Full-Time Martial Saint

Chen Cong glanced sideways at his father, whose temples were already streaked with gray.

Last night at home, he was so excited that he couldn't fall asleep for a long time. He heard clearly what his parents were saying in the next room.

"Dad, let me tell you a secret. I have a trick to save on the cost of physical therapy and qi-boosting medicine for martial arts training. You won't need to work overtime anymore. Taking care of your health is the most important thing."

Beside him, Chen Changhe, carrying a large package, paused slightly, then laughed and scolded, "You brat, were you eavesdropping on my conversation with your mother?"

He paused, stopped, and said seriously, "Your next task is to cultivate diligently. You don't need to worry about money."

"I heard from your Uncle Zhao that you can't skimp on the money for physical therapy and qi and blood medicine, otherwise you'll easily ruin your health. Don't do anything reckless."

He clearly didn't believe Chen Cong's so-called "secret," assuming he was just trying to save money for his family.

"Dad, what I said was all..."

"Chen Cong?"

Chen Congben wanted to explain, but just as the father and son arrived at the entrance of the martial arts academy, they happened to run into Xu Baiwei, who was coming in from outside the school gate.

Looking at the father and son carrying large and small bags, Xu Baiwei asked with a puzzled expression, "What's going on here...?"

Chen Cong hurriedly introduced, "Bai Wei, this is my dad."

"Dad, this is Xu Baiwei."

Xu Baiwei immediately suppressed her doubts and bowed slightly: "Hello, Uncle Chen."

Chen Changhe nodded and smiled repeatedly, "Hello."

After saying that, he looked at Chen Cong and said, "You two talk, Dad will follow behind."

Chen Changhe slowed his pace and followed at a distance behind the two. Looking at the two walking side by side in front of him, a smile first appeared on his face, then he shook his head with a wry smile, seemingly lost in thought.

"Chen Cong, you're... transferring to the Martial Arts Academy?"

After the brief incident, Xu Baiwei couldn't help but ask again.

Chen didn't say anything, but simply handed over the transfer application in his hand.

Xu Baiwei took the application form, saw the signature already on it, and her expression was somewhat complicated: "You... were too impulsive."

"I told you about the details of the martial arts college entrance exam yesterday. If you are in your first year of high school and want to transfer from the cultural college, the martial arts college will basically not have any objections. It's just a simple process."

"But you are already in your senior year of high school, and there are only nine months left until the college entrance examination. Your overall physical fitness is still 2.2 levels below the admission threshold of ordinary martial arts universities. Even if your martial arts skills score reaches 578, the leaders of the martial arts academy probably will not be willing to accept you."

The application was handed back to Chen Cong, and the two remained silent for a moment.

"With your guidance, I almost fought Zhou Hao to a draw in yesterday afternoon's practical class; after class, that guy kept asking me where I found a private coach." Xu Baiwei suddenly spoke up, "Chen Cong, the Cultural Academy probably hasn't submitted your application yet."

"I know Director Hu Lian. I'll go with you to the Cultural Academy now and ask him to withdraw your application."

Meeting her sincere gaze, Chen Cong stopped in his tracks, smiled, and shook his head: "Bai Wei, thank you."

"But I've already made up my mind, so there's no need to bother."

Xu Baiwei looked at him quietly and sighed softly, "In that case, I'll go to class now."

"The Martial Arts Academy's Academic Affairs Office is on the left. Just walk straight and then turn left."

Chen Cong nodded and watched her figure disappear at the entrance of the martial arts hall before turning around to look at Chen Changhe behind him.

"What's wrong? Are you having a tiff?" Chen Changhe quickly stepped forward and asked with a smile.

Chen Cong shrugged and didn't say anything.

……

Inside the office of the director of the Academic Affairs Office of the Martial Arts Academy.

With a stern face, wearing a black bodysuit, and sporting short, light red hair, the woman quietly put down the transfer application and looked up at the thin boy in front of her.

"Chen Cong, I regret to inform you that the Martial Arts Academy does not intend to accept your transfer application."

The words of Liu Bingran, the academic director of the martial arts academy, were like a bucket of cold water, splashed hard on the father and son in the office.

Chen Changhe's expression changed slightly, and he quickly forced a smile: "Director Liu, our Chen Cong's martial arts skills assessment..."

Before he could finish speaking, Liu Bingran shook her head and interrupted, "Mr. Chen may not know, but overall physical fitness is the decisive factor in becoming a martial artist."

"In my opinion, his overall physical fitness is probably not even at level 3, which does not meet the admission standards of the martial arts academy at all."

"Moreover, there are only nine months left until the college entrance examination. Even if the martial arts academy makes an exception and admits him, it is impossible for him to raise his overall physical fitness to the minimum threshold for admission to the martial arts university in nine months. This will only affect the college entrance rate of Xiangcheng No. 1 High School."

"Please leave, both of you. I have work to do."

After handing the application back to Chen Changhe, Liu Bingran showed no politeness and directly told him to leave.

Chen Changhe rubbed his hands anxiously, his face pleading as if he wanted to say something, but Liu Bingran had already activated the bracelet communicator and started working.

Seeing this, Chen Cong could only helplessly tug at his father's sleeve and gently shake his head: "Dad, let's go."

The father and son shouldered their luggage and silently left the office.

