163: Why keep a low profile?
Cultivate!
Listen to music!
Practice calligraphy with Madam Jin!
Continue to Cultivate!
In the three to five days Chu Qing spent at Shi Manor, he lived quite comfortably.
These past few days, his tendons and bones healed.
His wounds mostly healed.
He even refined three to five Golden Bone.
Because he had more Limit Breaking Technique, his speed of refining bone was more efficient.
He could basically maintain refining one Golden Bone a day.
Even Madam Shi was envious of this speed.
“Back then, I had several times more resources than you, but it still took me two days to refine one Golden Bone.”
“Your Aptitude is truly extraordinary.”
A look of joy appeared on Madam Shi’s cold face.
“Only Prodigy from the main city and the Empire’s capital can achieve your speed.”
“If you had more resources, it might even be possible to refine two Golden Bone in a single day.”
She walked back and forth, and after a long while, she said:
“How do you feel about the students in Prefecture City?”
Chu Qing answered without thinking, “Their tendons and bones are pretty well trained.”
“But they focus too much on Move.”
“Their sparring is just about countering Move.”
“They lack experience in life-and-death combat.”
Madam Shi nodded and, after a moment of thought, said, “The students in Prefecture City are not much help to you.”
“I want to take you to Zhou City.”
“To participate in Zhou City’s exchange competition!”
Chu Qing was delighted.
If he could participate in the Zhou City exchange competition and win, he would definitely get more resources.
But... “Can I go?”
Madam Shi said, “You must have a personal letter of recommendation from the Dean to be able to participate in the Zhou City exchange competition by skipping levels.”
“However, my relationship with the Dean is not good; he almost killed me back then.”
“To get a letter of recommendation, you’ll have to rely on yourself.”
Chu Qing was curious, his gossipy heart burning as he asked, “Why did he want to kill you?”
Madam Shi said coldly, “dragon tendon!”
Chu Qing understood.
Ten years ago, a dragon tendon appeared in Shiji County.
The Third Limit White Jade Capital Disciple were all cannon fodder.
Madam Shi was even weaker back then.
But she obtained the Golden Tendons.
It seemed plausible that the Dean wanted to kill her.
“Madam, I can handle the Dean!”
Madam Shi was surprised.
That Dean was not an easy person to deal with.
She had heard that the Dean was a Prodigy from the Empire’s capital decades ago.
Later, due to some incident, he ended up in Shiji County.
This person was extremely arrogant.
For decades, no one had ever caught his eye, let alone received a letter of recommendation from him.
“Can you really get it?”
Chu Qing nodded and said, “Yes!”
“My Secret Inheritance for bone refining was all given by him.”
Madam Shi was surprised, but her voice was clear and cold as she said, “Good!”
“Once you get the letter of recommendation, I will arrange everything immediately.”
“Next month, you will definitely be able to participate in the Zhou City exchange competition.”
“But... the students in Zhou City are definitely more formidable than those in Prefecture City.”
“There are countless Prodigy there.”
“Many have even refined Golden Tendons or Golden Bone.”
Chu Qing chuckled, “It’s fine; if I can’t win, I’ll concede; then I’ll still go to Prefecture City for resources.”
Pfft!
Madam Shi, who was usually cold, finally couldn’t help but laugh.
“Go to Prefecture City for resources?”
“You make it sound so easy.”
“Hmm... why do you keep staring at me?”
Chu Qing scratched his head and laughed, “Madam, when you smile, it’s like a hundred flowers blooming, exquisitely charming and captivating.”
Madam Shi sneered, “Groom... how do I compare to Madam Jin?”
This was a trick question.
No answer would be satisfactory.
So:
Chu Qing stepped forward and put his arm around her slender waist, saying:
“Sing me another song!”
Madam Shi was annoyed and coldly rebuked, “Let go!”
“No!”
“Groom, you are shameless!”
“Groom, take your hand out; damn it, don’t pinch... I’ll sing!”
Before long, a melodious tune echoed in the garden.
As night fell:
Chu Qing returned to the Martial Academy alone, heading straight to the Library to see the Dean.
