Chapter 34: Mourning for the Disciples of the Iron Tie Tie Xue Wuguan (Plus

On the shore of the pier, Lin Chen waved to his elder brother. After seeing his elder brother off, he carried his bundle and walked toward the city.

Today's county town was much more prosperous than when Lin Chen came last time, and pedestrians on the street were endless.

Under the eaves of the shops, lanterns from yesterday's Lantern Festival were still hanging, attracting many children to stop and watch.

Lin Chen didn't delay too much and headed straight for the Qingfeng Martial Hall.

Qingfeng Martial Hall, Martial Dao Pavilion.

"Junior brother, is there anything?"

A youth in the Martial Dao Pavilion saw Lin Chen enter and greeted him with a smile.

Qi and blood were restrained; he was already in the Aperture-Opening Stage.

He knew all the aperture-opening students from the previous batch. The one in front of him looked unfamiliar; he must be a new student of this batch. New students who enter are in the Aperture-Opening Stage.

No need to guess, he must be from a wealthy family who got an Aperture-Opening Pill. Although he also opened his apertures, he opened them three months after entering the Martial Hall. There was no comparison.

With a tight budget, he could only endure in terms of Martial Way stage breakthrough.

Fortunately, this year the Martial Affairs Office issued a decree called "Work-Study," where Martial Hall students can earn some silver by helping with chores in the Martial Hall. Although it was not much, it was better than nothing.

Thanks to the official who proposed "Work-Study" at the Martial Affairs Office, he was simply the benefactor of their ordinary students.

"I'm here to return the Qingfeng Palm manual."

"Please show your identity tag, junior brother." Ma Hao's attitude was very gentle, and he didn't look down on him just because he had opened four apertures. He knew very well that this junior brother in front of him would only need half a year to surpass him.

These students were all the rising stars of the Martial Hall. Even if they couldn't be befriended, they couldn't be offended.

Seeing Lin Chen take out his identity tag, Ma Hao was a bit surprised: "Lin Lin Shidi Lin, in the Martial Hall, we use the student identity tag of the Martial Hall, not the household registration tag issued by the government."

"I haven't applied for a student identity tag yet."

Hearing Lin Chen's words, Ma Hao was puzzled, but he still took the identity tag and the manual: "Junior brother, wait a moment."

Ma Hao entered the backyard of the Martial Dao Pavilion and asked respectfully to Zhao Ce, who was tasting tea: "Yu Yu Jiaoxi Zhao, is there a new junior brother named Lin Chen in this batch?"

"Lin Chen?"

Zhao Ce put down his cup and nodded: "There is indeed such a new student. What's the matter?"

"Lin Lin Shidi Lin is here to return the Qingfeng Palm manual."

"Mm." Zhao Ce replied faintly. Ma Hao saw that the instructor had no other words, so he turned to leave.

"You ask him how many apertures he has opened now. If he has opened two, let him in. If he hasn't even opened two, let him leave on his own."

Hearing Yu Yu Jiaoxi Zhao's words, Ma Hao was puzzled but still agreed, then returned to the front pavilion.

"Lin Lin Shidi Lin, I have already confirmed, the manual is fine. Junior brother, sign your name here." Ma Hao took out an account book from under the counter and handed it to Lin Chen. While Lin Chen was signing, he asked as if nothing had happened: "How many apertures has Lin Lin Shidi Lin opened now?"

"Ashamed, still one aperture."

Lin Chen didn't lie about this. Qingfeng Wuguan must have a way to verify it.

"It's okay. With Lin Lin Shidi Lin's strength, it won't be long before you open the second aperture after entering the Martial Hall."

Ma Hao didn't look down on Lin Chen just because he only had one aperture. Still the same sentence, he and others were not in the same class.

"Lin Lin Shidi Lin, is there anything else?"

"Nothing, thank you, senior brother."

Lin Chen originally wanted to ask about the Qingfeng Palm, but thought better of it.

