Regret

"Brother, why are you home so early today?" Xu Qing looked in puzzlement at Xu Yang as he pushed the door open and walked in.

Xu Yang narrowed his eyes and smiled. "Take a guess."

Xu Qing looked him up and down. He seemed radiant, his entire bearing transformed. Her voice trembled uncontrollably. "You... you broke through?"

"That's right. Your brother is a martial artist now."

Xu Qing bounded over and threw her arms around him. "Haha... you did it! I'm a martial artist's sister now! I won't have to hide at home every day anymore. If anyone dares bully me, you can beat them up for me!"

Now that Xu Yang had become a martial artist, her first thought was that she could go outside instead of hiding at home, and no longer had to deliberately smear dirt on her face.

"Xu Lao'er's going to regret this until his guts turn green."

Her next thought was of Xu Lao'er. Having lost out on a martial artist for a son, he would probably cough up three pints of blood.

"Come on, let me see what a martial artist can do!" The little girl excitedly dragged Xu Yang outside.

Xu Yang found a watermelon-sized rock and struck it with his palm. With a crack, the rock split into pieces, leaving the little girl staring, dumbstruck.

Young as she was, she knew that if that palm struck a person, even ten lives would not be enough to survive it.

"All right, you've seen it. Hurry up and wash up. I'm taking you to visit Uncle."

He had naturally not come home so early to show off, but to thank his uncle in person.

Without Zhou Shunchang, he could never have been chosen by the Huang Family, and Zhou Shunchang had also looked after him a great deal. Although they had already met earlier, he felt he should still bring gifts and visit personally to express his thanks, then repay the money Zhou Shunchang had lent him.

Even in the city, a family producing a martial artist was sensational news, let alone somewhere like White Stone Ward. Not a single martial artist had emerged from White Stone Ward in nearly twenty years.

With Zhang Daniu and He Laosan spreading the word, news of Xu Yang becoming a martial artist soon swept through all of White Stone Ward and was still spreading toward the nearby Li Family Village and Big Tree Village.

"What did you say?"

Xu Lao'er grabbed the two neighbors who were chatting, thinking he had misheard.

"I said your son became a martial artist. Not your stepson, though. Your own son."

Gao Dabao did not mind Xu Lao'er's rudeness and wore a broad smile. If it had been him, his reaction would probably have been even stronger than Xu Lao'er's.

The other man scoffed. "What son? Xu Yang already cut ties with him. Don't say things like that again. If Master Xu Yang hears you, you'll have a bitter pill to swallow."

Xu Lao'er stood rooted to the spot as though struck by lightning.

Xu Yang became a martial artist? How was that possible?

"Impossible! That unfilial brat couldn't even fill his belly. Where would he get the money to practice martial arts? It must be a lie! My Jun hasn't even become a martial artist yet. How could he?" Zhang Cuiting shrieked.

Gao Dabao glanced at Zhang Cuiting, who looked every inch a shrew. "Surely you know that Xu Yang's uncle, Zhou Shunchang, works as an accountant for the Huang Family? Apparently, the Huang Family thought he had talent and paid to send him to a martial arts school.

"If you want to know whether it's true, just go ask Xu Yang."

Of course they had to go and find out!

Without a word, Xu Lao'er turned and left.

If Xu Yang really had become a martial artist, then he would be...

After a few steps, Xu Lao'er stopped. Even if Xu Yang had become a martial artist, it had nothing to do with him. They had already severed ties.

His face alternated between green and white, regret twisting his guts until they turned green. Had he known this would happen, he would never have let their relationship become so strained.

He did not regret mistreating Xu Yang and his sister. He regretted losing the chance to be a martial artist's father.

"What are you stopping for? Get moving!"

Zhang Cuiting pushed Xu Lao'er onward. She had to confirm whether Xu Yang had really become a martial artist.

If it was a lie, she would naturally mock him.

If it was true, she would mend their relationship and make Xu Yang a source of support for her son. As for their past grievances, for the sake of her son's future, she would not hold them against Xu Yang.

He was just a seventeen- or eighteen-year-old brat. A few words would surely coax him into obedience, especially with his own father, Xu Lao'er, there.

When Xu Lao'er reached his former home, he found a crowd already gathered. The people of White Stone Ward had come to bask in the martial artist's good fortune.

"Well, if it isn't Xu Lao'er! Have you come to bask in the martial artist's good fortune too?"

At the sight of Xu Lao'er, someone immediately began teasing him.

"Where's Xu Yang?"

He was thick-skinned enough not to care and simply asked after Xu Yang.

"He became a martial artist, so he took gifts to thank his uncle," someone said.

Thick-skinned as Xu Lao'er was, he still felt his face burning.

After asking around, he confirmed that Xu Yang had indeed become a martial artist. The shattered rock in front of the house was proof.

By the time they returned from his uncle's home, it was already dark.

Xu Yang had not only repaid the money Zhou Shunchang had lent him, but had given him a little extra as well.

Although he still needed money himself, he could hardly wait until he truly had no shortage of it before repaying the loan. Zhou Shunchang naturally did not want to accept it; when he had first handed over the money, he had never expected Xu Yang to pay him back.

After declining for a while, he was persuaded by Xu Yang to accept it.

"Qing, I'm going to send you to school!"

Looking at Xu Qing, who was nearly shoulder-high to him now, Xu Yang made up his mind.

"No, I don't want to study. I want to practice martial arts too! I want to become a martial artist!" The little girl shook her head.

Those who studied only got called sour scholars. Only martial arts brought glory.

Xu Yang had not expected her to already have thoughts of practicing martial arts. He shook his head. "Studying will teach you to read and broaden your horizons. You're still young, not old enough to practice martial arts yet. Once you're old enough, of course I'll let you train."

There were not many women who practiced martial arts, but they did exist, and Xu Yang had no prejudice against them.

Only after hearing that she could practice martial arts in the future did the little girl agree.

The next day, the first thing Xu Yang did upon opening his eyes was look at the Panel.

[Martial Dao Longevity Points: 65]

For successfully completing Qi Gathering, the Panel had rewarded him with thirty points.

After some thought, he divided the points evenly between improving his comprehension and bone root.

[Comprehension: 24]

[Bone Root: 43]

His comprehension rose to 24, while his bone root rose to 43.

He did not improve his cultivation technique.

Using points to improve a cultivation technique was really a one-off deal. Improving his comprehension and bone root, and thereby increasing his cultivation speed, gave him the best value. He had only used points to improve his technique before because he had faced a crisis.

Once the improvements were complete, Xu Yang did not feel much different.

After breakfast, Xu Qing changed into the new clothes they had bought in the city the day before. Xu Yang took her to the street to buy the Four Treasures of the Study, prepared the tuition gift, and headed with her to Old Scholar Li's home in White Stone Ward.

"Brother, now that you've become a martial artist, have you started having ideas about Li Yao again?"

Upon hearing that Xu Yang wanted to send her to Old Scholar Li's school rather than to the more learned Master Liu, Xu Qing could not help growing curious.

"What nonsense are you imagining, you little girl? Old Scholar Li is an upright man. Master Liu despises the poor and fawns over the rich. I don't want you picking up his rotten habits."

He had attended Master Liu's school as a child. Master Liu would not spare poor students like them so much as a glance, so he naturally did not want his sister becoming that sort of man's student.

As for Old Scholar Li's daughter, Li Yao, she was the moonlight in his predecessor's heart, not his.

The little girl chuckled. "Don't think I don't know you used to sneak looks at Li Yao all the time."