Zhao Jie frowned. After pondering for a long while, he said, "I see that your steps are steady and powerful. I fear you have also gained an initial grasp of the Stone Stance Technique."
"To gain an initial grasp of both stance work and palm techniques is quite rare."
Just as Zhao Jie thought Wang Sheng was not too bad and decided to give him some cultivation resources, a voice suddenly came from the side room.
"Wang Sheng, are you really going to contend with me?"
Lin Shu walked out of the side room with a grim face and large strides.
So he had been eavesdropping in the side room all along.
Wang Sheng's expression did not change as he calmly said, "If a Martial Artist does not fight, how can he be called martial?"
"If one does not fight in chaotic times, how can one survive?"
Zhao Jie's eyes lit up when he heard this. He had not expected Wang Sheng to utter two such interesting lines.
Lin Shu's face darkened further. However, with his master Zhao Jie nearby, he could not press Wang Sheng too harshly. Otherwise, he would seem excessively overbearing and leave a bad impression on his master.
After thinking for a moment, Lin Shu said, "How about this, Junior Brother Wang? I know you fear that chaotic times may descend in the future and wish to learn martial arts for self-defense."
"How about we put all the resources into me first and help me break through to Dark Force? When the time comes, I can protect you and help you break through and grow stronger as well. What do you say?"
"After all, I have a High-grade Physique. And you are merely a Low-grade Physique."
Lin Shu heavily emphasized that final sentence, wanting his master Zhao Jie to understand this reasoning.
What was there worth cultivating in someone with a Low-grade Physique?
Shouldn't he focus on cultivating a genius like himself, one with a High-grade Physique?
Zhao Jie seemed thoughtful and did not speak.
But Wang Sheng seemed to have heard some enormous joke. His cheeks twitched, and he reacted somewhat intensely.
Break through first and bring along those who broke through later? Grow strong first and bring along those who grew strong later?
"Impossible."
"They are my resources. I will not yield a single scrap!"
"Master, please make the decision!"
Wang Sheng firmly rejected Lin Shu's proposal, and he seemed quite furious.
Seeing Wang Sheng's rage soaring to the heavens, Lin Shu was slightly stunned.
He had not said anything insulting to provoke Wang Sheng, had he?
"Sigh!"
"Fine."
"Since Wang Sheng is unwilling, then we shall follow the usual rules."
Although Lin Shu's talent was decent, he was not worth Zhao Jie gaining a reputation for bullying his disciples over such a small amount of resources.
As for chaotic times, if truly chaotic times arrived, could one or two more Dark Force practitioners possibly hold back the tide of the age?
"Wang Sheng, from this day onward, you are my, Zhao Jie's, disciple. Each month, you may receive five taels of silver and one Blood Replenishing Pill. If you advance to Bright Force or Dark Force, there will be further generous treatment."
"Yes! Thank you, Master!"
Wang Sheng knelt and gave thanks.
Resources worth ten taels every month were now in his hands.
That was one hundred and twenty taels a year.
Wang Sheng's parents served as slaves in the Li family. The two of them only earned twenty or thirty taels of silver a year.
This was the treatment of a Martial Artist. No wonder so many people scrambled to practice martial arts.
Seeing this, Lin Shu's face grew longer than a donkey's, yet he did not dare say anything more or contradict his master.
Still, Lin Shu would certainly bear a grudge against Wang Sheng.
Afterward, Wang Sheng received another round of instructions from Zhao Jie, along with careful teaching regarding the Great Tablet Shattering Hand.
This could be said to be the first time since Wang Sheng became his disciple that Zhao Jie had taught him so painstakingly.
In just half a day,
Wang Sheng had benefited immensely.
On the panel, the Great Tablet Shattering Hand changed from Beginner (1/300) to Beginner (7/300).
Half a day of instruction was worth three days of Wang Sheng's own hard training.
By the time Wang Sheng came out, the sky was nearly dark.
