Chapter 173 - 123: Becoming a Disciple of the Martial Champion Scholar

The butler paid him no mind, brushing him off. "The master has been unwell recently and isn’t seeing visitors. Kid, you should go on back where you came from!"

The moment he finished speaking, the butler turned and slammed the main gate shut.

Li Chang’an frowned and knocked again.

The butler, growing impatient, grumbled, "Why won’t you listen, kid?"

Li Chang’an held out some silver coins.

The butler weighed the silver coins in his palm. His tone softened slightly as he said, "I’m not lying to you. The master was injured recently and isn’t seeing outsiders. If you don’t believe me, go ask around on the street!"

Li Chang’an knew the butler wasn’t lying.

For some reason, the Martial Champion Scholar, Cao Shu, had offended a group of Jianghu fighters a few days ago. They had ambushed him on the road while he was out drinking.

Although Cao Shu had managed to escape thanks to his formidable skills, he was seriously injured in the process.

He had been recuperating behind closed doors ever since, secretly sending men to investigate the origins of those Jianghu fighters.

Li Chang’an didn’t give up. He took out several more silver coins from his pocket.

Seeing the extra silver, the butler paused. His tone finally softened completely. "Well, I can see you’re sincere, kid. I suppose I can announce your visit. But whether the master agrees to see you... that’ll be up to your own fortune!"

With that, the butler turned to deliver the message.

Li Chang’an waited at the gate, in no particular hurry.

’If a direct approach doesn’t work to get the Martial Champion Scholar to accept me as a disciple, I have plenty of other methods. It’s just that they all require more effort, and I’d rather not waste the energy.’

About the time it takes to burn an incense stick, the butler returned. He opened a side gate to the residence and said, "You’re in luck. The master is in a good mood today. Come with me!"

Li Chang’an nodded.

He followed the butler into the courtyard.

The residence was massive, a sprawling complex of courtyards filled with rockeries and the gentle sound of flowing water.

Soon, Li Chang’an arrived at the rear courtyard.

Cao Shu appeared to be in his fifties, with a rugged, full beard. He was currently dozing on a lounge chair.

Seeing Li Chang’an approach with the butler, Cao Shu opened his eyes, glanced at the boy, and said flatly, "So you’re the kid who wants to learn martial arts from me?"

Li Chang’an nodded and presented the gift.

"I don’t take on useless disciples!" Cao Shu didn’t accept the gift. Instead, he sat up, sized Li Chang’an up and down a few times, and then asked, "Have you trained before?"

Li Chang’an nodded.

Cao Shu pointed to a thousand-jin stone roller in the courtyard. "Since you’ve trained before, go and lift that."

"Lift it and hold it for one minute, and I’ll give you the chance to become my disciple. If you can’t lift it, or can’t hold it for a full minute, then go on back where you came from!"

Li Chang’an glanced at the stone roller.

Without another word, he walked straight over to it. Forming his fingers into a claw, he jabbed them lightly into the stone roller, leaving five small indentations on its surface.

Gripping the roller with just those five fingers, he hoisted the massive, thousand-jin object above his head with a single arm.

At this sight, Cao Shu, who had been lounging listlessly in his chair, shot to his feet, his eyes flying wide open. He completely forgot about his injuries.

Li Chang’an asked calmly, "How was that?"

Cao Shu stared, his eyes wide as he scrutinized Li Chang’an from head to toe. "Th-th-that was... adequate!" he stammered, nodding.

’Lifting over a thousand jin with one arm isn’t anything to write home about for an adult Martial Artist. Any practitioner who has completed the Blood Refining stage can do it.’

’But from the look of him, Li Chang’an can only be five or six years old.’

’To be able to lift a thousand-jin stone so easily at five or six... that kind of talent is rare. At least in a remote place like Chun’an County, he’s definitely considered a rare genius.’

The only reason Cao Shu had merely called it "adequate" was to maintain his dignity as a Martial Champion Scholar.

But Li Chang’an misunderstood.

He thought the talent he had shown wasn’t enough to impress Cao Shu.

