Chapter 42: Song Yan's Thoughts!

A group of people arrived at the Dining Hall.

The dishes were not particularly lavish, but they were all medicinal meals greatly beneficial to martial artists.

Any random dish on the table, if taken out to a restaurant to sell, would fetch at least two or three taels of silver.

Clearly, Zhao Yuqing had gone to great expense to treat Qin Shuo to this meal.

The martial arts academy forbids alcohol, so everyone drank medicinal soup during this meal, which was likewise of considerable value.

Having eaten and drunk their fill, Qin Shuo thanked Zhao Yuqing and the others before departing together with Song Yan.

"I never expected Qin Senior Brother to have such good connections; it seems I was overly concerned before."

After leaving the Dining Hall, Qin Shuo and Song Yan walked side by side along the corridor, strolling to aid digestion.

"Not at all, everyone is just being kind." Qin Shuo replied modestly.

"Qin Senior Brother need not be so humble; with your talent, even if you were a bit domineering, everyone would still understand."

Song Yan paused, then added, "Still, I prefer the current Qin Senior Brother."

Qin Shuo smiled without speaking.

The two chatted idly as they walked back and forth along the academy's connecting corridors.

"Brother!"

Suddenly, a somewhat childish voice called out from behind, stopping the two.

Qin Shuo and Song Yan turned around in unison.

They saw this little girl staring at them with an excited expression, gossip burning in her eyes, and a mysterious smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.

"Senior Sister!"

The little girl ran over and politely bowed to Song Yan.

"Why didn't you come to morning practice today?"

Perhaps out of professional habit, as soon as Song Yan spoke, she carried the air of a class monitor.

Normally, Qin Lan could joke and laugh with Song Yan, but once martial arts was mentioned, this Senior Sister Song became very strict.

Even if it were her, if she slacked off or played tricks, Senior Sister Song would sternly reprimand her.

However, she knew that Song Yan always had her best interests at heart.

Therefore, she not only bore no grudge against Song Yan, but had long wanted to matchmake her with Qin Shuo, hoping she would become her sister-in-law.

"I..."

Just as the little girl was about to explain, Qin Shuo interjected with a tease, "She went to deliver exotic beast meat to her sweetheart."

"Oh? Zhang Senior Brother?" Song Yan blurted out.

"Senior Sister, you... you..."

"How would I know otherwise?" Song Yan gave a playful smile.

This usually aloof Fifth Senior Sister, aside from the training grounds, usually treated Qin Lan like a close sister or best friend.

"With your budding springtime feelings, so obvious you can't hide them, in this academy, probably only Zhang Senior Brother, that blockhead, hasn't noticed yet—everyone else must have figured it out by now."

Seeing Qin Lan's face flushed red like an apple, Song Yan rarely felt playful and wanted to tease the little girl properly.

"Really... this obvious?"

Qin Lan lowered her head sheepishly, constantly fussing with the hem of her clothes.

"Very obvious!"

Qin Shuo and Song Yan spoke in unison, then exchanged a glance and smiled.

"Bullying! You're bullying me! Humph, you two must have colluded beforehand, right? You two definitely have a grudge too, actually teaming up to mock me, humph!"

The little girl stood with hands on her hips, turned her head away, looking sulky.

"Alright, let's go! Let's rest a bit; we still have cultivation to continue this afternoon!"

Song Yan affectionately ruffled Qin Lan's hair, laughing as she walked toward the side courtyard.

Qin Lan quickly caught up, protesting softly: "Senior Sister, I'm no longer a child; next time, could you please not touch my head?"

"Well, now that you already have someone you like, are you still a child?"

"Senior Sister..." Qin Lan stamped her foot, protesting coquettishly.

Watching the two recede into the distance, Qin Shuo felt increasingly convinced that sending Qin Lan to study martial arts had been the right decision.

Even if one day he left Black Water City, with these senior brothers and sisters around, he wouldn't have to worry about the little girl being bullied.

Leaving the central courtyard.

Song Yan and Qin Lan walked one after the other along the corridor.

Qin Lan glanced left and right, seeing no one nearby, then lowered her voice: "Senior Sister, what do you think of my brother?"

"Quite good!"

"Really?"

Qin Lan's face lit up, her little eyes darting around.

