The Edge of a Fine Sword Is Forged Through Hardship; If You Can Suffer Less, Then Suffer Less

They entered the city.

Lin Chen looked around curiously at everything.

The bluestone-paved street was three zhang wide, and pedestrians streamed endlessly along it.

Shops stood in rows on both sides of the street, with all kinds of signs. Some were hung with red silk bearing golden characters that glittered brilliantly under the sunlight; others were simple wooden plaques, proclaiming the deep roots of old establishments.

Well-dressed merchants and wealthy men, vendors hawking their wares as they walked the streets.

The entire county city was completely different from Riverbend Town. Here, Lin Chen felt prosperity and vitality.

This was a side of life the townspeople had never seen.

The townspeople worked hard mostly just to put three meals on the table, while the people in the city—especially wealthy merchants and powerful nobles—had long since escaped the struggle for food. Naturally, their spirits looked entirely different.

Clearwind Martial Arts Hall.

Yu Yongnian took Lin Chen straight into the martial hall and brought him to the reception hall, where a servant served them fragrant tea.

"Junior Brother Yu has arrived!"

Before long, footsteps came from the side door behind the screen, and a man walked out.

"Senior Brother Zhao."

Yu Yongnian replied with a smile and pointed to Lin Chen, who stood to one side. "This is Lin Chen, whom I mentioned the day before yesterday. He is the first person in Riverbend Martial Arts Hall to cultivate Essence Energy."

"Disciple Lin Chen greets Instructor Zhao." Lin Chen hurriedly bowed.

"Mm, very good."

Zhao Ce swept his gaze over Lin Chen before withdrawing it and sitting down in the seat of honor. "Junior Brother Yu has come all the way from the town. Have some tea first."

The two drank tea and reminisced for a while, while Lin Chen silently listened from the side.

The more he listened, the more something felt wrong.

Instructor Zhao only reminisced with Instructor Yu and did not mention Lin Chen joining the martial hall at all.

Yu Yongnian also noticed that something was amiss. He set down his teacup and asked, "Senior Brother Zhao, have the martial hall's procedures been completed?"

"Junior Brother Yu, I'm afraid this matter will be difficult."

Zhao Ce suddenly sighed. "This year, far more students from the various martial halls cultivated Essence Energy within a year than in previous years. To be honest, Senior Brother has met seven such students in just these past two days. The martial hall's quotas are already insufficient."

"There are ten quotas. It can't be that not a single one remains. Besides, Lin Chen is the first in the martial hall, so by the rules, he should have a quota for an Aperture Opening Pill."

Yu Yongnian's expression grew unpleasant. Each of the eight martial halls had ten quotas for students to receive an Aperture Opening Pill. If more than eighty students across the martial halls cultivated Essence Energy within a year, then some students truly would be unable to obtain a quota. But no matter how many there were, the top student would certainly receive one.

"Junior Brother Yu, don't get agitated. The martial hall did indeed still have two quotas the day before yesterday, but the matter of quotas isn't something Senior Brother alone can decide. Yesterday, the Deputy Hall Master gave the final two quotas to two other students. There's nothing I can do."

Zhao Ce sighed softly and looked toward Lin Chen. "The martial hall's quotas are indeed full. If Lin Chen is willing to join the martial hall, then for Junior Brother's sake, I can apply to the Hall Master for a yearly subsidy of ten taels of silver for him."

"No need."

Yu Yongnian rejected him outright. He had brought Lin Chen to Clearwind Martial Arts Hall because he had once come out of this martial hall himself. With that old connection, he had first recommended Lin Chen to it.

The second reason was that Lin Chen's circumstances were relatively well suited to Clearwind Martial Arts Hall's techniques. But that did not mean he had no other choices.

"Since the martial hall's quotas are full, then I won't trouble you any longer, Senior Brother. I'll take my leave."

"Junior Brother Yu, don't let your temper get the better of you and end up delaying Nephew Lin."

"There's no need for Senior Brother Zhao to worry. Lin Chen, let's go."

