Chapter 120: The Task Completed Unaccountably

[Task completed. Please claim your reward.]

Jiang Zheng was stunned by the sudden system notification. How could the task have been completed so abruptly? He couldn't wrap his head around it. Pei Xin had left in a fit of pique and stopped her lessons, but a full week hadn't passed yet. Why would the task be finished already?

Regardless of his confusion, Jiang Zheng still had to claim his reward. He pondered his options. The "Martial Arts Master" skill seemed quite decent; it would significantly enhance his combat capabilities. Currently, he possessed immense physical strength but lacked the refined techniques to truly unleash that power. In his previous encounters with enemies, he had simply relied on his superior physical stats to overwhelm them. With the "Martial Arts Master" skill, he could effectively compensate for his lack of technique. However, Jiang Zheng hesitated—he was a law-abiding person who disliked fighting, so he felt this skill might be of little use to him. He had previously encountered a "Martial Arts Expert" skill, which also enhanced combat ability, and he hadn't chosen that one either.

Beyond the "Martial Arts Master" skill, there was the "Great Teacher Produces Brilliant Students" skill. This was a pedagogical skill; if Jiang Zheng were a teacher, it would be a "godly ability" that could drastically improve his teaching prowess. But he wasn't a teacher, and this skill would rarely find use in his daily life.

Neither skill was something Jiang Zheng desperately wanted, but he couldn't simply walk away without choosing. After all, it was a system reward—he had to reap the benefits where he could. After a long period of consideration, Jiang Zheng finally made his decision. He chose the "Martial Arts Master" reward. He felt that a young man out in the world needed to know how to protect himself; more importantly, it would improve his ability to stay safe. And safety was paramount.

After making his selection, Jiang Zheng claimed the "Martial Arts Master" skill. Suddenly, all his previous knowledge regarding martial arts vanished from his mind, including even the most basic concepts. Jiang Zheng had anticipated this consequence; he had been mentally prepared for it when making his choice.

Suddenly, his expression shifted. A wave of pain began to surge through his body—an ache mixed with a sensation of being torn apart.

Soon, the pain became unbearable. It clung to him like a shadow, refusing to subside or vanish. This was unexpected; Jiang Zheng hadn't anticipated such sudden, intense agony. Gritting his teeth, he trudged toward his dormitory, every step feeling like a grueling ordeal.

Upon finally reaching the dorm, he ignored Zhou Quanyi’s greeting, climbed onto his bed with great difficulty, closed his eyes, and tried to sleep. Yet, the pain couldn't be eased by sleep. No matter how he lay, the waves of agony kept crashing over him.

"Number Four, what's wrong?" Zhou Quanyi asked, approaching his bed.

"It's nothing, Boss. I think I just caught a cold and have a headache," Jiang Zheng replied.

"Do you want to go to the infirmary? I can help you over there," Zhou offered.

"No, I already took some medicine. Don't worry about me, Boss. I'll be fine after a nap," Jiang Zheng said.

Zhou Quanyi fell silent for a moment before saying, "Alright, I'll keep the noise down. Get some rest."

Lying on the bed, Jiang Zheng couldn't sleep. He had hoped that by enduring the pain, he would eventually grow accustomed to it, but the intensity remained constant. No matter how much time passed, it continued to torture him. Zhou Quanyi deliberately lowered the volume of his keyboard and game to avoid disturbing him. When the others returned to the dorm, they also approached with concern, eventually all tacitly lowering their voices to avoid waking him.

He didn't know how much time passed before he finally drifted off to sleep. Even in his slumber, his brows remained tightly furrowed.

***

Pei Xin walked out of the boxing gym with a smile on her face. During today's sparring session, she had utilized Tai Chi and actually managed to defeat her coach. One had to understand that she had never beaten him before; he was a retired professional athlete. Even if his condition wasn't at its peak, his technique and awareness were still there, more than enough to handle an amateur like her. Today was her first victory, and the look of utter confusion on the coach's face when she used Tai Chi had been priceless.

Thinking of this, the gloom that had hung over her recently dissipated. It was a silver lining in a dark cloud. Pei Xin decided she would apologize to Jiang Zheng; she wanted to continue her lessons. With the power of these techniques, she could even temporarily ignore Jiang Zheng's blunt refusal to see her. However, upon opening her phone, she discovered she could no longer find Jiang Zheng on WeChat.

Had he deleted her?

For a moment, she was in disbelief. She hadn't expected him to block her so quickly. He really didn't want to see her, did he? Since he had deleted her, she didn't want to make a fool of herself by chasing him. It was a pity she couldn't continue learning these skills, but that was that. Still, they had known each other, so she decided that if she ever ran into him, she would pay him the tuition fee. Even if he didn't care for her, she wouldn't go back on her word regarding the money.

***

When he woke up, it was already the next day. The pain had vanished without a trace, as if it had never existed. Jiang Zheng wasn't the least bit surprised; having experienced the "baptism" of the system before, he was accustomed to this.

Jiang Zheng carefully checked himself, looking for any changes, but found nothing different. Was the day of pain all for nothing? He felt a bit resentful, but no matter how he inspected his body, he couldn't find any obvious changes. His mind was completely blank regarding martial arts; if he wanted to possess that knowledge again, he would have to start from scratch.

Fortunately, the learning process was fast, and it wouldn't take much time. But today was out of the question—he had to attend classes.

"Number Four, does your head still hurt?" Yang Po asked with genuine concern.

"Yeah, if you're still feeling unwell, go to the infirmary and get it checked out. We'll help you ask for leave. Your health comes first," Zhou Quanyi added.

Jiang Zheng smiled and said, "I'm really fine. It doesn't hurt anymore. I already took some medicine, and I'll just take some more at noon."

Hearing this, the others nodded. Since Jiang Zheng insisted he was fine, they didn't want to press him further. The group headed to class together, chatting and laughing along the way.