Rise from a Low-class Family to Martial Artist

Chapter 389 - 126: Huang Yuanliang: We Can’t Let the Li Family Take All the Credit

On the official road.

Numerous travelers crowded more than half of the road, even causing many caravans to stop.

In the middle of the road, two young men were separated by several yards, their gazes towards each other full of caution.

What’s happening?

Lin Chen was somewhat surprised, his eyes turned to the Instructor, Yu Yongnian contemplated for a moment, then rode over to the nearest caravan.

"Brother, what’s going on?"

The caravan guard was a middle-aged man. Hearing Yu Yongnian’s words, he glanced at Yu Yongnian and Lin Chen, the vigilance in his eyes diminished significantly, and he said with a smile: "Two from the Hidden Dragon List have met, one is from Huizhou Prefecture, the other from Wenzhou Prefecture, and they’re preparing to spar."

Hidden Dragon List?

Lin Chen’s eyes narrowed. During his time in the martial arts school, he had never heard of any Hidden Dragon List, not even his teacher mentioned it.

"For you, this list is nothing much."

Upon hearing it’s the Hidden Dragon List, Yu Yongnian’s face showed a look of reminiscence, and seeing Lin Chen’s puzzled eyes, he explained: "The Hidden Dragon List only includes Viscera-Refining Martial Artists under the age of thirty in the Jiangnan Dao, indeed considered potential there, but compared to you, it’s not much."

Viscera-Refining Martial Artists under thirty, and it’s in Jiangnan Dao...

Lin Chen indeed lost interest upon hearing this. This kind of so-called Hidden Dragon List genius should just be the list that Junior Brother Lu and Junior Brother Zhao pursue.

"Teacher, being on the Hidden Dragon List, is there any benefit?"

However, even if there’s such a list, does it bring benefits to those on it?

"The top ten have the chance to be recruited into some families, and may also be valued for their potential, given Martial Path cultivation resources for nurturing, assisting them in entering the grade and participating in the Martial Arts Examination."

Yu Yongnian simply said two words, Lin Chen was stunned for a moment, then immediately understood.

Because of his Life Chart, he had already reached the peak among his peers, but Liang had more ordinary martial artists. Like Junior Brother Lu and others, their family’s silver coins at most could only afford cultivation until the Late Period of Opening the Acupoints. After reaching Viscera-Refining, to continue improving on the Martial Path, they would need to rely on their efforts to acquire silver coins and cultivation resources.

The Hidden Dragon List provided them an opportunity.

The difficulty of cultivation for low-class martial artists is imaginable.

Having reached this point with a low-class family background, Lin Chen understood he should cherish this and strive to stay ahead, so he could continuously receive sufficient Martial Arts Cultivation resources before entering the grade.

As Lin Chen and his instructor rode past the crowd on one side of the road, the battle between the two young men in the field had already ended.

With Lin Chen’s current eyesight, it was evident at a glance that neither of the two had gone all out. Although the fight elicited cheers from the crowd, it was only to the extent of sparring, not even as intense as the martial arts school students’ sessions.

"Do you feel that the battle between the martial artists on the Hidden Dragon List seems like a playful scuffle?"

Yu Yongnian saw Lin Chen staring at the two in the field thoughtfully, thinking Lin Chen was puzzled by the overly playful nature of the fight.

"In the martial arts school, when you spar and get injured, there are enough pills to restore your injuries, and even fractures aren’t a big deal. However, once outside the school, there is no such treatment; the pills sold by the apothecaries, healing medicines, are priced at ten taels or more. If slightly seriously injured, the expenditure could be a hundred taels of silver."

"It’s not that they don’t dare to go all out; it’s that they can’t afford to risk getting injured without absolute assurance."

Do Viscera-Refining Martial Artists make money?

Earning a few hundred taels of silver a year isn’t a problem, but unless they give up the Martial Path, the money earned would never cover the cultivation expenses.

"Liang takes great care in protecting you students."

Lin Chen nodded in agreement with his instructor’s words; even the martial artists on the Hidden Dragon List fought cautiously, not daring to get injured, whereas they, the students, had no such worries. This was the Imperial Court’s care for them.

"Many young people don’t understand how great the Military Affairs Department’s support for major martial arts schools is. They think the pills, poultry, and meat all cost money, only slightly cheaper than outside, not cherishing their time in the school. Once they leave, they awaken to this truth, but it’s already too late."

