Chapter 155: Rules

On the second day after Chen Chuan returned to the university, Cheng Zitong finished his tasks in the morning. Around noon, he hurriedly drove to a villa by the eastern lake. Once he stepped foot inside, he asked, “Where’s Qiao Linhu?”

“The master is currently teaching his disciple how to use refined force, Mr. Cheng,” the guard said.

Cheng Zitong removed his sunglasses and looked at him. “Lao Qian, you’re already old, and Qiao Linhu still isn’t understanding? Why is he still asking you to guard the door?”

“It’s not hard. This is the master’s way of taking care of me.” The guard bowed to him.

“Fine, then. I’ll go meet him.”

Cheng Zitong had hurried over, but once he stepped inside the villa, he stopped rushing. He took a leisurely stroll to the lotus pond, where Qiao Linhu was teaching his disciple inside the waterside pavilion. He didn’t go over and just watched with a smile.

Qiao Linhu saw him as well but ignored him and continued teaching his disciple.

A long while passed before Qiao Linhu beckoned Cheng Zitong over toward the living room. Cheng Zitong went over with a smile.

“What brought you here today?” Qiao Linhu asked.

“It’s nothing. I just came here to visit you,” Cheng Zitong said while grinning.

Qiao Linhu stared at him for a bit. “There’s tea on the table. I haven’t drunk it after brewing it. Pour a cup for yourself.”

“Don’t mind if I do,” Cheng Zitong said and motioned at the waterside pavilion. “How’s your disciple? I’ve never met him on campus since you’ve been teaching him hands-on here. He must be getting stronger day by day and be really powerful now. Has he reached the Second Limit yet?” he asked.

“How could he possibly be able to do that? No freshman can reach the Second Limit,” Qiao Linhu retorted with a scowl.

“Is that so?” Cheng Zitong put on a contemplative expression before humming and nodding in agreement. “You’re right. They really can’t.”

Qiao Linhu gave him a look before thinking about the possibility. “It’s not entirely impossible. The evil cults give their disciples really strong medicines and use evil scriptures to stimulate their potential. They also use monstrous embryos to create monstrous martial artists. That’s an evil path that we mustn’t take.”

“True. The ones who walk down the evil path can’t even be considered humans anymore. We’re talking about students learning through proper methods here,” Cheng Zitong pointed out.

Qiao Linhu puffed out his chest and pointed at his disciple before saying, “Our master mentioned before that the crux of the True Seed Reserve lies in reserving energy. When you build a building, you can’t do it in a hurry. You need to form a proper foundation with your tendons and bones. If you don’t, your energy will be weak and your blood will lack vitality. Your path will then be full of obstacles.”

Cheng Zitong gave him a thumbs up and said, “Yes, you’re exactly right. I watched earlier and have to say that your disciple’s foundation is really solid! Your teaching method is really good. Once he reaches the Second Limit, most of the students here won’t be able to catch up to him no matter how hard they try.”

Qiao Linhu stroked his beard and nodded. He said boastfully, “The young lecturers outside have only learned martial arts for a few years. How can they possibly teach other people? Heh. To think that they even have the audacity to teach. In the past, without twenty years of experience and their master’s confirmation that their training is finished, no one would have dared to take in disciples of their own. How can those lecturers not be worried about leading their disciples down the wrong path?”

“True.” Cheng Zitong sighed. “Look at me. I’m teaching a mentee right now, and I’m always worried about not being able to do a good job. I don’t want to lead him down the wrong path, you know? I brought him outside to train a while ago so I could teach him some things, but we came back soon after. It’s not that I don’t want to teach him, but that I don’t know how to teach him. I was thinking that I should ponder over this a little more, which is why I came here for advice.”

Qiao Linhu understood it then. Cheng Zitong had come to learn.

He gave it some thought and said, “I’m glad that you’re thinking this way. When it comes to teaching your disciple, you must first set up rules. Otherwise, you won’t be able to teach them well.

“There are also differences between students. If they’re not talented, then forget it. No matter how much you teach them, they won’t be able to learn. You’d already be doing your part if you could make sure that they’re able to get a job after graduation.” He shook his head.

