Chen Chunfeng: I Was Too Harsh Earlier

In the courtyard.

Lin Chen stood there as if he were being punished.

He had no idea how he had offended Instructor Chen. Ever since he entered the courtyard, Instructor Chen had been staring at him without saying a word. His face was so cold it seemed frost might form on it.

The only thing he could think of that might have offended Instructor Chen was that he had never paid his respects to him.

It was not that he had intended to be rude. When he had come to Clearwind Martial Arts Hall to return the Clear Wind Palm, Senior Brother Ma had clearly gone to the rear courtyard to inform the instructors. It was the instructor who had not wanted to see him.

"How many apertures have you opened?"

After a long while, Chen Chunfeng finally spoke and asked coldly.

"This disciple has currently opened two apertures, but within ten days, this disciple is confident he can open a third."

Lin Chen raised his head and answered honestly.

His last sentence was not empty boasting. After the Clear Wind Palm had reached the proficient stage, he could already feel a tingling sensation at the third aperture, located at his right shoulder, every time he took a Nourishing Aperture Pill and cultivated.

Based on his experience with the first two apertures, this meant he was not far from opening it. Ten days was still a conservative estimate. It was very possible that he would open the third aperture within three to five days.

"Confident you can open three apertures?"

Chen Chunfeng laughed. He really dared to say it.

Of the five students to whom he had granted Grade A Treatment slots, the strongest had already opened five apertures, while even the weakest had opened four.

"This disciple's family background is ordinary. I can't compare with my senior brothers."

Lin Chen heard the sarcasm in Instructor Chen's tone. He did not understand why Instructor Chen harbored such intense hostility toward him, but he still offered an explanation.

"So because you received a reward from the Martial Arts Administration while you were in the Martial Hall, you started scheming and chasing opportunities, putting your mind anywhere but martial arts? Did you think that by currying favor with Inspector Shu, you could travel far along the path of martial arts?"

Chen Chunfeng showed Lin Chen no mercy. "Let me tell you, a student like you will never go far on the path of martial arts. Those who can travel far along that path have never been petty schemers who crawl and scramble for advantage!"

"I don't quite understand what you mean, Instructor Chen!"

Lin Chen frowned. He was not naive enough to think that every instructor he met on the path of martial arts would treat him as kindly as Instructor Yu had.

In a person's lifetime, they would encounter no more than three benefactors like Instructor Yu.

But he believed he had never offended Instructor Chen. How had he become a petty schemer in the other man's eyes?

He respected all the instructors at the martial arts hall, but that did not mean he could accept such humiliation from Instructor Chen.

"You don't understand?" Chen Chunfeng's face was filled with disgust. "Then tell me this: you haven't even opened three apertures yet. When you went to Still Water Martial Arts Academy, you were probably still at two apertures. Why would Still Water Martial Arts Academy give you a Grade A Treatment slot? There are only five Grade A Treatment slots in each martial arts hall. Why should one of them fall to you?"

There were only five Grade A Treatment slots?

Lin Chen was somewhat surprised. He truly had not known that. He had thought that every student who received an Aperture Opening Pill was eligible for Grade A Treatment.

So Hall Master Kong had given him this treatment because he valued his diligence in martial arts.

"This disciple truly didn't know that there were only five Grade A slots. Hall Master Kong of Still Water Martial Arts Academy gave me the slot because, during the entrance assessment, I cultivated the Clear Wind Palm to the proficient stage. I suppose Hall Master Kong gave me the slot for that reason..."

Lin Chen recounted how Hall Master Kong had led the new students in challenging the senior students at the time.

"You cultivated the Clear Wind Palm to the proficient stage when you entered the martial arts hall?"

Clear doubt appeared on Chen Chunfeng's face. He believed Lin Chen was lying. The reason Lin Chen said such a thing was very likely that he had only reached the proficient stage now.

Cultivating the Clear Wind Palm to the proficient stage in two months was enough to prove his diligence.

Thinking that Lin Chen was at least diligent, Chen Chunfeng's expression softened slightly. But this alone was not enough to qualify him for Grade A Treatment.

"Since you have the heart to diligently practice martial arts, you should all the more..."

"This time, I came to the martial arts hall to report my progress in martial arts to the instructor."

Lin Chen directly interrupted Chen Chunfeng. He did not want to cause any misunderstanding or create some humiliating reversal. Compared with slapping faces, what he needed more was to exchange the talent he revealed for resources.

"Progress?" Chen Chunfeng was stunned. With less than three apertures opened, what progress was there to report?

"This disciple recently cultivated the Clear Wind Palm to the mastery stage."

Chen Chunfeng's pupils contracted. "Do you know what you're saying?"

A student who had reached the mastery stage of the Clear Wind Palm in two months—during his several years as a martial arts hall instructor, he had never encountered anyone with such martial talent.

"This disciple did not make it up. If Instructor Chen doesn't believe me, I can demonstrate the Clear Wind Palm here."

