Chapter 116

The gate opened.

Tai Rubai immediately shifted his gaze from the ants on the ground to the doorway.

He had already stared at those crawling ants countless times while standing there; if he kept looking, he’d start distinguishing males from females.

Li An and his daughter Li Qi felt awkward seeing him, and he felt awkward seeing them too.

A ninth-rank martialist is stronger than him, but as the head of Zhenyue Martial Gym, he had seen plenty of ranked martialists come and go—he wasn’t impressed.

“Let’s go.”

Li Yueshan stepped out of the courtyard, glanced at his son and granddaughter, and spoke coolly.

Li An froze—were they leaving already? Didn’t his father want him to meet that boy?

Li Qi was also puzzled—hadn’t their grandfather told her to apologize to that boy?

Tai Rubai was equally surprised—why was it Li Da Ren who opened the door? Why didn’t Lin Chen come out to see them off?

Li Yueshan mounted his horse at once, then raised his white eyebrows at the still-stunned Li An and his daughter: “Mount up. Go home.”

Though deeply confused, Li An dared not defy his father; he gave his daughter a glance and followed suit, mounting up and leaving.

Tai Rubai watched the Li family depart, then turned to Lin Chen, who had walked to the gate: “Lin Chen, what happened?”

Just before he left the courtyard, that old man and the boy had been chatting warmly—how had it turned into this?

Lin Chen sighed: “Master Tai, I didn’t argue with Li Da Ren. He gave me many valuable insights on my martial path—I truly appreciate him. But he refused to let me see him off.”

“Li Da Ren didn’t let you see him off?”

Tai Rubai was puzzled, but since Li Da Ren had arranged it this way, there must be a deeper reason—he wouldn’t overthink it.

“Rest well. After we return to the county tomorrow, I’ll report the good news to Su Da Ren.”

…

…

Poyang County Wuzheng Office.

“Zhang Wangshan is pushing too far!”

Su Lingchuan slammed his palm down on the armrest of his chair—the armrest shattered instantly into powder, cascading to the floor like sand.

“My lord, what has angered you so?”

His trusted aide frowned—what had happened during his visit to the Wuzheng Office?

“Today, I went to the Wuzheng Office to report and discuss the upcoming county match. But Zhang Wangshan proposed that since it’s merely a contest among Qi-Opening disciples, there’s no need to take it seriously—we can allow one-on-many matches, as long as the disciples consent.”

The aide frowned: “Does Qianshan County have exceptionally strong disciples this year?”

“Qianshan County has two disciples who’ve opened fifteen acupoints. Zhang Wangshan is counting on them to win the county match.”

Fifteen acupoints?

The aide’s expression darkened: “Did you agree?”

“I didn’t know about this beforehand. Others kept chiming in, so I gave in.”

Thinking of it made Su Lingchuan furious—he was certain Zhang Wangshan had already spoken to officials from other counties beforehand, saying things like, “Qi-Opening is nothing special,” and “Only the top few disciples matter.”

Hearing those flatteries, he’d lost his temper and agreed.

Only after confirming the match format did Zhang Wangshan reveal that Qianshan County had two disciples with fifteen acupoints opened.

“You shouldn’t have agreed.”

The aide sighed—Su Lingchuan was otherwise excellent, but he was easily provoked, especially when his pride was involved.

“What about the county match rewards?”

“The Director has decided: the first-place winner may enter the Wuzheng Office’s Class-C Treasure Vault and choose one treasure.”

“Class-C Treasure Vault? The Director clearly has high hopes for this year’s disciples.”

The aide whistled—treasures inside the Class-C Vault could stir even the hearts of Qi-Condensation martialists.

A martial gym instructor would need five years of flawless service, accumulating enough merit points, just to earn one entry into the Class-C Vault.

But considering the top two contestants from both counties clearly had potential to enter the ranked ranks, the Director’s arrangement made perfect sense.

“Second place gains access to the Class-D Vault. Third place receives a thousand taels of silver.”

Su Lingchuan snorted: “Zhang Wangshan wants me to award extra rewards to Poyang County? Dream on. I’ve decided—we’ll contribute only two hundred taels.”

The aide’s lip twitched—he knew it was a sarcastic outburst, and if Poyang County truly offered only two hundred taels, they’d become a laughingstock across Raozhou Prefecture—but he still had to warn: “My lord, think carefully.”

“I—”

Footsteps approached outside the main hall. Su Lingchuan fell silent; the aide stepped behind the screen.

“Su Da Ren, good news!”

Tai Rubai strode in swiftly, reaching the hall’s entrance before his voice even finished echoing:

“Good news? Is it that Lin Chen broke through to eleven acupoints?”

Su Lingchuan’s eyes lit up—then dimmed as he remembered Qianshan County’s two fifteen-acupoint disciples.

Even if Lin Chen opened eleven acupoints, he couldn’t overcome a four-acupoint gap.

