Free Web NovelChapter 48: Chapter 48: Improved Treatment
Liu the Monk saw that Xie Yuan looked a little tired, so he had someone take him directly to the school’s finest suite to rest.
After Xie Yuan left, Liu the Monk gave the remaining disciples a few words of encouragement. He told them to remember this day—if they didn’t want to be bullied at their own doorstep, they had to train hard and learn from Xie Yuan. After that, he dismissed the crowd.
With his hands clasped behind his back, Liu the Monk walked toward his study, his spirits soaring. His eldest disciple, Hodar, followed close behind.
Hodar took a few quick steps to catch up, sidling up to his master and asking in a low voice,
"Master, you said before that Junior Brother Xie was overflowing with talent and had an upright character. You even wanted to take him on as a Direct Disciple. Why did you change your mind?"
"That was indeed the plan, at first."
Liu the Monk stopped and gazed out at the courtyard pond beyond the covered walkway.
"It wasn’t until later that I realized his talent was simply too great. So great that even I felt I couldn’t teach him.
"Even if I wanted to, I’m afraid others wouldn’t have agreed."
Hodar fell silent. ’He had felt it too. Junior Brother Xie’s sights seem to have long been set on things beyond this school.’
Liu the Monk shook his head and sighed.
"From what I can see, Xie Yuan is bound to venture into Yunzhao County sooner or later. Panlong Town can’t hold him. fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm
"This way is better. Making him a Core Disciple is enough. No matter where he goes in the end, we’ll still have a good relationship. If I had insisted on making him a Direct Disciple, I might have only earned his resentment down the line.
"Think about your Junior Brother Liu. He was dead set on going to the One-Blade School, and that caused quite a scene, didn’t it? He left in the end, and our connection was completely severed.
"When it came to your Junior Brother Shi, I learned my lesson. I helped him with the arrangements, and now he still writes to me from time to time. He can even help me out with a few things in the county seat now and then."
Hodar recalled these past events and nodded.
"You’re right, Master."
Liu the Monk suddenly turned back and grunted,
"Let me ask you. You’re in charge of teaching the registered disciples. How could you not have told me sooner about a talent like Xie Yuan?"
Hodar’s eyes went wide, his voice rising with indignation.
"Master, I tried to tell you at least three times! But you were always stressed about other things and just kicked me out every time."
"Did I do that?"
Liu the Monk thought back. ’Hmm, maybe... possibly... that might have actually happened?’
’That won’t do. A master can’t be wrong, otherwise, what would happen to my authority?’
So Liu the Monk kept a straight face and said,
"Then why couldn’t you have picked a time when I was in a better mood?"
"But you’re in a bad mood every day... except for today."
"Insolent disciple! You dare talk back to me? Go hold a Pile Skill stance for six hours!"
Seeing Hodar obediently run into the courtyard to practice his stance, Liu the Monk turned away, a faint smile touching his lips.
’Ah, my own disciples are the best...’
Xie Yuan was led by a servant into a large suite.
The suite consisted of two rooms, an inner and an outer, separated by a folding screen painted with landscapes. The outer room was furnished with a table, chairs, and a tea set, while the inner room held a soft bed.
Either one of the rooms was far larger than his entire little wooden cabin.
This suite was available for rent to the school’s disciples. It was the best one available, costing six silver a month.
Some of the school’s disciples lived far away—for instance, in places as distant as Little Stone Village. Most of them rented rooms, but none this expensive.
Only someone as truly destitute as Xie Yuan would make the round trip every single day.
’It’s so spacious... and there are even servants to wait on me.’
Xie Yuan marveled.
Someone had already moved a wooden tub into the room and filled it with hot water for him to bathe.
He soaked comfortably in the hot bath, letting the fatigue of his battle wash away. By the time he was done, a fresh set of clothes had been delivered.
After drying himself off, Xie Yuan changed into a set of cyan robes embroidered with the school’s insignia.
The fabric was proper cloth, not the coarse hemp he was used to, and the lining was even padded with cotton! It didn’t look bulky, but it was incredibly warm.
