High Martial Arts: Enlightenment after Practices

Chapter 98: Chapter 98: Dongjiang Province’s Top Scorer

Inside the hotel room, the air conditioner circulated a gentle, temperature-controlled breeze, but it did little to dispel the overwhelming fatigue.

Xu Wuyi leaned back on the sofa, eyes closed. His body was more exhausted than ever, but he was in high spirits.

The door clicked shut softly. Principal Zhang Qiming, Teacher Wang, and Teacher Zhou Yun had already left. After hearing the results of the match from Xu Wuyi, they were eager to share the news.

The high-intensity battle and his explosive bursts of power had left Xu Wuyi utterly drained, both in body and Spirit.

After a hot shower, all he wanted to do now was get a good night’s sleep.

...

Meanwhile, news of the ultimate showdown was spreading like wildfire.

While Xu Wuyi was quietly recovering, Chu Shanhe’s side made no effort to hide the results.

The news first leaked from circles related to Lijiang First High School and the Chu Family, then quickly spread throughout the top-tier examinees in the provincial capital.

”Have you heard? This year’s provincial champion has been decided!”

”Who is it? Chu Shanhe or Shen Wei? Or maybe that dark horse, Xu Wuyi?”

”It’s Xu Wuyi! The one from Red River City! He beat Chu Shanhe!”

”Oh my god! For real? Chu Shanhe actually lost?”

”It’s absolutely true! Chu Shanhe admitted it himself!”

”I can’t believe it... When are the fight recordings from the exam coming out? I have to see this!”

A mixture of discussion, astonishment, and doubt swirled together, making the name ”Xu Wuyi” famous throughout Dongjiang Province on the eve of the official exam results announcement.

...

「The next day, July 4th, at nine in the morning sharp.」

On the official website of the Federation’s Ministry of Education, the results portal for the Dongjiang Province Martial Arts College Entrance Examination opened right on time.

Countless examinees and their parents nervously refreshed the page, waiting for the numbers and rankings that would decide their fate.

Accompanied by Principal Zhang and the others, Xu Wuyi used the light-brain in the room to log into his account. The page lagged for a moment before loading.

[Examinee Name: Xu Wuyi]

[Academic Score: 538 (Provincial Rank: 1452)]

[Life Energy Level Score: 100]

[Combat Assessment Score: 100]

[Provincial Rank: 1]

Provincial Rank: 1!

The bright red number confirmed the rumors that had circulated the night before.

The room fell silent for an instant, then Wang Wenhai pumped his fist and let out a low roar, ”Beautiful!”

Teacher Zhou Yun was also flushed with excitement, her face glowing as she looked at Principal Zhang.

Zhang Qiming took a deep breath. Staring at the incredibly dazzling rank on the screen, even the normally composed principal felt his eyes begin to sting.

’Red River City... after so many years, we’ve finally produced another provincial champion!’

Zhang Qiming wasn’t even sure if he should use the word ”another.” Since he had become principal of Honghe First Middle School, the best result any student from the city had achieved was fourth in the province.

And that was over a decade ago.

”Congratulations, Wuyi.” Principal Zhang’s voice was a little hoarse. ”You are the pride of Honghe First Middle School, and the pride of all of Red River City!”

Xu Wuyi stared at the number ”1,” and couldn’t help but feel a ripple of emotion.

”Thank you, Principal. Thank you, teachers.”

Almost as soon as the results were announced, Principal Zhang’s communicator began to vibrate wildly.

Communication requests from the provincial capital’s major media outlets, admissions offices of famous Martial Arts Universities, and even some corporations that had caught wind of the news instantly flooded his inbox.

”Hello, Principal Zhang, this is the ’Martial Arts Frontier’ program from Dongjiang Satellite TV...”

”Principal Zhang, this is Director Li from the Dongjiang admissions office of Starry Sky Martial Arts Academy. Congratulations on your student, Xu Wuyi...”

”Hello, we’re from the Dongjiang branch of the Divine Soldier Group. We’d like to discuss a potential endorsement deal with student Xu Wuyi...”

