Call Me Jing Ye

The next morning, as soon as Xue Jing woke up, he washed up and got himself ready. After making breakfast for Maomao, who was still asleep, he immediately headed out, took the bus to the East District, and entered the office building where the Hidden Dragon Dojo was located.

He took the elevator to the seventeenth floor and entered through the main doors, where he saw the Cheongsam Girl who had received him yesterday sitting at the front desk.

Xue Jing walked over, tapped on the reception desk, and smiled. "Morning."

The Cheongsam Girl, who had arrived early for work and was secretly slacking off on her phone while yawning, jumped in fright. She looked up, saw that it was Xue Jing, hurriedly put away her phone, and stood up.

"G-good morning, Young Master Xue."

Young Master?

Xue Jing was not used to that rather decadent-sounding form of address.

He waved a hand and said modestly, "Why call me Young Master? No need to be so respectful. Keep it simple—just call me Jing Ye."

The Cheongsam Girl: "..."

That sounded even more excessive than Young Master.

Still, she immediately replied with a sweet smile, "Yes, Jing Ye~"

"Mm." Xue Jing answered, feeling much more comfortable now.

After he had defeated Zhu Shan Ying, a Personal Disciple, yesterday, Li Qi had announced on the spot that he would take Xue Jing as his disciple. The Hidden Dragon Dojo had gained another Personal Disciple.

From then on, he was the Hidden Dragon Dojo's Personal Disciple and Junior Brother. His status was second only to Li Qi, the dojo master. Ordinary disciples had to respectfully address him as Junior Brother, while staff members who were not disciples had to call him "Young Master."

It feels like I suddenly jumped social classes...

Thinking this, Xue Jing left the front desk and walked into the dojo.

The Cheongsam Girl watched his departing back until he vanished from sight, then sat back down with a faint sense of loss.

Walking straight ahead, Xue Jing headed directly to the training hall.

It was still early, and only a handful of diligent ordinary disciples were in the training hall. When they saw him enter, they all greeted him as Junior Brother, their attitudes quite respectful.

This was also one of the reasons Ning Fengwan had wanted him to enter the dojo by challenging it. After what had happened yesterday, having witnessed his strength, no one had any objections to such a young and gifted boy suddenly becoming a Personal Disciple.

"Junior Brother~ Over here!"

Hearing someone call out beside him, Xue Jing turned and saw that handsome young man, one of the Personal Disciples.

"...Senior Brother." Xue Jing nodded to him with a smile.

The young man smiled back and said cheerfully, "My surname is Chen, given name Fu Guang. Just call me Senior Brother Chen."

"Come with me, Junior Brother. I've been waiting for you for quite a while."

With that, he took the lead and headed out of the training hall.

Xue Jing got up and followed.

As Chen Fu Guang led the way, he said, "You're a Personal Disciple, so you have your own dedicated training room. I've already cleaned it up for you. From now on, you'll practice in there. I'll show you the way first."

Xue Jing nodded. "Sorry to trouble you, Senior Brother."

"By the way, Senior Brother Chen, where are Master and the other senior brothers and sisters?"

he asked curiously.

"Master had an appointment with a doctor today. His legs have some old chronic problems, so every so often, he goes to the doctor for a checkup. He'll be back soon," Chen Fu Guang explained with a smile.

"As for the other senior brothers and sisters... let me introduce them first."

"There are currently four Personal Disciples staying at the dojo. Aside from me, ranked fifth, there's Zhu Shan Ying, Junior Sister Zhu, whom you fought yesterday. She's ranked sixth and is the youngest Personal Disciple apart from you. You also met the other two yesterday: Senior Brother Meng Bo Shang and Fourth Senior Sister Meng Qing Jiao."

"Are those two related?" Recalling the resemblance in their appearances and expressions, Xue Jing asked.

Chen Fu Guang smiled and nodded. "They're father and daughter. Senior Brother was the earliest to join the dojo. Later, he married and had a daughter, Meng Senior Sister. Since she was very gifted, Master took her in as a disciple too."

"We Personal Disciples usually have work to do. It was just a coincidence that all four of us were here yesterday. Senior Brother and Meng Senior Sister are the most capable, so they have the most on their plates. After you went home yesterday, they left to work and still haven't returned. Junior Sister Zhu went with Master to see the doctor..."

As they spoke, the two rounded a corner and arrived at an elegantly decorated corridor with an antique charm. Xue Jing looked up and saw seven doors in total along both sides of the corridor—three on the left and four on the right. Each door bore a plaque with a Chinese numeral, from one to seven.

"Master's name is Li Qi, so when he founded the dojo over twenty years ago, he said he would take in seven Personal Disciples. So no matter how many times the dojo has moved, seven training rooms have always been prepared during renovations."

Chen Fu Guang spoke with some emotion.

"Now that you're here, Junior Brother, the Hidden Dragon Dojo is finally full."

They stopped before the door marked "Seven," and Chen Fu Guang reached out to push it open.

It was a spacious room of around eighty square meters, with expensive-looking burgundy hardwood flooring. There was almost no furniture inside, leaving the entire room visible at a glance.

"This training room will be yours from now on."

Chen Fu Guang patted Xue Jing on the shoulder, then changed the subject. "All right, your senior brother has something urgent to take care of. Junior Brother, feel free to look around the dojo. Master will be back shortly."

Xue Jing nodded and smiled. "It seems Personal Disciples really are busy. Senior Brother Chen has to head out to work so early in the morning too."

Chen Fu Guang waved a hand. "Not that. I met a rich older woman at a bar last night. We agreed to exchange some martial arts insights today..."

Xue Jing: "..."

Chen Fu Guang hurried off. Xue Jing did not wander around either, instead remaining in the training room and sitting quietly to practice the Breathing Method.

As the levels of his various physical-condition-related skills rose, and as he gradually cultivated force, his body's adaptability to the Breathing Method had greatly increased.

He could now perform around twenty consecutive cycles of the basic Breathing Method before feeling unable to continue.

You practiced the Breathing Method once. Fitness EXP +16

You practiced the Breathing Method once. Fitness EXP +16

After two rounds of the Breathing Method and half an hour had passed, an aged voice suddenly sounded beside him.

"Your basic Breathing Method carries traces of the Breathing Method used at the Golden Wind Dojo. Where did you learn it?"

Xue Jing opened his eyes and only then realized that Li Qi, seated in his wheelchair, was right beside him. He had no idea when the man had arrived—like a ghost.

He hurriedly stood and clasped his fists toward Li Qi. "Master."

After a pause, he added, "There's a classmate at school who was once a disciple at the Golden Wind Dojo for a time. He taught it to me."

Li Qi nodded and smiled. "No need to be nervous. I was only asking casually. You're Ning Yatou's little boyfriend, so aside from being master and disciple, we have another connection too."

Xue Jing froze for a moment, but he did not deny being called her little boyfriend. He merely asked curiously, "Master, what is your relationship with her?"

Li Qi thought for a moment, then said wistfully, "It should be... the sort of relationship where I wanted to be her grandfather, but ultimately never became one."

Xue Jing: "Huh?"

Happy New Year's Eve, readers~