“`
Within just one second, Li Yuan unconsciously clicked on the “Teacher List” in the APP, and after checking several times,
He finally confirmed it.
The ‘Fan Jin’ mentioned in the obituary announcement was indeed Teacher Fan Jin, who had taught him before.
Because among the hundreds of teachers at Kunlun Martial University, there was only one Fan Jin.
“Teacher Fan.” Li Yuan fell silent.
In an instant, an indescribable train of thought wrapped around Li Yuan’s mind.
It wasn’t the sadness of losing a loved one, but an inexplicable sadness and melancholy.
To be honest, Li Yuan’s impression of Teacher Fan Jin was not very deep; they had met during an invitational event at Jiangbei Martial University.
At that time, it was Fan Jin and Li Yang who came to see Li Yuan together and signed an S-level intensive training contract.
In the months between the invitational event and the college entrance exam, Fan Jin had made multiple video contacts to instruct and guide Li Yuan.
For example, Li Yuan’s choice to use the “Body Cleansing Marrow Technique” for cultivation was guided by a cultivation document sent by Fan Jin.
Beyond that, there weren’t many interactions between the two.
Even after entering Kunlun Martial University, due to teaching reasons, Li Yuan and Fan Jin had met only once.
Were their feelings deep? Not really.
After all, they had little real-life interaction, and Fan Jin had never directly coached Li Yuan.
But in Li Yuan’s heart, Fan Jin was a dedicated and respectable teacher.
Unexpectedly.
In the blink of an eye, the kind elder had died just like that.
“A rescue operation in some Star Realm?” Li Yuan glanced through the reason stated in the obituary.
He immediately thought of yesterday noon when Teacher Li Yang had received a message and left in a hurry.
It was probably the same incident.
“Not just Teacher Fan Jin.”
“There were ten other teachers.” Li Yuan’s gaze unconsciously swept over the names of the other ten teachers.
Just one battle, because of an unnamed rescue operation,
had cost the lives of eleven Prime Warriors?
And at least they were high-level Prime Warriors.
“War.” Li Yuan thought of the Rob Sea.
He thought of his uncle, who had been injured before and had almost died.
“The war with the Alien Race is a battle to the death.” Li Yuan whispered to himself, “Now, all I can do is to strive to become stronger.”
Standing in place.
Li Yuan was silent for a long time, and in the end, he gently closed his smart wristband and once again gripped the long spear standing next to him.
He gripped it tighter than before.
Then, he continued to practice his spear technique.
“Whoosh~” “Whoosh!” “Whoosh!” The shadow of the spear danced, at times like the rolling flow of stars, vast and unstoppable.
At times the flash of the spear shimmered, like a raging river, each move and style continuous without end.
That night.
Li Yuan was moved, his heart was calmer, and his spear technique grew even more fierce.
…
August 2nd, during the day.
The sky started to drizzle.
The school notification was not only sent to Li Yuan.
All students were aware that eleven teachers had died in battle the day before.
Apart from a few students who had died during the previous days’ combat assessments,
the entire sky over Kunlun Martial University seemed to be shrouded in a layer of somber sadness.
Around ten in the morning.
All students received another notification message: “Due to a large number of teachers undertaking war missions, the teaching tasks of the following institutes and grade levels are temporarily suspended.”
The classes for freshmen at the Sixth Institute were all halted.
Because the three vice deans and a large number of lecturing teachers were temporarily unreachable.
Li Yuan did not seek out other students but continued to cultivate alone in the villa.
Everything proceeded according to his own cultivation plan.
As if nothing had happened.
…
After the noon nutritional meal and blood-qi potion,
at two o’clock in the afternoon, Li Yuan was preparing to practice the Solid Rock Cultivation Technique.
Suddenly.
“Master, you have received a transfer notice of 16 million Blue Star Coins from ‘Wan Qinghe’,” the smart assistant suddenly sounded an alert.
“Hm?” Li Yuan showed a hint of surprise, and with it a trace of confusion: “Why is Uncle Wan transferring the money back again?”
Before Li Yuan could make a call to Wan Qinghe, he had already received a communication alert from him.
“Answer.” Li Yuan immediately said.
A holographic screen formed.
It showed the appearance of Wan Qinghe; looking at the background, he seemed to be at his own home.
“Uncle Wan, what’s the matter?” Li Yuan was about to speak.
“Li Yuan, don’t ask, just listen to me,” Wan Qinghe said with a hint of helplessness: “Your uncle will probably call you on V-chat soon. I can’t talk him out of it or hide anything from him.”
Li Yuan was stunned—hide it? What was there to hide?
“Or let’s say, your uncle is more capable than you imagine, much more capable,” Wan Qinghe sighed: “He’s only working as a middle manager in a state-owned enterprise; he is truly underutilizing his talents. In my life, I haven’t admired many people, but your uncle is one of them.”
“`
“If you can persuade your uncle, talk to me again.”
Li Yuan grew increasingly puzzled. What on earth could have prompted Uncle Wan to say such a thing?
“Beep~”
The intelligent assistant’s voice rang out once more, “Master, Li Changzhou is calling you.”
“Your uncle is calling you, take the call first. We can talk more when you have time,” Wan Qinghe said.
“Alright, Uncle Wan.” Li Yuan nodded.
He understood that the issue lay with his uncle, not with Wan Qinghe.
After hanging up the video call, Li Yuan took the call from his uncle, Li Changzhou.
The video communication was established, and the figure of Li Changzhou appeared on the screen.
Li Changzhou’s complexion looked healthy, full of spirit, yet he was very thin, appearing to have aged a decade or more since last year.
“Uncle,” Li Yuan began, his voice involuntarily lowering by several degrees.
