[Martial City of the Heavens, Tower of Affluent Martial Arts, Outer Plaza]
Splash!
Water from the plaza fountain splashed onto the bluestone pavement, dampening the tips of Chen Kong's shoes.
He stared at the Tower of Affluent Martial Arts before him, his eyes nearly popping out of his head.
"Liu Ma, are you absolutely sure anyone can pass the badge challenge at this martial arts tower?"
The vermilion gate studded with brass rivets, the stone lions on either side holding glowing crystal balls in their mouths, and the welcoming attendants dressed in gold-embroidered suits, holding silver trays with iced fruit juice—
Looking at this magnificent, golden martial arts tower, Chen Kong suspected he had come to the wrong place.
What martial arts tower was this? It was clearly a glittering nightclub!
After all, the martial arts tower in his mind should resemble the 'Shattered Rock Tower'.
Bluestone pavements cracked, old weapon racks holding rusted swords, and the air smelling of rock dust.
Not like this, where even the wind carried the scent of champagne and money.
Liu Ma laughed, patting him on the shoulder, and said confidently, "Look at you, so provincial. Haven't you heard the saying: 'Poor in literature, rich in martial arts'?"
"Or did you think practicing martial arts only requires throwing punches? Don't be naive. Tempering liquids, Star Energy catalysts—every single one of these things costs money, doesn't it?"
"Wealth... is also a part of martial arts potential."
"Huh?!"
Chen Kong stared at Liu Ma, seemingly having never considered that such an "impure" monetary perspective could exist within the otherwise "pure" realm of martial arts.
Could this kind of money-grubbing martial arts still be considered martial arts?
Perhaps sensing the confusion in Chen Kong's mind, Liu Ma pointed to a skyscraper next to the Affluent Martial Arts Tower. "Look over there."
Following Liu Ma's pointing finger, the words 'Affluent Martial Arts Finance Building' immediately came into Chen Kong's view.
Many people were entering and leaving this building. Those who went in looked distressed, and those who came out looked just as distressed.
Even stranger, all these people had Star Energy fluctuations, clearly having undergone cultivation.
"Kong, do you know why I came to work for Elder Sister's Qianxia Group after arriving at the Martial City of the Heavens?"
Chen Kong froze. Thinking about it carefully, he realized he had never actually asked Liu Ma why he appeared as an employee in the Qianxia Group.
Although he was one of the lowest-ranked Children of the Stars, he was still a first-class genius in the outside world.
He certainly wasn't reduced to the point of needing to work for someone else.
Meeting Chen Kong's confused gaze, Liu Ma looked at the 'Affluent Martial Arts Finance Building' and said with emotion, "It's because if Elder Sister hadn't bailed me out, I might have spent the rest of my life working hard for those damned bloodsuckers from the Affluent Martial Arts Group."
"..."
Seeing the story written all over Liu Ma's face, Chen Kong couldn't help but ask, "So, how much money did you actually owe the Affluent Martial Arts Group, huh?"
"More than you can imagine."
"Why?"
Hearing Chen Kong's question, Liu Ma immediately looked at him as if he were an idiot.
"Brother, you seem to have a big misunderstanding about the words 'Floating City'. You don't actually think this is a place where anyone can easily get a foothold, do you?"
"Of course, if you have no ambitions and just want to live a normal life, the cost of living here is high, but not outrageously so."
"But if you have any ambition at all, the expenses here will far exceed your imagination."
"I originally thought that since I was a Child of the Stars and had exceptional talent, my future was boundless. A mere loan could easily be paid off with a little effort."
"So... I applied for their 'Martial Arts Potential Credit Card' and accidentally spent the entire limit."
"Martial Arts Potential Credit Card?"
Hearing this unfamiliar term, Chen Kong's brain nearly crashed.
He understood martial arts potential, and he understood credit cards, but how did these words combine?
"Potential... can be used as a credit limit?"
Liu Ma quickly offered an explanation.
"Something like that."
Liu Ma nodded, then bent his fingers, explaining the details to Chen Kong.
"Before applying for the credit card, the Affluent Martial Arts Group gives you a martial arts potential rating. The higher the rating, the higher the credit limit you can borrow."
"I was rated 'A+' at the time, so the limit was a full three million Federal Coins, and that limit would continuously increase based on my Star Envoy rank."
"Unfortunately, I was young then, and having lived in the base, I didn't have much of a concept of spending, leading to poor planning. I spent it all in a moment of reckless passion."
