Chapter Forty-Six: From This Point On

The next day.

Early in the morning, several members of the Black Tiger Gang arrived on Huai Tree Street, carrying gifts. They intended to visit Chen Fan, only to discover that his family's small courtyard had already been put up for sale. After inquiring with the neighbors, they learned of Chen Fan's new residence. However, when they arrived, Chen Fan had already left for the martial arts academy and was not home. The group waited for a long time in vain and finally decided to return the following day.

At this moment, Chen Fan was bustling about in the White Cloud Dojo. Having taken first place in the Feiling Martial Tournament, he had instantly become the most sought-after figure in the entire White Cloud Branch. As soon as he entered the dojo, he was greeted with enthusiastic praise and congratulations.

Though his vanity was satisfied at first, Chen Fan soon felt rather uncomfortable. He greeted Bao Tianyou and the others, asking Bao to look after his sister-in-law and niece to ensure their safety, and then went to his own class.

He explained his situation to Master Feng Cong. As they had shared a few months as master and apprentice, and because Master Feng was a good man, Chen Fan felt it would be improper to leave without a word.

It is worth mentioning that when Chen Fan returned to the Black Cloud class, all the students came forward, chattering nonstop and full of excitement. Even those he had never interacted with before offered their congratulations. To be recognized as the best under-eighteen martial artist in Feiling County was no small feat.

Yet, upon learning that Chen Fan was soon to leave, many students felt regret. The usually proud and aloof He Hongshan also approached him, saying, “Wait for me in Yandu City. Within a year, I will come find you there!”

If He Hongshan could truly master the White Cloud Pine Crane Palm within a year, her talent would surpass even that of Feng Yuancheng, and she might even be able to study other top-tier martial arts in the future.

Chen Fan managed an embarrassed smile, unable to ignore her, and replied, “Then I’ll be waiting.”

He meant nothing more by it. He Hongshan snorted and turned away to continue her arduous training.

Afterward, Master Feng Cong pulled Chen Fan aside for a round of earnest advice. “Yandu City is not like here. Competition is far fiercer. Your talent is great, but you must not grow complacent. You must work hard, harder, and harder still!”

As Chen Fan was preparing to bid farewell, Master Feng stopped him again, leading him to the public training ground and asking him to share his training experiences with the new class. This left Chen Fan feeling rather awkward. His achievements were due to exceptional talent, not accumulated experience, so he improvised a few stories—about neglecting food and sleep, constantly thinking about martial arts even while resting.

He also advised everyone not to be too rigid in their training: sometimes, effort alone was not enough; it was important to broaden one’s horizons, for inspiration might strike at any time.

“For instance, the reason I was able to gain sudden insight into the Wind and Thunder Palm was that I often watched the thunder and lightning during storms, accumulating experience over time…”

Hearing this, Master Feng Cong’s impression of Chen Fan changed. He had thought Chen Fan disliked hard training and was always running off, but now it seemed Chen Fan had his own reasons!

Chen Fan’s statements were not wrong, but such sudden insights were exceedingly rare; only a select few could achieve them as easily as he did.

Chen Fan’s relationships were actually quite simple. In the dojo, he mostly mingled with Bao Tianyou and a handful of others; his ties with his classmates were otherwise ordinary.

Afterward, Chen Fan went straight to see Li Linliu.

Master Feng led Chen Fan up to the third floor of the dojo. The second floor was usually reserved for entry-level disciples, with foundational skills and techniques, but Chen Fan bypassed this entirely.

They stopped before an elegant room. Upon entering, Chen Fan saw that besides Li Linliu, there were two others present.

One was none other than Feng Yuancheng! The other was the instructor surnamed Zhu.

“Master!” the group greeted as they approached. Chen Fan stood awkwardly beside Feng Yuancheng and cupped his fists. “Senior Brother Feng…”

Feng Yuancheng’s lips twitched slightly before he took a deep breath, his gaze complex. “Congratulations on winning the tournament, Junior Brother.”

After losing to Chen Fan, Feng Yuancheng had left the arena and withdrawn from the rest of the competition. He hadn’t expected to see him again here.

Chen Fan nodded slightly. It made sense; since Feng Yuancheng had already mastered the White Cloud Pine Crane Palm, he too needed to head to Yandu City unless his family could provide even better training conditions.

Li Linliu turned to Chen Fan with a smile. “Have you finished your preparations?”

Chen Fan nodded.

Li Linliu inclined his head. “Since that’s the case, go home and get ready. We’ll set out at dawn tomorrow. The journey will take us through the wilderness, and it will be half a day before we arrive. Prepare yourselves mentally.”

Feng Yuancheng glanced at Chen Fan in surprise. “Junior Brother, you’re going to Yandu City as well?”

Chen Fan nodded.

Feng Yuancheng sighed. “Your talent is truly extraordinary…”

If Feng Yuancheng was admitted to Yandu City by merit, then Chen Fan was accepted as an exception—there was a difference between the two.

Since they’d once competed against each other, their relationship was awkward, and after a brief farewell, each went his own way.

Upon returning home, Chen Fan’s sister-in-law greeted him, “Four or five groups of people came today with gifts, looking for you—people from the He family, the Wang family, and others…”

Chen Fan nodded and interrupted her, “They must want to recruit me, but I’ll be leaving Feiling County tomorrow, so it doesn’t matter.”

The three of them shared a final dinner together—a farewell meal.