Cheng Zitong sighed. “I just can’t compare to you. The old man always used you as an example to lecture us. He even said that people like me could only lead their disciples astray. Only you could pass down his techniques and bring up great disciples.”

“Don’t say that. You were young back then, and our master just wanted to motivate you. He has always had high hopes for you,” Qiao Linhu said earnestly. “When it comes to teaching disciples, the most important thing is talent, followed by the disciple’s attitude, and finally, the master himself.

“I only contribute about thirty percent to my disciple’s improvement. If he were able to digest all that I teach him, then while I couldn’t say that he would be able to climb to great heights, I’m sure that his road ahead would be full of possibilities. I would also be able to pass down our master’s teachings, so they wouldn’t end up buried in history.”

“True. I’ll be sure to continue coming to you for your advice in the future,” Cheng Zitong said.

Qiao Linhu nodded. His junior brother had always stood against their master, but he finally understood his well-meant intentions. There was a reason why the old rules were passed down to this date.

Feeling happy, Qiao Linhu asked, “Would you like to stay for lunch?”

“Sure. I’m starving.”

Qiao Linhu immediately asked his servant to prepare food. Once the table was served, they went to eat. Qiao Linhu did not talk while eating and always chewed slowly, so he didn’t say a single thing during lunch.

Meanwhile, Cheng Zitong had a great appetite and ate until he was bloated. When he was done, he patted his stomach and commented, “That was tasty! You’re a great person, and your food tastes good too. Why have I never noticed this before?”

Qiao Linhu put down his chopsticks and looked at him. “If you think the food is good, drop by often. It’s not as if I have a lot of mouths to feed.”

“I shouldn’t. I’d just be bothering your disciple. Speaking of which, why didn’t you ask your disciple to join us for lunch?” Cheng Zitong asked.

“How can a disciple eat with his master? He can only eat after I finish,” Qiao Linhu replied.

“Another one of those old rules, huh? I remember that back then, we were only able to eat our master’s leftovers,” Cheng Zitong commented.

“Exactly, but our master never mistreated us.”

Cheng Zitong agreed wholeheartedly. “The old man did well in this regard.”

“I was abandoned in the wild when I was a child and often had to fight dogs for food. Our master was the one who took me in and taught me martial arts,” Qiao Linhu said.

He took out a handkerchief and wiped his mouth before throwing it on the table. “I don’t understand all those lofty principles the others hold. I just know that if you’re skilled, you can make a livelihood and find a sense of meaning, but you must first follow the rules.”

He pointed at his chest. “You need to engrave those rules in your heart and soul. Then, you’ll be able to pass them down.

“You seem to be really attentive toward your mentee. I’m sure that you’re going to take him in as your disciple. It’s fine even if he’s not all that talented. My previous offer still stands. As long as your mentee becomes my disciple’s subordinate for three years, I’ll give him my saber manual. Once you’ve set the rules, it’ll be fine even if he’s not talented. My disciple will guide him.”

Cheng Zitong gave him a polite smile. “By the way, your disciple can’t stay away from campus the whole time. What are your plans for him?”

“Our master told me that once I teach my disciple everything, and he gets his permit, he’ll think of a way to bring him to Central City. If your mentee becomes my disciple’s subordinate, he’ll have a chance to go there too,” Qiao Linhu said.

“Seriously, they can’t compare at all...” Cheng Zitong shook his head and stood up while putting on his sunglasses.

“Alright. Now that I’ve had lunch, I should head back. I’ll see you next time.” He then gave Qiao Linhu a wave and left.

***

Chen Chuan was practicing his stances in the private martial arts training center in the south of the city. He paired them with corresponding shouts to stimulate and guide the growth of mutated tissue in his organs.

If he was going to put up an act, he had to see it through until the very end. He couldn’t just abandon the training habits he had faked after getting his permit. It would be too sudden, so he had to come back after showing his face on campus.

Just like during the First Limit, he didn’t just strengthen one particular organ, unlike the other students. The All-Encompassing Force emphasized the development of the body as a whole, so all his organs were covered in mutated tissue.

Hence, on the surface, he didn’t seem to improve much in the beginning, but that was because his mutated tissue was expanding in breadth rather than depth. Once it covered his whole body, he would get stronger the further down his path went. Every small step he took would be a great improvement.

