Meeting Teacher's Wife

Part of the reason was that the principal's sincerity had moved him. It wasn't just what he'd said to him today, but also all the things he'd done for him before.

He'd mistaken Meng Chuan for being fixated on Guoyi Fist and kept trying to persuade him otherwise, driven him to and from the Martial Arts Association, and even paid him bonuses out of his own pocket. All of it had made Meng Chuan truly feel the principal's kindness toward him.

On the other hand, whether it was a vocational high school specializing in martial arts or a Preparatory Class at a Martial University, both offered closed-campus instruction. Students weren't allowed to leave campus during the week.

They could only go home on weekends and during holidays, which would affect his ability to visit Teacher Luo for boxing lessons.

"Meng Chuan, I knew I was right about you! Come, have some tea. Drink up!"

After clinking cups with Principal Zong, the old man and the young man exchanged smiles.

Now that they'd cleared everything up, Meng Chuan rose to take his leave.

February 6, Lunar New Year's Eve.

Wearing the red sweater his aunt had just bought him, Meng Chuan finished his final round of Pao Fist, then relaxed and regulated his breathing.

The weather was cold. As he regulated his breathing, the sweat covering his body evaporated into white mist in the air.

[Pao Fist: Mastery (77%) → (78%) Pending Limit Break]

He watched the proficiency on the panel increase. It was a small gain, but the steady progress put his mind at ease.

As he drew closer to perfection, Pao Fist's rate of improvement had slowed. He'd practiced for a long time just to gain one percent proficiency.

Meng Chuan took out his phone and checked the time. It was half past eight in the morning.

"Master should be up by now. I'll call and wish him well."

"Beep, beep, beep."

The call connected.

"Happy New Year, Master."

"Happy New Year. Have you practiced your boxing this morning?"

Teacher Luo was the same as ever, as strict as always.

Meng Chuan knew his master's temperament and had expected him to ask.

"I've practiced for more than two hours. I feel like I'm very close to perfection."

Hearing that Meng Chuan was making such rapid progress, Luo Guanyun was delighted.

"Hahaha, good! Once you reach perfection, I'll teach you a new style of boxing."

After that, Luo Guanyun explained some things Meng Chuan would need to keep in mind when breaking through to Nine Echoes with Pao Fist.

At the end, he added:

"Come over to my place for lunch today. Your teacher's wife has cooked up a whole table of delicious dishes."

Meng Chuan was astonished.

"Teacher's wife?"

He'd always thought his master was an old bachelor, and that his dedication to martial arts was what had earned him his achievements in the Martial Dao.

He hadn't expected Teacher Luo to have a wife. He'd been to Huayun Mansion so many times, but had never seen a woman in the house.

But he didn't ask any more questions. He'd find out when he got there.

"Right. Don't tell me you thought your master was still a bachelor at my age?"

Meng Chuan gave an awkward laugh.

"No, no. I'll head over in a bit, then."

After hanging up, Meng Chuan went downstairs to take a shower.

He was drenched in sweat from his practice. Since he was meeting Teacher's Wife for the first time, he wanted to tidy himself up and make a good impression.

Huayun Mansion's villa district.

Half an hour earlier, Luo Guanyun's wife, Ren Ping, had returned.

Even though it was Lunar New Year's Eve, the graduating class at Northern United University still didn't get a holiday. Luo Meng was still at school teaching students during the day and wouldn't be home until evening.

Alone at Luo Meng's home, Ren Ping had mulled things over. In the end, she decided to come back and see the old geezer Luo Guanyun.

Standing at the entrance, she'd already prepared herself to face Luo Guanyun's sour expression.

"Don't get angry. Don't let that old geezer get to you."

But as soon as she opened the door and stepped inside, she saw that Luo Guanyun wasn't scowling at all. Instead, he was beaming as he reached out to take the groceries she was carrying.

"Your wife's home? What did you buy?"

Ren Ping eyed him suspiciously, unable to tell what he was up to.

