Promise!

Chapter 29, Sorting (Two in One)

Zhuang Jin looked at his roommate. He was a short man with dark skin and a slightly upturned upper lip. He was humming an opera tune, "Who in this part of Jiangnan and Jiangbei doesn't know me, Hero Li?!"

Xiong Lei introduced to Jiao Kun the three people who came today: Zhuang Jin, Qian Wende and Bi Kai, and they greeted each other.

Lin Hong glanced at the paper bag in Jiao Kun's hand and asked with a smile, "Brother Jiao, I heard you humming an opera when I came in. And what about these snacks from Youranju? Did you go out for fun today?"

"Well, not really. I just had a meal at Fumanlou, had a few drinks, and then went to Youranju to watch an afternoon of opera. Hongzi, let me tell you, the new female role in the troupe is so beautiful, like a fairy from heaven..."

"I'm not saying anything, Kunzi, but you should pay more attention to your martial arts training. We have just become official martial artists, and practicing to nourish our bodies is the most important thing." Xiang Qichen still looked like he was the boss of the dormitory, and his attitude was a bit condescending, but his words still made sense.

Jiao Kun frowned at being interrupted and hearing Xiang Qichen's lecture. He said, "Wasn't I practicing yesterday? Besides, I haven't played for half a month. Now that I've finally become a formal warrior, can't I enjoy myself?"

After he finished speaking, he took out the paper bag he was carrying and opened it: "Who wants to eat the preserved fruit from Youranju?"

"Let me have some! I've been training all night and I'm just feeling hungry. Brother Jiao, this is just the right time to help!"

Qian Wende stepped forward and grabbed a handful himself. Seeing Jiao Kun frowning, he immediately said, "Thank you, Brother Jiao!" and "Brother Jiao, you're so generous!" Jiao Kun was speechless for a moment, then turned around and said, "I think Brother Jiao is right. It's a good idea to combine work and rest. We haven't been out for half a month, and we just became official warriors. It's not excessive to celebrate!"

"People who eat a lot are always soft-spoken, especially Dezi, who ate so much. You should only listen to half of what he said." Lin Hong was handed the dried fruit by Jiao Kun. They came in on the same day and had a closer relationship. He joked with Qian Wende, as if he was speaking up for Jiao Kun, mocking him for being ignorant of etiquette and eating and taking more than he should, and also seemed to be subtly advising Jiao Kun.

Jiao Kun distributed preserved fruits to Xiang Qichen, Xiong Lei, Zhuang Jin and Bi Kai. Xiang Qichen and Xiong Lei took them, but Zhuang Jin declined because he was not used to eating at night. Bi Kai also didn't want any because of his throat problem.

"Kunzi, thank you. I've only heard of Youranju's dim sum, but I haven't tried it yet!"

Xiong Lei sighed and then gave another earnest advice: "Our martial arts training costs a lot, so we should be frugal. Our monthly allowance is only one or two taels, and the rest has to come from home, so we have to be more careful and spend less on this."

Jiao Kun waved his hand indifferently: "This little bit of food, drink and entertainment won't cost much."

When Zhuang Jin saw what Jiao Kun did, he suddenly thought of his classmates in his previous life who were strictly disciplined in high school, but had no one to supervise them in college and were able to let themselves go. As for what Xiang Qichen and Xiong Lei said, one can only say that "honest words may be unpleasant to the ears but are beneficial to action". Most of the words that are truly good for others are not pleasant to hear and do not please others.

He also saw that Jiao Kun was not willing to listen to advice, and since they were just casual acquaintances, he would not say anything.

At this time, Xiong Lei opened his mouth, as if he wanted to persuade.

"Brother Xiong, where is the place to wash up here?" Zhuang Jin asked.

Xiong Lei swallowed the words that were about to come out of his mouth and replied, "Go out and turn left. When you see the flower bed, turn right. Then... it's a little hard to find. Well, I'm going to wash up too. Let's go together!"

……

After washing up, everyone lay down on the bed. When formal martial artists were not competing with martial artists, they could talk and gossip for a while at night without the martial arts master on duty to stop them. Today, Zhuang Jin, Qian Wende and Bi Kai came to the dormitory again, making it much more lively. They chatted casually together.

Jiao Kun was talking about the play he saw that afternoon when he suddenly suggested, "I saw in the play that the Jiangnan hero Li had four sworn brothers, and they were called the 'Five Tigers of Jiangnan'. There are seven of us in our dormitory, so why don't we rank them?"

"I think it's okay. We are both official warriors, and it is a fate that we can live in the same dormitory." Xiang Qichen immediately agreed, as if he felt that he was the boss.

"Okay, this way we seem closer." Xiong Lei also said.

"Yes, count me in!" Qian Wende's eyes turned, thinking that if the relationship between them became closer, wouldn't it be easier for him to take advantage?

"That sounds interesting." Lin Hong didn't refuse.

