Drunk Upon a Beauty's Knees, Awake to Command the World

"An inner city two-courtyard residence? A monthly subsidy of a hundred taels of silver?" Chen Lin drew in a sharp breath.

A hundred taels of silver was nothing much. So long as he became a Demon Slayer Envoy and worked hard, he would earn it sooner or later. But a two-courtyard residence in the Inner City—that was simply too extravagant.

One had to know that the safest place in Nanqing City was the Inner City. The entire Inner City covered just over five thousand mu, and for Nanqing City's population of three hundred thousand residents, the number of residences there was exceedingly scarce and precious.

Chen Lin had previously entertained the thought of saving up after becoming a Demon Slayer Envoy and moving his family into the Inner City.

But after learning about the qualifications and prices for purchasing property in the Inner City, he immediately gave up on the idea of moving there anytime soon.

All residences for sale or already sold in the Inner City came from the Four Great Powers. The residents of the Inner City were also martial artists and their families from the Four Great Powers and their affiliated factions. No matter how wealthy outsiders were, unless they obtained the status of a Demon Slayer Envoy, they had no right to purchase a residence in the Inner City.

Moreover, buying a one-courtyard residence in the Inner City required not only the strength of a Martial Master, but at least one hundred and fifty thousand taels of silver. A two-courtyard residence required at least the strength of a Martial Grandmaster and no less than three hundred thousand taels of silver.

Based on the fact that the materials from a Demon Soldier-level demonic beast could sell for six hundred to two thousand taels, Chen Lin would need to hunt roughly a hundred Demon Soldier-level demonic beasts by himself before he could save enough silver for a one-courtyard residence in the Inner City.

Demon Soldier-level demonic beasts corresponded to Martial Master-level human martial artists.

By common understanding, demonic beasts of the same rank generally possessed combat strength one or two minor realms higher than humans.

Chen Lin was currently an early Martial Master. He would need to advance at least two more minor realms before he qualified to fight the weakest Demon Soldier-level demonic beast.

If he wanted to buy a two-courtyard residence in the Inner City, then judging by the cultivation pace of an ordinary martial artist, he would have to train diligently for at least ten years before having a chance to save enough silver for it.

From this, it was clear that Zhu Wei had truly paid a heavy price to win over Chen Lin, a martial artist with promising future talent.

"Young fellow, with your talent, as long as you are willing to work hard, I believe you will obtain these things sooner or later. But the earlier you get them, the earlier you can enjoy them. Think over my invitation." Zhu Wei smiled and patted Chen Lin's shoulder.

"Kid, as the master of Lieyang Martial Arts School, I also hope you will consider this senior's suggestion. The path of martial arts is exceedingly rugged for ordinary people. If you have a team supporting one another, the road of cultivation ahead will at least be much easier. Once you become a Martial Grandmaster, you will lack neither wealth, status, beauties, nor power." Shen Honglang smiled faintly and added his persuasion.

"If I become a member of the War God Temple, I will definitely join Senior's Monster Slaying Squad." After pondering for a while, Chen Lin agreed with a serious expression.

Chen Lin knew that Shen Honglang's advice came from genuine goodwill, and inwardly, he was not particularly resistant to Zhu Wei's recruitment either.

"Good! Then I'll wait for your good news!" Zhu Wei immediately revealed a satisfied smile.

Seeing Chen Lin's response, Shen Honglang also nodded repeatedly, his face full of gratification.

After the two men left, Chen Lin stood on the training grounds, his heart surging with emotion.

Whether it was Shen Honglang, master of Lieyang Martial Arts School, or Zhu Wei, the Rank 8 Monster Exterminator of the War God Temple, Chen Lin could sense from their words and expressions an upward-driving confidence and pride, as though power, wealth, and glory were there for the taking.

"Wealth, status, beauties, power?" A smile gradually appeared on Chen Lin's face. "A man should live like this—drunk upon a beauty's knees, awake to command the world's power, with such dominance and boldness. A man who does not want to be emperor is no good man, and a martial artist who does not want to subdue all heroes cannot be called a martial artist at all."

"One must fight for something in life—fight until one's power overshadows the world, fight until one stands peerless beneath heaven!"

He had come to this world and possessed such a formidable cheat. If he did not press Xiang Yuntian, the strongest man in the world, beneath his buttocks, he would be betraying his identity as a transmigrator.

