh in them.
The expressions of the other school leaders were not excessively joyful either.
There was no need to say why. It was the same reason as with his classmates.
They all believed that he simply did not belong to Blackwater High School and would soon be poached away.
Everyone wanted to say something to persuade Li Mu to stay.
But on what grounds could they do so?
In terms of promising resources and status, they were unable to compete with the other schools at all.
And sure enough, after Li Mu thanked the principal and was just about to head into the school to eat hot pot, a shrill laugh came from behind him.
“Well now, Principal Yin, long time no see!”
The newcomer had a huge belly and a bloated, greasy look, and his slicked-over horseshoe hairstyle was nauseating just to look at.
He was the Director of Admissions Office from Jinhua High School.
Jinhua High School was a school ranked somewhat higher than Soaring Dragon High School.
It could barely squeeze into T1.
That put it well above a school like Blackwater, which was more like T4 or even T5.
Although this fat man was only a director from the admissions office, he carried himself with considerable swagger.
Bringing several people with him, he swaggered over with a swaying gait.
The expressions of everyone at Blackwater High School instantly turned extremely ugly. What they had feared most had come true.
“Sun Tong, what are you doing here?”
Yin Changming frowned and demanded.
The fat man curled his lip and looked at Li Mu.
“Of course I’m here to rescue talent!”
“Hello there, Li Mu. I’m the Director of Admissions at Jinhua High School!”
“I heard you just broke through to Yellow Rank, Second Grade.”
“Jinhua High School is willing to give you a place.”
“If you come, you will immediately become a Second-Level Honor Student.”
As soon as Sun Tong finished speaking, Yin Changming’s face darkened, and he shouted in anger, “Sun Tong, that’s going too far, isn’t it?!”
“My Blackwater High School may not compare to yours, but if you’re going to poach someone, you should at least do it with proper sincerity!”
“A Second-Level Honor Student? You’re not even offering him any resources?”
“If that’s all you have, then even if my Blackwater High School has to sell everything we own, we’ll still fight you over him!”
Faced with Yin Changming’s anger, Sun Tong let out a sneer.
He did not even bother giving Yin Changming the time of day as he said with a smile, “Resources? Heh heh heh. My Jinhua High School is part of the first tier of the East District.”
“Could the influence of a Second-Level Honor Student possibly be worth less than a few resources?”
“You want to compete with me? On what grounds?”
“If Li Mu performs well in the future, it’s not as though he couldn’t receive some resources then.”
“Besides, Li Mu’s S-Rank talent was taken from him, and he was expelled from the Li Family.”
“Other than Jinhua High School, I doubt there are many schools that would truly be willing to take you.”
As he spoke, Sun Tong’s eyes were filled with arrogance.
The implication behind his words was clear: Li Mu was still not worth spending resources to recruit.
Yes, you may have reached Second Grade, but in the end, you still only had an F-Rank talent.
At most, you would simply be used to make a run at the rankings in the First Abyss Battle.
As for investing resources in someone with no future? That was unnecessary.
Yin Changming and the others were immediately struck speechless, all of them clenching their fists tightly.
Because what he said was the truth.
The influence of one of Jinhua’s Second-Level Honor Students really was greater than that of a genius from Blackwater High School.
When it came to satisfying vanity, that advantage was indeed far greater than a mere edge in resources.
In the end, all the fury in the hearts of Blackwater High School’s leaders could only turn into a long sigh.
Sun Tong burst into laughter, then waved at Li Mu with complete confidence.
“Hahaha, come on then, Li Mu.”
Yin Changming was a grown man, yet he had been humiliated so publicly.
He lowered his head in silence from sheer anger, his body trembling faintly.
He did not dare give vent to his fury!
Because if he lost his temper in public, and Li Mu still chose Jinhua in the end, then his anger would become nothing more than the powerless rage of a clown, and everyone would laugh at him.
After all, there were still countless students and teachers standing behind him.
Just as he gritted his teeth and endured this humiliation, he heard a scoffing laugh rise from behind him.
It was Li Mu.
Everyone’s eyes turned toward Li Mu.
They saw him slowly shake his head.
“These days, every random cat-and-dog school dares to call itself first tier.”
“How laughable.”
The scene fell instantly silent.
Everyone looked at Li Mu in shock.
Sun Tong, in particular, narrowed his eyes dangerously.
“What did you say??”
Li Mu looked at Sun Tong, his expression proud as he spoke in a clear, resonant voice, “You came to steal people in front of our school leaders. That means you have no martial dignity at all, which proves you are a man without any bottom line.”
“Your school sent a useless hack like you over here, carrying a worthless title you think is some prized delicacy, just to brush me off.”
“That proves you are arrogantly self-important.”
“You know that I have an F-Rank talent, yet you still fail to recognize the value of me breaking through to Second Grade with an F-Rank talent.”
“That proves you are short-sighted!”
“A bottomless, self-important, short-sighted piece of trash like you—”
“you think you are worthy of being my teacher?”
“Heh...”