"Congratulations. If my master knew you developed Fist Force so quickly, he would certainly be happy for you."
Hei Hu, who had been stone-faced, forced a smile as he spoke.
Although he was jealous of Liu Quan, he wasn't a fool. He knew that with such talent, Liu Quan was certain to receive special attention from Guo Wei after becoming his disciple.
Liu Quan might even be the first to pass the Martial Examination and become a Martial Arts Scholar. It was imperative to get on his good side.
"If I'm able to become a disciple of Master Guo, I'll have to start calling you Senior Brother," Liu Quan said with a smile.
Seeing Chu Lingguang to the side, he gave him a slight nod, his enthusiasm clearly diminished.
Chu Lingguang nodded back in acknowledgment.
Ever since Liu Quan started cozying up to Hei Hu, the Liu father and son had grown distant. Although they remained polite on the surface, Chu Lingguang knew they had labeled him as unhelpful and cold.
And now, Liu Quan had developed Fist Force.
With such talent, he was guaranteed to become Guo Wei's disciple. Chu Lingguang could easily imagine how the Liu father and son would treat him in the future.
But he had no regrets.
The Liu father and son had a tendency to both demand repayment for the smallest kindness and be ungrateful. Getting too close to them wouldn't earn him any Favor Points, and if they ever got into trouble, he could easily be dragged down with them.
So, Chu Lingguang quietly returned to the backyard to continue his Archery practice.
Developing Fist Force within four months.
In the surrounding villages, this was enough to be called a martial arts prodigy.
Back then, when Yang Shaorong became Guo Wei's disciple, it took him three months to develop Fist Force. Liu Quan was less than a month behind him. So, when Guo Wei—who was drinking tea with several country squires at a teahouse—received the news, he rushed back to the Martial Arts Hall at once.
He personally tested Liu Quan's abilities.
When he saw Liu Quan truly unleash his Fist Force, his laughter echoed through the Martial Arts Hall for a long time.
That very day, he led Liu Quan into the backyard and sent someone to fetch Liu Lishi. That evening, Guo Wei hosted a banquet for the father and son, with Chu Lingguang and Hei Hu in attendance.
"With Quan's talent, as long as he's willing to work hard, I guarantee he'll at least pass the Martial Examination and become a Martial Arts Scholar," Guo Wei said to Liu Lishi.
He had an obsession: in his remaining years, he wanted to train a disciple even more outstanding than Yang Shaorong. That was why he taught Chu Lingguang and Hei Hu Martial Arts without holding anything back.
But he also knew in his heart that neither Hei Hu nor Chu Lingguang had any chance of surpassing Yang Shaorong.
It wasn't until Liu Quan appeared today that he finally saw a glimmer of hope.
"If Liu Quan can succeed, Master Guo, you will be the great benefactor of my Liu Family! All eighteen members of the Liu Family could work like horses and oxen for you and still never be able to repay this debt," Liu Lishi exclaimed, deeply moved.
He knelt directly before Guo Wei.
"Master Liu, if Liu Quan becomes my disciple, he'll be like a son to me. We are of the same generation, so from now on, let's address each other as brothers," Guo Wei said with sincerity, using his heel to stop Liu Lishi's knees from hitting the ground.
"Guo, with those words from you, I can die without regrets."
Tears streamed down Liu Lishi's face.
"Three days from now is an auspicious date. We'll hold the discipleship ceremony then. Afterward, we can drink to our hearts' content in private," Guo Wei said.
"It's all up to you, Guo," Liu Lishi nodded.
"Hahaha! Come, everyone, eat!"
Guo Wei was overjoyed. He had invited Liu Lishi over and hosted this banquet precisely to set an auspicious date for the ceremony, ensuring Liu Quan would become his disciple.
The Great Yuan Dynasty held teachers in high esteem.
There were also many customs when a master took on a disciple.
The grander the discipleship ceremony, the deeper the bond between master and disciple. If they were to have a falling out later, the worlds of the Jianghu and the imperial court would both lay the blame on the disciple.
Take Yang Shaorong, for example.
