Chapter 4, Junior Apprentice

Xue Tongchui actually sighed: "Alas... I didn't even hide this clumsy thing well, and it has been discovered again"

The teacher's wife let out a sound of acknowledgment and said: "A single leaf in the forest, what an unremarkable name, yet it is so pleasing to the eye. Among all the leaves on the trees and in the woods, it is precisely this beautiful one that stands out."

The little boy came over, swinging the little elephant's trunk, and surprisingly, he had a wooden pacifier in his mouth

He raised his hand and pulled the wooden pacifier out of his mouth: "Another one has been tricked."

A middle-aged strong man asked a question

The people in the courtyard all bowed and paid their respects when the woman came out, each one displaying an attitude far more respectful than when they met Yan Xiniu

Lin Ye instinctively took a half step back, only to be unexpectedly pushed on the back by Mo Wutong. He glanced sideways at Mo Wutong, who had a sincere expression that seemed to say, if you trust me, then don't retreat.

After speaking, she strode out, her long dress swaying, yet she exuded an air of martial prowess as if she were stepping out from a scene of battle.

However, he came to the martial arts school with an important purpose, so he advised himself to endure for now

It was only at dawn that they arrived at the entrance of the martial arts school, and with a creak, the door opened as two boys, roughly the same age as Lin Ye, happened to push it open.

Mo Wutong said: "This is to take your silver and go drink."

The middle-aged strong man opened the drawer, took out a piece of paper and a seal paste, pressed Lin Ye's hand onto the seal paste, and then pressed it onto the piece of paper.

Yan Xiniu said: "It is clearly stated in the contract that you cannot go back on your word. You may choose not to study and leave, but you must pay the full tuition fee."

Analyzing from his squatting posture while urinating, it can be inferred that he is likely wearing split-crotch pants. It was only then that Lin Ye thought of this, and he saw that the little fellow stood up, proudly exposing a small trunk, with a droplet of crystal-clear water hanging from it.

A child of only about four years old, with a face full of innocence and purity, and eyes that sparkle brightly. At this age, children are clean and simple.

Lin Ye wondered how Yan Xiniu managed to deceive such a woman into becoming his wife

Lin Ye listened to the pleasant sound of the money and silently expressed his gratitude to the several kind individuals who sponsored his tuition, with no particular order of ranking

The teacher's wife immediately asked: "Whose money did he take from you?" and the books.

Mo Wutong patted Lin Ye on the shoulder and said, "When Master and Mistress return later, you must not stare at them. I am doing this for your own good"

Then he shouted towards Mo Wutong: "Mo Wutong, take your junior apprentice to familiarize him with the martial arts school and introduce him to the senior brothers."

Old Chen said: "I have heard that the people he associates with are mostly odd characters, including the lame and the blind, and he is also addicted to alcohol and greedy for wealth"

As she spoke, a strikingly beautiful young woman emerged from the room. In terms of appearance, her features carried a hint of allure, complemented by a strong sense of charisma. She appeared to be around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, at least ten years younger than Yan Xiniu.

Lin Ye was still contemplating that the aura of this master’s wife was much more powerful than that of the master, while Mo Wutong had already pressed down on his neck: "Quickly call her master’s wife."

Mo Wutong: "If the master could have some money to drink, would he still care about morning and evening?"

The master’s wife, with a raised eyebrow, said: "Yan Xiniu has become bold; you all practice your skills diligently and do not be lazy"

So I asked, "Is it the junior brother?"

Ning Zhu shook his head and pointed into the distance: "He is your junior brother, ranked twenty-fourth, and you are twenty-fifth."

Yan Xiniu said: "To reason it out, the money has already been paid, whether he stays or not is not up to you to decide. Mo Wutong, if he chooses to stay, he will share a room with you all."

This person appears to be around forty years old, with a prominent scar on his forehead and another on his neck, which is quite frightening to behold

Lin Ye felt a sense of disbelief; how could she, who was responsible for a child half her age, call him "senior brother"?

Yan Xiniu pretended to stroll around for two laps, and as soon as he turned around, he ran out of the courtyard, behaving almost like a thief in his own martial arts school

The chubby boy, with a warm disposition, smiled and said: "It can be considered our fate; from today onwards, we are brothers in the same school."

Lin Ye looked in the direction he pointed and saw a little boy, appearing to be around three or four years old, squatting on the sandy ground used for wrestling practice not far away, urinating there

Mo Wutong immediately said: "No!"

Ning Zhudao: "Don't be fooled by his small stature; he is the nephew of the master’s wife. At the very least, he doesn't have to pay any fees. He can learn to play without spending money, and he won't suffer any losses or incur expenses for books."

