Chapter 78: The Disparity Between Different Universities

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

In a fitness room in the city gymnasium.

“Bang!”

A dull thud.

Fang Ping was acquainted intimately with the floor again.

w.a.n.g Jinyang snapped coldly, having thrown Fang Ping on the floor with one hand, “Did you not eat? Even a woman has more strength than you!

“This is what amounts to your combat training? Your moves are so soft that they only tickle me!

“Both fist and leg techniques are created to kill! Swiftness, accuracy, and ruthlessness are rudimentary!

“Your leg technique is weak and listless! You aren’t decisive enough. You’ll be dead before you can kick!”

“…”

Fang Ping ma.s.saged his b.u.t.t and stood up, limping. He said, somewhat bemused, “Brother w.a.n.g, you didn’t need to hit me so hard, did you?”

The normally genial w.a.n.g Jinyang’s eyes steeled, and he reproached him, “Combat techniques are devised to aid us in battle, whether this is a practice match or a real-life battle!

“Why are you learning combat techniques if you don’t have the motive and resolve to battle?!”

Fang Ping did not say anything to that. He took a deep breath and started jogging to gain momentum. As he arrived face to face with w.a.n.g Jinyang, his left leg shot up while his right straightened and whipped toward his opponent quickly.

w.a.n.g Jinyang blocked his whip-like advance with one arm, while his other hand shot forward and cinched Fang Ping’s neck.

“Have your hands become useless just because you’re practicing leg techniques?

“Don’t you know how to block?

“Your front is wide open. If your leg attacks are blocked or evaded, your opponent can easily kill you!

“You have left your upper body without defense!

“Your arms have become your burden. Even if you’re practicing leg combat techniques, you shouldn’t neglect your upper limbs and end up becoming an imbalanced invalid!”

While w.a.n.g Jinyang spoke, he did not stop putting pressure on Fang Ping’s neck. He persisted until his face turned bright red.

He waited until Fang Ping struggled hard to flex his arm and tossed Fang Ping a few meters away.

…

Fang Ping struggled to get his bearings and did not fall. He ma.s.saged his neck and panted. “Do martial arts university students get a lot of chances to engage in battle?”

“If one only stays in the middle ground, he will be in the shadows of others all his life!”

w.a.n.g Jinyang said expressionlessly, “If you don’t however, you will encounter so many opportunities that it’ll scare you!

“It’s the same in any martial arts university.

“The average people stay average. Of course, their safety is ensured, and they are usually able to ascend to either Rank-1 or Rank-2 before graduation.

“They can easily live a life of prosperity and wealth, working desk jobs in corporations. This is also the dream of many.

“If you aren’t content to lurk in the crowd, if you want to stand out, if you want to walk further on the path of martial arts and become stronger…

“You’ll have to prepare!

“A number of university students die every year. They are all elite students. They are not average!

“Martial artists have to fight. They must fight! They died, because they fought!”

Fang Ping grimaced. “Even though what you said about the need to fight for what we want is true, I haven’t even gone into university. I’ve just started on my combat training. I haven’t had any experience in the field.

“Brother w.a.n.g, aren’t you a bit too ruthless?

“Experience isn’t something that comes out of the blue…”

w.a.n.g Jinyang coughed succinctly. He thought, ‘I’m doing it for your sake so that you don’t get ahead of yourself.’

Fang Ping was not wrong, though. Experience doesn’t come for free.

He had started on his training really recently, and he did not have an outlet to employ it on a practical basis.

Of course, there were multiple loopholes in this case. He would get the hang of it quickly after a few real missions in the field.

Actually, his progress in his leg technique was quite impressive. His combat ability was not bad due to his high Vitality.

In the end, it still boiled down to that: not bloating Fang Ping’s head even more.

w.a.n.g Jinyang would not say any of that to him, of course. He said righteously in response to his question, “When you’re in battle, your opponent won’t give you a chance to familiarize yourself with your techniques!

“Are you still hoping that those ferocious monsters will give you a tutoring session?

“Putting more effort in daily life is better than dying in the middle of a mission!”

