themonasnovels Chapter 24, Part 2: Knocking on the Gate
Chapter 24, Part 2: Knocking on the Gate
It's already the end of August.
It's still hot during the day, but it gets a bit cool at night.
As a result, Du Zhong has recently forbidden his apprentices from sleeping on the ground in the courtyard, which has reduced their entertainment, as they can no longer listen to Du Ren talk about women.
The crescent moon was dim, and the stars were hidden from view. Two lanterns hung below the main hall, and a faint candlelight shone above.
It was past midnight, and the Du family martial arts school should have been closed long ago, but someone had tried to break through the barrier and stayed up until late. The Du family father and son were men of principle, and even though Du Zhong was old and couldn't stand the long hours, he still stayed in the main hall.
There are a total of six dormitories in the front yard. Many people haven't slept and are all waiting at the door for the result, especially those who have already knocked on the door.
This is like entering an exam hall where someone has already handed in their paper. Those who come later both hope that the person who came before them will pass easily and also hope that the person who came before them will not pass.
At this moment, Qi Yun sat on the threshold of the dormitory, looking at Meng Chen standing in the courtyard, and his heart was filled with mixed feelings.
"It's only been a few days since the first attempt, how can he be on the second attempt so quickly?" Qi Yun rubbed his chin, muttering to himself, "With my background, no matter how hard I train, I'll never become Yan Long."
There are countless paths in life, but Qi Yun never had any ambition to soar to great heights. He just wanted to find a powerful patron and live a peaceful life.
"Did he succeed?" a voice came from the dormitory. "I heard that if you succeed in the second stage of the 'knock on the gate,' your body will make crackling sounds."
The speaker was Wan Dabao, who arrived half a month earlier than Qi Yun and Meng Chen.
Only four people lived in this dormitory. Besides Qi Yun and Wan Dabao, the other two were Yan Fei and Qi Miao.
Even in a small martial arts school, there are cliques. The three of them, along with Qi Yun, are all fans of Gao Yuan and used to curry favor with him, which is why they live in the same room.
But now that Gao Yuan is gone, there are no outstanding people left in the martial arts school. The reputation of the four sycophants is not good, and no one wants to hang out with them. When others choose their dormitories, they also avoid these four.
"If he could become a monster, that would be strange! Didn't you see that during breakfast, Senior Brother tried to persuade him gently, but he wouldn't listen?" Yan Fei laughed.
"At least he dares to try." Qi Yun can make up stories about his fellow villagers himself, but he doesn't like it when others do.
For a moment, the dormitory was quiet, as if everyone was thinking of themselves.
After a while, Wan Dabao asked in a low voice, "Old Qi, did you put the drug in? You're from the same hometown as him and you're close to him, so it's easiest for you to put the drug in."
The four of them had recently received instructions from Gao Yuan to put a drug in Meng Chen's food. He said the drug wasn't poisonous, but rather something that would make people drowsy.
But these people were sycophants, not fools. Gao Yuan only gave them a few taels of silver and didn't really promise them a future, so even if the medicine wasn't poisonous, no one would do something so stupid.
"Master Du is sitting in the hall, so don't talk nonsense!" Qi Yun said irritably.
"You're usually the one who fawns over me the most, but now that I'm asked to do something, you're too scared to do it," Yan Fei said.
"So you dared to do it? Big brother, don't even mention second brother!" Qi Yun didn't even turn around to look at the people in the dormitory. He said in a low voice, "Don't think I don't know what the hell you're thinking. You drugged me, and if I'm done for, I'll definitely tear you all out of the water!"
Sure enough, Wan Dabao and Yan Fei didn't dare to refute these words, and only muttered quietly.
"Shut up, everyone. Junior Brother Meng is at a crucial moment," Qi Yun said in an unfriendly tone.
"It's almost time!" Wan Dabao got out of bed, glanced outside, and seeing Meng Chen in a horse stance, said, "Senior Brother Gao took a month for his first attempt at the gate, then three months for his second, and now four or five months have passed, and he still hasn't succeeded in his third attempt. How many days has Meng Chen only spent on his first attempt?"
"He tried it once ten days ago, and he tried it again today. How can this be allowed? According to our senior brother, this is a lack of self-control!" Yan Fei said.
"Because he's anxious, he can't wait." Qi Miao, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke up. He lay on the bed, not looking outside, and simply said, "He knows that Senior Brother Gao is waiting for him outside, and he also knows that Master Du can protect him for a while. But how long is 'a while'? A month, two months, he can't protect him for a year, can he? So he's anxious, but when it comes to martial arts, the more anxious you are, the less likely you are to succeed."
Qi Miao had been trying to pass the first test for three months, and had even tried to pass it a second time, but had failed. Therefore, he was most aware of the difficulties involved.
"So what if you break through the second barrier? Unless you can reach the third realm, then no one in our Qingshui County will be able to mess with you. The second realm isn't even enough!" Wan Dabao said.
While the four people on this side were discussing endlessly, the Du family father and son remained very quiet in the main hall.