Yu Yongnian sighed, it may not seem like much cheaper, but over three years, it could save hundreds of taels.

The resources consumed by the numerous martial arts schools in Liang daily are unimaginable.

Lin Chen narrowed his eyes slightly, remembering what Lord Kong had said, that someone wanted the Military Affairs Department to change its policy, increasing the support for Grade-Entering Martial Artists.

If the Military Affairs Department really did that, low-class martial artists would have no chance of emerging, not even daring to spar.

The fight between the martial artists on the Hidden Dragon List was just a diversion. On the road ahead, Yu Yongnian shared many things to pay attention to during travels, all from his firsthand experience.

Although Lin Chen, who lived two lives, already knew some of the experiences, he still listened attentively.

Thus, two days later.

Many mountain peaks appeared in Lin Chen’s view.

The greenish mountain ridges resembling ink stains seeped into rice paper, gradually revealing outlines amidst the clouds and mist.

Lin Chen reined in his horse and gazed intently. The twisted welcoming pine atop the mountain appeared and disappeared in the mist.

"We’ve reached the territory of Huang Mountain."

Yu Yongnian noticed Lin Chen looking far away at Huang Mountain and smiled: "Huang Mountain is the first mountain of Huizhou. At its peak is a thousand-year-old pine named Welcoming Pine. My teacher said that Huang Family’s ancestor watched the sea of clouds and strange rocks under the Welcoming Pine at that time, from which he悟出镇岳谱.镇岳, 镇天下山岳之意."

"I didn’t know the Mountain Suppressing Chart had such meaning, disciple really didn’t know this."

Lin Chen was surprised. In his understanding, the Huang Family’s ancestor named this Horizontal Training method Mountain Suppressing Chart only because of the unmoving characteristics of mountains.

Mountain Suppressing Chart!

What great ambition.

"Huang Mountain is not simple. There are many forbidden areas, even I haven’t entered them."

As Yu Yongnian was introducing the scenery of Huang Mountain to Lin Chen, a figure appeared on horseback not far away: "Junior Brother Yu!"

The newcomer looked slightly older than Yu Yongnian, wearing clothes embroidered with a pine tree pattern. Yu Yongnian saw the person and clasped his fist saying, "Fifth Senior Brother, why are you here?"

"The teacher received your letter and calculated that you should arrive today, so I was specially sent to greet you."

After Huang Fenghua finished speaking, his gaze landed on Lin Chen, his eyes twinkling with a thread of brilliance: "This must be Nephew Lin Chen, a young prodigy indeed, extraordinary talent."

"Disciple greets Martial Uncle."

Lin Chen was about to dismount to pay his respects when Huang Fenghua waved his hand: "No need to dismount, the teacher is already waiting at the mansion. Junior Brother Yu, let’s go see the teacher directly."

"Alright."

Yu Yongnian nodded, seeing everything clearly as if in a bright mirror. He understood that the Fifth Senior Brother came here not because of him, but because of Lin Chen.

This point, Yu Yongnian was somewhat mistaken. Huang Fenghua, leading the way, came to meet the two not only because of the teacher’s instructions but also because he genuinely wanted to cultivate a good relationship with this Junior Brother Yu.

The teacher’s sudden acceptance of Yu Yongnian as a disciple had left several brothers puzzled. Even if they vaguely knew that Junior Brother Yu, when he was an instructor, seemed to have nurtured a student with high martial talent, they did not think it warranted such treatment from the teacher.

It wasn’t until recently, when Jiangnan Dao issued a document, directly commending Junior Brother Yu as a model instructor of Jiangnan Dao, that these brothers began to admire the teacher’s foresight.

But they only admired the teacher. As for Junior Brother Yu, they mostly thought he got lucky to have associations with a young genius.

But the moment the military affairs department issued a document, Huang Fenghua’s attitude toward Yu Yongnian changed.

Without considering that Junior Brother Yu was basking in Lin Chen’s glory, just the rewards from the military affairs department—a Seventh-Grade Official... it meant that Junior Brother Yu had stably entered the grade.

Grade-Entering Martial Artists have potential worth cultivating a good relationship with.

After all, even he hasn’t entered the grade yet, and it’s unclear if he ever will. The only reason the teacher accepted him as a disciple was because they came from the same family, as a gesture of care to a collateral branch.