Fang Ping was speechless. It sounded right after he thought about it.

Sensing that Fang Ping agreed with him, w.a.n.g Jinyang put on a smile again. He said, “Of course, you’re not that bad for someone who started training recently with no guidance.

“My test on your combat techniques ends here. There are still some problems with your training, though…”

w.a.n.g Jinyang gave him some advice, especially on the placement of his upper limbs.

Leg techniques were not meant to be used as a standalone, but only to strengthen one’s legs and give one an edge. It did not mean that one’s upper limbs should be ignored.

Fang Ping was obviously misguided. While practicing his leg techniques, he had given up on harnessing the innate reflexes of his upper limbs.

Fang Ping realized his shortcomings after Old w.a.n.g advised him. He thanked the other hurriedly.

Nini eyed Fang Ping with sympathy from her spectating spot at the side.

She had known of the shortfall that befell him, but not his stupidity.

He was dumb as h.e.l.l, proven by the way he thanked her senior after getting totally busted under his maneuvers!

…

Fang Ping was oblivious to the scorn directed at him.

The group sat down at the break area in a corner of the fitness room after the a.s.sessment.

“You have the innate instinct for battle.”

After they sat down, w.a.n.g Jinyang started off with a word of praise. He continued, “No matter which university you apply for, you will definitely stand out in no time owing to your talent.

“An increase of rank meant an increase in the things you’ll be privy to. At that time, you’ll face more danger.

“Practical application of combat techniques will become a compulsory subject.

“You’re now deciding between a martial arts university in Nanjiang or the Big Two. Am I right?”

Fang Ping nodded.

“You’re only hesitating because of the reward this year.

“Without the reward, people like you – or should I say everyone – won’t even need to think about it before choosing the Big Two immediately.

“Elite schools are elite for a reason. They’re better than average martial arts universities, naturally.”

Fang Ping asked quickly, “Brother w.a.n.g, what’s the difference between the two? How big is the disparity?”

“Firstly, resources.”

w.a.n.g Jinyang said frankly, “The Big Two are inst.i.tutions that get the most support from the government. The resources subsidized by the government every year are worth an astronomical sum.

“Also, many powerhouses and officers graduated from those two universities.

“Some of them are heads of businesses. Others work for the government or join the army.

“These alumni will support their alma mater after they succeed in life. Huge amounts are donated to the schools from them every year.

“That’s why they have access to more resources than NMAU.

“I’m gonna give an example.

“In NMAU, you can apply for a Rank-1 Vitality Pill free of charge when you achieve a breakthrough to Rank-1.

“And you only need to pay half the price for a Rank-1 Bone-cleansing Pill.

“One Rank-1 Bone-cleansing Pill costs 0.5 million in the market. Half price means 0.25 million. Of course, you can pay for it with methods other than cash.

“NMAU uses the point system.

“When you get good marks in an exam, make good progress in cultivation, or finish a mission, you get a reward in the form of points.

“To sum it up, you can spend your points like you spend money. Some resources can only be acquired with points. Money falls short compared to points in that regard.”

This, Fang Ping understood. This system was commonplace.

Fang Ping was not interested in that. He asked quickly, “How about the Big Two?”

“They…”

w.a.n.g Jinyang smirked. “When a potential martial artist attempts a breakthrough to Rank-1, the provision of a Bone-cleansing Pill and a Vitality Pill is mandatory. Do you know what that means?”

“Completely free of charge?”

“Exactly.”

Fang Ping choked in surprise. “Their generosity is indeed backed up by their insane wealth!”

A Rank-1 Vitality Pill cost 0.3 million, and a Rank-1 Bone-cleansing Pill cost 0.5 million, so it was 0.8 million in total.

Those specialized martial arts universities admitted over a thousand students every year. Those free pills could amount to a sum as high as 8 billion yuan!

Of course, this total was calculated based on market prices. The cost would not be that high.

NMAU charged their students 0.25 million. They did not lose much even if the investment came to naught. The students still had to shoulder half of the costs.

