Officially Becoming a Disciple of Still Water Martial Arts Academy

Still Water Martial Arts Academy!

After Lin Chen finished eating in the cafeteria, he returned to his dormitory. As soon as he entered the dormitory area, he saw a servant loitering outside his room.

"Young Master Lin, Hall Master Kong asked me to bring you over."

When the servant saw Lin Chen appear, he hurried over at a jog.

"Hall Master Kong wants to see me? Sorry for the trouble, little brother. Lead the way."

Following behind the servant, Lin Chen was curious. Why had Hall Master Kong summoned him at this time?

It was no wonder Lin Chen was overthinking things. The timing was simply too coincidental.

Hall Master Kong had not summoned him once in all these days, yet just after he returned from Clearwind Martial Arts Hall, she wanted to see him.

Could Instructor Chen have told Hall Master Kong about my situation and contacted her, hoping to have me return to Clearwind Martial Arts Hall?

With doubts in his heart, Lin Chen was led by the servant to Hall Master Kong's courtyard.

The courtyard gate was open. Lin Chen stepped inside and immediately saw Hall Master Kong standing in the courtyard.

"Disciple Lin Chen greets Hall Master Kong."

Kong Yinglei looked at Lin Chen as he entered. Remembering what her senior sister had instructed, a trace of complexity flashed through her eyes as she said in a deep voice, "Lin Chen, I called you here to inform you that Clearwind Martial Arts Hall has revoked your Grade A Student Treatment."

Lin Chen's pupils contracted, shock appearing on his face.

His Grade A Student Treatment had been revoked?

He could clearly feel how warmly Instructor Chen had treated him and how highly she thought of him.

"Hall Master Kong, could there have been some misunderstanding? I went to Clearwind Martial Arts Hall today and explained the situation to Instructor Chen."

Lin Chen thought of a possibility: perhaps the two sides had simply missed each other in time.

It was highly likely that before he met Instructor Chen, Clearwind Martial Arts Hall had already decided to revoke his Grade A Student Treatment and had notified Still Water Martial Arts Academy. But after he met Instructor Chen and her attitude toward him changed, Still Water Martial Arts Academy had yet to learn of it.

"What makes you say that?" Kong Yinglei asked curiously.

"I went to Clearwind Martial Arts Hall today because I had cultivated Clear Wind Palm to mastery, and I also met Instructor Chen..."

Lin Chen briefly recounted his experience at Clearwind Martial Arts Hall, focusing especially on how Instructor Chen's attitude toward him had changed.

"You cultivated Clear Wind Palm to mastery?"

Kong Yinglei's attention fixed on Lin Chen's very first statement. She looked him up and down repeatedly, while inwardly admiring her senior sister.

As expected of their Senior Sister Disciple—her guess about Qi He's thoughts had been dead-on.

Even an academy student like Lin Chen, whose aptitude in Clear Wind Palm was so astonishing, had had his Grade A Treatment revoked by Qi He. He was simply shortsighted, focused only on the several martial academy competitions taking place this year.

"What a pity."

Kong Yinglei sighed softly. "There is no misunderstanding like the one you described. Clearwind Martial Arts Hall sent someone over with the news a quarter of an hour ago. By then, you had already met that Instructor Chen."

A quarter of an hour ago?

Lin Chen furrowed his brows. Given the distance between Clearwind Martial Arts Hall and Still Water Martial Arts Academy, the journey would take nearly two quarters of an hour. He had also lingered in the cafeteria for a while. By that calculation, Clearwind Martial Arts Hall had indeed sent someone to deliver the news after he left.

But he still found it hard to believe. If they still intended to revoke his place, why had Instructor Chen continued to care so much about him and personally demonstrated the Flying Swallow Art for him?

"This year's martial academy competitions are different from those in previous years. In the past, with your aptitude in Clear Wind Palm, Clearwind Martial Arts Hall would certainly have given you Grade A Student Treatment. But this year, the eight martial academies are competing once every three months, and the results affect the academies' rankings. Aptitude is no longer as important."

Kong Yinglei directly laid bare Clearwind Martial Arts Hall's intentions. Ripples moved through Lin Chen's eyes as he understood what Hall Master Kong meant.

Aptitude had lost to silver!

Unless he could display heaven-defying aptitude, his current level simply was not enough!