The robes looked far better than his own clothes. Catching his reflection in the water of the wooden tub, he remarked with a bit of awe,
"Clothes really do make the man."
The youth reflected in the water wore a cyan martial arts uniform. His back was ramrod straight, his features handsome—a truly dignified and imposing figure.
Once a servant had carried the tub away, Xie Yuan collapsed onto the soft couch—one without any sharp straw bits poking him. He let out a sigh of comfort and quickly drifted off to sleep.
The next morning, Xie Yuan woke up feeling refreshed and full of energy.
Ever since he began practicing the Body-Nourishing Art, he found that he rarely suffered from any fatigue he couldn’t shake off. A single night’s sleep was all it took to feel brand new.
Having deeply experienced the benefits of Inner Power, Xie Yuan had never once slacked in his cultivation of the art.
’Still, it’s better not to practice it here in the school, just to be safe.’
He went straight to the training grounds, only to find Liu the Monk already waiting for him.
Seeing the short, stout figure in the morning mist, Xie Yuan’s spirits lifted. He stepped forward and bowed.
"Good morning, Master."
"Rested well? Then let’s get started."
Liu the Monk chuckled as he watched Xie Yuan begin his routine, starting with the Pile Skill.
"Your force is wrong! You need to pull that palm strike back... No, it’s not your fault. It’s Hodar’s fault for not teaching you properly."
"Your leg is too low here, and your knee is too high there. That Hodar... he didn’t explain any of this clearly."
"Yes, yes, that’s good! You’re just a little slow on the turn. Hodar must have given you a poor demonstration. Let me show you how it’s done."
"Ah, Hodar..."
Xie Yuan was the one making mistakes, but it was Hodar who took the blame. Even Xie Yuan was starting to feel a little awkward.
From the basic "Three Still, Three Moving" Pile Skill to the Iron Garment Long Fist, Xie Yuan demonstrated everything he knew.
Having run a martial arts school for years, Liu the Monk had taught the Iron Cloth Shirt to countless students. His experience was, naturally, vast. He corrected Xie Yuan’s form move by move, immediately identifying numerous issues.
With this one-on-one instruction, Xie Yuan suddenly understood many crucial points. In some areas, he even felt a sense of sudden, profound enlightenment.
’With this round of guidance over, my progress is going to skyrocket when I go back to training.’
"Not bad, not bad at all. You grasp things with just a single pointer. You’re much sharper than that blockhead."
Liu the Monk nodded again and again in admiration.
He even had a feeling that it wouldn’t be long before Xie Yuan broke through to the rank of Martial Artist and perfected the Iron Garment Long Fist!
’How long has he been here, anyway? Ten silver for three months... and hasn’t it been just a few days shy of three months?’
’In all the years the Iron Garment School has been open, I’ve never seen anyone like him...’
’Truly a monster.’
Liu the Monk sighed in amazement once more before saying amiably,
"That’s about enough for today. We’ll continue tomorrow. For now, if you still have the energy, you can go and try the medicinal bath."
"Thank you, Master!"
Xie Yuan thanked him with sincere gratitude.
Liu the Monk’s explanations and corrections were so meticulous that Xie Yuan felt this must be what it was like to be trained as a Direct Disciple.
Although he had earned this special treatment with his own great contribution, his improvement was tangible, and Liu the Monk’s sincerity was plain to see. For that, Xie Yuan was deeply grateful.
Even though Xie Yuan had his ’cheat,’ which made his cultivation relatively easy, there was still a world of difference between having an expert guide and relying solely on himself—especially when that guide was a grandmaster of the Iron Cloth Shirt.
’In just this short time, I can feel my rate of progress accelerating!’
Xie Yuan could feel his own improvement, an improvement that started from the very foundation. It was like the foundation of a great skyscraper being reinforced by its original architect. The long-term benefits would be immeasurable!
His spirits high, Xie Yuan rode the wave of motivation all the way to the dispensary, ready to try the advanced medicinal bath.
’If the basic bath was that good, the advanced one is going to be insane!’
