https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-97-Preparing-to-Drop-Out-Thanks-to-the-Honored-Lord-xX_Acid_Xx-/13686526/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-99-Borrowing-A-Zhen-s-Spirit-Root-Repaying-Monthly-Ticket-Loan-4-/13686528/
Chapter 98: What Just Came In?
“No need,” Bai Zhenzhen waved her hand, already starting to warm up. Her long legs tensed and relaxed in smooth, practiced motions, revealing the lean, sculpted lines of someone who’d trained for years. “My Racing Leg is already level 10.”
Then, to her stunned surprise, a sudden roar of Martial Energy erupted from within Zhang Yu’s body. In an instant, he shot forward like a bullet—skipping dozens of meters in a flash—before whipping back in a streak of wind, right in front of her.
“Now my lightness technique has reached top-tier deliveryman level.”
What did it feel like to see your best friend suddenly unlock level 10 Racing Leg and sprint faster than an electric scooter?
Bai Zhenzhen’s first reaction was shock.
“I’ve never seen Yu practice Racing Leg at all! Does he sneak out every night to deliver food?”
Her second thought? Just like when she saw a brother buy a car—she immediately wanted a ride.
With a sudden leap, Bai Zhenzhen vaulted onto Zhang Yu’s back, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck and locking her legs around his waist. “Yu! Take me for a spin!”
In the next instant, Zhang Yu shot forward like a rocket, wind howling past them as they streaked toward the Anxue Alliance compound.
Bai Zhenzhen pressed her cheek against his back, watching the city blur past in a whirlwind of motion. Her voice rose with excitement. “Ayu, you’re flying!”
“Really?” Zhang Yu smiled, though he kept his pace steady. Though he’d mastered dozens of level 10 techniques, he’d never dared show them off before. Now, finally revealing his full speed to Bai Zhenzhen, he couldn’t help but feel a rare surge of joy.
Through the wind, he chuckled. “I’m not even going full speed yet.”
Bai Zhenzhen gasped. “Seriously? You’re incredible, Ayu!”
Zhang Yu grinned. “See how much faster I’m going now?”
“Faster! Faster! Can you go even faster?” Bai Zhenzhen cheered.
“Ha! Watch me accelerate again!”
With a sharp crack, Zhang Yu unleashed the Elevator Leap, leaping high and clearing the intersection’s traffic light in one bound.
Bai Zhenzhen brushed back her golden fake hair, flapping wildly in the wind, as she watched Zhang Yu speed up even further. Inside, she thought: This brother rides like a beast. No wonder so many people ditch taxis and just call for human transport.
Leaning against his back, feeling the intense warmth radiating from his body, she murmured inwardly: But this heater is always on… I’m starting to feel like I’m being slowly roasted…
Then—plop!—a splash erupted beneath them. A wave of filthy water soaked her leg.
“Zhang Yu, you’re dead! Why’d you step in that sewage ditch?!”
Zhang Yu sighed. “The outskirts are usually dark. No streetlights. I couldn’t see. Can you use your phone to light the way?”
Bai Zhenzhen pulled out her phone, turning on the flashlight to guide him.
In the dim glow of the phone’s beam, the two of them pressed forward through the narrow, shadowed road, the neon glow of the city fading behind them.
Suddenly, Zhang Yu froze. “Hey… what’s that hard thing poking me from below?”
Bai Zhenzhen blushed. “That’s my Spirit Root!”
“It’s not my fault you wanted to borrow it! I’ve been testing it lately—keeps poking me right in the belly.”
Zhang Yu suddenly remembered something. “Right—don’t forget to ask for an Invisibility Charm.”
On the phone screen, the image shook violently as Bai Zhenzhen bounced. Her face was covered in tattoos. Zhang Pianpian frowned. “What are you doing?”
Bai Zhenzhen said, “Auntie, Zhang Yu’s carrying me to the Anxue Alliance compound. Can you cast an Invisibility Charm for me?”
Zhang Pianpian paused. Then: “You’re going to the guild to take classes and earn money through part-time work—that’s great.”
“But… are you planning to come to me every day so I can cast invisibility for both of you?”
She added, “Zhang Yu has Lushu, doesn’t he? He hasn’t learned the Invisibility Charm yet?”
Zhang Yu took the phone, still running. “I just started earning money. I’m still tight on funds. I’ll learn it later.”
“But I can’t yet draw seals across the network. I’ll need your help, big sister.”
Zhang Pianpian replied coolly: “You live together. Why not just go to and from work together every day?”
“Find a place halfway between Anxue Alliance and Songyang High School. Rent it together. Save on rent, make commuting easier, and share Lushu for seal-casting. Efficient and practical.”
Zhang Yu immediately calculated the time and cost. His eyes lit up. This makes perfect sense. We’ll save a lot.
Only one question remained.
“Zhenzhen,” he asked, “are you renting?”
Bai Zhenzhen nodded. “Duh. If I still had a house, how could I afford to train in cultivation?”
