[{"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-59":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},2265894,4424,"Chapter 59: They","rising-from-obscurity-my-martial-path-comeback-chapter-59",59,"\u003Cp>Fifteen minutes later, Lin Chen left with twenty taels of silver as his reward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The martial arts academy imposes rigid performance-based rewards for students.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If a student achieves minor mastery in a martial art within three months, they receive a twenty-tael silver reward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Lin Chen departed, only Ceng Qingyao and Kong Yinglei remained in the courtyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sister, do you think Lin Chen has a chance to make the prodigy student list?” Kong Yinglei asked curiously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hard to say.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ceng Qingyao narrowed her eyes: “Prodigy lists produce one student every ten years across counties; even in the prefectural city, sometimes not a single one emerges in a year.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sister, if Lin Chen truly makes the prodigy list, it would be a great achievement for our academy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The academy’s duty is to cultivate students.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Producing one prodigy student is as meritorious for the academy as training several new students to win first place in the annual academy competition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, the academy’s new-student competition occurs every year at year’s end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You want the academy to nurture Lin Chen?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ceng Qingyao understood her younger sister’s intentions as clearly as if they were written in glass.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I think since Lin Chen has a chance to reach the prodigy threshold, our academy ought to lend a hand.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kong Yinglei didn’t deny it—her sister’s mind was too sharp to hide even the smallest thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We’ll see if Lin Chen can achieve minor mastery in Water Cloud Palm within the next month. If he can, we’ll give him special training in Water Cloud Palm; if not, we’ll have him focus on Clear Wind Palm—I’ll find him a master who’s perfected it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ceng Qingyao had already decided: both she and her sister had perfected Water Cloud Palm; if Lin Chen progressed quickly in it, training him to reach great mastery in both palms would be easier than perfecting just one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he couldn’t, then have him focus on Clear Wind Palm—there are several masters in Poyang County who’ve perfected it; I can personally approach one to guide him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hehe, I knew you’d already planned it all—sister, I was just asking a pointless question.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dormitory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Chen held a list in his hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This list was given to him by Master Zeng, passed down by Master Kong—it listed the opening-point status of new students from the other seven academies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Six points opened: seven students.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Five points opened: fourteen students.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Four points opened: twenty-two students.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three points opened: thirty students.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Chen also saw the information of the three Lu brothers—all three had opened three points, and among those with three points, they were among the earliest to open.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Overall, the four students from He River Martial Hall ranked among the middle tier among all new students from the eight academies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even this was quite impressive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In past years, students from the town were almost always at the bottom; only a few managed to reach the middle tier. For four students from the same hall to all rank in the middle tier was extremely rare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Jiang Sister alone holds the seven-point position, but the six-point students from the other academies will surely reach seven points next month—that’s eight spots taken. In the remaining month, those with five points might surge too. To enter the top ten, I must at least reach five points.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The prodigy student system was highly attractive!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Lin Chen wasn’t sure he could reach it. Master Zeng was right: compared to the vague, half-year-away prodigy list, next month’s academy competition was what he needed to focus on now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Tongqiao Pills and silver rewards were an opportunity!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only by reaching five points could he have a chance to enter the top ten.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With only one month left, going from three points to five points couldn’t be achieved with Tongqiao Pills taken every three days alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, Lin Chen had already compared expenses with Lu Yongfeng and the others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yongfeng and the other three each consumed one bottle of Tongqiao Pills per month; unlike them, they occasionally bought poultry meat, so their monthly expenses totaled about ten taels of silver excluding the pills.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was their limit—spending more would leave them financially strained later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because Lin Chen had already reached proficiency in Clear Wind Palm, he didn’t need poultry meat; just the Tongqiao Pills kept him on par with Lu Yongfeng and the others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I currently have eighty-two taels. Add the twenty-five taels from next month’s Class A allowance I’ll transfer to Jiang Sister—that’s one hundred seven taels total. Two bottles of Tongqiao Pills are affordable, but I can’t afford a third.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The first bottle costs thirty taels, the second forty, and the third fifty.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Chen sighed helplessly—such a good item, and even the second bottle had gone up in price.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t have enough cash on hand—he needed to see Jiang Sister first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dining Hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As mealtime neared, Lin Chen prepared to wait for Jiang Sister in the dining hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Senior Brother Lin?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Sister hadn’t arrived yet, but Xiao Sister appeared before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Senior Brother?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Chen froze for a moment, then realized—the academy judged by skill, not age.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had defeated Xiao Sister; now he was her senior brother.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had gone from junior brother to Fifth Senior Brother.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Senior Brother Lin hasn’t eaten yet, has he?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For some reason, Lin Chen felt Xiao Sister was different today—was it because she wasn’t wearing her training robes, but a pink ruqun instead?