The setting sun cast a molten gold glow across the sky, evening clouds merged like jade, and a heavy mist settled in.
After resting, the four of them, led by Chen Yuan, once again consolidated what they had learned. After Master Huo left, Tao Ping had taken over the task of teaching, guiding everyone through the movements two more times. Although they still hadn’t grasped the essence of some minor details, their forms were already quite decent. The next step would be careful refinement.
Besides the five of them, there were about twenty other people in Huo Courtyard, either newly joined disciples or senior apprentices who had already successfully broken through the barrier.
After an afternoon of practice, Chen Yuan was utterly exhausted and famished. The hearty meat meal he had eaten at noon, which had left him a bit bloated, was already completely digested. No wonder they said meat was essential for martial arts practice. If they only ate chaff and wild vegetables, how would they have the energy to exert themselves so much?
The only thing that could soothe his fatigue was the slight jump in his progress with the Rocky Pile Skill.
[Rocky Pile Skill (Not Initiated): 1/10]
At this rate, he might grasp the basics in a week. Not knowing whether this was fast or slow, he found an opportunity to ask Tao Ping. "Senior Brother, how long does it normally take to initiate the Rocky Pile Skill?"
Tao Ping answered casually, "It varies from person to person. The smart ones can learn it in two or three days. As for the slower ones, as long as they are willing to learn, they can grasp it in ten days to half a month. However, those who take that long are usually just making up the numbers."
Chen Yuan compared this to himself and realized his progress was rather mediocre. It was probably due to his comprehension.
Tao Ping added, "Although you learn a bit slowly, your endurance is good, which means your innate physical foundation is solid. Spending more time won’t slow your overall progress, and it will also allow you to further temper your muscles and bones."
Before long, a clear bell chimed from the direction of the Dining Hall. Some people immediately stopped what they were doing and stretched their limbs with abandon.
"Finally, it’s time to eat! My stomach is rumbling like thunder!"
Tao Ping smiled. "That’s the meal bell. The Gu Family has paid your food expenses, so from now on, you can have all three meals here."
The exhaustion on Sun Chengjie’s face was instantly replaced by excitement. "Awesome! We get to eat meat! Let me see what one tael’s worth of food looks like."
Liu Jin and the other two were also visibly moved. Having meat with every meal was something they wouldn’t have even dared to dream of in the past.
However, some disciples left in silence to eat at home. The more pitiful ones took out coarse corn buns and gnawed on them with pickled root vegetables. Obviously, they hadn’t paid the food fee. After all, a tuition of one tael and five maces a month was already quite high. It was difficult for an ordinary family to spare another one tael a month for food.
Someone glanced at Chen Yuan and his group, saying enviously, "Must be nice. You don’t have to spend a single cent or pay your own tuition, and you even get to feast in the Dining Hall..."
But there were also unfriendly, even malicious, voices.
"Tch, they’re just a bunch of mud-legged peasants. What’s there to envy? Even if they have food now, or even manage to successfully break through, they’ll just be lowly dogs driven around at the Gu Family’s whim. They’ve lost all their freedom."
"Exactly. Just lowly dogs. Although we might be poor, we don’t have dog collars around our necks. We don’t have to act according to others’ moods."
The voices weren’t loud, but there was no fear of being overheard either. The words drifted straight into the ears of Chen Yuan and his group.
Sun Chengjie, who had been happily basking in the envious stares, instantly burned with rage upon hearing this. The expressions of Liu Jin and the other two also changed, and they glared darkly at the two who had spoken so insolently. These words were tantamount to sheer humiliation and accurately struck their sore spot. Sun Chengjie turned around, about to argue, but Chen Yuan pulled him back and whispered a few words in his ear. Sun Chengjie halted in his tracks. A glint flashed in his eyes, and he held back his temper.
Tao Ping frowned and scolded coldly, "Zhou Qian, Zhou Mo, shut your mouths! If you say anything else detrimental to our unity, don’t blame me for reporting to Master Huo and having you kicked out!"
The brothers shot Tao Ping a resentful look and said no more. They had merely been venting their resentment. After cursing, they felt much more balanced. They moved to the side, took out the food they had brought, and began to chew with an air of aloofness. Even though there was barely any minced meat, they ate with apparent relish. In their hearts, they had already tacitly concluded that they were superior to the mud-legged peasants sponsored by the Gu Family.