A single candle flickered dimly, and a gentle breeze occasionally drifted in from outside, causing the flame to waver precariously.
Du Ren was already getting sleepy and asked, "Father, do you think he's capable?"
"Is that even a question?" Du Zhong was also getting impatient. "It took him two months to overcome the first hurdle. Normally, it would take him three or four months, or even a year or two, to get past the second hurdle. But only a few days have passed? No more than twenty days, right?"
At this point, Du Zhong sighed and said, "He was too hasty. In fact, I could tell he was very anxious ever since Gong Ziming left. Especially after offending Gao Yuan, he had no way out, so he became even more anxious. But the more anxious he was, the less effective he became, and the more he lost."
Du Ren yawned and casually said, "Dad, your judgment has never been very good. Last year, that guy surnamed Wang came to ask to become my disciple. I said he had delicate skin and looked like a woman, but you were so optimistic about him and kept praising him. And what happened? He turned out to be a complete scoundrel and ruined all the disciples I had painstakingly gathered..."
"Shut up! It's all because you weren't watching properly!" Du Zhong rarely got angry, but this time his beard and hair stood on end, and he slammed his fist on the table in anger.
Du Ren wasn't afraid of his father and asked again, "Father, don't be unconvinced. I think Junior Brother Meng might actually be capable. You don't know, he's incredibly ruthless to himself! He wakes up in the morning with an erection, such a common thing, but he grits his teeth and punches the wall until he bleeds. I think he even considered castrating himself! With that kind of mentality, it's perfectly normal for Gao Yuan to lose to him!"
"It's still difficult. I think only Cui Butong is a good prospect. He tries to get in every two weeks, and now, almost two months later, he's preparing for his second attempt. Talent determines how fast a person can go, but willpower determines how far they can go. These things are hard to explain." Du Zhong poured another cup of cold tea and asked, "Has Gao Yuan still sent anyone to guard outside the door recently?"
"Haven't seen him for a few days. He's joined the Zhengxin Boxing School and is hanging out with Yan Long's eldest son, Yan Zhao." Du Ren, leaning on the table and fiddling with the lamp wick, added, "Yan Long still hasn't returned. Could he have died out there?"
"Don't talk nonsense!" Du Zhong was very serious. He was angry because Du Ren was sitting improperly, but there was nothing he could do. He just said, "This Meng Chen is quite diligent. When the time comes, you can introduce him to the escort agency. Xiang Sheng's father might like him."
"Uncle only likes intelligent people like me. Every time he sees me, he talks to me for a long time!" Du Ren said proudly.
Du Zhong sneered upon hearing this, saying, "You think you're clever? You've practiced Bahequan since you were little and even studied with Xiang Sheng, but all these years have passed, and you haven't even reached the second realm. You're also bad at studying! The head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) told me in private that I shouldn't have taken you in to support me in my old age. It would have been better if I hadn't let Wan'er marry far away and had found a son-in-law who would have lived with us!"
"..." Du Ren was suddenly wide awake. He looked up, his face showing a hint of grievance, but after a long time, he couldn't utter a single word.
"Don't be unconvinced. Diligence and hard work are true intelligence, and knowing your own situation is true intelligence!" Du Zhong pointed at Meng Chen, who was practicing horse stance in the courtyard, and said irritably, "He is very intelligent, but he's been suppressed to no avail. Ten days ago, he tried to break through, and after failing, he wasn't discouraged. Instead, he became more and more courageous, and even tried again today. You're right, he has an excellent temperament and a fierce determination. It's a pity that he's limited by his talent, and there's no one to back him up. If his family background were better, who knows..."
Before he could finish speaking, Du Zhong suddenly stopped and stood up.
Du Ren followed Du Zhong's gaze to the outside of the main hall and saw that the lanterns hanging in the courtyard were swaying in the night wind, but there was nothing unusual about them.
In the distance, there was the rustling of leaves, followed by a faint chirping sound, like a fledgling phoenix singing or a bamboo shoot breaking through the soil.
The commotion lasted for about ten breaths, after which the entire courtyard fell silent.
Before long, commotion came from all the dormitories, and many apprentices came out to see what was happening.
"Father, isn't it said that if you're slow on one step, you'll be slow on every step?" Du Ren asked blankly.
"The saying 'a slow start leads to slow progress' is certainly true. But it's not uncommon for someone to be slow on the first step but quick on the second, even faster than someone who has already taken flight." Du Zhong sighed, hands behind his back, "Legend has it that Qiu Jian, one of the two swordsmen of the Spring and Autumn period, was already in his forties when he started out, yet he didn't even know what martial arts were. He just had someone test his sword skills, passed all three tests in the blink of an eye, and eventually became known as the number one person under the Heavenly Gate. Imagine if a forty-year-old came to our martial arts school wanting to learn martial arts, wouldn't you laugh at him? But he succeeded, so who can you complain to? Talent is something you can't explain."
Du Zhong returned to the inner courtyard. "Judging from his displayed talent, we might break even. Take him out for a stroll; who knows, someone might be willing to sponsor him."