Standing Before You is the Founder of the Work-Study Program

On the dockside, Lin Chen waved goodbye to his older brother. After watching him leave, he turned and walked towards the city with his bag slung over his shoulder.

Today, the county town was much more bustling than the last time Lin Chen visited, with a constant flow of people on the streets.

Under the eaves of the shops, lanterns from the previous day's Lantern Festival still hung, attracting many children to stop and watch.

Lin Chen didn't linger and headed straight for the Clearwind Martial Arts Hall.

Clearwind Martial Arts Hall, Martial Arts Pavilion.

"Is there something you need, Junior Brother?"

A young man inside the Martial Arts Pavilion saw Lin Chen enter and greeted him with a smile.

His Qi and Blood are restrained, he's already in the Aperture Opening Realm.

He knew all the Aperture Opening students from the previous class at the Martial Arts Hall. The one in front of him looked unfamiliar, so he must be a new student this year. And a new student entering already in the Aperture Opening Realm.

Without thinking, he knew it was because he had a good family background and got an Aperture Opening Pill. Although he had also opened his apertures, it was three months after joining the Martial Arts Hall. There was no comparison.

With limited funds, he could only endure the slow progress in breaking through Martial Path realms.

Fortunately, this year the Martial Arts Administration introduced a so-called Work-Study Program policy. Students could help out around the Martial Arts Hall to earn some Silver Coins. Although it wasn't much, it was better than nothing.

He was grateful to the esteemed person from the Martial Arts Administration who proposed the "Work-Study Program." They were practically a benefactor to ordinary students like him.

"I'm here to return the Clear Wind Palm manual."

"Please show me your identity tag, Junior Brother." Ma Hao's attitude was very humble, not at all arrogant because he had opened four apertures. He knew very well that this Junior Brother in front of him would surpass him; half a year would be enough.

These students were the future prominent figures of the Martial Arts Hall. Even if he couldn't befriend them, he couldn't offend them either.

Seeing Lin Chen take out his identity tag, Ma Hao was a little surprised. "Junior Brother Lin, at the Martial Arts Hall, everyone uses the Martial Arts Hall's student identity card, not the household registration tag issued by the government."

"I haven't gotten a student identity card yet."

Hearing Lin Chen's words, Ma Hao, although puzzled, still took the identity tag and the manual. "Please wait a moment, Junior Brother."

Ma Hao entered the back courtyard of the Martial Arts Pavilion and respectfully asked Zhao Ce, who was sipping tea, "Instructor Zhao, do we have a new Junior Brother named Lin Chen in this class?"

"Lin Chen?"

Zhao Ce put down his cup and nodded. "Yes, there is a new student by that name. What is it?"

"Junior Brother Lin is here to return the Clear Wind Palm manual."

"Okay," Zhao Ce responded indifferently. Seeing that the Instructor had nothing else to say, Ma Hao turned to leave.

"Ask him how many apertures he has opened. If he has opened two, let him come in. If he hasn't even opened two, let him leave on his own."

Hearing Instructor Zhao's words, Ma Hao was puzzled but still agreed. Then he left the back courtyard and returned to the front pavilion.

"Junior Brother Lin, I've checked, Senior Brother. The manual is fine. Junior Brother, please sign here." Ma Hao took out an account book from under the counter and handed it to Lin Chen. As Lin Chen signed, he casually asked, "How many apertures have you opened now, Junior Brother Lin?"

"I'm ashamed to say, still one aperture."

Lin Chen didn't lie about this; the Martial Arts Hall definitely had a way to verify it.

"It's alright. With Junior Brother Lin's strength, it won't take long after joining the Martial Arts Hall to open the second aperture."

Ma Hao didn't show any contempt just because Lin Chen still only had one aperture. As he said before, he and this person were not on the same level.

"Is there anything else, Junior Brother Lin?"

"No, thank you, Senior Brother."

Lin Chen had originally intended to ask about the Clear Wind Palm, but he decided against it.

There was definitely an Instructor stationed in the Martial Arts Pavilion. The Senior Brother who just went in clearly informed the Instructor inside. Since the Instructor didn't want to see him, there was no need to go and get snubbed.

The most important thing was that he had the booklet given by Instructor Yu, which contained all of Instructor Yu's insights into cultivating the Clear Wind Palm. It didn't matter if he didn't have guidance from others.

Still Water Martial Arts Academy, Lin Chen's second visit.

Compared to the quietness before the new year, the Martial Arts Hall was much livelier this time. He saw many female disciples just at the entrance, each one valiant and spirited. As he observed these female disciples, they were also observing him.

Compared to the female disciples, Lin Chen, the male disciple, attracted even more attention.

Under the gaze of these female disciples, Lin Chen strode into the Martial Arts Hall's main gate.

"Oh, we have a male disciple at our Martial Arts Hall? That's rare."

"Did he go to the wrong Martial Arts Hall? No way, the Still Water Martial Arts Academy's plaque has those four big characters, he shouldn't mistake it."

"Could it be a woman with male features?"

"With such a distinct Adam's apple, he's clearly a man."

