Chapter 16: Refusal

Unknowingly, the two returned to the pier.

Cheng Ming suddenly remembered something and turned to ask, "Ah Qing, you still haven't received any sponsorship, have you?"

"Not yet."

Chen Qing shook his head.

Lately, he had discovered that not all Mingjin disciples received sponsorship.

Those wealthy merchants and aristocratic families were as shrewd as ghosts; they only placed their bets on young geniuses.

Someone like Qin Lie not only held a position at the Wang family establishment but also enjoyed the favor of great clans like the Luo family. With a constant supply of meat and medicinal supplements, his cultivation naturally progressed by leaps and bounds.

As for disciples with mediocre talent like Chen Qing, most were ignored.

They would eventually hit a wall; if they were lucky, they might break through the bottleneck and reach Anjin.

"My Cheng family is willing to sponsor you," Cheng Ming said suddenly. "Ten catties of meat and one tael of Blood Qi Powder every month. It isn't much, but would you be willing?"

During their time together, Cheng Ming admired two things most about Chen Qing: first, his diligence and hard work, and second, his extreme filial piety.

Though his constitution was somewhat lacking and his family background was poor, such character was truly rare.

While the Cheng family was not a great clan, the two brothers managed a household of over twenty people, operating two merchant ships and a hundred acres of thin farmland.

To Chen Qing, this was already a significant tree to lean on.

Cheng Ming worked at the River Bureau and already had the intention of looking after the merchant ships.

Chen Qing's heart stirred, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

Cheng Ming raised an eyebrow. "What, is it too little?"

"I wouldn't dare! Thank you for your patronage, Boss!"

Chen Qing took a deep breath and solemnly cupped his fists.

Cheng Ming waved his hand. "I'll have someone deliver the goods to your house tomorrow. Just focus on your martial arts training."

Once Chen Qing had left, a patrolling guard leaned in. "Boss, do you really intend to sponsor that Chen Qing?"

After spending time together, everyone knew Chen Qing's background.

In the Zhou Academy, Chen Qing's talent was merely mid-to-low tier. It had taken him months just to temper his Mingjin, and anyone with eyes could see his potential had reached its limit.

Though the Cheng family had some assets, every single silver coin had to be spent where it mattered most.

Watching Chen Qing's receding figure, Cheng Ming sighed softly. "That boy is about the same age as my son, yet he lost his father early and has had to support his household alone..."

He rubbed the saber at his waist. "Let's just call it fate."

As twilight descended, Chen Qing returned to the Zhou Academy, stepping through mottled tree shadows.

"Junior Brother Chen, you're a bit later than usual these days." He Yan was wiping a stone lock; seeing him, he greeted him with a smile.

This veteran disciple, who had practiced at the Zhou Academy for seven or eight years, had remained stuck at the Mingjin stage, yet he had become the academy's benchmark for diligence.

Since Chen Qing broke through to Mingjin, the two often practiced together, sparred, and exchanged insights, maintaining a good relationship.

"Tied up with trivial matters, I was delayed." Chen Qing stretched his limbs, the dust from the workroom still clinging to his robes.

"It feels much lonelier when you don't show up." He Yan returned the stone lock to its place. "Once my stance training is done, let's have a few rounds."

Chen Qing stretched his muscles in preparation for his stance training.

On the other side of the courtyard.

Qin Lie was conversing in low tones with Luo Qian, his gaze occasionally drifting toward the backyard.

Zheng Ziqiao was practicing moves with several fellow disciples. The wind from his punches surged and his internal energy radiated outward, forcing several ordinary disciples acting as sparring partners to retreat repeatedly in a state of disarray.

"Junior Brother Qin, Junior Sister Luo, Junior Brother Zheng."

Zhou Yu's voice rang out like a clear spring. She walked in with Sun Shun, immediately drawing the eyes of the surrounding disciples.

When Qin Lie saw Zhou Yu, his eyes brightened. "Senior Sister Zhou, is something the matter?"

"The martial arts examinations are approaching, and several nearby academies want to hold a small sparring gathering. Each academy has seven slots." Zhou Yu smiled gracefully. "Senior Brother Liu Ze of the Mantis Fist and Senior Sister Liu Xue of the Seven Star Palm have already agreed to attend. Both are at the Great Success stage of Anjin. If you hit it off, it could lead to lasting connections."

Hearing this, Luo Qian's fingertips twitched slightly.

The Great Success stage of Anjin was only one step away from Huajin. If she could make connections, it would greatly benefit her standing within the Luo family.

The Luo family was vast and flourishing; her father had six sons and three daughters. Without extraordinary skill, how could one secure a place within the clan?

"I'll go," Zheng Ziqiao said without hesitation.

The Mantis Fist of the Liu Academy was famous far and wide, and it was said to have produced several experts. It would be good to have the chance to make an acquaintance.

