Chapter 105 - 83: Waiting for an Opportunity
"Mm, very good." Gongsun Rou nodded slightly. Deep down, she was quite satisfied with this disciple.
For someone so young, she was incredibly diligent in her cultivation—far superior to her own hit-or-miss attitude when she had first started practicing Swordsmanship.
"Since you’ve been practicing for over an hour, go rest in the inner courtyard for a while. You can look over the Basic Sword Manual. The path of cultivation requires a balance of work and rest," Gongsun Rou said after some thought.
Hearing this, Shen Qingshuang was secretly surprised. ’Although this Great Madam doesn’t normally take disciples, which of Mr. Zheng’s children hasn’t she drilled? Whenever those guys even mention cultivating the Martial Dao with her, they’re all scared to death!’
’For words like "a balance of work and rest" to come from her mouth... that’s as shocking as the sun rising in the west.’
As Gongsun Rou finished speaking and turned to leave the courtyard, Mu Xiaowan quickly interjected, "Master, Elder Zheng is accepting disciples today. I would also like to go and see."
How could Gongsun Rou not understand Mu Xiaowan’s intentions? ’Going to see’ was just an excuse; seeing Chen Cheng was the real reason. With a faint, knowing smile, she asked, "Are you sure you *only* want to see Mr. Zheng accept disciples?"
Mu Xiaowan’s face flushed slightly as she said in a low voice, "You said it yourself, Master. Cultivating the Martial Dao requires broadening one’s horizons."
"Fine. You may as well come along." Gongsun Rou didn’t call her out on it, just shaking her head slightly.
...
Meanwhile, Chen Cheng’s carriage arrived at the Inner City Gate. The driver pulled on the reins and said, "Sir, we’ve reached the Inner City Gate."
Ordinary people who wanted to enter the Inner City had to pay one tael of silver for a pass. Carriages from the Outer City District wanting to enter the Inner City had to pay two taels of silver.
For this reason, carriages that solicited fares in the Outer City District generally did not enter the Inner City.
Previously, Chen Cheng would always get off at the gate and hire a new carriage only after entering the Inner City.
But things were different now. As a Chief Constable of a Sub-Department in the City Guard Department—a minor official of the Ninth Grade—entering the Inner City was no longer so troublesome for him.
"Just drive straight in," Chen Cheng said calmly.
The driver knew he had an important person in his carriage and could save on the entrance fee. Delighted, he quickly said, "You got it!"
Upon reaching the guard post, the driver took out his identification pass while Chen Cheng lifted the carriage curtain and presented his Chief Constable’s Waist Token.
The lead officer merely gave it a glance, didn’t collect any money from the driver, and waved the carriage through.
After entering the Inner City, it wasn’t long before they arrived at the main entrance of the Zheng Martial Arts Hall.
"Sir, we’ve arrived," the driver said respectfully.
Chen Cheng lifted the curtain, stepped down, and paid the fare. The driver thanked him profusely and departed with a cheerful smile.
It was just after seven in the morning, but a large crowd had already gathered outside the Zheng Martial Arts Hall, with many carriages parked along the street.
These carriages were all quite luxurious—not the type that solicited fares on the street, but the private carriages of wealthy families.
Evidently, when a figure like Mr. Zheng recruited disciples, there were many hopefuls who wished to study under him.
At the entrance of the Martial Arts Hall, four men with sabers stood guard, two on each side.
The one-eyed man stood behind a square table where several young hopefuls were lined up to register.
For each person registering, the one-eyed man carefully inspected and questioned them, only allowing them to enter the Martial Arts Hall after confirming their age and identity.
These young people were both male and female, mostly eighteen or nineteen years old. All were dressed in fine clothes, clearly scions of wealthy families.
The people gathered to the side were the relatives and servants of these applicants; they were clearly not allowed to enter the Martial Arts Hall.
Although Mr. Zheng did not charge tuition, his requirement for accepting disciples—achieving Great Success in a Mid-level Skill before the age of twenty—implicitly excluded those from humble families.
After all, those from humble families could not even afford a Mid-level Skill Manual, let alone cultivate it to the stage of Great Success.
Chen Cheng sighed to himself. ’Literature is for the poor, but martial arts are for the rich.’ He was about to walk forward and get in line.
Just then, a middle-aged man in a silk robe stepped out from the crowd. He bowed and said with a fawning smile, "Greetings, Master Chen."
This man was none other than Jiang Rongxuan.
Now that Chen Cheng was the Chief Constable of the Ruyi Square Sub-Department, a true big shot, Jiang Rongxuan naturally wanted to curry favor. He had previously sent silver to Chen Cheng, which Chen Cheng had not refused, so he still harbored the illusion that he could forge a connection with him.
"Is your daughter Jiang Yun also here to become a disciple?" Chen Cheng asked noncommittally.
