Chapter 14: I admit he surprised me, but I don

The largest courtyard in the Martial Hall.

Lin Chen and Lu Yongfeng and the others stood here waiting for the instructors to arrive.

Lin Chen was the only one present whose strength hadn’t yet reached five hundred jin.

Even compared to the weakest, Yan Dexing, there was a difference of over a hundred jin between them.

In the past, students with such a gap as this would not have earned even a second glance from Yan Dexing and the others, yet now all five kept glancing at Lin Chen.

“Lin Shidi, how did you manage this?”

Zhao Jingchuan still hadn’t recovered from his shock—within just a few days, your strength increased by fifty jin—are you trying to defy heaven?

“Just by punching,” Lin Chen replied humbly.

“What do you eat every day?” Lu Yongfeng asked in a low voice.

“Beef and Qi-Nourishing Soup.”

“That’s it?”

“Yeah, that’s it.”

The two light words “that’s it” plunged Lu Yongfeng and the other four into silence.

While Lu Yongfeng and the others fell silent, outside the courtyard gate, Instructor Yu Yongnian and the other two were conversing.

“Yu Brother, tell us honestly—did you really give Lin Chen no help?”

“No.”

Yu Yongnian smiled; he knew these two didn’t believe him, but it was the truth.

“Then it’s truly strange—how did Lin Chen achieve this with nothing but beef and Qi-Nourishing Soup from the mess hall?”

Instructor Liu held a ledger—the mess hall’s record of each student’s expenditures—and Lin Chen’s spending was clearly listed there.

As instructors, the three of us receive salaries from the Wuzhengsuo, but we also take a cut from the mess hall expenses of the students we teach.

Yu Yongnian didn’t care about these commissions—he was a lone man with no further ambitions in the martial path; the salary from the Wuzhengsuo was more than enough for him.

That’s why, when students first entered the Martial Hall, he warned them not to chase quick results.

“Pity—if Lin Chen had improved his diet earlier, he might have pushed for Essence Generation within a year. But now it’s too late.”

Instructor Chen’s face showed regret; even though Lin Chen’s strength was rising rapidly, once he hit five hundred jin, another barrier loomed—and after five hundred and fifty jin, every ten jin became a barrier. There were barely any days left before the year ended.

“Not necessarily. Perhaps Lin Chen will surprise us,” Yu Yongnian said with a smile.

“Difficult. The time is too short. If Lin Chen had three more months, I wouldn’t doubt it—but now there’s less than two months left,” Instructor Chen shook his head; he still didn’t believe Lin Chen could do it.

“Whether Lin Chen can or cannot, that’s for later. Right now, the three of us must give Lu Yongfeng and the others special training.”

Special training!

It was held every term in the Martial Hall, targeting students who had a chance to generate Essence within a year.

The Martial Hall only teaches Warm Sun Fist, but if a student was just one step away from generating Essence, we instructors would lend a hand.

Yu Yongnian and the other two stepped into the courtyard and saw Lu Yongfeng and the others in silence—eyes flickering with surprise.

“From now on, the three of us will give you special training to help you break through the blockages in your blood and qi. Lu Yongfeng, come here.”

Instructor Liu spoke first. Lu Yongfeng stepped forward, while Lin Chen and the others watched curiously.

“Show us a set of Warm Sun Fist.”

“Yes.”

Lu Yongfeng punched, his fists whistling through the air. Instructor Liu watched intently. When Lu Yongfeng finished, he suddenly grabbed Lu Yongfeng’s right arm and pressed a finger against his armpit.

Only three breaths passed before Lu Yongfeng’s entire right arm swelled purple-red.

“Your blood and qi are blocked here. From now on, focus solely on the ninth move of Warm Sun Fist.”

“Thank you, Instructor.”

Lu Yongfeng’s face lit up with joy; Zhao Jingchuan and the other three grew excited, but Lin Chen’s eyes held confusion—why hadn’t the instructors pointed this out earlier? Why wait until now?

It couldn’t just be to create tension.

Yu Yongnian glanced at Lin Chen, saw the confusion in his eyes, and realized his disciple lacked certain martial knowledge. He spoke up: “Only when your blood and qi reach a certain level, and you’re just one step from generating Essence, can we instructors detect where the blockage lies.”

Hearing the instructor’s explanation, Lin Chen understood.

If the body’s meridians were like pipes, each had a thin membrane blocking it.

