Invincible!

Chapter 10 Dragon Gate
One tael of silver is enough for an ordinary person's expenses for more than half a year.

One hundred and twenty taels of silver is enough to ensure a worry-free life if one does not marry or establish a career.

Of course, the expenses of practicing martial arts are no less than those of getting married and starting a career.

For example, if Mr. Li drinks three bowls of eight-treasure soup a day, the cost would be ninety taels of silver a month.

One hundred and twenty taels of silver cannot last for two months.

Of course, with such a huge expenditure, Li Xian's strength increased immediately.

On the ninth day after arriving at the Marquis's residence, his entire body resonated with energy, marking his complete entry into the stage of mastery of his physical and mental abilities.

Next, he only needs to cultivate his lungs and internal organs for another three to five days to catch up with Liu Fu and reach a physical level equivalent to that of a Grandmaster of Core Formation in his previous life.

……

The conflict between Li Xian and the Marquis of Dingfeng's mansion was kept very secret.

But after so many days, only a few words have finally been circulated.

Ordinary people may be completely unaware of this, but within that small circle of the upper echelons, it is being discussed privately.

In a short time, the name "Li Xian" officially entered the field of vision of the upper circle of Lijiang City, and became known to everyone in a recognized way.

……

Longquan Martial Arts School.

Hongyu was not teaching martial arts today, but instead prepared tea and snacks and went to the study where the headmaster Zhou Juechen used to be.

Here, an elderly man, over sixty years old but still looking youthful with white hair, was sitting, glancing out of the corner of his eye from time to time towards the outer courtyard.

"Mr. Zhou, if you wish to see it, I can take you there, or perhaps I can simply call him over?"

"Need not."

The old man waved his hand: "Why would an unpopular old man like me go up there? Would I just humiliate myself?"

These words...

This made Hongyu slightly embarrassed, unsure of how to respond.

He could only lower his head and pretend to be focused on brewing and pouring tea.

After taking a sip of tea, the old man finally asked again: "So... that kid, is his martial arts talent really that amazing?"

This question immediately made Hongyu's expression solemn: "It is even more serious than the rumors suggest."

"Is it true that he was deeply versed in martial arts, had already grasped the true meaning of martial arts from books, and thus broke through three realms in just two or three months, directly entering the internal cultivation of the lungs and viscera?"

"Young Master Li's talent is the most outstanding among all the martial artists I have ever seen in my life. To put it bluntly, even my master's talent is inferior to his."

Hongyu said seriously, "He himself is also very diligent in his training. He has been practicing without stopping for the past half month, rain or shine. The resulting growth effect is naturally immediate. I can feel his improvement almost every day. In my opinion, in a few more months, his internal organs will be fully developed. In a year or two, it is not an unrealistic expectation that he will be able to undergo a blood transfusion and marrow cleansing."

"After several months, the lungs and internal organs will be fully developed; after one or two years, a blood transfusion and marrow cleansing will be performed..."

Although the old man was a Confucian scholar, there was a saying among Confucian scholars of the time that one should be proficient in both literary and martial arts.

He himself naturally knew what it meant to have his lungs and marrow fully developed and his blood and marrow cleansed.

This is a level of martial arts skill that one wouldn't trade for even the position of a county magistrate.

For a moment, he couldn't help but mutter to himself, "So, by telling him to study hard, I've actually hindered his progress?"

“This… gold shines wherever it is. A talented person like Young Master Li has the potential to become a top scholar in the provincial examinations, and if he chooses to fight, he will eventually be able to dominate a prefecture.”

Hongyu paused here, then said, "Young Master Li is only twenty-two this year. If he can truly undergo a complete transformation and maintain this growth trend within a year or two, he might be able to leap over the dragon gate and ascend to the heavens in five years when he is twenty-seven!"

"Leap over the Dragon Gate!"

The old man couldn't help but be moved when he heard Hongyu utter those three words.

Even as a renowned scholar of the time, he dared not aspire to be on par with such a dragon-transformed individual.

According to Hongyu... that kid actually has such an opportunity!?
After a long while, he finally let out a long breath: "Leaping over the dragon gate!"

