yasinovel Chapter 63 Selling Oneself
Chapter 63 Selling Oneself
After Chen Luo broke through to the sixth level of strength, he did not make a fuss, not wanting to attract the attention of other disciples and avoid causing trouble.
He remained secluded in the courtyard, diligently practicing martial arts in pursuit of mastering the Nine Yang Strength.
During that time, Huang Mingyuan visited him once, but did not inquire about his progress in the Nine Yang Force. He only told him about Lin Lu.
"Lin Lu, like Lin Zhou, is also a disciple of the Elite Martial Academy, but he is usually very low-key and rarely shows his face. I heard that even most of the disciples of their Licheng Martial Academy do not know that there is such a person as Lin Lu in the academy."
"But I have learned that although this person is slightly more talented than Lin Zhou, he has been stuck at the bottleneck of the sixth level of strength and has never been able to achieve great success. You don't need to worry about this person."
Huang Mingyuan clearly knew something, but he didn't tell Chen Luo. He only specifically mentioned Lin Zhou and Lin Lu, and even sneered at Lin Duhai, saying, "His father, Lin Duhai, is quite a capable man, but unfortunately, his two sons are not very successful."
Chen Luo simply smiled at this and did not reveal the matter of Linzhou to Huang Mingyuan, leaving everything unsaid.
However, the world is never short of unexpected events. To the surprise of the two, Huang Mingyuan's words seemed to have been blessed. The day after he finished talking with Chen Luo, news came from the Jingyi Martial Arts Academy that Lin Lu had a sudden enlightenment during his martial arts demonstration, successfully mastered the Nine Yang Force, and entered the Qingyun Martial Arts School on the same day.
Even Chen Luo, usually so optimistic, couldn't laugh anymore. If Lin Lu could break through to the Inner Realm, then he would essentially have two Inner Realm enemies, and they might even be father and son.
Furthermore, this scene was quite dramatic. The two largest private schools in Qingshan County, Licheng Martial Arts School and Jingyi Martial Arts School, each had two unremarkable sixth-level martial arts disciples, namely Gu Youcai and Lin Lu, who entered Qingyun Martial Arts School one after the other.
On the contrary, Chen Luo and Song Ruokui, who were highly anticipated by the two martial arts schools, have been out of contact for the past few months.
Especially Song Ruokui, a disciple of various private schools and charitable academies in Qingshan County, is rarely mentioned anymore. Few people even know where she is or what she is doing after leaving Jingyi Martial Arts Academy.
Time flies, and breaking through realms seems to have become a trend. After Gu Youcai and Lin Lu broke through to the Great Perfection of Nine Yang Strength, unexpectedly, even Lu Qun excitedly ran to Licheng Martial Arts School to tell Chen Luo some great news.
"I've achieved a minor success." Lu Qun grinned, full of excitement. "I've already thanked Instructor Li, and after the celebration banquet at home, I'm going to the Mountain Guard to accompany A Liang."
"That's great." Chen Luo was happy for him, but seeing that he seemed a little too excited, he couldn't help but remind him, "The Mountain Guard Command is not the end. Don't neglect your martial arts training while you're in the Mountain Guard Command."
"I'm awake." Lu Qun nodded. He had been feeling too depressed lately, blaming himself for not being able to help his brother in danger, which was why he had acted so recklessly. After Chen Luo's reminder, he calmed down a lot and nodded in deep agreement. "You're right, Luo. You don't know, but the Mountain Guard has recently produced a talented person."
"Hmm?" Chen Luo asked curiously.
"Right here in Beishan, a small wolf tide broke out in the back mountain a while ago. A captain of the Mountain Guard showed great bravery and killed thirty or forty wolves by himself. It is said that he even chased after the wolf pack with a knife and hacked at them. After this battle, he was directly promoted to first-class merit by the Mountain Guard. The captain himself also broke through from the sixth level of strength to the great mastery of the Nine Yang Strength after that wolf tide."
Lu Qun clicked his tongue in amazement, "I heard she's a woman. She's truly a woman who doesn't yield to men, so formidable."
