Chapter 9: Flowers and Charcoal

"Xu Jin, is it you again?"

Ning Yuchan, who had just finished her shift and was preparing to wash and tidy up, was surprised when she opened the door.

Why has this boy been coming by so frequently these past two days?

Though puzzled, she still let Xu Jin into the small courtyard—after all, the Dao Academy’s instructor was a temporary teacher to these youths, and Ning Yuchan still carried a sense of responsibility.

“What is it? Any doubts about your cultivation?” She sat back on the stone bench, placing her silver iron cane aside, and spoke.

“Instructor, today I discovered that taking Blood-Replenishing Pills and Foundation-Strengthening Pills during Body Tempering greatly enhances my progress—I’m advancing over fifty percent faster than others. Is that normal?” Xu Jin asked.

Ning Yuchan looked up, her expression startled.

That final line—“Is that normal?”—caught her off guard.

She had assumed Xu Jin was merely proud of his recent progress and wanted to show off—a common trait among youths, understandable enough.

But that last remark made her wonder: was this boy beginning to suspect something was wrong with himself?

“Normal. Using pills will naturally accelerate cultivation slightly.”

“But my progress is too fast—I feel my daily Body Tempering gains already surpass those of senior students who’ve taken over ten days to reach Star Pointing.” Seeing Ning Yuchan follow his line of thought, Xu Jin pressed on calmly.

“Sometimes, certain individuals do progress faster than most during Body Tempering.”

Ning Yuchan gave a vague reply, daring not to voice her private suspicions.

After evening class, when she checked Xu Jin’s Body Tempering progress, she had already pondered this question carefully.

Generally, someone who took eighty-three days to reach Star Pointing could not possibly have such rapid Body Tempering speed—unless they used far more, higher-grade elixirs.

But this boy clearly lacked the financial means.

Considering his congenital heart ailment, which had nearly killed him multiple times during Star Pointing attempts, could his true talent have been masked by his illness?

This possibility was very high.

She didn’t speak of it because Star Pointing speed directly affected the upcoming Talent Rating assessment, whose primary criterion was the number of days taken to reach Star Pointing.

Both the Dao Academy and the Star Hall relied solely on the number of days—nothing else.

Because the day count cannot be falsified, is least affected by external factors, and is nearly impossible to cheat.

If you dared use other metrics as reference, wealthy clans would immediately flood you with resources to artificially boost your numbers.

And Xu Jin’s case was exceedingly rare.

In nearly a century of Star Pointing seasons at Jinshan Dao Academy, no such case had ever occurred.

But if true, could Xu Jin’s real cultivation talent rival that of Yue Daqi, the top performer of this season’s Star Pointing?

Unfortunately, each person may only attempt Star Pointing once—the result is final and unchangeable.

Otherwise, Xu Jin might have entered the Dao Academy’s inner court as effortlessly as Yue Daqi, and perhaps even been selected for the National Dao Academy or a Star Hall.

Even if he couldn’t enter the inner court, his future cultivation speed would still outpace other youths—possibly by a significant margin.

At least in the Qi Absorption realm, and perhaps even increasing his chance of forming a Star Core.

“Perhaps when the Star Pointing season ends, I should report this to the Academy Head.”

Ning Yuchan had already formed a private plan when Xu Jin spoke again.

“Instructor, I recall you saying the faster your cultivation realm advances, the more resources you receive.”

“Correct,” Ning Yuchan nodded.

“You also said the higher your cultivation realm, the more silver you can earn?”

“Of course.”

Ning Yuchan nodded. “After the Star Pointing season ends, you may choose whether to stay. Even if you enter the outer court and cultivate while handling academy duties, you’ll receive three taels of silver per month. If you break through to Qi Absorption First Stage, your monthly stipend rises to five taels—you might even earn extra income.

Making silver is quite fast.”

“Instructor, what about the middle court?” Xu Jin asked.

"The middle court? The treatment is far better—not just a starting ten taels per month, but two Awakening Pills every month," Ning Yuchan said.

Xu Jin’s eyes lit up sharply—the middle court’s benefits were truly high, quadruple those of the outer court.

What about the inner court?

Xu Jin didn’t ask—further questions would seem overly ambitious and risk offending her.

“Instructor, do you think I have a chance to enter the middle court? I want to earn more silver.” Xu Jin stated his goal outright.

Ning Yuchan paused, studying him carefully. Honestly, if her suspicions were true, Xu Jin didn’t just have a chance at the middle court—he could enter the inner court.

But eighty-three days to reach Star Pointing was the undeniable, ironclad fact.

Even if she reported this to the Academy Head, given his nature, he would merely observe Xu Jin in secret—never break academy rules for him.

If they bent rules for Xu Jin, how could they govern others?

Ning Yuchan slowly shook her head. “Xu Jin, academy rules state that only youths who reach Star Pointing within fifty days may enter the middle court directly.”

Sensing this might discourage him, she added, “But if you train diligently, you still have a chance to enter the middle court in the future.”

Xu Jin’s dimmed eyes flickered slightly. “Instructor, are there specific conditions?”

“For those rated C-tier, if you break through to Qi Absorption First Stage by the end of the Star Pointing season, or to Qi Absorption Fifth Stage within three months after, or if you render great service to the academy or Jinshan County—any one of these three may qualify you for direct promotion to the middle court,” Ning Yuchan said.

“Instructor, I want to enter the middle court,” Xu Jin suddenly said.