Zhuang Jin didn't really want to participate in this impulsive, childish game, but after thinking about it, he realized there was no need to stand out and appear unsociable, so he just said, "I'm fine with anything."

"If Brother Zhuang agrees, then I have no objection." After what happened last night, Bi Kai kept a low profile and spoke very little, but he still remembered Zhuang Jin's kindness and followed Zhuang Jin like a younger brother, like what happened in the evening and now.

Since everyone agreed, they began to discuss how to rank them. At first, Jiao Kun, who was the most active and the first to propose it, said it should be based on age. But after everyone reported their age, they found that Qian Wende was actually the oldest of the seven. Xiang Qichen's face turned a little unhappy at that time. Seeing this, Qian Wende immediately said, "Hey, we are all warriors. How do you say that word? Da, Da..."

"The one who achieves first?" Lin Hong suggested.

"Yes, the first to succeed comes first! Why not follow the order in which they move into the dormitory?" Qian Wende suggested.

Zhuang Jin lay in bed, remaining silent since she told them her age, letting them discuss the matter. Hearing this, she secretly speculated: "Qian Wende probably said this to help Xiang Qichen out, but more likely because he's worried that if he becomes the boss, he won't be able to take advantage of others."

After all, being the boss is not only an honor, but also a responsibility.

In the end, according to this arrangement, Xiang Qichen was the eldest, Xiong Lei was the second, Jiao Kun was the third, Lin Hong was the fourth, Zhuang Jin was the fifth, and because of what happened last night, Qian Wende took advantage and moved in first, so he was the sixth, and Bi Kai was the seventh.

The seven people in the dormitory lined up in order, and it seemed that their relationship became closer for a while, and some conflicts seemed to have disappeared. Xiang Qichen, as the eldest brother, boasted of his grace and took the initiative to say a few words to Zhuang Jin, as if to show that he was magnanimous and no longer cared about the embarrassing feast he had given him at noon.

As they talked, they talked about what happened last night. When they heard that Zhuang Jin, who had been keeping a low profile in the dormitory, had decisively saved Bi Kai last night, such a big event naturally amazed them again. Especially Jiao Kun, who was not here today and had just heard about it, perhaps he was immersed in the drama and repeatedly praised Zhuang Jin for being "loyal and chivalrous", without having to mention the details.

At this moment, Qian Wende suddenly asked, whether intentionally or unintentionally, "Seventh Brother, I heard that a three-striped servant, the manager, went there last night. Is he your uncle?"

"Yes, he is my uncle, but he is a distant uncle, the relationship is a bit distant..." Bi Kai repeated what he had said to Zhuang Jin in the morning.

Although he said so, everyone in the dormitory knew that even if the relationship was originally distant, now that Bi Kai has become a formal warrior and demonstrated excellent martial arts talent, it will suddenly become much closer. Not to mention, Chang Hetong and Bi Kai are both in the Shen family. In the future, you will come and go and get along with each other more and more. Who knows, in the future, they may be no worse than real uncle and nephew.

After all, relationships are built through interaction. If you are already related, you are naturally closer than others. Coupled with the involvement of interests, this bond is relatively stable.

As the leader of the dormitory, Xiang Qichen would naturally participate in this topic and asked jokingly: "Seventh Brother, did your uncle tell you some inside information about us?" "Yeah, if your uncle... no, our uncle told you, you can't hide it, tell all your brothers!" Qian Wende said.

"Insider information? Does this count as..." Bi Kai thought for a moment and said that the number of martial arts students recruited next month will be expanded to 300, and that they will be evaluated at the end of next month: those who have reached the Second Sutra realm and mastered the Black Evil Palm will receive a half-year reward of a self-selected errand; those who have only reached the Second Sutra realm will receive a reward of a self-selected errand for four months; those who have only mastered the Black Evil Palm will receive a reward of a self-selected errand for three months; those who have neither will only have the opportunity to choose a errand for one month.

"Is it true?" Xiang Qichen was shocked when he heard the two pieces of news. He sat up and looked at Bi Kai.

The others weren't much better off. Lin Hong, who rarely spoke, said, "We'll be expanding our recruitment of martial artists starting next month, which means the Medicine King Gang is putting a lot of pressure on our Shen family... Therefore, the rewards for the optional tasks at the end of next month are very important and need to be taken seriously."

He didn't say it clearly, but everyone else heard it. The subtext was: If you don't work hard and don't get many opportunities to choose task rewards, you may be assigned to a dangerous task and fight with the people from the Medicine King Gang.

Zhuang Jin was slightly surprised, not because of the two pieces of news. He had heard them from Ping Yongfeng and knew them a long time ago. He just didn't expect that Xiang Qichen and Xiong Lei didn't know about them. "Master Ping didn't tell Xiang Qichen?"

What he didn't know was that on the day Ping Yongfeng took Xiang Qichen to move bedding, he sensed the other party's subtle change in attitude, so he naturally didn't bother to say anything. As for Xiong Lei, he didn't even have the treatment of being personally seen off by Ping Yongfeng, so naturally he would not know about it.

