"Cough, cough!"
Kong Yinglei's expression returned to normal. Seeing Lin Chen standing there with a mix of frowning and excitement on his face, she couldn't help but cough.
"Disciple thanks the Martial Hall for granting this disciple the Opening Acupoints Pill, allowing me to step into the Opening Acupoints Realm."
Awakened by the cough, Lin Chen reacted immediately, solemnly bowing to Kong Yinglei.
"Go back and practice martial arts diligently. Do not relax just because you've opened your acupoints. Return to report to the Martial Hall after the fifteenth of the new year. You don't need to visit the Clear Wind Martial Arts Hall anymore, and do not mention how it took you half a two-hour period to open your acupoints."
After Kong Yinglei finished speaking, seeing Lin Chen's puzzled expression, she explained, "In previous years, at least among my Jingshui Martial Arts Hall students, after taking the Opening Acupoints Pill, even the slowest succeeded within two quarters of an hour. It took you half a two-hour period. If this gets out, it might affect you adversely."
Lin Chen suddenly understood. This Instructor Kong was truly kind-hearted.
He originally intended to return once more to the Clear Wind Martial Arts Hall. Regardless of Instructor Zhao's attitude toward him, it was only proper to go back and inform them.
If Instructor Zhao at the Clear Wind Martial Arts Hall asked how long it took to open his acupoints, he would indeed answer truthfully.
"Disciple will listen to the Instructor."
Listening to advice leads to a full meal.
Since the instructor said so, naturally, Lin Chen would not expose his shortcomings.
"Hmm, go back now."
Watching Lin Chen leave, the next moment, Kong Yinglei left through the back door of the Martial Arts Pavilion. She was eager to report this matter to her senior sister.
"Senior Sister!"
At the innermost part of Jingshui Martial Arts Hall, Kong Yinglei called out loudly in front of a courtyard gate, and soon a woman's voice emerged.
"Senior Sister Kong, don't shout. The eldest senior sister went to Raozhou Prefecture. She just asked me to give you a message. You'll be responsible for all the affairs of the Martial Hall during this period."
"Senior sister went to Raozhou Prefecture at this time?" Kong Yinglei looked puzzled.
"Eldest senior sister left in a hurry and didn't explain anything to me." The gate opened, and a woman came out, saying, "I suspect it has something to do with Entering the Grade. The eldest senior sister has been stuck in the Great Success in Viscera Cultivation Realm for two years."
Kong Yinglei felt helpless. Since the senior sister had left, she would have to wait for her return to discuss Lin Chen's matter.
...
...
At the gate of Jingshui Martial Arts Hall.
After Lin Chen walked out, he also wore a smile on his face.
This trip to the county's Martial Hall, though with some hurdles, ultimately allowed him to obtain the Opening Acupoints Pill and step into the Opening Acupoints Realm.
By rights, he should visit Instructor Yu. But remembering Inspector Shu's attitude towards his own instructor, he thought it was better not to go, lest he spoil Inspector Shu's plans.
After all, without Inspector Shu, he wouldn't have gotten this Opening Acupoints Pill.
One shouldn't repay kindness with enmity!
He could still visit his instructor at the Martial Hall when the instructor returns in a few days.
The county was bustling. A young man's success in martial training and opening of acupoints made it a moment of great personal pride. But recalling what Instructor Kong said about being the slowest in opening acupoints, Lin Chen's fleeting pride vanished.
The Martial Path was just beginning. Coming from a poor family, he needed to practice martial arts with urgency, leaving no room for idle wandering in the county.
Lin Chen directly headed to the city gate, rented a horse from the horse line, and, recognizing him, they didn't charge a deposit, only checking his identity badge and charging twenty cents. They instructed him to return the horse to the town horse line.
He once again experienced the special status and treatment of a Martial Artist.
...
...
Back home, Lin Chen briefly informed his parents about joining the Martial Hall in the city.
He reported the good news but not the bad. The fact that he was rejected by several Martial Halls was not mentioned; he only said he had joined Jingshui Martial Arts Hall.
Knowing their son had successfully entered the Martial Hall, both Father Lin and Mrs. Lin were very happy. After dinner, Mrs. Lin hurried out.
Seeing his mother eager to leave, Lin Chen smiled, knowing full well she had gone to the big tree in the village to chat with other village women about gossip again.
Women are naturally gossipy, true, but his mother was never so eager before. Now she goes every day after dinner to enjoy the women's praise of her.
Listening to those women endlessly flattering her, his mother would humbly deny a few times until the night completely darkened, then reluctantly come back.
An evening walk after dinner had become a daily activity for his mother.
Lin Chen understood but didn't speak of it. Ultimately, his mother just had a bit of vanity. Allowing parents face before neighbors is a form of filial piety.
...
...
Early the next day, before dawn.
Lin Chen immediately checked the panel, and to his delight, it was already updated.
[Name: Lin Chen]
[Profession: Martial Artist]
[Realm: Opening Acupoints Realm (1/24)]
[Clear Wind Palm: Not Initiated]
[Life Chart: [Natural Progress]: Martial Arts First Realm, Perseverance, Step-by-Step Progress, Unstoppable, No Bottleneck Problem.]
