Supreme Martial Venerable: Starting with the White Ape Cloak Hammer skill point allocation

Zhou Yuan walked into the inner courtyard, still feeling slightly puzzled.

Was the person I just met at the door my master's new disciple?

He seemed a bit slow on the uptake, laughing like a village idiot.

"Junior Brother Zhou, Master wants you to go to the study."

Just as he was thinking to himself, Guo Liang walked towards him and spoke.

Perhaps spurred on by Zhou Yuan, Guo Liang has been arriving very early lately, and he is making a concerted effort to break through the barrier for the first time.

Zhou Yuan was slightly taken aback and asked, "What does Master want with me?"

Since Li Lin refused to teach him the art of weapon forging, the master and disciple have not spoken to each other alone.

This is the norm for most disciples; only a handful, such as Yuan Qingfeng and Cheng Jiuhe, receive individual guidance from Li Lin.

They are either exceptionally talented, or they come from wealthy and powerful families, or they have both...

With a hint of doubt, Zhou Yuan arrived at Li Lin's study and knocked on the door.

"Come in."

Li Lin's slightly weary voice rang out.

Zhou Yuan pushed open the door and entered the study. Li Lin told him to close the door and then invited him to sit down opposite him, his attitude kind and friendly.

Zhou Yuan sat down, somewhat flattered, his gaze falling on the table in front of Li Lin, where some silver coins were laid out.

"Does Master Li have a hobby of counting money in private?" Zhou Yuan wondered to himself.

"Zhou Yuan, how long have you been my student?"

Li Lin asked.

"It has been more than four months since my master taught me the White Ape Cloak Hammer, or more than three months if I formally became his disciple."

Zhou Yuan thought for a moment and then answered.

"Let's say it took you four months. Breaking through one level in four months, your cultivation speed is quite good."

Li Lin said in a deep voice, "But you were able to break through the first level because of the Qi and Blood Pill."

"If Yuan Qingfeng were to take a single Qi and Blood Pill, he could break through at least two levels. So, do you understand?"

Zhou Yuan shook his head, not understanding. Those rich and powerful people take Qi and Blood Powder as food every day, so what's wrong with me taking a Qi and Blood Pill?

Having money is an advantage, not a disadvantage, in martial arts training.

"Let me be frank, your talent and physical constitution are only average. You're unlikely to achieve much in martial arts, so you might as well give up."

Li Lin paused for a moment before speaking.

"Master, I will pay the tuition fee on time and will not be late."

Zhou Yuan remained silent for two breaths before speaking.

Li Lin looked at Zhou Yuan with a helpless expression. He had already explained things to this extent, so why couldn't this young man understand?

Do we really have to make him spell it out?

Li Lin was cautious by nature and did not want to offend even an ordinary person. He originally wanted to persuade Zhou Yuan to give up, but he underestimated Zhou Yuan's determination to practice martial arts.

"It's not a matter of tuition fees."

Li Lin sighed, gritted his teeth, and made up his mind. "Your monthly tuition is five taels of silver. I'll calculate it as four months, so here's a total of twenty taels of silver. Take it."

From this day forward, you are no longer my disciple. As for the White Ape Cloak Hammer and the White Ape Tongbei Fist, I will not reclaim them. You—take care of yourself.

Zhou Yuan was stunned. Return the tuition fee?

"Master, are you trying to kick me out?"

Zhou Yuan couldn't help but ask.

It's common for disciples to voluntarily withdraw from the blacksmith shop. It's normal to give up halfway through martial arts training if you don't succeed, but returning tuition fees and being expelled from the school are not the same thing as voluntarily withdrawing.

If this happens, it means that the master and disciple have completely severed ties and will have nothing to do with each other from now on.

Most importantly, if you've had this experience, even if you want to learn martial arts from someone else in the future, they will basically not agree.

After all, under normal circumstances, someone who would be expelled from their sect in such a way is definitely not a good person.

If Zhou Yuan was really just an ordinary blacksmith, then Li Lin expelling him from the sect would essentially cut off all his future possibilities.

He might even lose the opportunity to participate in the martial arts exam.

Registration for martial arts exams requires a joint guarantee from someone, but no one would agree to vouch for someone who has been expelled from their sect.

"Did I do something wrong?"

