Thud, thud, thud.
Still dazed, Chen Feng finished knocking his head against the floor three times. Even he could hardly believe it.
Just like that, he had become a Great Martial Master's Personal Disciple.
And that Great Martial Master was Zhou Bingzhong, the most powerful martial artist in all of Pingcheng, one of the handful of people at the very top.
"Good, good, good! Get up, quickly." Zhou Bingzhong helped Chen Feng to his feet, his words brimming with delight. "From now on, you're my sixth Personal Disciple!"
Chen Feng looked up and saw the smile on Zhou Bingzhong's face, as well as Yao Xingzhi behind him, still sulking.
"Congrats."
Yao Xingzhi's congratulations sounded less than sincere.
But it was his master's decision, and he had no say in the matter.
Chen Feng's expression grew complicated. When his master had asked those questions, he had meant to lie and fob him off.
But in the end, he had decided not to go against his conscience and had told the truth.
Perhaps if he had answered differently, he would never have become a Personal Disciple and would never have earned Zhou Bingzhong's approval.
He might even have been despised.
"Xingzhi!"
Yao Xingzhi bowed, waiting for his orders.
"Tell your other senior brothers to come back tomorrow. Have them meet at the residence. I've taken on a new disciple, and we need to pay our respects to the Ancestor."
"Then spread the word: Chen Feng is my Personal Disciple. Wherever he goes, he represents me, Zhou Bingzhong!"
"Yes."
Yao Xingzhi agreed, though he looked somewhat reluctant.
How could Zhou Bingzhong fail to guess what his disciple was thinking? He gave Yao Xingzhi a light tap on the head and said with a laugh,
"You should learn from your junior brother from now on! You're so slow on the uptake, your brain's practically asleep."
"If Chen Feng wanted to play little tricks, would he have admitted them so openly? Would I have taken him on as my disciple?"
Yao Xingzhi froze, then thought it over.
Hss... That made sense.
His face brightened with a smile again. "Congratulations, Junior Brother Chen Feng! From now on, we're fellow disciples."
Chen Feng returned the greeting nervously, but he also realized that his Senior Brother truly had no guile at all.
He wore his heart on his sleeve, his emotions plain on his face, without the slightest attempt to hide them.
He was pure of heart.
Chen Feng recalled the calculations he had been making earlier. Though he had never acted on them, the contrast still made him feel ashamed.
"All right, you two should get along well from now on... Chen Feng."
"This disciple is here."
"Come with me to the residence tomorrow and offer incense to the Grand Ancestor. You'll be there as a witness. There's no need to prepare anything; just show up."
"This disciple understands."
Even after Chen Feng left the main hall, it still didn't feel real. Somehow, he had passed the test.
It would have been a lie to say he was calm.
He couldn't suppress the joy welling up inside him.
Since transmigrating here, he had spent more than two months doing heavy labor, working as a porter, and even washing dishes in a tavern... He had tasted every hardship life at the bottom could offer.
He had no one to rely on, and the burden of his clan's destruction weighed on his shoulders.
But now—
He had powerful backing too!
He felt as if his whole body had grown lighter, the tension in his nerves finally easing... It felt wonderful.
[Your state of mind has changed... Experience +500]
Yao Xingzhi watched Chen Feng with a cheerful grin.
"Junior Brother, Master said you should stick with me for the next few days. I don't know why, but you don't need to feel constrained. We're family now."
Chen Feng nodded and cupped his hands. "If I do anything wrong, I hope you'll be patient with me, Senior Brother, and point out my mistakes."
"Of course... Oh, right, there's another piece of good news I should tell you... Good news, for you."
"What is it?"
"Lin Yan is dead. They found him in an alley this morning. Someone from the Lin Family came to see Master. It seems the place where it happened wasn't far from our martial arts school."
"Someone in the Opening Acupoints Realm has much stronger senses, especially when it comes to blood and things like that. But Master said he didn't have any leads either."
"This world really is a mess. It's not just chaotic outside the city. Looks like it isn't safe within the city either..."
Yao Xingzhi sighed.
Chen Feng paused, finally understanding what had given the game away. He smiled faintly. So Master had known all along.
"Mm."
Chen Feng made no effort to pretend. He no longer wore the hypocritical mask he had put on in the past, hiding behind painstakingly crafted acting.
He simply gave a quiet reply.
Lin Yan was a thing of the past now.
"Why don't you seem surprised at all?"
"Actually, Master already told me. He also said the killer left a few clues and couldn't fool a Great Martial Master."
"Hm? When did Master tell you that?"
"Just now."
"But I was there just now too. How come I didn't hear him say that?"
They walked side by side along the martial arts school's corridor, passing through one courtyard gate after another and by one Training Ground after another.
Along the way, many disciples gave them curious looks.
They seemed unable to understand when Chen Feng and Second Senior Brother had become so close.
It wasn't until noon that day, when they saw the announcement posted at the martial arts school, that they finally understood.
Chen Feng was now the Hall Master's Personal Disciple.
That youth with Zhong Xia Gen Gu had already climbed a step beyond their reach.
Chen Feng stepped into a small courtyard and looked around, his eyes shining with delight.
There were only three or four brick-and-tile rooms in the courtyard, but it was far quieter than the Bunk Bed quarters for ordinary disciples. It wasn't luxurious, but it was quite nice. Green plants lined both sides, making the whole place pleasant to look at.
An Old Well stood in the corner, with a stone trough full of clean water beside it for everyone to use. In the middle of the courtyard was a small, neat, level patch paved with Bluestone Bricks.
Yao Xingzhi took out a key and pushed open a door.
The wooden furniture gave off a delicate fragrance that drifted into Chen Feng's nose. The little room was simply furnished, with a table, a bed, and a stool. The bedding was neatly folded on the bed; someone must have tidied it up specially.
This would be his home from now on.
"How do you like it?"
Yao Xingzhi asked with a beaming smile.
"I'm very happy with it."
Chen Feng thought of his home in the Slums, where everything around it was dirty and chaotic. No matter how much he cleaned indoors, a sour, foul stench always lingered.
And the furniture was even worse.
A board with something thrown on top counted as a bed.
This room, by contrast, was clean and tidy. Just being here lifted his spirits. Chen Feng finally remembered that he'd even been a neat freak in his previous life... Thinking about it made him want to cry.
"Glad you like it. Just settle in and make yourself at home. The Jiao Xi live in the rooms around here, along with Fourth. This is the best dormitory our martial arts school has."
Yao Xingzhi tossed Chen Feng the key.
"Come with me. I'll take you to get your pills."
"Pills?" Chen Feng hurried after him.
"Didn't Master say you were close to becoming a martial artist? As a Personal Disciple, how could you not have a pill to help you break through?"
"Don't we have to buy them at a pharmacy?"
"You have to buy the ingredients for Tonic Soup at a pharmacy. We use so much of it for regular training that it gets used up right away."
"But a Blood Condensing Pill like this, for breaking through? People only need one once in a long while, so the martial arts school keeps a stock on hand."
Chen Feng nodded thoughtfully.
"Senior Brother, could you tell me what this medicine is?"
As he spoke, Chen Feng took out the spoils he had seized from Lin Yan: a little Porcelain Bottle.
"Hm?"
Yao Xingzhi raised an eyebrow. He took it, pulled out the stopper, and held it under his nose to sniff. Then he said,
"What a coincidence. This is a Blood Condensing Pill."
Before you continue