Chapter 22: Astonishment and Doubt
'Is it real?!'
Zhao He was momentarily stunned.
He understood Chen Yuan's character well. If Chen Yuan wasn't absolutely confident about something, he wouldn't seek guidance on it.
Moreover, the phenomenon on Chen Yuan's body, indicative of having entered the initial stage of "Strength Refinement," was already evident—it was nearly impossible to fake.
But thinking about Chen Yuan's situation, Zhao He couldn't help but feel it was a little surreal.
His gaze lingered on the mark on Chen Yuan's forearm, his thoughts racing.
Could Master have misjudged?
Is Junior Brother Chen truly a martial arts genius?
It wasn't until Chen Yuan lowered his arm that Zhao He snapped out of his reverie.
At that moment, a glint of excitement flashed in his eyes.
Regardless of how Chen Yuan managed to achieve the initial stage of "Strength Refinement" in just over two months, it was enough to prove his unique talent in martial arts cultivation.
For Zhao He, who had always consciously looked out for Chen Yuan, this was undoubtedly great news.
Initially, in Zhao He's eyes, Chen Yuan—despite lacking apparent martial arts potential—had already impressed him with his demeanor and conduct.
Now, with this display of extraordinary martial arts talent...
Zhao He had only one thought:
The Blood Circulation Pill was worth it!
"Good, good, good!"
Zhao He couldn't help but exclaim "good" three times in a row.
"Junior Brother, you've truly given me an enormous surprise!"
He firmly grasped Chen Yuan's arm. "The muscles you've refined on your arm are exactly the hallmark of entering the Strength Refinement stage after practicing the Little Swallow Wing Fist. As your senior, I may not be able to see everything, but this much I can confirm."
"With what you've achieved now, becoming a formal disciple is as good as done!"
"I'll take you to see Master right away. If he learns about your progress, he'll surely be delighted!"
Chen Yuan had already calmed down from the excitement of breaking through yesterday. His emotions were steady, and he didn't feel much fluctuation.
However, seeing Zhao He's enthusiasm, he didn't say much.
Quietly allowing himself to be led, he followed Zhao He toward the inner courtyard.
But as they reached the entrance of the inner courtyard, before Zhao He, brimming with excitement, could lead Chen Yuan to see Li Yue, a voice called out to them.
"Senior Brother Zhao, please stop."
Chen Yuan turned toward the voice and saw someone unfamiliar.
"Junior Brother Mo?"
Zhao He frowned slightly. "Why are you stopping me, Junior Brother?"
The one who spoke was a young disciple.
Beside him stood several other martial hall disciples, seemingly guarding the inner courtyard entrance.
The young man glanced briefly at Chen Yuan, who was beside Zhao He, and spoke politely, "Senior Brother, please don't misunderstand. I stopped you because Master is currently in the courtyard testing the progress of Senior Brothers' and Sisters' martial techniques. For one, it's not appropriate to interrupt, and for another, it involves the secret fist techniques of the martial hall."
"We've been instructed to guard this place to prevent anyone from wandering in by mistake. I hope you'll understand."
"Of course, it's no problem if you wish to enter, Senior Brother. But as for this Junior Brother, it may not be appropriate for him to accompany you at this time."
Only then did Zhao He understand his meaning. The excitement in his heart slightly subsided.
He explained, "I have an urgent matter to bring Junior Brother Chen Yuan to see Master. It won't disrupt what's happening in the courtyard."
The young man reminded him, "Senior Brother Zhao, this Junior Brother Chen Yuan isn't yet a formal disciple. I ask that you please avoid putting us in a difficult position."
Under normal circumstances, Zhao He wouldn't have been in such a hurry and wouldn't have minded waiting a bit.
But at this moment, his heart was racing, still astonished by Chen Yuan's talent, which felt almost unreal.
He was eager to find Li Yue and confirm Chen Yuan's breakthrough without delay.
Zhao He couldn't help but feel impatient.
He pressed on, "Junior Brother, this Chen Yuan here has already achieved success in Strength Refinement. Master himself promised long ago that he could practice in the inner courtyard. If I take him in, Master won't blame us."
The young man didn't recognize Chen Yuan and wasn't aware of his situation. To him, it wasn't particularly surprising that the outer courtyard had produced another disciple who had entered the initial stage of Strength Refinement.
Given Zhao He's close involvement with assisting Li Yue in managing many of the outer courtyard affairs, his words seemed credible enough. The young man hesitated briefly and was about to step aside.
At that moment, a familiar voice called out to Chen Yuan and Zhao He from nearby.
"Senior Brother Qian, what's going on here?"
The two turned toward the voice, and to their surprise, it was someone they knew well.
It was none other than Mo Chen and Qiu Yu's group of four, the same ones Chen Yuan had encountered two months ago.
As the group approached, they noticed Chen Yuan standing next to Zhao He.
"Is Senior Brother Zhao bringing Junior Brother Chen in to purchase another Blood Circulation Pill?"
