Things Change, People Change (Please Follow)

Chen Yuan knew full well that when dealing with a petty, bargain-grabbing market woman like Li, the more he yielded, the more she would push her luck.

When it was time to be ruthless, he had to be ruthless.

Didn't she treasure her own son like the apple of her eye? Then he would seize her by the throat!

If Li still insisted on making trouble, Chen Yuan respected her choice. Accordingly, he would fulfill his promise as well.

When he returned to the Dining Hall, Chen Yuan found Xue Anping already sitting in a corner, grieving in silence.

Sun Chengjie and the others, on the other hand, were still eating and chatting where they were. Seeing him arrive, they hurriedly called out:

"Brother Chen, sit down quickly. If you don't eat now, the meat will go cold. Congratulations, Brother Chen! I knew you would enter the gate before us, but I didn't expect it to happen so quickly!"

Liu Jin's eyes were filled with envy as he chimed in, "Yeah, you're progressing at the same pace as those two Grade C-Lower students. So persistence and hard work really do pay off."

With such progress, even the Gu Family would probably look upon him more favorably. Next month, they would most likely increase the effort they put into improving his aptitude.

As for himself, entering the gate was still a distant prospect.

He glanced at Xue Anping in the distance and suddenly realized that he ought to be even more depressed than him.

"Brother Chen, congratulations. May your path in martial arts rise like a long rainbow," He Qing said with cupped hands.

Chen Yuan smiled. "I just got a little lucky."

After a few polite exchanges, Sun Chengjie could no longer wait to ask:

"Brother Chen, you went to learn combat techniques earlier, right? Were they mighty? The senior brothers said that Master Huo's combat techniques are among the finest even in Qingyuan County!"

"They were somewhat mighty, but truly exquisite," Chen Yuan said with a nod. He had studied for an hour or two, yet the panel for an uninitiated technique had not even appeared.

It seemed the art was indeed vast and profound.

In the Inner Court, Tao Ping was accompanying Master Huo for tea.

Because of junior brother Xu Heng, Master Huo had been in a much better mood these past two days. Of the things he chatted about with Tao Ping, five out of every ten sentences concerned Xu Heng.

Tao Ping casually brought it up. "Master, do you intend to train junior brother Xu Heng for the Martial Examination? Though there's only a little over a year until the next examination. I'm afraid it may be somewhat rushed..."

The high school Martial Examination was practically the dream of every martial artist. Once one became a Martial Scholar, one gained official recognition from the imperial court. Not only could one reduce taxes and benefit one's family, one could even enter officialdom and become a minor official with considerable authority in Qingyuan County.

The benefits were endless!

For Martial Halls and Martial Academies, producing a Martial Scholar was also an honor, a display of their foundation.

Huo Lin took a sip of tea, as though he had long made his plans. "It isn't rushed. With me personally teaching him, and with his extraordinary talent, he will certainly possess remarkable competitiveness by the time of the martial examination."

Although Xu Heng was still young and would have no problem taking the examination after next, passing three years earlier would better demonstrate his boundless potential.

As he spoke, he instructed Tao Ping:

"Go call Xu Heng over. I'll guide him in Six Harmonies Mind Boxing for a while longer."

Tao Ping laughed. His master truly was raising Xu Heng as a personal disciple.

He nodded slightly, then thought for a moment and added, "Master, only Xu Heng? Junior brother Chen..."

Huo Lin took another sip of tea, not particularly concerned. "Very well. Call Chen Yuan over too. How much he can learn will depend on his own ability."

Although Chen Yuan worked hard during the afternoon's instruction, the gap between him and Xu Heng remained quite obvious.

Still, since they were disciples, teaching and passing on the Dao was something that had to be done.

Being summoned into the Inner Court together with Xu Heng surprised Chen Yuan somewhat. He knew that Master Huo generally did not teach in the evenings.

He glanced at Xu Heng and guessed that he was most likely benefiting from this junior brother.

Since that was the case, he had to seize this opportunity properly!

Under the moonlight, shadows swayed.

Master Huo assumed the opening stance of Six Harmonies Mind Boxing and explained as he demonstrated:

"Six Harmonies Mind Boxing emphasizes unified force. The three inner harmonies and three outer harmonies are the foundation, and the method of exerting force is also crucial. Watch my footwork carefully: three forward, seven back, the Dingba Step. Draw in the chest and straighten the back, relax the waist and sink the hips, lower your center of gravity. Lift your feet low, and draw force up from the ground. Strength issues from the feet, is governed by the waist, takes form at the fingertips, and runs through the whole body."

Chen Yuan drew a breath and began practicing along with him.

