"Wait for another three days."
"If it still doesn’t work, persuade them to leave. Don’t delay them, and don’t stress yourself."
After morning training was over, Yan Chuan found Yu Jinpeng and gave him an instruction.
For those who remain unenlightened, it’s best to persuade them to leave. It’s good for you, me, and everyone.
But there are those who do become enlightened—
"The Martial Arts Hall now has forty to fifty people. Although they’re all novices, with such a number, there are bound to be some good ones. I haven’t been in the Martial Arts Hall much lately; you need to keep an eye out for me. If there are any good prospects, pay extra attention. If they stay with the Martial Arts Hall in the future, they can be nurtured more."
"It’s not just about talent."
"More importantly, it’s about character."
"In this regard, I’m confident in your handling."
Yan Chuan patted Yu Jinpeng on the shoulder and smiled brightly.
By leveraging the abilities of ’Mutual Teaching and Learning’ and ’Derivation Skill’, the once defunct Iron Wire Martial Arts Hall can be considered as revived by him. And this doesn’t even include his ’Advanced Study Hall’ set up elsewhere.
Seeing the trend of revival in the Martial Arts Hall, with him leading Yu Jinpeng and the two others in management short-term, it’s okay. But in the long run, it somewhat affects his own cultivation. It’s necessary to train and mentor new disciples to share the burden.
However, this cannot be rushed.
Liu Hengbo, who had been invited by Yan Chuan earlier, an outstanding first- or second-level candidate, hasn’t shown up, essentially giving up and Yan Chuan hasn’t brought it up again either.
"Keep persisting, once you’ve trained one or two junior brothers, your workload will lighten a bit."
"Don’t slack off in martial arts. It’s almost the end of the month, and by that time, I want to see how much progress you three have made this month."
"Jinpeng, if you get overtaken by Wei Quan, you’ll be embarrassed."
Yan Chuan teased Yu Jinpeng.
"Rest assured, senior brother, I haven’t slacked off in training." Yu Jinpeng laughed heartily, filled with anticipation for the upcoming monthly review and attribute list.
He’s made tremendous progress!
Seeing Yu Jinpeng diligently practicing martial arts, Yan Chuan nodded silently.
Among the three junior brothers—
Wei Quan is youthful and passionate.
Jin Yutang is lively and deep-minded.
And Yu Jinpeng is honest and sincere, down-to-earth, kind-hearted, helpful, with a strong sense of justice, compassionate, gentle-natured, valuing relationships and righteousness, unconcerned with petty issues, so despite often being teased by brothers before, he always smiles it off.
He’s respectful to the elders and committed to the path, even though his potential in martial arts isn’t high, he excels with his diligence, eagerness to learn, and hard work.
Having lost his parents at an early age, he was lonely and often bullied by fellow villagers. Since childhood, he made a living by selling pigs in the countryside, hence the nickname ’Pig Meat Shed’.
After saving a little capital, Yu Jinpeng decided he didn’t want to be bullied anymore, so he joined the ’Iron Wire Martial Arts Hall’, where he practiced the horse stance, standing pile, and boxing for eleven years in a blink.
Yu Jinpeng can rise from difficulty unsullied and be greatly enhanced.
Previously, perhaps due to talent issues, he found it hard to become a genius, but now, these qualities coupled with Yan Chuan’s ’Mutual Teaching and Learning’, Yu Jinpeng might yet achieve significant accomplishments.
Among the three junior brothers, Yan Chuan actually sees the most potential in this ’dullest’ Brother Yu. If the Cheng Family Boxing is to produce another grandmaster, it will certainly be Yu Jinpeng.
"Jinpeng has had it tough as well!"
Yan Chuan had high hopes for this junior brother.
It was precisely because of his high expectations that he kept him in the Martial Arts Hall to assist, allowing him to train and practice, receive some salary monthly, and occasionally go to the countryside to help kill pigs and sell meat, to support his martial training.
