Teaching

Today was the first day this month's Martial Students arrived, and there were countless matters to attend to. Chen Yun was busy as well; after asking Zhuang Jin to look after her cousin Ni Ying a little, she hurried away.

Before long, the Martial Students arrived one after another.

Although, ever since last month's Martial Student Recruitment, the number recruited each time had expanded from one hundred and twenty to three hundred, to ensure teaching quality, each Martial Arts Instructor still oversaw only thirty Martial Students. There were simply several more Martial Arts Instructors assigned.

When these Martial Students arrived at the Yellow Character Number Nine Training Field and saw Ni Ying, they were all struck dumb by her beauty. Some stared so intently that they nearly stumbled and fell, showing just how lovely the young girl was.

Once all thirty Martial Students had arrived, the Qi Channel Opening Soup began to be distributed. Ni Ying had clearly received training in this area; she deftly ladled out the soup for the Martial Students, fast and precise.

Nothing happened during the process.

After all, these Martial Students had only just entered the Shen Family and were still anxious, keeping their tails tucked between their legs. Besides, Zhuang Jin, a Martial Arts Instructor wearing the uniform of a Two-Striped Servant, was watching from the side. Naturally, each of them behaved honestly. Not one dared to shamelessly ask for an extra helping, much less cause an incident like Qian Wende had back then.

Soon, the Martial Students had all received their portions. After all that bustle, a faint sheen of sweat appeared on Ni Ying's fair forehead, yet she remained as lively as a little deer in the forest. Looking at Zhuang Jin, she asked with a smile, "Martial Instructor Zhuang, the little bit of Qi Channel Opening Soup left is all yours, right? I'll ladle it out for you!"

"Thank you, Miss Ying!" Zhuang Jin accepted the remaining bowl and a bit of Qi Channel Opening Soup, drank it, then took out some Blotting Paper and wiped his mouth.

"Martial Instructor Zhuang, I'm leaving!" Ni Ying took back the empty bowl and bid him farewell again. She smiled faintly, two shallow dimples appearing on her slightly baby-fat cheeks, then walked away with graceful, swaying steps.

Many Martial Students watched the young girl leave as though their hearts had flown away with her. Only after quite some time did they reluctantly withdraw their gazes.

Zhuang Jin noticed this, but said nothing. Judging that the time was about right, he stepped onto the platform, called, "Silence," and had the Martial Students line up in formation.

Below, the Martial Students stood in formation and looked at Zhuang Jin on the platform. Their faces all bore the same expressions: awe, envy, and anticipation for the martial path that was about to begin.

As Zhuang Jin looked at the Martial Students below, his expression grew somewhat complicated. Two months ago, he too had been one of the Martial Students standing below. Yet now, he stood on the platform as a Martial Arts Instructor, teaching them. The change left him with no small amount of feeling.

He gave his head a slight shake, suppressing those complicated emotions, and began, "The foundation of a martial artist's transcendence lies in Inner Breath..."

Just as Ping Yongfeng had done before, he briefly introduced martial artists, then personally demonstrated a martial artist's power, leaving an imprint in a wooden board. Amid the astonished gazes of the Martial Students, he explained the two steps of becoming a martial artist, then began teaching Stance Training, performing the sequence once on the platform himself.

"Have you all remembered it? Who is willing to come up and demonstrate it once?" Zhuang Jin looked over the Martial Students.

No one responded. The Martial Students looked at one another, exchanging glances. Clearly, almost none of them had remembered much, and they feared going up to practice only to lose face before the others.

This batch of Martial Students is no good!

Zhuang Jin silently passed judgment. He casually picked one who looked sturdy, only to find that the fellow was dim-witted. When he came up, his movements were all upside down and backward, far from correct.

"Wrong!"

"Wrong again!"

"Root your legs, lower your waist!"

This sturdy Martial Student's mentality was poor as well. Zhuang Jin had not even scolded him as Ping Yongfeng had done before, yet under Zhuang Jin's repeated corrections and guidance, along with the hushed mockery of the other Martial Students, the man only became more and more flustered until his form was utterly unrecognizable.

