Rules

On the second day after returning to the academy, Cheng Zitong wrapped up his morning business. As noon approached, he could wait no longer. He drove straight over to Lakeside Garden on the east side of the campus grounds. Stepping through the front gate, he immediately asked, "Where's my senior brother?" The gatekeeper replied, "Supervisor Cheng, the old gentleman is currently teaching his student jin control." Cheng Zitong took off his sunglasses and looked at him. "Old Qian, you're getting up there in years yourself. My senior brother doesn't show you any consideration? He still has you watching the gate?" "It's no trouble at all. The old gentleman is looking out for me," the gatekeeper said with a slight bow. "All right, I'll go find him myself." Cheng Zitong had driven fast on the way here, but once inside, he seemed in no rush at all. He strolled in at an unhurried pace until he reached the edge of the lotus pond. Gazing toward the waterside pavilion, he watched Qiao Linhu instructing his pupil. Instead of walking up, he merely stood there with a smile, looking on. Qiao Linhu noticed him as well, but paid him no mind. He continued teaching with meticulous care. His student was just as methodical, executing every movement precisely as instructed. After a long while, Qiao Linhu waved across the pond to Cheng Zitong and headed into the parlor. Cheng Zitong smiled and walked over. Once Cheng Zitong stepped inside, Qiao Linhu asked, "What brings you here today?" Cheng Zitong grinned. "Nothing in particular. Just came by to see you, Senior Brother." Qiao Linhu glanced at him. "There's tea on the table. Brewed it, but haven't touched it yet. Help yourself." "I won't stand on ceremony, then." Cheng Zitong gestured toward the pavilion platform outside and said, "How is that student of yours doing? I hardly ever see him around the academy. With you personally tutoring him here, his progress must be coming along by leaps and bounds. His skill level should be quite impressive by now. Hmm... he must have broken through the First Limit, right?" Qiao Linhu frowned. "How could it be that fast?" In a grave tone, he added, "No one breaks through the First Limit after just one year of study." "No one?" Cheng Zitong pondered for a moment, then gave an agreeing nod. "You're right, Senior Brother. There really isn't." Qiao Linhu glanced at him, fell silent in thought, and then said, "Well, not entirely none. In the past, those demonic cults stimulated the body's latent potential using harsh concoctions, sinister scriptures, and demonic fetuses to cultivate demonic forms. But that is an evil path, completely unacceptable." Cheng Zitong said, "Naturally. Those walking crooked paths can hardly be considered human. We're talking about proper academy students." Qiao Linhu squared his shoulders and lifted his chin, looking in the direction of his student. He said slowly, "Our master once said that 'Nurturing the True Seed' hinges entirely on the word 'nurture.' A thousand-foot tower begins from the ground up; one must never rush for quick results. The bridges of sinew and beams of bone must be held properly aligned. If they are not straight, qi withers; when qi withers, blood does not flourish, and the road ahead will never be smooth." Cheng Zitong let out a sigh of admiration and gave a thumbs-up. "True words. I took a look just now, and your student's foundation seems exceptionally solid—rock-solid! To be fair, the old man's method really is good. Once he breaks through down the line, ninety percent of the students in the academy won't hold a candle to him." Hearing him say this, Qiao Linhu stroked his beard with one hand and nodded with quiet pride. "Those young instructors at the academy haven't studied for more than a few years themselves. How could they possibly guide anyone? Hmph! And yet they dare to teach. In the old days, without twenty years of seasoning and a formal letter of completion, who would have dared step out to take on an apprentice? Weren't they afraid of ruining their students?" "You're so right." Cheng Zitong let out a sigh. "Look at me. I'm only teaching one student right now, and I'm constantly worried I won't do a good job—worried I'll lead him astray. See, this time I took him out for some field training, thinking I could teach him a few things. Who knew we'd be back in just a matter of days? It's not that I don't want to teach; I just don't know how to go about it. I figured I needed to think things through, so I came over to see how you do it, Senior Brother." Enlightenment dawned on Qiao Linhu. So he had come to seek guidance today? After a moment's thought, he said, "Junior Brother, it is good that you think this way. But when teaching a student, you must first establish rules. Without them, you can never teach well. Furthermore..." He shook his head. "You have to distinguish between students. If one lacks talent, then forget it. No matter how you teach, it won't take. As long as he can earn a meal for himself once he's out in the world, you've done right by him." Cheng Zitong