https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-21-The-Heavenly-Martial-Heart-Refinement/13686410/
Chapter 22: Contract
After Li Xuelian finished recounting Zhang Yu’s situation, she heard a soft chuckle come through the phone line.
“Indeed impressive,” came the voice on the other end, “but no need to take him on.”
Li Xuelian blinked in confusion. “Why not?”
Xinghuo Immortal laughed heartily, his voice brimming with delight. “I’ve already found the real prodigy.”
“Same grade—freshman year—but mastered the Tianwu Cultivation of the Heart Scripture in just half an hour.”
“And he has no Contract at all.”
Saying this, Xinghuo Immortal couldn’t help but burst into another fit of laughter.
Li Xuelian was stunned. “There’s actually someone like that?”
Xinghuo Immortal chuckled. “I told you long ago—Kunxu’s first level is never short on geniuses. It’s just that no one’s willing to invest in them.”
“Take the top scorers from each subject in the college entrance exam, the overall champion—do you have any idea what kind of brilliance they possess?”
“But every year, dozens of such prodigies emerge. And another wave of near-equal talent keeps appearing, like weeds that just won’t stop growing.”
“Genius is everywhere. The problem? I never found them before—someone else always got there first. Now, finally, I’ve secured mine ahead of time.”
Li Xuelian cast a wistful glance toward Zhang Yu and asked, “Could we at least sign him up as a backup?”
Xinghuo Immortal waved a hand. “Forget it. Our resources will be poured into the true genius. No need to waste energy on distractions.”
…
In the meeting room beside the art exhibition.
Li Xuelian looked at Zhang Yu with genuine regret. “I’m sorry, young man. My father has urgent matters to attend to—right now, he simply can’t take you as a disciple.”
She spoke with sincerity. “But you’ll have full, unrestricted access to the Tianwu Cultivation of the Heart Scripture going forward. I’ll personally grant you the usage rights.”
Her eyes sparkled with admiration. “And finally, on a personal note—I’d like to give you ten thousand yuan.”
“Don’t rush to refuse. This isn’t transactional. It’s purely out of respect for your talent.”
“Hope next time we meet, you’ve already secured a spot at a top-tier university.”
“Oh, and one more thing—those videos you recorded, which include the Tianwu Cultivation of the Heart Scripture—you’ll need to delete the distribution rights.”
A moment later, as Zhang Yu walked away, Li Xuelian’s smile slowly faded.
Though Xinghuo Immortal had declined him, she wasn’t about to make an enemy of such a promising young talent.
The usage rights, the ten thousand yuan—nothing more than a minor gesture to her.
She’d given similar small gifts to countless young prodigies over the years. Most had faded into obscurity, long since forgotten.
After wrapping up the matter, Li Xuelian greeted several important guests before hurrying off to find her father.
She was dying to meet the legendary genius Xinghuo Immortal had just discovered.
…
On the other side of the exhibition hall, Bai Zhenzhen watched Zhang Yu emerge from the meeting room.
“Well? Did they reject you? Did Li Xuelian give you a hard time?”
Zhang Yu recalled the genuine warmth in her eyes. He shook his head. “No trouble at all.”
“She rejected me before I even opened my mouth—said Xinghuo Immortal had other priorities…”
“Though she did hand me ten thousand yuan at the end.”
Bai Zhenzhen sneered. “Classic excuse.”
“Maybe she checked your records and realized you’re not that special.”
“Average monthly exam scores, no surgical enhancement history, weak physique, and a mountain of debt…”
Zhang Yu rolled his eyes. “A-Zhen, you’re just mad you lost. Now you’re attacking my character?”
Seeing Zhang Yu smugly grinning, Bai Zhenzhen couldn’t resist grabbing his shoulder and shaking him.
“Spit it out already—what cheat code did you use?”
“Come on, tell me—did you bribe the staff to sneak a peek at the Yanwu Diagram ahead of time?”
Staring at her jealous, almost grotesque expression, Zhang Yu let out a low chuckle.
Go ahead, A-Zhen. Watching you and the others fall apart after being outshined—that’s my current favorite pastime.
Just as they were talking, Qian Shen approached from a distance, his face grim.
“You’ve been intentionally failing your exams, haven’t you?”
The Celestial Martial Arts Diagram had sharpened Qian Shen’s immunity to high scorers. But the fact that a low scorer had outperformed him was beyond comprehension.
When Zhang Yu shook his head, Qian Shen frowned. “Impossible. If you’re not faking your grades, how can your talent and scores be so mismatched?”
