[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-no-money-what-cultivation":3,"chapter-no-money-what-cultivation-no-money-what-cultivation-chapter-22":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","No Money, What Cultivation?",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},163371,323,"Chapter 22: Contract","no-money-what-cultivation-chapter-22",22,"\u003Cp>Li Xuelian recounted Zhang Yu's situation, then heard a soft laugh from the other end of the phone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He's indeed good, but no need to take him on.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuelian asked doubtfully, \"Why?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Spark Fire True Man laughed heartily, his tone full of joy: \"I have already found a true genius.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Also a freshman in high school, only 15 years old. He mastered the Heavenly Martial Heart-Refining Technique in just half an hour.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And he doesn't have any contracts on him.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saying this, Spark Fire True Man couldn't help but burst into laughter again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuelian exclaimed in surprise, \"There's actually such a freak?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Spark Fire True Man chuckled, \"I told you long ago, the first layer of Kunxu never lacks geniuses; it only lacks people investing in them.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Like the top scorers in each subject and the overall top scorer in the college entrance exams every year—you should know how astonishingly talented they are.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But such geniuses appear every year in the first layer of Kunxu by the dozens, along with a crowd not much worse than them, sprouting up year after year, like an endless harvest of chives.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"There are too many geniuses. In the past, I could never find them; others always got there first. But now I've finally beaten everyone to it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuelian glanced regretfully in Zhang Yu's direction and asked, \"Shouldn't we sign this Zhang Yu as well?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Spark Fire True Man: \"Forget it. From now on, all our family's resources will be invested in the true genius. Let's not spread ourselves thin.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the meeting room adjacent to the art exhibition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuelian looked at Zhang Yu before her and said apologetically, \"Sorry, classmate. My father has other important matters to attend to, so I'm afraid he can't take you as a disciple for now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She said earnestly, \"But feel free to use the Heavenly Martial Heart-Refining Technique in the future. I'll give you the usage rights on my own authority.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuelian looked at Zhang Yu with eyes full of admiration. \"Finally, I'd like to give you ten thousand yuan from my personal funds.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don't rush to refuse. This gift comes purely from my appreciation of your talent.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I hope when we meet again, you will have been admitted to a prestigious university.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh, by the way, regarding the videos you recorded—they involve the distribution copyright of the Heavenly Martial Heart-Refining Technique. You'll need to delete them…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moments later, watching Zhang Yu's retreating figure, the smile on Li Xuelian's face gradually faded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although Spark Fire True Man didn't intend to take him as a disciple, Li Xuelian didn't want to offend a young man with such remarkable talent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, whether it was the usage rights to the Heavenly Martial Heart-Refining Technique or the ten thousand yuan, it was all effortless for her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She herself had lost count of how many such small gifts she had casually given to young geniuses over the years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the vast majority of them eventually became ordinary people, already forgotten by her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After resolving this matter, Li Xuelian went to meet a few important guests, then couldn't wait to go see her father.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was far too curious about the peerless genius Spark Fire True Man had mentioned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the other side, at the art exhibition that hadn't officially ended yet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Zhenzhen looked at Zhang Yu, who had just walked out of the meeting room, and asked, \"How did it go? Did you reject Spark Fire True Man? Did Li Xuelian give you a hard time?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Yu recalled Li Xuelian's appreciative demeanor just now and shook his head. \"She didn't give me a hard time.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Before I could even speak, she turned me down first, saying Spark Fire True Man had other matters…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In the end, she even gave me an extra ten thousand yuan.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Zhang Yu's account, Bai Zhenzhen curled her lip. \"Standard brush-off talk.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Maybe after checking your background, she found out you're not that impressive.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Like poor monthly exam scores, no sterilization record, poor muscle growth, and up to your ears in debt…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Listening to Bai Zhenzhen's words, Zhang Yu curled his lip. \"Zhen, you lost and still aren't convinced, so now you're resorting to personal attacks, huh?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Zhang Yu's smug look, Bai Zhenzhen couldn't help grabbing his shoulder and pressing him, \"Will you just tell me what kind of cheat you used?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tell me quickly—did you bribe the staff with borrowed money to comprehend the Martial Arts Diagram early?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching Bai Zhenzhen's face twisted with jealousy, Zhang Yu chuckled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Keep going, Ah Zhen. Watching you losers wallow in defeat is my current joy.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as the two were talking, Qian Shen walked over from not far away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His face solemn, he looked at Zhang Yu and asked, \"Have you been deliberately scoring poorly on your usual exams?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The trial of the Heavenly Man Martial Arts Diagram had increased Qian Shen's tolerance for high scorers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the fact that a low scorer could outperform him left him utterly stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Zhang Yu shake his head in denial, Qian Shen insisted, \"Impossible. If you weren't deliberately scoring low, why is there such a mismatch between your talent and your scores?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hmm?\" Zhang Yu thought for a moment and said, \"An exam can't fully reveal a person's potential, can it...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Qian Shen cut him off, agitated: \"Impossible! The college entrance exam and the six major high school courses were specially designed by the Ten Great Sects to evaluate high school students. They've been tested and adjusted by countless experts and powerhouses—they are the best, most scientific, and most Daoist system for assessing a person!