Inside the old living room, Wang Huai’an stared at the golden words floating before him, unable to believe his eyes for a moment.
The system… had finally arrived!
After waiting so many years, his patience had finally paid off.
When he was younger, Wang Huai’an had been an avid reader of web novels, so he naturally knew exactly what a system was. He had already experienced transmigration. What else was there that he couldn’t accept?
However, what was wrong with this damned system?
How had it somehow detected that his son wanted a better father?
What a truly filial son!
Still, Wang Huai’an knew perfectly well that he had indeed been a rather useless father. He had neither power nor money. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have spent all these years living in the Old District of Jinghai City.
Anyone with even a little ability had already moved into one of the well-furnished residential communities in the city center.
His gaze moved downward. Whether his son wanted a better father wasn’t important. What mattered was that this system was incredibly powerful!
Wang Huai’an’s previously lifeless eyes suddenly surged with overwhelming excitement.
Back then, he had No Martial Aptitude, no capable father, and not even a system to serve as his golden finger. He had been left with no choice but to bow his head before fate.
But today, he could finally change his destiny!
His son no longer needed to accept his fate either!
In the past, Wang Huai’an had never had a father to rely on, so he could never compete with those who did.
But from today onward, he could become the most powerful father his son could ever ask for!
Excitement surged violently through his heart.
“Five ranks higher than Wang Teng!”
“Doesn’t that mean that once the system finishes binding, my cultivation will immediately rise by five realms? And whenever Wang Teng’s realm improves, my strength will improve as well?”
“Wait… Wang Teng doesn’t even have a cultivation realm yet. Can I still gain five realms?”
The golden words before him changed once again.
[Wang Teng’s Current Realm: Unranked.]
[Unranked refers to the level of an ordinary person and is classified as a Rank-Zero Martial Artist.]
[After the system finishes binding, the Host’s realm will be: Early-Stage 5th-Rank Martial Artist (Rank Zero + Five Ranks).]
Wang Huai’an nearly cried out in shock.
Once the system finished binding, he would become a 5th-Rank Martial Artist in the blink of an eye!
A 5th-Rank Martial Artist could already be considered a powerful figure throughout Jinghai City, a city with a population of 5 million.
He wouldn’t dare claim that such strength belonged to the absolute top tier, but it would unquestionably place him among the second tier of powerful figures.
A 5th-Rank Martial Artist was already qualified to hold an important position within the city.
To put it simply, in the past, he could only ride a Yadea electric scooter. Now, he would be able to drive an Audi!
Although countless thoughts had raced through Wang Huai’an’s mind, only a few seconds had actually passed.
Yang Liu and Wang Teng were still waiting for his verdict.
His decision was important, after all. He was Wang Teng’s father.
Wang Teng still had his head lowered. He could already guess that his father would tell him to choose the Academic Track.
There was simply no other choice. Their family genuinely didn’t have enough money to continuously support his martial arts cultivation.
Yang Liu had only come because she meant well and wanted to remind her old classmate of the harsh reality.
After all, for an ordinary family, forcibly supporting a child’s martial arts cultivation was incredibly expensive. It would be far better to settle down and live the peaceful life of an ordinary person.
Wang Huai’an slowly exhaled.
Then he raised his voice and declared, “Let Wang Teng apply for… the Martial Arts Track!”
Yang Liu instinctively nodded. “Exactly. He should choose the Academic Track. If he chooses the Martial Arts Track, he’ll have to fight and risk his life. What if…”
“What?!”
Her voice abruptly stopped.
Yang Liu suddenly raised her head and stared at Wang Huai’an. She blinked several times, wondering whether she had heard him incorrectly.
Wang Teng exclaimed in even greater shock, “Dad!”
He had actually heard his father support his decision to apply for the Martial Arts Track!
But did their family really have enough money?
His monthly living expenses were only 200 yuan. He couldn’t even bring himself to ask his family for a single yuan more than necessary.
Wang Huai’an said seriously, “You’ll choose the Martial Arts Track!”
