stjorthotic Chapter 15 Talent
Chapter 15 Talent
After the start of the dog days of summer, the weather gets hotter day by day.
A month has passed in a flash, and it's already mid-July.
New people are constantly joining the martial arts school, and people are also constantly leaving in disappointment.
During this month, Meng Chen practiced diligently every day, swallowing a pill every three days and taking a medicinal bath every five days. Although he made progress, he had not yet found the opportunity to break through the barrier of Qi and blood.
Despite such arduous practice, the yin-yang symbol remained unchanged.
However, he didn't go hungry, and with his relentless training, he became much stronger. He was full of energy every day, as if he had inexhaustible strength, but he got even darker from the sun.
Meng Chen had been paying attention to the Yan family's affairs, but there was no need to ask deliberately, since everyone was talking about it.
After Yan Bao's body was found, Yan Long still did not return, perhaps he was really held up by something important.
At lunchtime that day, Meng Chen and Gong Ziming sat down to eat together.
Ever since Qi Yun and Gong Ziming completely broke off relations, the two fellow townsmen haven't spoken a word to each other. Qi Yun has now climbed the social ladder, leaving Meng Chen to share a meal with Gong Ziming.
Gao Yuan has already passed two tests; his talent is not bad, and he is the son of a clerk. He will surely have a bright future.
Qi Yun saw this and eagerly approached Gao Yuan, rushing to serve him meals on weekdays, massaging him in his spare time, and washing his martial arts clothes and bringing him water to wash his feet at night.
In this way, Gao Yuan accepted Qi Yun as his subordinate, and although Gong Ziming disliked Qi Yun, he did not go to Qi Yun to make sarcastic remarks.
Meng Chen didn't really care. Everyone has their own difficulties and choices. Who wouldn't want to climb the social ladder? However, Meng Chen was too shy to do things like serving someone's foot bath or doing their laundry.
Therefore, of the three boys from the same hometown, only Meng Chen and Gong Ziming remain.
"How's your training going? Do you feel your blood boiling?" Gong Ziming, who was usually a man of few words, took the initiative to speak this time.
"No." Meng Chen sighed.
"Calm down, you've only been here for a month, there's no rush. Eat more." Gong Ziming picked up his bowl and poured all the meat into Meng Chen's bowl.
"..." Meng Chen was momentarily confused.
Of the three meals at the martial arts school, there is only one bowl of meat at lunchtime. Although it is mostly lean with little fat, it is still a real meat dish.
Moreover, neither of them were wealthy, unlike others who often went out to buy mutton and beef to nourish themselves. Therefore, they usually relied on this bowl of meat to get through the day's hard training.
"I'm leaving today, so whether I eat this bowl of meat or not doesn't really matter," Gong Ziming said dejectedly.
Meng Chen then remembered that Gong Ziming had been learning martial arts at the school for six months.
If you fail to break through the first barrier after six months, then you probably can't make a living in martial arts.
"Qi Yun is mercenary, but he's not a bad person at heart. Don't follow my example; try to get closer to him in the future." Gong Ziming seemed to be giving his last words.
Meng Chen didn't know what to say. He wanted to help, but he was powerless to do so.
The two were looking at each other in silence when Qi Yun suddenly squeezed in, holding a plump chicken in his hand. He tore off a leg and stuffed it into Meng Chen's hand, saying solemnly, "I'm preparing to challenge the sect this afternoon. Senior Brother Gao gave me this roast chicken to replenish my strength. Little Meng, you should try it, it's delicious!"
"Since you're going to knock on the gate, you can eat it." Meng Chen hadn't chatted with Qi Yun much lately and didn't realize how quickly Qi Yun had progressed, already leaving him behind.
"Sigh, I wasn't very confident at first, but Senior Brother Gao gave me a Tiger Wolf Pill, so I dared to give it a try!" Qi Yun said.
