The Climate Has Formed (Fourth update, seeking follow-up reads!)

The afternoon Chen Yuan broke through to the Clear Force became a turning point in his martial arts career.

When the Gu Family sent word for him to come over, Chen Yuan was still in the dark.

Upon arriving at the side chamber, he saw Huang Yan, whose expression was somewhat grave, and Gu Ye, who remained as stern and humorless as ever.

Chen Yuan cupped his hands in salute: "Steward Gu, Senior Brother Huang."

Gu Ye waved his hand, signaling him to sit, then spoke slowly:

"Chen Yuan, you have performed well over these past two months, and we should have continued to cultivate you. However, due to the Gu Family's financial constraints, I regret to inform you that our sponsorship ends here. Starting next month, you will have to fend for yourself."

Chen Yuan's heart skipped a beat. He was being cut?

This was completely unexpected. His performance was second only to Yu Yan's; just half a month ago, he had defeated Cao Yan and Gao Mingchang in succession, and his sponsorship had even been increased to seven taels.

Was the wealthy and powerful Gu Family really short seven taels of silver?

Besides, if they were going to make cuts, shouldn't it have been Cao Yan and Gao Mingchang? They couldn't possibly be so brain-dead as to look only at innate talent and ignore actual performance, could they?

In an instant, a thousand thoughts raced through his mind. He realized this wasn't as simple as the Gu Family lacking funds; someone was definitely pulling strings behind the scenes!

Who could it be? It was hard to guess.

Chen Yuan remained silent for a moment, then slowly asked, "Is this decision final?"

Gu Ye nodded, his expression serious: "Although it is sudden, this is the decision of the Family Head, and it cannot be changed."

"Then, is there anything I need to pay back?" Chen Yuan asked.

What he feared now was that the Gu Family might demand the return of the silver provided over the past few months, which would be a bitter pill to swallow.

Gu Ye smiled:

"Do not worry. Sponsoring you all carries inherent risks. If we demanded repayment every time someone failed, who would ever be willing to work for the Gu Family? Consider it a gesture of goodwill."

Chen Yuan let out a sigh of relief and cupped his hands:

"Many thanks to Steward Gu for your cultivation. Chen Yuan will keep this in mind, and if there is ever anything within my power to do for you in the future, I will not refuse."

Business is business. Although the Gu Family's sudden termination of support was underhanded, they had provided his initial capital after all.

Without the Gu Family, he would have struggled to reach this point in such a short time, so Chen Yuan still felt a sense of gratitude.

At these words, Gu Ye fell silent, looking at Chen Yuan with a hint of regret in his eyes.

He had not expected that instead of being consumed by emotion or cursing the Gu Family for their breach of faith, Chen Yuan would speak of repaying kindness...

Reasonable and principled—a rare quality indeed.

What a pity to lose such a talent.

Gu Ye spoke again, slowly: "You should thank Master Huang. It was through his maneuvering that you were able to keep the remainder of this month's sponsorship, rather than having it cut off immediately."

Chen Yuan nodded and turned to salute Huang Yan: "Thank you, Senior Brother, for interceding on my behalf. Chen Yuan will not forget this."

Huang Yan waved his hand dismissively and said calmly: "I only said what needed to be said. That Yu Yan had the audacity to ask me to go to our master and demand the money back? I couldn't afford to lose face like that, and neither could the Gu Family."

Chen Yuan's eyes sharpened. It really was related to Yu Yan.

He then heard Huang Yan offer a reminder:

"Chen Yuan, you have a buffer period of half a month. If you still wish to pursue martial arts, you must break through the Skin Realm within these two weeks. Only then can you find a faction to join, allowing you to earn money while you train. If you cannot find a suitable faction, you may come to me then. I have several acquaintances here in Qingyuan County whom I can introduce to you."

Chen Yuan nodded heavily: "Thank you, Senior Brother! Chen Yuan will certainly train hard and strive to break through the Skin Realm as soon as possible."

This aligned perfectly with his own plans.

Since he had been abandoned by the Gu Family, he had no choice but to find another backer.

And the most basic requirement for finding a backer was to be an initiated martial artist.

That Huang Yan was willing to introduce him to a faction once he broke through the Skin Realm was already the height of benevolence and a true act of mentorship toward his fellow disciple.

Huang Yan grunted in acknowledgment and added:

"This is not your fault, so do not belittle yourself. Your ability to defeat Gao Mingchang and Cao Yan—whether through hard work or comprehension—is a part of your talent. Settle your heart, do not let this matter affect you. I believe breaking through the Skin Realm will not be difficult for you. I will wait for the day you come to find me."

Chen Yuan was deeply moved and said solemnly: "I will not fail your high expectations, Senior Brother."

This senior brother was truly looking out for him.

After a few more words, the matter concluded, and Chen Yuan took his leave.