“Double joy! Lin Chen already opened eleven acupoints—and his Iron Bone Technique has reached perfection!”

Bam!

Su Lingchuan slammed his palm down again—the other armrest shattered into dust, scattering across the floor.

Lin Chen had opened eleven acupoints and perfected Iron Bone Technique. If he took the two Qi-Opening Pills he’d been awarded, he’d reach thirteen acupoints—enough to stand a chance against Qianshan County’s two disciples.

No.

Even as he thrilled, Su Lingchuan shook his head—rejecting the idea of letting Lin Chen take the Qi-Opening Pills.

Qi-Opening Pills were extremely precious, and a martialist’s limit was three pills total—the later you took them, the better.

After twenty acupoints, their effect halves. Lin Chen should save these two pills—take them after reaching eighteen acupoints, then surge straight to twenty, maximizing their power.

Su Lingchuan had long-term plans for Lin Chen—he wouldn’t waste the pills just for this county match.

“Hmm. I’m satisfied. Tell Lin Chen to train hard. Don’t worry about this year’s county match.”

Tai Rubai, watching Su Da Ren’s shifting expression, had been puzzled—now, hearing this, he ventured: “My lord, are Qianshan County’s disciples unusually strong?”

“Two of them have opened fifteen acupoints.”

“Fifteen acupoints?”

Tai Rubai grimaced—he now understood why Su Da Ren had told him to deliver this message. The gap was too vast. Even if Lin Chen followed the extreme martial path, he couldn’t bridge such a realm difference.

Unless Lin Chen took the Qi-Opening Pills.

But if Qianshan County’s two took them too, the gap remained unchanged.

“How did Qianshan County’s two disciples open fifteen acupoints?”

Su Lingchuan knew what Tai Rubai was thinking: “I checked. They had a genuine breakthrough—no cheating involved.”

Even if they had cheated, the body has a natural absorption limit. Only an extremely rare pill could bypass it—but such a pill’s value far exceeded the county match’s rewards.

…

…

Zhenyue Martial Gym.

Tai Rubai summoned Lin Chen and relayed Su Lingchuan’s words.

Lin Chen fell silent for a moment, then said: “Master, I intend to take the Qi-Opening Pills.”

“Foolish!”

Tai Rubai barked—then softened his tone, remembering Lin Chen’s talent: “Didn’t Su Da Ren consider letting you take them?”

“Qi-Opening Pills guarantee one new acupoint opened if taken before twenty. Don’t forget your family’s poverty. Don’t think winning the three-month contest and receiving rewards from the Wuzheng Office means you’re rich. The martial path costs far more later—even if you aim to reach Qi-Condensation within two years after Qi-Opening, you’ll need three thousand taels.”

Three thousand taels over two years—even wealthy families in Poyang County would feel the pinch. Shorten it further, and no family here could afford it.

You can’t drain an entire family’s savings just to train one heir.

After two hundred years of martial prosperity in Great Liang, everyone has settled on training timelines suited to their class.

Three years to Qi-Condensation, then five to ten years to reach the ranked ranks—that’s the path most county elites follow. Only a rare few with talent aim for Qi-Condensation within two years.

Beyond that? Only the elite of the prefecture dare pursue it.

“Master, I know all this. But if I win the county match, I’ll get rewards that offset the cost of the pills.”

“You can take them, but so can they. You might end up losing both the match and your pills.”

Lin Chen’s expression was resolute: “Su Da Ren gave me my chance. When I was in the martial hall, I couldn’t even afford beef. Only because Su Da Ren introduced the incentive policy did I get the silver to keep training. Later, at the gym—if Su Da Ren hadn’t established the three-month contest, someone like me, with my background, would never have reached this point. I’d have stalled at five acupoints, forced to pause my training for silver.”

“Su Da Ren didn’t do it for me—but I benefited directly. The county match’s outcome affects Su Da Ren’s standing. Taking the pills and fighting my hardest is my way of repaying him.”

Tai Rubai’s face softened—Lin Chen’s martial journey was already legendary across all martial gyms. He knew it well.

Now, thinking on it, Lin Chen’s words rang true.

Su Da Ren’s policies weren’t meant for Lin Chen—but for him, they were a lifeline.

A debt of recognition.

That wasn’t an exaggeration.

“Lin Chen, are you certain?” Tai Rubai asked again, solemnly.

“I have no regrets.”

Lin Chen answered firmly.

Hesitation? Regret?

Impossible.

His destiny of effortless progress accelerates the further he advances.

Twelve acupoints is the turning point—beyond it, his progress becomes steadily faster.

At this time, taking the Passage-Opening Pill is the most cost-effective, and it will also earn favor with Master Su.

As for the two from Yanshan County, will they take the Passage-Opening Pill?

Lin Chen glanced at the panel showing the changes in his blood and qi after completing Iron Bones Art; a faint smile curled his lips—he was confident he could secure first place even if they took it.

(End of Chapter)