Cheng Qingshi's Thoughts

After that, a thought began to grow wildly in Zhou Fan's heart, impossible to suppress.

Chen Jing was an inner-court disciple of Lianshan Martial Arts Hall, yet he was working as a butcher in Livestock Lane. It was simply a disgrace to the martial arts hall, a disgrace to Master Cheng.

If word of this got out, what would other people say?

They would say Lianshan Martial Arts Hall could not even support its own direct disciple, forcing him to go butcher pigs for money.

The more Zhou Fan thought about it, the more excited he became. He knew that the young hall master, Cheng Qingshi, was proud by nature and valued the martial arts hall's reputation above all.

If Cheng Qingshi learned about this, perhaps he would fly into a thunderous rage and personally report it to Hall Master Cheng.

Then Chen Jing's status as an inner-court disciple might very well be stripped away on the spot.

At that time, a place in the inner court would open up again.

And he, Zhou Fan, the foremost among the outer court in achieving great success in stance training, would be the most likely person to fill that vacancy.

Thinking this, Zhou Fan could no longer hold himself back. He turned and ran toward the martial arts hall.

Cheng Qingshi was unlike Zhang Chengji, who taught in the outer court every day. He had always kept to himself, focusing on martial training, and rarely showed his face in the outer court.

Zhou Fan skipped his afternoon lessons.

Taking advantage of the servants' inattention, he slipped into the inner court.

He crouched along the corridor path for a long while before finally waiting until Cheng Qingshi finished practicing in the Martial Arts Arena and returned to his room.

"Senior Brother Cheng!"

Zhou Fan darted out and gave a proper, formal salute.

Cheng Qingshi stopped and glanced at him with a frown.

The youth wore the training clothes of an outer-court disciple, but his face was very unfamiliar.

"Who are you?"

"This disciple is Zhou Fan of the outer court. I have an important matter to report to Senior Brother Cheng."

Zhou Fan's voice was very low, but it could not hide the urgency in his tone.

Cheng Qingshi's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. "Speak."

"According to what this disciple knows, Senior Brother Chen Jing is currently working as a butcher in Livestock Lane."

Zhou Fan swallowed. "This disciple was only afraid that Senior Brother Chen Jing's conduct would invite criticism upon the martial arts hall and needlessly make us a laughingstock, so I came specifically to inform Senior Brother Cheng."

Cheng Qingshi's pupils shrank slightly, and the fingers hanging at his side clenched unconsciously.

But his face remained as cold and indifferent as ever. He merely stared at Zhou Fan for a moment before slowly asking:

"Is this true?"

"This disciple saw it with his own eyes. It is absolutely true."

Seeing that Cheng Qingshi seemed to have reacted, Zhou Fan was overjoyed, and his courage swelled a little.

"Then, how do you think this should be handled?"

This was exactly the sentence Zhou Fan had been waiting for.

He took a deep breath, trying hard to make his voice sound steady and impartial, but the excitement at the corners of his eyes and brows still spilled out, impossible to hide:

"Without rules, no square or circle can be formed. Senior Brother Chen Jing, as an inner-court disciple of the martial arts hall, should place the hall's reputation first."

"Since he has now damaged the sect's reputation, in this disciple's view, his status as an inner-court disciple should be revoked, to set the record straight."

Cheng Qingshi stood with his hands behind his back, narrowing his eyes as he looked at Zhou Fan.

His stern face was hidden in the corridor's shadows, making it impossible to read his joy or anger.

After a moment of silence, Cheng Qingshi suddenly spoke. "Zhou Fan, is it?"

Zhou Fan answered excitedly that he was.

He looked forward to Cheng Qingshi's praise, looked forward to this young hall master slamming the table and rising, then taking him to see Hall Master Cheng.

Yet Cheng Qingshi's tone was ice-cold as he said:

"Outer-court disciple Zhou Fan is narrow-minded and consumed by jealousy, with improper thoughts, casually slandering an inner-court senior brother."

"I will speak with Eldest Senior Brother and have you expelled from the martial arts hall. The tuition you paid in advance will be returned to you by the hall."

"Now, you may leave."

Zhou Fan's whole body seemed to be struck by a muffled thunderclap. He froze in place, the color draining clean from his face in an instant.

"Wh-what? How could this be?"

"But Chen Jing clearly... why..."

His lips trembled, his words coming out incoherently, while his mind buzzed loudly.

He had imagined Cheng Qingshi would become angry. He had imagined he would question him.

But he had never imagined that Cheng Qingshi would not even bother to verify it and would directly expel him from the sect.

