Chapter 22: I’ll Become Number One
These last two days were undoubtedly the happiest time for Tang Xiu.
Tang Xiu completely put aside his practice as well as studying.
All day long, he was beside his mother, indulging himself to enjoy his mother’s spoiling without the slightest restraint.
Tang Xiu had long been longing such a wild hope, that one day he could have this day after living for ten thousand of years in the Immortal World. And now, his long-cherished wish had finally come true. Therefore, Tang Xiu truly cherished each second he spent together with his mother.
No matter what time, regardless of any place, Tang Xiu’s eyes were unable to even lose sight of his mother’s face even for a second.
“You sonny, why do you always watch attentively and look at your mother’s face, is there any flowers growing on my face?” Having felt her son fondly attached to her, joy filled Su Lingyun’s heart, even though she couldn’t help but scold him as well.
“Mom’s face must be more beautiful than flowers.” Tang Xiu blurted out without even thinking.
“Oily mouth and smooth talker, you certainly have a girlfriend at school.” Hearing the praise from her son, happiness blossomed in Su Lingyun’s heart, as she then scolded him with a happy expression.
“I do want to have a girlfriend, but unfortunately nobody looks at your son.” Tang Xiu curled his lips and spoke in disdain.
Han Qingwu’s figure involuntarily flashed through Tang Xiu’s mind after he said these words, as well as his intimate scene with her.
“That’s because they are blind, they will regret it one day.” Looking at her son’s content and happy smiling face, Su Lingyun felt touched that her son was happily smiling. Su Lingyun affectionately stroke Tang Xiu’s head and then hugged him.
However, happy times have always been short.
The 2 days of the monthly vacation had fleeted.
Although Tang Xiu was extremely reluctant to go, he had no choice but to return to school since his mother urged him to.
“Have you heard that this Monthly Test’s results have all come out? I heard that there are some students from our class that entered the top 20.”
“I’ve heard that also, I didn’t expect that apart from her outstanding abilities in sports and outside activities, Cheng Yannan also excelled in studying, I’ve completely fallen for her.”
“In the previous Monthly Test, Cheng Yannan only got 400, how could her points suddenly increase by 100 points?”
****
When he just walked and entered the classroom, Tang Xiu heard everyone discussing the Monthly Test’s results.
Tang Xiu didn’t participate in the discussion, but was racking his brains about some ways to make money.
Having gone through the restaurant’s smashing, followed by that loan shark debt collectors matter, Tang Xiu became more aware of the importance of having formidable strength.
Tang Xiu knew that if he lacked strength just like when he had his rebirth, then, not only would have he and his mother been humiliated by those several bullies headed by Hei San, but those debt collectors from the Eternal Growth Trading Co. could also have beaten them. It was too horrible to even imagine the consequences.
It was precisely because he was lucky enough to fit the cultivation requirement and practice the Heavenly Art of Cosmic Origin, which caused his physical body to undergo an earth-shaking transformation, that he had the strength to face and defend himself against all kinds of crises at that time.
However, practicing this Heavenly Art of Cosmic Origin also gave excessive and overbearing side effects. Tang Xiu didn’t dare to actively practice this cultivation technique this month, and instead tried to find an alternative substitute for the Heavenly Art of Cosmic Origin with other martial skills and cultivation techniques.
However, after having spent one month, even though Tang Xiu had tried every cultivation technique and martial skills in his memory, he despairingly found out that all those cultivation techniques and martial skills from the Immortal World had harsh requirements regarding the need of heaven and earth spiritual energy. They simply were not suitable to be practiced on Earth.
Having realized that he had no means to practice all those cultivation techniques and martial skills in any situation, if Tang Xiu wanted to have the strength to protect his family and himself, moreover wanting to return to the Immortal World to have his revenge, then, he must choose to practice this Heavenly Art of Cosmic Origin.
But, in order to practice Heavenly Art of Cosmic Origin, Tang Xiu naturally had to find a way to find and buy all kinds of precious herbs and minerals in order to refine his bodily liquids and use it to temper and refine his own body. This certainly would need massive amounts of money.
“If I were to draw magical charms and sell it, could it be regarded by people as snatching God’s stick?”
“Also, I don’t know whether there are any other cultivators on Earth or not. If there are, it actually wouldn’t be bad if I built a formation array and sold it to them to make money, would it?”
