novelraw Chapter 32: Regret
Chapter 32: Regret
"Bro, why are you back so early?" Xu Qing asked, confused, as Xu Yang walked through the door.
Xu Yang’s eyes crinkled in a smile. "Take a guess."
Xu Qing looked Xu Yang up and down. He seemed radiant, his whole demeanor transformed. Her voice trembled uncontrollably. "You... you successfully broke through?"
"That’s right. Your big brother is a respectable Martial Artist now."
Xu Qing leaped over and threw her arms around Xu Yang. "Haha... You did it! I’m the sister of a Martial Artist! I don’t have to hide at home every day anymore. From now on, if anyone dares to bully me, you can beat them up for me, Bro!"
Now that Xu Yang was a Martial Artist, the first thing she thought of was that she could finally go outside. She wouldn’t have to hide at home or deliberately smudge her face with dirt anymore.
’Xu the Second is really going to have his guts twisted with regret now.’
Her thoughts immediately turned to Xu the Second. ’Missing out on a son who’s a Martial Artist... Xu the Second will probably cough up blood from pure regret.’
"Quick, let me see what a Martial Artist can do!" The little girl excitedly pulled Xu Yang out the door.
Xu Yang found a rock the size of a watermelon and struck it with his palm. With a loud CRACK, the stone instantly shattered, leaving the little girl speechless with amazement.
Even at her young age, she knew that if that palm strike hit a person, it would be fatal ten times over.
"Alright, you’ve seen enough. Go wash up quickly. I’m taking you to see our eldest uncle."
The reason he’d returned so early wasn’t to show off, but to personally thank his uncle.
Without Zhou Shunchang, he never would have been chosen by the Huang Family. His uncle had also taken great care of him. Although they had already seen each other, Xu Yang felt he should bring a gift, visit in person to express his gratitude, and repay the money Zhou Shunchang had lent him.
...
Even in the city, it was a sensation when a family produced a Martial Artist, to say nothing of a place like Bai Shi Workshop. Bai Shi Workshop hadn’t produced a single Martial Artist in nearly twenty years.
Thanks to Zhang Daniu and He the Third spreading the news, it wasn’t long before word of Xu Yang becoming a Martial Artist had swept through all of Bai Shi Workshop and was even reaching the surrounding Li Family Village and Dashu Village.
"What did you say?"
Xu the Second grabbed two gossiping neighbors, thinking he must have misheard.
"I said, your son became a Martial Artist. Not your stepson, your *biological* son."
Gao Dabao didn’t mind Xu the Second’s roughness. He was all smiles, because if their positions were reversed, his own reaction would likely be even more extreme.
The other man scoffed, "What biological son? Xu Yang already severed ties with him. You’d better not say things like that in the future. If Master Xu Yang hears you, it won’t end well for you."
Xu the Second froze on the spot, as if struck by lightning.
’Xu Yang, a Martial Artist? How is that possible?’
"Impossible!" Zhang Cuiting shrieked. "That rebellious whelp can’t even feed himself! Where would he get the money for martial arts? It must be a lie! My Ah Jun hasn’t even become a Martial Artist yet, so how could he?"
Gao Dabao glanced at the shrewish Zhang Cuiting and said, "Surely you know that Xu Yang’s uncle, Zhou Shunchang, is an accountant for the Huang Family? Rumor is, the Huang Family saw his talent and paid for him to attend a Martial Arts Hall."
"If you want to know if it’s true or not, just go ask Xu Yang yourselves."
’Of course I have to find out for myself!’
Without a word, Xu the Second turned and walked away.
’If Xu Yang really is a Martial Artist, then I’ve just...’
After a few steps, Xu the Second stopped. Even if Xu Yang was a Martial Artist, it had nothing to do with him. They had already severed their relationship.
His face paled and flushed in turns, his guts twisting with regret. ’If I had known, I never should have let things get so bad between us.’
He didn’t regret mistreating Xu Yang and his sister, only regretting that he’d lost the opportunity to be the father of a Martial Artist.
"Why are you stopping? Let’s go!"
Zhang Cuiting pushed Xu the Second forward. She had to confirm whether Xu Yang had really become a Martial Artist.