Yu Yongnian left with a dark expression, and Lin Chen naturally followed. Having lived two lifetimes, he was still good at reading people's expressions. This Instructor Zhao clearly looked down on him.

From the lofty, condescending look of charity on Instructor Zhao's face when he offered the ten-tael subsidy, Lin Chen understood that, in the man's eyes, he himself was not even worth a yearly subsidy of ten taels of silver.

"Bah, the son of a fisherman actually wants an Aperture Opening Pill? Junior Brother Yu really dares to dream. And he says he cultivated Essence Energy after spending less than twenty taels? Who does he think he can fool?"

Zhao Ce stood at the entrance of the main hall and spat as he watched Yu Yongnian and Lin Chen's departing backs.

If he had not made the promise the day before yesterday, he would not even have offered the ten-tael subsidy.

Being able to offer a yearly subsidy of ten taels of silver was already giving Yu Yongnian face. Yet he still refused to appreciate it. Then let him run into a wall at the other martial halls.

"Let's go to Mantis Martial Arts Hall."

After leaving Clearwind Martial Arts Hall, Yu Yongnian looked at Lin Chen. "Don't lose heart. The top student of every martial hall has always been able to obtain a quota for an Aperture Opening Pill from a martial hall. Clearwind Martial Arts Hall's quotas are full, but Mantis Martial Arts Hall should still have one."

"Disciple has truly troubled Instructor."

Lin Chen was sincerely grateful to Instructor Yu. Ever since he entered the martial hall, Instructor Yu had taken exceptional care of him. Now, for his sake, he had personally come to the martial halls to negotiate his treatment.

That was probably the treatment given to a Core Disciple.

The two crossed more than half the county city and arrived at Mantis Martial Arts Hall.

After Yu Yongnian announced his identity and explained their purpose, a servant of the martial hall led them into the reception room to wait. After the time it took to drink a cup of tea, a young instructor came out to receive them.

"I already know why Junior Brother Yu has come. The quota for an Aperture Opening Pill is gone, but our martial hall can give Lin Chen a yearly subsidy of fifteen taels."

Qian Yong spoke with a genial smile. The Martial Arts Administration had sent over the information on every student in the county who had cultivated Essence Energy first thing that morning. After examining Lin Chen's records, he had settled on a subsidy of fifteen taels.

"Senior Brother Qian, Lin Chen spent less than twenty taels in total to cultivate Essence Energy. This can be verified in the martial hall's records. In terms of martial talent, Lin Chen is in no way inferior to those Lineage disciples."

"If that's the case, why didn't Junior Brother Yu have Lin Chen join Clearwind Martial Arts Hall?"

Faced with Qian Yong's counter-question, Yu Yongnian fell silent. Could he say that Clearwind Martial Arts Hall had rejected Lin Chen?

"He cultivated Essence Energy with twenty taels of silver. Junior Brother Yu comes from Clearwind Martial Arts Hall. Surely Clearwind Martial Arts Hall wouldn't let such a disciple slip away."

Yu Yongnian remained silent. He could not say that Clearwind Martial Arts Hall's quotas were already full. Whether Zhao Ce's words were true or not, coming to Mantis Martial Arts Hall only after Clearwind Martial Arts Hall's quotas were full meant treating Mantis Martial Arts Hall as a backup. Saying that aloud would leave both sides unable to save face.

He did not believe Qian Yong could not guess this, yet the man still insisted on asking. His intention was already clear.

His attitude was equally clear: Mantis Martial Arts Hall would not give Lin Chen the quota for an Aperture Opening Pill.

"Sorry for troubling you."

Yu Yongnian clasped his fists and took his leave once more.

"I won't see Junior Brother Yu out."

After Yu Yongnian and Lin Chen had left, Qian Yong gave a cold snort. "What a joke. Clearwind Martial Arts Hall doesn't want him, so he comes to take advantage of our Mantis Martial Arts Hall? What does he take us for? He cultivated Essence Energy with less than twenty taels? Only an idiot would believe that."