"That's quite impressive indeed." Chen Luoguang was surprised to hear this, not expecting that someone else had broken through to the Great Perfection of the Nine Yang Strength. "Did she go to the Qingyun Martial Arts School?"
"Of course she went. You don't know, the day she went to Qingyun Martial Arts School, hundreds of brothers from the Mountain Guard came to see her off. It was a grand and impressive affair, even more lively than the New Year celebrations a while ago."
Lu Qun smiled and said, "I heard that her name is Hu Zilan. She was once a disciple of Zhengyang Martial Academy. After achieving minor success in Nine Yang Strength, she went to the Mountain Guard Division. She was brave and skilled in battle in the Mountain Guard Division. In just a few years, she was promoted from an ordinary mountain guard to a captain. Her cultivation level also soared to the sixth level of Strength. Now she has even broken through to the seventh level of Strength. I wonder if she will have the opportunity to enter the Inner Realm in the future."
"If she can pass the Qingyun Martial Arts Academy's trials and break through to the Inner Realm, she will most likely become the successor to the Mountain Guard Commander in the future."
Lu Qun sighed, his tone tinged with anticipation, "Commander Luo is getting old, and I heard that Hu Zilan is only twenty-five years old. If she can take over the commander's position, wouldn't she be the first female commander in the history of Qingshan County's Mountain Guard Division?"
"Isn't that exactly the role model you should learn from?"
Chen Luo smiled. He could sense the respect in Lu Qun's words. In fact, he was also impressed. In a place like the Mountain Guard Command, to be able to climb to such a high position as a woman must have put in a lot of hard work and had real strength.
Especially since Commander Luo Yi is getting old, the next Grand Commander will most likely be Luo Sheng. As long as Hu Zilan can enter the Inner Realm, she will definitely be able to fill Luo Sheng's vacancy. That would be the 25-year-old Deputy Commander of the Mountain Guard, and her future as Grand Commander is practically a certainty.
Of course, it's also very possible that Hu Zilan won't stay in Qingshan County, but will go to Shang County to continue her studies; it all depends on her personal choice.
It seems that Qingshan County is full of talented people. The previous Captain Lan was also a top choice, and he is very likely to master the Nine Yang Strength in the future.
This could be considered a blessing in disguise for the people of Dalin who were being kept and reduced by the Demon Court, Chen Luo thought to himself.
That's how people are; adversity can destroy them, but it can also temper them.
In addition, Chen Luo had another question: "You just said that there was another wolf swarm in Beishan?"
"Yes, but it's just a normal beast tide, and it doesn't seem like there are any wolf demons leading the way."
Lu Qun said, "But this still alerted the Mountain Guard. I heard from A Liang that the Mountain Guard has reported the many strange things that have happened recently to the county. The county is taking it very seriously and is said to be sending some people down."
"I see." Chen Luo nodded upon hearing this, and after asking that one simple question, he didn't pay any more attention.
His primary task right now is to break through to the Great Perfection of the Nine Yang Force as soon as possible.
"Oh, right, there's one more thing."
Before leaving, Lu Qun hesitated for a moment and said, "Huang Chen has also left Zhengyang Martial Arts Academy."
"Hmm?" Chen Luo exclaimed in surprise, "Has Huang Chen also achieved minor mastery of the Nine Yang Strength?"
He remembered that Huang Chen only had the first level of strength when he returned to the martial arts school.
"No," Lu Qun shook his head. "He went to Suzheng Martial Arts Academy."
"Suzheng Martial Arts Academy? Isn't that a private academy?" Chen Luo asked in confusion. He remembered that when he first entered the fourth level of strength, many private academies came to recruit him, and Suzheng Martial Arts Academy was one of them. Huang Chen actually went to a private academy?
"It was Huang Chen's mother, Cheng Shi's, doing. Huang Chen practiced martial arts at Zhengyang Martial Arts Academy, which attracted a lot of criticism. He himself didn't care too much, but unfortunately, martial arts can't be mastered just by willpower. He was a bit lacking in talent, and after practicing for a long time, he still didn't make much progress."