The thin Dean was still dissecting a corpse.
In just a few days, the Dean’s spirit and energy were noticeably much stronger than before.
He muttered as he studied the corpse, completely unaware of Chu Qing’s arrival.
Chu Qing waited quietly.
Ten minutes... half an hour... an hour... he coughed.
Stomped his foot!
Wandered in front of the Dean.
After a long while, the Dean finally let out a long breath and said with a chuckle, “I see you.”
“Stop running around!”
Chu Qing cupped his fists and said with a smile:
“Dean, I would like a letter of recommendation to participate in the exchange competition at the Zhou City Martial Academy!”
The Dean was stunned.
He pondered for a moment and said:
“Did Yu Ji send you?”
Yu Ji was Madam Shi.
Chu Qing nodded.
The Dean sneered dismissively, “Yu Ji has some small intelligence, but no great wisdom.”
Chu Qing... The Dean washed his hands and said softly, “If it were last year, I would let you go to Zhou City to participate in the exchange competition.”
“But this year, I don’t want you to go.”
Chu Qing asked curiously, “Why?”
“I just want to get some resources to refine my bones.”
The Dean said:
“The Millennial Calamity is approaching, the Empire is unstable; theoretically, the faster you enter a larger place, the better it is for your development.”
“But... this year, a Big Shot from above is reforming the Martial Academy.”
“This has led to many experts in the Zhou City Martial Academy this year, and the forces from the Empire’s capital and the main city have also begun to settle in Zhou City.”
“Although you are also very powerful and might achieve ten consecutive victories to enter the Zhou City Martial Academy by skipping levels.”
“However, after entering, you will definitely be ostracized by them.”
Chu Qing nodded.
Anyone trying to integrate into a new group would definitely be ostracized.
The Dean continued, “At that time, you will face various difficulties every day.”
“You will have to deal with various trivial matters.”
“It will delay your Cultivation.”
Chu Qing felt that the Dean made sense.
But... “I want more resources.”
The Dean sighed, “Resources are actually very easy to get: you increase your plunder of Wu Fort and powerful families; the resources they provide before they go bankrupt and resist should be enough to bring your Golden Bone to Perfection.”
“Also, there are the winning resources from the Prefecture City exchange competition.”
“If you feel it’s not enough, you can also go to Prefecture City and secretly eliminate a few Wu Fort.”
“Although there will be some trouble in the end, it’s much less than the trouble of going to the Zhou City Martial Academy.”
Chu Qing was speechless.
He disbelieved, “The trouble of me challenging at the Zhou City Martial Academy is greater than destroying a few Wu Fort in Prefecture City?”
The Dean nodded.
Chu Qing was incredulous.
The Dean advised, “Zhou City and the main city are the true Foundation of the Empire.”
“In every Zhou City, there are countless monsters and schemers.”
“The entanglement of various interests is quite terrifying.”
“Behind every Martial Academy student, there is a backer.”
“What’s more, the forces from the Empire’s capital and the main city have also descended and settled in Zhou City.”
“Now, even the Aristocratic Descendants in Zhou City are not having an easy time.”
“Let alone an outsider like you?”
Chu Qing was convinced by the Dean.
He hated trouble.
He just wanted to quietly refine his Golden Bone and not stir up unnecessary trouble.
“Alright, I won’t go.”
The Dean nodded and said:
“You first achieve ten consecutive victories in Prefecture City; you can then enroll as a transfer student and directly enter the Zhou City Martial Academy.”
“At that time, you won’t have to clash with Zhou City forces.”
“No petty squabbles!”
“No competition for victory or defeat!”
“Nor will you have offended anyone from Zhou City.”
“At that time, you can Cultivate in peace.”
Chu Qing nodded.
The path the Dean described was more stable than Madam Shi’s.
He was quite tempted.
Finally, the Dean said seriously:
“If you want to achieve ten consecutive victories in Prefecture City to enter Zhou City, then you must be low-key.”
Chu Qing was bewildered.
“If I get ten consecutive victories, how can I be low-key?”
“Also, why do I need to be low-key?”