Chapter 5: Chapter Five; One day, everyone in the city will look up to us

I, Jiāng Jiāng, am only 16 years old this year, with a full five months left until I turn 17.

But I am already being forced by my good-for-nothing, non‑blood‑related brother to take the quasi‑martial artist test.

"Jiāng Jiāng, you haven't used the martial hall's equipment to test your physical data in a very long time, have you?"

"Based on my feel, your physical quality has already reached the basic level of a martial artist; passing the quasi‑martial artist assessment can be said to be completely without difficulty." Chén Chén explained patiently.

Jiāng Jiāng, in order not to reveal her true strength, has not tested her physical quality since she was promoted to intermediate trainee.

Only Chén Chén truly knows that Jiāng Jiāng, thanks to her daily ten‑ingredient great tonic soup and her strong innate talent, actually already exceeds the minimum level of a martial artist.

Of course, whether or not one has reached martial artist level is not important at all; after all, this tiny gap before becoming a martial artist will be made up immediately upon entering true martial artist cultivation.

What matters most is boarding the era's high‑speed train, debuting together with myself and Luofeng, crushing this era together, and easily gaining a bit more influence for the later unification plan.

"This isn't a question of whether we've reached martial artist level, old brother!"

"I'm only 16 and a half, I'm a minor! How can you treat me like this^"

Chén Chén: "…I mean, is it possible that being sixteen is actually not illegal?"

"Is that what I mean! With our background, if we both reach martial artist level before eighteen, we'll definitely cause trouble!"

"It's fine, I've already used connections to register your information as seventeen and a half." Chén Chén said, patting his chest.

"Is this a matter of one or two years?" Jiāng Jiāng said angrily.

As for Jiāng Jiāng's feelings toward Chén Chén, there's naturally nothing to say, but in life planning, especially the planning of the martial artist path, Jiāng Jiāng has always had her own ideas.

Jiāng Jiāng's idea has always been clear: to lie low.

This is a professional term used in gunfights; simply put, it means avoiding danger, developing in a low‑key manner, waiting for the opportunity, and continuing to develop.

Seeing Jiāng Jiāng's unwilling expression, Chén Chén let out a long sigh and said, "If you don't want to go, then forget it; I respect your decision."

Respecting Jiāng Jiāng's decision

No.

To retreat is to advance.

yes.

After all, Jiāng Jiāng ending up like this is also her own karmic retribution; she must find a way to correct it.

"Think about it a bit more; anyway, there's still more than half a month left."

"I have a night shift today; you go to sleep early."

Jiāng Jiāng sent Chén Chén out the door without saying a word, then went alone to the balcony.

Chén Chén and Jiāng Jiāng live on the top floor, more precisely a top floor rebuilt from a rooftop.

Although going up and down stairs is a bit troublesome, one quarter of the rooftop is much more spacious than ordinary low‑rent housing, about forty or fifty square meters.

The rebuilt apartment has over thirty square meters, and the rest is all balcony.

Renting such a place is not any cheaper than a normal room, but all its drawbacks can be overlooked thanks to the advantage of being spacious; in this world, nothing seems more valuable than spaciousness.

Jiāng Jiāng lay down along the railing, gently lifting her hair so it wouldn't be pressed by her body.

Back when they were in the orphanage, Chén Chén used to bring her to the roof to look at the stars.

Back then she was timid, because the orphanage teachers said that long ago, a child had run onto the roof to play and accidentally fallen from the building, dying.

After hearing that story, Jiāng Jiāng becomes terrified whenever she looks down from a height; she fears death, because if she dies, there will be nothing left.

Chén Chén also loves telling stories, and his stories aren't as scary as the ones adults tell, so Jiāng Jiāng loves listening to Chén Chén's stories.

But Chén Chén always likes to tell stories in strange places—on the roof, on tree forks, in secret bases.

Jiāng Jiāng quietly gazes at the stars strewn across the sky, at the round moon; the moon is like a mirror, reflecting her face.

She reaches out and pinches her own cheek.

She mutters to herself:

"What are you thinking about, Jiāng Jiāng?"

"You're working so hard, isn't it just to always be with him?"

———

Over the next few days, the two of them never brought up this topic again.

The so‑called "quarrel at the bedhead, peace at the bedfoot" isn't because the problem is resolved quickly, but because some problems can be tactically ignored.

This is the art of living together.

"So you're saying the alarm clock is purely decorative for you?"

Whether it's complaining.

"Ah~———(yawn)"

"Isn't there still you?"

Or reliance.

……

"Don't fall asleep on the rooftop next time; you'll easily get sick."

Is this concern?

"Is this the reason you go back and then fall asleep in bed yourself?"

Or is it (upon discovering the truth) questioning.

"Oh, forget…… this isn't to give you a long memory, is it?"

Or perhaps it's harshness (being stiff‑lipped).

……

"Remember to flush when you go to the toilet, you bastard!"

It's complaining (indeed it's complaining).

Do you have clothes that need washing? Underwear not included.

Also, tolerance.

These are all part of life.

I am the spirit of Earth, and also Chén Chén; when I am busy around the world every day, I occasionally let my mind sink somewhere to enjoy an ordinary human life.

……

Because he needed to prepare for the martial artist assessment, Chén Chén quit all his jobs and began training halberd technique and body technique at home.