"According to what you've said, although Chen Chunfeng thinks so highly of you, she still couldn't give you Grade A Treatment. She probably feels guilty toward you and will carefully guide your cultivation of Clear Wind Palm as compensation."

Lin Chen's brows remained tightly furrowed. Now that Clear Wind Palm had reached mastery, further progress depended more on his own comprehension. Moreover, Instructor Yu had left him a manual containing detailed descriptions of the subsequent realms.

Compared to that, what he needed more was Grade A Student Treatment.

"Hall Master Kong, forgive me for asking so boldly, but does Still Water Martial Arts Academy still have any Grade A Treatment places available?"

After a long silence, Lin Chen suddenly spoke, leaving Kong Yinglei stunned. A sharp gleam appeared in her beautiful eyes. "At present, only Jiang Qing has a Grade A place at Still Water Martial Arts Academy. But you are not an official disciple of our academy."

"Disciple is willing to join Still Water Martial Arts Academy!"

This time, it was Kong Yinglei's turn to hesitate. She certainly admired Lin Chen's diligence and hard work in martial arts, but as the Deputy Hall Master of Still Water Martial Arts Academy, she also had to consider the advantages and disadvantages from the academy's standpoint.

Grade A Treatment was something even people from Fu Jingya's background desperately craved: it saved twenty-five taels of silver a month, amounting to nearly a thousand taels over three years.

If someone's pursuit of martial arts stopped at the Aperture Opening Realm, that would not matter much. But beyond that came Organ Tempering, which cost even more. Although one could find ways to earn silver upon reaching the late Aperture Opening Realm, most martial artists still could not earn enough to cover their martial arts expenses.

Take her, for example. Although she was an Organ Tempering expert, she had only a little over two hundred taels of silver on her. She remained at the academy as Deputy Hall Master partly because she felt a sense of belonging to it, and partly to obtain the martial arts resources provided by the Martial Arts Administration.

"You should know that you have aptitude in Clear Wind Palm, but that may not be the case with Water Cloud Palm. Although I hate to waste a talent, as Deputy Hall Master, any decision I make must also convince everyone!"

Kong Yinglei stared intently at Lin Chen and continued, "If you said this out of a moment of anger, then there is no need to discuss it further."

Hearing Hall Master Kong's words, hope rose in Lin Chen's heart. She had not shut the door completely, which meant he still had a chance.

"Hall Master Kong, disciple definitely did not say this on a whim. I am not well regarded at Clearwind Martial Arts Hall, and I imagine Hall Master Kong knows the inside story."

Kong Yinglei knew perfectly well that Lin Chen was not well regarded at Clearwind Martial Arts Hall. He had originally been rejected by the academy, and his later admission had merely been Qi He's way of giving Inspector Shu some face.

Naturally, Clearwind Martial Arts Hall would not take such a student too seriously.

"Even if you join Still Water Martial Arts Academy, I cannot guarantee that you will definitely receive Grade A Treatment. But I can give you a chance. At the beginning of next month, your cohort will hold an internal competition. The top five will receive Grade A Treatment places."

"Are you still willing to join Still Water Martial Arts Academy?"

"Disciple is willing!"

Without the slightest hesitation, Lin Chen agreed.

This was exactly the chance he wanted. At least Still Water Martial Arts Academy was not like Clearwind Martial Arts Hall, which had refused to give him even an opportunity and had directly stripped him of his Grade A place.

"Good. Tomorrow, I will communicate with Clearwind Martial Arts Hall and have you officially become a disciple of Still Water Martial Arts Academy."

Kong Yinglei was very satisfied with Lin Chen's response. Then her beautiful eyes shifted, and she said faintly, "If it were someone else, switching academies would be somewhat troublesome and would require approval from the Martial Arts Administration. But you don't need that."

"Is it because of Inspector Shu?"

Lin Chen guessed instinctively. Although Inspector Shu had left, he probably still had some connections at the Martial Arts Administration.

"Because Clearwind Martial Arts Hall never reported your disciple status to the Martial Arts Administration. You should not have an Identity Token from Clearwind Martial Arts Hall yet."

Lin Chen: ...

P.S. My daughter suddenly developed an allergic reaction, so Jiudeng is taking her to the hospital now. I'm posting the daytime chapter ahead of time in case I'm busy during the day and forget, or don't have time!