Chapter 10

Galong vaguely sensed something unusual about his sister. His maturity made him immediately realize that Ying'er seemed to have a different feeling towards him, as if she took every word he said very seriously. When they were chasing and fighting earlier, her movements were also very careful, as if she was afraid of hurting him, using very light force, which allowed him to easily sneak up and knock her down later.

"Let's have lunch first. You've been busy making breakfast and lunch, and going out to buy fruit. You've worked hard, Ying'er." He reached out to pinch her cheek, which was red and had fewer pimples and freckles recently, feeling soft and smooth.

"You jerk!!" Ying'er slapped Galong's hand away, "Did you take the wrong medicine? You actually know how to care for someone now?" She looked at Galong with suspicion. Although she usually pretended to have a distant relationship with her brother, she actually paid attention to all of Galong's affairs secretly.

Galong paused, realizing that the change was too sudden and too much. He stopped talking and withdrew his hand. "Can't I become more sensible? Why are you making such a fuss? Come on, let's eat."

After a quick lunch, the two siblings washed the dishes and cutlery together, then quickly returned to their respective bedrooms, both feeling a bit strange. Ying'er, after her skirt had been exposed, always felt a coolness under her skirt and felt uncomfortable in front of Galong. After all, they were half-siblings from two single-parent families, with no blood relation.

Galong, on the other hand, was eager to return to his bedroom to continue thinking about his attribute points.

Standing by the window, he quietly gazed at the pale pink attribute data below his line of sight.

"If I can indeed add skills, then if I add points to archery or swordsmanship, I could participate in a competition in a short time and win a large prize. However, a student who rarely practices suddenly winning an award would be too conspicuous. Not to mention, my sister Ying'er knows my situation best; she knows I don't usually practice archery or swordsmanship." He placed his hand on the glass window.

"Thus, the path of archery or swordsmanship seems unfeasible. But what about the Baiyun Martial Arts Hall? ... I've always been very attentive to the training at the martial arts hall. A sudden surge in performance can be seen as a result of accumulated effort, and it won't attract much attention. Besides, the martial arts hall is not a school; it's an independent entity, so even if I stand out a bit, it won't draw much attention. The prize money is a bit low, though... I could go to the martial arts hall and ask if there are any inter-hall competitions coming up. The prize money for those is much higher than for internal competitions! That could be a way!"

He gently rubbed his hand on the glass, enjoying the cool, smooth sensation. "In that case, I'll go to the martial arts hall this afternoon and ask the instructor about the details."

After resting a bit in his room, Galong quietly left, passing by his sister's room. Through the crack, he saw Ying'er lying on her bed, her cheeks flushed, sleeping soundly. He didn't disturb her.

He quietly put on his scarf and coat, changed his shoes, and went out. Leaving the neighborhood, he had 300 yuan given by his uncle in his pocket and hailed a black carriage.

"To Baiyun Martial Arts Hall."

"10 yuan?" the driver asked, turning back.

"Let's go," Galong nodded.

Sitting in the carriage, he looked out the right window, where pale yellow buildings passed by one after another. After a few minutes, the street turned a corner, and the area gradually became quieter, with rectangular gray-white buildings and shops with arched doors, all selling clocks and daily necessities.

Galong carefully examined the skill items in his view.

Martial Arts: Beginner. Archery: Beginner. Swordsmanship: Beginner.

"If I can pass the test and obtain the secret training techniques of Baiyun Martial Arts Hall to improve my physical fitness, then by stacking attribute points and increasing strength, my training effect will definitely far surpass that of any other person of the same age!" His wine-red eyes narrowed slightly, revealing a hint of anticipation.

"I wonder to what extent I can increase a single attribute if I keep adding points to it. It's said that different people have different talents, and the effects of the secret training techniques vary greatly. This can conveniently mask the fact that I'm increasing my attributes. This way, even if the training method is of a lower tier, it can still match the best training methods. The only hope now is that attribute points can be added to the training method like they are to attributes."

Recalling the people he could ask at the martial arts hall, Galong had only three options: Samanra, Roya, and the silver-haired girl he practiced with.

The one who left the deepest impression was Elwin, the top student in their batch, who always ranked first with overwhelming strength. He was always very gentle and well-mannered. If anyone could become a true disciple of Baiyun Martial Arts Hall, it would be him.