As Lu Qun spoke, his expression was complicated. "When his mother, Madam Cheng, saw this, she went to many private schools, wanting to sell herself into servitude in exchange for her son being allowed to learn martial arts there. In the end, Suzheng Martial Arts School agreed, on the condition that Madam Cheng work unpaid at Suzheng Martial Arts School for thirty years in exchange for Huang Chen being exempt from tuition fees for five years."
"..." Cheng sold herself to support her son Huang Chen's martial arts education at a private school? Chen Luo was surprised. "Where's Huang Chen?"
"Huang Chen was against it, but his mother signed the contract without saying a word, so he had no choice but to comply. It is said that he even cried bitterly."
As Lu Qun spoke, a hint of anger flashed in his eyes, "Now there are even more people mocking him. Many people treat him and his mother, Cheng, as a joke, saying that he not only lost his job, but also sold his mother to a private school. Especially that clerk Xu from the county government, who spread the news widely, and even his daughter went to the Suzheng Martial Arts School to publicly humiliate Huang Chen and his mother."
This is really going too far. Chen Luo couldn't help but frown. After a moment's thought, he took out five taels of silver from his pocket. "I can't go out right now. Take these four taels of silver and give them to Huang Chen's mother. Tell her that I'm repaying the Huang family for their past assistance."
"Consider the remaining one or two taels as a celebration for your entry into the Mountain Guard. Go buy yourself some nice clothes." As he spoke, he patted Lu Qun's hemp clothes, showing some disdain. "Don't wear such tattered clothes. You're going to be Young Master Lu in the Mountain Guard after all. Don't let others look down on you and make Uncle Lu lose face."
"If you're going to celebrate, at least say something nice!"
Lu Qun felt a warmth in his heart, but pretended to be angry and kicked Chen Luo in the butt.
Without saying thank you, he silently kept the sentiment in his heart and accepted the silver.
He then added with some doubt, "Why not just give the four taels of silver to Huang Chen, but to the Cheng family instead?"
"Cheng is a capable person. With these four taels of silver in her hands, she might be able to make them as valuable as eight taels of silver," Chen Luo explained.
"I see." Lu Qun seemed to understand but not quite, and couldn't help but mutter, "Only you and A Liang could think of these details. You two are both so cunning, I'm worried that one day I'll be sold out by you and still have to count the money for you."
"Then when you go to the Mountain Guard, don't just focus on martial arts and fighting. You can read more books." Chen Luo grinned.
After seeing Lu Qun off, he felt a little wistful.
I never expected that the Cheng family would go to such lengths for Huang Chen.
He actually admired Cheng Shi very much. Although Cheng Shi had a grudge against his father from the previous life and had said a lot of sarcastic things about him, he couldn't deny that this woman was really remarkable. Not only did she manage to get Huang Chen a job in the county government, but she also managed to get involved with the daughter of Clerk Xu. Now she was even selling herself to send Huang Chen to a private school to learn martial arts...
Huang Chen lost his father at a young age, and Cheng Shi truly single-handedly supported the entire Huang family.
The original owner had known Huang Chen since childhood. When he first transmigrated, during the most famine-stricken period, Huang Chen and Zhou Xiaoliang provided him with a lot of food. Therefore, the four taels of silver was a small repayment for that kindness. If he were to enter the inner realm in the future, he could help Huang Chen again.
After seeing Lu Qun off, Chen Luo saw many new shoots in the grass on his way back to the West Courtyard.
He realized that it was already late winter and early spring, a world where all things were thriving and all life was quietly brewing. The things happening around him seemed to correspond to this early spring. Gu Youcai, Lin Lu, and Hu Zilan had successively broken through to the Great Perfection of the Nine Yang Strength, and even Lu Qun had entered the Mountain Guard Division with the Lesser Perfection of the Nine Yang Strength. The younger generation in Qingshan County seemed to be full of vitality.
But the vitality of early spring did not stop there; it continued to spread and expand. Three days later, Chen Luo heard the news from Master Huang that Song Ruokui had been lying low for two years and had suddenly realized that the Nine Yang Strength was about to be perfected. After visiting the Jingyi Martial Arts Academy and the Zhengyang Martial Arts Academy to express her gratitude, she had already gone to the Qingyun Martial Arts Academy.