[Name: Lin Chen]
[Profession: Martial Artist]
[Qi and Blood: 2083/3000]
[Fate: [Everything Falls into Place]: In the first realm of martial arts, with perseverance and steady progress, advance step by step, unstoppable, free from bottlenecks.]
The next day.
When Lin Chen saw the increase in qi and blood on his panel, he rubbed his eyes in disbelief.
Had he seen it wrong?
In a single day, his qi and blood had increased by eighty points.
"Black muntjac meat is this nourishing to qi and blood?"
Thinking of the black muntjac meat he had eaten yesterday, Lin Chen finally understood why even people like Lu Yongfeng had been swallowing their saliva.
That plate of meat was probably extremely expensive. He just didn't know whether eating it regularly could maintain this rate of increase.
Others couldn't—but maybe he could.
Thinking of his Fate, Lin Chen's eyes lit up, but then he remembered how even Lu Yongfeng and the others had been drooling, and he immediately dismissed the thought.
There was no need to think further—black muntjac meat was exorbitantly priced and absolutely not something he could afford.
"Chen, Xiao Tianxiang's eldest brother is getting married today. Should we follow Xiao Tianxiang back to the village to join the festivities?" Gu Fei climbed down from the bed, asking with an eager expression.
Seeing Gu Fei's expectant look, Lin Chen frowned slightly, his expression turning serious. "A-Fei, tell me the truth. Are you thinking of giving up martial training?"
"No… no."
"If not, then why have you been slacking off lately, leaving the martial grounds early so often? We're brothers—don't lie to me."
Lin Chen stared at Gu Fei intently. Gu Fei hesitated for a long while before suddenly sighing. "Chen, do you think we can really cultivate refined qi within two years? My strength is only three hundred fifty jin right now, and I've already spent seven or eight taels of silver. According to those senior brothers, the further you go, the more silver you have to spend…"
There was confusion in Gu Fei's eyes—confusion about learning martial arts, and confusion about the future.
"A-Fei, how did you come to think like this?" Lin Chen asked curiously.
"It's not just me. Many people think this way. Zhang Hao and Xiao Tianxiang also feel that cultivating refined qi within two years is pretty difficult."
This time, Lin Chen understood. The atmosphere in the Martial Hall had already become somewhat off.
After nine months of martial training, many students' progress had slowed, yet their expenses hadn't decreased. Quite a few had begun to feel lost about learning martial arts. Some were probably already thinking of giving up; even those who hadn't no longer had the drive they'd had when they first entered the Martial Hall.
If you can't cultivate refined qi in one year, there's a second year. If not the second, then the third…
"A-Fei, the path of martial arts lies in perseverance. No matter what, if even you give up on yourself, what right do you have to cultivate refined qi within two years?"
Lin Chen's expression was extremely serious. "If I had thought like you back then, shouldn't I have given up even earlier? Why would I have gone to work in the cafeteria? Do you really think I didn't feel any shame just because I was scooping food for acquaintances?"
"When I had no money and skipped meals just to save up for beef at the end, when Zhang Tao mocked me—do you think I was really calm inside?"
"A-Fei, remember this: if you don't give up on yourself, maybe you still won't cultivate refined qi within two years—but if you do give up, then you definitely won't cultivate refined qi within two years. Do you understand what I mean?"
"I understand. I'll go beat up Zhang Tao right now." Gu Fei waved his fists.
Lin Chen: …
"Just kidding. I get what you mean. You're right—I shouldn't give up. After your family's fishing boat launch is over, I'll train my fists diligently."
"Let's go. It's time for the martial grounds."
When they arrived at the martial grounds, Lin Chen indeed noticed that quite a few students had come late, and several were nowhere to be seen.
The instructor and the other two coaches hadn't shown up either. At this stage, only Lu Yongfeng and the other five were capable of cultivating refined qi. As for the rest, the coaches no longer really cared.
At noon, Lin Chen went to the cafeteria and bought a dose of Nourishing Qi Soup. Although many students saw this, it didn't cause much shock.
After yesterday's shock had fermented, many students guessed that Instructor Yu had given him special treatment, so buying Nourishing Qi Soup now seemed normal.
When Gu Fei saw Lin Chen buying Nourishing Qi Soup, he wanted to buy it too. Lin Chen originally wanted to stop him, but after thinking it over, he didn't.
According to his cost-effective martial training method, Gu Fei's goal was to cultivate qi and blood within two years. At this stage, eating beef would have been enough. He could start drinking Nourishing Qi Soup in the second half of next year to maximize cost efficiency.
But he had just encouraged Gu Fei to strengthen his resolve in martial arts. Stopping him from eating now would only strike a blow to his morale.
After a dose of Nourishing Qi Soup, Lin Chen discovered the next day that his qi and blood had increased by twenty points. At this pace, in one month his qi and blood would increase by six hundred points, and his strength would increase by one hundred twenty jin. The ten taels silver reward would be within reach.
At this rate, cultivating refined qi within a year shouldn't be a problem.
The time was sufficient—but not very secure.
