Kaohe Town.
Early morning, the sky just beginning to brighten. The Chen Family Fish Shop.
"This knifefish is too small—two wen."
"Aunt Qin, it's so small, how could I charge you? Take it as a gift. Take a look at these black fish—just pulled from the water. I kept them especially for you."
"The size is pretty good. How much?"
"Twenty wen each."
"Twenty wen—isn't that a bit expensive?"
"It's not cheap, but you're not short on money. These black fish were originally meant to be sent to the county. Last week you said your daughter-in-law was pregnant, so I had the shopkeeper save them for you. Black fish are treasure from head to tail—there's an old saying: eat black fish, hold a good grandson."
"Alright, pack them up for me. I'll take these knifefish too."
"No problem, I'll pack them right away."
A thin, juvenile moved briskly, placing the black fish into the vegetable basket the woman handed over. At the end, he slipped two lake clams into the basket as well. Seeing this, the woman's smile grew even brighter.
"Oh, Sister-in-law Zhang—early isn't as good as timely. These two carp are very fresh…"
"Uncle Li, you came to buy fish yourself today? You really dote on Auntie. Just say what fish you want…"
"Uncle, same as usual. I'll scrape the scales for you."
The juvenile held a fish in one hand and scissors in the other, scraping scales with extreme deftness, not even glancing at what his hands were doing.
"Xiao Chen, have you thought about finding a wife?"
"Still early."
"What do you mean early? At your age you should be thinking about it. When I was your age, Xiao Bao had already been born."
"Uncle, the scales are done. I've put it in your basket."
"Already? Xiao Chen, you really are fast." The middle-aged man wanted to chat a bit more, but seeing the juvenile already receiving another customer, he left somewhat unsatisfied, carrying his basket.
…
…
Half an hour later, the three baskets of fish in front of the juvenile were completely sold out.
The fish shop's shopkeeper walked over, puffing on a dry tobacco pipe. "Xiao Chen, how about it? Have you thought about coming here to work? I'll talk to the owner—your monthly pay will be ten wen more than a new hire."
"Shopkeeper Yang, I'm still learning martial arts at the martial hall," the juvenile declined politely.
"Learning martial arts isn't that easy. Without money at home, you can't really learn anything. If you work here now and do well, I'll recommend you to the owner. In the future, you could even become a shopkeeper."
"Thank you for your kindness. When I get eliminated from the martial hall, I'll come and rely on you."
The juvenile wiped the fish slime from his hands. His skin, roughened from scraping scales, accepted the fifteen copper coins handed over by the shopkeeper. His words still carried a refusal.
"With such a good head for business, why learn martial arts? Is that something ordinary people can learn?"
Shopkeeper Yang sighed as he watched the youngster's departing figure.
Without money, don't learn martial arts—otherwise, it all ends in nothing.
"Shopkeeper, that Lin Chen really doesn't know what's good for him. He just came up with scraping scales, yet you admire him so much. And he still refused," one of the shop's helpers complained, clearly displeased with Yang's appreciation of Lin Chen. "I can do that job too, and I scrape scales faster than Lin Chen."
"You don't know shit!" Shopkeeper Yang snapped back, glaring at him. "You think it's just scraping scales? Those other fish shops copied us, but they still can't outsell us. That's his skill."
Shopkeeper Yang understood clearly—what Lin Chen was good at was turning these customers into regulars.
But the helper wasn't entirely wrong. He did admire Lin Chen and wanted him as a helper, but although Lin Chen's reply today was tactful, he had no intention of becoming one. That meant this odd job couldn't be given to him anymore.
Ten wen wasn't much, but it was still an extra expense. If the shop's helper did it, that ten wen wouldn't need to be paid.
He was just a shopkeeper—essentially a senior hired hand—and still had to give the owner an explanation. This was also a form of protection for Lin Chen.
…
…
Leaving the fish shop, Lin Chen let out a sigh. He wouldn't be able to keep doing this fish-killing odd job anymore.
Once is fine, twice is fine—but not a third time.
He had refused Shopkeeper Yang three times in a row. Yang likely wouldn't let him continue doing scattered selling work anymore.
Although fish sold better when he did the job, Shopkeeper Yang was only a shopkeeper. To put it bluntly, he was a high-level worker. This work could clearly be done by the shop's helper, yet he still had to give Lin Chen ten wen. Over time, it would be hard to explain to the owner.
