Chapter 77

If put nicely, it’s a great technique that involves beating the entire body to unblock blocked meridians and improve the bones and muscles. However, according to the rumors floating around, it’s just a method of beating someone to death to turn them into a master. The person performing it must have a thorough understanding of the human body and the skill to beat it, so a certain level of martial arts and profound inner energy is required. Naturally, it’s not something one can easily encounter.

‘Damn, no wonder he was so confident that I wouldn’t run away…’

If he had received this and then ran away, he wouldn’t be able to sleep soundly for the rest of his life. Even if he was a twisted person who got annoyed by well-grown martial artists, it would still be the case.

Moreover, the hand techniques the boy had displayed kept flashing before his eyes. He had been unable to move and had been beaten to a pulp…

‘How can I not learn? No, no! Stop it! This is greed!’

His lifelong dream and pain, the issue of inner energy, had been resolved. What else did he need?

But a glimmer of hope rose in his heart. There must be a reason why he had gone to such lengths to perform the technique on him. If they wanted to use him for a long time, wouldn’t they have to teach him various things?

‘Surely, he didn’t just beat me up for the sake of a good punch after a long time, right?’

“Can’t you go a bit faster?”

The thought of the boy finding him and discovering his escape that night made him feel dizzy.

“Do you want to become a water ghost?”

“Oh no, of course not! I still have a thousand years of happiness left to live.”

Suddenly, he burst into laughter. Bai Yiming started to chuckle, and the boatman’s oars suddenly sped up.

“Oh! You can go faster! Then let’s hurry up and go~!”

* * *

The news of the Danmu family’s recruitment spread throughout Hangzhou and Zhejiang Province, and sometimes even beyond the province.

Danmu Xianyao boasted about the elegance of the handwriting in the letters that Shi Fanan had written and copied.

Before long, relatives from various places gathered.

After two months of registration and a preliminary screening this week, about twenty children remained.

Of these, ten would be the final ones to pass.

The usually quiet family estate was bustling with people.

Although the children and their attendants from the collateral line were staying in the reception hall, they were still tense and curious, exploring the main family’s grounds.

A small girl, who was part of a group admiring the fully bloomed golden osmanthus, tilted her head when she saw Lian and then straightened up.

“Oh, oh, hello…”

She bowed and then cautiously moved to the side, waiting for Lian to pass.

“Is it Wan, right?”

“…!”

The girl, who had been bowing her head, was startled.

“Oh, yes, yes.”

“Do you like the golden osmanthus? I really like its fragrance.”

Lian’s words made Danmu Wan’s neck turn red, and she bowed her head even lower.

“Yes, yes! I like… I like it.”

“Would you like a branch? You can put it in a bowl of water in your room.”

“No, no! I can’t impose such a burden!”

Danmu Wan waved her hands and made a sad face, but Lian had already cut a branch with golden osmanthus flowers.

“Oh, I’ve already cut it. What should I do…”

“Oh, no! I would be grateful to receive it, receive it!”

The girl’s hands trembled. The tension was palpable.

“T-thank you!”

Afraid that her face would lose all color if she spoke more, Lian repeatedly clenched and unclenched her hands, then simply handed over the flower branch and left.

“When did you remember her name?”

“That child has talent. I’ve been keeping an eye on her.”

“Ah. Did you talk to her to make her more nervous or to calm her down?”

Hualun, who was following, asked slyly. Lian glanced at Hualun.

“I wanted her to relax, but it doesn’t seem to have worked.”

Among the collateral relatives who had come this time, Danmu Wan was one of the few who could be considered a genius.

Her timidity was a flaw, but she wasn’t devious, so Lian had been keeping an eye on her.

‘I hope she can relax and do well in the final test.’

Lian had told Danmu Tianji that he could personally select a few, but it would be better for everyone if she were properly recognized and stayed in the family.

‘Actually, I’d like to select and raise about five hundred.’

Putting aside the fact that there were five hundred collateral relatives, thinking about the blood demons in Xuelagou who would raise their heads in ten years, Lian wanted to gather and raise a thousand more.

But with a thousand, even if there was an unwritten rule that the government would not interfere, the government would still be on high alert, and five hundred…

‘Even five hundred would make the government sensitive. Not to mention, we don’t have that much money yet. Sigh.’

The purpose of this recruitment of collateral line disciples was to raise martial artists who would think of the family as their own and be loyal to it, which, in simpler terms, meant providing a kind of youth scholarship to distant relatives.

Naturally, they would have to provide for their basic needs and give them some pocket money—without it, the children would start doing other things during their martial arts training!—and to encourage their learning, they would also need to provide them with fine swords and martial attire. Some places even offered to induct them into the direct line as a condition.

After ten years of this for ten people, they would finally become proper martial artists.

The current number of ten was set because the family’s situation was not yet fully stable.

The conclusion was that it would be better to take in more children when they could plan for the long term.

But if they were to do this for five hundred? Lian would probably not be able to sleep every night, worrying about whether they could feed the children next month.

‘The Daoist sects must have it easy.’

The situation was a bit different for those sects.

Since they were gatherings of practitioners who wanted to distance themselves from the secular world, they needed less private funds, and the money they needed came from the offerings of temple visitors and the regular contributions of lay disciples…

‘The Shaolin Temple also has a lot of farmland given by the emperor. Anyway, martial artists. They only claim non-interference from the government when it suits them, right?’

Given the temple’s history and prestige, it was natural for the emperor to offer blessings and gifts, but Lian inwardly resented and grumbled about the Shaolin Sect.

‘I’ll soon find all our family’s farmland.’

She would try to revive the withered orchard with Lingqi, buy back the lost farmland and shops with the money from selling Qinglian water, and raise disciples.

“Sister, what are you thinking about with such a fierce look in your eyes?”

“Making money.”

“Oh, no… Shouldn’t you be thinking about martial arts?”

Hualun grumbled.

“Martial arts….”

Lian stopped speaking and swallowed, but Hualun quickly caught on.

“Is it going well?”

Lian smiled and nodded.

“Is it not going well with money?”

“It’s not that it’s not going well, but there are too many places to spend money.”

“Where are you spending it?”

“I was imagining raising five hundred disciples. I already feel like I won’t be able to sleep. I’m worried that I won’t be able to feed the children because I can’t make money…”

Lian said, pressing her forehead, and Hualun burst into laughter, then caught his breath.

“Do you always have such unrealistic fantasies?”

“Being responsible for the family is like this. Do you understand?”

“I don’t… You have to earn your own living.”

“No, no… Even so, the head of the family has to take responsibility. Only then will they trust and follow me…”

“Do they follow because you take responsibility?”

Hualun narrowed his eyes.

“That kind of following is all fake.”

“What? Then why do people follow the head of the family?”

“They follow because the head is the strongest. Without any conditions.”

Lian’s eyes widened. Suddenly, her throat felt dry, and she felt like crying.

“No! No, Lian, no! Absolutely not. Listen carefully. It must never be like that. People have different roles to live together. Of course, being strong is important, because you have to protect the family