“Or concocting pills and then selling them?”
****
Tang Xiu spent the whole night trying to find ways to make money only to find out by himself that the grand and sophisticated way of making money in the Immortal World couldn’t be applied on Earth.
“Eldest Brother, even if we failed this exam, it really doesn’t matter. There are still 2 months left till the College Entrance Test, so if we are willing to work hard, we can take the Unified Examination and be admitted to a university.” Having seen Tang Xiu studying in the evening with his brows wrinkled, sighing voices, and wailing breath, Yuan Chuling was under the impression that Tang Xiu had already known about the Monthly Test’s results and thus gave this kind of response. He gently spoke these comforting words as his side.
“Fatty, do you know any good way to make money?” Upon hearing Yuan Chuling’s words, Tang Xiu eyes turned bright as he caught Yuan Chuling’s arm, and asked with an excited expression.
Tang Xiu knew that the reason why he couldn’t come out with any good way to make money was because he himself was only a bumpkin and had no business sense. On the other hand, he had been living for ten thousand years in the Immortal World, and since he was only here for a little while, he still was unable to keep up with the senses and thoughts of the living rhythm on Earth.
But Yuan Chuling was different. His parents were successful businessmen. Having grown up and been influenced by such a kind of business environment, both of his business sense and talent were certainly incomparable to his.
“Eldest Brother, how much money do you want? I can lend you.” Seeing an eager expression from Tang Xiu, Yuan Chuling froze for a moment, and then quickly replied in a bright tone.
“I don’t want to borrow money, but want to make money. You tell me which is the world’s most profitable business, or what is the fastest way to make money.” Tang Xiu knew that Yuan Chuling misunderstood his words and replied while shaking his head.
“The quickest way to make money is certainly robbery; robbing a bank or jewelry shop. It doesn’t need any business and could be built from nothing, it’s enough to cover your current problems.” Yuan Chuling blurted out and talked without even thinking.
Upon hearing Yuan Chuling’s remarks, Tang Xiu couldn’t help but give him a supercilious look, then heavily slapped his shoulders, and snappily spoke, “I’m serious dammit! I’m dead serious in asking for your advice.”
“If you don’t want to rob or don’t dare to rob, then you can only buy lottery tickets, it could even make you a billionaire overnight. However, this is being too reliant on luck.”
“There is also speculating the stock market, albeit it needs a huge amount of capital as a support for the deed, but you also need to spend enough time and energy to study it meticulously. And this obviously doesn’t suit you.”
****
“Tang Xiu, if you want to make money then you can talk to me, eh. I know a lot of ways to make money. Now, the most suitable for you is to become a top scorer in this year’s provincial College Entrance Test. As long as you can be a top scorer on the College Entrance Test for our Shuangqing province, those kinds of bonus, endorsements, and advertisements will definitely roll in. Ordinary people could never make that much money in their entire lives.” When Tang Xiu was happily talking with Yuan Chuling, an ill-timed voice abruptly stuck in and interrupted their conversation.
Tang Xiu looked up and found that the one who was interrupting was Su Xiangfei. His brows wrinkled, and subconsciously, he had the urge to beat him.
But Su Xiangfei’s words nevertheless had him palpitate, sparking his interest. It caused him to repress the anger inside as he then asked Yuan Chuling, “Fatty, does the top scorer of the College Entrance Test for the Shuangqing Province really make a lot of money just like he said?”
“Eldest Brother, becoming the top scorer in the provincial’s College Entrance Test is definitely worth the money, the point is that we couldn’t even become a top scorer in the provincial College Entrance Test. It has been 13 years and not even one student from our Star City First High School is able to become the top scorer in the provincial’s College Entrance Test. And if you can be the highest scorer for the provincial College Entrance Test, I think our school will even reward you 1,000,000 in cash.” Under Tang Xiu’s eyes that were full of inquiries, with a face full of an agonized expression, Yuan Chuling nodded his head.
“Hahaha, I will die laughing. He actually really wants to take the top scorer for the College Entrance Test?”
“Hey, it seems the rumors really are true, Tang Xiu’s mind really has a problem.”
“He said before that he must be number one on the test, and now he said he will become the top scorer for the provincial College Entrance Test. Maybe a few days later, he will proclaim that he will rush out of the universe.”