She added, “Auntie’s right. If I can take classes at Anxue Alliance, sharing a place would be smart. My parents work out of town. I’ve been living alone all along.”
They arrived at the Anxue Alliance compound.
Zhang Yu introduced Bai Zhenzhen to Hei Ya for her interview. He himself headed to class.
Inside the classroom, he saw row after row of muscular men seated in silence. Broad-shouldered, dark-skinned, faces lined with the wear and tear of hard labor.
These were students in the Digging Palm course—mostly construction workers aiming to boost their job prospects. With more high school graduates each year, competition for construction jobs had become fierce. Now, even a basic interview for Digging Palm-related positions required at least level 6.
Over the past few days, through teaching and casual chats, Zhang Yu had learned more about his students—average height two meters, average weight over 300 pounds.
Some had distended bellies, round and taut like balloons. He knew they’d undergone gut modification surgery—able to survive on grass alone.
Others had enormous, black, round pupils—night vision implants, essential for competing for night shift jobs.
Most of them had flushed cheeks, heavy breathing, cheerful dispositions—but low IQs. A side effect of years of consuming cheap stimulants.
Ziyun Corporation had once tried to improve the formula, but the drug’s popularity was too strong. It stayed.
Some construction sites even secretly laced employee drinking water with it—claiming it boosted productivity and prevented workers from quitting or skipping pay. Though the manager involved was fired and bankrupted, the practice remained a celebrated case study in corporate management.
At that moment, the classroom was still loud with chatter.
One complained about the rising price of Synthetic Food—though it tasted terrible, it was cheap.
Another discussed moving to another city. Rumor had it, a new war in the north had sparked a massive construction boom. “Everything’s being rebuilt. Jobs are everywhere, overtime is approved fast, and rent is free. Everyone’s got a job, everyone’s got a place to live!”
A third bragged about the high wages at the Luzhou Tower site. “They’re building it 1,111 stories tall—will be the tallest building in Songyang! The whole city’s talking about it.”
But then Zhang Yu coughed—just once—and the room fell silent.
Most students stopped talking. A few still muttered nonsense, but Zhang Yu didn’t care. They weren’t stupid. They’d just been worn down by labor.
“Alright, quiet down. Class is starting. If I have to wait for you all to settle, I won’t refund any missed time.”
He knew the trick—money worked best with these men. Beyond expenses on Daoxin Buffer, they were all frugal.
Sure enough, the moment he mentioned money, the room went dead quiet. Only his voice echoed through the air.
Zhang Yu’s teaching was top-tier. Especially given how his students had been mentally worn down by work, he taught with extra clarity—simple, direct, and deeply rooted in real physical understanding. By the end of each class, they walked away feeling like they’d learned something real.
After class, Zhang Yu stepped outside and found Bai Zhenzhen already practicing her techniques, waiting for him.
She grinned when she saw him. “The teachers who can give trial lessons are all here today. I’ve already taken mine. I start tomorrow—2,000 per class.”
It wasn’t much compared to Zhang Yu’s earnings, but Bai Zhenzhen was thrilled. This was her highest-paying long-term gig yet.
Zhang Yu smiled. More money means she can level up her Physical Strength faster. That’ll boost her chances in the Sports Competition.
On the way back, Zhang Yu carried Bai Zhenzhen again, sprinting through the night.
She held one hand around his neck, the other clutching her phone, scrolling through rental listings.
She frowned. “Finding a place that fits our needs is tough.”
Zhang Yu asked, “What are your requirements?”
Bai Zhenzhen listed them one by one.
“Small and cheap—after all, we’re not staying long.”
“Must have electricity and internet—otherwise it’s a pain.”
“Best if it’s a basement. That way, I can train without bothering the neighbors…”
“Damn. These good places are all snapped up.”
Then, without warning, dawn broke.
The sun rose slowly from the heart of Songyang City, casting golden light across the road ahead.
“Wow… it’s already morning. Guess today’s tutoring ran late.”
People began appearing along the rural roads.
Zhang Yu spotted a stall handing out Synthetic Food, its line stretching far into the distance. Memories flooded back—the life this body had once known.
He and Bai Zhenzhen blurred past the crowd like a storm wind.
To the ordinary people, they looked like a flash—so fast, so unnatural. A flicker of envy in their eyes.
Zhang Yu thought: If I hadn’t gotten into high school… I’d probably be one of them. Or like my old junior high classmates—just collecting rations, doing menial labor, just surviving day by day.
But then he looked at the students in today’s class—the high school graduates now grinding on construction sites.
And for the first time, he couldn’t tell who was happier… who was more fulfilled.
Bai Zhenzhen, meanwhile, was still lost in thoughts of their future—sharing a home, studying together, working together.
Just as she was deep in planning, a sudden emptiness hit her stomach.
Her eyes widened.
Shit! My Spirit Root’s gone!
At the same moment, Zhang Yu felt a jolt.
Shit! What the hell just crawled in from behind me?
(End of Chapter)
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