Chapter 30: Ying Baiwu, 13 Years Old, Goodbye!
Translator: Lordbluefire Editor: Lordbluefire
“Depending on the students’ apt.i.tude, you’ll be given treasure chests of different grades. The lowest-tier reward would be one black-iron treasure chest.”
Sun Mo was about to ask what the system would do if he were to ignore everything and randomly recruit five students with the weakest apt.i.tude. However, the system covered that.
It didn’t leave any loopholes.
It had just pa.s.sed eight in the morning, but the number of people in the school was bustling. Most of them were teenagers who were about 12 years old. There was uneasiness, curiosity, and yearning in their youthful faces.
Entering a reputable school, meeting a great teacher, and becoming a character who was renowned in the world was the dream of almost every youngster.
“There are so many people!”
Lu Zhiruo grabbed onto Sun Mo’s sleeve tightly. She was very scared of strangers. If it wasn’t because she wanted to accompany Sun Mo, she would have escaped back to her room, closed the door tightly, and then locked it.
Everyone, both male and female, would throw Lu Zhiruo a glimpse when they pa.s.sed by her. It was inevitable because her papayas were too big. In addition to her child-like face, the killing prowess was tremendous.
“Teacher Sun!”
Lu Zhiruo was very nervous. She buried herself into Sun Mo’s arm without realizing it. Why were all these people looking at her? Had she not washed her face properly this morning? Or did something get stuck in his teeth?
“Why don’t we head back?” Lu Zhiruo mumbled softly.
“If you don’t take this opportunity to train your courage, what are you going to do in the future? Why are you shrinking your head back just because you see other people? Are you an ostrich?”
Sun Mo tugged Lu Zhiruo’s arm away.
“Ouch!”
Lu Zhiruo instinctively wanted to grab onto his arm again. However, she hesitated a little, worried that she’d be reproached. Therefore, she put out her fingers and pinched the clothes on his waist.
The schools in Middle-Earth’s nine provinces were all managed by the Saint Gate, and they could be cla.s.sified into five grades.
There were only nine Supreme Academies, and they were known as the Nine Greats, as well as the Aristocratic Schools.
Below them, there were 18 ‘A’ grade schools, 36 ‘B’ grade schools, 72 ‘C’ grade schools, and 108 ‘D’ Grade schools.
These 5 grades were followed by over 1,000 schools that weren’t included in the grading.
All in all, a total of 243 schools were listed in these five grades, and they could be given the t.i.tle of famous schools.
Every year, all schools of the same grade would head to the Darkness Continent and partic.i.p.ate in a league tournament. Then, based on their rankings, the top five schools would rise to partic.i.p.ate in the higher grade tournament. Respectively, the five schools ranked at the bottom would go down by one grade.
Over 1,000 schools that weren’t included in the five grades would compete for ten positions. Then, after pa.s.sing the Saint Gate’s test, they would get the qualification rights and could advance to the ‘D’ Grade league tournament to obtain the t.i.tle of a famous school.
At the same time, the ten schools that were ranked at the bottom of the ‘D’ Grade would be downgraded and lose their t.i.tle.
The two most renowned schools in Tang Country’s Jinling City were firstly the Central Province Academy and secondly the Myriad Daos Academy that had risen in the recent ten years.
In the past, the Central Province Academy would be the first target of many students, but things had completely reversed in the past few years. However, compared to the other non-graded schools, the Central Province Academy still retained its t.i.tle as a ‘famous school’ at least. It had a glorious history and was situated in the flouris.h.i.+ng Jinling City. These added bonus points, and thus it was the second option of some students.
Schools that wished to advance to a higher grade would have to obtain good results in the league tournament and be ranked in the top five.
How could they raise the rankings?
Of course, it was through having outstanding students represent the school to take part in the compet.i.tion. For this, it was necessary to have a supply of students with outstanding apt.i.tude.
An Xinhui had been on this job for three years and had put in a lot of effort in this area. However, the returns were very small. Most of the good students had been s.n.a.t.c.hed by the Myriad Daos Academy. After all, the Myriad Daos Academy was a ‘C’ grade school that was one grade higher than the Central Province Academy.
After understanding the education system in the nine provinces, Sun Mo was filled with emotions. He thought of how the housing prices in the school district had skyrocketed, but not many people were willing to sell their houses. It was because having houses in the school district meant that they had the right to enter a good school.
However, there was only one condition that determined if one could enter a famous school or not— your apt.i.tude and not your father’s money.
Although these students might be leftovers from others’ picks, Sun Mo believed that there’d be pearls amongst them. With his Divine Sight, it wouldn’t be a problem for him to unearth five or even ten of them.
However, after roaming around for one hour, Sun Mo felt gloomy. He didn’t even see a single student with a high potential value, let alone someone with an extremely high potential value like Li Ziqi.
“Teacher, you can’t do things like this.”
Lu Zhiruo was very anxious. She was worried that Sun Mo wouldn’t be able to get a single student after the three days were over.
“System, how did you measure the potential value of a person?” Sun Mo asked.
“The overall a.s.sessment of the target’s current condition, as well as the system’s expectations of the target’s future.”
The system’s reply was very generic, giving Sun Mo the urge to give it a beating.
“This means that the greater your antic.i.p.ation is, the higher their potential value would be?” Sun Mo a.n.a.lyzed.
“Yes. But a student with an extremely high potential value might also become mediocre because they didn’t get the guidance of a great teacher. Misguidance might lead to the destruction of a genius.”
