Chapter 122: Soaring to the Sky

"Actually, there is really no loss; there is no need to bother the government," Father Zhang replied awkwardly.

"No, this was our negligence, and we must provide compensation. As for those illegal and unruly acts, we will crack down on them heavily; otherwise, it would be a dereliction of our duty," the middle-aged man said, his tone growing increasingly sincere.

Father Zhang began to feel uncomfortable. The way you put it, it's as if we are the ones oppressing others now. However, he was a perceptive man; he knew this sudden change in attitude was absolutely because of his eldest son. His eldest son had truly made something of himself.

After the exchange of pleasantries, the middle-aged man finally stated his purpose: "Mr. Zhang, we heard that your son has been admitted to the Martial Arts Academy?"

"Yes, actually, I was quite surprised myself. The kid never mentioned it to us," Father Zhang replied helplessly.

The middle-aged man smiled and said, "He must have wanted to give you a surprise. Um, is your son around?"

"He is. He's in the backyard playing with his younger sister, claiming to be guiding her in her training—just fooling around," Father Zhang answered casually.

The middle-aged man's eyes lit up. "Excellent. It seems your daughter has a bright future ahead of her, too. Her cultivation is something we have all witnessed. Actually, we have an idea, and I wonder if you would be interested."

"What is it?" Father Zhang asked.

"We plan to establish a Kaiyang Youth Martial Arts Class for intensive training. In the future, we will connect directly with national institutions. If there is potential, we will absolutely send them to the Martial Arts Academy. Your daughter has talent, and if we add our training, she will have a much better chance of standing out."

Father Zhang was stunned. This was clearly offering a favor. It was truly the case that the whole family was beginning to take flight thanks to his eldest son.

Seeing that Father Zhang remained silent, the middle-aged man continued, "Don't worry, once she enters the Kaiyang Martial Arts Training Class, we will provide her with comprehensive cultivation. Anything we have, we will not hold back from her."

Father Zhang pondered for a moment and asked, "I haven't heard of this martial arts class. Are many people participating?"

The middle-aged man smiled. "If your daughter joins, she will be the first."

Father Zhang: "..."

Not long after, Zhang Kai returned with his younger brother and sister. Over the past few days, he had given them special, targeted training. And it must be said, his sister's talent was truly excellent. His brother's was a bit lacking, but where talent failed, guidance could compensate. For Zhang Kai, even a pile of waste could be turned into gold. Thus, after a few days, his siblings had made great progress and now had clear goals.

Seeing the three of them, the middle-aged man, who had been chatting happily with Father Zhang, hurriedly stood up and smiled, "Is this Mr. Zhang Kai?"

Zhang Kai glanced at him and said, "It is."

"Hello, I am the Secretary-General of Kaiyang XXX. It is a great honor to meet a prodigy like Mr. Zhang." The middle-aged man was full of excitement, his eyes gleaming. For Kaiyang County to produce a prodigy was a massive benefit for the entire region. At the very least, there would be more attention from superiors, and if the opportunity was seized well, Kaiyang might just skyrocket to success.

Zhang Kai smiled. "Since you've come, does that mean the trouble at my home has been resolved?"

"Of course. We will never allow illegal activities to run rampant in Kaiyang. No matter who it is, we will investigate to the end and ensure there are no future consequences," the middle-aged man replied sternly.

"Then I'll leave it to you." Zhang Kai smiled.

"It's nothing; after all, you are the pride of Kaiyang," the middle-aged man continued to butter him up.

Zhang Kai knew it was time for him to do something. Even if it was just to ensure his family could live without worry while he was away for long periods in the future.

"Since you said I am the pride of Kaiyang, I intend to do something for my hometown upon my return. I've been exploring a few ideas over the past few days. I plan to sponsor a batch of cultivation materials for Kaiyang and provide some cultivation techniques so that the future of Kaiyang can be nurtured," Zhang Kai said.

The middle-aged man almost shouted in excitement. "Are you serious? This... how could we accept this?"

"After all, I am a native of Kaiyang. If one person prospers, they should give back to their hometown. Additionally, I can make a promise: if anyone in Kaiyang achieves the Innate Realm before adulthood, I can personally recommend them for special admission to the Martial Arts Academy for better training," Zhang Kai said earnestly.

The so-called Innate Realm was a major threshold in current martial arts. Achieving it before the age of eighteen meant outstanding talent and great potential for future cultivation. Although many people worldwide had achieved this over the past three years, it was rare in smaller regions. Even so, it was usually very difficult to obtain a spot at the Martial Arts Academy.

Zhang Kai's guarantee made the middle-aged man unable to contain himself; his face turned red with excitement. This was a truly overwhelming surprise. Once the news spread, Kaiyang would become the object of envy for the surrounding areas, and even the entire country and world. Just for this single qualification, one could only imagine how many people would want to immigrate to Kaiyang in the future.

Kaiyang was about to take flight.

"Good, wonderful! On behalf of Kaiyang, I thank Mr. Zhang for your support. I can guarantee that as long as it is not illegal or unruly, the Zhang family will never encounter any trouble in Kaiyang again," the middle-aged man said with a serious expression.

Zhang Kai smiled. "That goes without saying. My family are just ordinary folks; they only want to live a peaceful life."

Though their words seemed simple, both parties had made their stance clear.

Soon after, the middle-aged man and his party departed. After today, Kaiyang was destined for fame, and they had much work to do.

Once they were gone, Father Zhang looked at Zhang Kai and said, "I'm no longer in a position to tell you what to do, but I have one thing to say: don't make things hard for yourself just for our sake."

Zhang Kai smiled. "Dad, you're overthinking it. What I've given out is insignificant to me. Please, set your mind at ease."

Father Zhang said nothing, but his expression as he looked at Zhang Kai was a bit strange. He feared his son hadn't revealed everything yet; his status at the Martial Arts Academy was likely more than just that of a student.

In the days that followed, the Zhang household remained as peaceful as ever, and the family lived happily. It wasn't that no one wanted to visit, but they were all intercepted. The Zhang family was Kaiyang's treasure. The future of Kaiyang depended on how they treated the Zhang family; how could they allow others to interfere? Not even their superiors were permitted.

As expected, Kaiyang became famous overnight across the country, and even other nations heard that a disciple of the Martial Arts Academy was giving back to his hometown with various resources. This made everyone deeply envious. After all, ordinary people had to trade for resources, struggling and risking their lives for them. The fact that a disciple of the Martial Arts Academy could actually bring out resources to support his hometown showed that even within the Academy, this student was an exceptional existence.

Through consultations, various countries finally learned of Zhang Kai's status at the Martial Arts Academy: a direct disciple of the Dean and a student in the elite class. This identity immediately brought Kaiyang to the attention of the national high command.

Later, a piece of news completely ignited Kaiyang: they had received a promise of special admission for any talent who reached the Innate Realm. This made even the state envious. It was well known that after the reforms over the past three years at the Martial Arts Academy on Mars, things had changed. Even students provided by various countries were no longer formal students, but "outer-gate" students who had to pass rigorous assessments to become true disciples. These assessments were incredibly difficult and carried a twenty-percent mortality rate; no one dared to face them lightly.

This direct special admission was equivalent to bypassing a life-or-death hurdle. Countless wealthy and powerful people were moved; for the sake of their children, they would go anywhere.