True Disciple (3rd Update, Seeking Monthly Votes and Follow-ups)

Martial arts room.

"Chenzhou, you've been at the martial hall for half a year now. How do you feel about this place?"

Ji Xuantong sat there with an easygoing expression.

"It feels like home."

Lu Chenzhou kept it brief.

Ji Xuantong was very pleased inside.

"Hahaha, that's the highest praise a commercial martial arts hall can receive."

He continued,

"To be honest, I didn't have especially high hopes for you at first. I thought that after finishing those thirty classes, you might never have anything to do with the martial hall again.

"But your performance surprised me. Three consecutive realm breakthroughs in half a year, opening four apertures, Black Tiger Fist at minor mastery... I admit that I misjudged you back then."

Lu Chenzhou fell silent.

It was perfectly normal to misjudge someone; no one was a sage or a saint.

Who could have known that he would awaken a Martial Dao Tree? The hall master was willing to speak such heartfelt words to him. Lu Chenzhou felt that Ji Xuantong was a sincere man, worthy of being called a Martial Artist.

Ji Xuantong asked directly,

"Lu Chenzhou, are you willing to become my true disciple?"

Lu Chenzhou was first startled, then answered without the slightest hesitation,

"Lu Chenzhou pays respects to Teacher!"

In modern society, people did not favor kowtowing or those cumbersome old-fashioned apprenticeship rituals. Lu Chenzhou stood where he was, repeatedly thanking Ji Xuantong.

Then he remembered something and asked,

"Teacher, what about the true disciple fee?"

True disciples at commercial martial arts halls all had to pay an apprenticeship fee. Lu Chenzhou did not know how much it would be, but it was certainly a price his family could not afford.

Ji Xuantong said,

"There's no need for an apprenticeship fee. From now on, you and Shi Ruyu will serve as teaching assistants for my public classes. Shi Ruyu will be responsible for teaching Basic Fist Art, while you will teach Sea-Skimming Body. That way, you'll be working for me... your wages will offset the apprenticeship fee."

Hearing that, warmth filled Lu Chenzhou's heart.

He could not have been happier to demonstrate martial arts for others.

That way, he could raise his proficiency too. Why not?

Lu Chenzhou said solemnly,

"In the old days, a beneficent teacher was like a father. I will never forget the hall master's great kindness!"

Ji Xuantong said,

"Don't burden yourself with too many thoughts. I also value your potential and hope you can accomplish something great, making the Flying Swallow Martial Hall's name ring out.

"From true disciples of a martial arts hall to Wuda, it is all, in truth, an investment in martial arts talent. From there, branches spread and leaves unfurl, forming a network of connections that belongs to us. Wealth, companions, methods, and grounds—this is the same principle. Martial arts cultivation has never been about building a cart behind closed doors!"

Lu Chenzhou understood.

"I'll remember that."

"Other than your parents, if anyone asks how much your true disciple fee was, say you signed a confidentiality agreement... and remind your parents to keep it confidential too."

"Understood."

After the simple apprenticeship ceremony,

Lu Chenzhou was officially entered into Ji Xuantong's roster of true disciples.

Ji Xuantong said,

"I currently have three true disciples under me. Your eldest martial sister is Ji Feiyan, your second martial sister is Shi Ruyu, and you are the third... barring any surprises, I will not take any more disciples.

"So the three of you must help each other and keep the school harmonious.

"I can see that you and Shi Ruyu have a rather good relationship, so I'm not worried about that. It's just that Feiyan has had a flamboyant personality since childhood and may be a little proud. Of course, she's a good person. Her classmates all praise her for being warm and generous, and she has many friends at Dragon City University of Martial Arts."

Lu Chenzhou said,

"I feel that Eldest Martial Sister is a very good person."

Ji Xuantong nodded.

"That's good, then."

His energy was limited, and he wanted to spend his remaining time pursuing a higher realm.

He did not dare hope for anything too lofty; a Second Shackle Breakthrough would be enough.

That would further stabilize the Ji Clan's position in Su City's martial arts circles.

After he grew old, if Ji Feiyan wanted to return to Su City to develop her career, he would give her the martial arts hall. If she did not return, the hall might simply close its doors. But the network of connections formed through the martial arts hall had to be maintained well; it would be useful to the Ji Clan's development.

Relying on blood descendants alone to maintain things could not last long.

Martial arts families were, in essence, martial arts circles of every size. There were bonds of blood and kinship, as well as bonds between masters and disciples... roots and branches intertwined, their influence reaching far and deep.

