SMGFB 09

Chapter – 09

Leaving the villa district.

After walking for a while longer,
Jiang Fu finally managed to hail a taxi.

The taxi driver, upon seeing Jiang Fu wearing the school uniform of No. 9 High School,
instantly became extremely enthusiastic: “Hey, you’re a student from No. 9 High School, right? Are you heading back to school?”

No. 9 High School was the best high school in Bin City’s Ninth District.
It was also the only school in the district that offered martial arts courses.
Becoming a student at No. 9 High School meant a high chance of becoming a martial artist in the future!

Jiang Fu opened the car door and sat in the back.
“Not going to school. Going to the Martial Artist Guild.”

Hearing the words “Martial Artist Guild,” the taxi driver’s eyes immediately widened.
A possibility involuntarily sprang into his mind.
“You’re going to the Martial Artist Guild…”

Jiang Fu did not hide it. “To get certified as a martial artist.”

The taxi driver’s eyes lit up sharply: “Martial artist certification!?”
He got excited all over.
“Alright!”
“Hold tight, kid—here we go!”

The next moment,
the driver stepped on the gas.
The taxi shot forward like an arrow.

The driver never expected that he would actually pick up a student heading to the Martial Artist Guild to get certified as a martial artist!

Martial artists enjoyed extremely high social status.
They possessed great combat prowess and were also the protectors who guarded the city and safeguarded ordinary people.
In many people’s view,
the city’s stable and peaceful development owed no small debt to martial artists venturing into the wild zones to hunt mutant beasts and gather resources.

“As expected of a student from No. 9 High School—young and promising!”
“Hey kid, how old are you to already be qualifying as a martial artist?”

The driver’s voice carried excitement and a hint of respect.

Jiang Fu answered honestly, “Eighteen.”

“An eighteen-year-old martial artist!?”
The driver’s tone grew even more animated.

An eighteen-year-old martial artist!
In Bin City’s Ninth District, that was definitely among the prodigies.
Getting into a martial arts university and becoming a martial arts powerhouse was practically guaranteed.

Throughout the ride,
the driver chattered on nonstop, rambling about all sorts of things with Jiang Fu.
Jiang Fu watched the scenery outside while occasionally responding to the driver.

As the taxi kept moving,
the high-rise buildings on both sides gradually disappeared.
In their place were scenes similar to rural countryside from his previous life—
farmland, orchards, livestock farms, and the like.
Though none of them were very large in scale.

Suddenly,
Jiang Fu felt the surroundings grow darker.
He looked ahead through the front windshield.
At the end of the land, a vast range of gray mountains suddenly rose up, stretching in a continuous chain.
As the car drove on, they grew taller and taller,
becoming the line dividing sky and earth.

This was Bin City’s city wall.
Three hundred meters high and fifty meters thick.
It was built from an extremely sturdy core material,
almost indestructible, capable of resisting high-level aberrant beast invasions,
shutting out the wilderness beyond the city.

It was precisely because of this protective city wall that ordinary people could live safely within the city, free from slaughter by mutant beasts and even aberrant beasts.

“We’re here, young man!”
In front of the Martial Artist Guild’s gate,
the taxi came to a stop.

Jiang Fu asked, “Driver, how much?”

The taxi driver waved his hand. “No need, no need!”
“Kid, once you get into a martial arts university and become a real powerhouse, just kill a few more mutant beasts for us!”
“Oh, right—let’s exchange contact info.”
“If you ever need a ride, I guarantee I’ll be there anytime!”

With that,
the driver pulled out his phone.

Jiang Fu’s expression stiffened.
Phone?
This thing—the original owner didn’t have one.

As for Jiang Fu…

In his previous life, he had ALS and was bedridden for three years.
He had long since lost any concept of a phone.

Seeing Jiang Fu’s expression, the driver asked, “No phone?”

Jiang Fu looked a bit awkward. “I really don’t have one…”

The driver gave him a thumbs up. “No wonder you can become a martial artist at such a young age!”
“Unlike my Li Haotian, who does nothing but stare at his phone all day with no ambition!”

