Cultivation requires a lot of money. There’s a saying that one may be poor in scholarship but rich in martial prowess. However, as Su Jie studied the Book of Changes, he gradually understood some important principles.
Although money is indispensable, one should not become its slave; rather, one must master it completely—choosing and discarding at will, handling it as casually as one might pluck a flower, letting it drift away like passing clouds.
After making his decision, Su Jie felt as though a dark haze in his heart had completely vanished, replaced by fearlessness and brilliant clarity. Heroes and brave men do not fear death, but what do they fear? They fear having no money. As the saying goes, even a penny can trip up the bravest man. Even the most principled individuals cannot help but bend for a small payment; that is life. Once a person is no longer shackled by money, his heart becomes flawless.
Although Su Jie might never completely free himself from such constraints, he had now embraced this subconscious understanding. His spirit—his mental resilience—was gradually becoming stronger. Initially, under Odell’s training, he was able to persist and endure pain. Later, under Uncle Mang’s massage, his endurance deepened even further; eventually, when Uncle Mang locked him in a dark room for several days and nights, Su Jie managed to free himself from despair. Afterward, he rediscovered the “soul” of his martial arts, and his mental strength greatly improved.
Then, through conversations with his father, Su Shilin, he gained the insight to remain calm and composed in any situation. Today, he further refined and elevated himself, reaching a state where money in his heart could be acquired or discarded at will. Step by step, he honed his spirit, making it more unbreakable and fully under his control. In doing so, his boxing techniques became purer, and his martial arts skills broke through once again.
When everyone saw Su Jie donate a full 200,000 in scholarship money without batting an eye, Qian Zheng’s face turned extremely solemn, while Ning Zixi was utterly puzzled about what exactly had happened to Su Jie this summer—she was very curious.
“Tonight’s evening self-study session is cancelled; now everyone can return to their dorms or go home to rest. Classes will resume as usual tomorrow.” After the exam results were released, Su Jie received his award and made the donation, leaving him with nothing further to do. Homeroom teacher Chen Juan clapped her hands, signaling the students to rest.
“Su Jie, the student council has something to attend to; we need to go to the computer lab to try out the school’s new learning system,” called out Ning Zixi.
“Alright,” Su Jie replied with a smile.
At that moment, Qian Zheng had completely bounced back—as if his second-place exam result had nothing to do with him. One couldn’t help but marvel at his extraordinary mental fortitude.
“Let’s go. After we give it a try, we need to write a reflection too.” As the student council president, he led the way.
The school’s computer lab was enormous, and the computers inside were not ordinary machines but specialized devices with immense computational power—extremely advanced. They had been installed and calibrated with the help of Haoyu Group, and it was said that the school wasn’t charged for them; instead, they were donated.
“This is the artificial intelligence learning system,” said Qian Zheng as he approached a computer as tall as a person. As the camera flashed, facial recognition was conducted, and then a voice said, “Qian Zheng, I am AI Xiao Chen, and I am delighted to assist your learning.”
“That voice…” Su Jie realized that the AI ‘Xiao Chen’ sounded exactly like his sister, Su Muchen. It was clearly modeled after her voice module.
“Hello,” Qian Zheng added, startled. Hearing the voice, he thought there was a person hidden inside the computer.
“Based on your multiple comprehensive exam papers, your performance is excellent, though there are some areas lacking. I can now train you specifically on the knowledge gaps in your studies. Pick up the electronic pen next to you; I’ll give you some questions to work on to reinforce these gaps, and if you can’t solve them, I’ll explain them to you.”
This AI “Xiao Chen” was far superior to even the best teachers in the country. In fact, it was like a collective of many outstanding teachers, continuously innovating to strengthen each individual’s learning weaknesses and guiding them patiently, making the learning process enjoyable.
‘Artificial intelligence is truly formidable; has teaching reached this level? And this is just ordinary AI—if it were high-tech, like the AI from the Tifeng Training Camp, I wonder how powerful it would be. No wonder even Coach Odell lost his job,’ Su Jie thought.
After operating the AI learning system for an hour, the three of them each drew their own conclusions. The system had precompiled each student’s exam scores, analyzed which knowledge points needed reinforcement, and then listed a series of problems along with instructional methods that rapidly improved the students’ grades. Of course, all this still required the students to study hard on their own. Even with a coach like Odell, if the students feared pain and did not train, it would all be in vain. At present, no “black technology” has emerged that can imbue someone with “a century of prowess” like in the novels.
After some adjustments, Su Jie discovered that the AI learning system was indeed quite effective; for students who loved to study, it served as a superb assistant. With this system, it was as if numerous outstanding teachers were by their side, available 24 hours a day. But that was about it—it was merely a super learning assistant, somewhat more advanced than the various search engines available online.
