Ch. 38
Chapter 38. Changes After the Breakthrough
As for the three people left in the dormitory—
Although Li Shan had said two days ago that he still had a chance, he was ultimately short on time and failed to bring his fist technique to the beginner level within the month.
Qin Yang’s aptitude and comprehension were both quite good, but he had been inconsistent at the start, slacking off every few days. Even though he tried to cram at the last minute, he still did not succeed.
Xiao Sheng was diligent enough, but both his aptitude and comprehension were only average, so in the end, he still fell just short.
As Xu Yuan watched each person’s reaction and thought back to the order in which they had broken through to become one-meridian martial artists, he could not help but feel deeply moved.
In the dormitory, Wang Huan had the best overall talent, followed by Qin Yang, Gao Yuan, and Tian Yang. But the final results of this assessment were far more complicated than anyone had expected.
As the saying goes, only when the tide goes out do you see who has been swimming naked. Even if Heaven gives you excellent aptitude, if you do not seize it with effort, you will still end up achieving nothing.
Once the three martial instructors finished the testing and left with the Heavenly Net Mirror, the dozens of people on the field gradually dispersed, each carrying thoughts of unwillingness or regret.
The people from Room Ding gathered together as well and began chatting among themselves.
Today was the start of the year. They had half a day off in the afternoon, and after that, they would be leaving the dormitory. Once they finished choosing assignments the day after tomorrow, they would all go their separate ways. It would be hard to meet again after that.
Since Xu Yuan had broken through to the second meridian, he naturally would not continue living here. He had already passed the assessment and become a two-striped retainer. Once he took his jade token to the Affairs Hall and completed the registration, he would be able to move into a single room.
At that moment, Wang Huan walked over to Xu Yuan and said with difficulty, “Xu Yuan… what happened that night was my fault…”
In truth, after the drinking incident, he had already begun to be subtly isolated within the dormitory.
There was no need to mention Xu Yuan, Tian Yang, and Gao Yuan. Chen Sanli had already fought him, so reconciliation was impossible. Qin Yang had also grown resentful of him after Xu Yuan became distant because of that incident.
Xiao Sheng remained courteous enough, but he had always been a man of few words and was not easy to talk to. That left only Li Shan, who would still occasionally say a few words to him.
He had gone from being the center of the dormitory to someone no one cared about.
Wang Huan had been miserable because of it, but after seeing Xu Yuan make progress in both fist technique and cultivation, fear and panic began creeping into his heart again.
So after thinking it over again and again, he still felt he had to apologize. Otherwise, what if Xu Yuan tripped him up in the future?
Since today was also his last chance, he cast aside his pride and came over.
On the path of martial arts, the accomplished are respected first. And he was the one who had started the conflict in the first place… yet now that he was apologizing, he still refused to call him Brother Xu?
Beside them, Gao Yuan watched Wang Huan coldly and shook his head faintly.
Xu Yuan glanced at him and said evenly, “No need. You should be thanking Li Shan.”
After that, he said nothing more and walked away.
The others followed behind him, and the group gradually disappeared into the distance.
Wang Huan remained where he was, secretly breathing a sigh of relief.
Judging from Xu Yuan’s tone, the matter should be considered settled. At least, he would not be deliberately targeted in the future.
“That is good…”
Wang Huan muttered instinctively, but then he immediately felt humiliated by his own cowardice and bitterly resented how lax he had been before.
If he had used his spare time and evenings to practice like Xu Yuan had, then by now he probably would already be a second-meridian martial artist!
I will definitely catch up to you… definitely!
Looking at the now-empty training ground, Wang Huan slowly clenched his fists.
…
Meanwhile, as Xu Yuan walked back, Qin Yang suddenly stepped forward from behind him and said, “Brother Xu, that night, I actually…”
“It is fine. I know what you meant.” Xu Yuan waved a hand, knowing what the other man wanted to say. He was someone who clearly distinguished between gratitude and grievance. He would not implicate others for no reason.
Besides, Qin Yang had not done it deliberately. The only one who had truly spoken drunken nonsense was Wang Huan.
After Qin Yang, Li Shan smiled and said, “Brother Xu, after my father heard about what you have done, he praised you endlessly and wants to invite you to a meal at the restaurant tomorrow. I wonder if…”
“No need. Please thank your father for his kindness.” Before he could finish, Xu Yuan shook his head and politely declined.
Watching Xu Yuan’s retreating figure, Li Shan stood there in a daze, clearly sensing the distance in his attitude.
But he still could not understand it. He had obviously been friendly and generous to everyone, so why had things ended up like this?
Father, I really cannot tell anymore.
Does the way of dealing with people that you taught me actually work at all?
Frowning, Li Shan sank into deep thought.
…
After returning to the dormitory, Xu Yuan exchanged a few polite words with the others before heading to the Affairs Hall.
The beginning and end of the month were always the busiest times for the Affairs Hall, but after hearing that Xu Yuan had arrived, Zhao Qiusheng still made time to come personally and handle his retainer promotion.
“So, your assessment is over?” Zhao Qiusheng asked while processing the paperwork. “How did it go? Other than you, was there anyone else who improved both fist technique and cultivation?”
“There was one other person, a woman with short hair. She will probably come by soon as well.”
Zhao Qiusheng understood at once. Counting it that way, among all the newly advanced one-meridian martial artists in the Shangyang Residence, those who could achieve both at once numbered fewer than five.
As he wrote with his brush, he went on to advise him, “Although your talent is quite good, it is best to keep a low profile in daily life… after all, when someone stands above others, the crowd will inevitably resent him.”
“Thank you for the reminder, Uncle Zhao.”
Xu Yuan naturally understood the principle. If there had been more time left, he would have preferred to conceal himself a little longer as well.
“Originally, I should have explained assignments to you too, but as you can see, the Affairs Hall is busy right now. Right—you can go ask Feng Xiao. He can answer those questions for you as well.”
After finishing all the paperwork, Zhao Qiusheng took out two sets of blue robes, one for summer and one for winter, then handed over a waist token.
“In the Shangyang Residence, reaching the second meridian gives you a bit of status. Your clothing, food, housing, and general treatment will all be different from now on. You can already feel that just from the clothes.”
Xu Yuan nodded. Back when he was a one-meridian martial artist, he had only received a single gray robe. Now he had two sets, and they felt much finer to the touch. The material was obviously better.
“As for housing, you can move into a single room now. It is not exactly spacious, but at least you will have your own private space… As for transport, that is still beyond our level.”
“Lastly, there is food. First of all, with your waist token, you can eat ordinary meals at the dining hall for free. But if you want better food, you will still have to pay for it yourself.”
“Second, there is another benefit as well—that precious meat…”
After finishing, Zhao Qiusheng handed the paperwork over for Xu Yuan to sign. Then, after hurriedly giving him a couple more instructions, he rushed off to deal with something else.
…
At noon, the sunlight was bright, driving away some of the lingering chill in the air.
Xu Yuan carried a packed food box filled with wine and dishes as he arrived at the outer courtyard where he had once lived. Looking at the busy servants there, he did not see a single familiar face.
It was probably a new batch of people. As for the earlier ones, they had likely already been assigned all over the estate to do odd jobs and serve others.
Xu Yuan sighed inwardly. After receiving only a brief glance of attention from the Shangyang Residence, if the servants failed to break through by some fortunate opportunity, they would ultimately return to their original place.
Those days spent practicing martial arts here now felt like a hurried dream.
“My decades of craftsmanship are not something a little street rat like you gets to peek at!”
At that moment, a shrill voice rang out and abruptly interrupted Xu Yuan’s thoughts.