"Enough." He waved a hand and directly sent the man down. After that, he no longer selected anyone to come up for individual instruction, instead leading everyone through it together.

After roughly the time it took for an incense stick to burn, he stopped and let the Martial Students practice on their own.

Ignoring their dumbfounded looks, Zhuang Jin simply left.

He had no habit of enjoying teaching others, nor did he like working for free. As long as he met the minimum standard, that was enough. As for more? He did not even have enough time for his own cultivation!

After Zhuang Jin left, a burst of discussion arose in the Training Ground.

"No, our Martial Arts Instructor just left like that? Isn't that a little irresponsible?"

"The minimum required time for an incense stick is up. Has any of you learned it? Can you teach me?"

"Yeah, I haven't learned it either!"

The Martial Students' discussions were filled with a faint resentment, but... who cared?

Just as Ping Yongfeng had not cared back then, and the Martial Arts Instructors of the other three Training Grounds did not care either, Zhuang Jin now cared even less!

It was not only these Martial Students discussing Zhuang Jin. Elsewhere, two people were talking about him as well: Miss Yun and Ni Ying.

—Because quite a few maids had been recruited into the Outer Courtyard this time, while the Outer Courtyard's corresponding duties had not expanded greatly, after getting through the morning rush and distributing the Qi Channel Opening Soup, the Outer Courtyard Maids had much more free time.

Ni Ying went to find Chen Yun and asked about Zhuang Jin, "Sister Yun, that Martial Instructor Zhuang is really handsome. He looks young too. At such a young age, he's already a Two-Striped Servant—then he's a Two-Meridian Martial Artist, right?"

"Yes. Servants are different from us maids. Since he is a Two-Striped Servant, he must certainly be a Two-Meridian Martial Artist. Speaking of this Martial Instructor Zhuang, back then..."

Chen Yun told her about how she had first met Zhuang Jin, as well as the basic details she knew about him. Only then did she ask, "What, have you taken a fancy to Martial Instructor Zhuang? With Martial Instructor Zhuang's aptitude, reaching the Four Meridian Realm should not be difficult. Once a martial master reaches the Four Meridian Realm and is promoted to Household Retainer, by custom, our Shen Family will arrange for him to marry an Outer Courtyard Maid..."

Two clouds of sunset-red blush appeared on Ni Ying's pretty face, but she still forced herself to suppress her embarrassment and asked, "The Four Meridian Realm, the rank of a One-Striped House Guard... I heard that once someone reaches that level, they are considered a person of standing even in our Shen Family."

"That is so."

Chen Yun nodded slightly. Her earlier words had mostly been teasing, but seeing her cousin's reaction now, the perceptive Chen Yun understood something. Her expression turned serious as she explained comprehensively, "At the Four Meridian Realm, at the rank of a One-Striped House Guard, even if he cannot remain here in the Shen Family, he can seek the position of deputy director of a department under one of the divisions, or be posted outside as a First Street Guard."

Within the Shen Family Seven Divisions, each division had departments beneath it. Anyone at the Four Meridian Realm and the rank of a One-Striped House Guard was qualified to serve as deputy director of a department at the Shen Family Headquarters. Of course, being qualified was all it meant; such a good post still depended on background, connections, and many other factors. At the very least, though, they could be posted outside as the Street Guardian of a street.

As Ni Ying listened, her long eyelashes fluttered. She tilted her head slightly, her bun bobbing upward. Her eyes were limpid as a clear pool, glittering and bright, making one think of immaculate crystal glass without the slightest impurity, reflecting pinpricks of starlight.

"I think that Martial Instructor Zhuang's character is quite good too. He would make a fine match. Still, such matters cannot be one-sided. If you are interested, you can spend more time around him and get to know him. It would naturally be best if the feelings were mutual."

Chen Yun advised her cousin, then added at last, "If the two of you truly share deep feelings, then with Martial Instructor Zhuang's talent, he will likely reach the Four Meridian Realm and be promoted to Household Retainer within a year or so. He certainly will not make you wait until you become an old maiden."

"Sister Yun!" Ni Ying cried out coquettishly in protest. Two rosy clouds sprang onto her already apple-red, baby-fat cheeks. She stamped her foot, then drifted away like a cloud.