I didn't even ask you if you were confident! Meng Chen looked up at Qi Yun, only to see him grinning smugly, clearly speaking to Gong Ziming.
Gong Ziming looked extremely unwell. He was trembling all over, clenching his fists, and stood up without saying a word.
"Eat up! To be honest, I've never had such delicious chicken back in my hometown!" Qi Yun sat down and continued to urge Meng Chen to eat the chicken.
"I really won't eat it." Meng Chen returned the chicken leg.
"You look down on me too?" Qi Yun frowned. He took the chicken leg, took a big bite, and said in a low voice, "You need to think more about this. We came here to learn martial arts, but do you think we can all become Yan Long? Do you think I can become Yan Long just because I pass the first test? No way! You should find someone to rely on as soon as possible, or you'll end up going back home to farm!"
He patted Meng Chen on the shoulder and said, "We're both from Dazexiang, we're fellow villagers, we should support each other even more in the future. Think about it."
After saying that, Qi Yun left without looking back.
When it was time for afternoon practice, Meng Chen saw that Qi Yun was radiant and full of energy. He pushed the stone roller and then picked up the stone hammer without stopping for a moment, as if he wanted to exhaust all his strength.
"To unlock the gates of Qi and blood, you have to push your body to its limits and use all your strength. Only then can you make your Qi and blood boil. When your Qi and blood are almost exhausted but not quite, and then you generate more Qi and blood from within your body, you will have successfully unlocked the gates!" Du Zhong didn't forget to give instructions to the group of new apprentices.
Qi Yun worked tirelessly, without a moment's rest. Sweat poured down his clothes, and his face grew increasingly red.
By evening, Qi Yun finally couldn't take it anymore and plopped down on the ground. Du Zhong immediately stepped forward to give him pointers, and the other apprentices quickly surrounded him as well.
Unable to squeeze in, Meng Chen stood on the stone mill to watch.
Qi Yun's face was deathly pale, and he could barely sit up. But after a short while, the steam emanating from Qi Yun's head was tinged with a blood-red hue.
"It's done!" Du Zhong smiled with satisfaction and clapped his hands.
This seemed to encourage the apprentices, and they all looked at Qi Yun with undisguised envy.
Just then, a faint sobbing sound came from beside me.
Meng Chen looked down and saw Gong Ziming sitting on the ground, his eyes bloodshot, pounding the ground with his hands.
"Senior Brother Gong." Meng Chen tried to help Gong Ziming up, but couldn't lift him at all.
The apprentices stopped surrounding Qi Yun and instead all looked at Gong Ziming.
Some chuckled inwardly, some scorned, and some were heartbroken.
Gong Ziming pushed Meng Chen aside, glared at Qi Yun through gritted teeth, then looked at Du Ren who was walking up and said, "Senior brother, I remember when I first learned the Guiyuan Gong, I asked Master Du how to judge talent. You were there at the time, what did Master Du say?"
Du Ren, devoid of his usual playful demeanor, remained silent for a long time before finally saying, "Master said that talent is characterized by high aspirations, strong perseverance, and robust constitution."
"I've always looked up to Yan Long. Is it because I lack ambition? I get up earliest and go to bed latest. No one here is more diligent than me. Is it because I lack perseverance? I've followed my father up the mountain to collect herbs since I was little. I can cross any dangerous place. Is it because I lack physical strength?"
Gong Ziming was already roaring. At this moment, he was like a gambler with bloodshot eyes, who had lost all his wealth, land, parents, wife and children, only to be utterly defeated and could only resent the injustice of God.
For a moment, the courtyard fell silent, with only the faint chirping of cicadas coming from the backyard.
"Junior brother, there are a thousand paths in the world. If this path is blocked, there are always other paths," Du Ren advised softly.
"I hate it!" Gong Ziming pounded the ground with both hands, looking like a madman. He pointed at Qi Yun angrily and said, "My talent isn't bad! He took five days to learn Bahequan, while I only took a day and a half! Why was he the one who broke through first, while I can't even touch the gate?"
