Chapter 15 What Can He Teach Himself?_1

Two hours later, Huang An, drenched in sweat, had difficulty stitching the skin and flesh up, taking a long breather finally.

The master was in so much pain that he fainted. It was agonizing, fainting from the pain and then waking up only to faint again.

When Huang An pried open the wound to treat the severe infection, the master had fainted. It shocked the two of them, but luckily his breathing remained steady, so they carried on.

Zhao Yan was also sweating profusely. Huang An's operation was too intense for her, especially during the stitching process. She was almost unable to hold back from screaming.

She had some knowledge about treating wounds as she belonged to a family of physicians, but she didn't know wounds could be stitched up like clothes.

As for Zhao Le, he didn't see the wound up close. He only heard the master's groans and gasping sounds, so everything seemed normal to him.

The two intensive hours left Huang An feeling extremely tired.

He was so tired that he had trouble standing. Suppressing his drowsiness, he instructed Zhao Yan to dress the wound. Only then did the three of them retreat.

He wasn't sure when their cheap master would awaken. Huang An was in a hurry to become an apprentice and learn martial arts, so he didn't return to his own courtyard to rest. Instead, he followed Zhao Le back to the room where they had rested before.

Although he planned to force himself awake and to wait for the initiation ceremony, he unknowingly fell asleep.

Huang An slept so deeply that by the time Zhao Le woke him up, it was already dark outside.

"Junior Brother Huang, my father is awake."

"My father wants to see you!"

"Junior Brother Huang?"

Huang An was bewildered for a few seconds, but he quickly figured out what was going on and was excited. Without washing up or grooming himself, he grabbed his bag of silver taels and ran off with Zhao Le.

Looking at the time, it was probably around nine at night, which was considered quite late in the autumn season.

The two of them quickly arrived at the courtyard where Master Zhao was healing. As soon as they entered, Huang An spotted the Zhao father and daughter.

In the backyard room.

Surprisingly, senior Brother Pang wasn't there. Huang An felt puzzled but he didn't ask.

Master Zhao still lay on the bed, but his upper body was propped up. Zhao Yan was squatting on the ground, a steaming hot bowl in her left hand, and a chopstick in her right, feeding him a thick, gray porridge.

It seemed to be a meat porridge cooked from some kind of powder.

The room was filled with a strange, enticing aroma that made Huang An's throat churn.

The smell was so appetizing that he craved a taste.

However, he didn't think much about it and simply chalked it up to hunger.

If he were more attentive, he might have noticed the Zhao sisters salivating excessively.

"You're here?"

Master Zhao noticed Huang An out of the corner of his eye. His somewhat pale face broke into a smile as he asked warmly.

"Paying my respects to Master!"

Huang An was direct and knelt down on one knee, following the instructions for the etiquette he learned on the way from Zhao Le.

The sight of Huang An kneeling on the ground filled Zhao Dun with gratification, although he the insincerity was yet known to him.

He sighed,

"What a coincidence it was that I injured you that day, and saved you by the same twist of fate. I had never imagined that I, Zhao Dun, could be rescued by you."

Zhao Dun's sentiment was tinged with regret. He wanted to stroke his beard, but the wound on his back caused him to gasp in pain, forcing him to continue speaking while lying down.

"You're not young, and you were not meant for martial arts. However, you have shown kindness to me. Naturally, I will take you under my wing and also bear the basic costs of your martial arts education in the Five Viscera Realm and the Six Viscera Realm. As for how far you end up, it will depend on the size of your wallet, and your own efforts."

Zhao Dun's words shocked Huang An. Willing to bear my martial arts tuition fees?

Tuition waiver?

This is great news! However, a humble response was due.

"Master, you are too kind. If it wasn't for you, I might not have survived. As for the tuition, I am able to pay."

Upon hearing his words, Zhao Dun was taken aback and then burst into laughter.

"Indeed, otherwise how could you have survived after being so critically ill? But listen to me, you don't need to bear the initiation fee and some basic costs. Consider it a token of my appreciation."

"However, I am seriously injured and unable to personally initiate you. You'll have to wait patiently."

There was an apology in Zhao Dun's tone, but mostly reassurance.

He could feel his condition improving greatly.

At most half a month, he should recover significantly. Alongside the hard-won Bone Strengthening Pill, he would undoubtedly progress further.

Once he stabilizes his realm, he would return everything he lost and endured to those who caused it, a hundred times over.

Seeing that he was about to be exempted from the fees, Zhao Yan didn't show much change in her expression, except for the curve of her mouth revealing her mood.

It was quite a deal to use silver to return a part of the life-saving gratitude.

Zhao Le felt pained. That was a hundred silver taels, enough for ordinary people to live on for a lifetime. Although she wanted to voice her objections, she couldn't bring herself to do it.

Junior Brother Huang had saved her father's life. She was not so ignorant.

So she forced a smile, indicating that she shared her father's sentiment.

However, Huang An, upon hearing his master's words about waiving the initiation fee, didn't have much of a reaction. His focus was obviously not on the silver taels. He anxiously said,

"If it's inconvenient for Master, can senior Sister Zhao initiate me. With my condition, I don't know how long I can hold on. There's simply no time to delay."

Zhao Dun was about to explain. But Zhao Yan put down her bowl and chopsticks and explained while wiping the master's mouth.

"You must be unaware, Junior Brother Huang. When we martial artists initiate, we must drink a Guiyuan Soup, and then let a master of at least the Bronze Realm circulate his chi and blood around the body to open up the Dantian door. Only then can one step onto the path of martial arts."

She didn't finish her sentence, but the meaning was clear.

Huang An finally understood why his master had refused him now.

However, are there only one Bronze Realm expert in this martial arts academy?

Not even senior brother Pang Han?