His words were filled with deep emotion.

Hongyu dared not say another word.

Leaping over the dragon gate...

That was what Master Zhou Juechen had sought all his life.

Even though he has practiced diligently and tirelessly throughout the first half of his life, he still has no confidence in whether he can take that step this year.

As for whether Li Xian can truly leap over the Dragon Gate and transform from a carp into a dragon...

No one can guarantee it.

"Forget it, I'm too old to control him anymore. If he wants to practice martial arts, let him practice. A 22-year-old martial arts master is no less than the Four Great Talents of Lijiang. It's better than him degenerating into a son-in-law of a marquis."

The old man seemed to have come to terms with it at this moment, and calmly put down his teacup.

"A son-in-law of a noble family..."

Upon hearing this, Hongyu laughed and said, "That young master Yan is known as the number one talent in Lijiang, skilled in both literature and martial arts. Isn't he also known as one of the four great talents and three heroes of Lijiang? The current young master Li is in no way inferior to him in any aspect. How can such a person talk about marrying into the family? How can the Marquis of Dingfeng's mansion have the nerve to pat themselves on the back?"

"Marrying into a noble family..."

The old man pondered for a moment.

"In fact, being too clever for one's own good can backfire."

Hongyu chuckled and said, "The Marquis's Mansion and the Prince's Mansion didn't allow Young Master Li to register his household registration because they were afraid that rumors would spread and that 'Fairy Seedling' would hear them and know that they were just putting on an act to fool her! Now, they've backfired. As long as Young Master Li, who is not a son-in-law, is not married into the family, he will still be a free man."

"I'm afraid it's not that simple."

The old man's eyes held a hint of solemnity.

"The reason why this matter has developed to this point is that the core interest is the Dragon Gate Token that the 'Fairy Seed' brings with her. If the Prince's Mansion wants this Dragon Gate Token, it has to make Yan Kaigui marry the 'Fairy Seed'. However, Yan Kaigui and the Marquis's daughter are in love... In order to reassure the 'Fairy Seed' and leave the Dragon Gate Token in the Prince's Mansion, the farce of the Marquis's daughter finding someone to marry was finally staged."

He looked towards the direction of Kyoto: "Right now... the Dragon Gate Leap has not yet begun, and the Dragon Gate Token has not yet taken effect. If that kid makes too much of a fuss, there is a risk that it will reach the ears of 'Immortal Seed'... The Marquis's Mansion will not agree, and neither will the Prince of Yue's Mansion."

Upon hearing this, the amused smile on Hongyu's face froze instantly.

"Mr. Zhou, you mean..."

"That's a Dragon Gate Token!"

The old man spoke heavily.

At this point, Hongyu fell silent.

But looking out the window toward the courtyard where everyone was practicing martial arts, a hint of worry appeared between his brows.

“If I were that kid, I would just leave and go far away, out of sight, out of mind. He’s not really a son-in-law, he can’t leave Jiangzhou.”

The old man paused slightly as he spoke, "Or, we could have a good talk with the Marquis's Mansion and the Prince's Mansion. I believe that in order to prevent the matter from escalating and the 'Immortal Seed' from hearing the truth, the Marquis's Mansion and the Prince's Mansion will appease that kid. Perhaps that kid can even take this opportunity to extort some money from these two families."

He added, "The premise of this plan is that this kid can find connections or rely on his abilities to have the qualifications to have an equal dialogue with both sides."

"Equal dialogue..."

Faced with such behemoths as the Marquis's Mansion and the Prince's Mansion, even his master's weight was slightly insufficient, let alone Li Xian.
So, he could only choose the first path and leave for another place?

The old man stood up at this moment: "They're not my students, why should I worry about this? I'm leaving."

Seeing this, Hongyu quickly composed herself and stepped forward to ask, "Old Zhou... do you really not need me to call him over?"

The old man waved his hand, put his hands behind his back, and slowly walked out of the martial arts school.

Hongyu wanted to say something to persuade her to stay, but after opening her mouth, she couldn't find the words to say.

They had no choice but to accompany the old man throughout the entire process and escort him away from the martial arts school.

(End of this chapter)