Chapter 199: Chapter 146: Promotion

“Lin Guang, you’re back?”

“Yes, Mrs. Liu. I just got back. Why is my courtyard so clean? Did my Second Aunt help me tidy up?”

“We’re neighbors. After I finish my work in the fields, I just give your yard a sweep when I’m cleaning my own. You’ve been gone for over a month. If no one looks after the house, it’ll get full of cobwebs, and it can get damp and unsafe.”

“Oh, I see. Thank you, Mrs. Liu. I have a box of pastries here. Please take it home for you and the children to share.”

“Oh, I couldn’t possibly.”

“Please, take it. It’s just a small token of my appreciation.”

“I… alright then. I’ll thank you on behalf of the children. Oh, right, I should tell you, Liu Lishi and his whole family moved away. The whole village drove them out. It serves them right for being so ungrateful.”

“What?”

“Liu Quan was crippled and kicked out by Master Tie. The Liu Family lost their backing, so they couldn’t survive in Liu Family Gully anymore. Besides, everyone knows you passed the exam to become a Martial Scholar—and ranked first in South City. They probably wanted to get far away from you, too.”

“I see… It’s for the best that they moved.”

Chu Lingguang then noticed that Liu Quan’s house was dark and empty. The doors and windows had been torn off. It was a true case of rats fleeing a sinking ship, with everyone piling on once they were down.

“Lin Guang, we dug up so many sweet potatoes, we can’t possibly eat them all. I’ll bring some over for you.”

“Lin Guang, the tiles on your roof need replacing. I’ll come by and replace them for you tomorrow!”

“I bought these red lanterns on Wine Street. Let me hang them up for you.”

“My wife killed an extra chicken today. It’s freshly braised. You should have some while it’s hot!”

…

Chu Lingguang becoming a Martial Scholar and ranking first in South City was an unprecedented event in Liu Family Gully. After the news arrived, all the villagers had been waiting for his return.

Not long after Mrs. Liu ran into Chu Lingguang, the entire Liu Family Gully knew he was back. Normally, everyone would be asleep in their homes at this hour, rarely venturing out at night.

But now, they were all gathered at Chu Lingguang’s front door.

One by one, they showered him with greetings and concern, or vied to help him repair his house.

Only now did Chu Lingguang realize just how lively Liu Family Gully could be. People came in wave after wave, seemingly without end.

By the time Chu Lingguang saw them all off, he found his house filled with new things. While none of it was valuable, it was the best his neighbors had to offer.

Chu Lingguang hadn’t actually wanted to accept their gifts, but the villagers were too enthusiastic. Some simply dropped things off and left, and Chu Lingguang couldn’t stop them even if he tried.

He could only make a mental note of each gift.

「The next morning.」

“Lin Guang, I made too much congee. I can’t finish it all, so help me eat it so it doesn’t go to waste.”

Hearing Chu Lingguang open his door, Mrs. Liu came over carrying a pot of congee.

“Mrs. Liu, you’re too kind. My master’s Martial Arts Hall provides meals.”

Chu Lingguang said, waving his hands in refusal.

“It’s just a pot of congee, please accept it. I… I’ll be going now!”

Mrs. Liu set down the stone pot, hesitating as if she wanted to say something but couldn’t.

“Mrs. Liu, if you have something to say, please just say it.”

When he returned last night, Chu Lingguang had already noticed that Mrs. Liu was even more enthusiastic toward him than the other neighbors. ’She must need my help with something.’

“Well, it’s not a big deal, really. Your uncle’s health is getting worse by the day, and he can’t do heavy labor anymore. I was hoping you could help him find an easy job at the tile factory. If it’s too much trouble, that’s fine too. Just pretend I never said anything, don’t take it to heart.”

“I’ll go to the Martial Arts Hall later and ask my senior brother. I’ll give you an answer tonight,” Chu Lingguang said.

“Oh, wonderful! Drink the congee while it’s hot. It’ll get pasty if it cools down.”

A look of delight spread across Mrs. Liu’s face, and she went home satisfied.

Chu Lingguang went to the kitchen, grabbed a wooden spoon, and began to drink the congee in big gulps straight from the stone pot. He noticed a sheen of oil floating on top, along with shreds of meat. It had clearly been prepared specially for him.

Before, even though he trained at the Guo Wei Martial Arts Hall, he had no official title to his name. People might have thought him a cut above the rest, but no one really expected him to make any big waves.

Now that he had passed the Daoist Examination and earned a title, people’s attitudes toward him had changed drastically. They now saw him as someone who could get things done.

Mrs. Liu’s request was just the beginning. Chu Lingguang knew that if he could handle this well, the other villagers would see that he was not only capable, but also effective at handling practical matters.

’And my Favor Points will continue to accumulate.’

「Inside the Martial Arts Hall.」

“Chu!”

“Morning, Chu!”

“Good morning, Chu!”

Stepping into the Martial Arts Hall, Chu Lingguang could clearly feel the monumental shift in how the Outer Courtyard students looked at him. Their eyes were filled with admiration. Everyone knew he’d had a difficult journey, taking a full year just to develop Fist Force before finally being accepted as a disciple by Guo Wei.

No one had expected him to take first place in the South City Daoist Examination, his fame spreading across more than a dozen counties in the South City region. In Baiyang County, he was now a somebody.

Even the County Magistrate, Lord Xu, had personally visited the Martial Arts Hall to offer his congratulations to Guo Wei and instructed him to be notified the moment Chu Lingguang returned.

“Hello, everyone.”

“Please, continue your training.”

Chu Lingguang cupped his hands in a fist-and-palm salute to the crowd, not ignoring them just because he had earned a title.

“Chu, no matter how much I practice my Iron Mountain Fist, I can’t grasp Qi Sensitivity. Could you give me some pointers?” a young man asked.

“As long as you follow the method my master taught you and train diligently, sooner or later you will find the Qi Sensitivity you’re looking for. Remember, don’t give up easily,” Chu Lingguang said, his voice firm and resonant.

Ever since he became Guo Wei’s disciple, Outer Courtyard students had sought his guidance, but aside from the time he had advised Liu Quan, Chu Lingguang had never taught anyone else.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep