Making Enemies (Please Read On)

"Brother!" Sun Chengjie had humiliated him to his face, and now his own brother was stabbing him in the back!

Using his own rhetoric against him instantly made Zhou Mo's face flush red.

Zhou Qian remained calm, as though he had not been the one urging his younger brother not to compromise earlier. In an earnest tone, he said:

"Little brother, it's only a bit of suffering on the lips. Keep your voice down and no one else will hear. Endure it, and it'll pass."

Sun Chengjie took another slice of beef and reminded him, "If you still won't say it, I'm finishing all of it."

Zhou Mo clenched his fists tightly, yet under his brother's persuasion and the temptation of the food, he shamefully gave in. Lowering his head and twisting his neck to the side, he rasped:

"Daddy Sun... Daddy Sun..."

"Ah, good boy. So obedient." Sun Chengjie laughed heartily in satisfaction, all the gloom from his earlier humiliation swept away. Without drawing attention, he took a step back.

"Enough. Give me the beef!" Zhou Mo suddenly raised his head, sounding imposing.

Sun Chengjie sighed and said earnestly, "Good boy, is that any way to speak to your Daddy Sun? Can't you see your Daddy Sun is exhausted from martial training and needs meat to replenish his nutrition? What an unfilial child!"

His intention to break the deal was now plain as day. Zhou Mo instantly lost it and roared, "You said whoever didn't give it was a dog! What, can't you afford to lose?"

He felt like he was about to explode. It was bad enough that this bastard had brought beef to provoke him—he had even tricked him into obediently calling him Dad four times!

He had never suffered such humiliation in all his life.

Zhou Qian's expression immediately turned cold as well. He threatened, "Newcomer, hand over the beef right now! Going back on your word won't end well. Be careful, or retribution will come for you."

Sun Chengjie sneered at that, then spat disdainfully. "Why weren't you talking about retribution when you were insulting me? You still want my beef? Dream on! So what if I'm a dog? I'm not giving it to you—what, are you mad? Your Daddy Sun is going to feast to his heart's content and build up his qi and blood. You two useless fools who entered before me, just wait for your Daddy Sun to surpass you! Then I'll beat you into grandsons!"

After that torrent of words, he felt indescribably satisfied. But he did not slack off, running as he spoke in case they became desperate dogs leaping over a wall.

Zhou Mo had been driven to tears. With reddened eyes, he roared, "You dog-fucking beast, I'll beat you to death today!"

His hoarse, hysterical voice rang through Huo Academy. He was clearly mad with rage.

Zhou Qian was also burning with fury. The beef that had practically reached his mouth had flown away, and he had been toyed with so thoroughly. A gentleman could not let such a grudge go unavenged!

But since he had not called him Dad, he retained some measure of reason. He hurriedly grabbed his hotheaded younger brother and barked:

"Calm down! If you rush over and beat him up now, Huo Academy will throw you out! Not only will all the tuition you painstakingly saved up go down the drain, you'll be humiliated even worse! Endure it!"

His vicious gaze remained fixed on Sun Chengjie as he ran toward the Dining Hall.

He would remember this grudge!

Liu Jin swallowed. It had felt good, sure, but hadn't they gone a little too far? They had just arrived and already made such a huge enemy...

He could not help glancing at Chen Yuan beside him and asking, "Brother Chen, did you teach him that?"

He Qing and Xue Anping looked over as well.

Chen Yuan shook his head with a bitter smile. "I only told him to go show off a little and vent his anger. I never expected Brother Sun to be so talented..."

Thinking it over, the others agreed. There had not been enough time for Chen Yuan to teach him much anyway, and the wariness in their eyes gradually faded.

Sun Chengjie returned with his head held high, grinning. "That was satisfying. Brother Chen really has a way."

Chen Yuan smiled helplessly and reminded him, "You've made quite a big feud here. They won't dare do anything within the academy, but once you leave, that may be another matter. It's best not to go anywhere alone."

"Those who humiliate others will always be humiliated in turn. There's no need to save face for trash like them," Sun Chengjie said coldly, though he still nodded.

"I'll be careful."

Chen Yuan said nothing further. He scooped himself another bowl of rice and quietly finished all the beef and meat broth.

If it had been him, he would never have pushed things to such an extreme. His principle was to lie low with everything he had.

But if things truly reached that point, he would find a way to eliminate all future trouble.

The night was cool as water, cicadas chirping in waves.