Ning Yuchan looked up, seeing his determined gaze, and held back her skepticism, instead encouraging him: “With your current cultivation speed, if you don’t slack off and supplement with a bit more elixir, you might break through to Qi Absorption Fifth Stage within three months after the Star Pointing season ends—then you could.”

“No, too slow!”

“Instructor, I want to join the middle court by the end of the Star Pointing season!”

“I want to earn silver faster,” Xu Jin said bluntly.

Ning Yuchan slowly shook her head. “You took eighty-three days to reach Star Pointing—it’s unlikely—”

“Instructor, there are six days left until the season ends. I aim to break through to Qi Absorption First Stage by then—that’s how I’ll enter the middle court,” Xu Jin stated his goal again, directly.

“This…” Ning Yuchan shook her head. “It’s unlikely—even Yue Daqi, the top performer this season, took nine days to reach Qi Absorption First Stage. You have only six days—it’s improbable.”

“Instructor, given my current Body Tempering speed, is it possible to break through to Qi Absorption First Stage in six days?” Xu Jin asked.

“If you maintain today’s Body Tempering pace, it’s not entirely impossible…”

Ning Yuchan fell into thought—if Xu Jin kept today’s speed, he might reach Qi Absorption First Stage in six days, but the consumption—

In an instant, she understood.

She realized why this boy had come to her tonight, why he’d circled around the topic and said so much.

It was all for his real purpose.

Nine times out of ten, he was here to borrow cultivation silver.

Once the thought clicked, Ning Yuchan suddenly found this boy not just bold, but intriguing.

A student coming to his instructor to borrow silver for cultivation? She’d never seen it.

She’d seen instructors teach, seen instructors subsidize students—but never a student showing up, asking for a large sum of silver. This was unprecedented.

“Instructor, I need to earn silver as quickly as possible.”

Xu Jin’s opening line surprised her—she’d expected him to ask for a loan next.

“Instructor, though my father and sister have never mentioned it to me, I know they spent every last bit of our savings and took on heavy debts just to help me reach Star Pointing and cure my congenital heart ailment.

Especially yesterday, when my father asked you to buy that bottle of Awakening Pills—I’m certain he borrowed at exorbitant interest rates; otherwise, where else could he get fifty taels?

Loan sharks drain blood—they can kill you.

Delay too long, and your family is ruined.

Now that I’ve succeeded at Star Pointing, I must earn silver quickly to repay this debt, earn more so my father can rest easy and my sister can live better.

Instructor, I beg you to help me!” As he spoke, Xu Jin bowed deeply to Ning Yuchan.

He couldn’t bring himself to kneel for the loan.

But after enduring society’s blows, bending his waist to ask for silver was something he could do.

Ning Yuchan watched Xu Jin’s deep bow, her heart stirred with complexity.

His words changed her view of this boy considerably.

She knew Xu Dajiang—he’d sacrificed greatly for Xu Jin. She’d met the little girl, Xu Jiang, several times—thoughtful and sweet.

For Xu Jin to have such thoughts after Star Pointing was no small thing—it honored his father’s efforts, and showed character.

He was a true man.

Originally, Ning Yuchan had planned to refuse outright—she was merely an instructor; if every youth came to her for help, she’d bankrupt herself trying.

But Xu Jin’s words had shifted her mind.

Moreover, what if his cultivation talent had truly been suppressed by his congenital illness?

Then his future potential—

“Tell me,” Ning Yuchan said after long thought, “how do you want me to help you?”

Xu Jin secretly rejoiced—her tone meant his “investment” (loan) request had a chance.

“Instructor, I need to borrow one hundred taels to buy elixirs and maintain my current Body Tempering pace, aiming to break through to Qi Absorption First Stage by the end of the Star Pointing season.

If you lend me one hundred taels, I’ll forever remember your great kindness—indeed, your life-saving grace—and repay you two hundred taels in one year,” Xu Jin said.

To borrow silver, you must lower your pride and give a clear repayment date.

That was Xu Jin’s experience from his past life.

Those who say “I’ll pay back in a few days or weeks” always need chasing.

He added, “Instructor, I’ll write a promissory note.”

Ning Yuchan studied Xu Jin again, carefully, and made her judgment.

This Xu Jin, based on her past knowledge and today’s observations, was filial and loyal.

Today, he showed responsibility.

Not only is your conduct bold, but you have logic to back it up.

Who knows, you might achieve something great in the future.

If you borrow this silver, it would be like delivering charcoal in the snow.

As the saying goes, adding flowers to brocade is easy, but delivering charcoal in the snow is hard.

“Hmm, you’ve got guts, you’re filial, you’re loyal and righteous—I like that!”

“Here, I’m lending you this hundred taels of silver.” As she spoke, Ning Yuchan pulled out a banknote from her bosom and handed it to Xu Jin. “It’s from the Sito Bank. Keep it safe.”

Xu Jin quickly accepted it and thanked her again. “Thank you, Instructor. I’ll repay double in a year.”

“No need.”

Ning Yuchan cut him off. “Just return the principal in a year. No interest. Just remember you owe me a favor.”

“This—”

“Hmm? You’re unwilling to owe me a favor?” Ning Yuchan’s gaze suddenly turned sharp.

“How could I be? If I could, I’d gladly owe you even more favors right now,” Xu Jin chuckled. “Instructor, let me write you a promissory note.”

“No need. In Jinshan County, few dare to default on a debt to Ning Yuchan.” Ning Yuchan lifted her head, radiating confidence.

(End of Chapter)