Rise from a Low-class Family to Martial Artist

Chapter 74: Chapter 70: Clear Wind Martial Arts Hall Truly Nurtures Talent

”Junior Brother Lin, are you aware of the genius clause of the Military Affairs Department?”

Jiang Qing and Lin Chen left Kong Yinglei’s courtyard at the same time. Once they were outside, Jiang Qing began to speak.

She believed that given Lin Chen’s demonstrated comprehension of the Martial Path, Hall Master Kong would have certainly mentioned it to him.

”Hall Master Zeng mentioned it to me. Within half a year, mastering a cultivation technique to perfection would meet the genius clause of the Military Affairs Department. However, achieving perfection in half a year is something I’ve never dared to imagine,” Lin Chen replied humbly.

Jiang Qing’s gaze was somewhat wistful: ”With Junior Brother Lin’s talent, there’s a great possibility.”

She chose to come to Jingshui Martial Arts Hall specifically because of this clause. If Junior Brother Lin couldn’t achieve it, would she have even less chance?

Lin Chen also felt he might have been a bit too modest, so he changed the topic and asked: ”Senior Sister Jiang, how many acupoints have you opened now?”

”Eight acupoints.”

Indeed, she’s wealthy!

Lin Chen was not surprised by Senior Sister Jiang opening eight acupoints. She had reached six acupoints early on, and after improving her absorption and digestion capabilities, she likely spent even more money.

”Maybe in another two or three days, I’ll have the chance to reach nine acupoints,” Jiang Qing added softly, and Lin Chen’s eyes widened...

What did Senior Sister mean?

Is it necessary to hit someone like this?

Seeing Lin Chen’s speechless expression, Jiang Qing’s lips curved into a faint smile. It was time to let Junior Brother Lin be surprised for once; she couldn’t always be the one amazed.

”Junior Brother Lin, I’ll be off first.”

Lin Chen watched as Senior Sister Jiang’s figure floated away. Perhaps with a slight smile, thinking that Senior Sister Jiang had a youthful heart, competitive and unwilling to let him bask in the limelight.

...

...

The Martial Affairs Office!

Today, the Martial Affairs Office was bustling with activity.

The vice hall masters of the Eight Great Martial Arts Halls had gathered once again, each holding a list in hand.

This was issued to them by the Martial Affairs Office, a ranking of the realms achieved by the new generation of students from the Eight Great Martial Arts Halls.

”Senior Brother Zhang, your Seven Stars Martial Arts Hall is really making waves this time. Song Yu has already reached eight acupoints, indeed worthy of being Senior Song’s son.”

The Song Family is a prominent clan in Poyang County.

Song Yu’s father was a Ninth-Grade Martial Artist. Many other martial halls had competed for Song Yu, but since Song Yu’s father had come from the Seven Stars Martial Arts Hall, the other halls naturally couldn’t compete with them.

The martial artists who came out of each hall would mostly have their offspring join the same hall because of the familial connection. Additionally, practicing the same cultivation technique as their father allowed for private guidance and teaching.

These vice hall masters, upon receiving the list and quickly scanning it, showed little surprise. It was roughly in line with their expectations, with few fluctuations.

”Hey, Lin Chen has already opened six acupoints? I remember he was a disciple of the Clear Wind Martial Arts Hall. How did he end up in the Jingshui Martial Arts Hall?” one vice hall master asked in confusion.

When Inspector Shu previously gathered them and mentioned the eligibility of Lin Chen for an Opening Acupoints Pill, they had not forgotten.

Opening six acupoints was notable among the martial halls but not enough to catch special attention. This vice hall master was more curious as to why Lin Chen’s affiliation now read Jingshui Martial Arts Hall.

”Our hall lacked enough top-tier quota benefits, while Jingshui Martial Arts Hall had extras. After discussing with Junior Sister Kong, we decided that for Lin Chen’s benefit, it would be better for him to transfer to Jingshui Martial Arts Hall,” Qi He explained with a chuckle. When he had seen Lin Chen’s six-acupoint achievement on the list, he was indeed surprised.