****
Upon seeing Tang Xiu’s serious and earnest expression, Su Xiangfei, lead the other students in Class 10, as they couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
Yuan Chuling’s face flushed red in shame at the side, while Cheng Yannan, who was sitting in front of Tang Xiu, also slightly knitted her delicate eyebrows.
Only Tang Xiu who still had a light expression and sat undisturbed in the same place, didn’t even move his ass. He only swept his eyes over the loudly laughing classmates surrounding him at the side with a calm and tranquil expression. There wasn’t even rippling waves in his deep eyes, as if the one who was being ridiculed was not himself.
“Tang Xiu, the English and Math exams’ papers have already been issued in advance. How many points did you get from these 2 preliminary subject tests? I suppose it would be unlikely that all completely got a salted duck’s egg, right?”[1] Having been out of breath due to laughing for quite a while, Su Xiangfei then asked.
“What? The exams’ papers had been sent down? How could it be that I didn’t know about it eh?” Tang Xiu looked around with a blank expression, and then found that the Monthly Tests’ papers were really being put on everyone’s desk.
Tang Xiu, at this time, was only thinking about one thing, and since he was too single-mindedly and drowned in the thought about making money, he didn’t even notice that the English and Math exam papers had been issued in advance.
“Fatty, have you seen my Monthly Test’s exam papers?” Tang Xiu turned toward his desk, and also looked at the floor, but he didn’t find his Monthly Test’s exam papers. He couldn’t help but ask to Yuan Chuling at his side.
“Eldest Brother, I haven’t seen your Monthly Test’s exam papers. I thought you had received it.” Yuan Chuling replied quietly just like the sound of mosquitoes.
From the beginning, after the exam papers had been sent down, Yuan Chuling’s attention was fully glued to the eye-catching-bright red result on his results, and he didn’t pay attention to whether Tang Xiu got his Monthly Test’s exam papers or not.
However, to Yuan Chuling’s understanding about Tang Xiu, he didn’t think that Tang Xiu was playing with him, but he knew that Tang Xiu might really have yet to get his Monthly Test’s exam papers. So, Yuan Chuling was also confused and puzzled.
“Hahaha, I really could die because of laughing. You solemnly vowed to take the first grade before the test, and now you even afraid to show the Monthly Test’s exam papers to everyone. It can truly be called as a misfortune to me. Could it be that the English test with the Math turned out to be as I have predicted and feared, that all the tests got the ‘salted duck’s eggs’?” Upon seeing Tang Xiu’s and Yuan Chuling’s appearances that looked like they were pretending, Su Xiangfei couldn’t help but laugh again.
“For each preliminary exam you only used less than half an hour to hand your exam paper and then leave. Other than making noises to get the attention from almost nearly the entire school, that our class has presented such a genius, I really don’t know what to call it otherwise.”
“Seizing the limelight to the extreme only to make a fool of yourself, and now you’re also playing dumb. Tang Xiu, you haven’t disgraced yourself enough in Class 5 and actually came to our Class 10 to disgrace yourself again, your face is really very thick.”
****
Under Su Xiangfei’s lead, the other students of Class 10 let out an extreme ridicule to the highest degree of their abilities as they gathered around Tang Xiu, denouncing and sneering at him one sentence after another, missing only the cursing that pointed at Tang Xiu’s nose.
“Tang Xiu, you come out.” When Yuan Chuling was unable to bear it any longer and was about to come forward bravely, a crisp and sweet voice suddenly rang from the classroom’s door.
Hearing this familiar and full of majesty voice, the noises in the classroom abruptly ended, and everyone went back to their seats quickly, taking out pen and paper, pretending to calculate something.
………..
[1] Salted duck eggs here refer to BIG ZERO points… 0 0, while salted, well it’s a taste… hahaha
Udeze notes:
Well… how should I say it… how many chaps of Returning From the Immortal World you guys want? Please don’t answer it… hahaha… well, I can promise at least 3 chaps a week since I’m also working on Great Dao Commander and The Lame Daoist Priest. However, for some occasions, such as holidays or other special occasions when time allows me to translate more, I’ll translate more. You can see my track record from GDC and TLDP, that I never stockpile chapters, but I have always been making up for all the chapters I owe due to my absence cuz of a monster called REAL LIFE…