A Ten Percent Chance

Half an hour passed, but Sun Tao never appeared, nor did anyone come to remind them to train.

"Looks like Senior Brother Sun Tao isn't coming. We'll have to train on our own."

Someone spoke up, his expression grim. He had yet to memorize the entire Turtle-Snake Great Stance, and the others in the same position looked much the same.

How were they supposed to train without Sun Tao's guidance?

Luo Dehu felt as though he had been slapped in the face. He secretly regretted snapping at Zhang Yong and Zhang Hong. He had never imagined that, after taking so much money, the Mighty Far Hall would treat them so carelessly.

Lin Cheng had left after guiding them once, while Sun Tao had only instructed them three times.

"Ten copper coins, and you can come to me anytime."

Zhang Hong spoke with a cheerful grin, then rose and walked into the Martial Training Ground to assume the Turtle-Snake Great Stance.

Xu Yang had more or less recovered. He went over near Zhang Hong and began training too. Soon, Zhang Yong joined them and took up his stance.

"Boss Lu Ren..." Luo Dehu looked to Lu Ren for help.

"No problem. I'll teach you!" Lu Ren said, standing up.

At those words, everyone who had failed to memorize the stance was overjoyed. They shot provocative looks at Zhang Yong and Zhang Hong, their eyes seeming to say, See? This is the difference between you and a true genius.

Not only were their Bone Roots inferior, but their generosity fell short as well.

Xu Yang paid them no mind. He simply focused on training, getting more and more of a feel for it.

Sure enough, I need to eat well, and eat plenty.

That morning, he had eaten only a little coarse rice and two slices of pork belly-not even enough to fill his stomach. With no food in his belly, the effectiveness of his training naturally suffered greatly.

His midday meal had been better than what he normally ate even at New Year. With ample nourishment, the effects of his stance training changed immediately, and he could hold the Turtle-Snake Great Stance longer and longer.

"You idiots! I'm done. Train on your own."

Suddenly, Lu Ren's voice rang out. He washed his hands of the whole affair and went off to train by himself.

Although Luo Dehu had put him on a pedestal, and he did harbor ambitions of being their leader, he was still a genius with a B-Grade Upper Bone Root, not a fool. After wasting enough time, he realized it would affect his own progress.

"I thought he'd keep teaching them forever!" Zhang Yong said with a laugh.

Playing the good guy was hardly that easy. Lu Ren alone had failed to see through Luo Dehu's little schemes; Zhang Yong had spotted them at a glance.

"He couldn't possibly teach them!" Xu Yang shook his head.

Although Lu Ren had memorized the entire Turtle-Snake Great Stance, his own understanding was still incomplete. How could he teach anyone else? Those people might not even appreciate his kindness, and might instead think he was holding something back.

"So that fellow is the one you said has a B-Grade Upper Bone Root?" A young man came over.

During their breaks, disciples who had joined the Mighty Far Hall earlier also came over to talk and get acquainted.

His name was Zhou Yuan. He had arrived half a month before Xu Yang and the others, and had already reached Entry in the Turtle-Snake Great Stance.

Through their conversations, he had also learned that Xu Yang and the others were receiving sponsorship from the Huang Family to train here.

"Yes, that's him." Zhang Hong nodded.

"You few have your heads screwed on straight, at least. If Lu Ren doesn't come to his senses soon, he'll probably struggle to become a martial artist. Imagine wasting his own time teaching others." Zhou Yuan shook his head.

Puzzled, Zhang Yong asked, "With Lu Ren's B-Grade Upper Bone Root, wasting a little time shouldn't stop him from becoming a martial artist, should it? At most, he'll get there a little later."

Of the ten of them, it might still be uncertain whether the others could become martial artists, but with Lu Ren's Bone Root, there should have been no surprises.

Yet Zhou Yuan was actually saying that Lu Ren would struggle to become one.

