"Why did the Chief Instructor have to chip in 3 million to buy me Bone-Washing Water? Is this also an education bureau subsidy?"
Su Yue asked again.
After deducting his own money, the gap was still too large.
"Subsidize my ass, the education bureau doesnât even advocate Bone-Washing.
"You should know, in the eyes of the education bureau, the admission line of Wuda is the key.
"Before reaching the Fifth Rank, Martial Artists with golden skeletons are no different from ordinary Martial Artists.
"And a Second Rank high school graduate can shake the entire Renqing Province. Even if they go to the Four Great Martial Arts Academies, a Second Rank graduate is an elite prodigy.
"Moreover, those golden skeleton Martial Artists who die in the Wetlands arenât few. Theyâre gold-fed pigs dying prematurely, a sheer waste. If their heart is eaten by another tribe, their power surgesâitâs a loss-making trade. Plus, to protect these golden skeletons, ordinary Martial Artists get sacrificed.
"As for platinum skeletons, letâs not even mention them; theyâre like expensive vases on the battlefield in the Wetlands, causing chaos!"
Sun Zhiwei shook his head.
"Then why did the Chief Instructor..."
Su Yue was puzzled.
Since the education bureau doesnât encourage it, why did Dai Yuegui specifically mention Bone-Washing, even using his own money to subsidize it?
Over 3 million is no small sum.
"Maybe Instructor Dai has a broader perspective, putting the overall situation first.
"Even though Bone-Washing Martial Artists are useless before reaching the Grandmaster Realm, once they break through, each one is the backbone of Earth Martial Artists.
"At that level, ten thousand ordinary Martial Artists canât match a single Grandmaster.
"From the Divine Cabinet to the governorâs mansion of each province, pressure is applied layer by layer, as the resources in the national treasury are limited; governors of each province, commanders of each city, and even the education bureau are all vying for resources.
"The more you take, the less I get.
"Only by adhering to this exam-oriented education can we quickly seize financial allocations.
"The mindset of contention is deeply rooted in Martial Artists. Even outside the Wetlands, no one wants to give up resources, and no one dares to finish last. Your head teacher is Ding Beitu; you should know the dire fate of the last place.
"The competition environment in the Divine Land is too fierce, ultimately distorting the education system a bit. But you canât say itâs bad, as everyone from top to bottom strives diligently, risking even their lives.
"Yet the situation remains distressing, with a significant decline in Bone-Washing Martial Artists in recent years."
Sun Zhiwei shook his head.
"The Cabinet doesnât notice this contradiction?"
Su Yue frowned.
If Grandmasters are the backbone, the Divine Land canât be short of them, yet this approach is like killing the goose that lays golden eggs.
"Of course theyâve thought about it, but what can they do?
"If everyone goes through Bone-Washing, who maintains the frontline battles? And where do the resources come from?
"Who doesnât want to be a Grandmaster? Who doesnât want to be Governor?
"But human qualifications differ; some people can only achieve low ranks in their lifetime, never breaking through.
"Like me, at 46 years old, only a Second Rank. My greatest hope is to reach Third Rank.
"As for Instructor Dai, even reaching Fifth Rank is uncertain.
"If a lot of resources are used for our Bone-Washing, does that make sense?
"But the martial limit canât be seen before 40 years old. I didnât mention it, but Instructor Dai was an A-class powerhouse at Wuda back then. If resources were averaged, he was definitely eligible for Bone-Washing at university.
"But what was the result? After 40, it became clear that there was no hope of becoming a Grandmaster, and Bone-Washing was pointless.
"Everyoneâs Bone-Washing is inherently a paradox."
Sun Zhiwei looked helpless.
"So, the Divine Land Government doesnât subsidize Bone-Washing, but it doesnât stop it either, leaving you to decide for yourself, right?"
Su Yue sighed.
You canât blame the government.
The Divine Landâs population is too large; the government canât maintain perfect fairness. Maintaining a barely balanced situation is already remarkable.
