Of course, he didn’t dare say this out loud, worried that Shang Xiulin would kick him out on the spot.
After the old lady finished applying medicine to Little Fatty, Shang Xiulin asked Little Fatty to sit down again and said, "Now that we’re teacher and student, we’re family. Come over for meals whenever; just tell your Shifu’s wife what you’d like to eat. Don’t be shy."
"That’s right that’s right, first tell me a few dishes you’d like, so I can make preparations," the old lady chimed in.
"I like everything," Little Fatty said, embarrassed.
"Tsks tsks tsks, such a good child... unlike our own kids, always picky."
Tang Fei’s eyes widened as he looked at Little Fatty. Was this some kind of survival skill?
Could he still catch up if he started learning now?
He and the old man had always worried that Little Fatty wouldn’t be able to fend for himself when he grew up, but who would have thought he could be spoon-fed?
Wasn’t this his own life’s aspiration? How did the kid beat him to it?
"Can you still not feel the Yin Yang Qi?" Shang Xiulin asked, looking at Little Fatty.
Little Fatty, with a face full of shame, explained, "I’ve tried very hard, but I just can’t seem to feel any qi in my dantian... I only have brute strength..."
He was afraid that if he couldn’t feel the Yin Yang Qi because he didn’t understand cultivation, Shang Xiulin would no longer like him as his disciple...
This worry was purely superfluous—did Shang Xiulin decide to take him as a disciple because he could feel the Yin Yang Qi?
"That’s not a problem," Shang Xiulin reassured him. "If you can’t feel it, you can’t feel it. Even if you could, it would be meaningless... That’s not the path for your cultivation."
Tang Fei, Little Fatty, and Ran Ran all looked at Shang Xiulin with widened eyes. Even if he loved Little Fatty, he shouldn’t say something that goes against common sense...
Any martial artist would wish to feel the Yin Yang Qi.
Only by feeling the Yin Yang Qi does one enter the gateway of cultivation. Then, one trains the body and the qi, progressing through the ranks and breaking barriers, ultimately reaching the pinnacle of martial arts.
What did he mean it wasn’t a problem? Was he going to spoil him like his own son?
Shang Xiulin didn’t wish to explain anything to Tang Fei or Ran Ran. What did their understanding have to do with him?
He looked at Little Fatty and asked, "How did you build your strength before?"
"Breaking rocks," Little Fatty said with a simple smile. "There are so many rocks in Old Land, and my godfather made me break rocks every day... I shaped the rocks into various forms and smooth squares... and then sold them for money..."
Shang Xiulin’s eyes slightly narrowed as he asked, "Who is your godfather? Where is he now?"
The way of teaching that tailors to the student’s needs is one in ten thousand.
Shang Xiulin didn’t know who Little Fatty’s godfather was, but having him persistently break rocks every day when he couldn’t feel the Yin Yang Qi...
This was exactly what he wanted him to do.
One might say their thoughts coincidentally aligned.
He didn’t know whether this was intentional or just chance, but if he could meet him and have a chat, that would be excellent.
"My godfather is an old man... He’s still in Old Land; he didn’t come with us," Little Fatty said with a hint of regret.
He missed his godfather!
Even though his godfather made him break rocks all day, called him fat, and scolded him for being stupid, but still, a godfather was a godfather...
Shang Xiulin fell silent for a moment before saying, "Your godfather’s method of teaching is correct... Starting tomorrow, you will go to the Gravity Room to break rocks."
"Ah?" Little Fatty looked at Shang Xiulin in surprise and asked, "I still have to break rocks?"
He thought that since he had joined Shang Xiulin, he would be taught many cultivation techniques and Secret Books...
On the way over, big brother and Mr. Ran had said the same thing to him.
Why did he still need to break rocks?
What was the difference between Dean Shang and the old man then?
Moreover, the old man only made him break rocks in the natural environment, while Dean Shang was making him do it in the Gravity Room... The difficulty level was increasing manifold.
"What’s wrong? You don’t want to?" Shang Xiulin asked in a serious tone.