"It's getting late. Go home early... Tomorrow night, I'll reserve a private room at the nearby Heavenly Immortal's Drunkenness. Consider it an apprenticeship banquet, and we can all get together."

Ji Xuantong patted Lu Chenzhou on the shoulder.

Lu Chenzhou seemed to wake from a dream, murmuring inwardly,

I became a Martial Artist's true disciple!

That was far more impressive than being an ordinary student or a core student. To put it plainly, those former positions were maintained entirely by money, while becoming a true disciple was not something money alone could buy.

A Martial Artist had to think highly of you.

Martial Artists were not short of money, and they cared about their reputations. Very few Martial Artists would profit by selling true disciple slots in bulk at exorbitant prices; they would be despised by the martial arts circle.

Doing so would only cheapen themselves in the end.

Shihu Garden, Building 3, Unit 2802.

"Mom, I'm back!"

Lu Chenzhou's tone today could not conceal his happiness.

"What's got you so happy?"

Li Xianghua was working out along with a video, drenched in sweat.

By now, the entire family had been motivated by Lu Chenzhou.

Life lay in movement!

"Mom, my results on last month's exam weren't very good."

Lu Chenzhou decided to give the bad news first.

"It's fine. Martial arts training is exhausting enough for you, so don't push yourself too hard."

Li Xianghua comforted him.

"But I still held steady in the top twenty."

"...How is that not good? That's very good!"

Li Xianghua let out a sigh of relief.

She cared more about her son's martial arts, but she also did not want his academic classes to fall too far behind.

She asked,

"You must have something else to tell me, right?"

With Lu Chenzhou's personality, if he was this happy, it had to be tremendous news!

Could it be that a Wuda teacher had already taken notice of him?

She watched short videos, and supposedly every university had professional "martial talent scouts" whose usual job was to follow various competitions and news, uncovering overlooked geniuses.

She had always believed it.

Lu Chenzhou was gold; sooner or later, he would shine!

"Our hall master accepted me as a true disciple."

As the news reached her ears, Li Xianghua instinctively felt that she was dreaming.

More than once, she had dreamed of Lu Chenzhou entering Wuda, being taken in by a famous master, and becoming a Martial Artist—an archetypal case of thinking of something by day and dreaming of it by night.

Her obsession with Lu Chenzhou becoming a Martial Artist now ran deep.

For various reasons, the family was in a difficult position now.

She and Lu Guoping hid many things from Lu Chenzhou, afraid they would affect his mood for martial arts training. She and Lu Guoping carried a mountain on their backs, longing to set it down sooner.

"Mom, why aren't you saying anything?"

"Really?"

"Really."

After confirming it was not a dream, Li Xianghua's first question was,

"How much does it cost? If the fee is too high, can we pay in installments?"

Even core members had to pay two thousand per class.

Wouldn't the true disciple fee be sky-high?

Lu Chenzhou remembered the hall master's warning.

"Mom, you don't need to worry about money. It's already been settled... If relatives or friends ask about the fee, just say you don't know because I signed a confidentiality agreement."

He repeated the hall master's words to her.

"This... He really didn't charge any money?"

Li Xianghua was even more shocked.

Under normal circumstances, that meant her son was exceptionally outstanding. The Martial Artist could not wait to take him as a true disciple... Could Chenzhou really be a peerless genius blessed by heaven?

How things had developed completely exceeded her expectations.

Lu Chenzhou said, "From now on, the martial arts hall will be my second home."

"Mhm, mhm! When you become successful in the future, make sure to repay him properly! He is your benefactor. We absolutely cannot be ungrateful people!" Li Xianghua reminded him again and again.

"Mom, I'm going to rest. Good night."

Lu Chenzhou returned to his bedroom, lay on his bed, and happily savored the moment by himself.

Li Xianghua was already calling Lu Guoping.

"We've run out of martial arts supplements. Bring back a box when you come home."

"Alright. Didn't he go test his blood qi today? How did it go?"

"He reached the third stage! I knew our son wouldn't waste your money!"

On the other end of the call, Lu Guoping was silent for quite a while.

"So that means Pingjiang Martial University is basically secured?"

"Hmph, what do you think? There's another piece of good news too. I'll tell you when you get back."

"Alright, I'm coming home right away. Overtime? Overtime my ass!"

Half an hour later, Lu Guoping rushed home in a whirlwind.

Li Xianghua jumped excitedly as she said,

"Chenzhou was accepted as Ji Xuantong's true disciple!"

Struck by two pieces of tremendous news in a row, Lu Guoping was stunned for a moment as well.

"True... true disciple?"

Seeking monthly votes, follow-ups, and recommendation votes.