"Brother!" Zhou Mo cried out indignantly. Sun Chengjie was humiliating him right to his face, yet his own brother was stabbing him in the back! Using his own rhetoric against him, the betrayal instantly made Zhou Mo’s face flush red.
Zhou Qian’s expression remained calm, as if he hadn’t been the one urging his brother not to compromise earlier. He advised earnestly, "Brother, it’s just a little verbal suffering. Keep your voice down, and no one else will hear it. Endure it, and it’ll pass."
Sun Chengjie ate another slice of beef and warned, "If you don’t call me that soon, I’m going to eat it all."
Zhou Mo clenched his fists tightly, but under his brother’s persuasion and the temptation of good food, he disappointingly compromised. He lowered his head, tilted his neck awkwardly, and said stiffly, "Uncle Sun... Uncle Sun..."
"Ah, good boy. So obedient." Sun Chengjie laughed heartily, fully satisfied. The gloom of being humiliated earlier was swept away, and he quietly took a step back.
"Alright, give me the beef!" Zhou Mo raised his head abruptly, his demeanor forceful.
Sun Chengjie sighed and said meaningfully, "Good boy, is that how you speak to your Uncle Sun? Can’t you see your Uncle Sun is tired from practicing martial arts and needs to eat meat for nutrition? Truly unfilial!"
The implication of reneging was glaringly obvious. Zhou Mo instantly grew frantic and shouted angrily, "You said yourself that you’re a dog if you don’t give it! Are you a sore loser?"
He felt like he was going to explode. It was bad enough that this bastard came to provoke him with beef, but he had also tricked him into obediently calling him ’Uncle Sun’ four times! He had never been so humiliated in his entire life.
Zhou Qian’s face instantly turned cold as well. He threatened, "Newcomer, hand over the beef right now! Going back on your word isn’t good. Careful, or karma will bite you."
Seeing this, Sun Chengjie let out a cold laugh and spat disdainfully. "Why didn’t you mention karma when you were insulting me? You still want to eat my beef? Keep dreaming! So what if I’m a dog now? I’m just not giving it to you—does that make you mad? Your Uncle Sun is going to enjoy this delicious meal and nourish his vitality. You two trashes who entered before me can just wait for your Uncle Sun to surpass you! When that time comes, I’ll beat you both into little grandsons!"
After this fierce verbal onslaught, he felt an unparalleled sense of satisfaction. However, he didn’t stay idle; he ran as he spoke to prevent them from lashing out in desperation.
Zhou Mo had been driven entirely to tears. With red eyes, he roared, "You son of a bitch, I’ll beat you to death today!" His hoarse, exhausted voice echoed throughout the Huo Courtyard. He was clearly driven mad with anger.
Zhou Qian was also burning with rage. The beef that was practically in his mouth had flown away, and he had been played for a fool. He wouldn’t be a gentleman if he didn’t avenge this grievance!
However, since he hadn’t been the one to call him ’Uncle’, he still retained some rationality. He quickly grabbed his hot-headed brother and shouted, "Calm down! If you rush up and hit him now, you’ll only be kicked out of the Huo Courtyard. Not only will the tuition fee we painstakingly saved go down the drain, but you’ll also be humiliated even worse! Endure it!"
His ruthless gaze was fixed on Sun Chengjie, who was running toward the Dining Hall. He committed this grudge to memory!
Liu Jin swallowed hard. It was satisfying, sure, but wasn’t it a bit much? To forge such a deep enmity right after joining... He couldn’t help but look at Chen Yuan beside him and asked, "Brother Chen, did you teach him that?"
He Qing and Xue Anping also looked over.
Chen Yuan smiled bitterly and shook his head. "I just told him to go over and show off a bit to vent his frustrations. I didn’t expect Brother Sun to be so talented..."
The others thought about it and agreed. In that short amount of time, he couldn’t have explained much anyway. The wariness in their eyes gradually dissipated.
Sun Chengjie returned, strutting proudly and in high spirits. He chuckled, "That felt great. Brother Chen really has good ideas."
Chen Yuan offered a helpless smile and warned, "You’ve picked quite a huge fight. They won’t dare to do anything inside the courtyard, but once you step outside, it’s hard to say. It’s best not to go anywhere alone."
"Those who dish it out must learn to take it. There’s no need to save face for scumbags like them," Sun Chengjie said coldly, though he still nodded. "I’ll be careful."
Chen Yuan didn’t say anything more. He served himself another bowl of rice and quietly finished all his beef and broth. If it had been him, he absolutely would not have pushed things to such extremes. His motto was to lay low and survive at all costs. But if it truly reached this point, he would find a way to nip the problem in the bud.
The night was as cool as water, accompanied by the continuous chirping of cicadas.
