Martial Arts Longevity Begins with the Equipment Slot

Chapter 37: Fame Achieved Through One Forging, Entering the Central Court

"The champion of this year's Intermediate People's Court selection—"

Zhou Zhengqing paused, his gaze sweeping over the dark mass of people below the stage.

Those faces, some expectant, some anxious.

Finally, his gaze fell on that most inconspicuous corner.

"Number 17, Class C, Chen Yu."

After the selection results were announced, the venue fell into complete silence.

"Who?"

The first to speak was Wu Chenyi, who was standing in the front row.

He was recognized as a genius among the apprentices. His father was a well-known knife maker in the city, and he had been familiar with ironware since childhood.

At that moment, he turned around abruptly and looked at Chen Yu in disbelief.

How could someone who is a genius at forging lose to a newcomer?

"Chen...Chen Yu?"

"Is it the taciturn guy at the end?"

"It's said he's only been at the Foreign Languages ​​Department for less than a month..."

Whispers rose and fell like bubbles in boiling water from all parts of the crowd.

Some people stood on tiptoe and craned their necks, while others simply squeezed past their companions' shoulders.

More often than not, they would look at each other blankly, searching for confirmation in each other's eyes, wondering if they had misheard the name.

"Less than a month..."

A dry murmur came from the left.

The speaker was a round-faced girl named Sha Bao.

He was unconsciously biting his nails, his eyes filled with astonishment.

"After a month, I... I can't even memorize the first three pages of the 'Hundred Forging Manual'..."

Further away, several apprentices who usually considered themselves "old-timers" exchanged shocked glances.

Some of them have been working in the outer courtyard for seven or eight years and are still doing odd jobs and delivering materials, and they can't even control the furnace temperature.

"A month..." someone murmured repeatedly, their tone now filled with awe.

"Chen Yu," Zhou Zhengqing called to him.

Chen Yu raised his head, his eyes clear as a spring.

"From this day forward, you will enter the Fine Forging Workshop and learn the craft from Master Li Yangwei."

The room erupted in uproar.

The Fine Forging Workshop was a place where only the best craftsmen in the central courtyard were qualified to enter.

It is a threshold that countless students in the Foreign Languages ​​Department dream of crossing.

At this moment, Chen Yu has easily crossed this seemingly insurmountable threshold.

After Zhou Zhengqing finished speaking, Chen Yu bowed in greeting.

The movements were so precise, as if they had been practiced hundreds of times.

As he stood up, his gaze passed over the throng of people and landed on the sycamore tree outside the courtyard, blackened by coal smoke.

On a treetop, a gray sparrow tilted its head, observing the commotion in the arena, completely unaware of the upheaval unfolding on earth.

Meanwhile, in the shadows outside the square, an equally inconspicuous apprentice was quietly clenching his fist.

Han Feilong's fingernails dug deeply into his palm.

He was unwilling to accept defeat, and he could let it go even if he lost to someone else.

He was really embarrassed to lose to Chen Yu.

Just a few days ago, he was boasting that he was guaranteed to get into the Intermediate People's Court and mocking the other party for having no chance of getting in.

Now that the selection process is over, it's actually myself who has made a fool of myself.

Not only was my spot taken, but I also got scolded by the head of the department.

The seeds of hatred were quietly sown in his heart.

After the selection process ended, the crowd that had gathered to watch the excitement in the square receded like the tide.

Chen Yu was swept away by the crowd and moved off the field.

He wasn't used to being surrounded by people, and the token at his waist kept bumping into others.

Every touch drew envious or jealous glances, making him feel like he was being pricked by thorns.

"Chen—Yu—!"

A clear, spring-like sound cleaved through all the noise.

In an instant, Chen Yu's back stiffened slightly.

A splash of pale yellow nimbly weaved through the gaps, and wherever it passed, the crowd parted to make way.

"Make way! Make way! This is an old friend of mine!"

Chen Yu looked over unconsciously.

Lu Xiaoyu was already in front of him, her chest heaving violently, her hair slightly disheveled.

A few stray hairs clung to her flushed cheeks with sweat, and her enormous eyes stared up at him.

"One month!"

Lu Xiaoyu stretched out a finger and almost poked Chen Yu's nose.

"You've been a student for a month and three days! And you haven't come to see me even once!"

Chen Yu instinctively stepped back, his back hitting a pillar, leaving him with nowhere to retreat.

"I……"

"What do you mean, 'you'?!"

Lu Xiaoyu put her hands on her hips, her round face puffed up like a sulking bun.

The pale yellow ribbon in her hair trembled violently with her movements.

"If I hadn't picked you up in the west of the city, would you have won the championship?"

"Senior Sister Lu," Chen Yu lowered his voice, "there are too many people around, it's inconvenient—"

"What's inconvenient?"

Lu Xiaoyu suddenly leaned closer.

Chen Yu was so close that he could count the tiny specks of dust clinging to her eyelashes.

The sweet fragrance of osmanthus hair oil nearby overpowered the smell of coal smoke that filled the courtyard.

"Is it inconvenient for me, the senior student, to benefit from this?"

Lu Xiaoyu deliberately emphasized the words "senior sister," but her eyes were full of teasing laughter.

Chen Yu suddenly felt that this expression seemed familiar.

A month ago, when she came to recruit people on the list in the west of the city, she seemed to have the same expression.

"What are you spacing out for?"

Lu Xiaoyu waved her finger in front of Chen Yu's eyes.

The breeze stirred by his sleeves brushed against his cheeks, pulling him out of his memories.

Congratulations!

Lu Xiaoyu's voice suddenly softened.

"First place."

Chen Yu looked up.

Lu Xiaoyu still had her hands on her hips, but her chin was slightly raised, and her gaze fell on his arm.

