"Dad, weren't there two pieces of good news? What's the second one?" Lin Xiuwen asked curiously.
Lin Hua smiled and pulled a money pouch from his sleeve, setting it on the table. "We had some silver left over from renovating the restaurant. A full twenty taels. I'm planning to send Yi'er to a martial arts school."
Back when he'd been rescued from the terrible massacre that wiped out his family, his benefactor had given him three instructions.
First, raise Lin Yi to adulthood.
Second, give Lin Yi that cultivation manual.
Third, send Lin Yi to learn the Martial Way.
Now, only the last task remained.
As soon as he'd finished speaking, Chen Xu sprang to her feet. Her eyes reddened as she demanded, "Why send Yi'er to learn martial arts and not Xiuwen?"
Lin Hua's brows knitted together. "A few days ago, I took Yi'er to a martial arts school to have his bones tested. He's Grade B-, a genius in a hundred.
"Besides, Xiuwen's still young. His bones haven't matured yet. How could he practice martial arts?"
As the mainstream way of refining qi, the Martial Way had one major advantage: its entry requirements were relatively low.
A youth only needed to be fifteen before having their bones tested. The results fell into four grades—A, B, C, and D—and anyone who ranked C or above could cultivate.
The other paths to entering qi had much stricter requirements.
The Gu Path tested one's resistance to poison. The slightest mistake could mean death by poisoning.
The Sword Path tested one's aptitude for the sword.
As for the Corpse Puppet Path...
Lin Yi himself couldn't say what it tested. Whatever it was, his aptitude was certainly good enough. He'd only glanced at the manual twice before entering qi came as naturally as water flowing into a channel.
Chen Xu furrowed her brows, her eyes rimmed with red. "We've only just opened the restaurant. There are plenty of places that need money. If we spend all twenty taels on Yi'er's tuition at the martial arts school, what'll we do about expenses later?"
"I've heard that the Li family's son spends ten taels of silver a month just on meat for his martial arts training. Things have only just started looking up for us. Why the rush? Can't we wait?"
The more she spoke, the more worked up she became. "You're just more partial to Yi'er, and feel sorry for him because he lost his parents when he was little."
"When he was nine, you found him a master to temper his bones, and every month you bought him herbs to refine his blood and qi."
"I usually turned a blind eye, but now..."
"I can't put up with this anymore. Xiuwen is your child too. Haven't my son and I done enough for this family?"
"Enough!" Lin Hua thundered. "What would a woman know about this? I'll make myself clear right now: Yi'er learning martial arts is our family's top priority. Everything else can wait!"
He took a breath, his voice turning grave. "Taxes have grown heavier in recent years. In several provinces near the border, the age for conscription has already been lowered to under fourteen."
"Do you think it'll be long before things reach our Jiaqing County? Yi'er has the aptitude to learn martial arts and the potential to become a Martial Artist. Only a Martial Artist can exempt our family from corvée labor. Do you understand? Do you want to watch me and Xiuwen get dragged off to fight on the frontier?"
Lin Hua was plain-looking and taciturn, an honest man by nature. Usually, even when Chen Xu spoke harshly, he'd only give her a mild rebuke.
He'd never scolded her so sharply as he had today.
At his outburst, Chen Xu turned her face away, eyes red, and began to sob quietly.
Lin Xiuwen lowered his head and didn't dare say a word. He only bent over his bowl and ate in silence.
He didn't understand why his parents were arguing so fiercely. As far as he was concerned, there was nothing wrong with his older brother learning martial arts.
He didn't even like practicing martial arts himself. Besides, he'd heard that their neighbor A-Ye had an older brother who practiced martial arts, and none of the older children in the neighborhood dared bully him.
If he had an older brother who practiced martial arts too, that would surely be something to boast about outside.
"Aunt." A clear, calm voice suddenly rang out.
Everyone turned to look at Lin Yi. He sighed quietly to himself and stood up.