So, he tossed the stone roller dozens of yards into the air, then shattered it into dust with a single punch. "How about now?" he asked.

Cao Shu could no longer maintain his calm expression.

He walked right up to Li Chang’an and studied him for a long moment before asking in stunned disbelief, "How old are you? You’ve already reached Perfection in your External Martial Arts Training?"

Li Chang’an saw no reason to hide anything. "This student is five years old," he answered directly. "I came here seeking your guidance, Martial Champion Scholar, on how to cultivate Inner Qi. If you would be so kind as to instruct me."

Hearing Li Chang’an say he was only five,

Cao Shu’s expression went beyond astonishment; his lips began to tremble uncontrollably.

’In his youth, he had seen plenty of Martial Dao geniuses more brilliant than himself. Some reached the Inner Qi Realm by eighteen and broke through to the Acquired Realm by twenty. Others became Grandmasters at thirty, unmatched in all the world.’

’But a boy who had mastered External Martial Arts Training to the point of Perfection by the age of five? In all his life, Cao Shu had never seen, or even heard of, such a thing.’

’The four stages—Blood Refining, Muscle Training, Skin Training, and Bone Training—are the very foundation of a Martial Artist’s physique. They are also the most time-consuming and arduous stages to complete.’

’For a normal Martial Artist, breaking through these four stages is unthinkable without at least ten years of bitter cultivation.’

’Yet Li Chang’an was only five. Even if he had started training in the womb, it should have been impossible to temper his physique to the state of Perfection by this age.’

’And yet, Li Chang’an had done it.’

’What kind of monster is he?’

Although Cao Shu’s mind was reeling, he somehow managed to keep a straight face.

He stroked his full beard. "Since you are so sincere, I suppose I, your master, have no choice but to reluctantly take you in. After all, who could fault me for cherishing such talent?"

He paused, then circled Li Chang’an a few times. After confirming the boy’s extraordinary aptitude, he continued, "Alright, from now on, you’ll be my Chief Disciple. Starting tomorrow, I will personally guide your training!"

Cao Shu accepted Li Chang’an, took his gift, and even made him his Chief Disciple.

He clearly held Li Chang’an in extremely high regard.

Seeing this, the butler couldn’t help but interject, "Um... Master, isn’t your Chief Disciple the boy from the Mountain City Sun Family?"

Cao Shu waved his hand dismissively. "I know. He’s number two now!"

The butler found this outrageous and forced himself to ask, "But isn’t that... isn’t that... a bit against the rules?"

Cao Shu snorted and flicked his sleeve. "If they want to learn under my tutelage, my rules are the only rules that matter. If the Mountain City Sun Family has a problem with it, they can take it up with me. This is settled!"

Although he had no idea how Li Chang’an had managed to temper his body to perfection by age five, that didn’t matter. As long as the boy’s talent was great enough to bolster his reputation as a Martial Champion Scholar, Cao Shu couldn’t care less about the rules.

The butler said no more.

He was, of course, well aware of his master’s eccentric temper.

Once his master made a decision, his subordinates couldn’t argue. Arguing would only add fuel to the fire, and then nothing could change his mind.

Normally, the butler would never have dared to say so much.

But the thought of once again having to face the wrath of the Mountain City Sun Family made his head ache.

...

And just like that, Li Chang’an successfully became Cao Shu’s disciple.

[Ding, you have successfully Defied Fate!]

[At the age of five, you sought a master and successfully won over the Martial Champion Scholar of Chun’an County, Cao Shu, with your demon-like talent in the Martial Dao. Cao Shu, in turn, promoted you, his youngest disciple, to the position of Chief Disciple. You have quickly become well-known in Chun’an County!]

[Rebirth Rating increased. You have received an additional 10,000 Rebirth Points!]

Another hefty sum of Rebirth Points.

’Ever since I got my own territory, my ways of earning points have multiplied. The Rebirth Points from the Rebirth World are no longer my main source of income.’

’But no one complains about having too much money.’

’Since I’ve started this rebirth, I might as well get all the rewards that come with it.’

...