"My dad said that the blind forging competition only happens once every ten years, and the champion also only appears once every ten years."

"You've made a name for yourself now!"

She kicked her toes, and coal dust clung to the surface of her plain white shoes.

"Come on, I'll treat you to dinner at Zhiweizhai to celebrate your first place in blindfolded gymnastics and your entry into the Intermediate People's Court!"

"Thank you, senior sister, but there's no need for a meal yet."

"I still need to report the selection results to Master Xiahou Fei. If Senior Sister has time another day, I'll treat her to a meal..."

Lu Xiaoyu nodded.

"We should definitely report to our master first, but we'll talk about it when we have time."

Without another word, the two parted ways.

Outer courtyard, Bailian Hall, No. 9 forging workshop (C1).

Xiahou Fei paced back and forth, his heart filled with anxiety.

During the selection process at the Intermediate People's Court, mentors must recuse themselves and cannot watch the selection process in person.

Therefore, he did not know the selection results.

Until Cheng Daqi rushed over.

"Master, Junior Sister Li and Junior Brother Chen have both successfully entered the Central Academy!"

Hearing this, Xiahou Fei finally felt at ease.

"Okay, okay!"

"From now on, we'll have connections in the Intermediate People's Court."

"Daqi, don't be discouraged. Keep working hard, and entering the Intermediate People's Court may no longer be an unattainable dream."

Cheng Daqi nodded heavily.

Just then, Chen Yu arrived.

"Master, I've successfully entered the Intermediate Court!"

"Your senior brother already told me, it's done very well."

Xiahou Fei didn't offer much praise, but instead explained some points to note to Chen Yu.

"Most of the disciples in the Central Academy are involved with the forces in Sunset City. If you are unsure about the details, you should keep a low profile."

"Regardless of who is in conflict with whom, we must adhere to the principles of not taking sides, not expressing opinions, and not participating..."

He explained a great deal of information, and at the end, Xiahou Fei gave a few more instructions.

"Even after you enter the Intermediate People's Court, you can still come to me for advice if you have any problems."

"In terms of martial arts, my own achievements are limited, and I can't help you much."

"In terms of forging, I believe I am still a bit better than you. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. As always, I will answer them to the best of my knowledge."

"Thank you, Master."

Chen Yu bowed and turned to head to his dormitory.

He needed to pack his things and move into the central courtyard.

As soon as I entered the dormitory, I saw Han Feilong standing obediently at the door, looking around.

Upon seeing Chen Yu arrive, he hurriedly and warmly greeted him.

"Hey, Brother Yu, you're finally here!"

"I've been waiting for you for so long!"

"Is something the matter?" Chen Yu asked.

Han Feilong bowed respectfully, his tone quite shy.

"I apologize to Brother Yu. I have offended you in the past. I hope you will be magnanimous and not hold it against me."

After saying that, he called to Hou San.

"Hou San, come over here and apologize to Brother Yu!"

Chen Yu looked at the two of them calmly, wondering what was going on.

"I'm sorry, Brother Yu."

Hou San bowed and scraped, his expression humble.

His mentality is the same as Han Feilong's.

Now that Chen Yu has entered the Intermediate People's Court, no matter how much hatred one harbors inwardly, one must outwardly show him full respect.

After all, they're riding high right now, and if we bring up old grievances, we'll definitely suffer the consequences.

"Alright, no need for apologies. Just be a good person from now on."

Chen Yu didn't really want to talk to them, so he packed his things and left.

Han Feilong only revealed his true colors after seeing him walk out of the dormitory area and his figure gradually disappear into the distance.

"Pah! You pretentious bastard!"

"It caused me to be scolded by the head of the academy, and it prevented my master from being promoted to second-class craftsman."

"You think you're something special just because you managed to snatch my spot in the Intermediate People's Court?"

"Brother Long, what should we do? Should we secretly take him out?"

"I'm sure our master will support us."

Hou Sanyin asked with a sinister look.

"He's only at the peak of his meat-refining stage now. If the two of us brothers join forces, it'll be easy for us to beat him to death with a flurry of punches."

"No rush. He's already a member of the Central Court. If he dies in the villa, it could cause a lot of trouble."

Han Feilong stroked his beard and spoke slowly.

"When he goes out, we'll ambush him on the way."

"Kill him outside the villa, and no one will investigate further."

"Even if someone does investigate, we can frame them as bandits and robbers!"

"But..." Hou San said worriedly, "What if he just stays in the villa and doesn't go out?"

"I have my own way."

Han Feilong said confidently.

"We can just find an excuse to invite him out for drinks and trick him into going, right?"

"I don't believe he'd refuse an invitation to drinks!"

"Great idea! Brother Long is indeed incredibly resourceful!" Hou San praised.

"Alright, let's not talk about this for now."

"Our top priority is to do our business well and keep the Crow Cult in check, so that we can have plenty of money in our hands."

"With money to back me up, my martial arts will continue to improve. Once I break through to the Tendon Refining Realm, dealing with him will be a piece of cake, won't it?"

"Brother Long is brilliant! He's truly farsighted!" Hou San exclaimed again.

Chen Yu heard everything clearly from outside the courtyard gate.

He heard every word of their conversation.

Han Feilong was indeed up to no good.

Someone who can't even pass the selection by cheating has no right to say that you stole their spot.

I'd let bygones be bygones for what happened before, but now he's plotting against me again.

They even intend to commit murder, so I need to be prepared. I'll play along with them and see who comes out on top.

There's also what Han Feilong mentioned about business, silver, and the Crow Cult.

It doesn't sound like anything serious; it seems to be hiding some unknown secrets.

The sound of their conversation gradually faded away.

Chen Yu made up his mind to follow the two of them in his spare time.

Let's see what they're up to.