Rong Taotao waited all day, but Si Huanian never accepted his friend request. Instead, that evening, he got a call from his sister-in-law.
"Hi, Sister-in-law~"
"Tomorrow morning at eight, meet in front of the school's Martial Arts Hall? Okay, got it."
"Do I need to prepare anything? Should I bring a change of clothes? Some water, food, that sort of thing?"
"Oh? All I need to bring is a humble heart...? Hmm..."
"Sister-in-law, your words are so philosophical, I... Huh? She hung up?"
Rong Taotao put down his phone and couldn't help but pout. 'She's so busy, she wouldn't even let me finish five sentences.'
...
The next morning, after breakfast, Rong Taotao and Lu Mang, bundled up in thick down jackets, arrived at the Martial Arts Hall.
Both of them knew clearly that their assessment would be held outside the First Wall. 'So... meeting at the Martial Arts Hall instead of the school gate probably means there will be an elimination round right here?'
Even though his sister-in-law had said all he needed to bring was a humble heart, Rong Taotao had still gone to the store last night and bought a pile of chocolates. The silky smooth kind.
That morning, the area in front of the Martial Arts Hall was bustling with people. Excitement, nervousness, and a whole range of other emotions were plain to see on the young faces.
Rong Taotao did a quick count. There were nearly 100 junior high graduates. It wasn't until Yang Chunxi walked up the stone steps in front of the Martial Arts Hall that the area fell silent.
She was wearing a beige trench coat, wide open to reveal a thin white wool sweater underneath. Her aura was undeniable, but she also definitely looked like she was suffering for her beauty.
The cold wind whipped through her long, jet-black hair, making Rong Taotao instinctively pull his own down jacket tighter.
"Attention."
Yang Chunxi's soft voice pierced through the wind and snow, silencing the entire Martial Arts Arena. Even the students sparring in the outdoor arena in the distance stopped what they were doing.
She began, "Welcome to the entrance assessment for the Junior Class of Songjiang Soul Martial University. Before coming here, you should have all been informed of the assessment location: north of the First Wall."
Looking at the obedient and quiet faces, Yang Chunxi nodded slightly. "The assessment location is inherently dangerous, so the university has assigned a guardian to each candidate.
For your safety, Songjiang Soul Martial University has coordinated with the local Guard Corps and requested one hundred soldiers from the Snow Burning Army."
"Whoa!"
"Tsk tsk..." A series of soft clicks and sighs spread through the crowd. The kids seemed excited, the heavy weight of anxiety lifting from their hearts.
Yang Chunxi continued, "From the moment you step past the First Wall, the only ones you can rely on will be the Snow Burning Army. Therefore, I expect you to cooperate with them.
Of course, under normal circumstances, the Snow Burning Army soldiers watching from the shadows will not interfere with your assessment. However, if your life is in danger, you must obey their commands unconditionally.
If you fail to follow the soldiers' orders, it will likely cause immense trouble for your future careers as Soul Martial Artists."
Yang Chunxi's gaze swept across the crowd, her expression stern and serious. "Songjiang Soul Martial has the confidence and the power to enforce this. If any candidate is found to be uncooperative, not only will you be kicked out of this assessment by Songjiang Soul Martial, but the Soul Martial High School you applied to will also reject your admission."
Faced with such a harsh punishment, the middle schoolers certainly understood the gravity of the situation.
Yang Chunxi: "The 100 candidates here have come from all over the country. It's no exaggeration to say that you are all exceptionally talented. But talent is not everything.
The criteria for this assessment will not be announced to you.
The only thing you will know is the content of the assessment."
The students' ears perked up, their gazes fixed on the Pine Soul instructor on the steps who held their fates in her hands.
Yang Chunxi: "North of the First Wall, south of the Second Wall. Survive in this area for seven days."
"Holy shit..."
"Survival!? For seven days!? I thought we were just supposed to kill a low-level Soul Beast and come back!"
"Kill a Soul Beast? My ass! We'll freeze to death first!"
Yang Chunxi raised a single finger, and the area below the steps fell silent again. "The Snow Burning Army soldiers will do their utmost to ensure your safety. Furthermore, you may quit at any time. There is no time limit. You just need to signal a soldier, and they will bring you back."
With that, Yang Chunxi swept her finger in a half-circle, motioning to everyone. "Line up by gender, form two columns each, and enter the Martial Arts Arena to receive your survival supplies and equipment."
After a moment of chaos, Rong Taotao followed the large group into the Martial Arts Hall.
As she watched the students file in, Yang Chunxi announced, "The school will provide lockers. Put all of your personal belongings into the lockers in the changing rooms. When you come out, you will all be in uniform. You are not allowed to secretly keep any personal items. Violators will be sent straight home."
Rong Taotao felt his pocket, where the chocolates were. This was agonizing.
'I was hoping to use them to replenish my energy, but that plan is shot now.'
'The worst part is, those chocolates were expensive...'
Inside the hall, the boys and girls separated into their respective changing rooms, where instructors were already waiting.
Rong Taotao received a locker key and a set of predominantly white snow-camouflage fatigues. A cotton cap, gloves, combat boots, a backpack—everything was provided. He even got a pair of ski-like goggles.
'Songjiang Soul Martial really is loaded. They have every size of equipment imaginable, anything you could want, like a self-serve shop. And the best part is, it's all free.'