“What you have done is not right,” Li Changzhou got straight to the point, his gaze gentle yet firm, as it had always been when looking directly at Li Yuan.
Inside, Li Yuan couldn’t help feeling a twinge of panic.
In front of his uncle, Li Changzhou, Li Yuan had always been like a child.
“The first treatment payment of 16 million, totaling 74 million for the entire treatment? And to think you planned to hide it from me, not even consulting me?” Li Changzhou said slowly, “Li Yuan, what exactly were you thinking?”
“Uncle, how did you find out?” Li Yuan couldn’t help asking.
“I’m only injured, not senile. I used to be a martial artist too,” Li Changzhou shook his head. “This morning, Professor Zhong sent me the treatment list. I consulted a few classmates and soon realized that the items on the list far exceeded their apparent prices, even including High Origin products from the Star Realm… That’s when I knew something was off.”
“In any case, I’m aware of it now,” Li Changzhou looked at Li Yuan. “This was the wrong move.”
“My body is already healed. I have been discharged for quite some time.”
“The Martial Arts Hall has also arranged free post-operative care, and the national support systems are very comprehensive. There’s no need for such an expensive treatment plan,” Li Changzhou shook his head. “It’s unnecessary.”
Conviction could be heard in Li Changzhou’s voice.
“Free care isn’t good enough,” Li Yuan shook his head. “Uncle, I’ve asked the doctors. With just that level of care, your body can’t possibly recover to its peak.”
“Besides, spending this money doesn’t affect me,” Li Yuan spoke candidly. “Rest assured, this money isn’t borrowed from anyone; I earned it.”
“Earned it?”
“How can you earn money when you’ve only been in university for a month?” Li Changzhou scrutinized Li Yuan, his voice full of doubt. “Isn’t it from the contracts with the Martial Hall, university, or some competitions at the university?”
“Right,” Li Yuan nodded. “But this money is mine, and using it to treat your body, why can’t I?”
“Wrong!”
Li Changzhou’s voice suddenly rose, tinged with a barely concealed anger. “Li Yuan! You’re mistaken!”
“This money isn’t yours!! In essence, it belongs to the state, to all the taxpayers.”
“You’re only in control of it because of your martial talents,” Li Changzhou’s voice was deep and forceful.
Li Yuan was stunned.
He began to faintly grasp his uncle’s point.
“Have you considered whether everything you’ve done up to now truly deserves such a large amount of money?” Li Changzhou stared at Li Yuan.
“An ordinary person toils for a year just to earn a bit over a hundred thousand Blue Star Coins.”
“And you? In less than a year since high school, you’ve received several tens of millions of Blue Star Coins, not even including the various teacher resources and free cultivation resources.”
“You work hard at school, have a villa to yourself, people providing you everything you need, no worries about food, clothing, or housing, plus a large sum of money as long as you concentrate on cultivating and improving your strength… Do you think all this comes without a price? That it’s something others owe you?”
“This money isn’t just numbers pulled out of thin air.”
“Every single Blue Star Coin represents the hard work of countless people behind it, with martial artists dying in the Star Realm, ordinary people toiling away, resulting in equivalent goods,” Li Changzhou looked directly at Li Yuan. “You’ve studied for so many years, don’t you understand this basic economic principle?”
Li Yuan was silent.
How could he not understand?
From high school until now, the state, or rather human civilization, including all kinds of teachers, must have spent nearly fifty or sixty million Blue Star Coins on him.
“Why do we have a widespread examination system across the alliance?”
“Why do we cultivate martial artists with all our might? Why do we allocate vast resources to your group?” Li Changzhou gazed at Li Yuan, sighing. “You should understand better than I do.”
“You know better than me.”
“Our human civilization has always been faced with the threat of extinction! If we’re not strong, we die!!”
“Investing vast resources to cultivate you, the martial talents, is entrusting our hopes to you.”
“Hopes that you would eventually be able to stand up and shoulder the responsibility of protecting civilization,” Li Changzhou asserted gravely.
“Uncle, I can earn this money back later…” Li Yuan’s voice was hesitant.
“That’s for the future.”
“If this money was earned through your own efforts in the Star Realm, I wouldn’t mind spending it; it wouldn’t concern others.”
“But this money isn’t truly earned by you yet,” Li Changzhou fixed his gaze on Li Yuan. “True, you have the authority over these funds, and actually, no one would care how you spend them.”
“But I taught you that as a person, you can be selfish, but there should be a line in your heart.”
“Previously, when you gave money to your aunt in secret, mainly to cultivate your younger brother and sister, and the amount wasn’t too much, I didn’t stop you.”
“But now, spending so much money on a cripple like me, if those who struggled to gather vast resources to cultivate you knew, would they understand?” Li Changzhou looked at Li Yuan. “They would only feel hurt!”
“They would only think their hard work was wasted,” Li Changzhou said somberly.
“You’re not a cripple, uncle,” Li Yuan couldn’t help but retort. “You’re a hero; these things are what you deserve.”
“Hero?”
“In these past decades, the tens of thousands of soldiers and martial artists who died at Rob Sea, are they not more heroic than me?” Li Changzhou looked at Li Yuan. “In these past centuries, just in Xia Country, fighting against the Star Realm Creatures, the tens of millions that have perished, isn’t each one of them a hero? Who among them is inferior to me?”
“Of all the human civilization to this day, aren’t the millions of fallen martial artists heroes?”
“Do they all have the same treatment as I do?”
Li Yuan opened his mouth.
But he couldn’t refute it.
Because it’s impossible for all fallen and disabled warriors to have such treatment.
The resources of entire human civilization are finite, especially precious High Origin Treasures and martial resources, which are mostly supplied to the living martial artists.