There must be an instructor sitting in the Martial Dao Pavilion. Just now, this senior brother went in and obviously informed the instructor inside. People didn't want to see him, so why go and get a nose full of dust?

Most importantly, he had the booklet given by Yu Yu Jiaoxi, which contained all of Yu Yu Jiaoxi's insights on practicing the Qingfeng Palm. It didn't matter if there was no one to guide him.

……

……

Jing Shui Wuguan, Lin Chen came for the second time.

This time, compared to the desolation of the previous year, the Martial Hall was much livelier. Just at the door, he saw many female disciples, each heroic and spirited. While he was looking at these female disciples, these female disciples were also looking at him.

Compared to the female disciples, Lin Chen, the male disciple, was even more eye-catching.

In these female disciples' eyes, Lin Chen strode into the gate of the Martial Hall.

"Yo, a male disciple came to our Martial Hall? Rare."

"Went to the wrong martial hall, shouldn't be, the plaque of Jing Shui Wuguan has four big characters, shouldn't be mistaken."

"Could it be a girl with a man's appearance?"

"The Adam's apple is so distinct, obviously a man."

"A male disciple is good. I don't know how long it's been since I've seen a man. If this is really a junior brother of this batch, I really want to touch him."

"Which part does Xiao Xiao Shimei Yu want to touch?"

"I want to touch everywhere, I also want to touch the one with the handle."

……

……

After entering the Aperture-Opening Stage, Lin Chen's ears and eyes were much sharper. Listening to the tiger-wolf words of these female senior sisters, he almost stumbled. If women become hooligans, there is no place for men.

In this world, women can also learn martial arts, and the atmosphere is not so strict.

When he was following his elder brother to set traps in the village, he often heard the women washing clothes by the river chatting. The dirty words they talked about could only be described as eye-opening.

Walking toward the dormitory, just as he was about to pass the corner of the corridor,

In the corridor passage, Lin Chen heard the conversation at the corner and couldn't help but stop.

"Junior sister, congratulations on becoming a Martial Hall disciple. Today, Jiang Jiang Shijie will treat you to celebrate."

"How can I let Jiang Jiang Shijie Chen spend money? It should be me treating."

……

……

This conversation is so familiar.

Enthusiastic Jiang Jiang Shijie Chen.

Lin Chen felt emotional in his heart. If he didn't have money, he would really want to treat Jiang Jiang Shijie Chen to a meal.

Now, he could only avoid it, so that both of them wouldn't be embarrassed.

Arriving at the dormitory, Lin Chen was very satisfied with the dormitory arranged by the Martial Hall.

A single dormitory with a small courtyard was the treatment given by the Martial Hall to those students who took the Aperture-Opening Pill.

Tuition is free, meals are free, accommodation is free.

The bed board in the dormitory was already covered with bedding. Lin Chen touched it and found it was a brand new cotton quilt.

In the half year since he traveled here, this was the first time he had come into contact with a cotton quilt. The bedding at home was hemp cloth, stuffed with some grass, which didn't keep warm at all in the winter in the original owner's memory.

With his current Qi and blood, it didn't matter if it was warm or not, but the comfort of a cotton quilt was not comparable to grass-stuffed hemp cloth.

On the table in the dormitory, there were two sets of practice clothes for the Martial Hall, but Lin Chen didn't rush to change into them. He put the clothes from his bundle into the wardrobe, and then took out all the silver on his body.

A twenty-tael banknote given by Yu Yu Jiaoxi, a thirty-tael banknote raised by the village, which was also exchanged for banknotes, and the thirteen taels of reward he got in the Martial Hall, but now only seven taels were left.

Fifty-seven taels of silver was his entire net worth.

Yu Yu Jiaoxi wrote in the booklet that there are twenty-four apertures in the Aperture-Opening Stage. For the first ten apertures, spending thirty taels a month in the Martial Hall to buy Aperture-Nourishing Pills can open one aperture in a month and a half.

If you want to speed up, you can only spend more money.

Aperture-Nourishing Pills cost thirty taels a bottle, ten pills in total, one pill every three days.