“I think we’ve pretty much covered everything,” Su Jie said as he bid farewell to Qian Zheng and Ning Zixi. “I’m heading home to rest. Tomorrow, I’ll take some time to write up today’s reflections in an email to the school administrators.”
“I’ll study a bit longer. See you tomorrow,” Ning Zixi replied, fully engrossed in her studies.
And Qian Zheng had no intention of leaving either. Today, both of them had been stirred by Su Jie’s example—even if they were extremely tired, they still chose to stay and study.
Su Jie took the subway straight home. Once there, he spent two hours practicing his boxing in the community’s open area before finally taking a shower, reading, and going to sleep.
By the time he lay down, it was already nine at night—a habit he had formed. When he slept, he still used the “Great Corpse State” of sleep, but now he had cultivated the ability to fall asleep in an instant whenever he wished and wake up the moment he wanted to. He was like an alarm clock that he could set precisely. Every moment was exact, every second utilized, his daily routine resembling that of a robot.
As he slept, his father, Su Shilin, quietly arrived at the door and listened to his breathing. He felt that Su Jie’s breaths were faint and delicate—at times barely perceptible, as thin as silk strands that seemed as if they might break at any moment, yet they never did. It was like the slim thread of life that persists between heaven and earth, the proverbial “last ray of hope.”
“This sleeping method—the Great Corpse State…has reached a state between life and death. If he goes any further, he’ll become like the Living Dead. What exactly has he encountered?” Su Shilin frowned deeply.
“What are you doing eavesdropping here? The child is already asleep,” his mother, Xu Ying, scolded as she approached and gave Su Shilin a light tap.
“Our son is truly extraordinary. His skills have genuinely reached a high level—I can hardly believe he developed them in just two months,” Su Shilin remarked, his emotions mixed as he pondered many things.
“I may not understand martial arts, but after all these years, I do know your difficulties,” Xu Ying said, inviting Su Shilin to sit down. “How do his skills compare to yours?”
“He’s still lacking a bit in finesse, but his technique is much purer than mine. I can’t even tell where his limits lie—maybe one day he’ll ascend to the level I’ve always dreamed of reaching,” Su Shilin replied.
“Then why not fully encourage him to practice martial arts? After all, he never falls behind in his studies,” Xu Ying suggested.
“There’s no need to push him. He’s already established a mature training system and formed his own ideas; no one can interfere with his path. We just need to observe,” Su Shilin suddenly chuckled. “The heavens have been kind to me, gifting me such a treasure.”
“Don’t get too cocky. There will be troubles ahead. Xu Shen has already come looking for me,” Xu Ying said with a hint of worry in her eyes.
“And what if he comes looking? Are we afraid of him? What era is this? We live our own lives, and the Xu family can live theirs. If they try to do anything, I’ll make sure they remember the pain of the past,” Su Shilin declared, his gaze as sharp as a knife.
“It’s not really related, but the old man is leaving, and he made a will that gave me a share of the estate,” Xu Ying added.
“Then just refuse it. We may not have much money now, but our lives are manageable, and our children are becoming more accomplished. Living peacefully is better than anything else,” Su Shilin said.
“I agree, though I fear things might not be that simple,” Xu Ying replied with some concern.
“When soldiers come, we block them; when water rises, we dam it. Don’t worry—I’ll handle everything,” Su Shilin assured, as steady as a mountain providing shelter from the storm.
*****
In the following days, Su Jie continued his daily routine: waking at three in the morning to train for three hours, eating breakfast at six, and then heading off to school. At school, he attended classes as usual, worked out in the gym during breaks, and practiced for another three hours after classes ended. Every day was the same.
The atmosphere in the senior year was extremely tense, yet Su Jie remained completely at ease. In his final year, the curriculum was basically all about exams; he would finish each exam in under ten minutes, hand in his paper, leave the exam room, and head straight to the computer lab to look up various materials—or to the gym for a workout. This left him with plenty of spare time. The key was that he nearly always scored full marks on his exams. The teachers had become accustomed to his genius.
Time passed for a month—quietly and without incident. During that month, Su Jie completely settled his restless heart. He practiced the “Hoe Strike” technique repeatedly, and then used the school computer lab to search for various martial arts combat materials for his own study. Simultaneously, he taught himself a vast array of knowledge in anatomy, medicine, massage, acupuncture, meridians, yoga, meditation, and psychology, thereby adding a solid theoretical foundation to his cultivation.
During his two months at the Minglun Martial Arts Academy, his schedule had been jam-packed with training, sparring, massage, acupuncture, and electrical stimulation—all focused on enhancing his physical strength. Now, in addition to maintaining his physical training, he had embarked on the deepest level of academic research. In the process of this study, many aspects of his past training that he once did not understand began to make sense, and his gains were enormous.
He had come to realize that listening to his father and focusing on academic study proved even more effective than merely training his body.