"Hahaha... A little later? You don't think the Huang Family will keep funding your training forever, do you? Three months at most. If you haven't become martial artists by then, they'll cut off your money. Did you really think you could take your sweet time? Don't tell me nobody told you about this."

A burly figure approached, his muscles bulging and sweat streaming down like raindrops as he gulped water.

His name was Zhou Yang. He had spoken with Xu Yang and the others earlier, and he and Zhou Yuan were paternal cousins.

Both Zhang Hong and Zhang Yong's expressions changed. They had known the Huang Family would not fund their training forever, but had never imagined that the support would last only three months.

Become a martial artist in three months? If it were that easy, martial artists would not have been so rare.

"Senior Brother Zhou Yang, is there a reason for that?" Xu Yang frowned slightly.

He did not believe Zhou Yang had any way of knowing the decisions made by the Huang Family's higher-ups. The only explanation was that there was something these newcomers to martial training did not understand.

Zhou Yang plopped down beside Xu Yang, breathing heavily. "Martial training begins with stance work. Those with excellent talent can reach Entry in three to five days. Even those with slightly weaker talent can manage it in ten days to half a month.

"If someone still can't reach Entry after ten days to half a month, a fool like that should go home early instead of wasting grain.

"Once stance work reaches Entry, you begin building up your qi and blood and tempering your body. At the same time, you must start practicing your fists to prepare for challenging the first martial dao gate.

"From the moment you begin fist training, this process takes no more than three months before you reach the first great martial dao barrier.

"Once you challenge that barrier, success makes you a martial artist, while failure means slinking away in defeat. That's why the Huang Family won't fund you for more than three months."

"After failing to break through, can't you try a second time?"

Zhang Hong looked deeply troubled. He finally understood why martial artists were so few: they actually had only three months.

"Do you think breaking through a martial barrier is like taking the imperial examinations? Fail this year and try again next year, a dozen times if you like? Your first attempt is when your essence, qi, and spirit are at their absolute peak. If you can't succeed then, you won't succeed afterward either.

"Of course, if your family can cough up several hundred taels of silver to rebuild and retrain your body, then just treat what I said as a fart."

Never mind several hundred taels-their families would struggle to produce even a few.

"Senior Brother Zhou, what's the usual success rate for breaking through?" Xu Yang asked.

"Generally, around thirty percent!"

Zhou Yang raised one finger. "But for the ten of you... only ten percent."

He stopped just short of saying that only Lu Ren would become a martial artist, while everyone else would fail.

"Why does it drop to ten percent for us?"

Luo Dehu and the others had come over to rest as well. Though he was panting, he could not help asking.

Zhou Yuan glanced at him. "Most people who train spend at least several dozen taels of silver over three months just to buy themselves a thirty percent chance.

"Except for Lu Ren, each of you has less than ten taels to spend on three months of training. What makes you think your chances will be the same as someone spending several dozen taels?

"As for Bone Roots, how poor could someone's really be if they can reach Entry in the Turtle-Snake Great Stance?"

None of the ten spoke. Even Lu Ren fell somewhat silent.

Others spent several dozen taels at the drop of a hat, while he had only around twenty. Even his prospects were a little precarious.

Set against what Master Lin had said earlier, it seemed to make a great deal of sense.

"The Huang Family really is miserly. Trying to raise a martial artist on a few taels of silver is nothing but a fool's dream. They treat martial training like child's play." Zhou Yuan shook his head.

Zhou Yang looked disdainful. "Shortsighted upstarts, dreaming of winning big with a tiny stake. They want to raise their own martial artists, but can't bear to spend more money and take the risk. Health-Nourishing Soup, Body-Strengthening Soup, Medicinal Baths to cleanse and temper the body-how can you do without any of them?"

"So you're saying we're already doomed to fail." Qian Jiaxing's voice was low.

"If I were you, I'd trade the resources you have for money. That way, you'd at least get something out of it."

After saying so much, Zhou Yang finally revealed his purpose.