Remembering Senior Brother Tao's warning, Chen Yuan knew that without enough meat to replenish himself, he should not practice his stance work too excessively, or it would drain his qi and blood.

He went through the motions two or three times, then ended his practice and went home.

Haste made waste. Adequate sleep was indispensable.

Liu Jin had wanted to go home long ago. Now that he had the aptitude for martial arts and a chance to rise above the crowd, his mother would surely be delighted.

But seeing Chen Yuan, whose aptitude was even better, still persevering, he gritted his teeth and continued training as well.

Now that Chen Yuan had finished, he finally breathed a sigh of relief. He went over to strike up a conversation, suggesting they head home together.

Chen Yuan also called out to Sun Chengjie. Their homes were not in the same direction, but walking together for part of the way was still good.

He Qing and Xue Anping did not act aloof either.

Along the way, they mostly talked about martial training. Liu Jin, the freckled youth, sighed:

"We can get beef for one or two taels of silver. Yu Yan and the others must eat even better, and they're studying at the Martial Hall too. In every way, we fall short of them."

If the Gu Family was training them as ordinary guards, then Yu Yan and the others were being trained as elite guards, perhaps even future captains.

Sun Chengjie naturally picked up the thread. "They definitely get to eat meat whenever they want. They probably even drink that Body Strengthening Soup. I heard a bowl costs one mace of silver. Tsk, tsk."

Chen Yuan listened quietly.

Huo Academy also offered Body Strengthening Soup. He still had five mace of silver left over, which he could exchange for the soup or use to buy more beef.

For now, beef was still enough to hold him over, so he was in no hurry to exchange for it.

Even Xue Anping, who was usually quiet, spoke up. "Senior Brother Tao said that relying only on that bowl of beef, it would take a very long time to accumulate enough qi and blood to break through the gate. It would be best to get some silver from home as well."

They had not yet entered the path, so naturally they could not truly understand it. But Senior Brother Tao had no reason to deceive them.

Still, they all came from poor families. Even one tael of silver was a huge sum and required careful consideration.

After Xue Anping finished speaking, his gaze swept over Chen Yuan almost imperceptibly.

Sun Chengjie clasped his hands behind his head and said carelessly, "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. At least we're better off than those two dogs from the Zhou Family."

Chen Yuan did not say much. When they reached the alley entrance leading toward Hundred Herb Lane, he left the little group.

Master Huo had long made it clear that they were to weigh things according to their own circumstances.

Chen Yuan also knew his own circumstances. All he could freely use were the fifty-one copper coins he had earned from two days of work at the docks.

After fifteen coins were taken as lodging fees, he had thirty-six coins left. It was better than nothing.

The only way to change his circumstances was to reveal a little of his potential and earn the Gu Family's regard.

When he returned home, Chen Yuan happily told his aunt's family that he had passed the Gu Family's aptitude selection and was already studying martial arts at Huo Academy.

Cheng Xiaoyu was extremely excited, looking at Chen Yuan with admiration. "Brother Yuan, I knew you could do it! I, Cheng Xiaoyu, am going to have a martial master for a cousin!"

She seemed to believe that entering a martial academy meant one would become a martial master.

Huang Juan held her nephew's hand, her face full of gratified smiles. "Wonderful. I said that if that little brat Chen Kai had the aptitude to practice martial arts, then A-Yuan, you definitely would too."

As she spoke, she went into the inner room. Not long after, she came out holding a money pouch and pressed it into Chen Yuan's hand, saying softly:

"A-Yuan, martial training is arduous, and Aunt can't help you with much. There are two taels of silver here. Take them and use them for now."

Chen Yuan shook his head and tried to push the pouch back. "Aunt, you've already helped me enough. I can't take this money."

Huang Juan's tone was firm. "A-Yuan, if you consider me your aunt, then take it."

Cheng Yong added in a muffled voice, "A-Yuan, take it. Martial training costs money at every turn. Train well and make something of yourself. Don't let your aunt down."

"What are you saying?" Huang Juan immediately shot Cheng Yong a glare. Then she looked at Chen Yuan again, her tone softening. "Just do what you should do. Don't burden yourself. Aunt believes in you."

Chen Yuan now understood that this selfless gift came from his aunt's love for her nephew.

And the best way to repay her was exactly as his uncle had said: make something of himself through martial training!

He stopped refusing, accepted the pouch, and nodded heavily. "Thank you, Aunt. Your nephew understands."