Rong Taotao quickly changed and, guided by an instructor, followed the other students out of the changing room and up to the second floor.
As he walked, Rong Taotao rummaged through the contents of the huge hiking backpack he'd been given.
Food, water, medicine, a small pot, a sleeping bag... 'Huh, what's this?'
'A flare stick? Probably for calling for help, right?'
While Rong Taotao was reading the instructions for the flare stick, he heard a CLANGING sound.
Rong Taotao looked up, and his jaw dropped.
'This is practically a military surplus store!' At that moment, students were testing out weapons to see if they were a good fit.
Since the candidates were all aspiring Soul Martial Students, the room, in addition to conventional weapons, was lined with a full twenty weapon racks, holding every kind of weapon imaginable.
Just yesterday morning, Rong Taotao had come here asking for a Heaven-piercing Halberd. He never expected the inside to be a whole new world, with such a massive stock.
In the Soul Martial World, fifty percent of the population could awaken as Soul Martial Artists, so it was no surprise that the culture of martial arts was deeply ingrained throughout Huaxia society.
Especially for these kids, the sight of all the weapons made their eyes light up.
On an instructor's recommendation, Rong Taotao picked out a small survival knife, then headed straight for the weapon racks.
His target: the Heaven-piercing Halberd.
Hundreds of weapons were neatly arranged, but only the Heaven-piercing Halberd looked so alluring.
Just as Rong Taotao reached the weapon rack, a middle-aged man's voice came from behind him. "Yesterday, were you the one who sparred with Hua Nian?"
Rong Taotao froze for a second. He turned around, only to find himself staring at the man's chest.
Rong Taotao craned his neck and looked up to see an ordinary-looking, square-jawed face.
'This guy... has he been waiting for me by the Heaven-piercing Halberds this whole time?'
Rong Taotao nodded. "Hello, Teacher. Yes, I was the one who fought her."
Rong Taotao was self-aware enough to know that the man probably wasn't interested in "Rong Taotao." The reason he was waiting here had to be Rong Taotao's other title: Xu Fenghua's son.
Scenes like this had been a constant throughout Rong Taotao's life. He was used to it.
Saying this, Rong Taotao rubbed the back of his head and gave a goofy smile. "Uh... hehe, I didn't beat her."
The man: "..."
'If you actually *had* beaten her, now *that* would be a real problem.'
The middle-aged man said, "I heard you lasted two rounds against her. That's a first. What did you learn?"
'Oho, smooth talker, aren't you?'
'If you want a look at the Soul General's son, just say so. Did you really have to find a way for us both to save face?'
Rong Taotao's expression was strange. "The gap is too big, we're not even in the same weight class. I didn't learn much. I blinked, and she had me lifted in the air... Oh, wait! I did learn something!"
The man: "Hm?"
Rong Taotao's face lit up with realization. He said, "I can sing 'Forget-me-not' like a pro now!"
The man: "..."
Rong Taotao fumbled in his pocket, pulled out a chocolate bar, and offered it to the male instructor. "Teacher, what's your surname?"
The man was clearly taken aback. 'This kid... isn't shy at all, is he?'
"Here, Teacher, take it. We're not allowed to keep personal items for the assessment, so I bought all this chocolate for nothing.
I have to get rid of it all before I leave the Martial Arts Hall. If you don't take it, you're pretty much sending me home." Rong Taotao raised his hand and pressed the chocolate to the instructor's chest.
Blatant bribery!
The surrounding students stared, completely stunned!
"Heh, you're an interesting kid." The man's large, thick hand took the chocolate. "I'll give this to Hua Nian for you. She has a sweet tooth."
"Hey, don't be so stingy~ That's not generous at all!" Rong Taotao pulled another chocolate bar from his pocket and stuffed it into the teacher's large hand. "You both get one, both of you!"
The man stared blankly at Rong Taotao for a moment, then broke into a spontaneous laugh.
Rong Taotao's heart skipped a beat.
He had such an average, square-jawed face, but when he smiled, he looked so carefree and unrestrained.
'He's almost maxed out his middle-aged man charisma stat...'
At that moment, Rong Taotao had only one thought in his mind: 'In twenty years, I want to be a man just like him!'
Right there, in front of everyone, the man actually accepted the chocolate. He seemed completely unconcerned about what others thought, or about any potential repercussions.
He even said magnanimously, "I'm also one of the instructors for this year's Junior Class. Do well on the assessment."
Rong Taotao quickly asked, "Teacher, what's your name?"
"Li Lie," the middle-aged man said casually, then turned and walked away.
Li Lie?
'The name is easy to remember, very... Holy shit! Oh my god!'
Li Lie!
In Rong Taotao's mind, the middle-aged man's unremarkable face merged perfectly with the image he'd seen in the online search results on his phone yesterday.
One of the Pine Soul Four Rites—the "Alcohol" of "Smoke, Alcohol, Sugar, and Tea"!
'He actually came here and waited for me? This...'
'With Li Lie on my side, who needs anyone else?'
'Si Huanian?'
'Heh. Hua Nian who?'
'From now on, I'm Li Lie's man!'
'Of course, if Si Huanian accepts my friend request... and gives me a couple more of those Little Rascals... I guess I wouldn't mind going with her...'
'After all, that candy really is delicious.'