However, soon the boy's expression turned unpleasant, and there was a hint of disgust between his brows

Lin Ye wanted to put on a shocked expression, but he could not. He thought that even if he tried to fake it, it would not look genuine, so he gave up.

Old Chen led Lin Ye towards the martial arts hall, saying as they walked, "That Yan Xiniu has a peculiar temper, so do not provoke him."

This person strode forward with great speed, pulling Lin Ye along as they jogged into the courtyard. Under the sympathetic gazes of approximately twenty disciples, Lin Ye was once again pulled into the main house

However, speaking of which, with Lin Ye's current strength, it is not easy to avoid falling into Yan Xiniu's hands.

Mo Wutong pointed at Lin Ye and said: "From today onwards, he will be your junior apprentice, and he will address you as senior brother."

Lin Ye was taken aback, and then he heard someone speaking in the courtyard, as if asking who was at the door. The chubby boy said he did not know whose pig had come to ask for water.

Then with a bang, the door was slammed shut by him, nearly hitting Lin Ye's nose

One of the boys, who appeared somewhat stern, caught sight of Old Chen at a glance, and his expression noticeably changed, with a fleeting look of surprise.

Lin Ye detected a hint of self-mockery in the words of this seven or eight-year-old child, and even found herself mocking him in the process

Lin Ye: "I have taken it"

Mo Wutong quickly replied: "Master has gone out."

Lin Ye thought that he was probably going to be tricked out of his money again, but he needed to act a bit foolish, so he took out the money again

He muttered to himself, "Indeed, it is small"

In the next moment, the door opened, and Yan Xiniu leaped out of the house with the force of a tiger, landing on the ground in a posture reminiscent of a dog scavenging for excrement

At that moment, a child around seven or eight years old ran over, holding half a steamed bun in his left hand and half a chicken leg in his right hand. With a cheerful smile, he said to Lin Ye: "My name is Ning Zhu, I am ranked twenty-third, and you can call me Senior Brother Ning from now on"

Lin Ye took out the money pouch from his bosom, and before he had a chance to count it, Yan Xiniu snatched the pouch away and dumped it onto the table with a clatter

Lin Ye squinted slightly, and after a moment, shook his head firmly: "There is no need at all."

Master's wife

The master’s wife took a careful look at Lin Ye and immediately smiled: "So handsome, more handsome than your senior brothers, with those eyebrows and eyes, that figure, and those little lips..."

Good.

Lin Ye snatched the silver back and said: "No need."

Lin Yexin said that when I was robbing those rascals, I was not as quick as you, but he needed to appear a bit clumsy, so he deliberately pretended to be slow with his hands

This person carefully counted out thirty taels of silver, then looked at the remaining amount, which was approximately a dozen taels. He then stood up straight and faced Lin Ye, saying: "The thirty taels do not include accommodation. Do you wish to stay here?"

Then, raising the wooden pacifier in hand, he said: "This is my Nai Nai, would you like to come over?"

Old Chen also reacted strongly, opening his mouth but not daring to speak. After hesitating for a moment, he turned around and walked away quickly

As soon as the words were spoken, a broom flew out from the room and struck Yan Xiniu on the back of his head.

Mo Wutong waved at the child and said, "Copper Hammer, come here"

Lin Yeshun bent down in a compliant manner: "Hello, Master Mother."

He pointed to a nearby youth who, although not very old, already possessed a hint of aloofness: "His name is Chen Weiwei, ranked eighteenth, and he is your senior brother Chen."

Yan Xiniu put the paper and ink back into the drawer and reached out towards Lin Ye: "The total tuition fee for three years is thirty taels, which can be paid in half-year installments, yearly installments, or in a lump sum. Please provide the payment."

Yan Xi's eyes lit up, and the expression on his face was one of disbelief, as if to say, how could there still be someone who can snatch the silver back from my hands

Lin Ye sighed inwardly, wondering why the hell he was paying such close attention

The chubby boy who had previously locked Lin Ye outside shook his head as he walked over, and sighed in front of Lin Ye: "I can't save you... I've already closed the door, so just leave now."

All the disciples turned their heads to look elsewhere, but only Lin Ye was looking at him

Lin Ye finally understood Old Chen's good intentions; he felt that going to that strict Xiniu Martial Arts School would at least prevent him from being bullied by ruffians

Suddenly, as if recalling something, she asked Mo Wutong: "Where is your master?"

Thus, Lin Ye, who seemed to have learned nothing from his previous misfortunes, had a piece of silver weighing approximately 2 taels snatched from his hand by Yan Xiniu

Lin Ye asked: "Does this count as accepting the book from me?"