He was using medicine permitted only for Second Limit students, but to avoid exposing his progress, Cheng Zitong had obtained it under his own name.

Since Chen Chuan had just reached the Second Limit, a small amount was enough for him. However, he wasn’t naturally gifted, so the amount of medicine he needed was several times that of other people. Based on past experiences, the effects of the medicine would start dwindling after around three months. Then, he would have to start looking for a replacement.

He stayed for a few days in the martial arts training hall until the first break of June.

Chen Chuan spent the morning packing up, then went back home. His cousins were playing a clapping game. He had brought some toys back and distributed them to Nian Lu and Nian Mo.

Cheng Zitong had bought the toys outside the town after learning that there were children at Chen Chuan’s house. He asked him to bring them back so that there wouldn’t be any flaws in their cover story.

Nian Fuli was reading through a work notebook while comparing the details inside to another notebook. Occasionally, he jotted some things down. When he saw Chen Chuan, he asked in surprise, “Xiao Chuan, didn’t you go out to train with your mentor? You’re already back?”

“I’m a quick study, so we ended our training ahead of schedule,” Chen Chuan answered with a smile.

Nian Fuli gave him a skeptical look but didn’t continue asking. He returned his attention to the notebook.

“I’m glad that you’re back. No place outside can compare to home,” Yu Wan piped up.

“True. The food outside is nothing like yours. I’ve been missing your soup terribly,” Chen Chuan agreed.

Delighted, Yu Wan said, “I’ll make it for you right away.”

“There’s no questioning Yu Wan’s cooking skills, but I’ve only been able to have her cooking during breaks over the past few days,” Nian Fuli joined the conversation.

“Are you involved in another big case, Uncle?” Chen Chuan turned to him.

Nian Fuli had never talked about work with him, but ever since he got rid of Fang Dawei’s gang, he would occasionally discuss the Constabulary’s affairs with him.

With a shake of his head, Nian Fuli said, “The Blood Scars Gang has been causing trouble lately. They’ve gotten into multiple shootouts with the Chain Links Gang. Even though the south of the city isn’t within our jurisdiction, the headquarters has been mobilizing our men to help the guys in the south.”

“Is it because of the death of the Blood Scars Gang’s leaders?” Chen Chuan asked.

“You’ve heard about that? Yeah, it’s because of that. The headquarters have sent some constables over to check. Apparently, the true cause of their deaths is the Head-Splitting Monster.”

At that, Nian Fuli shook his head. “This is a tricky case, because quite frankly it has no leads. The Blood Scars Gang is fighting the Chain Links Gang precisely because they can’t find the Head-Splitting Monster. They’ve found another target that’s strong enough to maintain credibility with their subordinates.

“But some of the leaders of the Blood Scars Gang don’t want to fight to the death with the Chain Links Gang, because most of the Chain Links Gang’s businesses are outside the city. If they fight, the Blood Scars Gang is the one who will be suffering more losses.

“While the government has told them to stop, Black Orchid has remained quiet, and the Blood Scars Gang is forcing the Chain Links Gang to hand over the ‘murderer.’ This mess isn’t going to end anytime soon, so they’re going to keep causing trouble. Many people are going to get hurt from this.”

Chen Chuan hummed at that.

“Chan’er, you’re about to go on a break soon, right? Are you going to stay at home?” Yu Wan asked in concern.

“I’ll come back, but I have things to do at the university and the company. I don’t think I’ll be staying for a long time,” Chen Chuan stated.

“Xiao Chuan is an adult now. Try not to control him,” Nian Fuli said.

Yu Wan glared at him. “Mind your own business.”

“Fine, fine. I’ll stay out of this,” Nian Fuli said in resignation.

Nian Mo and Nian Lu raised their hands and said, “We want to be adults too!”

Nian Fuli chuckled, organized the notebooks, and said, “I’ll be happy if you think the same after you’ve grown up. I won’t have to worry about you two then.”

The phone rang, and Chen Chuan went over to pick it up. “Hello, Nian residence.”

Ren Shu’s voice then traveled through the phone. “Mr. Chen, it’s me, Ren Shu. Are you free now?”

“What is it?” Chen Chuan asked.

“The Blood Scars Gang has sent a representative to our company,” Ren Shu whispered.