[Martial Title: All the Way Black]
[All the Way Black: Unsettled Heaven and Earth, we are all dark horses. Wearing this title, martial comprehension and perception are enhanced at night.]
After reading the updated panel, Lin Chen's eyes lit up.
Instructor Yu mentioned martial arts comprehension to him. Before entering the grade, martial artist's comprehension doesn't have much effect on realm improvement, but it's highly useful in martial arts cultivation techniques.
Martial arts cultivation techniques are also divided into several stages, and in the later stages, hard practice alone becomes useless.
If you practice a move a hundred times, its meaning will naturally reveal itself.
The logic isn't wrong, but just practicing more also has a limit.
Later on, comprehension is needed.
Thinking of this, Lin Chen took out the "Clear Wind Palm" secret manual from his bosom.
The manual has illustrations and mnemonics of the Clear Wind Palm's moves. He remembered them last night and practiced several times, but unexpectedly still hasn't entered the entry phase.
Taking advantage of the darkness before dawn, he wanted to test the effect of this "All the Way Black" title.
Wearing his training clothes, Lin Chen pushed open the door.
"Chen'Er, getting up so early, it's too cold, sleep for a while longer if you want."
The creak of the door startled Mrs. Lin inside.
"Mom, we martial artists don't need that much sleep. With my current physique, let alone this bit of cold, even jumping into Poyang Lake wouldn't bother me."
He turned his head towards the interior room, said a sentence, and then Lin Chen closed the door, standing in his courtyard.
Recalling the moves of the Clear Wind Palm in his mind, he began to practice.
Once, twice...
By the third time, Lin Chen was already immersed in the Clear Wind Palm. Although not to the level of forgetting himself and his surroundings, he was more involved compared to yesterday, and the moves were smoother.
The fifteenth time!
The thirtieth time.
...
Inside the house.
A light came on, Mrs. Lin lit a kerosene lamp, watching her son outside through the door gap, her face full of heartbreak.
"Chen'Er's martial arts training is too hard. He gets up earlier each day. Even when Lin Ming was home, he didn't get up this early."
"What do women understand? Martial arts require diligent practice," Father Lin grumpily said: "Otherwise, how could Chen'Er cultivate Essence Qi within a year? Can Lin Ming compare to that?"
"I don't understand, but you do? Then why don't you train in martial arts."
"I... forget it, talking to you is pointless. Anyway, regarding martial arts, we can't help Chen'Er, but we shouldn't hold him back. It's hard to catch fish this time of year, so I'll check Cyan Mountain Village to see if any hunters have caught some mountain birds, and buy something to nourish Chen'Er."
...
...
Half an hour passed, and Lin Chen stopped, gently calling out: "Panel."
[Name: Lin Chen]
[Occupation: Martial Artist]
[Realm: Opening Acupoints Realm (1/24)]
[Clear Wind Palm: Not yet entered (1/100)]
[Life Chart: [Natural Progress]: Martial Arts First Realm, Perseverance, Steady Progress, Unstoppable, No Bottleneck Problem.]
[Martial Arts Title: All the Way Black]
[All the Way Black: Unsettled Heaven and Earth, we are both dark horses. Wearing this badge enhances martial arts comprehension in the darkness.]
The progress of the Clear Wind Palm finally changed.
By now, the sky was already light.
But Lin Chen didn't stop. The enhancement of his martial arts comprehension in the dark allowed quicker practice, but that didn't mean he wouldn't practice during the day.
After opening the acupoints, occurrences of Qi and blood exhaustion due to diligent practice were rare.
Another half an hour later, Mrs. Lin had made breakfast, and only then did Lin Chen stop, eat breakfast, and continue practicing martial arts.
[Clear Wind Palm: Not yet entered (2/100)]
[Clear Wind Palm: Not yet entered (3/100)]
...
Until he heard footsteps, Lin Chen stopped, looking through the courtyard fence, seeing his elder brother and several villagers walking towards their home.
"Brother Chen, you can't leak the martial arts cultivation techniques you learned from the hall, mother asked me to find someone to fix the fence at home, it can't be learned by others."
Brother Lin Liang saw Lin Chen looking over and explained.
Lin Chen smiled. Yesterday, when he returned home, he mentioned the matters of the Martial Hall to his parents and also mentioned that the Martial Hall's techniques shouldn't be leaked out.
He said this casually, unless someone gets the mnemonics from him, just remembering the Clear Wind Palm's moves is useless.
Unexpectedly, his mother took it seriously, finding villagers to help mend the wall.
"Chen, continue your martial arts, don't mind us," the villagers who followed Lin Liang in said with a laugh.
"Since it's the end of the year, we don't have much to do. We'll make sure to build your home's wall nice and sturdy."
"Thank you, uncles,"
Lin Chen nodded, understanding in his heart that even though it was the off-season for farming, with such cold weather, the villagers were willing to help mend the wall because he managed to cultivate Essence Qi.
If one is successful, there are good people around them.