In the Dining Hall, the two of them took a seat at an empty table in the corner.
"Senior Brother, are you looking to sponsor me?" Chen Yuan asked.
He knew that some prominent families would dispatch their own disciples across various Martial Arts Halls and Martial Arts Academies. Their goal was to sponsor promising individuals while they were still in their humble beginnings, thereby winning their loyalty. Song Bridge was a prime example of this.
Fang Minghai smiled faintly. "Junior Brother Chen, the fact that you became a Martial Artist in just over two months truly puts me to shame. I have high hopes for you."
There were two reasons why he chose Chen Yuan. The first was naturally his potential; such rapid progress was already comparable to a Grade C+ Root Bone. The second was that he had been observing everyone in the academy, and Chen Yuan’s consistent and tireless dedication to martial arts was commendable. He then formally laid out the details of the sponsorship.
"Junior Brother Chen, although the Fang family is also located in the Inner City, we cannot compare to a massive clan like the Song family. Within my capabilities, I can offer you a monthly sponsorship of three taels of silver, thirty catties of beef, and three Blood Qi Pills. Are you willing to accept?"
Chen Yuan’s eyes flickered. Thirty catties of beef and three Blood Qi Pills were worth almost two taels of silver. This meant the total value was around five taels, which exactly matched the sponsorship level the Gu family had provided him last month. Not daring to agree right away, he asked cautiously, "I am honored by your high regard, Senior Brother, but what would you need me to do in return?"
Fang Minghai smiled. "Don’t worry, think of it as an investment. A starting Martial Artist can’t help me with much anyway.
"What you need to do now is become stronger as quickly as possible. Once you break through the second and third barriers, or comprehend Hidden Force, I will come to you for help. I only hope that when that time comes, you’ll generously lend a hand, Junior Brother."
He was overjoyed, marveling at his good luck. This essentially meant he didn’t need to give up anything right now; it was like taking out a loan for his cultivation, except the debt was in the form of a favor. On top of that, he could still seek an affiliate position, happily cultivating with two sources of income. He nodded heavily. "Rest assured, Senior Brother. I will never forget the kindness you have shown me today."
Fang Minghai smiled in satisfaction, pulled a coin purse from his chest, and handed it to Chen Yuan. "Here is your three taels of silver for this month. As for the beef and Blood Qi Pills, I’ll notify the Dining Hall staff later. Whenever you need them, just register and collect them. Any unused portion this month can roll over to the next."
Chen Yuan accepted the purse, feeling its heavy weight, and let out a soft sigh of relief. A profound sense of security swelled within him. Whether in his past life or his current one, wealth always had the power to make him feel this way.
"Thank you, Senior Brother." He was genuinely grateful. This was truly a timely help that directly solved his most urgent crisis.
His current situation could only be described as extravagant. For the remaining half of the month, not only did he still have the lingering benefits of the Gu family’s sponsorship, but he also had Senior Brother Fang’s support. With both combined, he wouldn’t even be able to finish all the beef he was entitled to! It really was heaven one moment and hell the next.
Fang Minghai seemed to see through his thoughts and chuckled. "Cultivate well. Do not slack off, and do not become complacent.
"For those clan disciples, it’s perfectly normal to spend dozens of taels of silver a month on martial arts, utilizing medicinal baths, precious herbs, rare fish, and Exotic Beast Meat.
"Only through diligent and bitter training can you slightly bridge the gap between you and them."
Only then did Chen Yuan’s agitated heart settle slightly. He rubbed his nose, feeling a bit embarrassed. It seemed his perspective was still too limited; the way the rich cultivated martial arts was simply beyond his comprehension. Cupping his hands in respect, he said, "Senior Brother Fang, I’ll go practice my forms now." With that, he turned and left.
Watching his straight back, Fang Minghai had a faint premonition that this Junior Brother with only a Grade D+ Root Bone was going to achieve something great.
In the afternoon.
Over two hours passed. Under Master Huo’s instruction, Chen Yuan finally managed to learn the basic execution of the Twelve Forms Fist. The next step was to practice it over and over again. As the saying goes, practice a form a hundred times, and its true meaning will naturally reveal itself. He also needed to hone his adaptability and accumulate experience through sparring.
Huo Lin said flatly, "Alright, go practice on your own. If there’s anything you don’t understand, come ask me." He felt a bit mentally exhausted from teaching. He was also certain that it would be impossible for Chen Yuan to train the Xin Yi Liu He Fist to Great Success and comprehend Hidden Force at a speed that defied his Comprehension level. It would take him at least a few years. After all, Hidden Force demanded much higher Comprehension, which was not something that mere diligence could make up for.
Chen Yuan naturally noticed this as well. He glanced at his interface.