The next morning, Chen Fan rose early, intending not to disturb his sister-in-law and niece. To his surprise, his sister-in-law was already up, breakfast prepared, a satchel of red eggs cooked, and his luggage packed. She fussed over him with endless reminders, filling Chen Fan with emotion.

Though not related by blood, she had treated him as well as any real sister could.

At last, Chen Fan went to the inner room, took a final look at his sleeping niece, and, carrying his belongings, left quietly. It would be months, perhaps longer, before he could return.

In less than five minutes, he arrived at the entrance to the White Cloud Dojo. The sky was still dark, the sun yet to rise, and few figures moved before the dojo. From a distance, he saw a carriage parked at the gate. As he drew closer, he was taken aback.

The animal pulling the carriage was not quite a horse—it was far more fearsome and robust, with two horns on its head, completely unlike anything Chen Fan had seen in his previous life!

He stared in astonishment at the strange creature, unable to look away.

A middle-aged man sitting atop the carriage laughed. “Boy, never seen a horse with the blood of a demon beast?”

Chen Fan paused and scratched his head. “No, I haven’t. Demon beasts—do they really exist in this world?”

He had heard tales of demon beasts, but had always thought them ancient superstition.

The man continued, “Well, Feiling County is a small place. Except for a few martial families, it’s normal you haven’t seen one. Demon beasts dwell in the wilds and rarely intrude on human domains. Pure-blooded demon beasts are extremely powerful…”

Chen Fan was deeply curious, feeling that his former view of the world had been far too narrow. He stepped closer to examine the animal.

“This is called a Twin-Horned Steed. Its strength and resilience far exceed that of ordinary horses. With demon beast blood, wild animals daren’t approach. It’s ideal for travel in the wilderness!”

The man seemed to enjoy explaining things to Chen Fan.

As they chatted, several figures emerged from the dojo. Leading them was Li Linliu.

Behind him were Feng Yuancheng and the various instructors.

“Chen Fan, you’re here. Let’s get going,” Li Linliu called, telling Chen Fan to pack his things and get on the carriage.

“So it really is Li Linliu’s carriage!” Chen Fan had guessed as much. If anyone else in town had such a fantastic animal, it would be common knowledge. He wondered where Li Linliu kept the Twin-Horned Steed these past days.

Chen Fan greeted Feng Cong and Instructor Zhu before boarding the carriage under the coachman’s curious gaze.

The coachman clicked his tongue. “So young—looks like Feiling County has a real talent this year.”

Chen Fan only shook his head modestly.

Soon after, Feng Yuancheng boarded the carriage with a burly man carrying two rattan trunks—presumably a family servant. Compared to Chen Fan’s modest bundle, Feng Yuancheng’s luggage was considerable.

Finally, Li Linliu boarded, looked out at the instructors, and said, “Farewell, everyone. Until we meet again.”

Li Linliu, it seemed, had other matters to attend to, and had already resigned as acting master of the White Cloud Dojo. It was unlikely that a figure like him would return to Feiling County in the future.

“Take care!”

The coachman gave a shout, cracked his whip, and the Twin-Horned Steed set off, hooves pounding, raising a cloud of dust as the carriage rolled down the road and quickly disappeared from view.

Meanwhile, back at the Chen residence.

Barely half an hour after Chen Fan’s departure, members of the Black Tiger Gang arrived again with gifts. Upon learning that Chen Fan had already left Feiling County, they looked at one another helplessly and returned to report to their leader.

You Shahuo frowned, clearly frustrated. “Keep an eye on Chen Fan’s family. If he returns, let me know at once!”

He was curious about Chen Fan, but not suspicious enough to pursue him all the way to Yandu City for something so uncertain.

Feihu Sect.

A young man in blue frowned at the elder before him. “Master, have you really decided? With Junior Yan’s talent, if he remained at the dojo and cultivated the true arts, he’d surely win a martial academy quota for our sect within three years!”

The elder was none other than Teng Bo, master of Feihu Sect. Beside him was an untidy youth, who nodded in agreement. “Senior brother is right. We worked so hard to train Lin Cu for two years—handing him over now seems such a waste…”

A bitter smile crossed Teng Bo’s face, but was soon replaced by resolve. “Li Linliu is right—Lin Cu is an extraordinary talent, unmatched in physique. If not for the restrictions of our sect, he could never have lost to Chen Fan…”

Chen Fan had to rely on Blood-Nourishing Pills to defeat Yan Lin Cu. This was what Teng Bo found hardest to accept.

The two disciples exchanged glances and fell silent. It was true: as Teng Bo’s direct disciples, they were the cream of Feiling County’s talent, yet in Yandu City, such gifts were no longer rare.

“But Li Linliu is mistaken in one respect—this world is vast. There is more than one White Cloud Dojo, more than one Yandu City. I have already contacted an old friend in Qinghe Prefecture to recommend Lin Cu for a major sect there. With his unique talent, he may gain direct admission to the martial academy…”

Teng Bo turned to his disciples, sighing. “In truth, this is a good thing—Lin Cu’s departure means the Feihu Sect can focus its resources on you two. Especially you, Zhao Hei. If you need money, come to me; from now on, stop those petty tricks that have harmed our sect’s reputation…”

The untidy youth—Zhao Hei—scratched his head in embarrassment.

Teng Bo looked at the rising red sun, his expression resolute. “Do your best. With your skills, you may yet have a chance at next year’s martial academy examinations!”

The two disciples exchanged glances, cupped their fists, and their eyes shone with renewed determination.