"A male disciple is great! I don't know how long it's been since I've seen a man. If he's really a Junior Brother in this class, I really want to reach out and touch him."

"Where do you want to touch him, Junior Sister Yu?"

"I want to touch everywhere, even the part with a handle."

After entering the Aperture Opening Realm, Lin Chen's senses became much sharper. Hearing the bold words of the female Senior Sisters, he almost stumbled. When women become mischievous, there's nothing left for men.

In this world, women can also practice martial arts, and the social customs aren't as strict.

Back in his village, when he used to help his elder brother set up fish traps by the river, he often heard the women washing clothes chatting. The crude jokes they told were truly eye-opening.

He walked towards the dorms, and just as he was about to turn the corner of the hallway,

He heard a conversation around the corner and couldn't help but stop.

"Junior Sister, congratulations on becoming a disciple of the Martial Arts Hall. Today, Senior Sister will treat you to a meal to celebrate."

"How can I let Senior Sister Chen treat me and spend money? I should be the one treating."

This conversation felt so familiar.

The warm-hearted Senior Sister Chen.

Lin Chen sighed inwardly. If only he had money, he would genuinely invite Senior Sister Chen for a meal.

For now, he could only avoid them to prevent awkwardness for both sides.

Arriving at the dorm, Lin Chen was very satisfied with the room the Martial Arts Hall arranged.

It was a single room with a small courtyard, a benefit the Martial Arts Hall provided for students who had taken the Aperture Opening Pill.

Tuition was free, meals were free, and accommodation was free.

The bed in the dorm was already made with bedding. Lin Chen touched it; it was a brand new cotton quilt.

In the past six months since he transmigrated, this was the first time he had come into contact with a cotton quilt. The bedding at home was all made of hemp cloth stuffed with some plant fibers, which, according to the original owner's memory, provided no warmth in winter.

With his current Qi and Blood, warmth wasn't a concern, but the comfort of a cotton quilt was incomparable to hemp cloth stuffed with fibers.

On the desk in the dorm, there were also two sets of the Martial Arts Hall's training clothes, but Lin Chen wasn't in a hurry to change. He put the clothes from his bundle into the wardrobe and then took out the Silver Coins he had on him.

There was a twenty Silver Coin banknote given by Instructor Yu, a thirty Silver Coin banknote from the village collection, and the thirteen Silver Coins he received as a reward at the Martial Arts Hall, though only seven Silver Coins remained now.

Fifty-seven Silver Coins was his entire fortune.

Instructor Yu had written in the booklet that there are twenty-four Apertures in the Aperture Opening Realm. For the first ten Apertures, it would cost thirty Silver Coins per month at the Martial Arts Hall to purchase Aperture Nourishing Pills, and it would take a month and a half to open one Aperture.

To speed up the process, one could only spend more money.

A bottle of Aperture Nourishing Pills cost thirty Silver Coins, containing ten pills, with one pill taken every three days.

Wealthy students could buy two or even three bottles.

The Martial Arts Hall offered preferential treatment to students; the first bottle of Aperture Nourishing Pills cost only thirty Silver Coins, but the price returned to the original forty Silver Coins for the second bottle, and the third bottle cost fifty Silver Coins.

Those children of the powerful and wealthy didn't care about these Silver Coins. In addition to taking three bottles of Aperture Nourishing Pills each month, they would also consume precious poultry and meat.

The money he had wasn't enough for their monthly expenses.

Having the experience of the Qi Refining stage, Lin Chen also had some understanding of the [When the Water Flows, the Channel is Formed] Destiny.

There are a total of twenty-four Apertures in the Aperture Opening Realm. When opening the first sixteen Apertures, his Destiny couldn't exert its effect. This meant that for the first eight Apertures, he had no advantage compared to other students.

In the early stages, he had to endure.

If he couldn't scrape together the Silver Coins for the Aperture Opening Pills each month, his progress would be delayed.

The Martial Path is difficult!

It's no wonder these Martial Arts Halls looked down on him. With his family background, where could he find so many Silver Coins?

After a light sigh, Lin Chen summoned his System Panel.

[Name: Lin Chen]

[Profession: Martial Artist]

[Realm: Aperture Opening Realm (1/24)]

[Cultivation Method: Clear Wind Palm (Proficiency: 1/100)]

[Destiny: [When the Water Flows, the Channel is Formed]: Martial Arts First Realm, swimming against the current, progressing step by step, breaking through like bamboo, cutting through thorns and thistles.]

[Martial Arts Title: Black to the End]

Clear Wind Palm, under his intense effort, finally reached the proficient stage this morning.

Instructor Yu mentioned in the booklet he gave him that most students, even those from wealthy families, would need a month to get started with an entry-level Martial Path cultivation method, three months to reach the proficient stage, and further progress to the mastery stage depended on comprehension. Being able to practice to mastery within half a year was considered excellent comprehension.

In other words, it would take a student seven or eight months or even longer from starting a cultivation method to reaching mastery. Reaching mastery within a year was considered passing.

In the early stage, his Destiny had no advantage. Martial Path comprehension was his only advantage.

Please keep reading. If you're looking for something to read, you can check out my old book.