Only a few disciples remained in the outer courtyard.
"Congratulations, Junior Brother Wang."
Li Hu was an honest and steady man. Seeing Wang Sheng emerge from the inner courtyard, he slightly cupped his hands and smiled.
"Thanks to Senior Brother's care, this junior brother has what he has today."
Wang Sheng returned the salute.
As for the other formal disciples, they could not be bothered with Wang Sheng and simply continued their own cultivation.
Although Zhao Jie had more than eighty formal disciples under him,
according to what Zhao Jie had just said, nearly half of them had already chosen to leave the academy. Some had joined businesses Zhao Jie had partnered in, while others had chosen well-paid occupations.
Though they had left the academy, as long as Zhao Jie gave the word, they would immediately obey him like good children.
After all, Zhao Jie was not only their master, but also a great master of Transforming Force, a man whose name carried weight throughout Ershui City.
Moreover, those who did not respect their masters and propriety would not be welcomed anywhere.
The remaining half of the formal disciples stayed in the martial academy to practice and cultivate.
Some formal disciples were already qualified to leave the academy, but if they were not pressed for money, they could still devote themselves fully to martial arts.
Another dozen or so formal disciples were still at the beginner stage, or had only just entered Bright Force. They were still far from being qualified to leave the academy.
Wang Sheng did not train until the end today and hurried home.
Li Manor's side room.
When Madam Han learned that Wang Sheng had entered the martial path and become a formal disciple of the martial academy, she cried and laughed in excitement. She hugged Wang Sheng tightly and shouted that her son was a genius, that her son was the reincarnation of heavenly soldiers and heavenly generals.
Wang Sheng was somewhat embarrassed, yet he could not bring himself to dampen Madam Han's excitement.
Several Li family servants living nearby heard the commotion and gathered over.
When they heard that Wang Sheng had actually entered the martial path and become a formal disciple of the martial academy, every one of them widened their eyes in shock. Then they repeatedly bowed and scraped as they offered congratulations.
"Remarkable, truly remarkable! The Wang family is really going to produce a martial champion!"
"I always knew Brother Sheng of the Wang family was no ordinary person. He was bound to make something of himself. And today, it has indeed come true!"
"Sister Han, don't forget us when you prosper in the future."
"Brother Sheng, this is a fish left over from the kitchen. Take it, take it. The important people in the manor were not going to eat it anyway."
No matter how envious and jealous these Li family servants and maids were, outwardly, they no longer dared offend Madam Han.
Every martial academy master was an important person. As for their disciples, while they might not walk sideways through the streets, they were still like constables draped in an official's skin, far beyond ordinary commoners.
That martial academy uniform alone could frighten many ordinary people into backing away, too scared to provoke them.
And once martial academy disciples reached Bright Force, they would practically possess inhuman strength.
Thus, in the eyes of ordinary people, martial academy disciples had long become synonymous with power.
Madam Han gradually reined in her emotions and began receiving the servants and maids who had come to offer congratulations after hearing the news.
"Sister Han, this is the laundry money I owed you before. I hope that you, being the greater person, will not remember the lesser person's faults and will forgive me this once."
A fat woman secretly stuffed a small piece of silver into Madam Han's hand.
To help support the household, Madam Han often took on laundry work, washing five pieces for one copper coin.
But among the Li Manor's logistics staff, any fat woman with even a little authority did not want to pay Madam Han. They wanted her to wash their clothes for free. However, once news spread that Wang Sheng had entered the martial path, the fat woman immediately lost her nerve upon hearing it. Not only did she return all the money, she even gave quite a bit extra.
"Good, good. As long as the money has been paid, that is good."
Madam Han was beside herself with excitement.
She knew that if news had not spread of her son becoming a martial academy disciple, this money would most likely never have been returned.
At this moment, the Li family of Li Manor also heard that a servant's son had actually entered the martial path.
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