After receiving the news, Liang Hangzhou came over, still eating a persimmon cake in the Inner Courtyard.
"Master." Li Chuan bowed.
"Not bad." Satisfaction appeared on Liang Hangzhou's face.
Recently, all the trainees with good bone constitutions had been recruited by other martial halls.
For nearly ten whole days, not a single person in Pine Wind Martial Hall had successfully knocked on the gate!
Back in its glory days, someone would break through to Bright Force every two or three days.
Against such a contrast, quite a few people outside were privately saying that Pine Wind Martial Hall was going downhill.
Now that Li Chuan had successfully knocked on the gate, he had at least salvaged some of its face.
"From now on, you are my Registered Disciple. You may use the name of Pine Wind Martial Hall outside, but there are three rules I must tell you."
Liang Hangzhou said sternly:
"First, keep a low profile and remain cautious outside. Do not provoke trouble without cause."
"Second, fellow disciples may compete, but they must not kill or maim one another!"
"Third, you must not harm the martial hall's interests for other gains!"
"Those who violate the second or third rule will be expelled from the sect immediately. Do you understand?"
Li Chuan replied respectfully:
"Reporting to Master Liang, this disciple understands."
Liang Hangzhou nodded, then asked:
"When did you join the hall?"
"Reporting to Master, I have been in the hall for five months and sixteen days."
Liang Hangzhou's brows quietly furrowed, and the warmth in his eyes faded somewhat.
He suddenly stepped before Li Chuan, his right hand slithering like a spirit serpent onto Li Chuan's spine in an instant.
"Hiss!"
Feeling a numb, aching pain spread through his bones, Li Chuan sucked in a sharp breath.
"Low-Grade Bone Constitution." Liang Hangzhou secretly shook his head, and the enthusiasm in his heart vanished completely.
For someone like Li Chuan, with a Low-Grade Bone Constitution and a breakthrough just barely before the six-month passing line, his potential was essentially exhausted.
For the rest of his life, he would stop at Bright Force, unable to advance another inch.
Still, a Bright Force martial artist, no matter how poor, was still a Bright Force martial artist—not something an ordinary Apprentice could compare to.
Out in the world, he could still be considered a capable fighter in one corner.
Thus, Liang Hangzhou still gave him a few lukewarm pointers.
"On the path of martial arts, fighting methods and training methods carry equal weight."
"As the saying goes, practice martial arts without cultivating skill, and you will reach old age empty-handed; cultivate skill without practicing martial arts, and you will be muddleheaded the moment you strike."
"The martial way is the martial way. At its root, it is not flowery fists and embroidered kicks—it is real fighting and killing. Has your Through-Arm Fist reached Minor Mastery?"
Li Chuan said somewhat awkwardly:
"More or less."
Liang Hangzhou shook his head.
"You have not put enough hard work into it normally. Go back and practice more. I still have matters to attend to, so we'll leave it at that."
With that, Liang Hangzhou hurried away.
A disciple said in a low voice:
"Master is going to give Qin Feng special instruction."
"I heard that every afternoon, he personally trains Qin Feng for a whole hour. No wonder Qin Feng's fighting methods have improved so quickly. It would be great if he taught me too!"
"You have a Low-Grade Bone Constitution. What use would there be in teaching you!"
Listening to the complaints, more or less, Li Chuan did not feel there was anything improper about it.
When all was said and done, most things people did in society were for "benefit."
Qin Feng had a High-Grade Bone Constitution. If properly cultivated, he could not only make the martial hall famous and attract more Apprentices, but also raise a fighter to guard against old age.
After all, a Transforming Force expert like Liang Hangzhou had surely made many enemies over decades of martial arts.
As the saying went, fists feared the young and strong. When many martial masters neared old age, they would cultivate a Final Disciple to take the blows for them.
Qin Feng was probably meant for just such a role.
The difference in treatment between himself and Qin Feng was perfectly normal.
"Come to think of it, this is already pretty good. At least the favoritism is out in the open. In my previous life, I even heard of people swapping the college entrance exam scores of poor students with those of their own children..."
Li Chuan shook his head, intending to ask Luo Zheng about the various matters concerning taking a post.
"Senior Brother Luo, I would like to ask you about the various matters of taking a post."