"Then, before I could find a suitable way to make money, the debt collectors came knocking!"
As he spoke, Liu Ma gritted his teeth and pointed to the window of the Affluent Martial Arts Finance Building. "You have no idea how ruthless those people are. If you can't pay back the money, you either become their hired thug, or they use your future 'martial arts profits' to offset the debt. They even have the nerve to call it 'Martial Arts Loans.'"
"If I hadn't met Elder Sister, I'd probably still be guarding this tower and paying off my debt to these guys now."
Looking at Chen Kong, whose perception was being refreshed, Liu Ma said melancholically, "Kong, do you know the true unspoken rule of the Martial City of the Heavens?"
Chen Kong shook his head, indicating that since he wasn't from the Martial City of the Heavens, how could he know such things?
"It's simple, just seven words: No money, no martial arts."
"..."
Seriously, you can do that?!
Chen Kong looked at Liu Ma in shock, never having expected that the seemingly 'martial-arts-supremacy' Martial City of the Heavens was, in the end, 'wealth-supremacy'.
"No money, no martial arts"—that was just too realistic.
However, before Chen Kong could fully digest this profound question, Vivian, who had already collected the 'Affluent Martial Arts Tower' assessment information via the Martial City of the Heavens' Quantum Network, spoke slowly.
"The core assessment standard for the Affluent Martial Arts Tower is 'wealth value.'"
"Basic Assessment: Pay 1,000 Federal Coins to immediately receive an 'Entry Certificate.'"
"Intermediate Assessment: Spend 5,000 Federal Coins within the tower, and the Tower Guardian will personally instruct you on basic 'Affluent Martial Arts Style' moves."
"Ultimate Assessment: Make a one-time deposit of 100,000 Federal Coins, and you will be immediately awarded the Martial Arts Badge, along with a VIP membership for the tower."
"What? You can get a badge just by spending money? That's ridiculous!"
Chen Kong subconsciously patted his pockets, seemingly gauging whether his 'wealth value' was enough to pass the assessment.
Liu Ma laughed, patted his shoulder, pulled a black card from his jacket, and shook it in front of him.
"Don't worry, Elder Sister has already prepared the 'funds' for us! This card has a 300,000 limit—enough to get the badge immediately!"
As he spoke, Liu Ma gestured towards the attendant at the door.
The attendant saw this and immediately nodded toward the three of them with a smile, everything understood without a word.
"See? They're waiting for us!"
Chen Kong looked at the black card in Liu Ma's hand, then at the magnificent golden gate of the Affluent Martial Arts Tower, still finding it somewhat surreal.
The martial arts challenge he had imagined involved toe-to-toe combat with the Tower Guardian, earning recognition through genuine skill.
Not like this, "buying" a badge by spending money.
Can you truly not practice martial arts without money?
Before Chen Kong could ponder this complex question, Liu Ma strode towards the Affluent Martial Arts Tower.
"Let's go, don't just stand here."
"Oh, okay."
[Meanwhile, Qianxia Group Headquarters, President's Reception Room]
"Miss, you're letting Liu Ma go to the Affluent Martial Arts Tower now. Aren't you afraid he'll find out that you are one of the major shareholders behind the Affluent Martial Arts Group?"
"And that you deliberately engineered his excessive consumption, causing him to accrue that massive martial arts credit debt?"
Hearing her secretary's words, Yu Qianxia laughed while playfully toying with the ultimate black card in her hand.
"Why should I be afraid? The contract is written in black and white. What can he do to me?"
"Besides, I didn't make him spend all that money. If he had been a little more rational, wouldn't all that trouble have been avoided?"
Looking at Yu Qianxia's mischievous expression, the secretary shook her head helplessly.
Expecting the then-teenage Liu Ma to understand the meaning of 'rational consumption' was certainly asking a bit much.
Watching the mischievous Yu Qianxia on screen, and combining it with Liu Ma's earlier comments.
The dimensional audience on Site 13 instantly understood everything.
'Good grief! So the angel who saved Liu Ma was the very devil who pushed him into the 'abyss of debt'!'
'Wait, didn't they say martial artists were honest people, without so many tricks up their sleeves?'
'Why are the martial artists in this Martial City of the Heavens all more 'shady' than the last!'
Thinking about it this way, Tendo's 'tax collection plan' wasn't so unconventional after all.
He's absolutely just fitting in!
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