Today's inquiry had been the final chance.
Even if Yang hadn't asked today, Lin Chen would have stopped after a few more times.
The shopkeepers of the other fish shops nearby were already starting to look at him with hostility.
If he were a fish shop helper, selling well would be fine—it would be a matter of skill within the trade.
But he was just doing odd jobs, snatching their business. That was bound to breed resentment.
Lin Chen shook his head. Over the past few months, he had done many odd jobs around town, each lasting only a month or so. The reason was always the same.
…
…
Lin Chen returned to the town's martial hall.
On the training grounds, many youths were practicing their punches, shouts ringing out one after another.
"Chen, you're back."
A youngster on the training grounds leaned over and whispered, "This is the last month. If your strength doesn't reach two hundred jin, you'll be eliminated. If you're short on money, I still have some here—take it first. Don't keep taking odd jobs and delaying your training."
Lin Chen felt warmth in his heart. "Don't worry. If I'm really short, I won't be polite with you."
The youngster beside him was from the same village. They had grown up playing together—true brothers who had been through everything together.
"Your grandfather really is something," Gu Fei muttered. "He pays for your older cousin to learn martial arts, but not for you."
"The family already spent a lot of money on my older cousin learning martial arts."
Lin Chen felt helpless as well. He had transmigrated too late.
He had only come to this world half a year ago. By then, his older cousin had already been learning martial arts for two years, and the family's savings had all been spent on him. Lin Chen had only made it into the martial hall by threatening to die.
He had to learn martial arts.
Because in this world, there was no such thing as studying for official examinations. This was a world of martial arts, where martial artists reigned supreme.
Officials and nobles were all martial artists.
All pursuits were inferior; only martial arts stood above.
But learning martial arts was extremely expensive. Just the martial hall tuition alone was ten taels of silver. Lin Chen's Linhu Village, however, had once produced an extraordinary martial examinee ten years ago, earning the village the privilege of free martial training.
Free—for ten years. This was the final year.
Lin Chen knew very well that if he missed this year, learning martial arts would be even harder. Earning ten taels of silver was no easy task, and the martial hall only accepted students under sixteen. By next year, he would no longer qualify.
After absorbing the original body's memories and understanding all this, he had threatened his grandfather with death to be allowed to learn martial arts. In the end, his grandfather made an agreement with him.
If he could pass the six-month assessment at the martial hall, the family would support him continuing his training. If he failed, he would give up martial arts.
During these six months, his grandfather would not give him any money. At the start of the term, he only sent a few sacks of grain to the martial hall, in exchange for meal tickets at the canteen.
Lin Chen understood his grandfather's intentions. Without money, he couldn't eat meat to replenish his qi and blood, wouldn't meet the martial hall's six-month assessment standards, and would be eliminated and sent home—ending any talk of continuing martial arts.
He knew this agreement was deeply unfair to him, but he still accepted it.
If he hadn't, his grandfather would never have let him enter the martial hall.
He had no choice.
Lin Hui from Second Uncle's family had also made a fuss about learning martial arts back then, and his grandfather had scolded him outright, not even giving him the chance to enroll.
Children of Linhu Village could enter the martial hall for free, but they needed the family head's consent. The Lin family hadn't split, and the authority of the family head rested with the grandfather.
If the grandfather disagreed, he couldn't enter the martial hall.
Only after entering did Lin Chen realize that practicing martial arts was even harder than he had imagined.
Without money, it was truly difficult to move forward.
The martial hall taught a boxing called Warm Sun Fist. It had no real combat application and was more like a form of calisthenics. Its purpose was to smooth the flow of qi and blood and accelerate its growth.
But there was a prerequisite—nutrition had to keep up. Not only eating enough, but eating well.
The canteen's beef cost fifteen wen per jin. Some students ate it every meal, while Lin Chen hadn't bought it even once.
Even so, he never gave up.
One reason was that he had lived two lives and clearly understood that learning martial arts was his only chance to rise in this world. He absolutely could not give it up.
Another reason was the panel that had appeared when he transmigrated.
[Name: Lin Chen]
[Profession: Martial Artist]
[Qi and Blood: 802/3000]
[Fate Pattern: [Things Falling into Place]: In the first realm of martial arts, persevere, progress step by step, break through like a force of nature, with no bottlenecks.]
Having read many web novels in his previous life, he knew this was the golden finger he had brought with him.