Thinking of Senior Brother Tao’s advice, it was best not to over-practice the stance training without enough blood-enriching meat to replenish one’s body; otherwise, it would lead to a deficit in vitality. Chen Yuan symbolically went through the routine two or three times before wrapping up his practice to head home. Haste makes waste, and adequate sleep was indispensable.
Liu Jin had wanted to go home for a while. Having the aptitude to practice martial arts and make a name for himself—his mother would surely be thrilled to know. However, seeing that Chen Yuan, who had better aptitude, was still persevering, he gritted his teeth and continued practicing as well. Now, seeing Chen Yuan wrap up his practice, Liu Jin finally let out a sigh of relief. He walked over to strike up a conversation, suggesting they head home together.
Chen Yuan also called out to Sun Chengjie. Although their homes weren’t in the same direction, traveling together for part of the way was still a good idea. He Qing and Xue Anping didn’t act unsociable either.
On the way, they mostly chatted about martial arts. The freckled youth, Liu Jin, sighed with emotion, "We get to eat beef for one tael of silver. Yu Yan and the others definitely have better food, and they’re learning at the Martial Arts Hall. We really pale in comparison to them in every way."
If the Gu Family was training them as ordinary Nursing Homes, then Yu Yan and his group were being cultivated as elite Nursing Homes, or even leaders.
Sun Chengjie naturally picked up the thread of conversation. "They definitely get to eat all the meat they want, and they probably have that Body-Strengthening Soup to drink too. I heard one bowl costs one mace of silver," he said, clicking his tongue.
Chen Yuan listened quietly. The Huo Courtyard also offered Body-Strengthening Soup. He still had a surplus of five maces of silver, which he could use to exchange for the Body-Strengthening Soup, or he could ask for more beef. At this current stage, beef was still enough to sustain him, so he wasn’t in a rush to spend it.
Xue Anping, who was usually silent, also spoke up. "Senior Brother Tao said that relying solely on that one bowl of beef will take a long time to accumulate enough vitality to break through. It’s best if we ask for a bit more silver from home."
They hadn’t yet truly begun their cultivation, so they naturally couldn’t feel it, but Senior Brother Tao had no reason to lie to them. It was just that they were all from impoverished families. One tael of silver was a massive sum, and they needed to consider it carefully. After Xue Anping finished speaking, his gaze swept over Chen Yuan almost imperceptibly.
Sun Chengjie rested his hands behind his head and said casually, "We’ll just take it one step at a time. At least we’re better off than those two scumbags from the Zhou Family."
Chen Yuan didn’t say much either. When they reached the intersection leading to Hundred Herbs Lane, he broke off from the small group and left.
Master Huo had already made it clear that they needed to weigh things according to their own circumstances. He knew his own situation perfectly well. The only funds at his disposal were the fifty-one copper coins he had earned from working at the docks for two days. After deducting the fifteen coins for the settlement fee, he had thirty-six left. It was better than nothing. The only way to change his current situation was to reveal a bit of his potential and earn the Gu Family’s favor.
Upon returning home, Chen Yuan smiled as he informed Aunt Juan’s family that he had passed the Gu Family’s aptitude selection and was already practicing martial arts at the Huo Courtyard.
Cheng Xiaoyu appeared incredibly excited, looking at Chen Yuan with a hint of adoration. "Brother Yuan, I knew you could do it! I, Cheng Xiaoyu, am going to have a Martial Artist cousin!" It seemed she believed that entering the Martial Arts Academy guaranteed one would become a Martial Artist.
Huang Juan grasped her nephew’s hand, her face beaming with a gratified smile. "That’s wonderful! I always said that if that little brat Chen Kai had the aptitude to practice martial arts, our Yuan definitely wouldn’t have a problem either."
Saying this, she walked into the inner room. A moment later, she came out with a coin purse, stuffed it into Chen Yuan’s hand, and said softly, "Yuan, practicing martial arts is arduous, and your aunt can’t help you much. Here is two taels of silver. Take it and use it for now."
Chen Yuan shook his head and tried to push the purse back. "Aunt Juan, you’ve already helped me more than enough. I can’t accept this money."
Huang Juan’s tone was firm. "Yuan, if you treat me as your aunt, you’ll take it."
Cheng Yong also spoke up in a deep, muffled voice, "Yuan, just take it. Practicing martial arts requires money at every turn. Train hard, strive to make a name for yourself, and don’t disappoint your aunt."
"What are you saying?" Huang Juan immediately shot Cheng Yong a glare. Then, she looked at Chen Yuan, her tone softening. "Just take things as they come. Don’t feel burdened. Your aunt believes in you."
Chen Yuan now understood that this selfless gift stemmed entirely from his aunt’s deep care for her nephew. And the best way to repay it was, just as Uncle Yong had said, to make a name for himself! Without any further pretense, he accepted the purse and nodded heavily. "Thank you, Aunt Juan. I understand."