Meanwhile, at Lin’s Martial Hall.
As noon approached, quite a few people had trickled into the Martial Hall’s courtyard. Some focused on training, but others were whispering and stealing glances at a rare figure inside.
“That guy is actually practicing martial arts?”
“If you ask me, he probably heard the Hall is going to charge tuition and wants to get in some free training while he still can.”
“But today’s already August 21st. The Hall stops being free to outsiders on September 1st. That’s only ten days left. Even if he’s a once-in-a-century genius, there’s no way he can achieve martial initiation in ten days! This is a total waste of effort. How is practicing martial arts some kind of bargain?” Someone found Su Yu’s behavior baffling.
“Who knows what’s going on in his head? But regardless of whether the Hall starts charging or not, that Su kid can never stick with training. He’s inconsistent—three days fishing, two days drying nets. I’ll give him credit if he comes even five days out of ten!” Another person scoffed in disdain.
“Want to make a bet? I’ll wager one tael of silver that Su Yu won’t come to the Hall for more than seven days—no, five days at most.”
The man who had been the first to arrive this morning, aside from Su Yu, suddenly spoke up with a smile.
“Senior Brother Zheng Yi, you can’t just start with a one-tael bet. We brothers aren’t as loaded as you are at home,” someone said sheepishly.
“No big deal, just for fun. You can bet a few copper coins if you want… Besides, do you really think Su Yu can stick with coming to the Hall for more than five days?” Zheng Yi chuckled.
“Then count me in. I’ll bet a hundred copper coins.”
“I’ll bet fifty.”
“Hey, why are you guys taking it so seriously? I said I’m betting one hundred taels!”
While the noisy commotion was going on, in another part of the courtyard, a young man dressed in plain white clothes with his hair tied up and a clean, fair face stood silently repeating the moves of the Martial Hall’s signature “Eagle Claw Hand” technique. His movements were precise and meticulous.
“Senior Brother Zhou, care to join the bet?”
Someone walked up to the young man and asked with a smile.
Senior Brother Zhou didn’t respond. Instead, his gaze fixed on Su Yu, who was still holding his stance under the courtyard wall. He noticed that Su Yu’s stance was already completely different from what it had been in the early morning. A hint of surprise flickered deep in his eyes.
‘I thought it might be my imagination, but now it looks like that Su kid’s stance is getting more and more correct… He really is earnest about training.’
“Don’t bother, Senior Brother Zhou Yuan never pays attention to us anyway,” Zheng Yi said with a sarcastic tone.
“One tael of silver. I bet Su Yu can stick with it for more than five days.”
But just as the embarrassed junior disciple was about to walk away, Zhou Yuan suddenly spoke.
For a moment, everyone involved in the bet was stunned. First of all, Zhou Yuan normally only focused on training; he never took part in their extracurricular activities. Second, his family background was extremely ordinary—even poor. On a daily basis, he had to split a single copper coin into two uses. And now he was betting one tael of silver?
And to bet that Su Yu could keep training?
“Senior Brother Zhou, we’re betting that Su Yu won’t last five days…” Someone thought Zhou Yuan had misspoken and reminded him.
“I know.” Zhou Yuan simply nodded, then looked at Zheng Yi. “So this bet of yours counts, right?”
Zheng Yi squinted and nodded. “Of course it counts.”
“Good. Here’s one tael of silver. Since it counts, it’s better to stake the wager in advance and record it, so no one ends up unable to pay.” Zhou Yuan spoke calmly, then took a small piece of silver from his cloth bundle and placed it gently in Zheng Yi’s hand.
“Of course we have to stake it in advance and keep a record,” Zheng Yi said with a smile, pulling out one tael of silver himself. But then he added, “Since we’re playing for real, let me make it clear: if Su Yu just shows up at the Hall but doesn’t train, or slacks off, that doesn’t count. He has to train for four full hours every day just like us, and it has to be five consecutive days. If he misses a day in between, he fails.”
“Mm.” Zhou Yuan nodded in acknowledgment, then turned and continued his training.
Some of the disciples who had originally treated this as a joke now looked awkwardly at Zheng Yi. “Senior Brother Zheng, didn’t you say earlier that it was just for fun?”
Zheng Yi gave the speaker a cold grin. “Is it because that Su brat isn’t famous enough in the village, or do you honestly think he can last five days at the Hall?”
Then he added, “Your stingy Senior Brother Zhou finally plucked out a tael of silver. If you won’t take it, I will.”
With that, several people reluctantly dug copper coins out of their purses. After all, even if the bet was for real, it was still a sure win!
Who would believe Su Yu could keep training for five days?
That guy hadn’t come to Lin’s Martial Hall to practice even once in five whole years!
Besides, a guy who never trained suddenly jumping into high-intensity training for five days straight—even if his will could hold up, his body absolutely could not!
“Senior Brother Zhou… you never get involved in these little games. Why did you suddenly respond to Senior Brother Zheng this time, and even bet one tael? Don’t you really need the money?” Lin Qiaoqiao walked over with a puzzled tone.
“Precisely because I need money, why would I pass up a chance to earn it?” Zhou Yuan simply replied.
That left Lin Qiaoqiao momentarily confused. ‘Earn money? Where is the money to be earned? A guy who can’t even hold a proper stance definitely can’t come to the Hall for five days straight!’
But Zhou Yuan didn’t explain further, and she didn’t feel comfortable asking.
Meanwhile, under the courtyard wall.
‘Where am I? Who am I? Damn it, I can’t take it anymore…’
Su Yu had been holding his stance from Yin Hour (03:00–05:00) all the way until Si Hour (09:00–11:00)—nearly four full hours. Now the world was spinning before his eyes. Every muscle in his body ached unbearably, and he felt like he could collapse at any moment!
He hadn’t even eaten breakfast!
But now, he still had a full half hour to go before the scheduled “half-hour noon break” at Wu Hour (11:00–13:00).
And he couldn’t hold out any longer.
Thud.
Su Yu collapsed to the ground, unable to bear it anymore.
The moment he hit the ground—
[Detected slacking during schedule plan execution. Electric shock punishment countdown initiated]
[Three]
‘Oh no, don’t…’
Su Yu lifted his head and looked at the nearly packed outer courtyard of the Martial Hall. Honestly, he didn’t care that much anymore if he got shocked after slacking for three seconds. But the problem was getting shocked in front of all these people… He couldn’t accept that coming mortifying future!
‘I’ll be looked at with the same eyes as Jia Hao!’
But despite his desperate struggle to get up, his aching body simply wouldn’t allow it. When you push your body to its limit like this, it’s fine as long as you don’t fall—but once you do, you really can’t get back up.
[Two]
‘Come on, Schedule big brother, Schedule big sister, if I keep training like this I’m going to die here!’
Su Yu wailed internally in utter helplessness.
[One]
But obviously, the Schedule wasn’t going to stop the electric shock countdown just because of his wailing.
At this moment, Su Yu bitterly regretted the version of himself that had shown off last night by writing that damned schedule.
Sometimes, a person can’t even empathize with their own past self.
But just as Su Yu squeezed his eyes shut, ready to accept his mortifying fate, the electric shock he had imagined… never came.
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