Zhang Qiming glanced at the requests, set his communicator to silent, and only accepted congratulatory calls from a few important figures.

He turned to Xu Wuyi and said, ”I’ll turn down all these interview requests for you. Now is not the time for you to be in the spotlight. The important thing is to focus on choosing a university.”

”Besides, saying certain things right now might not be appropriate. It could lead to unnecessary interpretations or even trouble. We’ll arrange things once we’re back in Red River.”

Xu Wuyi didn’t hesitate for a second. ”I’ll follow your lead, Principal.”

He already disliked social obligations, and at this moment, he felt completely drained, body and soul.

And so, while the provincial capital’s media waited with bated breath, the group from Honghe First Middle School quietly checked out of the hotel.

They used a special hotel exit to avoid the reporters gathered at the main entrance, got into a pre-arranged private car, and headed straight for Lijiang Airport.

The aircraft’s engines roared. Outside the window, the city that had hosted the final battle gradually shrank and blurred from view.

The aircraft landed at the Red River City airport. The moment the cabin door opened, a wave of noise and heat washed over them.

Outside the airport’s arrival hall, a huge crowd had already gathered.

A giant, bright red banner stretched across both sides of the street: ”Hearty Congratulations to Our Own Xu Wuyi, Champion of the Dongjiang Province Martial Arts College Entrance Examination!”

The school flags of Honghe First Middle School fluttered in the crowd. The school’s leadership, teachers, and underclassmen had all turned out in force, their excited shouts merging into a joyous ocean of sound.

As soon as Xu Wuyi stepped off the ramp, he was enveloped by a deafening roar of cheers.

”Welcome home to our provincial champion, Xu Wuyi!”

”The pride of Honghe First Middle School, Xu Wuyi is incredible!”

”Congratulations to Student Xu Wuyi for taking first place in the Dongjiang Province Martial Arts College Entrance Examination!”

”The Light of Red River!”

Camera flashes went off again, but this time, they came from the familiar faces of his hometown—from the lenses of the city’s TV station and local newspapers, filled with genuine joy and pride.

At the very front of the crowd, Father Xu and Mrs. Xu supported each other, craning their necks and standing on their tiptoes to get a better view. The moment they saw their son’s familiar figure appear, tears instantly welled up in Mrs. Xu’s eyes. Father Xu pressed his lips together tightly, his own eyes quickly turning red.

They pushed through the crowd and rushed to Xu Wuyi. Mrs. Xu threw her arms around her son, her rough hands patting his back over and over. She was so choked with emotion she couldn’t speak, tears streaming down her face.

Father Xu clapped his son heavily on the shoulder, his voice trembling too much to form words.

”Provincial champion.” These two words were something they had never imagined in their entire lives.

Faced with the surging crowd and his parents’ tears, a warmth spread through Xu Wuyi’s heart. He hugged his mother back tightly and then nodded to his father.

Surrounded by Principal Zhang, Teacher Wang, and the others, he finally managed to make his way through the enthusiastic crowd and get into the vehicle the school had arranged.

The clamor subsided, for now.

The next day, under Principal Zhang’s arrangement, Xu Wuyi gave a joint interview to the local Red River City television station and the Red River Daily.

As Principal Zhang had said, these were ”their own people,” so the content of the report could be controlled.

The interview took place in a conference room at the school, and the atmosphere was very relaxed.

The reporters’ questions focused mainly on his training insights and personal growth.

Two more days passed. The Federation’s Ministry of Education officially released a highlight reel of the most exciting matches from this year’s Martial Arts College Entrance Examination on its website, available for the public to watch on demand.

Unsurprisingly, the two duels featuring Xu Wuyi—his match against Shen Wei and his match against Chu Shanhe—became the most-viewed and most-discussed videos.

According to the platform’s revenue-sharing agreement, as one of the main subjects of the videos, Xu Wuyi was expected to receive a considerable share of the members’ pay-per-view fees.

He didn’t know the exact amount yet, but it should help alleviate some of the pressure of acquiring future training resources.