Unfortunately, back then Master was injured by Lu Qing and the others, and never took on more disciples. Otherwise, Yu Jinpeng, as well as Jin Yutang and Wei Quan, all had the potential to be officially admitted, rather than remain in their current undefined statuses.
By the end of the month.
In a small alley in Guangling City.
Che Zheng blocked a barefoot young cart driver and angrily shouted, "You ungrateful child! Instead of coming home, you’re doing this?"
He pointed at the other’s nose, shaking with anger—
"Ignoring the good academy, ignoring the blessings you could enjoy, you have a problem in your head!"
"The court strongly supports the New Faction, Martial Arts Hall, sects, all declining. If you join, what achievements could you possibly have?"
"Let’s not talk about other things or distant matters. Just take Yan Chuan from the ’Iron Wire Martial Arts Hall’ in the west city, at the age of twenty-six, with his remarkable talent. If he had joined the Guangling Academy early, he surely would have been one of the ’Guangling Ten Outstanding’, lacking no resources and growing faster."
"But what about now?"
"He has to toil away tutoring students from Guangling Academy, struggling as much as can be, for that bit of hard-earned money!"
"But, does money matter?"
"Can money buy secret medicine?"
"Can money grant him access to the ’Carry Ten Thousand Mountains’, ’Flame Ridge’, ’Book Collection Pavilion’ of the Guangling Academy for cultivation?"
"No matter how he seems now, ultimately, he’s bound to fall behind, crushed by the tide of the era!"
"And you’re the same!"
"Your talent is more mediocre than his!"
"You just don’t get it!"
Che Zheng glanced at the carter’s bare feet, angrier: "Who knows what kind of kung fu you’ve learned, neither human nor ghost! However strong you train those bare feet, can they beat my knife?"
Che Zheng drew his knife!
After enduring a storm of abuse, the young man said nothing, pulled the cart, and walked away, leaving Che Zheng standing alone.
Yuan Zhi and Yang Bing stepped forward to console him—
"Du Head, calm down."
"How did the acting become real?"
Yuan Zhi smiled wryly.
Yang Bing also advised, "There’s no lasting grudge between father and son. I think Xiao Qi is fine, sooner or later he will understand Du Head’s good intentions."
"This ungrateful kid!"
Che Zheng sighed, "Although Yan Chuan is from the Stubborn Old Faction, he is a rare good teacher among them. I asked him to take on a disciple, but he refused, so I can only let Xiao Qi apply to the Martial Arts Hall on his own. Whatever happens, let it be."
Che Zheng looked in the direction his son had left, his heart in turmoil, not knowing how to handle it.
"Yan Chuan does have some skills."
Yuan Zhi laughed, highly praising Yan Chuan’s teaching ability: "Dozens of blocks who were eliminated by the Martial Arts Academy and Foundation Establishment School went to him, and in just one month, several have gotten a grasp on ’Horse Stance.’ Plus, his ’Advanced Study Hall,’ anyone who enters has some gains."
"That skill, it’s truly impressive!"
"If Xiao Qi could receive his instruction, he might actually make a name for himself in time."
"What New Faction or Old Faction."
"What Academy Martial Arts Hall."
"In my opinion, any cat that catches mice is a good cat, any place that teaches well is worth going to!"
Yuan Zhi found the combination of Yan Chuan and the Iron Wire Martial Arts Hall a good place.
Che Zheng thought so too.
Che Zheng reflected on recent intelligence reports and sighed, "Lately, several old faction experts have visited the Iron Wire Martial Arts Hall to build momentum for Yan Chuan. This Master Yan in his twenties may well be the last grandmaster of the Stubborn Old Faction in the Guangling Martial World! The Old Faction, people’s hearts have dispersed, desperately needs such a figure to inspire the ambitions of the predecessors and the confidence of the following generations."
This was also why he had deliberately stopped his son today, performing this speech—
Given the rebellion of that son of his, the more he disparages Yan Chuan, the more he’ll insist on going to him. Once he understands, he will surely seek to become his student.
If he truly becomes Yan Chuan’s disciple, that would be ideal.