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Every subject, every point, perfectly reflects the comprehensive gaps between people, including advantages in bloodline, backwardness in geography, incompleteness in evolution...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching Qian Shen's utterly serious expression, Zhang Yu realized he had misjudged him before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You're not just a simple score-discriminator, kid. You've evolved from score discrimination into bloodline discrimination, geographic discrimination, and racial discrimination—you've become a champion of score-based caste, haven't you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In short, in Qian Shen's view, high scores meant being awesome, being elite, being entitled to superiority and confidence, while low scores meant being worthless trash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the worldview he had built over many years, the foundation of his confidence as a high-scoring top student, and arguably the rule of all key high schools.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hmph, if you don't want to admit it, fine.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But I'll inform the school about what happened here. I hope you show your real ability in next month's exam and stop scoring something as evolutionarily incomplete as 550.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching Qian Shen's retreating figure, Zhang Yu felt like he had been insulted, yet not quite.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Zhenzhen, standing nearby, nodded thoughtfully: \"In all that nonsense he said, there is one point you really should pay attention to.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The school will definitely find out about what happened here, and they might approach you to sign a contract.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sign a contract?\" Zhang Yu looked at Ah Zhen curiously. He had vaguely heard of this before, but the details had always been hazy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Zhenzhen explained, \"You know, not everyone in high school is as rich as Qian Shen's family.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"For many poor but high-scoring, talented students, they need someone to invest in them.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And the school itself is one of the investors.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Usually, after the start of sophomore year, the school will select a group of outstanding students based on their freshman-year performance and scores, sign contracts with them, and invest money in them.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Of course, there are also a very few students who are so outstanding, so dazzling, that the school will approach them about contracts during their freshman year to prevent others from snatching them up first.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this point, Bai Zhenzhen puffed out her chest. \"Like me, for example.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Yu: \"Why didn't you ever tell me about this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Zhenzhen shot Zhang Yu a look, as if to say, don't you know what kind of person you were before?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Zhenzhen: \"Given your performance at the exhibition, the school will definitely discuss a contract with you. As for whether to sign or not...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the conflicted expression on Bai Zhenzhen's face, Zhang Yu asked, \"Is signing or not signing that hard to decide?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Zhenzhen sighed. \"It's not exactly hard to decide. Actually, depending on personal circumstances, it's easy to choose.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The difficulty lies in whether a person's self-assessment is right or wrong.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Zhenzhen looked at Zhang Yu seriously and asked, \"For example, this time with your comprehension of the Heavenly Man Martial Arts Diagram—what trick did you use?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But then she waved her hand halfway: \"Forget it, a mother doesn't ask about the trick. You don't have to tell me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Anyway, if you're absolutely certain and determined to get into one of the Ten Great Top Universities, then don't sign this contract now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"On the other hand, if you're not sure about the Top Ten and just want to get into an ordinary university, then sign the contract as long as it's not too bad.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Yu listened thoughtfully and asked a few more questions about the school and the contract details.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as the two were talking, someone else approached Zhang Yu—a charming, cute girl.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hello, classmate. You were really cool just now. Can I add your contact info?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Similar things had happened many times since Zhang Yu had just comprehended the Heavenly Martial Diagram. Even Lian Tianji from Ziyun High School had come asking for his contact info.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Yu had gradually gotten used to this. Sighing to himself, he added the other person.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Heh, even a pretty girl is coming up to me on her own?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Yu asked, \"Which school are you from, classmate?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other replied, \"I'm Wu Qingqing from Saint Girls' Academy, advanced class.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Yu's expression suddenly stiffened. In this Kunxu world, someone who looked like a man wasn't necessarily a man, but a student from the advanced class of a girls' academy... that person had to have been a man before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Qingqing seemed to notice Zhang Yu's shift in expression and smiled slightly. \"Hey, your thinking is pretty old-fashioned.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Are you thinking that everyone in our class is just someone who took advantage to get into a key high school, but whose actual grades are a complete mess?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let me tell you, the top prodigies in our class are no worse than you. You'll find out at the next city-wide unified exam.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Yu watched her retreating figure speechlessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wait, was that even what I was thinking about?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kunxu—even a trans person has to check their test scores first when they come to this godforsaken place, right?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Congratulations.\" Zhou Tianyi walked over from the side. \"Did you sign a contract with the Golden Core True Person?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Yu looked at Zhou Tianyi in front of him and suddenly remembered that the guy had seemed to have no presence at all in front of the Heavenly Martial Diagram just now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After that, while working as a security guard, Zhang Yu exchanged a few words with guests he knew or didn't know.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With today's security work fully completed, his savings increased by 1,600 and 10,000, skyrocketing to 13,300.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After also paying off the remaining 5,000 loan for this month, Zhang Yu's account balance fell to 8,300, and he finally didn't have to worry about debt collection for the time being.\u003C\u002Fp>",1905,"2026-05-29T04:54:22.303Z","2026-06-01T04:29:11.989Z",1,"deepseek-v4-flash","4ade80d76ebcb12bad9ba05e761b35a82447c0c5aaef14e0ed02f6a9ce26bc29","no-money-what-cultivation-chapter-23","no-money-what-cultivation-chapter-21",711,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fno-money-what-cultivation-cover.jpg"]