Luo Zheng glanced at Li Chuan's clothes, understood at once, then smiled.
"Taking a post is not actually that complicated. It is nothing more than 'full attachment' and 'half attachment.' Full attachment is essentially selling yourself to the employer. The work is varied and demanding, but the silver compensation is also much more generous. Half attachment means you do not need to stay with the employer all day; you only go help when needed. Naturally, the silver you receive cannot compare with full attachment."
Li Chuan understood.
Full attachment was like full-time work in his previous life. The pay was high, but so were the demands.
Half attachment was part-time work, and rather relaxed part-time work at that. He only needed to go when required; otherwise, he could remain at the martial hall.
My main task is still to practice martial arts and grow stronger. Full attachment does not suit me. I can only choose half attachment, Li Chuan thought.
Luo Zheng added:
"Full attachment offers generous compensation, often one or two times more than half attachment. But you could say it is trading one's martial future for money. If you stay with the employer every day, where would you find time to practice martial arts? Usually, only disciples with no hope of further breakthroughs and exhausted potential make such a choice."
"Junior Brother, you have only just broken through to Bright Force. If you still wish to advance in martial arts, try not to consider full attachment. Otherwise, you will regret it for the rest of your life."
"Of course," Luo Zheng said with a trace of envy in his tone, "look at the Inner Courtyard. If one could be like Junior Brother Qin, receiving the pay of full attachment even with half attachment, that would be best of all."
"The Wang Family of the Inner City offered him a half attachment position with a monthly salary of twenty taels of silver as soon as he broke through to Bright Force. He only needs to set aside one afternoon each week to teach their son. They call it taking a post, but it is really more of an investment."
"And that wealthy water merchant who came from afar—upon meeting him, he gave thirty taels of silver, only in exchange for Junior Brother Qin helping him once in the future. Junior Brother Qin's talent is outstanding, beyond anything we can compare to..."
Li Chuan followed Luo Zheng's gaze.
In the Inner Courtyard, Liang Hangzhou was personally teaching Qin Feng how to stand in stance and throw punches.
From time to time, Lineage forces came by, handing over a few taels of silver or several strings of cured meat the moment they met him. Some even directly stuffed money pouches into Qin Feng's pocket.
The post Li Chuan was striving with all his strength to obtain came to Qin Feng as easily as turning over his hand.
"Junior Brother, you need not envy him too much either. Walk your own path. I can see that you possess a steadfast heart in seeking martial arts. If you persist through three or four years of bitter cultivation, you may yet have a chance to break through to Dark Force. As for taking a post, someone will probably come looking for you tomorrow. Consider it yourself then. If there is anything you do not understand, come ask me again."
Luo Zheng patted Li Chuan on the shoulder.
"Thank you, Senior Brother Luo." Li Chuan clasped his fists in thanks.
His gratitude was completely sincere.
As Pine Wind Martial Hall's second senior brother and the eldest son of Luo Family Pharmacy, Luo Zheng far surpassed him in both strength and status.
To Luo Zheng, Li Chuan had no value worth associating with at all.
Luo Zheng could have said nothing, yet he had chosen to tell Li Chuan so much important information.
Li Chuan would remember this favor.
"According to Senior Brother Luo, there's no need to hurry now. Someone will come looking for me tomorrow... I cannot waste time. I need to keep practicing martial arts!"
With a thought, Li Chuan summoned the Primordial Jade Record.
[Skill: Mountain-Holding Stance (Minor Mastery)] [Proficiency: 1/2000] [Skill: Through-Arm Fist (Initiation)] [Proficiency: 400/500]
"Fortunately, the proficiency required for Mountain-Holding Stance to break through did not increase too much." Li Chuan felt somewhat relieved.
If the proficiency needed to reach Major Mastery had risen to ten thousand, then he would truly have had a long grind ahead of him!
Two thousand was still acceptable.
After all, Major Mastery meant Dark Force.
Dark Force was entirely different from Bright Force.
In Anning County, wherever they went, Dark Force experts were prized treasures.
Taking an easy, miscellaneous post with a monthly salary of ten taels of silver would be effortless.
They would be respected everywhere they went.
Motivation blazed anew in Li Chuan's heart. I still have to train!
Beneath the bright yet not scorching sunlight, Li Chuan began practicing martial arts without stopping for even a moment.
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