"Brother Gong, we poor folks come here to learn martial arts, isn't it all for the sake of finding a way out? If we succeed, we'll change our ways; if we fail, we'll honestly go home and pay off our debts!" Qi Yun had recovered by now. His face was pale, but he still managed a cold smile. "A bet is a bet, Brother Gong."
Sure enough, upon hearing this, Gong Ziming's eyes immediately dimmed, as if he had been completely drained, and he no longer had the strength to roar.
"Disperse, everyone!" Du Zhong finally spoke. He stepped forward, helped Gong Ziming up, and said gently, "Child, you are even more diligent and hardworking than Yan Long was back then, but there's nothing we can do. The Dao Ancestor didn't let you make a living in this field. It's fate."
Du Zhong offered a few words of comfort and then, together with Du Ren, saw Gong Ziming off.
With both teachers absent, the apprentices remained silent.
"Xiao Meng!" Qi Yun had regained some strength. Standing beside Gao Yuan, he smiled and said, "Senior Brother Gao said he wants to celebrate for me tonight. Let's go drinking together. He said he can bring you along!"
"I have homework to do tonight," Meng Chen politely declined.
"Is this moment still a problem?" Gao Yuan actually spoke up, saying, "No matter how hard you work, can you work harder than Gong Ziming? Xiao Qi has just succeeded in passing the test, if you don't go, you'll be disrespecting your fellow villagers."
Meng Chen simply said, "I need to work even harder."
The courtyard was full of people. Gao Yuan saw that Meng Chen still refused, clearly disrespecting him. He wasn't annoyed, but simply smiled and said, "Junior Brother Meng, if hard work alone could lead to success, wouldn't everyone be a dragon? Talent! It all comes down to talent!"
Gao Yuan looked around at everyone, and seeing that they were all looking at him, he turned to Meng Chen and continued, "Master Du said that talent is about high aspirations, strong perseverance, and solid foundation, but that's because he didn't want to discourage some common folk! Talent only depends on one thing: the speed at which you break through barriers and advance through realms. That's what good talent is! If you can't break through barriers or advance through realms, then you don't have talent!"
After these words were spoken, the courtyard fell silent.
Gao Yuan became even more disdainful and sneered, "You come from a farming family, so you should know that some people are like wheat. When crushed and sifted, they become fine flour. With a little water and a little steam, they become steamed buns. Others are like clods of earth. When crushed and sifted a thousand times, they are still just earth. Even if you add meat broth and burn it out, you still can't steam buns."
"Even soil isn't entirely useless," Meng Chen said, looking at the other person. "As long as the fire is big enough, clay can be fired into porcelain and bricks. At the very least, it can be fired into pottery jars and tiles. Even rotten mud, if mixed with wheat chaff and reeds, can be used to plaster walls and block the wind."
"Are you saying that Gong Ziming isn't diligent and hardworking?" Gao Yuan asked, frowning.
"I mean, we shouldn't laugh at those who are more hardworking and diligent than us, even if they lose," Meng Chen said.
Gao Yuan stopped talking and walked up to Meng Chen, getting closer and closer until they were almost face to face.
"Senior brother, he's been working in the fields since he was little, he's just immature. Don't take it to heart," Qi Yun quickly stepped forward to persuade him. Although he was worldly and shrewd, he genuinely considered Meng Chen a fellow villager and friend.
Gao Yuan shoved Qi Yun aside, tapped Meng Chen's chest with his index finger, and left without saying a word.
"You...you offended Senior Brother Gao for the sake of Gong Ziming, who has no future! Why did you do this?" Qi Yun looked helplessly at Meng Chen after Gao Yuan left.
"Brother Gong gave me a bowl of pork at noon, so I'm speaking up for him." Meng Chen forced a smile and said, "Senior Brother Qi, congratulations on your successful breakthrough today."