Having a high potential value meant that one had a high growth possibility. It represented the successful future they might have.
“Teacher, you must take the initiative!”
Lu Zhiruo thought that Sun Mo was unable to lower his standard. But since he was so young and lacked experience, he could only go head-on if he wished to take the first step.
Even though the teachers were picking the students, the students also wanted to find a teacher who could stimulate their potential.
“There’s no hurry.”
Sun Mo rubbed his eyes. He was starting to feel a little tired and decided to sit down by the flowerbed. It was tiring for the eyes to keep on using Divine Sight.
Another half an hour pa.s.sed by, and he still didn’t get any success. Lu Zhiruo was starting to feel very anxious. Seeing that Sun Mo still had no intention of approaching the students, she clenched her teeth, summoned her courage, and ran toward a female student.
“He... h.e.l.lo. Are you planning to enroll in a school? Can you consider Teacher Sun Mo?”
Lu Zhiruo bowed and then finished her words while trembling.
“Him? He’s too young!” The female student rejected her.
Lu Zhiruo didn’t give up. She ran toward a second female student and asked the same question.
“How long has he been a teacher for?”
The female student a.s.sessed Sun Mo. This young man looked quite handsome, and when the sunlight shone down on his face, it gave him a cool aura. This met her aesthetic requirements.
“Hold on!”
Lu Zhiruo quickly ran back to ask Sun Mo.
“Over a month, currently on an interns.h.i.+p!”
Sun Mo didn’t hide anything.
“Huh?”
Lu Zhiruo was stunned when she heard this. She felt that the level of difficulty had suddenly increased by many folds. This fact discouraged her a lot when she walked back toward that female student.
As expected, after the female student heard that, she shook her head, took a final look at Sun Mo, and then left.
Even a female student who placed a great emphasis on looks wouldn’t pick an intern teacher who lacked experience.
Lu Zhiruo stood on the spot, struggled for a moment, and then decided to continue helping Sun Mo. What if there were students who didn’t care that he was an intern teacher?
She continued to stop a third female student. However, this time around, the student’s question was very domineering. “Are you his student? How are his teaching capabilities?”
“I... I...”
Lu Zhiruo stuttered and turned her head back pitifully, looking at Sun Mo for help.
“She’s not my student.”
Sun Mo stood up. This female student was willing to ask this question, meaning that she valued the teacher’s capabilities more than their status. It was just that before he could give a self-introduction, the female student continued to question him.
“She must trust you a lot to be helping you like this, but why don’t you take her as your disciple? Is it because you don’t wish to waste her apt.i.tude? Or does she think that you aren’t worthy? Regardless of which it is, they both prove that your capabilities are limited!”
The female student looked straight at Sun Mo. She was very gutsy and forceful.
“Oh, interesting!”
Sun Mo wasn’t angered but had his interest pique instead due to her logical conjecture. He activated his Divine Sight and observed her.
‘Ying Baiwu, 13 years old.’
Strength: 7. Top-notch amongst those from the same age group.
Intellect: 7. Top-notch amongst those from the same age group.
Agility: 7. Top-notch amongst those from the same age group.
Will: 7. Top-notch amongst those from the same age group.
Endurance: 7. Top-notch amongst those from the same age group.
‘Potential Value: Low’
‘Remark, possesses a huge flaw and is not recommended to be taken in as a disciple. Please keep your distance from her.’
...
Sun Mo looked at Ying Baiwu’s data and was speechless. He wanted to drag the system out and give it a beating. “Don’t you think that you’re being contradictory? No matter how you look at it, this data should be matched with a high potential value, right?”
“The system is never wrong!”
The system added emphasis on the word ‘never’.
Sun Mo fell silent and stared at the ‘remark’. Her flaw must be the thing that lowered her potential value.
“10,000 taels!” Ying Baiwu spoke up.
“What?”
Sun Mo heard her clearly but didn’t understand what she meant.
“Give me 10,000 taels and I’ll be your personal disciple.” Ying Baiwu gave a quote.
Lu Zhiruo was so surprised that her mouth was wide-open. This was something that could be sold for money? This was the first time she even heard that!
“I’m a pauper.”
Sun Mo rejected her.
“Sorry to bother you!”
Ying Baiwu turned to leave decisively.
Sun Mo looked at Ying Baiwu’s clothes that looked old from repeated was.h.i.+ng, and the image that appeared in his mind was her pale and lean face. She was poor.
Lu Zhiruo was hesitant to speak up.
“Don’t look for people anymore.”
Although all the students that Lu Zhiruo had approached had low potential value, he appreciated her help. She had been extremely nervous even when speaking with girls.
As a teacher who had come into contact with many students before, Sun Mo knew that Lu Zhiruo had a fear of strangers. She would feel nervous if she had to come into contact with them. This whole time, she was breaking out in a sweat, and she might even have a strong urge to pee. This was a psychological illness.
“But...”
Lu Zhiruo looked at Sun Mo worriedly, wanting to ask him what would happen to him if he couldn’t recruit any students.
“You’re a good girl!”
Sun Mo rubbed Lu Zhiruo on the head. He liked such well-behaved students. She had summoned a lot of courage to approach the three girls from earlier.
“If... if you don’t mind that my apt.i.tude is too weak...”
After saying that, Lu Zhiruo threw a glance timidly at Sun Mo and then lowered her head. She drew small circles with the tip of her toes and mumbled softly, “Then why not take me as your personal disciple?”