Jiang Fu coughed. “Uncle, you can give me your contact info, and I’ll get in touch with you after I buy a phone.”
He looked around.

Near the emergency exit of the Martial Artist Guild, there didn’t seem to be any taxis around either.
Ordinary people rarely came here.
And martial artists…
Martial artists all drove themselves.
Besides, entering the wilderness area also required a car.

The driver’s eyes lit up.
He quickly took a card from the storage compartment beside him and handed it to Jiang Fu with great eagerness.

Jiang Fu took the business card.
Li Dazhi.
Contact info: [phone number]

Jiang Fu glanced at it and put the card away.

He stood at the roadside, watching the taxi gradually drive off into the distance.

A feeling arose in his heart—indescribable, yet unmistakable.

“This world doesn’t seem as bad as I imagined.”

For whatever reason,

at the very least,

Jiang Fu had felt kindness from a stranger.

The Martial Artist Guild was built next to the emergency exit.

It was a seven-story building,

covering a vast area.

Inside the main entrance on the first floor was a large hall.

Besides the reception desk of the Martial Artist Guild,

there were many other sections:

rest areas, accommodation areas, dining areas, entertainment areas, training areas, and trading areas.

It was now 2:35 PM.

There weren’t many people in the first-floor hall.

Jiang Fu walked up to the reception desk of the Martial Artist Guild.

He lightly tapped the counter.

“Hello.”

“Ah!”
The receptionist, a young woman in uniform who had been looking down at her phone, was startled by the voice.

She quickly put away her phone and looked up at Jiang Fu.

“Oh… it’s you? Jiang Fu.”

Jiang Fu was taken aback. “You know me?”

At the same time, he glanced at the nameplate on her chest.

Martial Artist Guild Receptionist, Xu Lulu.

Xu Lulu rolled her eyes at him.

“Classmate Jiang Fu really does have a short memory, doesn’t he?”

“The last time you came for martial artist certification, I was the one who received you!”

Jiang Fu let out an “Ah” and gave an embarrassed smile.

Xu Lulu composed herself. “What brings you here this time…”

Jiang Fu straightened his expression. “My martial artist information was maliciously revoked.”

“I’m here for a second certification.”

Xu Lulu frowned. “Maliciously revoked?”

Jiang Fu nodded but didn’t elaborate.

Xu Lulu picked up the phone beside her. “Alright, please wait a moment.”
Then,
she explained Jiang Fu’s situation to the person on the other end of the line.

Immediately after,

Jiang Fu heard an astonished voice from the other side of the phone.

“What did you say?!”

“Who? Jiang Fu?”

“From No. 9 High School, Class 14, Old Xu’s class—that Jiang Fu?!”

“He’s at the Martial Artist Guild for a second certification?!”

“Are you sure it’s Jiang Fu?”

“Wasn’t he dead?!”

Xu Lulu looked at Jiang Fu in confusion.

Jiang Fu rubbed his nose.

“Well… I just didn’t end up dead.”

The person on the other end seemed to realize they had lost their composure.

They quickly steadied their tone: “Fine, bring him to the second-floor Martial Artist Certification Hall.”

Xu Lulu put down the phone and said apologetically, “Supervisor Shen had a bit too much to drink at lunch. Don’t take it to heart.”
“I’ll take you to the Certification Hall.”

With that,

Xu Lulu stepped out from behind the reception desk

and made a “please” gesture toward Jiang Fu.

…

Second floor.

Office of the Guild Supervisor.

Shen Yan put down the phone.

He muttered to himself, “This is really something else. He suffered such serious injuries, and not only did he survive, but he also came back for a second martial artist certification!”

As he spoke,
he cautiously glanced at the girl sitting on the sofa across from him.

The girl was wearing the No. 9 High School uniform.

On her head was a black baseball cap, the brim pulled down low,

revealing only a pale chin.

She sat with her legs crossed, looking down at her phone.

The girl didn’t look up.

She was clearly uninterested in what Shen Yan had to say.