Upon entering the Dining Hall, Chen Yuan collected his portion of food from the counter, his appetite instantly surging. This wasn’t just ordinary pork, but beef, which was much higher in protein. There was a full rice bowl’s worth of it, and the aroma was tantalizing. There was also a bowl of meat broth with a layer of rich fat floating on the surface, looking incredibly appetizing.
With his appetite fully aroused, Chen Yuan took a bite of the beef. It was perfectly chewy, and the rich meat flavor exploded on his taste buds, leaving a lasting aftertaste. As he swallowed the rice, it instantly nourished his starving body. A pleasant warmth flowed through his limbs and bones, and his strength gradually returned. It felt incredibly comfortable. With the energy replenished from this beef, the efficiency of accumulating his vital blood would definitely be doubled.
"Brother Chen, I’m going," Sun Chengjie said, still holding onto a breath of frustration. Recalling Chen Yuan’s whisper, he couldn’t wait any longer and walked out with his plate.
"Go ahead. I’ll be right behind you," Chen Yuan chuckled.
Liu Jin and the other two, whose appetites had somewhat diminished after being humiliated earlier, were a little bewildered by this. They had noticed that Chen Yuan had said something to persuade Sun Chengjie to back down. At the time, they had thought it was a concession, but now it seemed there might have been an ulterior motive.
Chen Yuan also stood up with his plate and walked toward the entrance of the Dining Hall, saying softly, "If you’re interested, you can come and see how Brother Sun repays their ’kindness’."
Liu Jin and the other two exchanged glances and quickly followed.
They saw Sun Chengjie walk straight toward the Zhou Brothers, who were gnawing on coarse grains. He picked up a large chunk of beef, tossed it into his mouth, and chewed with exaggerated relish. Smacking his lips, he announced, "Wow, this is so delicious! This beef is so chewy. I can feel the strength surging through my whole body. It’s truly a great tonic for accumulating vital blood.
"And this meat broth is incredibly savory. Just one sip makes you feel absolutely amazing!"
As for the Zhou Brothers, just watching Sun Chengjie eat and smelling the rich aroma was enough to make their mouths water uncontrollably. Glancing down at the hard, dry flatbreads in their own hands, they instantly lost all appetite and could only swallow their saliva in frustration. When this massive disparity was laid bare right in front of them, their supposed sense of superiority collapsed in an instant. Their faces turned ashen with anger.
Zhou Qian directly cursed, "You son of a bitch, get the hell out of here! Don’t force me to beat you up!"
"Do you even dare?" Sun Chengjie raised an eyebrow disdainfully. He then looked at the equally furious Zhou Mo and sighed. "There’s so much beef, it’d be a waste if I can’t finish it. Since you didn’t insult me just now, if you say a few nice words, I’ll share some with you."
Zhou Qian was instantly dumbfounded. Seeing his younger brother actually looking tempted, his fury deepened. He scolded, "Zhou Mo, we may be poor, but we must have backbone! How can we accept demeaning handouts?"
Zhou Mo gulped hard. The aroma of the beef was constantly stimulating him, and his expression showed intense struggle. "Brother, a true man knows when to yield and when to stand tall. We’re living frugally so we can become Martial Artists."
Zhou Qian vigorously shook his brother, who had been completely addled by the craving for meat, and roared, "Are you stupid? He’s definitely tricking you! When the time comes, you’ll lose face and still won’t get any meat!"
Sun Chengjie merely said flatly, "If I don’t give you meat, I’m a dog."
Zhou Mo couldn’t bear it any longer. He broke free from Zhou Qian’s grasp and said stubbornly, "Brother, stop stopping me. I know you want some too. I’ll split half with you, alright?"
The moment those words were spoken, Zhou Qian fell silent.
Zhou Mo sighed and asked, "What do you want me to say?"
Sun Chengjie looked as if it were only natural. "Call me Uncle Sun three times, and I’ll give you three pieces of meat. Not a bad deal, right? Think about it—your own dad couldn’t even provide you with meat to eat, so calling me Uncle a few times isn’t too much to ask!"
Zhou Mo’s face instantly flushed red with anger. He roared, "You son of a bitch, you want me to call you Uncle? In your dreams! Get out of here!"
Sun Chengjie was taken aback, not expecting the kid to actually have some backbone. However, before he could say another word, he saw Zhou Qian press a hand onto his younger brother’s shoulder, speaking in a solemn tone.
"Zhou Mo, a true man knows when to yield and when to stand tall. Enduring this humiliation now is all for the sake of becoming a Martial Artist. Dad will understand you. Oh, by the way... remember to call him Uncle four times."