The junior brother said to Lin Ye: "I am Xue Tongchui."

His expression changed suddenly, thinking that something had gone wrong, but he saw that the others looked completely unfazed.

My name is Lin Ye

Yan Xiniu stood up, brushed off the dust from his body, and glared at Lin Ye: "What are you looking at! I am currently practicing my skills."

What is your purpose

He looked around and then lowered his voice to say: "Two martial arts schools have been extorted for money by thugs. The masters of those schools claimed to have honed their skills, yet they were still knocked down by those thugs with a barrage of bricks, suffering greatly, and still had to hand over money to them."

Who are you

Then the chubby boy asked a question

Lin Ye had not yet left when the door creaked open again, revealing a robust-looking middle-aged man standing before Lin Ye

Lin Ye casually asked while walking, "How strange is it?"

Another boy appeared to be chubby, with a face that was fair and slightly rosy, evoking an irresistible urge to pinch his cheeks

The teacher's wife smiled happily: "The more I look, the more pleasing it becomes, what is it called?"

However, he did not linger much longer, pulling Lin Ye out the door and calling to the people in the courtyard: "Everyone, this is your junior brother. Please take care of him from now on."

Yan Xiniu: "I will write it shortly"

After speaking, he kicked Lin Ye in the rear and said: "Go practice."

Mo Wutong replied, "Understood, Master"

I am Yan Xiniu

Lin Ye clasped his fists and said: "I have heard that Master Yan possesses exceptional martial arts skills and is renowned for his chivalry, which is why I have come to seek apprenticeship..."

Yan Xiniu said confidently: "This is your accommodation fee"

Lin Ye, however, was quite the opposite in temperament, casually calling out, "Senior Brother."

An apprentice must train for at least three years before graduating. After graduation, they are not allowed to open a martial arts school on adjacent streets. The first earnings they make after graduation must be given to the master, which is me

Yan Xiniu immediately stuffed the chicken leg into Ning Zhu's hand: "Children should eat more meat"

After speaking, he looked at Lin Ye and said, "I miscounted the silver just now and gave you an extra two taels. Please take it out for me to have a look."

Lin Ye said: "Just now, the relationship with the library was clearly like a blank sheet of paper"

After speaking, he stuffed the wooden pacifier into his mouth and then walked away with his hands behind his back, swaying unsteadily.

The chubby boy clasped his fists in return and said: "My name is Mo Wutong, and I rank seventeenth in this martial arts school. You may call me Brother Mo."

Old Chen said: "I have heard that Yan Xiniu has some connections with the chief constable of our Yunzhou City, so the yamen tends to show him more consideration. Therefore, training martial arts there comes with fewer troubles"

Mo Wutong turned her head to look elsewhere, while Lin Ye glanced around, and the senior brothers also looked away.

She reached out to lift Lin Ye's chin and said, "Shimu, take a good look."

Before he could finish speaking, the middle-aged man abruptly grabbed Lin Ye's arm and pulled him inside the door, causing Lin Ye to feel as if he were almost floating in that instant

This person gives the first impression of having a very rare combination of thick eyebrows, large eyes, and a square face, and at first glance, they do not appear to be the type of person one would consider good

Oval face, large eyes, skin appears good, and there is nothing to criticize about the figure; the legs are long enough, and the waist is slim enough

At that moment, Lin Ye and the others heard a loud crash coming from inside the house, followed by a scream of agony

Upon hearing these words, the chubby boy's eyes immediately widened, and he said in a low and hurried voice: "Forget about that, let's hurry and leave"

Seeing Lin Ye standing there in silence, Mo Wutong patted Lin Ye on the shoulder and said, "You will get used to it in the future."

Lin Ye roughly guessed who the young man was, and inevitably felt a sense of emotion in his heart, reflecting on the reaction between father and son upon their meeting

Lin Ye: "Drinking alcohol so early in the morning?"

Lin Ye clasped his fists and said: "My name is Lin Ye, and I have come specifically to seek a master."

Lin Ye was somewhat confused, and he asked me: "Since that is the case, why did your son also go to Master Yan's martial arts school to practice?"

Lin Ye glanced at the little chubby boy and casually replied, "Thank you"

He ran to Mo Wutong's side and asked, "Brother Mo, why did you call me?"

Yan Xiniu walked with his hands behind his back and passed by Ning Zhu, who was eating. He snatched the half chicken leg and said, "It is not good for children to eat so much meat"

Then he turned around and went back into the room, slamming the door shut with a bang. After that, the sound of counting money could be heard again from inside the room