Even with his high status and great power, in order to distance himself from Guo Wei, he had to carefully prepare two gifts for Guo Wei's birthday celebration, use Lord Wang and the other guests to earn the reputation of a good disciple, and only then did he dare to draw a clear line between himself and Guo Wei.
Even if people brought it up later, they wouldn't think he had acted improperly. Instead, they would tell stories about how one cannot be both loyal and filial at the same time.
Therefore, the more Guo Wei valued Liu Quan, the more importance he had to place on the discipleship ceremony.
After they had eaten and drunk their fill, Guo Wei personally escorted Liu Lishi to the door. Remembering that Chu Lingguang and the Liu father and son lived in the same village, he didn't forget to add, "Lin Guang, don't forget to protect your junior brother and my brother Liu on the way."
"Master, I understand. You should go back and rest," Chu Lingguang said with a nod.
Guo Wei was satisfied. 'I need to figure out how to make the discipleship ceremony in three days known to everyone,' he thought.
"Quan, let's go!"
Liu Lishi's voice was loud as he led Liu Quan, walking ahead of Chu Lingguang.
"Dad, slow down. We have a bodyguard tonight," Liu Quan said with a laugh.
The father and son laughed and chatted happily the entire way, completely ignoring Chu Lingguang trailing behind them. They talked endlessly about what they would do after Liu Quan became a Martial Arts Scholar.
After seeing them home, Chu Lingguang was speechless.
Liu Lishi had given him a pig's trotter bun. Even if he hadn't introduced Liu Quan to Guo Wei directly, he had brought him to Guo Fang, so at the very least, Liu Quan had received some help from the start.
He had also given Liu Quan pointers a few times, teaching him how to find his Qi Sensitivity. Although Liu Quan developing Fist Force in four months might have had nothing to do with his guidance, Chu Lingguang felt he owed the Liu father and son nothing. 'So why are they still holding a grudge?'
Back home, he poured a large bucket of water over his head, his chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm as he forced himself to stop overthinking.
Early the next morning, Chu Lingguang checked his status panel.
Favors: None
Iron Mountain Fist (57/100)
Basic Breathing Technique (100/100)
Heavenward Force (61/100)
Iron Mountain Saber Technique (68/100)
Basic Thirteen Spear Techniques (79/150)
Staff Technique (30/100)
(Remaining Lifespan: 63)
Over the past three months, besides mastering his Breathing Technique to its peak, Chu Lingguang had made progress in all his Kung Fu. Aside from achieving Enlightenment in Staff Technique, his greatest improvement was in Heavenward Force, followed by Iron Mountain Saber Technique, then Iron Mountain Fist and the Basic Thirteen Spear Techniques.
Unfortunately, Chu Lingguang had yet to train any of these skills to the point of achieving an A Class rating.
His Iron Mountain Saber Technique was still a ways off from producing a Sword Cry. Chu Lingguang estimated that he might need to reach a value of eighty, or even one hundred.
And his Spear Technique was even further behind.
Currently, Chu Lingguang felt his strongest Kung Fu, aside from his Breathing Technique, was Heavenward Force. Although its numerical value was lower than his Iron Mountain Saber Technique and Basic Thirteen Spear Techniques, with the help of the Breathing Technique, he could now lift 270 jin with his full strength.
Only recently had his progress in strength begun to slow down.
'It's time to ask Master for a new Breathing Technique,' Chu Lingguang thought to himself.
He had already brought his Basic Breathing Technique to Perfection three months ago, but he feared progressing too quickly would arouse Guo Wei's suspicions, so he had held off on asking for a new one. Now, three months had passed, and with Guo Wei in high spirits, it was the perfect time to request a replacement Breathing Technique.
Ever since he maxed out his Basic Breathing Technique, his lifespan hadn't increased at all. Chu Lingguang was pinning his hopes on a stronger Breathing Technique.
However, Chu Lingguang decided to wait a few more days. He would ask Guo Wei for the Breathing Technique after Liu Quan's discipleship ceremony was over.
Two days later, the day before Liu Quan was to formally become Guo Wei's disciple, Chu Lingguang woke up early to head to the Martial Arts Hall for training. As he reached the village entrance, he saw a group of men with powerful Qi and Blood rush into the village, heading straight for Liu Quan's house.