MCMAU and CCMAU just up and provided them to their students for free. This was a very obvious demonstration of the disparity.

w.a.n.g Jinyang laughed. “This is still just the start of it. After you advance to Rank-1, you have to pay half of the market price if you want to exchange your currency for resources.

“Take a normal Vitality Pill, for instance. We have to pay fifty thousand bucks, or its equivalent in points, for one pill. There’s a quota for it, too.

“In MCMAU, you only need to pay thirty thousand yuan. Of course, there’s a quota too.

“The exchange price is 50% of the market price in our school, but 30% in the other two. That’s actually half the cost.”

“The difference is that big?”

Fang Ping exclaimed once again. 20% was not a small sum. The pills taken by martial artists were all shockingly expensive. The difference was so huge that it seemed like preferential treatment was given to the two schools.

w.a.n.g Jinyang shrugged. He said, somewhat helplessly, “Martial arts universities all run their own businesses outside campus, including martial arts tuition centers, normal enterprises, or even pill manufacturing businesses. The Big Two have their hands in all of them. The other schools don’t have the capacity to do that.

“Pill manufacturing earns a d.a.m.n lot!

“Also, this industry is chiefly overseen by the government. The fact that the Big Two have their hands in it is something that the other schools cannot compare to.

“Say, under these circ.u.mstances, how expensive can the pills get in the Big Two?

“The cost, as we say, refers to the factory price. The cost, as coined by them, is really the total cost of all materials and ingredients…”

The Big Two had a stake in the pill manufacturing industry. Pills were one of the most important cultivation resources ever.

With that support, it was understandable that pills were cheaper in the Big Two.

w.a.n.g Jinyang did not elaborate too much on that. He continued, “Except for the disparity in the provision of resources, there’s also the problem of the teaching staff.

“It’s not that remarkable of a difference to the average person.

“NMAU’s teachers are required to be at Rank-3 at minimum. Most of the Rank-3 teachers teach freshmen.

“Those at Rank-4 and above are in charge of mentoring students that are ranked.

“There are also some Rank-5 teachers. They are ranked highest in the staff of NMAU.

“Those at Rank-6 are all governors of the school. They don’t teach, and there aren’t many of them to start with, either.

“The Vice-chancellor of NMAU is a Rank-7 Grandmaster, and also one of the strongest in Nanjiang…”

w.a.n.g Jinyang laughed while he spoke. “The rank of your teachers isn’t as important if you’re only gonna achieve Rank-1 or 2 before graduation.

“It’s also not gonna make that much of a difference if you’re at Rank-3.

“The guidance of your mentors will be really important if you want to cultivate until you reach Rank-4.

“But if you’re close to Rank-4, powerhouses will show up and give you guidance.”

w.a.n.g Jinyang was talking about himself. As long as he was at Rank-3 and had completed the honing of his torso, some among the several school governors currently at Rank-6 would definitely show up to guide his breakthrough, the Vice-chancellor excepted.

“The Big Two has an advantage over this compared to the other schools. They only hire martial artists at Rank-4 and above to teach.

“Rank-5 and Rank-6 teachers are not few in between, either. NMAU only has one Grandmaster among the staff.

“MCMAU has four!

“One of them is at Rank-8, too, or even Rank-9. This is the true source of their strength.

“You have to know that the governors in most provinces aren’t even Grandmasters. Some of them might only be at Rank-5. Of course, this is rare; most governors are at Rank-6.

“Magic City and Capital City house many high-ranked powerhouses, so it’s a given that their schools are on a higher level than most others.”

“Resources, teaching staff, status…”

Fang Ping muttered. From this point of view, the elite schools and average schools really were vastly different.

w.a.n.g Jinyang had not finished. He continued, “The last point: the availability of missions.”

“Availability of missions?”

“Yes. This is not of importance to the average person.

“Some students graduate without doing a single mission.

“To elite students, missions are compulsory if they want to advance higher to earn more money and resources.

“There are fewer missions for us in NMAU to choose from. For instance, the last one where I was asked to capture Huang Bin was given to us by Sun City.

“These things are rare, as Nanjiang is safer. Sometimes we are faced with the problem where we don’t have missions that suit us to choose from.