"Old Luo, you seem to be in a good mood."

"What, did you bring some beauty home while I was at our daughter's place?"

Luo Guanyun carried the groceries into the kitchen and put them away, then sat down on the sofa and said calmly,

"I've taken on a disciple."

Ren Ping didn't believe him.

Luo Guanyun's standards were too high. He didn't care for exceptional aptitude or extraordinary insight.

Anyone he accepted as a disciple had to be at least close to their daughter Luo Meng in terms of talent.

On top of that, he was only taking on a disciple to pass down the Thunder Method True Art. Ren Ping couldn't believe he'd find a student who was both exceptionally talented and unafraid of the Thunder Method.

"I'll invite him over for lunch in a bit. You'll see for yourself."

Only then did Ren Ping believe him a little. She went on to tease him,

"Which Martial University did you go to and kidnap a genius from?"

Luo Guanyun flew into a rage.

"Who would I kidnap? He was a student at a martial arts school. I saved his life before he became my disciple."

"Hmm, so you're repaying kindness by taking advantage of him."

After tidying himself up, Meng Chuan took the tram to Huayun Mansion.

When he knocked, a beautiful middle-aged woman with short hair opened the door. He guessed that she must be the teacher's wife he'd never met.

"Hello, Teacher's Wife."

Ren Ping gave Meng Chuan a quick once-over and found him quite likable.

Ever since his Marrow Cleansing, Meng Chuan's skin had grown fairer and fairer.

With his neat short hair and the well-proportioned muscles he'd built up through years of boxing practice, he looked great in his clothes.

At first glance, he was a handsome young man who would win people over.

"You must be Xiao Meng. Hello. Come on in."

While Meng Chuan was on his way, Luo Guanyun had already told her the basics about him.

"Go sit on the sofa and chat with your master. The food will be ready soon."

Meng Chuan was very polite.

"Thanks for all your hard work, Teacher's Wife."

At the dining table, Luo Guanyun was in a good mood. He specially opened a bottle of expensive red wine.

"Let's drink this, dear. Chuan'er, you're still too young to drink, so have some juice."

Ren Ping took the wine and poured a glass for herself and Old Luo. Then she said,

"Old Luo, you really take the cake. You took on a disciple without telling me, so I didn't prepare a thing."

Meng Chuan wondered if Teacher's Wife worked out of town and only came home once in a while.

"Xiao Meng, we also have a daughter—your senior sister. She's a teacher at Northern United University right now. If you have any questions, you can ask her for advice."

"Teacher Luo has a daughter?"

Meng Chuan couldn't see the slightest trace of one in the house.

"Okay, tea—"

Meng Chuan was just about to speak when Luo Guanyun slammed his cup onto the table with a bang.

"Ren Ping, it's a happy day. Let's not bring that up."

"Fine, fine, I won't. Come on, let's clink glasses."

Meng Chuan raised his cup, harboring a few suspicions.

It seemed that Teacher Luo and his daughter didn't get along very well. He'd never heard his master mention her before.

After Teacher's Wife brought up their daughter, the mood at the table turned a little strange. Teacher Luo kept smiling on the surface, but Meng Chuan couldn't shake the feeling that something was on his mind.

After the meal, Meng Chuan offered to wash the dishes.

Luo Guanyun and Ren Ping hadn't seen each other for some time, so they sat back on the sofa and chatted.

Ren Ping gently rubbed the area over Luo Guanyun's heart, her hand faintly shimmering with blue-green True Qi.

Ren Ping was a rare medical martial artist. The True Technique she practiced was called the Qingming Medicine Pouch Scripture. The pale green True Qi it produced could not only heal external injuries but also reveal the inner condition of a martial practitioner when she touched them.

A dozen or so breaths later, the True Qi in Ren Ping's palm dissipated. She drew her hand back, her expression complicated.

"The Thunder Seed inside you has grown darker. It was navy blue before, but now it's starting to turn black."