"Thatâs right, if youâre truly determined to be a Grandmaster, then go Bone-Washing by yourself.
"Moreover, Bone-Washing Water is expensive and filters out impoverished Martial Artists. Itâs not discrimination against ordinary Martial Artists, but being one step slow leads to being step-by-step slow.
"Only wealthy families can treat Qi Blood Pills as meals; only such families can always stay ahead and have the greatest chance of becoming Grandmasters.
"The older you get, the harder cultivation becomes, which is an irrefutable law of life.
"Instructor Dai, unable to break through to Grandmaster in this life, places his greatest hope in nurturing a Grandmaster student.
"He could have become the deputy director in the education bureau, but he joined the potential class to personally find good seedlings.
"The emergence of a Grandmaster holds great significance.
"For the nation, for the citizens, for battlefield Martial Artists, and for the souls of those who died, Instructor Dai is ready to put all his assets at stake.
"Three million in subsidies, he doesnât even blink."
Sun Zhiwei spoke admiringly.
"This instructorâs patriotism is truly..."
Su Yue didnât know what to say for a moment.
"Su Yue, you havenât experienced the battlefield yet, havenât personally felt that kind of patriotism.
"If you were saved by a Grandmaster, if you watched helplessly as comrades died before you, and if you personally experienced the role of a Grandmaster, you would do as Instructor Dai did."
"In this era, in the Divine Land, many Martial Artists avoid service for selfish reasons and small profits.
"But on the battlefield, many more choose self-sacrifice for the country."
Sun Zhiwei patted Su Yue on the shoulder sincerely.
"Hmm, I will strive hard, at least... not to let down Instructor Daiâs efforts."
Su Yue nodded.
"Good, Iâll arrange for you to enter the fighting arena tomorrow. The B1 and B2 levels of the arena are generally not life-threatening.
"By the way, think of a battle name, and Iâll get you a mask. You still have to take the college entrance examination; appearing in the arena with your real face is inappropriate."
Sun Zhiwei said.
"Battle name?"
Su Yue thought for a moment:
"Then call it: âAngst of the Ferris Wheelâ. As a blooming handsome guy, I should be this melancholic."
Sun Zhiwei felt liver pain: "Too stupid, choose another."
"Whatâs about: âLong Aotianâ, âYe Liangchenâ, âChen Beixuanâ, âEmperor of All Heavensâ, âMad Godâ, âDugu Qiubaiâ... How about these?"
Su Yue frowned slightly, truly feeling the loneliness of an expert.
Sun Zhiwei fumed: "In the past, people used those arrogant names, but now theyâre only remembered during the Qingming Festival; think clearly.
"Why not be called Su Daqiang?
"Your surname is Su, subtlety in simplicity, the truly invincible."
Sun Zhiwei suggested.
"No.
"Iâm too young to handle that name for now."
"Call it âGuangkunâ. Vast and infinite, a heart embracing the universe, these eight-character summary of my mind."
Su Yue thought again.
"Canât you go with Maoqian? Why insist on Guangkun?"
Sun Zhiwei had a toothache.
"No, obscure words are hard to recognize; itâs Guangkun, having both aggression and uniqueness, Iâve decided."
Su Yue shook his head.
"Are you really sure?"
Sun Zhiwei asked again.
"Yes, Iâm sure.
"Oh, Teacher Sun, I have a bonus of 300,000 here, could you help me buy Qi Blood Pills?"
Su Yue added.
This is the joint exam bonus; his Qi Blood Pills supply was exhausted, and with one pill a week, it wasnât enough.
The education bureau provides restorative medicine, but the Qi Blood Pill supply isnât limitless.
"300,000, all for Qi Blood Pills?"
Sun Zhiwei was taken aback.
"Yes."
Su Yue nodded; actually, it couldnât buy much.
At 5,000 each, just 60 pills, enough for two months at Liao Pingâs rate.