Inside the side chamber, Gu Ye looked at the exceptionally "helpful" Huang Yan and teased:

"Master Huang, you certainly think highly of this junior brother of yours, going so far as to use your personal connections to find him a way out."

Huang Yan took a sip of tea and replied calmly: "This matter was handled improperly by us from the start. To cut the person with the second-best performance while keeping a bunch of dead weight—it is unheard of."

He retorted, "Besides, if I don't favor a junior brother with such excellent character and talent, should I favor that sniveling, petty man Yu Yan instead?"

Gu Ye's expression shifted, and he said in a low voice, "Master Huang, that's not something to be said aloud; it harms our unity."

Huang Yan let out a cold snort, stood up, and left.

Gu Ye sipped his tea and suddenly smiled; he wasn't wrong, after all.

Chen Yuan didn't rush to leave, choosing instead to inquire about news within the Gu Family.

He discovered the truth soon enough: Yu Yan had actually become a live-in son-in-law for the Gu Family, betrothed to none other than the head of the family's youngest daughter, Gu Wantong—the very young lady Cheng Xiaoyu had mentioned.

No wonder they were willing to abandon him.

Chen Yuan couldn't help but admire Yu Yan; the man certainly had his ways.

However, he wasn't sure if being cast aside by the Gu Family was a blessing or a curse.

The downside was obvious: he needed to find a new patron quickly, or he'd be left with nothing to eat by next month.

As for the upside, he was no longer bound by the Gu Family, finally attaining the freedom the Zhou Brothers had spoken of.

Whether it was good or bad depended entirely on Chen Yuan himself.

If he had the ability to find a better patron than the Gu Family, then it was undoubtedly a good thing.

Chen Yuan took a deep breath and headed toward Huo Academy.

Tomorrow, he would exchange for the Blood Qi Pill and the Skin Strengthening Pill; breaking through the Skin Realm was an absolute necessity.

By the time he returned to Huo Academy, it was already dinnertime. When Sun Chengjie asked why he had gone to the Gu Family, Chen Yuan gave a vague answer, dismissing it as a minor matter.

It was, indeed, a minor matter.

Yet, Chen Yuan suspected that in the eyes of others, it would likely be seen as a major crisis.

Better to avoid unnecessary trouble.

That night, after finishing his training, Chen Yuan walked the night path back to his aunt's house, only to find his cousin Cheng Xiaoyu waiting for him at the door.

Seeing him approach, she pulled him toward the small grove outside the house. Under the moonlight, her small face looked worried.

"So mysterious—is there something shameful going on?" Chen Yuan asked with a smile.

"Brother A-Yuan, how can you still smile!" Cheng Xiaoyu was shocked, then lowered her voice. "Brother, I know everything. The Gu Family canceled your funding. What is the reason? Didn't you rank first in last month's assessment?"

Chen Yuan patted her head, his expression relaxed.

"It's just a small matter, don't worry. Remember, don't tell your parents yet; I don't want Aunt to worry."

"Brother A-Yuan, stop pretending to be calm. This can't be hidden anyway. If I hadn't wanted to check with you first, I would have already told Mother." Cheng Xiaoyu clearly viewed this as a catastrophe.

She wasn't stupid; she knew that martial arts training was the most expensive endeavor.

Without the Gu Family's funding, whether he could even remain at Huo Academy was in question.

Chen Yuan smiled and said lightly, "To kill a tiger, it is best to do so while it is still nursing and has yet to grow. I am the same. If my funding had been cut a month ago, it might have been very troublesome, but now, I have already come into my own and can hunt for myself."

Cheng Xiaoyu was left bewildered. What was he rambling about? Wasn't Brother A-Yuan a human? How did he turn into a tiger? And why did he need to hunt?

Chen Yuan smiled and patted her shoulder. "Don't overthink it, silly girl. Give me three days, and I will naturally solve the problem of my training. Hurry inside, the wind is strong out here."

He pulled Cheng Xiaoyu toward the house.

"Xiaoyu, where are you dragging your brother off to?" Aunt's voice drifted over.

"No—nothing," Cheng Xiaoyu replied evasively.

"A-Yuan, is your training going smoothly? Are you tired?" Aunt looked at Chen Yuan with concern.

Chen Yuan smiled. "It's fine, I'm used to it."

Aunt nodded and lowered her head, continuing her needlework by the dim candlelight.

Chen Yuan knew she was sewing him a winter undershirt.

He said softly, "Aunt, it's getting late. You don't need to make clothes for me; I train every day, so my body stays warm."

Aunt continued to thread her needle with focus, her voice gentle. "It's no trouble. Wearing something thick is always for the best."

Chen Yuan smiled and stopped bringing it up, keeping her company with idle chatter.

They spoke of trivial matters, a rambling, repetitive conversation, yet it was the one thing that brought him the most peace.