Zhang Yu paused, then said, “Exams don’t always reveal true potential.”
Qian Shen cut him off sharply. “No. That’s impossible.”
“The college entrance exam and the six core high school subjects—designed by the Top Ten Sects—are the gold standard for evaluating teenagers. Tested, refined, and validated by countless experts and cultivators.”
“Each subject, each point, perfectly reflects every dimension of human difference—bloodline superiority, regional disadvantage, incomplete evolution…”
Watching Qian Shen’s unwavering intensity, Zhang Yu realized he’d misjudged him.
You’re not just a score-obsessed elitist. You’ve evolved—into a bloodline supremacist, a regional chauvinist, even a racialist. You’re a full-fledged believer in the hierarchy of grades.
To him, high scores meant excellence, superiority, confidence. Low scores? Worthless trash.
That was his entire worldview. His foundation. The very soul of every elite high school.
“Fine,” Qian Shen huffed. “You don’t want to admit it. But I’ll report this to the school. I hope you bring your real ability to the next monthly exam. No more 550s—those are signs of incomplete evolution.”
As Qian Shen walked away, Zhang Yu stood there, uncertain whether he’d been insulted—or just ignored.
Bai Zhenzhen, however, nodded slowly. “He said a lot of nonsense, but one thing’s true—watch out.”
“The school will know about this. They’ll probably come knocking to sign a Contract with you.”
“Contract?” Zhang Yu raised an eyebrow. He’d heard the term before, but never fully understood it.
Bai Zhenzhen explained, “You know, not everyone’s as rich as Qian Shen’s family.”
“For poor but brilliant students with real talent, someone needs to invest.”
“Schools are investors, too.”
“Usually, after the second year begins, they screen top performers from the first year and offer Contracts—investing money into those they believe will succeed.”
“But sometimes, if a student is too exceptional, too dazzling, the school will act early—before anyone else can snatch them.”
She puffed her chest proudly. “Like me.”
Zhang Yu frowned. “You never told me this before.”
Bai Zhenzhen shot him a look. You really don’t know your own worth, do you?
“Given your performance today, the school will approach you about a Contract. Whether to sign or not… that’s the hard part.”
Seeing her conflicted expression, Zhang Yu asked, “Why is it so hard to decide?”
Bai Zhenzhen sighed. “It’s not hard if you know yourself. But the real difficulty? Knowing whether your self-perception is accurate.”
She stared at him. “For example—what cheat code did you use in the Celestial Martial Arts Diagram?”
Then she waved her hand. “Never mind. No mother-daughter business. You don’t have to tell me.”
“Just remember—if you’re absolutely certain you’ll make it to the Top Ten universities, don’t sign the Contract now.”
“But if you’re unsure, and just want a decent university—then go ahead and sign, as long as the terms aren’t terrible.”
Zhang Yu nodded, pondering, and asked a few more questions about Contracts and school policies.
Just as they finished speaking, another figure approached—this time, a petite, charming girl.
“Hi, you were so cool back there. Can I get your contact info?”
This had happened so many times since Zhang Yu cracked the Celestial Martial Arts Diagram. Even Lian Tianji from Ziyun High School had messaged him.
Zhang Yu had grown used to it. He sighed inwardly and added her.
“Haha, even a beauty’s chasing me now,” he joked. “Which school are you from?”
“I’m Wu Qingqing from Sheng Nui Academy—top class.”
Zhang Yu froze.
In this Kunxu world, a man-like woman might still be a man—but a girl from a girls’ academy’s top class?
That meant she’d definitely been a man before.
Wu Qingqing noticed his expression and smiled. “Oh? Still stuck in old-fashioned thinking?”
“Thinking we’re all just frauds who got in through connections and bombed every test?”
“Let me tell you—our top scholars aren’t any less brilliant than you. You’ll see in the next city-wide exam.”
Zhang Yu stared after her, speechless.
No… I wasn’t thinking about that.
In Kunxu, even a transgender person has to prove their score first.
“Congratulations,” Zhou Tianyi stepped up beside him. “Did you sign with the Golden Core Immortal?”
Zhang Yu looked at Zhou Tianyi, suddenly remembering how quiet he’d been during the Celestial Martial Arts Diagram test.
Then, Zhang Yu resumed his role as security—chatting with acquaintances and strangers alike.
With the day’s duties complete, his account had grown by 1,600 and 10,000 yuan—reaching a total of 13,300.
After paying off the remaining 5,000 yuan loan, his balance dropped to 8,300.
For the first time in a while, Zhang Yu could finally breathe easy—no more collection calls.
(End of Chapter)
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