...

...

Seeing the mountain in sight, yet trying to reach it exhausts the horse.

Watching Huang Mountain in the distance, it took another two-hour period for Lin Chen to actually reach the foot of it.

The Huang Mansion!

A large mansion resembling a manor, occupying most of the foothills of Huang Mountain.

Lin Chen dismounted with his instructor in front of the mansion, and the guide Huang Fenghua said with a smile, "Junior Brother Yu, Nephew Lin, you traveled a long way covered in dust, go refresh yourselves first. I’ll go see the teacher. Nephew Lin’s quarters have been arranged, right next to Junior Brother Yu’s former residence."

"Alright, Lin Chen and I will meet the teacher after we clean up."

Yu Yongnian nodded in agreement. The Huang family’s estate was huge, and he hadn’t been everywhere. Nonetheless, he was familiar with the path from the mansion to his own residence in the Huang Mountain villa.

While Yu Yongnian led Lin Chen to the villa, in the back garden of the Huang family’s ancestral home, Huang Yuanliang was worshipping the ancestors in the shrine.

"Father, do you intend to let Lin Chen go to that place? That’s our family’s ancestral ground, and even our clansmen are generally not allowed in." Huang Kun couldn’t help but speak out after his father finished the ancestral rites.

"Kun’Er, have a broader mind."

Huang Yuanliang turned to look at his son: "Since the ancestors, no one in our Huang family has been able to cultivate the Mountain Suppressing Chart to the Sixth Layer. The highest was only Fourth Layer."

"Father, just because no one has cultivated to the Sixth Layer now doesn’t mean no one in the future won’t. As long as our Huang family continues, perhaps descendants will be able to cultivate the Mountain Suppressing Chart to the Sixth Layer."

Huang Kun was still a bit unwilling since that place only opens once every twenty years. If Lin Chen goes in now, even if a genius emerged in the Huang family, they’d have to wait another twenty years to enter.

"In your generation, your brothers’ martial talents are all average, and Qiang’Er and the others are not much more gifted. If we wait until they marry and have children, and the next generation grows up, it will also take over ten years. Even if heaven blesses the Huang family with a genius child, they can wait twenty years to enter."

Seeing his son still wanting to protest, Huang Yuanliang said sternly, "Since we’ve forged a bond with Lin Chen, and we’ve extended our favor, let’s follow through with it. I’ve inquired about Lin Chen’s path of martial arts cultivation. In Lin Chen’s heart, the greatest benefactor is undoubtedly Yong Nian, there’s no dispute about that. But the Li family’s favor towards Lin Chen definitely surpasses our Huang family, yet Li Yueshan taught Lin Chen the Mountain Suppressing Chart, which belongs to us."

"Does the Li family hold such great favor in Lin Chen’s heart?"

"Li Yueshan, that old fellow, even pursued Lin Chen under the moon."

Huang Yuanliang snorted lightly. This he only recently discovered. When Lin Chen became a model martial arts student in Liang, the incident of Li Yueshan banging the table in the Military Affairs Hall for Lin Chen was widely known. However, it was Li Yueshan’s son, Li An, who, after drinking too much, revealed what happened to Lin Chen at the Li family back then.

"If Li Yueshan could offer Lin Chen the Mountain Suppressing Chart as a favor, why can’t we offer Lin Chen a chance to enter the ancestral ground? Whether he gains anything depends on his own fate."

Upon hearing this, Huang Kun ceased his opposition.

Father was right. The Li family’s favor towards Lin Chen was due to guiding him in cultivating the Mountain Suppressing Chart.

But the Mountain Suppressing Chart is our Huang family’s. Why should this favor be credited to the Li family?

This wasn’t fair to the Huang family. They couldn’t suffer this loss.

Seeing his son no longer opposing, Huang Yuanliang sighed internally. His son was otherwise fine but was a bit narrow-minded. It was only after mentioning the Li family that he stopped opposing.

Li Yueshan chased Lin Chen under the moon because his son, Li An, couldn’t maintain the large Li family, and by letting Lin Chen enter the ancestral ground, Huang Yuanliang feared that Kun’Er might not uphold the Huang family’s legacy.

Compared to the Li family, the Huang family had a much larger foundation.

The Huang Mountain alone was a priceless treasure.