[Xin Yi Liu He Fist (Minor Achievement): 3/1000]
After a full day of arduous practice, the progress bar had only gone up by two points. If he didn’t raise his Comprehension soon, relying solely on bitter training to break through to Hidden Force would take an eternity.
Returning to the Outer Courtyard, he stopped stubbornly drilling the Xin Yi Liu He Fist and instead practiced his stance training. Since his Comprehension was lacking, he would leverage the advantage of his Root Bone to first nourish and strengthen his blood and qi, striving to break through the bone barrier as soon as possible. Whenever his Comprehension improved, he would resume practicing the Xin Yi Liu He Fist, spending his time where it counted the most.
The plan was quite clear and reasonable, yet Chen Yuan still frowned slightly. It seemed his training wasn’t intense enough, considering his head hadn’t turned pointy yet.
Mist obscured the tavern banners in the slanting breeze as the dusk lanterns were lit.
After running through his stance training several times, the Dining Hall bell rang. Once Chen Yuan filled his stomach, he collected another catty of beef, planning to bring it home to improve the meals for his aunt and the rest of the family. However, he first headed toward the Gu family’s villa, intending to inform Senior Brother Huang of the news that he had become a starting Martial Artist. With both Senior Brother Huang and Senior Brother Tao simultaneously looking for an affiliate position for him, there was bound to be a suitable one.
After having someone announce his arrival, Chen Yuan met with Huang Yan in a guest room. Following a few brief pleasantries, Huang Yan asked, "Junior Brother Chen, what brings you to see me today?"
He wondered if Chen Yuan had come to borrow money or if he had already broken through the skin barrier.
Chen Yuan didn’t beat around the bush and got straight to the point. "Senior Brother Huang, I broke through the skin barrier today and comprehended Manifest Force yesterday. I am now a starting Martial Artist, so I wanted to ask for your help in keeping an eye out for any affiliate position opportunities."
The hand Huang Yan used to hold his teacup stiffened. He said solemnly, "You comprehended Manifest Force yesterday? Come, throw a punch for me to see."
Chen Yuan obliged. As he threw a punch, his muscles and bones resonated in unison, emitting a loud CRACKLE.
Huang Yan’s expression instantly became hard to read. Going by this, Chen Yuan was only a day or two slower than Yu Yan in comprehending Manifest Force. Although he was over half a month behind in breaking the skin barrier, there was a glaring gap between their Root Bones! One was a Grade B-, while the other was merely a Grade D+.
Huang Yan’s eyes narrowed slightly. "Junior Brother Chen, may I check your bones again?" He wondered if he had made a mistake during the previous assessment.
Chen Yuan chuckled. "Let’s pass on that, Senior Brother. You already checked it twice back then. It’s just a Grade D+ Root Bone." He certainly didn’t dare let Huang Yan check. Going from a Grade D+ to a Grade C+ was not something that could be explained away with just a few words.
Huang Yan gave Chen Yuan a profound look but did not press the matter. He said slowly, "I will go visit those friends of mine tomorrow. I’ll send someone to notify you once I have news."
"Thank you, Senior Brother." Chen Yuan cupped his hands in a salute.
"Mhm, you may go." Huang Yan waved his hand.
As Chen Yuan turned and left, Huang Yan watched his retreating figure, his thoughts churning. He wondered what the Patriarch would think if he knew that Chen Yuan had become a starting Martial Artist the very day after the Gu family abandoned him. Perhaps he would feel some regret? However, once certain decisions were made, they could not be undone.
Just as Chen Yuan arrived at the courtyard gate carrying the beef, he saw his cousin Cheng Xiaoyu looking travel-worn, seemingly having just gotten off work.
"Brother Yuan! What are you doing here?" Cheng Xiaoyu asked in pleasant surprise. This was the first time she had bumped into Chen Yuan at the Gu family’s villa. "Did the Gu family change their minds?"
Chen Yuan smiled. "No, I came to look for Senior Brother Huang."
"Lord Huang?" Cheng Xiaoyu’s face instantly fell in disappointment. She clearly harbored strong hopes that her cousin would regain the Gu family’s sponsorship.
Chen Yuan let out an amused chuckle and comforted her. "Don’t worry, I’ve already found a new sponsor. I was looking for Senior Brother Huang regarding matters related to that." He paused for a moment before adding, "By the way, if you ever run into any trouble in the estate that you can’t solve and don’t have time to find me, you can go to Senior Brother Huang for help."
Cheng Xiaoyu smiled and agreed, "Okay, Brother Yuan, I’ll remember that." However, she didn’t think she would encounter any trouble; her young miss took very good care of her. Feeling rather curious, she then asked, "Brother Yuan, who is willing to sponsor you? How much silver do they give you every month? Is it enough?"
Clearly, she was far more interested in this aspect.
Chen Yuan rubbed her head and laughed. "The compensation is pretty good. Let’s talk as we walk."