New Batch of Martial Students

The next morning.

Xu Yuan went to the Personnel Hall as usual to choose an assignment. Since he had done well teaching the martial students last month, he naturally remained in the post.

Afterward, he received this month's salary, along with the reward for breaking through as a martial artist, for a total of four taels and five mace of silver.

Walking slowly down the road, Xu Yuan calculated in his heart:

I currently have more than a hundred and twenty taels in savings. Though my monthly wages aren't little, they are nowhere near enough to keep up with the rate of spending.

Besides, according to Uncle Zhao, the resources and precious medicines required for the Third Meridian realm will rise to another level. It will take more than ten taels of silver each month, not to mention the Fourth Meridian...

At that thought, Xu Yuan shook his head. Silver truly vanished like water.

But I can only keep moving forward. Whatever comes later, I'll build a bridge when I reach water and carve a road when I meet a mountain.

After collecting his monthly pay and choosing his assignment, Xu Yuan came out to find Chen Sanli chatting with someone outside. Chen Sanli's eyes lit up when he saw him, and he hurried over.

"Morning, Brother Xu."

"Morning." Xu Yuan nodded, then asked, "Why haven't I seen Tian Yang?"

Chen Sanli answered, "He finished choosing long ago and decided to go to the medicinal fields outside the city."

"I also ran into Wang Huan and Xiao Sheng just now. Wang Huan got two months of freely chosen assignments and went to the Level Three area. Xiao Sheng stayed where he was. As for Qin Yang..."

At this point, Chen Sanli said with undisguised glee, "No need to guess—he's definitely still rolling around in the Level Four area. Things probably won't be easy for him from now on."

In truth, it was exactly as he had predicted.

Because Qin Yang had delayed matters and caused their entire team to suffer severe losses, he was now hated by everyone. With injuries on top of that, he could barely take a single step.

Xu Yuan neither agreed nor disagreed. He had never had much of a relationship with the man, so he merely sighed at the news and let it pass.

The two chatted for a few more moments. Then Xu Yuan took his leave and returned to the training ground of Outer Courtyard D.

Li Hua and the other person were still in charge of the Meridian Nourishing Soup this month. Xu Yuan greeted them, then went to the rear courtyard to answer the Laborers' questions. He left shortly afterward.

After all, what the Laborers needed most now was diligent practice. No matter how much he explained other techniques, it would be useless.

When he arrived at the front courtyard, Xu Yuan looked at the unfamiliar new faces before him without much feeling. He had them line up neatly, introduce themselves, and then began teaching.

After a month, he was already thoroughly familiar with the entire process.

After a simple explanation, he demonstrated a martial artist's might as usual. Once he had harvested a sea of shocked expressions, he began teaching them stance training.

After performing the full routine once, Xu Yuan asked, "Did you all remember it? That little fatty over there... yes, you. Come up and demonstrate."

The moment his words fell, some of the martial students below perked up. Sure enough, the martial master will call a few people up for personal guidance. This chance is crucial—I have to seize it!

The Shangyang Family had expanded its martial student enrollment for three or four batches already. Some "seniors" who had left without breaking through as martial artists had a flash of inspiration and compiled what they had seen and heard in the residence into booklets to sell outside.

Thus, many who had bought those booklets already understood what this meant. They held their breaths and focused, preparing to eagerly raise their hands.

A bunch of fools. They probably still don't know what this means. Once I go up and receive personal guidance, they'll regret it so badly they'll die of remorse!

Some martial students saw the blank looks on the others' faces and felt immensely pleased with themselves. They even began imagining the glorious scenes of their lives after becoming martial artists.

However, Xu Yuan did not grant their wishes.

Seeing that the little fatty practiced in fits and starts, Xu Yuan lost any interest in guiding him. After telling him to step down, he directly said:

"Alright, that's all for today. Practice the rest on your own!"

???

What, brother?