This panel was his driving force.
Whenever he saw other students eating meat heartily while he ate free vegetarian dishes, he would call up the panel and watch the changes in his qi and blood. His motivation would surge again.
Though there is no meat in my bowl, I take hope as my dish.
Though qi and blood grow slowly, they are not stagnant.
Moreover, his fate pattern was [Things Falling into Place]. From its description, he understood how powerful it was.
He had read countless martial arts novels—how many geniuses had been trapped at realm bottlenecks, unable to break through. With no bottlenecks, he could rise later and surpass them.
The future was bright; the road was winding. As long as he walked through this winding path, a bright future awaited him.
…
…
Noon.
Students left the training grounds in twos and threes. Lin Chen was still practicing Warm Sun Fist.
Gu Fei stayed with him.
Only after a quarter of an hour did Lin Chen finish his routine.
If he couldn't afford meat, then he could only train more.
Lin Chen was grateful for his panel—it allowed him to clearly see the growth of his qi and blood.
When he first entered the martial hall, his qi and blood had been 500. As long as he ate enough, it increased by 1 point per day.
Lin Chen knew exactly where that 1 point came from.
At his age, as long as he ate enough, qi and blood would naturally increase.
After several days of testing Warm Sun Fist, Lin Chen found a pattern. Training according to the hall's requirements—four hours of boxing daily—gave five points of qi and blood over three days. Subtracting the natural growth of three points, Warm Sun Fist contributed two points.
But if he trained five hours a day, qi and blood increased by 2 points per day—six points over three days.
That extra point of qi and blood was something students from well-off families didn't care about, but to him, one more point meant one more step forward, one step closer to the assessment goal.
By the time Lin Chen and Gu Fei reached the canteen, some students had already finished eating and were leaving. There weren't many people left at the serving window.
Students handed over grain to the martial hall in exchange for corresponding portions of rice.
Vegetarian dishes were free.
Meat dishes cost money.
As usual, Lin Chen took his rice and vegetarian dishes, then walked to the barrel of beef broth.
The canteen's beef broth was quite special—the beef slices melted in the mouth. Since it was free, no students complained.
Seeing the barrel nearly empty, Lin Chen filled himself a bowl. He always came late, partly to train more, and partly to take advantage of this free beef broth.
The beef broth was placed next to the meat window. Though free, it was essentially an add-on for students who bought meat, with portions simmered based on the amount of beef used.
If, as soon as meal time started, people rushed over to freeload bowls of broth, leaving none for those who bought meat, there would definitely be trouble.
Only after most students had eaten, when there was leftover broth, would the canteen staff tolerate someone taking a free bowl.
"Always mooching the canteen's free beef broth—are you here to learn martial arts or what? Someone who doesn't know better would think you've got nothing to eat at home and came here to freeload."
As Lin Chen carried his tray back to the table, a student at the neighboring table sneered sarcastically.
Lin Chen ignored him.
"Zhang Tao, what are you saying?" Gu Fei slammed the table.
"Am I wrong? Can't even afford beef—why learn martial arts without money?" Zhang Tao glared back fearlessly.
"No need to argue with him," Lin Chen pulled Gu Fei back. The martial hall forbade students from fighting or brawling privately; the punishment was severe.
He cast a cold glance at Zhang Tao. If his golden finger were a genius cheat, today he would have shown Zhang Tao what it meant to have a death wish.
Unfortunately, it wasn't.
Many students in the canteen looked over at the commotion. When they saw it was Lin Chen, several showed mocking expressions.
Lin Chen was quite famous in the martial hall.
Not for good results—but for being stingy.
Always mooching free beef broth and vegetarian dishes.
According to the canteen staff, over all these years, Lin Chen was the only student who hadn't earned the canteen a single coin and had even cost it money.
"Chen, I'm full. Help me eat this beef—otherwise it'll be wasted."
Gu Fei pushed half a plate of beef toward Lin Chen. Lin Chen knew Gu Fei had deliberately taken extra to give him, but he had always refused in the past.
"Alright, then I won't stand on ceremony."
"I really can't eat—" Gu Fei froze mid-sentence. In the past, whenever he used the excuse of sharing half his beef, Lin Chen would refuse. He had assumed Lin Chen would refuse again and was about to persuade him further—only to find that Lin Chen had actually accepted this time.
So Zhang Tao's mockery actually worked?