Chapter 29 : Chapter 29
Chapter 29. Everyone’s Progress
Time passed quickly.
In the blink of an eye, five days had gone by.
Xu Yuan and the others had already grown accustomed to their new life as martial artists.
Compared to the previously closed and strict environment, life after becoming a martial artist was much freer than when they were martial trainees or menial workers.
As long as they arrived at the training ground on time every morning and were not caught skipping by Instructor Chen, no one would interfere with how they spent the rest of their time.
As long as they did not stay out overnight, they could even enter and leave the Shangyang Residence freely.
It could be said that this month’s evaluation tested not only aptitude and comprehension, but also self-discipline—much like university life in Xu Yuan’s previous world.
Seeing that supervision was lax and that he still had some spare money, Qin Yang’s addiction to opera resurfaced. That afternoon, he could no longer restrain himself and went out.
This time, Chen Sanli unexpectedly went along with him. With his extensive social experience, he had mentioned a few discreet establishments to Qin Yang the previous night, immediately piquing his interest.
Thus, after just one day, the two eagerly became like-minded companions.
By evening, when Xu Yuan and the others returned from practicing martial techniques, the two of them came back arm in arm, looking thoroughly satisfied.
Seeing this, Li Shan asked curiously, “Did you pick up money or something? You look so happy. Went to watch opera again today?”
Hearing this, Qin Yang seemed a little embarrassed. He sat down on his bed, unconsciously rubbing his earlobe with his fingers, looking somewhat guilty.
“Opera?” Chen Sanli chuckled, winking as he said, “You could call it a kind of performance… but what we watched was a live one!”
“A live performance?” Li Shan had never heard such things before and looked completely puzzled.
Seeing this, Wang Huan shot Chen Sanli an annoyed glance. “I am telling you, do not lead Qin Yang astray.”
Lead him astray?
This fellow plays even wilder than I do!
Chen Sanli sneered inwardly but said nothing. After all, Qin Yang had paid today, so he could not embarrass him. Smiling, he said,
“Brother Wang, how can you say that? Brother Qin has been completely captivated by that dan performer. I just took him to see some other good performances—cheap, worthwhile, and relieving.”
Only then did Li Shan finally understand, and he immediately cursed with a laugh, “Damn it, are you not afraid of catching something?”
“That will not happen. They are all familiar people—safe and reliable,” Chen Sanli waved his hand leisurely. “Besides, we are martial artists. Ordinary illnesses cannot affect us.”
Then his eyes shifted as he asked, “Speaking of which, Brother Li, you have probably never seen such a show. Want to give it a try?”
Hearing this, a trace of temptation flashed in Li Shan’s eyes, but he quickly shook his head. His money was already limited, and every bit had to be spent on martial training. “Forget it, I will just focus on training.”
Before he even finished speaking, he felt a restless heat rise within him. He quickly pushed the door open and went to wash up.
What a weakling.
Chen Sanli sneered, then turned to Wang Huan. “Brother Wang, want to try it?”
“I will pass. Who knows whether those places are clean?” Wang Huan waved his hands repeatedly. Though he was arrogant, he did not indulge in such habits.
At this moment, Qin Yang, seeing that everything had been laid out, stopped acting coy and patted Gao Yuan on the shoulder. “Yuanz, want to go? My treat.”
Since they were both martial trainees and had arrived at the dorm on the same day, their relationship was fairly good.
“No need.” Gao Yuan frowned slightly, a trace of disgust flashing in his eyes as he subtly avoided the incoming hand.
Who knew what that hand had touched?
“Then Brother Xu…” After a moment’s thought, Qin Yang turned to Xu Yuan on his left. Xu Yuan was steady and mature in his conduct, and it was always good to build connections with him.
“Thank you, but I will pass.” Xu Yuan shook his head. Watching Qin Yang go on to ask the others, his mind remained clear.
Qin Yang spent money recklessly—how much could he have left?
It would not be surprising if he used this as an excuse to borrow money later.
“This man has good comprehension. If he focused on practicing the Benlei Fist, he might progress faster than anyone else in the dorm… yet…”
Xu Yuan pondered silently. Qin Yang was much like Tian Yang before—his aptitude was decent, yet he allowed other distractions to interfere, nearly failing to even become a martial artist.