Those martial students who had been gathering momentum and preparing to throw up their hands were instantly dumbfounded.

Why wasn't this martial master playing by the rules?

Xu Yuan did not care what they were thinking. If someone had performed brilliantly enough to pique his interest, he might have guided a few more of them.

But in reality, no such person appeared.

Just as before, once the time it took an incense stick to burn had passed, he left the training ground and entered the quiet room.

Xu Yuan's daily rhythm remained unchanged. In the mornings and afternoons, he taught the Laborers and martial students for the time it took an incense stick to burn, then left as soon as the time was up.

He still devoted most of his energy to cultivation. He could free up roughly four hours each day, while using the scattered remaining time to study the boxing exercises and martial techniques.

Once life settled into a routine, time flowed by swiftly.

In the blink of an eye, it was the twentieth day of the second month.

The new month was about to end as well.

That morning, Xu Yuan was leading everyone through stance training when a martial student suddenly raised his hand in wild delight.

"Reporting to Martial Master Xu, I've broken through and become a martial artist!"

Without waiting for instructions, he consciously took out a wooden board and left a palm print on it.

"Mm, not bad!"

Xu Yuan looked over. He had some impression of this person—his name was Li Shun. He usually acted flamboyantly and loved showing off.

Still, anyone who could help him meet his quota was a good student.

"Move your luggage and bedding to the intensive training compound. Someone there will tell you what comes next."

"Thank you, Martial Master Xu."

Li Shun answered excitedly. After breaking through as a martial artist, even his thoughts felt more unrestrained. He then carried his luggage out from the dormitory. As he passed Xu Yuan, he paused. After hesitating for a moment, he said:

"Martial Master Xu, even if it offends people, I still want to say this... I became a martial artist entirely through my own aptitude and effort. You never guided me, and I won't be grateful to you!"

The implication was that his becoming a martial artist had nothing to do with Xu Yuan.

There was another implication as well: he had broken through the First Meridian in only twenty days, so the Second Meridian surely would not take long either. Seeing such outstanding talent as himself, did Xu Yuan regret it now?

As he said this, Li Shun felt incomparably exhilarated, filled with the thrill of my fate is mine, not Heaven's and never bully a poor young man.

After all, he had often fawned around Xu Yuan before, yet even when Xu Yuan guided others, he had never once looked his way.

This small slap to the face made Li Shun feel that he had become the center of attention. He was like one of those gifted young men from storybooks, standing up against the powerful!

At once, the crowd erupted into commotion. Their expressions were wonderfully varied, carrying the thrilling feeling of watching drama unfold right before their eyes.

He's got some nerve. I hope he'll still dare speak like that after he sees the true strength of a Second Meridian martial artist.

Xu Yuan raised an eyebrow, an amused look appearing on his face. Yet he did not squabble with a student, merely saying flatly, "Mm, understood."

Did he need Li Shun's gratitude? What he wanted was only the quota Li Shun could bring him.

As for whether those words had offended him?

Xu Yuan was not so petty. Besides, he truly had never guided Li Shun. The man was merely speaking the truth.

After all, Xu Yuan left every day once he finished the basic instruction and did not put much heart into the assignment. It was normal for the students to have some complaints. He could hardly be provoked into using Blue Silver Entanglement, could he?

Li Shun had wanted to see resentment, rage, or a broken expression on the martial master's face, but all he received was one weightless sentence.

That made him freeze for a moment. Then he felt somewhat guilty, afraid that Xu Yuan might suddenly lash out. He quickly turned and hurried away, ending with a whimper after beginning like a tiger.

"Young people really are young people!" Although Xu Yuan did not look much older than them on the surface, he still let out a sigh.

Does he think breaking through to the First Meridian means the sky is boundless and the sea is vast? This is only the beginning.

Xu Yuan shook his head and continued teaching them. His mood was not affected in the slightest.

Because after a month and a half of bitter training, he was nearly at that step as well.