Seeing the confidence on Lin Chen's face, Chen Chunfeng hesitated. After a while, he said, "Fine. Show me."

Once the Clear Wind Palm reached the mastery stage, it could be judged from the instant the palm was unleashed. There was no way to fake it.

Lin Chen did not hesitate. He struck out with one palm.

Whoosh!

As his palm swept through the air, the wind roared with startling clarity.

"That's enough!"

After watching Lin Chen strike three palms in succession, Chen Chunfeng called for him to stop.

As an instructor at Clearwind Martial Arts Hall, he naturally understood the Clear Wind Palm extremely well. From those three palms, Lin Chen had indeed cultivated the Clear Wind Palm to the mastery stage.

"Good, good, good!"

Chen Chunfeng said "good" three times in a row. A smile appeared on his face, replacing its earlier frostiness, and warmth filled his gaze as he looked at Lin Chen.

What a fine sapling.

In recent years, the martial arts hall had not produced a student with such a high compatibility with the Clear Wind Palm.

At Lin Chen's current pace, he had hope of cultivating the Clear Wind Palm to perfection within three years.

"Ahem, Lin Chen, I was too arbitrary earlier. Before meeting you, I formed a prejudice against you. I was in the wrong. Don't take it to heart."

Seeing how quickly Instructor Chen had changed his face, his attitude now as different from before as two people, Lin Chen's lips twitched slightly. Still, his impression of Instructor Chen improved considerably.

To admit in front of a student that he had been too arbitrary, and then apologize to him, was enough to show that Instructor Chen had excellent moral character as a teacher.

"This disciple can understand the instructor. I should have come to pay my respects and report the situation earlier. That way, this misunderstanding would never have occurred."

"Wrong is wrong. You don't need to make excuses for me."

Chen Chunfeng stepped forward and patted Lin Chen on the shoulder. He was now delighted to have discovered such a promising student and was thoroughly pleased with Lin Chen.

"You came to the martial arts hall now because...?"

"This disciple wants to learn another martial art. I just went to the Martial Arts Pavilion and selected the Flying Swallow Art. I wanted to ask Instructor Chen whether it would be suitable."

"Cultivate another martial art?"

Chen Chunfeng was about to blurt out that new students should focus their energy on the Clear Wind Palm. But then he remembered that Lin Chen had already cultivated the Clear Wind Palm to the mastery stage. He could indeed begin learning another martial art.

Once the Clear Wind Palm reached the mastery stage, diligent practice was no longer useful. What mattered more was comprehension, and that could only be achieved through one's own understanding. As an instructor, all he could do was offer a few pointers.

However, Lin Chen's instructor in the Martial Hall had been Junior Brother Yu. It seemed Junior Brother Yu had given him private guidance; otherwise, Lin Chen could not possibly have reached the mastery stage so quickly through hard practice alone.

"The Flying Swallow Art can complement the Clear Wind Palm, but it's more difficult to cultivate than other ordinary martial arts. Among the many ordinary martial arts, its difficulty ranks near the top. If you decide to cultivate the Flying Swallow Art, you must be mentally prepared."

"Thank you for telling me, Instructor. I've still decided to cultivate the Flying Swallow Art."

Lin Chen was not afraid of difficulty. He had the support of his comprehension.

"Good. Since you've chosen the Flying Swallow Art, I'll demonstrate it once for you first. Watch carefully."

Chen Chunfeng was quite pleased with Lin Chen's choice. A martial artist had to face difficulties head-on.

Back then, he had chosen the Flying Swallow Art as well.

"The Flying Swallow Art's techniques lie in making the body light as a swallow and using a breath of qi to propel yourself upward. First move: Swallow Returns to Nest."

As his voice fell, Chen Chunfeng bent his body slightly and lightly tapped the ground with both feet. He shot upward as swiftly as a swallow returning to its nest, completing a graceful turn in midair before landing steadily.

With one leap, he had crossed thirty meters. Lin Chen was left staring in stunned amazement.

"With your realm, you naturally can't cover such a distance. The distance depends on your own realm. The difficult part is adjusting your body in midair after leaping and turning."

"Next is the second move: Shadow Piercing Through Woods..."

This time, Chen Chunfeng's figure did not leap upward. Instead, he turned and swiftly moved forward, his body as elusive as a shadow throughout the motion.

After demonstrating all six moves in succession, Lin Chen was still shocked, but a thoughtful look had also appeared on his face.

Instructor Chen's demonstration had deepened his understanding of the Flying Swallow Art.

Half an hour later, Lin Chen left Instructor Chen's courtyard and Clearwind Martial Arts Hall.

Watching Lin Chen walk out of the courtyard, the smile on Chen Chunfeng's face instantly turned into a bitter one. "There are only five Grade A Treatment slots in total. What am I supposed to do now?"

"Forget it. I'll leave this headache to Hall Master Qi and the others!"