Opening six acupoints, along with mastery of the Clear Wind Palm, was already deserving of top-tier benefits.

In our hall, there are five students eligible for top-tier benefits, with Lv Shuyu as the lowest at six acupoints, and her Clear Wind Palm hadn’t reached mastery.

Any regrets?

Qi He felt a thread of regret but quickly dismissed it.

The temporary gap wasn’t a major concern. For someone like Lin Chen, whose family background wasn’t strong, opening 24 acupoints would be a distant goal since the remaining 18 acupoints would require significant resources.

As a vice hall master, Qi He was quite familiar with the circumstances of the hall’s students.

Students from the town and those from the county wouldn’t have too large a realm gap when they first joined a martial hall, as coming from a background capable of refining Essence Qi within a year wasn’t easy.

But as continuous investment in martial arts training progressed, the households of students from towns would become strained, and this is when the gap would gradually become apparent.

In Qi He’s opinion, neither Lin Chen nor Lv Shuyu would make the top ten in this competition because there were already twelve students who had opened seven acupoints on the list.

Had Lin Chen seen this list now, he would certainly give Hall Master Kong a big thumbs up!

Hall Master Kong was prescient. Indeed, there were many schemers in the other martial halls. Just from the last list statistics, there had only been seven with six acupoints, and Senior Sister Jiang stood alone in having opened seven acupoints.

Kong Yinglei listened to Qi He’s explanation without refuting it.

Because Qi He spoke the truth, but the real reason was an underestimation of Lin Chen rather than consideration for him.

The other vice hall masters present, being shrewd, could naturally discern the underlying situation.

The so-called limited quota was simply due to the belief that other students were stronger and better suited for top-tier treatment than Lin Chen.

Their curiosity was piqued as to why the Jingshui Martial Arts Hall had offered Lin Chen this spot?

Looking at the list reported by the Jingshui Martial Arts Hall, purely by realm on paper, Jingshui Martial Arts Hall stood alone.

One at eight acupoints, two at seven, and three at six acupoints.

”Clear Wind Martial Arts Hall is brimming with talent. Which student has already achieved Small Success in the Clear Wind Palm?”

The vice hall master from Mantis Martial Arts Hall inquired cheerfully, having learned from student reports that a new student from the Clear Wind Martial Arts Hall had defeated Iron Blood Martial Arts Hall’s Fu Ang not long ago.

At that time, the student had opened five acupoints, but now it’s very likely they had reached six.

A student with Small Success in the Clear Wind Palm was surely aiming for something in this competition, and their realm likely increased too.

The Clear Wind Martial Arts Hall had three students with six acupoints this time, and they wondered which one it could be.

Qi He kept smiling, choosing not to respond. To the other vice hall masters, this appeared as if he was deliberately keeping secrets. However, Qi He himself was full of bewilderment.

When did any student achieve Small Success in the Clear Wind Palm?

How did he not know?

Two days ago, Chen Chunfeng informed him that three students had reached mastery in the Clear Wind Palm.

Could it be that just in these past couple of days, Shao Hong or Lu Li had pushed their Clear Wind Palm further?

But how did Mantis Martial Arts Hall find out about this?

Kong Yinglei noticed the trace of confusion that had flickered in Qi He’s eyes and couldn’t help but chuckle secretly.

Qi He feigned mystery, but internally he was full of bewilderment.

The events in the Martial Arts Garden were also reported to her by some martial hall students, mentioning a masked martial artist using the Clear Wind Palm to defeat Fu Ang.

She had suspected then that the person who defeated Fu Ang was most likely Lin Chen, as his realm and cultivation technique matched those of the mysterious masked student.

Clearly, Mantis Martial Arts Hall misunderstood and thought Clear Wind Martial Arts Hall had hidden a student’s strength.

Let Qi He enjoy a few more days of happiness. By the day of the competition, he would realize what kind of genius the Clear Wind Martial Arts Hall had overlooked.