"I want to, I want to..." Little Fatty nodded repeatedly and said, "I’m willing. It’s just... Master, will I learn anything else?"
"No need," Shang Xiulin said with determination. "Just break rocks. When I say you can stop, then you can stop. If I don’t say it, you keep breaking rocks in the Gravity Room."
"Five times, ten times, twenty times, just keep increasing... I will give you a counter, which clearly displays how many rocks you break each day. I will also check randomly..."
"Yes, Master," Little Fatty responded in a low voice.
He especially hated the name his godfather had given him, Gong Shu was bad enough, but adding "Lei"...
No wonder he was destined to deal with stones all his life.
"Listen to Master’s instructions and never be lazy at any time," Tang Fei reminded Little Fatty with a scheming warmth, smartly addressing Little Fatty’s master as "Master" too.
By doing this, aren’t we all one family then?
You wouldn’t feel too good to not toss a Secret Manual or something my way, right? Are you not going to look out for me when I get bullied?
"Okay, big brother," Little Fatty agreed.
"Alright, Little Fatty stays for dinner. You two can go back," Shang Xiulin dismissed the others.
Tang Fei and Ran Ran exchanged puzzled looks.
You’re inviting him for dinner; could you not at least ask us out of courtesy? It’s not like you’re only keeping one person.
We all came together, and this is making us lose face...
Oh right, he’s the Dean; he really doesn’t need to care about other people’s face.
But the old lady couldn’t stand it and suggested, "Why don’t everyone stay for dinner?"
"We are close as master and student, what does it have to do with those two?" Shang Xiulin refused expressionlessly, adding, "Besides, there isn’t enough food at home..."
There’s no Secret Manual, and you won’t even treat me to a meal?
Tang Fei felt very tired and felt like he might not love again in the future.
"Ah, I was just about to take my leave," Ran Ran was quick to react, standing up quickly and saying with a smile, "I need to take Tang Fei to complete his residency registration... Just to report to Dean Shang, Tang Fei has agreed to join our class and will be my student from now on."
Shang Xiulin looked at Tang Fei and asked, "Do you think you could defeat Shen Qingping in the real world?"
"Yes," Tang Fei said.
"I don’t think you could," Shang Xiulin said.
Tang Fei didn’t give in and firmly stated, "I think you are mistaken."
Shang Xiulin studied Tang Fei thoughtfully and asked, "Are you very confident?"
"Well, it depends on who I’m facing. If it’s an opponent like the Dean, I’d have to surrender early and admit defeat," Tang Fei said with a beaming smile.
Shang Xiulin looked at Tang Fei seriously and said, "So young, yet you carry so many burdens... It will affect your cultivation."
"I know," Tang Fei muttered, turning a cup in his hands, "But before that... we need to live well."
Life is full of events, and dangers too.
Little Fatty couldn’t imagine them, and the old man didn’t want to.
Stepping out of Shang Xiulin’s courtyard, Tang Fei looked at Ran Ran and asked, "Mr. Ran, are we going to go through the procedures now?"
Ran Ran glanced at her watch and said, "It’s dinner time... Tang Fei, shall I treat you to a meal?"
She and her student had been kicked out by the Dean, which was a bit embarrassing.
So, she needed to salvage some dignity in front of her student.
For instance, by treating the student to a meal.
Eat a man’s food and your words are sweet, take a man’s gift and you’re in his debt. After he eats my food, he’d feel awkward spreading this incident around, right?
"No need," Tang Fei refused, "I already ate at the Martial Arts Hall... The pig’s trotter rice there is really good."
"Mr. Ran, shall we proceed with the paperwork now?" Tang Fei asked.
He paused, then added, "If you’re hungry, you can go eat first. I’ll wait for you here."
"No need," Ran Ran waved weakly, "Let’s go do the paperwork first. I’m not hungry anymore..."
"Okay, as Mr. Ran says," Tang Fei said with a smile.
Watching Tang Fei’s radiant smile, Ran Ran suddenly had an ominous thought.
Perhaps, after taking on this student, her life might take some unfortunate turns?