Chapter 64

## Chapter 64. What is this?

"Twenty times, you say?"

"At the very least, that's what it would take to break even."

In situations like this, you have to be bold.

The old man looked at me with an expression that seemed to say, "What kind of thief are you?" I explained the reason for the twentyfold fee with confidence.

"If I become your tutor, I won't take on any other students; I'll focus solely on you."

"Didn't anyone else come besides me?"

... Despite the major crisis from the start, I ignored it and continued.

"Usually, tutoring involves teaching martial arts once every four days for about an hour. But that won't be enough for you. It seems you have a decent foundation in internal cultivation, but your external skills are almost nonexistent. Is that correct?"

"... I do some qigong exercises for health every day."

The old man nodded without denying it. I sighed as if I had expected as much.

"Qigong exercises to enter the Qinglong Academy? No way. It requires not only internal and external cultivation but also diet and health management. I'll need to pay attention to you for an entire month. In other words—"

I looked the old man in the eye with a serious expression.

This was also my sincere belief.

"The time and effort required are more than twenty times. It's not an excessive amount at all."

"Hmm... Now that I think about it, it does sound reasonable."

The old man stroked his beard and laughed. His smile then turned mischievous.

At the same time, his tone changed.

"So, how much is that twenty times? I haven't even heard the price yet."

How much, you mean... Well...

I swallowed hard and said,

"Six thousand silver taels."

"... You're a real bandit."

The old man clicked his tongue in disbelief.

But he didn't get angry or say it was unreasonable.

Six thousand silver taels.

An amount that commoners would never see in their lifetimes, and even a wealthy household would find hard to come by.

Yet, the old man only clicked his tongue lightly upon hearing the amount.

'That means money isn't an issue.'

An old man who could think of such a sum so easily.

I was curious about his identity but didn't show unnecessary curiosity.

"So, for six thousand taels, you can get me into the Qinglong Academy, is that it?"

"If you follow my guidance diligently..."

"Old man!"

At that moment, a black shadow blocked us.

A woman in black, who had been guarding the old man, glared at me.

"You don't need to listen to this fraud any longer!"

"Black Shadow, I haven't finished speaking yet..."

"There's nothing more to hear!"

Black Shadow cut off the old man and glared at me. Her hand was poised over her sword, ready to strike at any moment.

"Do you really think it's reasonable for an old man to learn martial arts?"

"Is there any reason it can't be done?"

"You're old and have a serious illness. You're here to recuperate."

"I'll take your health into account when planning the lessons, so there's no need to worry. You'll be healthier after a month."

"How dare you..."

I said this with a friendly smile, but Black Shadow's face twisted like a demon's.

"Who are you trying to deceive!"

Her sword was suddenly at my throat.

Black Shadow glared at me with a chilling aura.

"Stop trying to bewitch the old man with your silver tongue. I'll cut it out before it's too late."

"... What are you doing?"

"Black Shadow!"

The old man shouted in surprise at Black Shadow's menacing stance. Xian Yuanqiang and Wei Zhichun, who were inside the courtyard, sensed the danger and rushed over.

"Teacher!"

I narrowed my eyes and looked at Black Shadow.

The tip of her sword, aimed at me, didn't waver.

'She's a higher-level expert than I thought.'

Black Shadow, who had revealed her skills, was an expert beyond my imagination.

It was hard to believe she was just a bodyguard.

"Put your sword down immediately!"

"What are you doing!"

Clang! Clang!

Wei Zhichun and Xian Yuanqiang, who had drawn their weapons, aimed at Black Shadow.

But Black Shadow ignored them and glared at me.

"This is your last warning. If you continue to deceive the old man with your lies, the next time won't be just a warning."

"I haven't lied."

"Only when your tongue is cut off will you—"

Bang!

It was a small sound.

The sound of a cane hitting the ground.

It wasn't filled with formidable internal energy, just a nervous tap.

"Black Shadow."

The important thing was that the sound came from the old man Black Shadow served.

"Is it that young man who's making a fool of me, or is it you?"