Qin Lie calculated silently: although his blood and qi were abundant, he lacked combat experience. Such an occasion was not only an opportunity to broaden his horizons but also to build connections—it was the perfect chance for a child of humble origins to leap over the dragon's gate.

"Including Senior Brother Liu and Senior Brother Qi, there are two slots left." Zhou Yu counted on her fingers. "Do you have any good candidates?"

Qin Lie remained silent, his gaze sweeping over the Mingjin disciples in the courtyard with a natural sense of scrutiny and detachment. He had no deep ties with these "mediocre" individuals.

Sun Shun looked at Chen Qing's solitary figure standing silently in a corner practicing his stance. After a moment of hesitation, he spoke, his voice carrying a barely perceptible lack of confidence. "Junior Brother Wu Lin... and Junior Brother Chen Qing, how about them?"

"Junior Brother Wu has reached the Great Success of Mingjin and has attempted to break through to Anjin once; he's barely qualified," Zheng Ziqiao interjected, his tone relatively calm.

Immediately after, his brow furrowed into a knot. He looked toward Chen Qing in the corner, his tone filled with incredulous doubt. "Junior Brother Chen Qing? How long has it been since he barely stepped into Mingjin? His foundation might not even be stable! Senior Brother Sun, this small gathering represents the face of our Zhou Academy! You want to take him?"

Clearly, he believed Chen Qing was not qualified to participate.

The Zhou Academy had a total of over thirty disciples, about ten of whom had reached Mingjin.

Chen Qing was not at all conspicuous among the many disciples; he had neither a prominent family background nor startling talent. His future in the martial arts was predictable.

Luo Qian also spoke up: "Senior Brother Sun, this gathering represents the prestige of the Zhou Academy and concerns our formal exchanges with other academies! It is not a charity!"

Her words were barbed, clearly expressing her dissatisfaction with Sun Shun's favoritism.

Sun Shun's face burned. He hurriedly said, "Junior Brother Chen is very diligent in his training..."

"How about this..."

Zhou Yu spoke up at the right moment, her voice still gentle. "We are all fellow disciples. Junior Brother Chen has only been here a short time; we can treat this as an opportunity for him to gain some experience. In the future, we can rotate the candidates for these gatherings so that everyone has an equal opportunity."

Her words gave Sun Shun a way out and silenced Luo Qian.

Seeing Zhou Yu speak, Zheng Ziqiao remained dissatisfied but shut his mouth.

Luo Qian shrugged, which served as a tacit agreement.

Sun Shun grinned and said, "Alright, I'll go tell Junior Brother Chen right now."

With that, he walked quickly toward Chen Qing's position.

"A sparring gathering?"

Chen Qing finished his breathing exercises, the sweat on his forehead not yet dry.

Sun Shun said eagerly, "Liu Zhang of the Mantis Fist and Liu Xue of the Seven Star Palm will both be there. Everyone will spar and exchange insights..."

Chen Qing pondered for a moment and declined. "Senior Brother Sun, I think I will pass on this gathering."

Whether such so-called "exchanges" were good or bad was something he knew all too well.

He possessed the "Heavenly Reward for Diligence" destiny; as long as he practiced hard, he would succeed.

Sun Shun was slightly stunned. "Junior Brother Chen, this... this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

"Thank you for your kindness, Senior Brother Sun."

Chen Qing shook his head. "It is just that I know my cultivation is still shallow and my foundation is not yet firm. Rather than joining the crowd, I would rather settle my mind and make my foundation even more solid."

Sun Shun tried to persuade him earnestly for a while longer, but seeing Chen Qing's persistence, he finally gave up.

When Zhou Yu saw Sun Shun return, she asked, "Is it settled?"

Sun Shun gave a bitter smile. "Junior Brother Chen declined."

The others were somewhat surprised to hear this.

They hadn't expected Chen Qing to pass up such a good opportunity.

Zheng Ziqiao raised an eyebrow. "He's probably just afraid of the stage and doesn't want to lose face, which is why he's too scared to go."

In his view, that was the only explanation.

Qin Lie looked at that sweat-drenched figure and shook his head. "Truly beyond help. He doesn't even know how to cherish such a good opportunity. What's the use of burying one's head in hard training?"

To him, someone from a poor background like Chen Qing should grasp every single opportunity they could.

Martial arts was not merely about mindless, bitter cultivation.

Though Luo Qian said nothing, she had already branded Chen Qing in her mind as "unfit for great use."

She must keep her eyes sharp; one must never provide sponsorship to such a person.

A flash of disappointment crossed Zhou Yu's eyes, which quickly returned to calm.

To her, this was merely one less disciple to fill a slot; it wouldn't matter who went instead.

There were many Mingjin disciples in the courtyard; someone would surely be willing to seize the opportunity.