If his qi and blood growth slowed after reaching five hundred jin, requiring him to increase spending, the plan would be disrupted.
Instructor Yu had also said that one must seize every opportunity.
Two doses of Nourishing Qi Soup per day—that would be safe enough.
Two doses brought an increase of thirty points of qi and blood.
From the perspective of food-to-qi conversion, this was somewhat wasteful, but he couldn't afford to care about that now.
Although it cost two hundred fifty wen per day—seven and a half taels of silver per month—it was all worth it.
"Chen, don't be too impulsive," Gu Fei said.
Seeing Lin Chen spending money so fiercely, Gu Fei felt worried and took the initiative to advise him.
"Don't worry. I know what I'm doing. I'm aiming for the ten taels reward."
"Ten taels? You want your strength to increase by a hundred jin in one month and directly reach five hundred jin?"
Gu Fei's eyes widened as he circled Lin Chen three times, then reached out and touched Lin Chen's forehead. "You don't have a fever."
"I'm serious. I'm confident I can do it," Lin Chen said calmly.
"You really have that much confidence?" Gu Fei found it hard to believe. "Even Lu Yongfeng and the others—after reaching four hundred jin, none of them ever increased by a hundred jin in a single month. The strongest of our batch, Lu Yongfeng, after four hundred jin, not only ate beef and drank Nourishing Qi Soup, but I heard he also privately took ginseng. Even then, he only increased by seventy jin in a month."
"Trust me. I won't joke about my own future."
Lin Chen couldn't very well tell Gu Fei that he possessed the [Everything Falls into Place] Fate, nor that he had carefully calculated to ensure his silver would cover the expenses.
He had two taels of silver on him. With two doses of Nourishing Qi Soup and three jin of beef per day, his daily expense was two hundred fifty wen.
Two taels were enough to support him until his qi and blood reached 2250 points—that is, four hundred fifty jin of strength.
Once his strength met the standard, he would apply to Instructor Yu for the three-tael reward, then continue investing it to charge toward five hundred jin.
…
…
While Lin Chen was frantically sprinting toward five hundred jin, Lu Yongfeng and the others were also pushing themselves just as hard.
As winter set in, white frost covered the ground.
At dawn, while the sky was still dim, eleven figures were already present on the martial grounds.
Lu Yongfeng, Zhao Jingchuan, Cheng Ying, Xu Botao, and Yan Dexing—these five had all reached over five hundred seventy jin and were making a final push toward six hundred jin.
The other five were Lin Chen's group, those whose strength had reached four hundred jin, plus Gu Fei, whom Lin Chen had dragged along.
As for the rest of the students, by this time they had already slackened off. If the sun hadn't yet shone onto the martial grounds, they wouldn't come at all.
Six days later.
Yu Yongnian and the other two instructors appeared on the martial grounds.
"Instructor, this disciple would like to try lifting the four-hundred-fifty-jin stone pier."
Lin Chen glanced at the qi and blood value on his panel—[2253/3000]—and spoke loudly.
The moment he said this, everyone present turned their gaze toward him.
What did this mean?
If memory served, Lin Chen had only just crossed the four-hundred-jin threshold a few days ago.
An increase of fifty jin in just a few days was simply impossible!
Yan Dexing's mouth twitched slightly. In the past, he would definitely have mocked him.
But recalling what happened last time at the Zhao Family Restaurant, he feared that after mocking him, he'd end up neither here nor there.
After receiving the instructor's nod of approval, Lin Chen walked to the four-hundred-fifty-jin stone pier. He squatted down, not daring to be careless. His strength had only just reached four hundred fifty jin, and he couldn't lift it successfully every time.
When everyone saw the veins on Lin Chen's arms bulge, his face flushed red with strain, yet in the end he still raised the stone pier to his abdomen, the entire grounds fell into dead silence.
Facing the astonished gazes of everyone present, Lin Chen lowered his head somewhat shyly, his eyes cast downward.
This was only the beginning!
Your shock was still yet to come.
A sharp light flashed in Yu Yongnian's eyes. After pondering for a while, he said, "Good. Lin Chen, you'll go to the rear courtyard with Lu Yongfeng and the others. Everyone else, continue practicing your fists."
Lin Chen left the martial grounds together with Lu Yongfeng and the others, following the three instructors.
"He really does have four hundred fifty jin."
Not long after Lin Chen left, Chu Dong walked over to the stone pier Lin Chen had lifted. He tried lifting it several times with all his strength but couldn't budge it, and only then was he forced to believe that Lin Chen truly had four hundred fifty jin of strength.
"Chu Dong, what do you mean by that? Are you suspecting Chen of cheating?" Gu Fei said unhappily when he saw Chu Dong's actions. "With instructors present, who would dare to cheat?"
Chu Dong knew his behavior had been inappropriate and didn't argue with Gu Fei.
He simply couldn't accept the reality of Lin Chen suddenly skyrocketing, which was why the absurd thought that the stone pier was fake had crossed his mind.
In his heart, Lin Chen increasing his strength by fifty jin in just a few days was even more absurd and harder to accept than the idea of a fake stone pier.