Charles Smith couldn't help but give Mark Benson a knock on the head, exclaiming, "Don't say such vulgar things..."

She really wanted to say, "What do you mean, wipe my butt for me? What nonsense are you spouting?" But as a girl, Charles Smith was too embarrassed to say something so crude out loud.

After not seeing her childhood friend for so long, although Charles Smith found Mark Benson "vulgar," she was still amused by him, even feeling a bit nostalgic for the days she lived at The Benson Family.

Back then, Mark Benson always protected her, never letting anyone bully her, always taking the brunt of David Benson's anger for her, as well as David Benson's—stubborn, harsh, and foul-tempered personality.

During her time at The Benson Family, Charles Smith actually disliked Mark Benson.

She didn't even know why she disliked Little Mark!

Maybe it was because David Benson kept bringing up that matter, which made her genuinely anxious deep down.

She truly didn't want her whole life to be arranged like that.

Maybe it was because Little Mark was too well-behaved back then, making her feel he lacked any manliness...

Maybe, deep down, Charles Smith always felt that this little boy who looked a bit roguish and mischievous...

Was a little scary!

Charles Smith had seen it many times—when Mark Benson was alone, his face would be gloomy, but every time she called his name, Tiny Mark would instantly put on a bright, sunny smile.

The speed at which Mark Benson's expression changed, and how easily he controlled his emotions, always made her feel a faint sense of fear.

Now that Charles Smith had grown into a graceful young lady, thinking back to those days, she felt more warmth than anything else.

She had spent three years in the Qianlong Army, then attended middle and high school alone at Dijingshang, so she had been through some toughening up.

She had long since realized that David Benson truly cared for her, just in an awkward way, and Little Mark genuinely treated her like family. Even though he was a bit odd, his desire to protect her was beyond doubt.

So, in fact, Charles Smith deeply regretted how cold she had been to Little Mark back then. She didn't dare to contact Mark Benson much, mostly out of shame, not because she wanted to distance herself.

Suddenly, Charles Smith said, "I've seen my mom."

Mark Benson asked in surprise, "Really?"

Charles Smith nodded.

Charles Smith's parents had divorced long ago. Her mother left no contact information, and her father died in battle. She couldn't even find her mother to tell her the news.

Mark Benson sighed. He had always felt sorry for this childhood friend.

Charles Smith was smart, stubborn, sensitive, and always tried to keep up a strong front. She always seemed confident and cheerful.

But as a seasoned reporter in his past life, Mark Benson knew very well how fragile this girl really was.

So!

When Charles Smith was staying at his house, he treated her like a real little sister, even though she was a few months older than him.

When Charles Smith gradually lost contact, he never asked a single question, only hoping that this girl would live well. If she didn't want his family to bother her, then they wouldn't.

Mark Benson also knew that Charles Smith actually missed her mother very much, but this girl would never mention it to anyone.

Not even to him.

Suddenly, the broadcast at the Skyferry Station sounded: "Dear passengers! The skyferry is about to depart. Please return to your seats and fasten your seatbelts."

Mark Benson smiled slightly and said, "Let's talk after we get off the skyferry!"

Charles Smith couldn't help but laugh, then waved to a boy wearing the same school uniform as her and called out, "Ian White! Switch seats with me."

The boy Charles Smith called looked reluctant, but still switched seats with Little Mark.

The other examinees all looked on with envy.

Charles Smith was an extremely beautiful girl.

In Mark Benson's eyes, his childhood friend Charles Smith was just "youthful and pretty, tall and slender," nothing special, just ordinary.

But in the eyes of boys their age, Charles Smith was absolutely at goddess level.

Especially since this group of students had all secretly collected information on their fellow examinees.

Not only did Charles Smith have looks that made other girls jealous, but her academic performance was also top-notch.

She was already a level-four martial artist, second only to Brian Reed among the thirty-seven high school students going to the Taixu Divine Martial Realm for their graduation exam.

A boy from Dijingshang No. 6 High School.

To graduate from high school, you only needed to pass level ten as a martial apprentice. For university martial arts majors, the requirement was martial artist level four or six—level four for a diploma, level six for an honors diploma.

As for those who could reach martial artist level eight or above during university, they would be considered the elite when entering society.

For example, Little Mark's god-sister Vera Clark obtained a level-eight martial artist certificate upon graduation, joined the police security force as an elite, and was promoted rapidly.

Mark Benson held a level-two martial artist certificate, which was considered "weak" among these youths.

Among the other thirty-four high school students, twenty-three were level-two martial artists, and eleven were level-three.

Even Ian White, who had just switched seats with Mark Benson, was a proper "level-three martial artist." He attended the same high school as Charles Smith and had pursued her for a long time.

Martial artist level refers to the highest level among all the martial arts a person has practiced.

However, this kind of martial artist level is not officially recognized by the Zhuxia Empire; the empire only recognizes the level on the martial artist certificate.