With that thought, Xu Yuan dismissed these concerns and began reviewing his earlier practice of the Benlei Fist and stance training.
[Skills: Tai Chi Exercise (Major Accomplishment 1%), Stone Platform Stance (Minor Accomplishment 6%), Benlei Fist (Beginner 10%)]
[Aptitude: 8 (Exceptional Physique)]
“This fist technique really does demand high aptitude. At my speed, I am probably already considered fast.”
Xu Yuan reflected. He did not believe that having an “exceptional physique” made him invincible.
There were true geniuses at the training ground—people on par with him or even stronger. Those were the true talents the Shangyang Residence sought.
However, progress had to be made step by step.
“First improve my martial techniques, then break through in stance training. As for the Tai Chi Exercise, I can use it to grind aptitude points—I cannot neglect it entirely…”
Xu Yuan laid out his future plan.
“Moreover, I do not know when Quan Xiong will return. If he is determined to take revenge, I may be safe within the Shangyang Residence, but my elder brother and the others could be in danger.”
At this thought, the slight complacency in Xu Yuan’s heart vanished.
The matter was not yet resolved!
…
In another five days, time passed in a flash.
That evening, after finishing their training, Xu Yuan and the others washed up and lay on their beds, discussing their martial progress.
At that moment, Qin Yang and Chen Sanli returned from outside, their faces still flushed with excitement—it was clear they had gone to “watch a performance” again.
Wang Huan had already tried to persuade them before, so he ignored it this time and asked the others, “So, how is everyone progressing?”
Li Shan scratched his head. “Not bad, I suppose. Some transitions in force feel awkward, and my vitality cannot keep up. I am probably still far from the beginner level. What about you, Brother Wang?”
Wang Huan replied with some pride, “I feel quite good. My vitality is still being tempered—it is just a matter of steady effort.”
After much consideration, he had decided not to waste his physical talent. He had borrowed money from his family and was now pushing toward the Two-Meridian Realm.
Xiao Sheng spoke concisely, “I have grasped some of the basics.”
Tian Yang shook his head with a bitter smile. “This Benlei Fist is indeed complex. I will probably need quite some time.”
“Not bad,” Gao Yuan said. Since group training had begun, he no longer frequently visited other dorms, though he still maintained a certain distance from everyone.
“What is the rush? There is still plenty of time,” Qin Yang yawned, unconcerned.
On his first day practicing the Benlei Fist, he had already gained many insights and felt that the technique was not that difficult. He believed that with a bit more practice, he would be fine.
“I am just getting by.”
Chen Sanli felt somewhat relieved. It was fine if Wang Huan, with his superior talent, pulled ahead—what mattered was not falling behind the others.
In the end, everyone’s gaze, more or less, fell on Xu Yuan.
In the dormitory, he and Xiao Sheng trained the hardest, yet neither had ever revealed their exact progress.
Xu Yuan remained calm and said slowly, “It is alright. There are still areas I need to think through.”
Wang Huan glanced at him once before withdrawing his gaze. He already knew when Xu Yuan had broken through to become a martial artist.
In his view, Xu Yuan’s aptitude was only slightly better than Xiao Sheng’s. It was natural for him to train diligently. Unlike himself—he could remain at the top even without such effort.
That was the gap brought by talent.
As the dormitory quieted down, Chen Sanli suddenly began recounting rumors he had heard outside, quickly reigniting the atmosphere.
Xu Yuan paid no attention. Lying on his bed, he looked at the panel in his mind.
[Skills: Tai Chi Exercise (Major Accomplishment 1%), Stone Platform Stance (Minor Accomplishment 11%), Benlei Fist (Beginner 25%)]
[Aptitude: 8 (Exceptional Physique)]
Seeing the steadily increasing progress, Xu Yuan felt a sense of satisfaction.
With his exceptional physique and daily hard training, the results were remarkable.
Especially his progress in the Benlei Fist—he could vaguely sense the embryonic form of that force, though its strength was still insufficient to be released.
“However, it will not be long now.”
Xu Yuan thought to himself.
Whether it was the threat from Quan Xiong, the Gang Leader of the Wild Wolf Gang, or the upcoming assignment choices, once he had sufficient strength, everything would become manageable.
The current hard training might seem uneventful, but it was the phase of building defenses before a storm.
Being cautious was never a mistake.
…