“In the Big Two, it’s a different story. One is in Capital City while the other is in Magic City. There are so many missions that you can choose freely, and the rewards are much more generous.

“As long as you possess strength, you can get everything you want…”

After he finished his speech, Fang Ping said to him with feeling, “So what you said can be surmised as this: the mediocre will end up the same wherever he is, while the extraordinary should go to the Big Two. Is that what you’re saying?”

“Kinda.”

w.a.n.g Jinyang laughed. “If your Vitality is around 130cal, I won’t recommend that you go to the Big Two. The average will only waste their time if they went to the Big Two.

“But you’ve already completed the bone-honing process twice. In a very short time.

“Then I’ll recommend that you go to the Big Two. This will be better for you.”

The average will be average wherever they went. Especially those whose Vitality was around 130cal. They might as well go to NMAU; they might be paid more attention there.

Fang Ping’s Vitality was over 180cal, though. He would become a Rank-1 martial artist soon.

Rank-2 and Rank-3 were not too far away from him.

Rank-3 was the limit in average martial arts universities. A middle-ranked martial artist would occasionally graduate from them every few years.

Average martial arts universities would not aim to teach middle-ranked martial artists.

The Big Two, on the other hand, would produce some graduates that were middle-ranked.

w.a.n.g Jinyang observed as Fang Ping thought deeply. He thought for a while before saying, “Of course, I’m obligated to remind you that the risk is higher over there, too.

“The more missions offered, the higher the possibility of you needing to risk your life in battle.

“Both schools are in metropolises. Some criminals still remain there even after they’ve committed a crime. Which means that they’re quite formidable themselves in terms of skill.”

w.a.n.g Jinyang continued in his mind, ‘Magic City and Capital City are in charge of suppressing some of the largest Catacombs ever. The Catacombs are the most dangerous thing in both cities!’

No one under Rank-3 had the right to be privy to the existence of the Catacombs. w.a.n.g Jinyang did not mention anything about them to Fang Ping.

As the universities near the entrance of the Catacombs, students studying in both cities would have more opportunities to accept Catacomb-related missions after they reached Rank-3.

Nanjiang was not near any such entrance, so they would rarely take part in Catacomb-related affairs.

The previous mission in Tiannan was made available to them because the authorities in Tiannan were unable to defend themselves against the onslaught.

Magic City and Capital City rarely asked for a.s.sistance from other provinces. They sorted everything out themselves.

When there was a disturbance in the Magic City Catacombs, more than twenty Grandmasters were deployed. The difficulty of the mission could be seen from that.

Everything would be fine until Fang Ping reached Rank-3 in school. After he did, he would be eligible to take part in those missions, and the risk of getting hurt or killed would greatly increase.

“It’s your choice. I cannot give you more advice on this, because this is a choice that you alone should make.

“But I still have to fight for you on NMAU’s behalf. With your current vitals, I can lobby for a waiver of all resource costs provided that you’re below Rank-3!”

As the President of the Martial Arts Club of NMAU, w.a.n.g Jinyang lay out his offer.

A waiver of all resource costs below Rank-3 meant that Fang Ping would get his resource supply free of charge whenever he broke through to Rank-1 to 3.

After he broke through to Rank-3, the supply price will return to normal.

This was an allowance of the highest privilege!

This allowance was made by w.a.n.g Jinyang, not the school. The university would not give him that much.

A martial artist would use resources worth at least ten million yuan to achieve Rank-3.

Investing ten million and above on a potential martial artist was not worth it to the university.

Old w.a.n.g ruled the Martial Arts Club, which could manage the distribution of resources in the school. This was an allowance he gave to Fang Ping alone.

Fang Ping started to hesitate at this moment.

If Old w.a.n.g had not said that last couple of sentences, he would not hesitate. He did, though, and made Fang Ping’s heart hurt at the thought of giving up resources worth ten million if ever he went to the Big Two.

Fang Ping said weakly, expression complicated, “If I was ever to go to the Big Two, will the province give me some millions as a reward for excellence?”

“Haha!”

…