He set his stance and adjusted his posture. His front hand formed Eagle Catch, fingers spread apart, the tiger's mouth rounded and propped open, the palm subtly cupped inward, held between chest and shoulder height. His rear hand guarded his navel, elbow never leaving his ribs, hand never leaving his heart.

He then threw a Splitting Fist, attempting to sense the force rising from the ground.

"When first learning, don't put too much attention on the outward form of the moves. The six inner and outer harmonies are the foundation. Maintain them at all times. Only once you can feel unified force should you pick apart the details of each move," Master Huo reminded him during the lesson.

"Turn your knees inward for me, and your elbows too. Keep your cervical spine and backbone straight. Relax the waist and sink the hips..."

Beginning was always difficult.

Watching Master Huo correct Xu Heng's movements bit by bit, Chen Yuan benefited greatly by comparing them with his own.

But Xu Heng corrected himself quickly. Chen Yuan had no time to learn many of the finer details and could only forcibly commit them to memory first.

Another hour passed.

[Six Harmonies Mind Boxing (Uninitiated): 0/10]

Only after Master Huo finished teaching the Cannon Fist and Horizontal Fist of Five Elements Boxing did the panel finally arrive, late as ever.

"That will be all for today. Five Elements Boxing will be enough for you to practice for some time. As for the Twelve Forms Boxing that follows, I will teach it whenever you achieve minor mastery."

After thanking him, Chen Yuan wisely took his leave.

Master Huo's gentle voice drifted over faintly behind him. "Martial practice drains one's qi and blood. Go to the Dining Hall. I'll have the cook bring you another bowl of beef to replenish yourself."

The gap in Xue Anping's heart when he watched Chen Yuan must have been no greater than this.

Yet Chen Yuan merely rubbed his hands together and went home expressionlessly.

Reality was this cruel. All he could do was accept it.

He would turn today's disparity into tomorrow's motivation.

The next day.

Chen Yuan rose early. When he looked up, sure enough, another settlement evaluation had appeared:

[The Dao of Survival is not merely blind endurance. A turtle that hides its head cannot become a sage. Be ruthless when ruthlessness is called for; fight when it is time to fight. Intimidating Li to prevent trivial matters from entangling you, allowing you to cultivate in peace, accords with the true meaning of the Dao of Survival. Dao of Survival Points +8.]

Adding the previous 4 points gave him a total of 12. Chen Yuan still added them to his innate constitution.

His innate constitution reached 31.

The gap between him and Xu Heng had narrowed by another sliver.

Birds called out the clear day, and the water's surface lay pure and round.

Beneath the mild, scattered sunlight, Chen Yuan began another day of cultivation.

He continued receiving Master Huo's guidance alongside Xu Heng. At other times, following Master Huo's advice, the two often sparred and practiced together to deepen their understanding.

"Senior brother, please instruct me!"

"Senior brother, your Rock-Solid Stance Technique is so solid that I can't find a single flaw."

"Senior brother, be careful. I gained some insight into Six Harmonies Mind Boxing today. I seem to have grasped the key to unified force."

"Senior brother, how far must one train in martial arts before it counts as reaching the heights? Does passing the Martial Examination count as making something of oneself? Mother would be so happy, wouldn't she..."

"Senior brother! Are you all right? Sorry, I lost control for a moment. I'll definitely be more careful next time..."

"Senior brother, senior brother Song was right. In this world where people choose their prey and devour them, the gap between people is like a heavenly chasm. If my innate constitution were not passable, I would be nothing more than an ant for others to trample. I have to become stronger."

"Senior brother Chen, your fists aren't hard enough, nor are they ruthless enough. You need to practice more. Otherwise, fists and kicks have no eyes."

"Chen Yuan, my Six Harmonies Mind Boxing is about to reach minor mastery. You are too weak, your progress too slow, too mediocre. You are no longer qualified to spar with me. Take care of yourself."

Cold and heat passed without notice of the years. Chen Yuan had already been at Huo Academy for a month.

Xu Heng had changed greatly. His Rock-Solid Stance Technique had long surpassed Chen Yuan's, and Chen Yuan was no match for him in Six Harmonies Mind Boxing either. Every spar ended with him being suppressed.

Before long, Xu Heng would likely accumulate enough qi and blood to attempt a breakthrough into the Skin Realm.

What made Chen Yuan sigh most deeply was this:

That gentle, courteous boy with clear eyes had completely vanished.

The current Xu Heng possessed cold, arrogant eyes, often carrying a fierce brutality.

He spent his days closely associating with senior brother Song Qiao, who had entered the gate years ago.

Truly, though things remained, people had changed, and all else was at an end.