These are not just for show; the strength of Chén Chén's human body is truly only at the level of a novice martial artist, meaning he has not cultivated genetic primordial force nor Guidance Art.

Because this identity is the same as Luofeng's future human clone, it is both Chén Chén's self-identified identity and an important part of his self-preservation plan.

This clone of his must rise from the lowly to the peak, forging a glorious history worthy of praise, so that he may later rightfully become the lord of Earth.

Quitting this job starts today; training this human clone starts today—this is Chén Chén's most important work from now on.

Apart from waking Chén Chén, cooking, and doing chores, Jiāng Jiāng's daily life is basically spent practicing martial arts.

Because he has the supplements prepared by Chén Chén to nourish his body, he also doesn't need to worry about the burden on his body.

Of course, merely painstakingly training the body is meaningless, especially physical training; even if the two of them painstakingly train for ten days or half a month, it's not as good as cultivating genetic primordial energy and taking a breath.

Honing skills, polishing will, cultivating disposition.

This is something no realm can escape; even for Chén Chén's true form, this tempering is very useful.

The days passed in a blink.

Soon it came to the day before the prospective martial artist assessment.

The two lay quietly in the center of the balcony, eyes closed.

One exhale, one inhale, achieving a clever synchronization.

Chén Chén. Jiāng Jiāng suddenly said.

Huh?

You haven't told me a story in a long time.

You're not a little kid anymore.

Just this once, okay?

Although Jiāng Jiāng has already said this many times.

Jiāng Jiāng turned her body, her pair of wine-red eyes gazing adorably at Chén Chén, just like on the orphanage rooftop many years ago.

Back then, the boy whose heart was stirred could never refuse a beautiful girl's request; even after many years, the scene is still the same… anyway, being idle is being idle.

Then let me tell you a story called *The War of the Twin Cities*.

In a city called Pí'ěrtèwòfū, divided into upper city and lower city, the lower city also called Zǔān, and the story starts from a pair of sisters in the lower city…

When Chén Chén tells stories, he always likes to look at the stars in the sky, while when Jiāng Jiāng listens to stories, she always likes to look at Chén Chén's profile.

After a long time like that, Chén Chén reached the sisters' reunion, telling how the little one gradually grew into the great hero of Zǔān.

Every person in the story is so vivid, and each person's story is so wonderful.

But Jiāng Jiāng didn't have that much thought to remember so many characters; only the story of those two sisters remained in her mind.

I don't like boom boom.

Because what Jiāng Jiāng least wants to become is someone like boom boom.

Jiāng Jiāng moved closer to Chén Chén, lightly leaning against his shoulder.

But I can also understand her.

Chén Chén kept looking at the stars in the sky, silent and speechless.

After a long while, Chén Chén closed his eyes again, adjusting his breathing to the calmest state.

Are we going tomorrow?

Hmm.

Then remember to wake me up.

Okay.

————

At night, returning to his own bed, Chén Chén lay on the bed and let out a long breath.

This girl, still so easy to handle.

These past few days, training martial arts at home, of course just to create a so-called martial artist atmosphere, letting Jiāng Jiāng immerse in the martial artist identity.

Jiāng Jiāng has never been courageous since childhood, and after that attack incident, her courage became even smaller.

Although she practices martial arts every day, deep down her feeling toward the martial artist world is actually like Ye Gong's love of dragons.

She hopes to strive to become stronger, overcome fear, defeat monsters, yet fears the battles of the martial artist world and fears death.

Fear is originally one of the most primitive and fundamental motivations of human effort, but when fear overcomes courage, one becomes cowardly.

Chén Chén also has high hopes for Jiāng Jiāng, so he still needs to put some effort into cultivating her disposition.

But is Jiāng Jiāng too easy to deceive? How can we feel at ease letting her go out alone to venture?

……

At the same time, on the other side of a wall only ten centimeters thick.

Jiāng Jiāng lay on the bed and let out a long breath.

By pretending not to want to participate in the prospective martial artist test, she successfully gained many days of spending long time together with Chén Chén.

It can be said to be a bloody profit.

If it were according to Jiāng Jiāng's own plan, this prospective martial artist exam would at least have to be postponed to two or three years later.

But Chén Chén's suggestion to take the exam together made Jiāng Jiāng realize a very serious problem.

That is, Chén Chén's plan is completely different from my own, which also means that Chén Chén will enter the martial world while I am still in the ordinary world.

In that case, my strength will have to deal with the trouble Chén Chén causes in the martial world! This completely does not match my steady original intention.

When opinions diverge.

In a family, someone always has to make a little sacrifice, so Jiāng Jiāng had considered it clearly by the next day.

If one becomes a martial artist, the risk is far less than the gap between my own strength and Chén Chén's. After all, given Chén Chén's flamboyant and clueless personality, causing trouble is certain; if at that time I lack the ability to protect myself, it will be truly miserable.

Of course, Jiāng Jiāng also couldn't just directly tell Chén Chén that she agreed; she still needed Chén Chén to show some sincerity, after all she is the one 'sacrificing' her safety needs, the side accommodating his opinion.

Afterward, as I had expected, Chén Chén quit all his work before the assessment and began cultivating at home.

Although he said he was cultivating, that was only part of the reason; the real purpose was still to give himself homework.

Sigh, big brother's so clueless personality; what will we do if he gets cheated by a bad woman when he goes out?

I really need to keep a strict check.