Chapter 27: Black Horse to the End

"Cough, cough!"

Kong Yinglei's expression returned to normal. Seeing Lin Chen standing there with a face that shifted between frowning and excitement, she couldn't help but cough.

"This disciple thanks the Wu Tang for bestowing the Aperture-Opening Pill, allowing this disciple to step into the Aperture-Opening Stage."

Awakened by the cough, Lin Chen reacted immediately and bowed solemnly toward Kong Yinglei.

"Go back and practice diligently. Do not slack off just because you have opened your apertures. Report to the Wu Tang after the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. You don't need to go to the Qingfeng Wu Tang anymore, and don't go around telling people that it took you half an hour to break through to the Aperture-Opening Stage."

After Kong Yinglei finished speaking, she saw Lin Chen's puzzled expression and explained: "Among all previous Wu Tang students, at least those of our Jingshui Wu Tang, the slowest ones successfully opened their apertures within two quarters of an hour after taking the Aperture-Opening Pill. If word gets out that it took you half an hour, I fear it will have an impact on you."

Lin Chen suddenly realized; this Yu Yu Jiaoxi Kong was truly a good person.

He had originally planned to return to the Qingfeng Wu Tang once more. Regardless of whether Yu Yu Jiaoxi Zhao of the Qingfeng Wu Tang welcomed him or not, going back to inform him was the proper thing to do.

If the instructor at Qingfeng Wu Tang had asked how long it took to open his apertures, he would have answered truthfully.

"This disciple will listen to the instructor."

Listen to advice and you'll be well-fed.

Since the instructor had said so, Lin Chen naturally wouldn't expose his own shortcomings.

"Mm, go back now."

Watching Lin Chen leave, Kong Yinglei left through the back door of the Martial Dao Pavilion the very next moment; she was in a hurry to tell her Jiang Jiang Shijie about this matter.

"Jiang Jiang Shijie!"

At the innermost part of the Jingshui Wu Tang, Kong Yinglei shouted in front of a courtyard gate. Soon, a woman's voice came from inside.

"Jiang Jiang Shijie Kong, stop shouting. Jiang Jiang Shijie has gone to Raozhou Prefecture. She just told me to pass a message to you: all matters concerning the Wu Tang during this period will be your responsibility, Jiang Jiang Shijie Kong."

"Jiang Jiang Shijie went to Raozhou Prefecture at this time?" Kong Yinglei looked puzzled.

"Jiang Jiang Shijie left in a great hurry and didn't tell me anything." The courtyard gate opened, and a woman walked out, saying, "I suspect it has to do with entering the Ranked Tier. Jiang Jiang Shijie has been stuck at the Organ Perfection Stage for two years."

Kong Yinglei felt helpless. Since Jiang Jiang Shijie had left, Lin Chen's matter would have to wait until she returned.

……

……

Jingshui Wu Tang main gate.

After Lin Chen walked out, a smile hung on his face.

This trip to the county town's Wu Tang, although it had its twists and turns, ultimately allowed him to obtain the Aperture-Opening Pill and step into the Aperture-Opening Stage.

Logically, he should go see Yu Yu Jiaoxi, but thinking of Inspector Su's attitude toward his instructor, he decided against it to avoid ruining Inspector Su's good fortune.

After all, without Inspector Su, he wouldn't have gotten this Aperture-Opening Pill.

He couldn't return kindness with ingratitude!

It would be the same if he went to see the instructor at the Wu Tang in a few days when he returned.

The county town was very prosperous. As a youth who had practiced martial arts and successfully opened his apertures, he was at the peak of his ambition. However, thinking of what Yu Yu Jiaoxi Kong had just said—that his aperture-opening speed was at the bottom—the trace of self-satisfaction in Lin Chen's heart vanished.

The path of the Martial Way had only just begun. His family was poor, so he should practice even more diligently, and thus he lost the desire to wander around the county town.

Lin Chen went directly to the city gate and rented a horse from the horse stable. The people at the stable recognized him and did not collect a deposit. After checking his identity tag, they only charged twenty wen for the rental and told him to return the horse to the stable in the town.

Lin Chen experienced the special status and treatment of a martial practitioner once again.

……

……

Returning home, Lin Chen simply informed his parents about entering the city and joining the Wu Tang.

He reported the good news but not the bad.

He didn't mention being rejected by multiple martial halls, only saying that he had joined the Jingshui Wu Tang.

Upon learning that their son had successfully joined a martial hall, Lin Fu and Lin Mu were very happy. After dinner, Lin Mu hurried out.

Seeing his mother go out impatiently, Lin Chen smiled. He didn't need to guess to know that she had gone to chat about gossip with the other women under the big tree in the village again.

It was true that women were born to love gossip, but his mother hadn't been this eager in the past. Now, going out every day after dinner was to enjoy the praise from the village women.

Listening to those women praise her in various ways, his mother would still have to be hypocritically humble until the sky turned completely dark before returning, still feeling unsatisfied.

Taking a walk after dinner had now become his mother's daily activity.

Lin Chen saw through it but didn't expose it. After all, his mother just had a bit of vanity. As a child, letting one's parents have face in front of neighbors was also a form of filial piety.

……

……

The next day, early morning, before dawn.

Lin Chen checked his panel for the first time. To his delight, the panel had been updated.