At the entrance of Mantis Martial Arts Hall.

Yu Yongnian looked at Lin Chen. "Don't be discouraged. Clearwind Martial Arts Hall and Mantis Martial Arts Hall aren't willing to give you a quota, but there are still other martial halls to choose from."

Lin Chen nodded, but a shadow had already settled over his heart. Things were not that simple.

The fact was that he had cultivated Essence Energy. As long as someone cultivated Essence Energy, a martial hall could give them a quota for an Aperture Opening Pill. These two martial halls refusing him was partly because they did not believe he could have done it after spending so little money, but the more important reason was his family background.

It was simply not convenient to put such words on the table, so they used the quotas being full as an excuse.

Cloud Concealment Martial Arts Hall, Gale Martial Arts Hall...

As Lin Chen expected, the next two martial halls rejected him as well.

After walking out of the martial hall, Lin Chen looked at Instructor Yu, wanting to speak but stopping himself.

Emotionally, he ought to persuade Instructor Yu to stop. Being rejected at every martial hall was a kind of hurt for Instructor Yu as well, equivalent to having the other party grind his face against the ground again and again.

But he truly did not want to give up on the Aperture Opening Pill. His family was indeed poor, which was all the more reason to seize this opportunity.

One step late meant every step late.

Only by obtaining the Aperture Opening Pill and gaining the advantage could he receive more rewards during the martial hall's monthly assessments.

After visiting four martial halls, it was already nearly noon.

"Let's fill our stomachs first. There's a restaurant in the city whose dishes taste quite good."

Yu Yongnian took Lin Chen to a restaurant not far from Clearwind Martial Arts Hall. A smile had returned to his face. "When I studied martial arts at the martial hall, I often came here with several of my senior and junior brothers."

"Shopkeeper, bring us a plate of Flying Phoenix Claws. And bring two more dishes of your choice."

The so-called Flying Phoenix Claws were pheasant feet, merely given a more pleasant name.

When the dishes arrived, Lin Chen ate in silence. Yu Yongnian poured himself a cup of wine and sipped it. Seeing that Lin Chen was not speaking, he comforted him. "There are still four martial halls. Don't lose heart. The martial path is long and arduous. Don't lose courage over these minor setbacks before you. The setbacks you suffer today will become the driving force behind your growth on the martial path tomorrow."

"Plum blossoms release their fragrance after bitter cold; the edge of a fine sword is forged through tempering. This disciple understands that principle. Even if I cannot obtain an Aperture Opening Pill, I will not give up on the martial path."

Yu Yongnian's eyes held a hint of surprise. "I didn't expect you to come up with such words. 'The edge of a fine sword is forged through hardship'—for those words alone, you deserve to drink your fill. You can't drink wine, so use soup in its place and drink a cup with me."

After downing a cup of soup, Lin Chen continued, "Instructor Yu, when I returned to the village this time, the village chief told me something. When Scholar Jiang left the village back then, he told the village chief that if any of the younger generation in the village achieved anything on the martial path, he should inform him. May I write to Scholar Jiang and tell him about my current circumstances?"

Lin Chen raised his head and voiced the thought that had surfaced in his heart.

If none of the martial halls were willing to give him this quota, he had no choice but to write to Scholar Jiang.

"If Instructor thinks it inappropriate, then Disciple won't write."

After hearing him, Yu Yongnian slapped the table. "Write it. Why wouldn't you?"

Perhaps feeling that his attitude had changed too quickly, Yu Yongnian explained, "Hardship can indeed temper your will, but if you can suffer less, then naturally it's better to suffer less."

"Disciple will listen to Instructor. Then I'll write to Scholar Jiang as soon as I return."

"Don't rush off just yet. Come with me to the Martial Arts Administration first."

Yu Yongnian waved his hand. Seeing the puzzled look in Lin Chen's eyes, he said in a deep voice, "We're going to the Martial Arts Administration to lodge a complaint!"