In the corridor, Chen Changhe carried bedding and looked at Chen Cong, who was leaning against the wall and lost in thought, with a complicated expression.

"Son, it's alright." He forced a smile, walked over slowly, and patted Chen Cong on the shoulder. "If you don't want to accept it, then you don't have to. After the New Year, come to the machinery factory with Dad."

"Once you get to the factory, Dad will use his connections to find you an eighth-level fitter as your master. You've been smart since you were little, so you'll never have to worry about going hungry."

Chen didn't say anything, but just quietly looked at the self-blame and resentment that his father was trying his best to hide in his eyes, and a little annoyance rose in his heart.

Yesterday, I gave my parents such high hopes, and now I've crushed those hopes to the ground.

With his cheat-like abilities, he naturally felt more confident, but right now he didn't know how to explain it to his parents in a way that would ease their worries...

"Chen Cong?"

As the father and son were blaming themselves, a burly figure suddenly appeared not far away.

"Teacher Zhang?" Chen Cong suppressed his emotions, looked at Zhang Kui who had rushed over, and greeted him respectfully.

Zhang Kui quickly stepped forward and extended his hand to Chen Changhe: "Mr. Chen, hello."

Chen Changhe shook hands with him somewhat blankly, and was about to speak when Zhang Kui anxiously looked at Chen Cong: "How is it?"

Chen Cong gently shook his head: "The Martial Arts Academy is unwilling to accept my transfer application."

He paused, then asked with some confusion, "Teacher Zhang, how did you know I was here?"

Zhang Kui didn't answer, but patted his shoulder heavily: "Come on, your teacher will take you to see Director Liu again."

"Mr. Chen, please wait a moment."

After saying that, he pulled Chen Cong along and barged into Liu Bingran's office without even knocking.

"Teacher Zhang Kui!"

Inside the office, Liu Bingran saw the two of them and stood up with a displeased expression: "What's the rush? You didn't even knock?"

Despite being scolded, Zhang Kui wasn't angry and said with a smile, "Director Liu, I came here for the sake of this child, Chen Cong."

"Let's talk again, let's talk again."

Liu Bingran glanced at Chen Cong behind him. Although her attitude remained firm, her tone softened considerably: "Old Zhang, you know the rules, and you understand that the college entrance examination pass rate directly affects the resources our college can obtain next year. I also want to give him a chance, but he—"

"Director Liu, what would you think if I told you that this child went from zero to a basic level of Bajiquan in just one month, and that was only by listening to my lectures outside the martial arts hall?"

Xu Baiwei told Zhang Kui that Chen had achieved a minor level of mastery in Bajiquan.

After parting ways with Chen Cong outside the martial arts hall, Xu Baiwei knew in her heart that the martial arts academy would never agree to accept a transfer student whose overall physical fitness level was less than level 3.

Perhaps out of gratitude for Chen Cong's unreserved sharing of his insights yesterday, or perhaps to see if this young man with exceptional martial arts aptitude could create a miracle, Xu Baiwei thought it over and decided to tell Zhang Kui about Chen Cong's minor mastery of Bajiquan and his intention to transfer to the martial arts academy.

Upon receiving the news, Zhang Kui rushed over immediately.

If Chen Cong had only reached the threshold of minor mastery after a month of auditing classes, he naturally wouldn't have taken it to heart; after all, in the current Martial Arts Class One, including Xu Baiwei and Zhou Hao, there were at least a dozen people who had reached the threshold of minor mastery. Although Chen Cong took even less time, his comprehension was far from being enough for him to be willing to plead for him.

But things are different now.

He himself is a master of Bajiquan, and he understands better than anyone the difference between "touching the threshold" and "truly achieving minor mastery".

During his years of teaching at Xiangcheng No. 1 High School, he had seen many geniuses who had mastered Bajiquan by their senior year of high school. However, all of them had been exposed to this style of boxing since childhood, had been privately instructed by famous teachers, and had immersed themselves in this art for several or even more than ten years.

In contrast, Chen Cong, after only auditing classes for a month and receiving some pointers yesterday, successfully entered the minor achievement stage.

Zhang Kui didn't want to miss out on such a promising talent.

Liu Bingran looked at Chen Cong with disbelief, regretting that the school hadn't discovered this genius boy sooner.

If Chen could come to the martial arts academy from the first year of high school, even if his family was poor, with his extraordinary comprehension, the school could consider applying for a student loan for him to improve his physical fitness to level 5 within three years.

But now, with only nine months left until the college entrance examination, she knows very well that there is absolutely no hope of Chen Cong's overall physical fitness reaching the admission threshold of the martial arts university in such a short time.

"Old Zhang, it's not that I don't want to give him a chance. You're a third-level martial artist and have been a teacher for so many years. You should know how difficult it is to raise one's overall quality by more than two levels within nine months."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Kui let out a heavy sigh.

He knew that what Liu Bingran said was true, but when he thought of Chen Cong's comprehension, he was still unwilling to give up.

"Director Liu, may I make a suggestion?"

After some thought, Zhang Kui suddenly spoke seriously: "Let this child stay at the Martial Arts Academy as a temporary transfer student."

"Two months! Wait until the year-end test results are in two months before deciding whether he stays or leaves."

Liu Bingran remained silent upon hearing this.

Inside the office, Chen Cong and Zhang Kui both looked at her with anticipation and nervousness.