[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-rising-from-obscurity-my-martial-path-comeback":3,"chapter-rising-from-obscurity-my-martial-path-comeback-rising-from-obscurity-my-martial-path-comeback-chapter-23":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Rising from Obscurity: My Martial Path Comeback",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2265858,4424,"Chapter 23: Meeting You Was His Fortune in Three Lifetimes","rising-from-obscurity-my-martial-path-comeback-chapter-23",23,"\u003Cp>Poyang County Wuzhengsuo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Located in the center of Poyang County, the tallest pavilion Lin Chen had seen at the city gate was inside the Wuzhengsuo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This alone shows how much Liang Chao values the martial path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Wuzhengsuo was not as easy to enter as a martial academy; Yu Yongnian announced his identity but still had to wait.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wait here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The gatekeeper glanced at Yu Yongnian a few times, his demeanor indifferent, then walked through the main gate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a few minutes, the gatekeeper returned, his face now smiling, his attitude noticeably warmer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Teacher Yu, please follow me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The gate guard personally led Yu Yongnian and Lin Chen into the Wuzhengsuo, finally arriving before a courtyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Inspection Commissioner is inside, Teacher Yu, please enter.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The guard left after delivering them; Yu Yongnian turned to Lin Chen and said, “Wait outside.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Chen: …\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the courtyard, Shu Suwan was brewing tea; seeing Yu Yongnian enter, she smiled: “Little brother, what brings you here? My tea isn’t ready yet—it’s premium Wucai tea.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sister, I’ve come to file a complaint with the Wuzhengsuo.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A complaint?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shu Suwan knew well that if her little brother hadn’t encountered something serious, he wouldn’t come to the Wuzhengsuo, yet hearing this, she still felt a pang of resentment: “Can’t little brother come visit sister without cause?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Yongnian fell silent; Shu Suwan’s resentment faded: “I was just teasing you. What is your complaint?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lin Chen, a student from the Wutang, was the first in the Kehetown Martial Academy to cultivate essence. Yet none of the martial academies are willing to grant him a Qiaokai Pill slot—this clearly violates the rules.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shu Suwan looked surprised: “The Lin Chen you mean—the student who wanted to work to pay for his training?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. Sister, you know Lin Chen’s background—a fisherman’s son. He spent only twenty taels to cultivate essence. What kind of martial talent is that? Such a genius deserves a Qiaokai Pill.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Only twenty taels?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No more, possibly less.” Yu Yongnian affirmed: “Sister, don’t you trust me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I naturally trust you, little brother.” Shu Suwan shook her head slightly: “But my trust doesn’t matter—the martial academies won’t believe it. Why don’t you calm down and put yourself in their place? If you were a martial academy instructor, would you believe this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There… might be disbelief.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Yongnian’s nature prevented him from lying outright; if he were a martial academy instructor, he too would doubt this claim.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Even if the number of students cultivating essence exceeds eighty, the top student of the Wutang has never been denied a slot.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing her little brother’s resentment, Shu Suwan had to explain: “The Wuzhengsuo has no written rule stating the Wutang’s top student must receive a Qiaokai Pill slot. In past years, when student numbers exceeded eighty, the top student received a slot—not out of obligation, but to demonstrate unity and fairness.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shu Suwan knew her little brother lacked insight in certain areas. Even when student numbers exceeded eighty, the academies were still required to grant at least one slot to each town’s Wutang—this showed the Wuzhengsuo’s, and the imperial court’s, equal treatment of townsfolk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since a slot had to be given anyway, it naturally went to the top student.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The top student represented better family background and greater potential.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this year, an unexpected twist occurred: who could have imagined that Lin Chen, a fisherman’s son, would become Wutang’s top student? Under these circumstances, the academies naturally wanted to give the slot to another student from Kehetown with a better background.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As long as Kehetown received one slot, that was enough to satisfy the Wuzhengsuo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I know what you’re going to say: Lin Chen is a fisherman’s son yet became top of the academy—surely the academies should realize that even if the recorded expenses were falsified, one instance of fraud doesn’t mean he can’t afford to continue on the martial path.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing her little brother about to speak, Shu Suwan knew his thought and smiled slightly: “Little brother, you’re too close to see clearly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Please enlighten me, sister.” Yu Yongnian frowned; he had just been about to say exactly that, but didn’t understand where he was mistaken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“To the martial academies, the recorded expenses for Lin Chen’s training must be fake. So they wonder: why fake it? What’s the purpose?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s the purpose?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Yongnian fell silent, then after a long while seemed to understand, and chuckled bitterly: “So the academies suspect I falsified records to earn an ‘Excellent’ rating in my instructor evaluation—and my bringing Lin Chen to the academies themselves only confirms my deceit in their eyes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Little brother, no need to think so. I believe in you. If you wanted to return to the county, why go through all this? Just nod, and I’ll handle it for you.” Shu Suwan’s words carried deeper meaning, but Yu Yongnian didn’t catch it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sister believing me doesn’t matter—the academies won’t believe. If so, we must take the final step.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Yongnian said gravely: “Sister, Lin Chen comes from Linhu Village. The late Jiang Provincial Graduate still had a bond with Linhu Village—he specifically instructed that if any descendant from Linhu shows martial talent, we should inform him. If Lin Chen writes to Jiang, and Jiang grows angry, the Wuzhengsuo will struggle to explain. I stopped Lin Chen from writing and came straight to you to spare you trouble.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shu Suwan blinked slightly; she knew her little brother well—this was a thinly veiled threat: if the Wuzhengsuo didn’t act, he’d take Lin Chen to Jiang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Little brother, are you threatening me with Jiang the Provincial Graduate?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I would never dare.