Zhao Yan, quick-witted as she was, quickly grasped the shocked disbelief in Huang An's eyes, she explained again:

"Martial arts is a hard path. Relying on our father's cultivation at the late stage of the Bronze Realm, our Zhao Family Martial Arts Academy has already become one of the four major forces within Feng'an City. In the entire Feng'an City, there is less than a handful of people at the Bronze Realm."

Hearing this, Huang An was stunned. After all, he had gained some understanding of Feng'an City these past few days. The city was populated by as many as three hundred thousand people.

With such a vast population, there were less than ten martial arts experts at the Bronze Realm. Is the path of martial arts really this difficult?

A single Bronze Realm expert becoming one of the four major forces, sounds like something of a self-aggrandizing joke.

However, Huang An knew it was true. Senior Sister Zhao was a serious person and she wouldn't lie to him about this.

It seemed that the status of a Bronze Realm expert was much higher than Huang An had imagined.

Seeing Huang An deep in thought, the master couldn't help but add.

"Your senior brother Pang Han does have talent, but unfortunately his family's situation is just average. Though he has been practicing martial arts in my academy since he was little, he is only at the Six Viscera Realm now, far from reaching Bronze Realm. Without money, his proficiency will most likely stagnate at this level for the rest of his life."

Huang An was surprised, money?

Does practicing martial arts actually require a lot of money?

Even the family of senior brother Pang Han can't keep up with the expenses?

At dinner the other day, Pang Han bragged that his family owned five drugstores in the city. His ancestors had run a medical herbs business and they even owned hundreds of acres of fertile fields outside the city.

Such a wealthy family, yet they couldn't afford another step in his possible progress?

Seeing his sister mentioned senior brother Pang Han, Zhao Le, who stood by, couldn't help herself from standing up to comment to Huang An and the master:

"Dad, you don't know. The day when you guys came back, you had senior sister prepare the Qi Replenishing Soup to save junior brother Huang's life. Because of this, senior brother Pang showed disdain towards junior brother Huang. That day when junior brother Huang came to help you, he nearly got thrown out by senior brother Pang!"

The scar on Zhao Le's face was barely visible now. With her chubby cheeks puffed up, she resembled a cute little hamster.

While Huang An was still processing this news, Zhao Dun seemed to understand it all and was immediately enraged.

"Hmph, this ungrateful guy!"

"What I gave him, is what he has. The Qi Replenishing Soup was bought with my own money. I can give it to whoever I want. How dare he blame your junior brother for it?"

With a furious face, had it not been for the injury on his back, Zhao Dun would have jumped up from the bed. He was panting heavily now.

"When your senior brother Pang comes back tomorrow, have him kneel in front of the academy's gate and apologize to your junior brother Huang!"

Huang An's thoughts were racing, he felt like he understood something, yet missed out on something crucial. Hearing what the master said at last, he quickly came back to his senses.

"Master, you do not need to be so angry. It's understandable that senior brother Pang has done this, since I took advantage of him."

Huang An was defending Pang Han, but it wasn't because he was submissive or overly nice.

The most important task for him right now was to learn martial arts steadily and to save his life.

He wouldn't bear grudges or offend people when his life was hanging by a thread. Huang An was not that stupid.

As long as he could survive, a few scolds meant nothing. Even if he was beaten, it didn't amount to anything. He could seek revenge when the chance came in the future.

Pang Han, although his marial arts cultivation was not at the Bronze Realm, was a narrow-minded person. If he really had to kneel in front of the academy and apologize in public, then they would definitely become mortal enemies.

If he bore a grudge against Huang An because of this, and secretly attacked him later, it would be too late for Huang An to cry.

This was why Huang An was so generous today.

"Well, you are quite kind-hearted! But without rules, there wouldn't be a circle. Let's just do it like this."

Zhao Dun sighed and knew that his young disciple had misunderstood the relationship between the academy and Pang Han.

Having said so much, he was now exhausted, and he still had to dissolve the enormous medicinal power of the monster meat he had just eaten. So he prepared to see his visitors out and turned to Zhao Yan helplessly:

"You guys go out and explain it to your junior brother."

As the master had made up his mind, there was nothing Huang An could do. However, he became interested when he heard what the master said. It seemed that there were other hidden meanings.

After the three brothers and sisters bade farewell to Zhao Dun, they left the courtyard.

On the way back, Huang An walked side by side with Zhao Yan, while little money lover was walking behind them, giggling foolishly.

Dad's injuries were healing, so the joy had returned to the little money-hoarder.

The only pity was that junior brother Huang had to use his own money for future martial arts training.

"Junior brother, there's something you don't know. Senior brother Pang is not a closed-door disciple of the master."

Zhao Yan's words aroused Huang An's interest, and he listened attentively.

"As you probably know, the martial arts path of our Daming Dynasty is controlled by the court, even the Qi Replenishing Soup for entry-level martial arts is no exception."

Huang An was surprised. There was too much information hidden in his second senior sister's words. Although he didn't understand much, he felt like he had grasped a thing or two.

The Daming Dynasty's court strictly controlled martial arts, even indeed the Qi Replenishing Soup for martial arts beginners was in their hands.

As for where Zhao senior sister mentioned he "also knew", Huang An actually knew nothing. However, he didn't say it and just listened carefully.

Suddenly, Huang An realised that the court held the aiding methods to ascend martial arts realms as well, just like the control it had over the Qi Replenishing Soup.

What could the academy teach then? Was it still useful to have a master?

Did non-court martial arts powers still need to exist?

Existence is justified. There must be secrets he didn't know yet.

Although his heart was full of doubts, Huang An didn't show it at all. Based on Senior Sister's tone and his observation of little money lover's reactions, such a thing was common knowledge, he couldn't ask about it.

Huang An just listened quietly, this was his best way to understand this world.