To generate Essence, you must break through all these membranes. But due to insufficient blood and qi or other reasons, when they burst through these barriers, they didn’t fully rupture the membranes—though pierced, remnants remained, slowing the flow of blood and qi and preventing Essence from forming.

“Starting today, you will also train in this courtyard. Meals will be delivered to you from the mess hall. The three taels of silver awarded by the Wuzhengsuo, I will directly credit to your mess hall account.”

“Thank you, Instructor,” Lin Chen said, full of gratitude.

Next, the three instructors each pointed out specific areas for Zhao Jingchuan and the other three to focus on. Lu Yongfeng and the others wasted no time and immediately plunged into their training.

One move. One punch. One sweep kick…

Repeated again and again. The instructors didn’t call stop, and none of the five stopped.

Grind.

Lin Chen felt the grind, felt the unwavering determination in these five to train.

He himself sought to change his fate—and his family’s.

Lu Yongfeng and the others were the same—different backgrounds, different pursuits, yet all knew the importance of martial training.

Lin Chen threw himself into it too, determined to catch up to Lu Yongfeng and the others by month’s end, seizing every second.

No one slacked off—only voluntary extra training.

With beef unlimited and Qi-Nourishing Soup available daily, there was no risk of physical exhaustion.

…

…

Eight days later!

Lin Chen spoke again: “Instructor, I wish to attempt the five-hundred-jin stone pillar.”

Lu Yongfeng and the others, who had been training fiercely, froze mid-punch.

Had he heard correctly?

Lin Chen said he wanted to lift the five-hundred-jin stone pillar—not four hundred and seventy, not four hundred and eighty?

“Fine!”

Yu Yongnian’s pupils contracted. He turned and left the courtyard, returning moments later, carrying the five-hundred-jin stone pillar in one hand.

Lin Chen walked to the stone pillar. At this moment, Lu Yongfeng and the other four stopped completely—they wanted to see if Lin Chen could truly lift it.

Instructor Liu was absent; Instructor Chen, equally curious, stepped right in front of Lin Chen and watched intently.

【2513/3000】

Lin Chen glanced one last time at his blood and qi panel, bent down, gripped the stone pillar’s handles, struggled slightly, but finally lifted it.

Yu Yongnian beamed; Instructor Chen’s eyes gleamed.

Lu Yongfeng and the other four twitched their lips, exchanged glances, and had nothing to say.

“It’s fine—he’s only five hundred jin. We’re already at five hundred and ninety. He can’t possibly surpass us.”

Yan Dexing tried to reassure the others.

“I admit Lin Chen surprised me, but he absolutely won’t catch up to us. I’m confident I’ll generate Essence before this month ends,” Lu Yongfeng said, lips pressed tight, voice laced with pride.

Zhao Jingchuan and the other three felt the same. Though there was no hatred between them, none wanted to be outdone.

Previously, they competed among themselves; now they had to guard against Lin Chen catching up.

“Presently, Lin Chen, disciple of the Riverbank Town Martial Hall, had a strength of four hundred jin last month. In fifteen days, his strength increased by one hundred jin. Verified by: Yu Yongnian.”

Yu Yongnian’s expression was solemn. After speaking, he smiled again: “Lin Chen, you broke through one hundred jin in a month. According to Wuzhengsuo regulations, you are entitled to a reward of ten taels. Tomorrow, the Martial Hall will issue it to you.”

Hearing this, Instructor Chen glanced at Yu Yongnian, eyes gleaming with knowing superiority—Yu Yongnian still claimed he gave Lin Chen no special treatment, yet he’d clearly been aiding him all along.

Normally, to receive silver, the Martial Hall must report to the city’s Wuzhengsuo, which then disburses the funds—fastest three to five days, slowest ten to fifteen.

“Thank you, Instructor.”

Lin Chen didn’t know the inner workings—he thought the Martial Hall directly awarded students.

Yu Yongnian didn’t explain. He knew Lin Chen’s family was poor, likely with little silver left, and the Wuzhengsuo’s payment took time—he had simply advanced the money himself.

A youth with ambition must not be let down!

PS: Thank you to Xiao Pangniang and Wuyu Hongchen for your ten-thousand-silver tips. I love you guys, please keep reading—don’t hoard this new novel during its early phase. Rolling on the ground begging you.

(End of Chapter)