Yang Liu frowned slightly. “Huai’an, Wang Teng is your only child. Cultivating martial arts won’t just consume the savings you’ve accumulated over many years. To put it harshly, children from ordinary families like ours have almost no chance of achieving anything unless they possess extraordinary talent. If he gets seriously injured or even dies on the path of cultivation, that isn’t a consequence an ordinary family like ours can afford to bear.”
Wang Teng immediately said, “I’m not afraid!”
Wang Huai’an nodded. “I understand all those consequences. Old classmate, thank you for saying so much. I understand that you’re only doing this out of kindness.”
He then looked toward his son and continued, “It’s rare enough that Wang Teng possesses the Martial Aptitude necessary to cultivate martial arts, so let him give it a try. His father still has some ability. I can afford to support his martial arts cultivation!”
Wang Teng’s vision blurred slightly, and tears faintly shimmered in his eyes. His father’s words had clearly moved him deeply.
Yang Liu wanted to say something else. However, when she saw how determined both father and son were, she decided against it.
As Wang Teng’s teacher and Wang Huai’an’s friend, she had already given them more than enough warnings.
“Fine. Since both of you have already made your decision, there’s nothing more I can say as his teacher.”
“I’ll submit Wang Teng’s application for the Martial Arts Track.”
“On the path of cultivation, perseverance is essential, but resources are equally important.”
After saying that, Yang Liu stood up. “There’s nothing else I need to discuss, so I’ll head home.”
Wang Huai’an also stood to see her off. “Why don’t you stay and have dinner with us?”
Yang Liu shook her head. “No, I still need to go home and cook.”
She added, “If you change your mind about his application, you can call me anytime.”
Afterward, Wang Huai’an and Wang Teng accompanied Yang Liu to the door.
Wang Huai’an said, “Old classmate, thank you again for making the trip here. If you ever need anything in the future, you can ask us for help as well.”
Yang Liu smiled and shook her head before joking, “I certainly will.”
However, another thought crossed her mind.
‘What could I possibly need their help with? It’s already impressive enough if this father and son can maintain their own lives.’
Walking through the dim stairwell, Yang Liu glanced back at the closed apartment door and helplessly shook her head.
“For a child from a poor family to cultivate martial arts… how could it possibly be that easy?”
“Forget it. It’s someone else’s family matter, so I shouldn’t interfere too much.”
“If I can look after Wang Teng a little more in the future, I should do so.”
With that, she carried her bag and headed downstairs.
Back in the living room, Wang Teng stared at his father.
For some reason, he felt that his father’s eyes now held a confidence that hadn’t been there before. Even his once slightly hunched back seemed to have straightened.
‘Could it be because my martial arts talent is good, so Dad is proud of me?’
Wang Teng asked, “Dad, are you really going to let me cultivate martial arts?”
Wang Huai’an smiled. “Don’t worry. You’ll continue walking firmly down the martial path. Dad will make sure your cultivation grows higher and higher.”
Of course, when Wang Teng’s cultivation increased, Wang Huai’an’s cultivation would rise along with it.
Wang Huai’an also wanted to reach the highest realms himself.
After all, who would willingly remain an ordinary person for their entire life?
Wang Teng nodded emotionally before asking, “But do we have enough money?”
He had finally raised the most crucial question.
Wang Huai’an smiled. “You don’t need to worry about money. Your dad still has some savings.”
“Let’s eat first.”
At the dining table, father and son ate a simple dinner together.
It was nothing more than an ordinary meal eaten by ordinary people. However, Wang Huai’an knew perfectly well that relying on this kind of ordinary food would never be enough to support martial arts cultivation.
Starting tomorrow, he would have to improve their meals.
After dinner, the sensible Wang Teng went to wash the pots, dishes, and bowls.
Meanwhile, Wang Huai’an returned to his bedroom.
Golden words flashed before his eyes.
The countdown displayed above them showed only one minute remaining.
“Almost there!”
“I’m finally going to have a system.”
“Who would’ve thought I’d only activate my system after reaching middle age?”
“Now that I’ll finally possess real strength, I can also go out and see the magnificent landscapes of this high-martial world!”
A moment later, golden words appeared before his eyes once again.
[System binding successful.]