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then shall we eat together? I have some questions about the martial art I’d like to ask you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Xiao Sister’s hopeful gaze, Lin Chen paused, then nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They entered the dining hall, got their meals. Xiao Ting noticed Lin Chen had only taken beef and vegetables, her eyes flickered, then she ran to the poultry window and added another portion of meat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Senior Brother Lin.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While Xiao Ting went to get the poultry, Lin Chen sat down at a table—but he hadn’t expected that Li Xue, who had been sitting at another table, suddenly walked over with a smile, bowl and chopsticks in hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Senior Sister Li…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt awkward, but Lin Chen corrected himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Senior Brother Lin, you eat beef every day?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xue stared at his plate, surprised, hand covering her mouth: “Senior Brother Lin, you’re amazing—I eat rare poultry several times a month, spend so much, yet still can’t beat you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wait, what’s going on today?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Chen felt Li Xue’s tone was oddly familiar—almost identical to Xiao Sister’s just now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I was just lucky. Senior Sister Li didn’t expect it—if you’d been prepared, I’d have lost.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Impossible. Yesterday’s match, I gave it everything. Senior Brother Lin, don’t be modest.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xue smiled slightly and pushed the leftover rare poultry meat on her plate toward Lin Chen: “I still have some leftover belly-jin chicken meat—if you don’t mind, please finish it for me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And this is a bonus?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Chen was tempted, about to speak—when a fragrant breeze swept past, and Xiao Ting arrived with a food box, sitting beside him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Senior Sister Li, what a coincidence.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After sitting down, Xiao Ting greeted Li Xue, then opened the box and revealed a dish of belly-jin chicken meat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Senior Brother Lin, I’ll be asking you about Water Cloud Palm soon—can’t let you waste time for free. This belly-jin chicken meat is my small gift. It must be eaten hot; if it cools, the meat turns dry.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dry? What did that matter? As long as it boosted blood and qi, even spoiled meat he’d eat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Chen finally understood—both sisters had feelings for him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What should he do?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One sister with tea-talk charm, the other with generous generosity…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmm, in looks, Xiao Sister had a slight edge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in figure, he’d felt Li Sister’s softness yesterday.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In loose training robes, you couldn’t tell—but once she wore a fitted dress, it was completely different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Sister wore a ruqun today, her figure fully visible; yet Li Sister still fell short.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But what did any of this have to do with him?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A young man hasn’t mastered martial arts yet—how could he think of such things?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The martial texts themselves hold beauty!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you, Senior Sister Li and Senior Sister Xiao—I won’t refuse your kindness.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Chen accepted both sisters’ gifts wholeheartedly—their belly-jin chicken meat totaled nearly two catties, worth about five taels of silver.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the meal!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Ting smiled sweetly at Lin Chen, while Li Xue, having lost the exchange, left first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Senior Sister Xiao, what part of Water Cloud Palm do you not understand?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After eating, Lin Chen asked Xiao Ting—after all, one who eats another’s food owes them a favor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother Lin, have you finished eating? I’m not in a hurry.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m full.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he spoke, Lin Chen noticed Jiang Qing’s figure entering the canteen entrance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today, Jiang Qing wore a fitted training outfit, her long hair tied up, looking neat and fresh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sister Xiao, wait a moment.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Jiang Qing, Lin Chen’s eyes lit up. He told Xiao Ting, then rose and walked toward Jiang Qing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sister Jiang.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother Lin?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Qing looked at Lin Chen with slight confusion: “Brother Lin, are you also transferring your Class-A disciple benefits this month?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm, doesn’t Sister Jiang need them this month?” Lin Chen’s heart skipped—a wealthy patron wouldn’t change her mind, would she?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I just think that, given your progress in martial arts techniques, if you push harder on your realm this month, you might still have a chance in next month’s Eight Martial Halls competition.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Qing had already learned the rewards for the first round of the Eight Martial Halls competition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In her view, this brother Lin should use this final month to open two more acupoints—then he might have a shot at the top ten.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sister is joking—I have no chance,” Lin Chen replied humbly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Qing stared at Lin Chen, her lips slightly parted as if to say something, but then her elegant brows furrowed slightly, and she changed her words: “Since you have your own plan, then as last month, exchange it for the Gray-Winged Gull meat vouchers.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wait a moment, Sister.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Chen nodded and went to the canteen window, exchanged the Gray-Winged Gull meat vouchers for Jiang Qing, and received the fifty-silver-tael banknote she handed him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you, Sister.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The transaction complete, Lin Chen withdrew successfully—until he turned around and realized Sister Xiao was gone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Didn’t she ask me to guide her on Water Cloud Palm?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Can women’s promises ever be trusted?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sister Xiao left right after you went to buy the Gray-Winged Gull meat vouchers.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Qing spoke calmly. Lin Chen froze, turned back, and saw her long eyelashes flutter, a glint of mischief flashing in her clear eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Chen: …\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1807,"2026-06-19T20:25:56.550Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","2ee44a3875670d912c59251a8b24eea0d15e1788c660fdec4a7f2c46850a68e6","rising-from-obscurity-my-martial-path-comeback-chapter-60","rising-from-obscurity-my-martial-path-comeback-chapter-58",591,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Frising-from-obscurity-my-martial-path-comeback-cover.jpg"]