Contradiction

"Forget it, forget it. We're all in the same dormitory; we'll be seeing each other day in and day out."

Wang Huan frowned and, taking the stance of the dormitory's big brother, advised, "Chen Sanli was out of line here. If he wanted to eat bean paste, he should've at least told Xu Yuan!"

Wang Huan had been the first among them to break through as a martial artist, and Master Feng had publicly acknowledged his talent as excellent. Naturally, his standing was considerable.

Hearing this, Chen Sanli drew a deep breath, forced out a smile, and apologized to Xu Yuan with an ingratiating grin. "Brother Xu, sorry about that. My fault, my fault."

"And you too, Brother Xu. It's such a small matter—did you really have to make everyone lose face?"

After criticizing Chen Sanli, Wang Huan turned and began lecturing Xu Yuan. "Always remember that we're no longer those lowly Laborers from before. Now that we're martial artists, we ought to have some dignity, shouldn't we?"

Hearing those words and that posture of giving both sides the same punishment.

Xu Yuan raised his head and glanced at him without saying a word, silently packing away the clothes his sister-in-law had bought for him.

That silent response seemed to say nothing, yet seemed to say everything, leaving Wang Huan standing there in awkward embarrassment.

The air in the room fell silent at once.

Xiao Sheng watched the scene without getting involved. To him, the most important thing now was practicing martial arts and changing his fate.

As for the others, though they knew one another, they had little real friendship.

So naturally, he said nothing. Still, through this incident, he quietly observed their conduct and temperaments.

If he could find one or two friends worth knowing deeply, he felt that wouldn't be a bad thing.

"Hey, hey, calm down, everyone. Isn't it just a jar of bean paste?"

Li Shan spoke up then, trying to smooth things over. "Chen Sanli, if you really want some, I'll go out and buy a jar later..."

"Brother Li!" Xu Yuan's eyelid twitched as he cut him off.

You absolutely couldn't show this sort of person a kind face. Otherwise, he would climb right up your nose. You might think you were looking after him, but in truth, he would only be happy to take advantage.

Li Shan's family ran a small business too. By rights, he ought to have some sense of the situation, shouldn't he?

Just as Xu Yuan was feeling vexed.

Li Shan waved a hand at him and spoke again. "Brother Xu, look at Chen Sanli—he's craving it like a dog... though I'm craving a bite myself."

How could Li Shan fail to see that Chen Sanli had gone too far? That was why he deliberately put him down in his words.

On the other hand, his good-old-guy nature had flared up again. He felt that the people in the dormitory ought to get along well; perhaps they might be useful to one another someday.

It was a lesson Li Shan's father had repeatedly brought up when he went home a few days ago.

But he didn't know one thing: the premise of a useful relationship was that the other person also thought you were useful.

"Just wait." Li Shan looked at Chen Sanli, shook his head, and went out.

"That's great! Thanks, Brother Li. Brother Li really is generous!" Seeing someone offer him a way out—and getting to take advantage as well—Chen Sanli immediately showered him with flattering words.

Xu Yuan shook his head. He felt he truly couldn't carry this group. Not only had the matter twisted and turned, it had also made him seem even more petty.

Still, he knew what kind of person Li Shan was. He had some of that good-old-guy trait in him.

Just like back in the outer court: even when his own martial arts progress had suffered, he would still squeeze out time to guide others.

It would have been fine if it worked, but looking at things now, how many of the people he had helped had broken through as martial artists?

It had all been for nothing.

"Damn it, you're certainly quick when it comes to taking advantage!" Seeing the other man's eager expression, Li Shan laughed and cursed.

But Xu Yuan knew that Li Shan wasn't angry when he said it. Rather, there was a sense of satisfaction in being needed. Chen Sanli was likewise all smiles; who knew whether he was grateful, or secretly calling Li Shan a fool for letting him take advantage?

And that was more or less what Chen Sanli was thinking right now. He felt Li Shan was easy to talk to and generous, so he could get closer to him later and take more advantage.

With the matter settled, Xu Yuan no longer paid attention. After folding and putting away his clothes, he couldn't help muttering inwardly: Li Shan was a pretty good person, but he couldn't distinguish sides. He thought he could get along with anyone, regardless of closeness or distance.

"Forget it. I'd better keep some distance from him in the future." Xu Yuan shook his head and got up, preparing to go to the Pill Hall to buy some precious medicine.

"Brother Li, Brother Wang, Brother Xu, Brother Xiao, it's time to eat. Want to go to the dining hall together?" Chen Sanli spoke up again, returning to his playful, grinning manner.

Even Xu Yuan had to marvel at how thick-skinned the man was.

They had just had a conflict, yet he could turn around and put it aside immediately, calling everyone "brother" with such warmth. Never mind that everyone present was actually younger than him.

"Forget it, you go ahead. I've already eaten." Xu Yuan waved him off. Only after watching the others leave the dormitory arm in arm did he head for the Pill Hall.

The Pill Hall stood at the center of the Shangyang Family estate. Its exterior was an extremely luxurious ancient-style building. Quite a few people were already coming and going, dressed in all manner of clothing, their statuses high and low.

The moment Xu Yuan stepped inside, a rich medicinal fragrance rushed into his nostrils. Looking up, he saw lofty beams on either side, while the surrounding walls were decorated with cloud patterns and exquisite illustrations of medicinal herbs.

"As expected of a great wealthy family. Their setup really is different." After looking around for a while, Xu Yuan couldn't help sighing.

He then went to the medicine-purchasing counter and bought three portions of Meridian Nourishing Powder and three bottles of Blood Activating Pills, spending more than one tael of silver. But Xu Yuan was fairly well-off at the moment, so it did not pain him too much.

Meridian Nourishing Powder was medicine ground into powder. Its effects were similar to a brewed soup's, except it was easier to carry.

When he opened the Blood Activating Pills, a fresh yet bitter scent wafted toward him. "According to Master Feng, this can strengthen one's foundation of qi and blood, helping one break through one's realm."

As for the Meridian Nourishing Powder, it was meant to nourish the meridians and reduce damage to them.

These two items were among the most commonly used consumables for martial artists.

However, Xu Yuan had just noticed that people wearing gray robes like his occupied more than half the hall. At least several hundred people came and went, with all their resources supplied by the Pill Hall.

"With such massive medicinal consumption, how does the Shangyang Family manage it?"

Unable to figure it out, Xu Yuan cast aside those jumbled thoughts and returned to the training ground in the courtyard.

He poured out a Blood Activating Pill and tossed it into his mouth. It tasted sweet with a trace of bitterness. Once it went down his throat, his entire body grew scorching hot, and a faint stabbing pain even came from his meridians.

Xu Yuan quickly took another dose of Meridian Nourishing Soup, then happily practiced his stance work. Before long, the two medicinal effects compressed into a majestic surge of qi and blood that circulated through his meridians.