【Name: Lin Chen】

【Profession: Martial Practitioner】

【Stage: Aperture-Opening Stage (1/24)】

【Qingfeng Palm: Not Yet Entered】

【Fate: 【Water Flows to Form a Channel】: First Stage of the Martial Way, persistent and persevering, progressing step-by-step, advancing like a broken bamboo, no trouble with bottlenecks.】

【Martial Way Title: Black Horse to the End】

【Black Horse to the End: The situation is not yet settled; you and I are both black horses. Wearing this title, in the dark of night, Martial Way comprehension and perception are enhanced.】

After reading the panel update, Lin Chen's eyes lit up.

Yu Yu Jiaoxi had mentioned Martial Way comprehension to him. Before a martial practitioner enters the Ranked Tier, Martial Way comprehension doesn't have much effect on stage advancement, but it is of great use for martial arts techniques.

Martial arts techniques are also divided into several stages. By the later stages, relying on hard practice alone is useless.

Practice a punch a hundred times, and its meaning will reveal itself.

The principle is correct, but relying on practice alone has a limit.

Later on, comprehension is required.

Thinking of this, Lin Chen took out the "Qingfeng Palm" manual from his bosom.

The manual contained illustrations of the Qingfeng Palm moves and the chants. He had memorized them last night and practiced them several times, but he didn't expect it to still be "Not Yet Entered."

Taking advantage of the fact that it wasn't dawn yet, he wanted to test the effect of the "Black Horse to the End" title.

Wearing his practice clothes, Lin Chen pushed open the door.

"Chen'er, up so early? It's too cold, it's fine to sleep a little longer."

The creaking sound of the door opening startled Lin Mu in the inner room.

"Mother, we martial practitioners don't need to sleep that long. With my current body, let alone this bit of cold, even jumping into Poyang Lake would be fine."

Turning back to speak toward the inner room, Lin Chen closed the door and stood in his courtyard.

Recalling the Qingfeng Palm moves in his mind, he began to practice.

Once, twice……

By the third time, Lin Chen was completely immersed in the Qingfeng Palm. Although he couldn't say he had reached the stage of forgetting both himself and the world, compared to yesterday, he was more focused, and his palm strikes were smoother.

The fifteenth time!

The thirtieth time.

……

Inside the house.

A light turned on. Lin Mu lit a kerosene lamp and looked at her son outside through the door crack, her face full of heartache.

"Chen'er's martial arts practice is too hard. He gets up earlier every day. Lin Ming didn't get up this early when he was at home."

"What does a woman know? Isn't practicing martial arts about diligent practice?" Lin Fu said irritably. "Otherwise, how could Chen'er have practiced to produce Qi in a year? Is that something Lin Ming can compare to?"

"I don't know, you do? Then why don't you practice martial arts?"

"I…… forget it, there's no point in talking to you. In short, in terms of practicing martial arts, we can't help Chen'er, but we can't hold him back. There are no fish to catch at this time. I'll go to Qingshan Village to see if any hunters have caught any mountain poultry and buy some back for Chen'er to nourish his body."

……

……

Half an hour passed, and Lin Chen stopped, whispering: "Panel."

【Name: Lin Chen】

【Profession: Martial Practitioner】

【Stage: Aperture-Opening Stage (1/24)】

【Qingfeng Palm: Not Yet Entered (1/100)】

【Fate: 【Water Flows to Form a Channel】: First Stage of the Martial Way, persistent and persevering, progressing step-by-step, advancing like a broken bamboo, no trouble with bottlenecks.】

【Martial Way Title: Black Horse to the End】

【Black Horse to the End: The situation is not yet settled; you and I are both black horses. Wearing this medal, in the dark of night, Martial Way comprehension is enhanced.】

The progress of the Qingfeng Palm finally had a change.

At this moment, the sky had already brightened.

But Lin Chen did not stop. In the dark, his Martial Way comprehension was enhanced, making practice faster, but this didn't mean he didn't need to practice during the day.

After opening his apertures, the situation of physical collapse due to diligent practice was rare.

Half an hour later, Lin Mu made breakfast. Only then did Lin Chen stop. After eating breakfast, he continued to practice martial arts.

【Qingfeng Palm: Not Yet Entered (2/100)】

【Qingfeng Palm: Not Yet Entered (3/100)】

……

Not until he heard footsteps did Lin Chen stop. He looked out through the courtyard fence and saw his elder brother and several villagers walking toward their home.

"Brother Chen, the martial arts techniques you learned from the Wu Tang cannot be leaked. Mother asked me to find someone to fix the fence wall at home so it can't be stolen and learned by others."

Elder brother Lin Liang saw Lin Chen looking over and explained.

Lin Chen smiled. When he returned home yesterday, he mentioned the Wu Tang to his parents and also mentioned that the martial arts techniques of the Wu Tang could not be leaked.

He had only mentioned it casually. Unless one could get the chants from him, just relying on the Qingfeng Palm moves, even if memorized, would be useless.

He didn't expect his mother to take this matter to heart and find people in the village to help build the wall.

"Little Chen, continue your practice, don't worry about us." A villager who followed Lin Liang in said with a smile.

"It's the end of the year and we don't have anything to do. We guarantee to build your wall sturdily."

"Then I'll trouble you uncles."

Lin Chen nodded, but he understood in his heart that although it was the slack season at the end of the year, the villagers were willing to help his family fix the wall in such cold weather all because he had practiced to produce Qi.

If a person succeeds, everyone around them is a good person.

PS: Brothers, 80th place on the new book list. Continuing to ask for monthly tickets and follow-up reading. If you guys can push it into the top fifty, I will add a chapter!

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 28 =====