"You have two options. Think it over. Once you've decided, go to the front desk to complete the paperwork."
After speaking, he didn't linger, turning and walking toward a metal alloy door deep within the Martial Arts Hall.
"Li Weiguo, take them to do the paperwork."
His voice drifted back from a distance as he vanished behind the door, giving the three no time to deliberate or hesitate in front of him.
The three stood where they were, looking at each other in bewilderment.
Li Weiguo walked over and said to them, "That's just Master Sun's style. He gives you the opportunity; how you choose is your own business. Go think it over. I'll be waiting for you at the front desk."
With that, Li Weiguo hurried off, leaving the three to consider their options.
Qin Feng walked into a nearby stairwell and activated his wrist-mounted terminal.
His terminal showed only the 10,000 he had received from his uncle.
'If I choose the Master's personal guidance, I won't have the money for next month's standard classes. Besides, I'm sick. What if I pay and get no results?'
'But if I only sign up for the standard classes, I'll feel like I'm letting down my uncle's hopes and kind gesture.'
After turning it over in his mind, Qin Feng decided to call his uncle.
"Xiaofeng, how did it go?"
"Uncle, I'm at the Martial Arts Hall. There are two registration options..."
Qin Feng quickly explained the situation.
"...Personal guidance from Master Sun costs ten thousand, for a single session."
After hearing him out, Wang Ming said resolutely, "Don't hesitate."
"Choose the ten-thousand option, and sign up for the standard classes as well."
"I didn't understand before. I thought the ten thousand was for some kind of regular Martial Dao course. If I had known it was for a single, personalized guidance session from him, I would have taken you to see him about your condition long ago."
"Xiaofeng, remember this. You can always earn more money, but some opportunities, once missed, are gone for a lifetime. A good guide can save you ten years of wasted effort. An expert who has competed in the Starry Sky Cup and spent decades with the Merchant Wanderer Group... his experience and insight are priceless. A single word from him could be more useful than a year of you training your heart out. He might even be able to diagnose that old problem of yours."
"As for the money, you don't need to worry."
His uncle's words struck like a heavy hammer, shattering Qin Feng's final hesitation.
"I understand, Uncle."
"Go on, then. Hold your head high, don't let anyone look down on you."
The call ended.
A short while later, the three followed Li Weiguo to the front desk.
"Have you decided?" Li Weiguo asked.
Liu Xiaoli's head was bowed, his fingers swiping across his wrist-mounted terminal as if calculating his savings.
His expression shifted several times before he finally looked up, his voice a bit quiet.
"Teacher Li, I... I'll choose the standard classes for three thousand a month."
Li Weiguo nodded in understanding. "Playing it safe is also a valid choice. Go over there and fill out the form."
As if granted a pardon, Liu Xiaoli scurried to the front desk.
Li Weiguo's gaze shifted to Zhou Heyuan.
Zhou Heyuan didn't hesitate in the slightest. He took a step forward, his voice filled with confidence.
"Teacher Li, I choose Master Sun's ten-thousand guidance session, and I'll also register for one month of the standard classes."
This was undoubtedly the best choice.
It allowed one to receive personal guidance from the Master to find a clear direction, while also building a solid foundation through the systematic training of the standard classes.
But 13,000 Imperial Coins was a huge sum for an ordinary family.
A hint of approval appeared on Li Weiguo's face.
"Very good. Your father will be pleased with your decision."
Finally, his eyes fell upon Qin Feng.
"Qin Feng, what about you?"
Li Weiguo looked at Qin Feng and said, "Frankly, I'd suggest you choose the three-thousand standard classes. Don't put too much of a burden on your family."
His tone was sincere, a well-intentioned reminder.
"No, I choose the ten-thousand guidance from the Master, and the standard classes."
Qin Feng said in a low, firm voice.
Li Weiguo looked at him, his expression unchanging. He simply adjusted his glasses and said, "Are you sure?"
"I'm sure."
Qin Feng replied.
Li Weiguo nodded. "Alright. Since you've made your choice, don't regret it. Go complete the paperwork."
Zhou Heyuan easily paid the 13,000 Imperial Coins.
When it was Qin Feng's turn, he first paid the 10,000 his uncle had transferred to him.
Then, looking at the remaining balance of only a few hundred on his terminal, he said to the front desk staff, "For the remaining three thousand, can I come back this afternoon to pay it?"
"That's fine."
Li Weiguo nodded.
After completing the paperwork, the two received their student cards.
Li Weiguo said to them, "Those of you who are done, follow me. Master Sun is waiting for you inside."
He led Qin Feng and Zhou Heyuan toward the heavy metal alloy door deep within the Martial Arts Hall.
The alloy door slowly closed behind Qin Feng and Zhou Heyuan, completely shutting out the clamor of the training grounds outside.
Behind the door was a quiet corridor. The walls were made of a dark gray, sound-absorbing material, and the floor was covered with a soft carpet that muffled their footsteps. Along both sides of the corridor were closed alloy doors, labeled with simple characters: "Gravity Room One," "Meditation Room Three," and so on.
This was the core area of the Extreme Martial Arts Hall, open only to high-level students and the Master himself.
Li Weiguo stopped and pointed to a door at the end of the corridor.
"Master Sun is waiting for you inside. Zhou Heyuan, you go in first."
"Yes, Teacher Li." Zhou Heyuan straightened his collar, took a deep breath, and stepped forward.
Li Weiguo then looked at Qin Feng.
"You wait here."
With that, he turned and left without another word.
Qin Feng stood alone in the empty corridor. He found a spot against the wall and stood there quietly, regulating his breathing.
Time ticked by, minute by minute.
The corridor was so quiet he could hear his own heartbeat. He didn't know what was happening inside the room, but ever since Zhou Heyuan went in, not a single sound had emerged.
Ten minutes.
Twenty minutes.
Half an hour.
Finally, the alloy door at the end of the corridor emitted a soft BEEP and slid open silently.
Zhou Heyuan walked out.
His face was alight with an irrepressible excitement and agitation, his eyes shining with astonishing brightness, as if he had just seen the gates to a new world. He clenched his fists tightly, the muscles in his arms trembling slightly with the force. Even his posture as he walked seemed to possess a new sense of stability and power.
He saw Qin Feng waiting in the corridor, strode over, and clapped him heavily on the shoulder.
"Qin Feng, it was worth it! So worth it! This ten thousand was better spent than if I'd bought a private shuttle!"
He kept his voice low, but the excitement was palpable.
"Master Sun... he's a god!" After saying this, Zhou Heyuan seemed eager to share more, but he must have remembered something and swallowed his words. He just looked at Qin Feng with an expression that said, 'You'll know when you go in.'
"It's your turn. Go on."
With that, he walked back down the corridor without a second glance, his steps light and filled with an impatient energy, as if he were rushing off to test something.