The old man spoke in a voice I had never heard before.

"O, Old man."

Black Shadow, whose face had turned pale, turned to look at the old man. Her body was trembling like a leaf.

"I'm sorry. Please forgive me..."

"Put away your sword and step back."

It wasn't the aura of a martial artist.

The intense presence emanating from the old man's small frame made Black Shadow lower her sword.

Not only that, she knelt before the old man.

"Please forgive me..."

The old man walked past Black Shadow and came to me.

"I'm sorry. My bodyguard made a poor showing."

"Not at all. I'm envious that you have such a loyal bodyguard."

"Hehe. I appreciate your kind words."

The old man smiled, and the oppressive aura he had shown disappeared as if it had never been there.

"Let's finish the conversation we were having. If I receive martial arts instruction from you, can I really enter the Qinglong Academy and become a martial arts master?"

His eyes were gentle but also sharp, as if probing my intentions.

I spoke the truth without adding any lies.

"To be honest, it's difficult to achieve great success in martial arts at your age. At best, you might reach the second-class level, and with good fortune, the first-class level."

"Nonsense...!"

Black Shadow, who was kneeling, gritted her teeth but shut her mouth when the old man glared at her.

The old man looked at me with a bitter expression.

"Good fortune... I haven't been particularly lucky, you know."

"Fortunately, it seems good fortune has come to you this time?"

"Hmm? What do you mean?"

I smiled and pointed at myself.

"Isn't good fortune right in front of you, like this?"

For a moment, the old man's eyes widened, then he burst into laughter.

"Hahaha! I really like your confidence! I could tell when you didn't flinch even with Black Shadow's sword at your throat!"

"It wasn't that dangerous."

"What? Hahahaha!"

The old man laughed so hard that he dropped his cane, and Black Shadow glared at me, grinding her teeth.

After a while, the old man, who had finally calmed down, wiped the tears from his eyes and said,

"Then I'll give you thirty times the amount."

"Excuse me?"

I was completely caught off guard by his words and stared at the old man with wide eyes.

"Nine thousand silver taels. No, I'll make it ten thousand. Half as a down payment, and the other half when you pass the entrance exam. How about it?"

There was no reason to refuse.

I was determined to get him admitted to the academy, and the better the compensation, the more motivated I would be.

"I'll definitely get you admitted."

"You must."

The old man's face was gentle, but his words were not.

"If you fail to get me admitted, I'll be very disappointed. I might even get angry."

This was a threat.

The anger of an old man who could pay ten thousand silver taels with a word...

I was a bit curious, but I didn't want to experience it.

"You won't be disappointed."

"I'll be looking forward to it. When will the training start?"

"Better to start while the iron is hot. Let's start today."

"... Today?"

"Let's go back inside first."

The old man's eyes widened in genuine surprise.

Before he could change his mind, I quickly led him back into the White Dragon Hall.

Black Shadow followed us with a sour expression.

"Also, I didn't mention this earlier, but you'll need to live here with us for the next month."

"Hmm... Is that really necessary?"

"It's necessary."

I nodded firmly at the old man, who looked hesitant.

I had confidently said I would get him admitted, but getting a sixty-five-year-old into the Qinglong Academy was no easy task.

"The lessons will start this evening. There are many empty rooms in the courtyard, so you can choose any."

"... Hmm. I understand."

Thus, the live-in training with the oldest applicant in Qinglong Academy history began.

* * *

That evening.

I faced Old Gong (he didn't give his name, only introducing himself as Mr. Gong) in the training hall.

"Your stamina isn't as bad as I thought."

"Huff... I told you. I've been doing qigong for a long time."

The old man, who had just finished his qigong, caught his breath.

He looked at me expectantly.

I recalled his movements a moment ago and stroked my chin.

They were slow and clumsy, but the subtle and profound principles of Daoist martial arts were evident.

"It's not just qigong, is it? There are movements from Wudang mixed in."

My words made Old Gong's eyes sparkle.

"Indeed. As a teacher, you have good