Every family had its own hard-to-recite scripture. Great rifts often began in the cracks that seemed so small.
Lin Yi was usually quiet, his expression always composed. Though young, he had a presence that somehow inspired trust. He walked over to Chen Xu and bowed deeply.
"Aunt, give me three months."
Twenty taels of silver would only cover three months' tuition at the martial arts school. After that, he'd have to pay another ten taels each month if he wanted to continue.
"Three months. If I succeed, I'll go to the county as soon as possible and register for a martial post, earning money so I can bring Xiuwen to the martial arts school too."
"If I can't, I'll come home and find work in the county to save money, and do everything I can to support Xiuwen's martial arts training." He straightened and bowed to each of the three in turn.
"Xiuwen, Aunt, please give me another three months."
The Lin family had struggled for years. They'd only just begun to get back on their feet. If his own affairs drove a wedge into the family, that would be Lin Yi's fault.
Chen Xu sniffed, her eyes slightly red, and shot Lin Hua a sidelong glare.
"I'm not some unreasonable shrew. I know how to be understanding. Learning martial arts is important, but you didn't even discuss it with me before making the decision and slapping it down on the table. Anyone would be upset..."
Chen Xu looked at Lin Yi again and drew him aside.
Lin Hua tried to follow, but Chen Xu stopped him with a look.
Taking Lin Yi by the hand, Chen Xu spoke softly.
"I watched you grow up. How could I not think of you as my own child..."
"Your uncle favors you, so naturally I have to show Xiuwen a little more care, lest your younger brother get the wrong idea..."
"You've always been levelheaded, and I trust you... Since you've said this, then go. At the martial arts school, don't cause trouble, and don't slack off."
Lin Yi's eyes stung, and a sour ache rose in his heart.
With that, Chen Xu led Lin Yi back to the table.
"Let's not talk about it anymore. Eat, eat." Lin Hua took the money pouch from the table and tucked it into Lin Yi's arms. "Keep the money safe. Go register at the martial arts school today or tomorrow."
"Mm." Lin Yi accepted it in a low voice.
After all the commotion, the atmosphere at the table grew quiet instead. The rift that had opened between them quietly mended.
Lin Yi returned to his seat and bent over his bowl, but his expression remained troubled, as if another worry still weighed on him.
[Know Heavenly Fate] [Recent Fortune: Ominous] [Hu Ma, the county magistrate of Jiaqing County's long-lost biological son, had recently been found. But he was now a hall leader in the Black Wind Gang. Because of the disreputable nature of his position, the magistrate had neither announced Hu Ma's return publicly nor allowed the news to spread.] [The family had another adopted son, who often bullied and framed Hu Ma. Having spent years roaming the underworld, Hu Ma had also picked up many bad habits. The magistrate and his wife didn't care for him. Hoping to earn his biological parents' approval, Hu Ma wanted to present them with a valuable gift.] [He'd learned that sixteen years ago, a piece of Precious Meteorite Iron had fallen from the sky, landing right beneath the Lin Family Restaurant. When the restaurant was built, the workers had cast it into the foundation.] [To retrieve the Meteorite Iron, the restaurant would have to be torn down. Stealing it in secret wasn't an option, so Hu Ma decided to buy the restaurant first and make plans afterward. But despite repeated approaches, the owner, Lin Hua, refused to sell.] [Hu Ma was infamous within the gang for his ruthless methods and vicious conduct. He'd committed more than a few massacres. To seize the Meteorite Iron, he was prepared to stop at nothing...] [Survive this crisis.] [Reward: 10,000 Destiny Talisman Coins]
His uncle had dreamed of opening a restaurant for nearly half his life.
It would be hard to make him give it up.
Lin Yi was at a loss.
Why was there a fake-young-master drama in this story too?
But how had this life-threatening mess landed right on his doorstep?
Just as Lin Yi fretted over how to break this impasse—
Boom—
A loud crash rang out as someone slammed the courtyard gate open.
Before you continue