sighed. "I truly can't compare to you, Senior Brother. I remember back then, the old man always held you up as an example to lecture me and our other junior brothers. He said someone like me would only mislead students if I ever tried to teach, and that only you, Senior Brother, could carry on his tradition and produce a truly distinguished disciple." Qiao Linhu said with heartfelt earnestness, "Junior Brother, you shouldn't put it that way. You were young back then. Master only wanted to spur you on; he always held expectations for you. "Besides, when it comes to teaching an apprentice, first is talent, second is their own effort, and only third is the master's instruction. At most, my guidance accounts for thirty percent. But if my student can thoroughly absorb that thirty percent, I won't make grand claims, but his path ahead will only grow broader and brighter. Master's legacy can be passed down without being lost." Cheng Zitong said, "Makes sense. I'll have to come consult you often from now on, Senior Brother." Qiao Linhu couldn't help nodding. This junior brother of his had always clashed with their master in the past, but hadn't he finally come to understand Master's painstaking efforts? There was good reason the old rules had survived! His mood brightened at once. "Will you stay for lunch?" "Of course. I'm starving right now." Qiao Linhu immediately had the servants prepare a meal. Once the dishes were served, the two sat down at the table. True to Qiao Linhu's disciplined habits, he adhered strictly to silence during meals, chewing slowly and swallowing carefully without speaking a single word throughout. Cheng Zitong had an exceptionally hearty appetite today, eating until his belly was round. When he finished, he rubbed his stomach and praised, "Delicious! Truly delicious! The company is fine and the food is great. How did I never notice before, Senior Brother?" Qiao Linhu put down his chopsticks and looked at him. "If you find it good, come by more often. It's not as if I have many visitors here anyway." Cheng Zitong shook his head. "Better not. I'd only be disturbing your teaching. Say, why didn't you call your apprentice over to eat with us?" Qiao Linhu said slowly, "How could a teacher and apprentice dine together? An apprentice may sit at the table only after the master has finished." Cheng Zitong said, "The old rules again, right? I remember back then, apprentices could only eat the master's leftovers." "That is the principle. However, Master never mistreated any of us apprentices." Cheng Zitong nodded with genuine sincerity. "The old man did well on that front." Qiao Linhu said, "I was abandoned in the wilderness as a boy. Fighting dogs for scraps was a regular occurrence. It was Master who took me in and taught me all my skills." He pulled out a cloth napkin, wiped his mouth, and tossed it onto the table. "I don't know fancy principles. I only know that with martial prowess, one can find a place to stand anywhere in the world. And to build genuine capability, one must first have rules." He pointed to his own chest. "These rules must be planted in the heart and carved into the bones before they can be passed on. "Junior Brother, it seems you care deeply about your student. Are you planning to raise him as a true disciple? A lack of talent doesn't matter. What I said before still stands: as long as your student serves as an assistant to my apprentice for three years, I can give him my saber manual. Once the rules are set, a slight deficit in talent won't matter. My apprentice can look out for him in the future." Cheng Zitong merely smiled. "Senior Brother, having your apprentice stay here with you all the time without showing his face at the academy isn't a long-term solution either. What are your plans for him?" Qiao Linhu replied, "Master already said that once my apprentice is properly trained and has obtained all his certifications, Master will find a way to bring him over to Center City. If your student follows along, he'll have a chance as well." Cheng Zitong shook his head. "No comparison, truly no comparison." Standing up, he put his sunglasses back on. "All right, Senior Brother. The meal was wonderful, but I should head back. See you around." With a wave of his hand, he walked out. *** Meanwhile, in the private training hall in the south of the city, Chen Chuan was practicing his stance jin over and over again. Shouts and breaths burst rhythmically from his chest, stimulating and guiding the growth of the mutated tissue within his internal organs. A performance had to be carried through completely. He couldn't simply drop his deliberate training habits the moment he obtained his license; that would look far too abrupt. So after making an appearance at the academy, he had returned here once more. Just as during the First Limit, reaching the Second Limit did not mean strengthening only a specific set of internal organs like other students did. Zhouyuan Jin emphasized completeness, encompassing every single internal organ. Consequently, progress at this stage appeared virtually