After their less-than-pleasant encounter with Chen Yuan two months ago, Mo Chen had taken the time to inquire about him.
Upon learning that Chen Yuan was merely an ordinary apprentice who had gained permission to practice in the inner courtyard due to some misunderstanding, Mo Chen had dismissed any lingering discomfort he'd felt at the time.
But now, seeing Chen Yuan again, Mo Chen couldn't help but feel a hint of disdain. He found it absurd that he had ever let himself be upset over someone so unremarkable compared to himself.
So, noticing that Zhao He seemed intent on taking Chen Yuan into the inner courtyard again, Mo Chen couldn't resist a jab.
"Master is currently teaching martial techniques. I'm afraid it wouldn't be appropriate to interrupt the important work of the Senior Brothers and Sisters over something trivial."
Zhao He's expression darkened.
He had never liked Mo Chen, who, despite his mediocre background, looked down on the ordinary disciples of the hall and even failed to show proper respect to senior disciples like himself.
When comparing Mo Chen's attitude to Chen Yuan's humility, the difference was stark.
Now, with Mo Chen interfering unnecessarily, Zhao He couldn't help but feel irritated.
He opened his mouth to respond, but Chen Yuan intervened with a soft-spoken suggestion.
"Senior Brother, it's alright to wait a little while."
Chen Yuan cared little about others' opinions as long as his interests remained unaffected.
Waiting a bit wouldn't cause him any harm, but he didn't want Zhao He to clash with Mo Chen over something so trivial. Drawing unnecessary attention to himself would be counterproductive.
Zhao He frowned, about to respond, but before he could, the young disciple who had initially stopped them spoke up.
He addressed Mo Chen, saying, "Junior Brother Mo, this Chen Yuan here has already entered the Strength Refinement stage. Moreover, Master has granted him permission to enter and exit the inner courtyard freely, so there shouldn't be any issue."
Mo Chen froze at the words, his surprise plain to see.
The three others with him, including Qiu Yu, were equally taken aback.
For a moment, all their gazes turned to Chen Yuan.
While most of the inner courtyard disciples likely didn't know Chen Yuan, Mo Chen and his group were familiar with him, partly due to their interaction two months ago and Mo Chen's subsequent inquiries.
They knew Chen Yuan had joined the martial hall only a little over two months ago. They were also aware that his talent had been dismissed by Li Yue at the time.
Yet now, they were being told that Chen Yuan had already entered the Strength Refinement stage. The revelation was difficult for them to process.
"Senior Brother Qian, this matter..." Mo Chen instinctively began to question it.
But before he could finish, Qiu Yu interrupted him.
"I see. If Junior Brother Chen Yuan has already achieved Strength Refinement and had Master's prior approval, there's no reason to object."
Qiu Yu's sharp eyes scanned Chen Yuan with a hint of curiosity before continuing, "Senior Brother Zhao, since you're bringing Junior Brother Chen to the inner courtyard, it must be to report this matter to Master. Such a matter shouldn't be delayed—you should inform Master quickly."
"I imagine the Senior Brothers and Sisters in the courtyard wouldn't mind knowing that our hall has gained another promising talent."
Mo Chen's face turned visibly sour at these words, while Zhao He's expression softened.
"Thank you for understanding, Junior Sister Qiu," Zhao He said with a slight nod. He then turned to Chen Yuan. "Let's go, Junior Brother. There's no reason to wait any longer."
Before anyone could say anything further, a displeased voice sounded from within the courtyard.
"Why are you all crowding here instead of practicing? Does it really take this many people to guard a gate?"
As the words faded, the speaker, an elderly man, appeared at the gate.
It was Li Yue.
His gaze immediately fell on Chen Yuan and Zhao He, who seemed ready to enter the inner courtyard.
"What's going on here?" he asked.
Zhao He quickly stepped forward and replied, "Master, I have an urgent matter to report regarding Junior Brother Chen."
Li Yue's gaze flickered with recognition as he looked at Chen Yuan. The young man's earlier performance upon first joining the hall had left a lasting impression, even though they hadn't interacted much over the past two months.
Li Yue frowned slightly.
He remembered that he had once promised Chen Yuan he could enter and leave the inner courtyard freely. However, considering Chen Yuan's lackluster performance afterward, that promise had become an empty remark in his mind.
On any other day, he might have dismissed this as Chen Yuan's lack of understanding about proper conduct. But today was different—he was in the middle of evaluating the martial progress of the inner courtyard disciples.
For Zhao He to bring Chen Yuan into the courtyard at such a time displeased him.
Even if there was something important to discuss, how could it possibly involve this apprentice, who had only been here for two months? Could it really be more pressing than the assessment of his inner courtyard disciples' martial progress?
"Zhao He, you've always been steady and reliable. When did you become so inconsiderate?" Li Yue said sternly.
"Even if there is something urgent, can't it wait until I've finished with the matters of the inner courtyard?"