"I can go to Elwin. This guy is definitely training at the martial arts hall even on weekends, without exception. And he must know about these matters." Galong thought. He had heard about the inter-hall competitions, where the best and most outstanding students from all over Huai Mountain City and the entire Grant province were selected by the government to receive rewards and medals. "This competition is a good way for martial arts halls to avoid malicious competition, showcase their talent reserves, and consolidate their social status. The first prize is usually no less than 100,000 yuan, and the winner can also qualify for the national competition."

As Galong was organizing the information he knew, the carriage gradually slowed down and stopped.

"Sir, we've arrived at Baiyun Martial Arts Hall." The driver's voice interrupted Galong's thoughts.

"Okay," he said, taking out the money and handing it over. After receiving the change, he jumped off the carriage.

The street was narrow and gave a sense of disorder and complexity.

The ground was paved with gray-black cobblestones, which felt a bit rough underfoot. The buildings on both sides of the street varied in height, with red, gray-white, and pale yellow ones. The patterns were diverse, including squares, triangles, grids, and wavy arcs. It looked very chaotic. About ten steps in front of where Galong stood, there was a yellowish-brown clock tower spanning the road, with an arched door below it, allowing the street to pass through.

Sparse pedestrians continuously entered and exited the archway.

To the left of the archway, a white wooden sign was posted, with a white paper notice on it. Two people were standing there reading it.

Galong walked over and stood in front of the notice.

'Baiyun Martial Arts Hall Holiday Enrollment Notice: Students with student IDs under 18 years old can enjoy a 50% discount on tuition. Specific fees for adults are as follows...'

A freckled boy in his teens read the notice and pouted. "Let's go, Jim. Martial arts training is too tiring, and it's not very useful. No matter what martial arts you practice, a single gunshot can take you down."

The other boy also shook his head, and the two of them walked around the wooden sign and through the archway, leaving Galong standing there alone.

To the right of the notice was the facade of a gray-white building with a pointed roof. The door was interspersed with many red wooden strips, resembling a spider web. The red wooden door was open, and inside, it was quiet, with only one student in a yellowish-brown martial arts uniform sweeping the floor.

Galong quickly scanned the notice and then walked directly to the right door.

The student sweeping the floor looked up at him but said nothing.

Galong passed through the front door, the main hall, and then the large yellowish-brown courtyard, heading straight for the row of low houses at the back.

The row of low houses at the end of the courtyard looked like a gray-black line. Galong turned left and walked to the far left house. Inside, he could hear the sound of someone hitting a punching bag.

He gently pushed the door open, and the room was dim and empty, with only four black punching bags hanging from the wall at the far end. Two men and one woman were hitting the bags rapidly. Three other students were standing by, helping with towels and other items.

The sound of punches hitting the bags was continuous.

Galong's entrance went largely unnoticed, with only one student holding a white towel glancing back at him briefly before ignoring him. This was a gym where any student could come to train, but the standards were high. Each punching bag was very heavy, suitable only for formal students. If ordinary students came and trained recklessly, they might end up hurting themselves.

Galong's gaze quickly fell on a boy on the far left.

The boy was bare-chested, with well-defined bronze muscles. Sweat was streaming down his back, thoroughly soaking his gray shorts. He was intently focused on the punching bag, hitting it at a moderate speed, each punch causing the bag to tremble slightly.

Galong walked over and stood to the side, waiting patiently.

After about ten minutes, the boy finally stopped, wiped the sweat from his face, and combed his thoroughly soaked light yellow hair back. He then grabbed a black towel from a nearby rack to wipe the sweat.

"Senior Elwin, it's Galong, a fellow student in your batch. Can I ask you something?" Galong took the opportunity to speak up loudly, as the sound of punches in the room was too loud to hear clearly otherwise.

"Galong? Oh... I remember you..." Elwin put down the towel and smiled gently. "What do you want to ask? We're all in the same batch, so there's no need to be formal."

"I want to ask about the student competitions."

Ten minutes later...

Galong came out of the room. He now had a general understanding of the competitions. First, he would need to participate in the internal competition at the martial arts hall, then the joint competition between two cities, followed by the provincial competition, and finally the national competition. The internal and city joint competitions would be completed within three weeks, while the other competitions would be held next year or the year after.

"However, if I can win the prize money, it will be enough. The first prize in the city competition is 10,000 yuan, the second prize is 5,000 yuan, and the third prize is 2,000 yuan. If I can get second place, it will solve my money problem."

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