Zhou Yuan was getting a little anxious and pressed for an answer.

"You've done very well, but you can't fight against fate."

Li Lingqian chuckled. "Take my advice. Once you get back, send Miss Zhuo home as soon as possible and settle down as a blacksmith. With the White Ape Cloak Hammer and the White Ape Tongbei Fist for your protection, you can live a life of plenty. Why covet wealth and glory that are not meant for you?"

Zhou Yuan finally understood that someone had put pressure on Li Lin, either the Zhuo family or someone else.

"Master, I can leave, but can you at least let me die knowing who it was?"

Zhou Yuan placed his hands on his knees, leaned forward slightly, and said in a deep voice.

"So what if I know? People like me who come from poor backgrounds simply don't have a choice..."

Li Lin sighed.

"I don't want to be a fool."

Zhou Yuan insisted.

…………

A moment later, Zhou Yuan left Li Lin's study with twenty taels of silver in his pocket.

"Junior Brother Zhou, let's spar. I'll tell you, I've gained a new understanding of the 'Monkey Offering Peaches' move. I'll let you experience its power later."

Cheng Jiuhe called out loudly.

"Senior Brother Cheng, I'm not practicing anymore. I won't practice anymore."

Zhou Yuan shook his head and said, "From now on, I will no longer be an apprentice at the blacksmith shop, so let's forget about the sponsorship."

After saying that, Zhou Yuan walked out with steady steps.

Cheng Jiuhe paused for a moment, then suddenly understood something, and turned to run towards Li Lin's study.

"Junior Brother Zhou, you're giving up?"

Guo Liang shouted, "Do you think you have no hope of breaking through the barrier a second time?"

"Senior Brother Guo, I wish you success in passing the challenge on your first try."

Zhou Yuan waved to him with his back turned and walked out of the courtyard step by step.

Yuan Qingfeng frowned slightly, then immersed himself in his cultivation. Zhou Yuan, a person of mediocre talent and humble origin, was not even a passerby in his life.

"Junior Brother He, I told you not to waste your time on him. I've never been wrong in my judgment of people. I knew Zhou Yuan wouldn't amount to anything."

Luo Rongrong pouted.

"Never mind, I didn't lose anything anyway."

He Yuguang shook his head and said that he only admired Zhou Yuan's efforts and originally intended to provide some financial assistance to Zhou Yuan, just like Cheng Jiuhe had done, but now there was no need for that.

…………

The inner city, Liu's residence.

The Liu brothers, Jin and Yin, were well-known throughout Gaoshan County, and even the county magistrate treated them with great respect.

These two brothers were originally from a poor family, and they lived off the few acres of ancestral property they owned.

Later, Liu Jin used his good looks to win over the widow Zhuang in the inner city, and with her financial support, he began to practice martial arts.

He passed the martial arts examination and became a scholar in just three years.

Later, he married Widow Zhuang, but she died less than half a year later, leaving behind a considerable fortune.

With money and talent, Liu Jin quickly passed the martial arts examination, completely defying fate.

However, this man was dissolute and his martial arts training was extremely taxing, so he squandered the widow Zhuang's fortune early on. As a result, he set his sights on the Pang family in the prefecture.

To win over Miss Pang, he had to pretend to be wealthy, but neither he nor his brother were involved in business, and even though they were both martial arts graduates, they had no surplus grain.

So Liu Yin set his sights on the Zhuo family.

Liu Yin also wanted to follow in his brother's footsteps and gain both wealth and women. Back then, his brother had the audacity to take advantage of that widow who weighed over 200 jin. His luck with women was far better than his brother's.

"Let me tell you, in a few months, the Zhuo family's fortune will be mine. Once I've had my fill of Miss Zhuo, I'll let you have a taste too."

Liu Yin, drunk, said to a middle-aged man.

The middle-aged man had a dark face, large joints, and a broken knife at his waist.

"As for the territory you lost, don't worry. I'll personally step in and make sure the Crimson Gold Gang gets out of Gaoshan County!"

With me protecting you, your Broken Blade Gang will become the number one gang in Gaoshan County sooner or later.

"Thank you, young master."

Duan Hui, the leader of the Broken Blade Gang, quickly offered a toast.

Neither of them noticed that a person was lying on the roof, completely blending into the darkness.