’If it’s fake, she would naturally have a field day mocking him.’
’If it’s real, then they had to mend the relationship. She could make Xu Yang an asset for her own son. As for their past grievances, for the sake of her son’s future, she wouldn’t hold them against Xu Yang.’
’He’s just a seventeen or eighteen-year-old brat. A few sweet words, and I’m sure I can get him to toe the line. Besides, he still has Xu the Second, his biological father.’
By the time Xu the Second arrived at his former home, a crowd had already gathered. People from Bai Shi Workshop had come, hoping to bask in the good fortune of the new Master Martial Artist.
"Well, if it isn’t Xu the Second! You here to bask in the Master Martial Artist’s good fortune too?"
Seeing Xu the Second, someone immediately started to jeer.
"Where’s Xu Yang?"
He was thick-skinned enough not to care, and simply asked for Xu Yang.
"He became a Martial Artist. He’s gone to thank his eldest uncle with a gift," someone said.
Even with his thick skin, Xu the Second felt his face burn with shame.
After asking around, he confirmed that Xu Yang had indeed become a Martial Artist. The shattered stone in front of the house was all the proof anyone needed.
...
「By the time they returned from their eldest uncle’s house, the sky had already grown dark.」
Xu Yang had not only repaid the money he’d borrowed from Zhou Shunchang but had also given him some extra.
Although Xu Yang was still tight on money himself, he couldn’t wait until he was truly wealthy to repay the debt. As expected, Zhou Shunchang didn’t want to accept it; when he first lent the money, he never expected to be paid back.
After some back and forth, Xu Yang finally convinced him to take it.
"Xiaqing, I’m planning to send you to school!"
Looking at Xu Qing, who was now almost up to his shoulder, an idea formed in Xu Yang’s mind.
"No, I don’t want to study! I want to practice martial arts, too! I want to be a respected Martial Artist!" the little girl said, shaking her head.
’People who just study get called useless bookworms, but practicing martial arts is what’s truly impressive.’
Xu Yang hadn’t expected her to already have ideas about practicing martial arts. He shook his head. "Studying is so you can learn to read and broaden your horizons. You’re still too young for martial arts. When you’re old enough, of course I’ll let you train."
There weren’t many female martial artists, but they weren’t unheard of, and Xu Yang held no such prejudice.
Only after hearing she could practice martial arts in the future did the little girl finally agree.
...
「The next day.」
The first thing Xu Yang did upon opening his eyes was to check his panel.
[Martial Arts Longevity Points: 65]
Succeeding in Qi Gathering had rewarded him with thirty points.
After some thought, he split the points evenly between raising his Comprehension and Root Bone.
[Comprehension: 24]
[Root Bone: 43]
His Comprehension rose to 24, and his Root Bone to 43.
He didn’t put any points into his Cultivation Technique.
Using points to upgrade a Cultivation Technique was just a one-time boost. Raising his Comprehension and Root Bone, on the other hand, would increase his cultivation speed permanently, which was far more efficient in the long run. He had only spent points directly on his technique before because he was facing a crisis.
When the process was finished, Xu Yang didn’t feel any major change.
After their meal, Xu Qing changed into the new clothes they had bought in the city the day before. Xu Yang took her out to buy a set of writing supplies, prepared the tuition fee, and the two of them headed toward Elder Scholar Li’s home in Bai Shi Workshop.
"Bro, now that you’re a Martial Artist, you’re not getting ideas about Li Yao again, are you?"
Hearing that Xu Yang was sending her to Elder Scholar Li’s school, rather than the one run by the more scholarly Mr. Liu, Xu Qing couldn’t help but feel curious.
"What nonsense are you thinking, you little rascal? Elder Scholar Li is an upright man. That Mr. Liu is a snob who despises the poor and fawns over the rich. I don’t want you picking up his nasty habits."
He had studied at Mr. Liu’s school when he was a child, and Mr. Liu wouldn’t even give poor students like him a second glance. He certainly didn’t want his sister to study under a man like that.
As for Elder Scholar Li’s daughter, Li Yao, she was the "one that got away" for this body’s previous owner, not for him.
The little girl giggled mischievously. "Don’t think I don’t know that you used to sneak glances at Li Yao all the time."