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You dare? Your words clearly say: if Lin Chen doesn’t get a Qiaokai Pill slot, you’ll have him write to Jiang and accuse the Wuzhengsuo and the academies of discrimination.” Shu Suwan scolded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I can’t stop Lin Chen from writing. I’m just his instructor—I’m not his elder.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Pfft!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing her little brother’s half-truth, Shu Suwan couldn’t help laughing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Little brother, don’t rush. This year’s student situation differs from past years—you don’t yet understand the full context.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The number of students cultivating essence has exceeded eighty before—why should this year be different? I still believe Lin Chen deserves the slot.” Yu Yongnian’s expression was resolute.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s not just that the number exceeded eighty—it’s because Senior Su has launched major reforms this year.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing her little brother’s puzzled look, Shu Suwan explained: “Poyang County has ranked last in the prefectural competition for four consecutive years. The newly appointed Senior Su wants to change this—he has issued orders to all martial academies: every three months, students will compete. The results will determine how many resources the Wuzhengsuo allocates to each academy. Naturally, the academies now want to reserve Qiaokai Pills for students with the greatest potential.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Yongnian was surprised—he hadn’t known this at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With Senior Su’s new rule, every academy naturally wanted their students to rank higher, since the resources allocated by the Wuzhengsuo were vital to every instructor and academy head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Given how directly this affected their own interests, it was no wonder they refused Lin Chen a Qiaokai Pill slot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sister, Lin Chen’s journey hasn’t been easy—you heard it yourself. This boy gave up his dignity to train. If someone like him loses the Qiaokai Pill slot just because of his poor background, I don’t know how I could face him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Yongnian looked at his sister, his eyes pleading.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shu Suwan’s gaze held a trace of resentment: “Little brother, you’ve come to my door yourself—do you think I’d stand idly by?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Little brother, you don’t understand me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you, sister.” Yu Yongnian’s face lit up and he immediately replied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t thank me yet. I have an idea, but whether it works is uncertain.” Shu Suwan waved her hand, then asked curiously: “You’re so invested in Lin Chen—have you taken him as your personal disciple?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instructors and students shared a teacher-student bond, but it was fragile. Many instructors privately took promising students as disciples—only then was it a true master-disciple relationship.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Spending less than twenty taels to cultivate essence—isn’t that worth your attention?” To his sister, Yu Yongnian didn’t hide his true thoughts: “I never intended to take Lin Chen as my disciple.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why not?” Shu Suwan was puzzled. Her little brother cared so deeply, saw so much potential in Lin Chen—he should have taken him as a disciple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m just an ordinary instructor. What real help could I give him? If a village boy makes a name for himself on the martial path, he’ll inevitably catch the eye of powerful figures. The first master’s influence is not insignificant.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Shu Suwan’s expression softened: “Lin Chen meeting you truly is his fortune in three lifetimes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The martial path demanded enormous expenditure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many martial prodigies who rose to prominence came from powerful families; martial masters, wary of their backgrounds, avoided taking them as disciples.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if a village boy carved out a name for himself on the martial path…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clean. No family ties. No master lineage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was precisely what martial masters most desired in a disciple—and once taken, such a disciple was trained as a true heir.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not three lifetimes’ fortune. I simply believe a determined youth who can set aside his dignity shouldn’t be betrayed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even now, Yu Yongnian remembered Lin Chen coming to his courtyard, offering to work to pay for his training.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without firm resolve on the martial path, how could a boy even conceive such an idea, let alone voice it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could imagine that night, after the family split, Lin Chen lay awake, turning over the plan in his mind, perhaps hesitating for hours before finally gathering the courage to enter his courtyard and speak those words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sister understands now. Wait here a moment—I’ll handle this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Little brother thanks sister on Lin Chen’s behalf.” Yu Yongnian smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You never care so much about your own affairs—yet you’re so worked up over a student.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shu Suwan’s tone carried hidden meaning, but Yu Yongnian didn’t catch it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shu Suwan stepped out of the courtyard and saw Lin Chen waiting outside; she paused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lin Chen, student of Kehetown Wutang, bows before you, my lord.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing a woman of elegant bearing emerge from the courtyard, Lin Chen blinked, then quickly bowed—his mind racing to guess her identity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her aura was extraordinary—could she be the Wuzhengsuo’s Inspection Commissioner Shu?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If so, then the relationship between Instructor Yu and this Commissioner…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The gossip spark ignited in Lin Chen’s heart: in over ten months at the Wutang, he’d seen the families of Instructor Liu and Instructor Chen, but never once had he seen Instructor Yu’s family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your instructor Yu nearly threatened to break ties with me over your case. If you don’t get a Qiaokai Pill slot, he’ll take you to Raozhou Prefecture to complain to Senior Jiang.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shu Suwan’s expression was unreadable; Lin Chen hesitated, unsure if this was true, but replied: “I deeply appreciate Instructor Yu’s care for me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“One master doesn’t produce two different disciples—you’re both the same.” She waved her hand: “Go in and have tea with your instructor.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Lin Chen’s reply, Shu Suwan seemed to scold, but inwardly she was pleased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hadn’t changed his words to flatter her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he had answered “I dare not,” she’d have felt distrust—it would prove her little brother had misjudged him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1898,"2026-06-19T20:25:56.550Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","59966ac4dce5cf7625990e4d07fd4d8e465d7365b6303034f68712087f7afe97","rising-from-obscurity-my-martial-path-comeback-chapter-24","rising-from-obscurity-my-martial-path-comeback-chapter-22",591,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Frising-from-obscurity-my-martial-path-comeback-cover.jpg"]