The Almighty Martial Arts System - Chapter 257

Seeing the shrewd yet hopeful look in Aunt Wang’s eyes, Jiang Fei naturally refused her. Peking University wasn’t some no-name diploma mill—how could anyone just pull strings to secure an admission spot?

Unless someone won a first-place prize in an Olympiad competition or possessed extraordinary talent in some field, standing out from the crowd, they might have a chance at Peking University’s independent recruitment program, bypassing the college entrance exam.

Even if backdoor admissions were possible, it wasn’t something a teacher like Jiang Fei—who had only given a single public lecture at Peking University—could pull off.

So, this time, the ever-calculating Aunt Wang was destined to be disappointed.

Jiang Fei no longer had time to tutor Xia Xiaozhi, nor could he arrange for her to be admitted to Peking University.

That said, in Jiang Fei’s eyes, Xia Xiaozhi was actually quite clever and spirited. She had never put much effort into studying, yet her grades were still above average in her class. If she buckled down over the next two years, Peking University might be out of reach, but she could certainly aim for one of the country’s other top-tier universities.

About ten minutes later, Jiang Fei led three high-spirited girls—Xia Xiaozhi, Xu Jing, and Tan Yuan—downstairs. None of them carried suitcases, but each had a large backpack stuffed with enough clothes and daily necessities for their week-long stay in Rice Village.

The girls were buzzing with excitement, chattering nonstop in the car. Part of it was the thrill of a trip, but more than that, this was likely their first taste of freedom—a chance to escape their parents’ watchful eyes and run wild.

Xia Xiaozhi and Tan Yuan sat in the back, while the blushing, shy Xu Jing—nicknamed “Zhuangzhuang”—claimed the front passenger seat. This left Xia Xiaozhi sulking, shooting Xu Jing several resentful glares.

“If I’d known Uncle was coming back, I wouldn’t have told you, Zhuangzhuang! It’d just be me and Tangyuan (Tan Yuan) going to Rice Village, leaving you behind in the city!” Xia Xiaozhi grumbled, her earlier cheerfulness replaced with irritation.

Xu Jing, mature beyond her years but prone to shyness, sat happily beside Jiang Fei. Sneaking glances at his profile, she giggled and retorted, “Even if you didn’t tell me, I could’ve just called Uncle myself!”

Xia Xiaozhi’s eyebrows shot up. “You chat with Uncle often?”

Xu Jing’s childlike face flushed crimson, but she mustered her courage and declared, “Of course! We even video call at night sometimes!”

Jiang Fei rolled his eyes at the surprisingly bold yet bashful girl. “Once. And it lasted two minutes before you hung up.”

“Video calls at night?” Tan Yuan adjusted her black-framed glasses, eyes gleaming with mischief. “Zhuangzhuang, what were you and Uncle doing? Confess—were you trying to seduce him in your pajamas?”

Xu Jing’s face burned even redder. She buried her head between her surprisingly ample chest, unable to meet the scrutinizing gazes of Xia Xiaozhi and Tan Yuan. “N-no! It was just a normal chat! I wasn’t even in pajamas…”

Tan Yuan gasped dramatically. “Wait—so you weren’t wearing anything at all? Zhuangzhuang, I never knew you had it in you!”

Jiang Fei’s face twitched.

These girls were something else.

Skipping straight from “not in pajamas” to “not wearing anything”? Was this how teenage logic worked?

Cutting off the conversation, Jiang Fei asked, “Jingjing, Tan Yuan, didn’t your parents object to this trip?”

It made sense for Xia Xiaozhi’s parents to allow her to travel with him—they knew Jiang Fei well from his time as her tutor. But Xu Jing and Tan Yuan had never met him before, let alone their parents. How could they just hand over their precious daughters to a stranger for a week?

Weren’t they worried?

The three girls exchanged glances before bursting into laughter. Xu Jing pouted. “They didn’t object at all! When they heard we were going with Xiaozhi to your place, they were thrilled!”

Jiang Fei frowned. “Why?”

Xia Xiaozhi, her mushroom-cut hair bouncing, leaned over the seat and whispered in his ear, “Because you’re famous now! A pianist, a miracle doctor at that medical conference, and now a guest lecturer at Peking University. Our parents respect you more than our teachers! Of course they’d trust you.”

“Ah.” Jiang Fei hadn’t expected his reputation to have such perks.

If he ever wanted to court someone’s daughter, flashing his credentials might just win over the parents.

…..

As autumn approached, Rice Village’s scenery had transformed, becoming even more breathtaking than in early summer.

Driving into the village, Jiang Fei was stunned by the golden landscape. Having only moved here this year, he was witnessing Rice Village’s autumn beauty for the first time—and it was spectacular.

The deep blue sky stretched endlessly above, broken only by the golden-white poplar forests and the distant, rolling dark-green mountains.

As the car wound through the valley, it felt like entering a hidden paradise, a place untouched by worldly worries.

If summer had painted Rice Village in emerald green, autumn had turned it into a vibrant canvas, as if brushed by a divine hand.

Though early autumn meant the colors weren’t at their peak, the layered hues—green fading into red, gold, and amber—were striking in their own right.

Xia Xiaozhi and Tan Yuan had already rolled down the windows, shrieking with delight. Even Xu Jing, usually too shy to look away from Jiang Fei, turned to gaze outside.

“Wow! Look at those snowy mountains in the distance! Uncle, are there really mountains near Rice Village?” Xia Xiaozhi asked excitedly.

Jiang Fei chuckled. “They only look close because the air’s clear. They’re over a hundred kilometers away—definitely not ‘near.'”

“Xiaozhi, look ahead! Is that… a castle?” Tan Yuan gasped.

“A villa in the middle of a red meadow! It’s like something out of a fairy tale!”

“Uncle, is that your place?”

Jiang Fei’s breath caught. When he’d built the villa, the surrounding grass had been green. Now, in autumn, it had turned a soft, plateau-like red, making the scenery even more surreal.

As the girls gushed, Jiang Fei swelled with pride. His choice of location had been perfect—summer had been stunning, but autumn was downright magical. This wasn’t just a retreat; it was a storybook come to life.

Parking the car, he unlocked the villa, and the girls immediately rushed inside, squealing like children in a dream palace.

Leaving them to explore, Jiang Fei stepped outside and whistled. A deep roar answered—Simba, now a massive beast, came barreling toward him, nearly knocking him over in excitement.

The once-tiny pup had grown into a lion-sized giant, its shoulder height nearing 90 cm, with a mane-like ruff of fur. Jiang Fei experimentally climbed onto its back and found Simba could carry him effortlessly.

“Good boy! I’ll have to take you hunting someday,” Jiang Fei grinned, ruffling Simba’s thick fur.

But the real marvel was the eagle circling above. When it landed, Jiang Fei realized it had outgrown perching on his arm—its wingspan now stretched nearly two meters, casting a shadow like some mythical roc.

An idea struck him.

“Let’s try something,” he murmured.

With another whistle, he signaled the eagle upward, then—channeling his qinggong techniques—leapt and grabbed one of its powerful talons.