Guidance

"What's wrong, junior brother?"

Seeing Chen Feng fall silent, Zhao Shanyue thought he might have gone too hard on him and that Chen Feng was struggling to keep up.

"No, no, it's nothing... I was just thinking that I've already gained so much from your guidance, senior brother. Wouldn't Master be even more impressive?"

Chen Feng spoke honestly.

"Since joining the sect, aside from watching demonstrations of the fist techniques, I've never gone to Master to ask for advice."

Hearing this, Zhao Shanyue said:

"When it comes to sparring, you should look for someone at a comparable level. But for other questions, you really should ask Master more often. His cultivation is profound, and he has a deep understanding of the Martial Way."

At that moment, Zhao Shanyue's opinion of Chen Feng rose another notch.

He didn't know that Chen Feng had already brought the Five Elements Fist to perfection, but based on Chen Feng's performance just now, Zhao Shanyue could tell that Chen Feng's mastery of fist techniques had already surpassed his own.

And Chen Feng had never received Master's guidance.

To have reached this level just by figuring things out on his own made Chen Feng an undisputed genius in Zhao Shanyue's eyes.

At present, the only difference between them lay in their cultivation levels and practical combat experience.

If they were at the same level, Zhao Shanyue really wasn't confident he could beat Chen Feng.

He could only suppress Chen Feng for a short while through practical combat experience and fighting instincts.

But at the rate Chen Feng was progressing today, he would surely make up for this weakness soon.

In the end, all of Zhao Shanyue's admiration turned into a word of advice for Chen Feng:

"There's no harm in listening and learning more."

Chen Feng nodded slightly, then asked his own question. "Master rarely comes to the martial arts hall. How should I ask him for guidance?"

Perhaps because Zhou Bingzhong wasn't often at the martial arts hall, ordinary disciples could only ask the Jiao Xi or their senior brothers. They had no chance to meet the Hall Master.

Chen Feng had subconsciously overlooked the authority his master held when it came to guiding disciples.

In truth, the greatest advantage of being a Personal Disciple was having the right to receive cultivation guidance from Zhou Bingzhong, Pingcheng's strongest martial artist.

Zhao Shanyue chuckled. "You've been to Master's home before, haven't you? If you have a question, just go over and ask him. There's no need to be so formal."

Chen Feng's mouth twitched. He'd thought Master always kept family matters and work separate.

He had only been to Master's home once, when he became his disciple. Apart from that, he'd only seen Master at the martial arts hall.

And even then, they'd only chatted a little. It was more like a conversation between an elder and a junior than a master guiding his disciple through difficulties.

Perhaps, in Zhou Bingzhong's eyes,

Chen Feng was so perceptive that there was no need to worry he wouldn't learn the Five Elements Fist Technique.

"How does Master usually guide you, senior brother?" Chen Feng asked.

"Sometimes it's a question and answer, sometimes he demonstrates on the spot. As long as you ask, he'll patiently explain everything, no matter how big or small. Don't worry."

Zhao Shanyue continued:

"Sometimes when I go to see Master, he'll mention that you're clever and perceptive, and that you're the least troublesome of all of us."

"But I do have one thing to say to you: if you have a question, you must speak up and ask Master for help. Don't always try to figure it out on your own. Sometimes you'll end up in a dead end."

Chen Feng cupped his fists to show that he understood.

From the day he became Master's disciple until now, he'd relied on the system to spend points, leveling up all by himself.

He'd treated his master as a safety net, pulling him out to wave the flag and borrow his authority at crucial moments.

Thinking about how much experience he'd missed out on during all this time, Chen Feng felt a pang of heartache.

Zhao Shanyue added:

"Besides teaching, Master also shares interesting things he's seen, or knowledge about the Martial Way that might come in handy later."

"For example, Master was the one who told me that Flow State is connected to the path of a Grandmaster."

Chen Feng: "..."

Senior brother, please stop.

The more you say, the more it hurts.