As for Feng Qiyuan, the second strongest expert and founder of the Martial Arts Academy, Chen Lin felt that as a Chinese man, he had never regarded second place as a goal in life.

That afternoon, Chen Lin walked out of Quiet Heart Building at Lieyang Martial Arts School with a smile on his face.

Shen Honglang and Zhu Wei stood at the highest point of Quiet Heart Building, silently watching Chen Lin's departing back, their eyes brimming with anticipation.

On the road to the training grounds, Chen Lin encountered Zhang Shan, who had come to the martial arts school to train.

As they walked and talked, Chen Lin did not hide his decision to join the War God Temple from Zhang Shan.

Hearing that Chen Lin intended to join the War God Temple, Zhang Shan could not help crying out, "A Lin, are you really confident you can pass the War God Temple's entrance examination?"

"Mm, about ninety percent confident!" Chen Lin replied with a smile.

Zhang Shan's face was full of disbelief. He jokingly said, "Really? Has your strength improved that fiercely lately? If you have some secret trick, hurry up and share it with your brother here!"

"Hahaha! This is something that can only be understood, not spoken! Can't say it, can't say it!" Chen Lin laughed heartily.

"Tch! You're fooling me again!" Zhang Shan could not help complaining.

"Is that Chen Lin?"

"I heard Duan Xingze beat him unconscious during the martial examination. He did not even get into the lower academy of Nanqing Martial Academy. What a pity!"

"Yeah. I used to admire him quite a bit. I never expected things to end like this. It really is beyond imagination!"

"This is fate! No one can say otherwise!"

"Since he could not enter the Martial Arts Academy, his martial path will stop here for the rest of his life. His greatest achievement will probably be becoming some household guard. Sigh, what a shame. He had such good talent for martial arts."

"I heard someone drugged him, though who knows whether it's true!"

"It's probably eight or nine times out of ten true. Sigh, ordinary people should keep their talents hidden. Otherwise, ending up like Chen Lin is truly chilling and tragic!"

"The poor should act like the poor. He strutted around so high-profile every day. If they did not deal with him, who would they deal with? He deserved it!"

"Exactly! Did he think that having a little strength meant he could put on airs? Doesn't he know Nanqing City is the world of great clans and noble families like ours?"

"Hahaha! He even dares come to Lieyang Martial Arts School. If I had failed the martial examination, I would be too ashamed to show my face here!"

"Maybe he's enjoying the last few days he has left as a martial student!"

"Poor people are all the same!"

There were considerably more martial students on the training grounds that afternoon. Quite a few who knew Chen Lin could not help whispering among themselves when they saw him.

Ever since Chen Lin broke through to the Martial Master realm, his hearing had long become extraordinary. He heard every word of those martial students' hushed discussions about him.

As the strongest martial student of the previous class at Lieyang Martial Arts School, Chen Lin had already rubbed many people the wrong way.

Now that Chen Lin had failed the martial examination, some martial students who disliked him and lacked much talent themselves naturally felt an inexplicable sense of delight.

As the two drew closer and closer to the training grounds, Zhang Shan also heard their discussions. He immediately said to Chen Lin with displeasure, "Chen Lin, you absolutely have to join the War God Temple soon! You can't let these dogs who worship the high and trample the low get their way!"

Zhang Shan did not deliberately lower his voice. Some martial students standing near them froze for a moment upon hearing him, then incredulously asked those beside them whether they had misheard.

"Chen Lin wants to join the War God Temple? Is that real? Does he have that kind of strength?"

"Zhang Shan probably heard us talking and felt indignant, so he's bragging there. Chen Lin was only a Late Martial Disciple during the martial examination. Even if his cultivation has soared by leaps and bounds over these past two months, it's impossible for him to suddenly break through to Martial Master."

"Exactly! What kind of people are members of the War God Temple? They are all beings above ordinary men, whom no one dares provoke. Even the city lord has to show them some respect. Did he really think just anyone could join the War God Temple?"

Deep down, the martial students on the training grounds simply refused to believe that Chen Lin could have made such a tremendous breakthrough in less than two months.

After all, martial arts could not be achieved in a single stroke. They required the accumulation of days and months, tireless morning practice and evening training.