Chapter 10: Junior Brother, I Don't Have Enough Money
As Sun Yanwan cultivated, he heard his master's voice beside him: "Disciple, try running your energy through all the eight extraordinary meridians, twelve primary channels, and thirty-six hidden meridians. Don't just focus on the two you've opened."
Several hours passed. When Sun slowly opened his eyes, his expression was full of gratitude. "Thank you, Master."
Zhang Yuanqiao smiled. "Master and disciple are like father and son. You're my direct disciple—guarding you is my duty."
"But you've already trained in the Hu clan's Hunyuan Stances and opened two meridians. When cultivating Ziwu Jing, you must try to forget the Hu clan's methods, or they might interfere and skew your meridian testing."
Sun quickly nodded. "I understand."
He had opened two meridians, but they weren't necessarily where his talent lay. Master's warning was sincere.
It was late at night. Zhang had stayed up to protect his disciple. Zhang Qingxi had kept watch too. Seeing Sun's successful breakthrough, he smiled, "It's late. I'll take Junior Brother to rest. You should sleep too, Master."
Zhang nodded. "Good. No chores tomorrow. Stay and help Yanwan practice. If anything seems off, come to me immediately."
Sun lit up. "No sweeping tomorrow!"
For days, he'd done hard labor cleaning the temple. In his past life, he'd been a city boy—not used to manual work.
He returned to his room with Zhang Qingxi, who said, "The courtyard behind the temple is nearly cleared. Tomorrow, let's go to town and buy beds, tables, and chairs. We'll move in—it's a much better environment for training."
Sun had helped clean that courtyard and knew it was better than this storage room. Though he wanted to stay and keep practicing, he couldn't deny the upgrade. His current room had no windows, no real bed, and too much clutter. Only the proximity to the kitchen was convenient.
He agreed. After Zhang left, he climbed onto his makeshift bed and resumed cultivating Ziwu Jing.
Even without his master's support, his practice flowed smoothly. Before he knew it, it was morning. His internal energy quivered—four or five acupoints shimmered faintly, releasing threads of true qi.
Ziwu Jing and Hunyuan Stances didn't target a single meridian. Instead, energy moved throughout the body. When a point was naturally clear, qi emerged. When enough points on a meridian activated, that channel would break through.
These points weren't on a single path, so he couldn't tell which meridian he'd open next. Still, he felt the process wasn't as slow as Master claimed. Strange.
He remembered Zhang Qingxi mentioning they'd go shopping today. So he jumped off his bench and practiced a round of Demon-Slaying Sword with a short staff.
Though he had Hu Fengwei's real sword, he didn't carry it—someone might recognize it. He kept it hidden and never used it for drills.
With his new meridian breakthrough, his swordplay grew stronger. He was pleased.
After training, he found Zhang Qingxi, who had just finished morning prayers. Zhang took out a pouch—light and clearly thin—and tied it at his waist with a grin. "Let's go shopping!"
Sun had wondered for a while now, so he asked, "Senior Brother, doesn't Master have much money?"
Zhang nodded. "He left Songyang alone, with little silver. Though the sect is wealthy and has businesses across the empire, we no longer have access to that. It wouldn't be right to ask."
Sun had packed some silver—coins and five silver ingots he'd taken from Situbao Wei's group. He didn't say anything, just followed Zhang out.
The town was familiar; he'd stayed here with Miao Youxiu. It had no furniture store, just a carpenter. Most people here didn't replace furniture often, so the carpenter mostly did repairs.
Zhang was experienced and didn't custom order anything. He picked two beds from what was available, plus some chairs and tables. Sun added a few wooden boards. They negotiated, paid a deposit, and arranged delivery to the temple.
As they prepared to leave, Sun said, "Senior Brother, Master's robe is full of holes. Yours has patches too. I'm still wearing my old servant outfit. Why don't we order three new Daoist robes?"
Zhang looked troubled. "Junior Brother… I don't have enough money."
Sun grinned. "I have some savings. Let me handle it."
Zhang pulled him aside, face serious. "Listen well. We martial artists—if we lose our conscience—money is easy to get."
"Even though Songyang is a righteous sect and doesn't steal, money still comes easily. For example, if a merchant marks his shipment with our flag, he'll travel unimpeded. Bandits and sects will give way."
"That flag alone brings in hundreds or thousands of silver taels each year."
"There are countless ways to profit. But a gentleman takes money the right way. Taiyi Temple is just getting started, but with Master's skill, earning won't be hard."
"Don't ever do something against your conscience."
Sun flushed. "These funds were a gift from my first master, Miao. Otherwise, I'd have nothing."
Zhang smiled. "You're still young. Just remember this. I'm not scolding—just reminding you. Only with integrity can you nurture righteous qi and walk the martial path with strength and honor."