Chen Feng made up his mind. Starting today, he would milk Master for all he was worth and make up for everything he'd missed.

After saying goodbye to Senior Brother Zhao, Chen Feng returned to his own courtyard.

After wiping the sweat from his body, Chen Feng changed into dry clothes and sat on his bed.

"System."

With a thought, the panel unfolded slowly before Chen Feng's eyes.

[Name]: Chen Feng

[Experience]: 6357

[Cultivation Techniques]: Five Elements Fist Technique (Perfect), Tai Chi Profound Origin Technique (Perfect), Mountain-Splitting Palm Technique (Perfect), Grasshopper Step (Perfect)... (Expand)

Most of this experience had come from diligently guiding his disciples and from his daily fist practice.

The system had also awarded him some after he assassinated his enemy.

But none of it came close to how quickly he'd earned it from today's sparring.

The techniques hidden behind the ellipsis included several medical texts he hadn't brought to perfection, along with various miscellaneous skills.

Since medical theory did little to improve Chen Feng's combat strength, he only spent enough points to make it useful.

He wasn't aiming for perfection.

He planned to save up some experience so that when he got new Martial Arts later, he could immediately max them out.

Looking at the number on the panel,

Chen Feng thought the experience points looked ugly without a round number, so he simply spent the remainder.

He put it into a miscellaneous book.

With a casual tap, he selected Music Theory.

[Experience]: 6000

Chen Feng: "Not bad. That looks much better."

As the number on the panel changed, knowledge of music theory surged into his mind.

He immediately felt a little more refined.

Next time he went to a Goulan to listen to music, he wouldn't have to worry about failing to understand the young lady's playing.

Perhaps he could even offer a professional critique.

Wonderful.

At You Shi, the setting sun dyed the horizon a warm orange. Chen Feng ran to the market and bought some beef.

Lotus leaves wrapped the beef tightly, and the fine hemp cord around it was tied with great care.

This wasn't ordinary meat.

It was special Blood Food supplied to Martial Artists, a highly nourishing delicacy. Eating it could not only strengthen the body but also increase one's Qi Blood.

The cattle had been raised by special methods, and when fully grown, they were more than twice the size of ordinary domesticated cattle.

They were ferocious, comparable to tigers and leopards.

Naturally, they were extremely expensive. This one bundle alone had cost Chen Feng several taels of silver.

Chen Feng hadn't eaten it before.

Not because he lacked money, but because he didn't want the hassle of cooking for himself.

He preferred to spend the time he saved elsewhere.

Chen Feng's meals were fixed. He ate whatever the Jiao Xi at the martial arts hall ate, and relied entirely on Great Tonic Pills to replenish his Qi Blood.

Cheng Tingxue had given him far too many.

He still hadn't finished them.

He'd made the special trip to buy this meat today just to give it to his master. After all, it would be embarrassing to show up empty-handed.

Master couldn't use the other things Chen Feng might bring, so he might as well give him some meat. A good meal beat anything else.

It wasn't mealtime yet.

Chen Feng figured he might be able to mooch another meal at his master's home.

Following the directions he remembered, Chen Feng carried the beef through several streets and arrived at the entrance to Zhou Manor. He raised his hand and gently knocked on the gate.

Before long, the gate opened.

The steward had answered it. When he saw Chen Feng, his eyes lit up, and he bowed slightly in greeting.

"The Sixth Young Master is here!"

The steward took the things Chen Feng handed over, then hurried inside and led Chen Feng to Zhou Bingzhong.

Zhou Bingzhong was sitting in a bamboo chair in the courtyard, dressed in plain cloth robes. A pot of warmed tea sat on the stone table beside him.

He had been resting with his eyes closed, but how keen were the senses of someone in the Opening Acupoints Realm? The moment the steward opened the gate, Zhou Bingzhong knew Chen Feng had arrived.

As soon as Chen Feng stepped into the courtyard, he called out:

"Master."