NOVEL NEXT Chapter 5 - Fortune & Foes
“Junior Brother Chen Fan.”
As Chen Fan walked out of the martial hall, a fellow disciple who practiced at the same hall caught up with him.
“Senior Brother Jiang Chi? What’s the matter?”
Chen Fan recognized the disciple.
“Well, Chen Fan, I’ve been a bit tight on funds lately. Could you lend me a couple of silver taels?” Jiang Chi directly asked.
“Sorry, I never lend money.”
Chen Fan refused.
In the past two months, because he appeared wealthy, more than one disciple from the martial hall had asked him for loans. However, he never agreed.
The monthly tuition at the martial hall was ten silver coins. For those learning martial arts at the hall, being short on money was not something uncommon.
After rejecting Jiang Chi, Chen Fan simply walked away.
“Damn it!”
Jiang Chi’s face turned ugly.
He looked at Chen Fan’s back and muttered, “He is so wealthy yet won’t even lend me a couple of silver coins?”
“I told you earlier; if you intend to get money from him, you’ll have to think of other ways.”
At this moment, a figure approached Jiang Chi.
Jiang Chi’s expression changed.
Unaware of what was happening behind him, Chen Fan continued on his way, indifferent to the situation.
“Old Lu, why are you up so early today?”
Just as Chen Fan returned from the martial hall, he saw a burly middle-aged man coming from the other side.
“Not much to do today, so I came back early.”
Lu Tingyi grinned.
He was a martial instructor at the Iron Body Martial Hall.
The Iron Body Martial Hall was a well-known martial hall in White Stone City.
The hall’s owner was a Postnatal Realm martial artist.
In this world, a martial artist’s realm, after reaching the True Qi Realm, became the Postnatal Realm.
When the Postnatal True Qi transformed into Innate True Qi, it became the Innate Realm.
However, in White Stone City, Postnatal Realm martial artists were already a small group of the strongest individuals.
Lu Tingyi, as one of the martial instructors at the Iron Body Martial Hall, was at the Condensed Qi Realm. In terms of strength, he might be even stronger than He Yitong.
“Great! I made hot pot today and invited Old Wu. Come over later and join us,” Chen Fan enthusiastically offered to Lu Tingyi.
“Hot pot? Sure, I’ll go wash up and then come over.”
Lu Tingyi’s eyes lit up.
Their houses were neighbors, with Lu Tingyi’s house on the left side of Chen Fan’s.
Chen Fan’s neighbor, Lao Wu, was on the other side.
Lao Wu, whose full name was Wu Yuanjing, was a junior manager at the Iron Sword Sect.
Both individuals had good character.
The reason for this coincidence was that when Chen Fan bought the house, he made a small wish.
In his view, a house that serves its purpose is sufficient. Having good neighbors is the most important.
With these two neighbors by his side, he could sleep peacefully every day.
Moreover, his house was less than three hundred meters away from the Purple Peak Martial Hall.
Chen Fan reached his front door.
“Master.”
Two men in their thirties, upon seeing Chen Fan, immediately opened the door for him.
During this time, he not only immersed himself in cultivation but also spent money hiring four guards and two servants for laundry and cooking.
These people were selected based on their character after Chen Fan made his wish.
As for the servants, let’s not mention them.
Each of the four guards was a martial artist in the Qi Nurturing Realm.
Two reliable neighbors, along with four guards, allowed him to sleep soundly every day.
And starting tomorrow, he planned to choose two guards each time he went out.
“Zhang Yi, Zhang De, come over and spar with me.”
After entertaining Lu Tingyi and Wu Yuanjing and taking a short break, Chen Fan took a wooden sword and called two guards over.
Zhang Yi and Zhang De were biological brothers.
Both of them studied martial arts in their twenties, but due to average aptitude, they practiced for several years without breaking through to the Qi Manipulation Realm, so they gave up.
However, both had experience as bodyguards, so they still had some practical combat skills.
“Bang, bang…“
The sounds of battle echoed in the courtyard.
Zhang Yi and Zhang De used spears as weapons.
Because Chen Fan didn’t want to risk using long weapons, he gave each of them a wooden stick.
Using long weapons made the fight challenging for him.
But he wasn’t in a hurry.
He considered it as gaining experience.
“Master, I see that you get along well with Master Lu. Why not join the Iron Body Martial Hall?”
An hour later, when Zhang Yi, who had become familiar with Chen Fan, asked while catching his breath.
“The Iron Body Martial Hall’s Iron Body Magic Light Technique may cultivate faster, but it’s too detrimental to the body.”
Chen Fan shook his head.
The reason he chose the Purple Peak Martial Hall was because the Purple Peak True Cloud Technique was suitable for laying the foundation.
Although the cultivation speed was not fast, reaching a high level made up for it.
Moreover, the martial hall was not like the Iron Sword Sect, the Black Tiger Gang, or the Scarlet Blood Gang.
Once he learned everything from the Purple Peak Martial Hall, he could easily switch to another martial hall.
…
The next day.
After Chen Fan finished breakfast and bought a honey osmanthus cake, he took Zhang Yi and Zhang De to the Purple Peak Martial Hall.
“Thank you, Uncle.”
He Yun took the osmanthus cake handed by Chen Fan, smiling.
After two months of contact, the two had become familiar.
In front of Chen Fan, He Yun no longer maintained the demeanor of a senior sister. Sometimes, she would even make jokes or reveal some of her girlish innocence.
“It’s not a free gift; when you teach me practical combat later, remember to show me some killer moves.”
Chen Fan chuckled.
“This guy is overly cautious; he always accompanies himself with bodyguards.”
From a distance, Jiang Chi and a young man observed Chen Fan, both growing irritated.
They understood that their plan could not be executed.
Although Chen Fan might lack strength, his wealth had made him a target they had long perceived as a lucrative opportunity.
Regrettably, Chen Fan only made appearances during daylight hours, spending just an hour or two at the martial hall and never venturing out at night.
They couldn’t do anything about Chen Fan.
This time was even more outrageous; within a distance of less than three hundred meters, Chen Fan actually brought two bodyguards.
“Let’s go.”
An hour later, after Chen Fan finished practicing combat with He Yun, he called Zhang Yi and Zhang De, bidding farewell.
Now he no longer needed to practice in the martial hall’s training room.
Having cultivated Internal Qi, the visualization diagram of the Purple Peak True Cloud was imprinted in his mind.
Regardless of when or where, he could visualize it and cultivate.
Time passed.
In the blink of an eye, another two months had passed.
…