"Even if Chen Jing really did something that disgraced his master's school, it should be judged by the Hall Master himself. Since when was it the turn of an outer-court disciple like you to point fingers?"

Cheng Qingshi looked at him coldly. "Leave with some dignity. Otherwise, I don't mind throwing you out with my own hands."

Zhou Fan staggered back two steps. Looking at Cheng Qingshi's cold, utterly unruffled face, he suddenly understood a truth he should have understood long ago.

In Lianshan Martial Arts Hall, a personal disciple was a personal disciple.

Even if Chen Jing really was a pig butcher, he was not someone an outer-court disciple like him could shake.

He gritted his teeth, turned around, and stumbled away.

Cheng Qingshi stood where he was, watching Zhou Fan's figure disappear at the end of the corridor. After a moment of silence, he turned and walked toward the courtyard of Cheng Lianshan and his wife.

In the courtyard, Cheng Lianshan and Su Ru were sitting beneath the veranda, drinking tea.

Cheng Qingshi entered the courtyard and bowed respectfully. "This child pays respects to Father and Mother."

Cheng Lianshan set down his teacup and glanced at his son.

Cheng Qingshi was a sealed gourd. From childhood to adulthood, aside from paying his morning and evening respects, he rarely took the initiative to come and speak with him.

The timing was wrong now, and with that stiff-faced expression of his, one look was enough to know his son had something on his mind.

"Qingshi, is something the matter?"

Cheng Qingshi recounted how Zhou Fan had just reported that Chen Jing was working as a pig butcher in Livestock Lane.

After Cheng Lianshan heard him out, he nodded slightly.

"You handled it very well. Those of poor conduct truly should not remain in the martial arts hall."

Cheng Qingshi was silent for several breaths, then said bluntly, "This child believes that Junior Brother Chen working as a pig butcher is inappropriate."

Cheng Lianshan lifted his teacup and took a light sip, then chuckled. "What is inappropriate about it?"

"The pig-slaughtering trade is filthy and laborious. It delays time for martial training, the pay is not high, and it invites criticism."

Cheng Qingshi listed his reasons methodically, each point clear and orderly. Evidently, this was not some sudden impulse, but something he had pondered for a while.

Cheng Lianshan smiled and set down his teacup.

"Qingshi, you were born in the martial arts hall and have lived a life above others. You have never come into contact with the hardships of ordinary people's livelihood."

"You must know that when it comes to trades for making a living, there is no distinction of high or low, noble or base."

"As for Old Seven's matter, Old Three has already told me about it. That pig-butchering job of the boy's was introduced to him by Old Three."

"Old Three explained the pros and cons to him, but Old Seven still made this decision. I imagine he has his own plans."

"And besides, he trains diligently morning and night without slacking, and his kung fu is improving day by day. That is enough."

"As a master, one cannot manage every single thing. If you do that, the master gets tired, and the disciple gets even more tired."

He paused, then said in an indifferent tone, "As for reputation."

"A martial arts hall's reputation is fought out, not spread by hearsay. There's no need to care."

Su Ru picked up the thread from the side, her gentle voice carrying a trace of heartache.

"I heard that child, Little Jing, used to make a living slaughtering pigs back in Shuang'an Town."

"For him to be so diligent and hardworking, he must have suffered quite a bit in the past. Qingshi, don't be too harsh on your little junior brother."

Cheng Qingshi was silent for a moment, then nodded.

"Yes. This child understands."

He bowed, turned, and withdrew from the courtyard.

The sunlight stretched his shadow long. He walked along the corridor with his head lowered in thought, and the ideas in his heart were already different from when he had come.

Father was right.

Whether it was slaughtering pigs or escorting caravans, they were both ways to make a living.

He could disagree with Chen Jing's choice, but he had no right to make the choice for him.

At the same time, Zhou Fan stood outside the main gate of Lianshan Martial Arts Hall.

In his hand, he clenched the money pouch that had been returned to him, his knuckles pinched white.

He looked back at the four large characters "Lianshan Martial Arts Hall" on the ebony plaque, his eyes surging with unwillingness and venom.

He should have had a bright future!

But Chen Jing had stolen his place, and Cheng Qingshi had kicked him out of the martial arts hall with one foot. He had nothing left.

"Chen Jing." Zhou Fan gritted his teeth, his voice squeezing out from between them. "I will make you pay."

If you encounter advertisements like "Are you a real person?", there is no need to pay them any attention. Just close them. Do not scan any QR codes or send text messages!