"This year, He Liu Middle School has a strong lineup, with six students reaching a Blood Qi of 150 cal."
"Feng Yuan from Xuri Middle School is quite impressive, with exceptional spirit and tenacity and strong organizational skills. After entering a Martial Arts School, he might really make a name for himself."
"Pinghong Middle School has over twenty students with advanced scores every year. Your school's Lan Ziyue has already peaked at 160 cal for Blood Qi, with impressive exam results too. She might be this year's top scorer in the college entrance exams."
The teachers were watching the situation in the auditorium through the displays, analyzing and assessing the seed students from each school.
This was the routine every year.
However, none of the teachers from the dozen or so schools, totaling over twenty individuals, mentioned Linjiang First Middle School.
The reason was simple.
As the school receiving the most resources in Linjiang City, Linjiang First Middle School had been trailing in the college entrance exams for several years.
The top student in the grade often hovered around the top ten in the city.
Bear in mind, other schools had far inferior faculty, geographic locations, teaching resources, and living standards compared to Linjiang First Middle School.
Yet, the students nurtured by Linjiang First Middle School were easily overwhelmed by others.
Many school administrations had already lodged complaints with the Linjiang City government and the Martial Arts School Alliance branch, proposing to reduce Linjiang First Middle School's teaching resources.
If Linjiang First Middle School couldn't produce results enough to silence doubts with this college entrance exam, their teaching resources for next year would be drastically reduced.
"Master Qiong, you're the head teacher of the graduating class. Analyze the situation at Linjiang First Middle School for us this year."
"Can your top student this year rank in the city's top ten?"
A voice with ill intent emerged from the crowd.
The faces of the Linjiang First Middle School's senior-year teaching team darkened immediately.
Although the student exam results at Linjiang First Middle School were consistently poor each year, being humiliated so openly was a first.
It was growing increasingly outrageous.
But they couldn't easily retaliate either.
This group of teachers.
Whenever someone successfully taught good students, it was a source of pride.
Comparison exists everywhere.
Moreover, although there weren't significant conflicts between the schools, small frictions and competitions stoked students' motivation regularly. Such comparisons were commonplace.
Pinghong Middle School seemed intent on usurping the reputation of Linjiang First Middle School, making the rivalry more intense.
"Xu Jin, haven't you had enough hardship last time at the Shelter?"
Qiong Jiu's gaze landed on a middle-aged man.
The very person who had just spoken — Xu Jin, the leading Master for Pinghong Middle School.
The atmosphere in the lounge suddenly shifted, the temperature even seemed to drop a few degrees.
Xu Jin chuckled, "Master Qiong, I'm definitely not your match in martial arts, but if it's about teaching students, this should not be in your domain.
I was just concerned about the teaching situation at Linjiang First Middle School.
The Martial Arts School Alliance has already notified that unless your school has over twenty students with advanced scores or the top scorer of the college entrance exam this year, your resources will be halved next year."
Xu Jin's words echoed the sentiments of other school teachers.
Linjiang First Middle School occupied one-third of the teaching resources in Linjiang City, leaving only two-thirds for the other schools to share.
Reducing Linjiang First Middle School's resources meant increasing those of other schools.
"Don't trouble yourself, Master Xu, even though Linjiang First Middle School hasn't had good results in recent years, we won't have a problem maintaining our status this year."
Qiong Jiu retorted coldly.
Xu Jin maintained his smile, "Maintain your status? This year, not only us at Pinghong but also He Liu, Yuanshan, and Xuri Middle Schools, have a very strong lineup. It's practically the best class in years, with each school's achievements steadily rising.
But Linjiang First Middle School, I feel like it's not even as good as last year's batch?"
"Master Xu, don't praise us too much, we've only been putting a little extra effort into guiding our students."
"Indeed, a master leads you into the door, but cultivation is up to the individual. We only play a guiding role. It still depends on the school's learning atmosphere and the students' initiative."
The leading Masters from the two schools chimed in.
The smiles on their faces were undeniable.
Clearly, they were extremely satisfied with the students they nurtured this year.
Xu Jin chuckled too, "Indeed, it depends on the school's learning atmosphere and students' initiative. I just heard yesterday that the top student of Linjiang First Middle School this year often skips classes and even once was judged as a model student.
I guess this must be false.
Otherwise, if the top student of the entire grade leads others in skipping classes, one can imagine the learning atmosphere in the whole school."
Facing such cold sarcasm.
The faces of Qiong Jiu's senior-year teaching team darkened, suppressed by a sense of injustice.
Baiyu skipping classes was indeed a fact.
This rascal had finished almost all high school courses by sophomore year, scoring perfect marks each time. What could the teachers do?
Forcibly keeping such a student in the classroom would just waste time.
"It seems Master Xu has quite a grievance with my teaching methods. How about we make a bet then? At any rate, we're free now, it might be nice to open a small wager during the exchange classes."
Qiong Jiu stared at Xu Jin with some detached amusement.
"If indulging students to skip classes counts as a teaching method, then why have schools at all? Master Qiong seems so confident, I'm obliged to reciprocate. What shall we bet on?"
Xu Jin didn't retreat in the slightest.
"Let's bet on the exchange class, the first place belongs to which school. I'll wager Linjiang First Middle School, and as for the stake, half a pound of Living Iron."
Qiong Jiu waved his hand as he spoke.
The crowd in the lounge hesitated at the mention of the wager.
It's not something commonplace.
The price of half a pound of Living Iron starts at least at one million Imperial Coins, which is an amount a regular person could never earn in a lifetime.
Even with money, it's difficult to purchase Living Iron at market price.
Only we teachers, with purchase quotas, can obtain it at a relatively lower price.
Living Iron is the essential resource to craft martial artists' weapons, far more resilient than top-grade S-grade alloys and can easily pierce exotic beast skins.
This strategic resource is extremely rare, with every Living Iron mine controlled by the Imperial itself.
"Master Qiong, half a pound of Living Iron is enough to craft a small weapon. You're really this confident?" Xu Jin's smile restrained slightly, hesitating to agree.
To match the value of half a pound of Living Iron, bringing something out would put him in dire straits financially, maybe even force him into eating instant noodles for months.
Qiong Jiu chuckled, "Wasn't asking Master Xu to bear it alone. You could go in with several schools, even a dozen schools, so long as the first place isn't Linjiang First Middle School, you win. But the odds, considering the risk, with odds of four to one seem fair, right? If by chance I win, you just repay two pounds of Living Iron."
The lounge fell silent.
The teachers were visibly tempted, but the high value deterred any reckless wagering.
"The exchange class lasts five days. This wager is effective until the end of the class tomorrow," Qiong Jiu added.
Everyone grew uneasy.