"Boss Xiang, what do you think about this?" Qian Wende asked.

Xiang Qichen thought for a moment and said, "At the end of next month, we'll be evaluated. To get the best reward, we need to reach the Second Sutra Realm and master the Black Evil Palm. I'm afraid only the top geniuses can achieve both. If we're not sure we can achieve both, and we're trying to do this and that, we might end up with neither. So, if you're not sure, just focus on one!"

"That makes sense. Which one are you going to choose, Boss?"

"I haven't thought about it yet." Xiang Qichen was hesitating. He broke through to become a formal warrior in fourteen days. After his family found out, they sent him some silver as support. If he added it to the monthly allowance, and gritted his teeth to buy all of it into Black Yuan Powder, it would be enough to support him until the end of next month. In fact, with such sufficient supply of resources and daily practice, he would be able to complete the accumulation of the first realm by the middle and late next month. But the remaining time was for him to break through the bottleneck of the second realm. To be honest, he felt it was uncertain.

He was hesitating whether to believe in his own talent and give it a try, or to settle for the second best and choose to concentrate on martial arts.

"Sixth Brother, what about you?" Xiang Qichen asked back.

"I'll choose martial arts. My family isn't well off, so we can't afford much. I just rely on my basic monthly allowance." Qian Wende didn't hide anything and openly explained his situation. He then continued, "I'm going to use the little over one ounce of silver I have on me to buy Black Yuan Powder to replenish my body. Next month, when I get my allowance, I'll buy a kit for the Black Evil Palm and focus on martial arts. How about you, second brother?"

"I'm the same as you." After Xiong Lei became a formal warrior, his father came and gave him three taels of silver, but even so, it was not enough for his training until the end of next month, so he could only choose martial arts.

"Third brother?"

"I can do anything." Jiao Kun's mind was obviously not on martial arts training. Although Lin Hong had analyzed it very thoroughly before, everyone is different, just like Zhuang Jin in his previous life. When it came to the third year of high school, weren't there still many people who needed to play and have fun?

"Fourth brother?"

"Let me watch and practice first!" Lin Hong said vaguely.

"Fifth brother?"

"I haven't thought about it yet." Although Zhuang Jin had already decided to focus on improving his cultivation, he didn't say it out loud, for fear of being asked where he got enough money to buy cultivation supplies and causing jealousy.

"Lao Qi?"

"I'll choose martial arts too!" Bi Kai received one tael of silver as his monthly allowance today, and his father secretly stuffed five taels of silver into him. Together with the one tael of silver from next month's allowance, it was actually just enough to buy fourteen sets of Black Yuan Powder to support his training until the end of next month. However, he knew his aptitude and was not sure that he could break through the bottleneck before the end of next month, so after hesitating, he chose to focus on martial arts.

Moreover, he also knew the situation at home. Including the ten taels of silver as a thank you to Zhuang Jin, these fifteen taels were the maximum that the family could temporarily mobilize. Any more would affect the daily operation of the cloth shop. In the next three to five months, there might be no support from the family. He had to use it sparingly and did not dare to gamble it all away.

Everyone was thinking about their own situation and no one spoke for a while, and the dormitory became quiet.

Phew~puff~puff~
Until a series of rhythmic fart sounds were heard, Qian Wende suddenly sat up, said "Fuck", kicked off his shoes and ran out.

Obviously I ate too much at night and needed to poop.

The guy came to the door and suddenly remembered something. He turned around and quickly said to Xiong Lei who was sleeping at the door: "Quick! Quick! Help! Brother Xiong, lend me some toilet paper!"

"Take it yourself!" Xiong Lei pursed his lips and moved aside to reveal a stack of straw paper next to the pillow.

Qian Wende was not polite and took a small stack at once. When Xiong Lei cursed "fuck" in pain, the guy had already rushed out without even closing the door.

"Lao Liu, that guy went out without even closing the door!" Xiong Lei felt the cold wind blowing from outside, shivered, got out of bed, and quickly closed the door.

After a while, Qian Wende came back from the toilet and ran to his bunk in a hurry because he was so cold.

"Fuck, Lao Liu, you didn't close the door again!" Xiong Lei's angry voice sounded from behind.

"I forgot, I forgot. I'm already in bed. Brother Xiong, please get up and help me turn it off. Thank you." Qian Wende's voice came with an apologetic smile.

Xiong Lei stood up cursing and went to close the door. He suddenly felt a little regretful about switching beds with Qian Wende.

The other people in the dormitory were still immersed in thinking about their own situations, and no one spoke.

Zhuang Jin watched coldly and said nothing. If he had agreed to switch beds with Qian Wende at noon today, he would probably be the one enjoying the same treatment as Xiong Lei.

He shook his head slightly, turned over, collected his thoughts, and continued to recall the Black Evil Palm martial arts he had seen during the day, pondering some of the key points in his mind.

……

(End of this chapter)