nonexistent from the outside at first. In truth, it was expanding horizontally. Once this phase was completed, the subsequent gains would become increasingly formidable, each minor advancement marking a tremendous leap forward. He was currently using medicines permitted only at the Second Limit. To keep his actual progress concealed, however, all of these medicines had been provided privately by Cheng Zitong. For now, at the very beginning, they were undeniably sufficient. But Chen Chuan was not truly born with inherent natural talent; his dosage requirements were several times higher than anyone else's. Based on past experience, the effectiveness of these medicines would likely begin diminishing after two or three months. When that time came, he would inevitably need to seek out substitutes. After spending several days in the training hall, the rest day in early June arrived. Chen Chuan packed up his things in the morning and returned to his aunt's home. The moment he stepped through the door, he saw his little cousins playing a clapping game. This time, he had brought back some toys, distributing them to the two little ones right away. Cheng Zitong had bought them while out of town, knowing there were young children in Chen Chuan's household, and had told Chen Chuan to take them home so there would be no apparent holes in their story. Nian Fuli was leafing through a work notebook, cross-referencing another booklet and jotting down notes from time to time. Seeing Chen Chuan return, he asked in surprise, "Xiao Chuan, didn't you go off for field training with your instructor? Back so soon?" Chen Chuan smiled. "Perhaps because I learned quickly, we were able to return early." Nian Fuli studied him for a couple of seconds before dropping the matter and turning back to his notes. Yu Wan said, "Coming back early is fine too. Nothing out there compares to being at home." "That's true," Chen Chuan replied. "The food outside doesn't hold a candle to Aunt's cooking. I've been thinking about your stewed soup the whole time." Yu Wan beamed. "As long as you come home, your aunt will make it for you." Nian Fuli chimed in, "Your aunt's cooking truly can't be beaten. Though these past few days, I've only managed to catch a hot meal from her on my days off." Chen Chuan looked at him. "Uncle, is there another big case?" Nian Fuli had never talked about such things with him before, but ever since Chen Chuan had dealt with Fang Dawei's gang, he would occasionally discuss matters from the constabulary with him. He shook his head. "The Blood Mark Gang has been stirring up trouble nonstop lately. They've gotten into armed clashes with the Iron Chain Gang several times already. Even though the southern district isn't our jurisdiction, our district's officers have frequently been pulled over to assist." Chen Chuan asked, "Is it because of the slain Blood Mark Gang chieftains?" "You heard about that too? That's the reason. The station sent people to inspect the scene, and word is the true cause of death was the Skull-Splitting Demon." He shook his head. "That thing is terribly difficult to deal with—a completely unsolved mystery. The only reason they're going after the Iron Chain Gang is because they can't track down the real culprit, so they have to pick a target with enough weight to give their subordinates an explanation. "In truth, some of the Blood Mark Gang's chieftains don't want to fight to the death with the Iron Chain Gang either, since most of the Iron Chain Gang's businesses operate outside the city. Prolonged fighting only hurts the Blood Mark Gang more. "The higher-ups have already sent word down, but Molan Company hasn't spoken up yet, and the Blood Mark Gang is aggressively pressing the Iron Chain Gang to hand over the killer. In my view, this won't settle down anytime soon. There'll be quite a bit more turmoil, and heaven knows how many people will be dragged into the mess." Chen Chuan gave a quiet nod. "Chan'er, vacation is coming up soon. Will you be staying at home?" Yu Wan asked with maternal concern. Chen Chuan said, "Aunt, I'll be coming back, but there are matters at both the academy and the company, so I might not be able to spend that many days staying at home." Nian Fuli said to Yu Wan, "Xiao Chuan is an adult now. Don't go tying him down." Yu Wan glared at him. "Who asked for your opinion?" "Fine, fine, I won't pry," Nian Fuli said helplessly. At that moment, the two little ones, Nian Mo and Nian Lu, raised their hands together. "We want to be adults too!" Nian Fuli chuckled and straightened the notebook in his hands. "You two, if you still think that way when you grow up, it'll save me plenty of worry." As they were chatting, the telephone in the parlor began to ring. Chen Chuan walked over and picked up the receiver. "Hello, Nian residence." Ren Shu's voice came through from the other end. "Specialist Chen, it's me, Ren Shu. Do you happen to have some time right now?" Chen Chuan asked, "What is it?" Lowering his voice slightly, Ren Shu said, "The Blood Mark Gang has sent people to the company."