Hearing Chen Cheng mention his precious daughter, Jiang Yun, Jiang Rongxuan’s heart leaped. ’He probably still has feelings for my daughter,’ he thought. He hurriedly beamed and said, "Yes! Yun’Er has now achieved Great Success in her Saber Technique. In the future, she and Master Chen will be fellow disciples. You two should get to know each other better..."
"Jiang Rongxuan, we walk different paths. You’d best conduct yourself accordingly," Chen Cheng interrupted, his expression impassive.
"Ah..." Jiang Rongxuan froze in place. He wanted to say something else to flatter him, but he saw a faint hint of a superior’s authority in Chen Cheng’s indifferent gaze.
If he said just one more word, he feared he would anger this newly promoted Chief Constable, and the Jiang Family would face unbearable consequences.
’The Jiang Family doesn’t even have the right to curry his favor anymore. Why didn’t I ever imagine he would rise so meteorically and become such an important man? If I’d known then what I know now, I would have invested in him from the start! Alas... It’s too late for regrets!’
Jiang Rongxuan’s face paled, and his heart was filled with a bitter taste.
Chen Cheng paid Jiang Rongxuan no more mind and walked directly to the back of the line to wait.
"Who’s that? He has such an imposing air."
"I don’t recognize him from the Inner City."
"What do you know? Look at the way he carries himself—so powerful and confident. He could be from one of the Four Great Clans. We’d best not gossip."
A few wealthy men from the Outer City District whispered among themselves as they watched this unfold.
"Chen Cheng, eighteen years old, Great Success in the Wind Chasing Saber Technique?" the one-eyed man read aloud after Chen Cheng registered his name and skill level.
This was the third time he had seen Chen Cheng. Leaving aside his connection to the Sixth Madam, Luo Yunzhi, the mere fact that Mu Xiaowan had been accepted as the Great Madam’s disciple was enough to make him take notice of this young man.
Besides, achieving Great Success in a Saber Technique at the age of eighteen was a feat that could not be underestimated.
Chen Cheng gave a slight nod and a small smile.
"My name is Min Wei, a Registered Disciple of Master Zheng."
"Greetings, Senior Brother Min." Chen Cheng cupped his fists.
"Go on in and wait in the front courtyard," Min Wei said with a grin, not minding being called ’Senior Brother’ a bit prematurely.
Chen Cheng strode through the gate and onto the grand plaza of the front courtyard, where many people had already gathered.
In addition to the Zheng Martial Arts Hall disciples he had seen before, there were fifty or sixty young applicants.
Everyone was gathered in small groups, talking in low voices.
Jiang Yun was talking quietly with a few other young women from the Outer City District. She seemed distracted, her gaze frequently drifting toward the courtyard gate, scanning the faces of the arriving applicants.
"Jiang Yun, don’t tell me you’re lovesick?"
one of the young women teased, noticing Jiang Yun’s odd behavior.
Another woman laughed. "Liu Siya, don’t just make fun of Jiang Yun. Aren’t you always stealing glances over there yourself?"
"Heh, isn’t that normal? Any young man who can get into the Zheng Martial Arts Hall is a genius in his own right," another woman added playfully.
The woman named Liu Siya shook her head. "You all have no ambition. It’s still early; most of the people here now are from the Outer City District."
"I’ve heard that many scions from the great clans of the Inner City are also coming, and even some from the Four Great Clans. They live nearby, so they’ll arrive later."
"Oh, so you’re hoping to marry into one of the Four Great Clans and become a phoenix on a branch!"
"Get out of here! Who said anything about getting married? I’m here to cultivate the Martial Dao."
As the young women chatted and laughed, Jiang Yun’s eyes were fixed on a handsome youth with a long saber at his waist who had just strode into the courtyard and was now standing alone. Her heart pounded as she hesitated, wondering if she should go over and say hello.
That youth was none other than Chen Cheng.
"Jiang Yun, why so quiet?" Noticing Jiang Yun’s silence, Liu Siya followed her gaze and covered her mouth with a chuckle. "Oh, so *he’s* the one you’ve been waiting for!
"Hmm, he’s certainly not bad. Good-looking, with an extraordinary presence... and more importantly, judging by his momentum, it looks like he’s already achieved Great Success in his Saber Technique. He’d be considered a genius in the Outer City District.
"Now that your crush is here, what are you waiting for? Go bring him over so we can meet him."
"Yeah, Jiang Yun, go bring him over so we can get to know him."
"That’s right. We might all be fellow disciples soon, after all."
The other women all chimed in with their agreement.
Jiang Yun’s face turned bright red from their teasing. But since she had been waiting for Chen Cheng, she wasn’t about to let the opportunity slip by. Gritting her teeth, she walked gracefully toward him.