Wealthy students can buy two or even three bottles.

Qingfeng Wuguan has preferential treatment for students. The first bottle of Aperture-Nourishing Pills is only thirty taels, but the second bottle returns to the original price of forty taels, and the third bottle sells for fifty taels.

Those wealthy children don't care about these silver taels, and even in addition to taking three bottles of Aperture-Nourishing Pills every month, they will take extra precious poultry meat.

The money he had was not enough for their monthly expenses.

Having had the experience of the Qi Refining Stage, Lin Chen also had some understanding of the 【Water Flows to Form a Channel】 Fate.

There are twenty-four apertures in the Aperture-Opening Stage. When opening the first sixteen apertures, his Fate doesn't play a role, which means that for the opening of the first eight apertures, he has no advantage compared to other students.

In the early stage, he has to endure.

If he can't raise the silver for the Aperture-Nourishing Pills every month, his progress will be delayed.

The Martial Way is difficult!

No wonder these martial halls look down on him. Where can he find so much silver with his family background?

After a light sigh, Lin Chen summoned the panel.

【Name: Lin Chen】

【Profession: Martial Practitioner】

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

【Technique: Qingfeng Palm (Proficient: 1/100)】

The palm technique and angle of the Breeze Palm could still be adjusted a bit more.

【Martial Way Title: Black Horse to the End】

The Qingfeng Palm, under his liver-exploding practice, finally reached the Proficient stage this morning.

Yu Yu Jiaoxi mentioned in the booklet given to him that for most students, even those wealthy ones, it takes a month to enter a Ranked martial arts technique, three months to cross into the Proficient stage, and then the Mastery stage depends on comprehension. Being able to practice to Mastery within half a year is considered top-tier comprehension.

That is to say, from contacting the technique to Mastery, it takes seven or eight months or even longer, and reaching Mastery within a year is considered up to standard.

In the early stage, he has no advantage in Fate, and Martial Way comprehension is his only advantage.

Asking for follow-up reading. If you have a book shortage, you can move to see old books.

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(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 35 =====

Not knowing how much time had passed, a sudden sound came from Lin Chen's right arm.

Like a firecracker exploding!

Even so, Lin Chen did not stop; the next moment, his eyes widened, and he struck a palm toward the camphor tree in the courtyard.

Slap!

The camphor tree's bark fell away, and a palm print was embedded directly into the smooth wood; a breath later, countless camphor leaves came rustling down.

Lin Chen withdrew his palm and stood in the courtyard, looking at the leaves covering the ground, a look of satisfaction in his eyes.

Relying on this realization regarding the Breeze Palm, combined with the Aperture-Nourishing Pill, he had actually broken through to the Two-Acupuncture Stage.

The Breeze Palm is not a domineering palm technique, which is why it didn't cause this waist-thick camphor tree to snap directly, but judging by how the palm print sank three inches into the wood, if it landed on a person, one strike would be enough to shatter an ordinary person's bones.

After the excitement subsided, Lin Chen also analyzed things in his heart.

That he was able to open his second acupoint today was by no means solely the credit of this one Aperture-Nourishing Pill; it was more due to the accumulation of nearly a month of daily effort, as he was already on the verge of touching the bottleneck of the second acupoint, and this Aperture-Opening Pill merely saved him the final sprint.

Accumulate thickness to thin out; the Aperture-Nourishing Pill merely provided the final opportunity for a sprint.

The breakthrough in his stage brought Lin Chen joy, but what made him even more excited was that he had gained a more comprehensive understanding of the improvement in his comprehension.

Previously, he thought that the improvement in comprehension only deepened his understanding of the true essence of martial arts techniques, but now it seemed it was more than that; the improvement in comprehension added a certain state.

A state of focused oblivion where one forgets both self and objects!

Glancing at the stars, Lin Chen did not continue to cultivate; sufficient sleep is also a necessity for a martial artist.

Tonight, he fell asleep in joy.

……

……

(End of chapter)