Song Yan, ever perceptive, had long seen through the little girl's thoughts and immediately responded seriously:

"Your brother has fine talent and good character, but I already have a marriage pact, so it's impossible for me to become your sister-in-law!"

"Ah? Senior Sister, you have a marriage pact?"

"Yes! A family-arranged marriage pact!"

"Have you seen your fiancé then?"

"Yes!"

"How does he compare to my brother?"

"No comparison!"

"Then you still married him?"

"It's the family's command—I cannot defy it!"

"So, Senior Sister, you came to Black Water City because you fled your marriage?"

"Something like that!"

"Senior Sister, you've had it rough!"

"So I really envy you—though you come from a poor background, you have a brother who dotes on you, and you can still choose the one you love; you must cherish it well."

"I will."

……

The instructor's duties are still quite heavy.

Qin Shuo needs to guide the outer court disciples in their cultivation both in the morning and in the afternoon.

Only in the evening does he have time to go to Wei Yuan's study to contemplate the saber intent.

Time just passed like that, day by day.

In the blink of an eye, it was already deep autumn.

Half a month had passed since the martial hall's sparring match, and Senior Brother Lin Feng finally recovered and returned; Qin Shuo also finally felt relieved.

"With nothing to do, I feel light! Still, I should just focus on my own cultivation!"

After serving as an instructor for half a month, Qin Shuo truly came to understand the hardships of his homeroom teacher from his past life.

Especially when encountering those dull-witted disciples, even he would feel somewhat driven mad.

Fortunately, everything has passed, and he has returned to his former leisurely days of eating, practicing fists, and sleeping.

During this period, due to his role as an instructor, his progress in saber intent was slow.

But with the return of Senior Brother Lin Feng, he now had plenty of time to soak in Wei Yuan's study, and his progress in saber intent also advanced by leaps and bounds.

【Ingredients: White Ape Tiangang Saber Intent Diagram!】

【Refining Conditions: Comprehend the saber intent of the thirty-six forms of Tiangang Saber!】

【Current Refining Progress: 23/36】

【Refining Effect: Three Origins Merging into One, strength transformed into edge, irresistible!】

Looking at the progress prompt on the panel, Qin Shuo felt a surge of accomplishment.

Since comprehending the saber intent, his White Ape Tiangang Saber has become more rounded and natural than before, changing at will.

Previously, his moves, though linked in continuous chains, were like surging river water, unbroken and continuous.

But now, with a casual gesture, he can contain the strength variations of multiple techniques; compared to his previous singular use of strength, his power has increased not just a little, but significantly.

If he were to fight again now against Luo Tong of Mang Mountain Fist.

Qin Shuo is confident that even without using the Burning Blood Secret Technique, he still has a seventy percent chance of victory.

And the remaining thirty percent is mainly due to the gap in inner strength cultivation.

According to Qin Shuo's estimation, Inner Strength Great Success compared to Minor Success doubles the strength;

while Inner Strength Consummation compared to Inner Strength Great Success doubles the strength again.

Initially, he could easily defeat Luo Tong with Inner Strength Great Success, not only because the Burning Blood Secret Technique forcibly raised his strength to Inner Strength Great Perfection, but also because he possessed the strength of a thousand jin.

The two factors combined, making his strength, speed, and reaction completely overwhelm Luo Tong, which is why he won so easily.

But now, after more than half a month of cultivation.

After refining hundreds of jin of near-top-grade exotic beast moose meat.

Qin Shuo's inner strength cultivation has also approached the Great Perfection level, equivalent to that of the inner court instructor Song Yan.

Moreover, he has a premonition that in just a few days, he will fill this final gap and truly enter the Inner Strength Great Perfection level.

With such strength, combined with saber intent nearing Great Success, he is fully capable of overwhelming Luo Tong, who has Inner Strength Great Perfection.

In the blink of an eye, another three days passed.

As Qin Shuo expected, he successfully entered the Inner Strength Great Perfection level without any mishap.

Feeling the surging strength flowing throughout his body, Qin Shuo's heroic spirit arose instantly, and he urgently wanted to find an opponent to spar with, to test his strength.

However, before he could act, he heard the voice of Fourth Senior Brother Liu Xuan coming from outside the study,

"Qin Junior Brother, the master has ordered us to gather in the main hall!"

"Is there something?"

Qin Shuo restrained his breath, smiling as he walked out of the study.