Chapter 10: No Effort Goes Unrewarded!

After watching Chen Jie finish his basic training, Liu Bamei approached him, her face full of anticipation as she smiled and said, "Young Master Chen, I have finished what I promised you. Although Aunt Thirteen didn't take you on as a formal disciple, she has already begun to teach you martial arts. Now, about the tuition you promised me—are you ready to pay?"

Chen Jie spread his hands helplessly. "I don't have any money on me."

"What did you say? Are you playing me?" Liu Bamei’s expression shifted instantly, transforming from a sweet, adorable girl into a fierce little tiger, radiating murderous intent. She and Liu Qi had been learning martial arts from Aunt Thirteen since they were children; while she wasn't quite as skilled as Liu Qi, she wasn't far behind. If she lost her temper, a couple of kicks from her would be enough to finish Chen Jie off.

Just as the little tiger was about to explode, Chen Jie quickly added, "I don't have money on me, but my family has plenty! I have an idea. Why don't you go discuss it with Aunt Thirteen and Liu Qi? I want to buy a stake in the Ximen Transport Agency. Calculate the total assets of the agency, and also factor in my martial arts tuition. Furthermore, this place is too dilapidated; I’m not used to living here. You should look for a larger residence to serve as the headquarters for the Ximen Transport Agency."

Upon hearing the mention of money, Liu Bamei immediately calmed down. "Fine! Wait here for me; I’m going to find Aunt Thirteen." With that, she turned and headed toward Aunt Thirteen’s room.

Half an hour later, Liu Bamei returned to Chen Jie’s quarters. Without any pleasantries, she went straight to the point: "The total assets of our Ximen Transport Agency come to ten strings of cash. Let’s set aside the talk of buying a stake for now; you need to pay your tuition first. I won’t overcharge you—two strings of cash per year. I’m collecting for three years upfront, so you owe us six strings of cash!"

Her mind was entirely consumed by money. The Ximen Transport Agency was barely scraping by; by the end of the month, they not only had debts to settle but also a significant amount of rent due for the following month. Naturally, Liu Bamei’s asking price was not going to be cheap. One string of cash was equivalent to one silver dollar, so three years of training would cost six silver dollars. Of course, this price wasn't entirely unreasonable; even if Chen Jie went to another martial arts school, the cost wouldn't be drastically different, with three years costing at least three silver dollars. The only difference was that other schools charged monthly. No one would usually be willing to pay three years of tuition at once, but it was clear that Liu Bamei was worried Chen Jie might go back on his word and was being deliberate.

Chen Jie did a quick mental calculation. Six silver dollars was only about 1,200 yuan back in his own world. He had already paid 60,000 yuan to the hospital and still had 10,000 yuan left. It wasn't expensive at all. He nodded and said, "Fine! I’ll go back home now, get the money, and come back to find you."

"Ah? It’s so late. You’re going back tonight?" Liu Bamei looked at the sky and said, "Why not wait until tomorrow? It’s too late, and it’s not safe!"

Chen Jie smiled. "It’s alright. If I don't bring the money, you won't be at ease, will you?"

The rest of the time was spent with Chen Jie trying to convince Liu Bamei not to accompany him home. He understood that she wanted to tag along not just out of concern for his safety, but because she was worried he might run off. However, he couldn't let her come with him. He was going home, but not in the ordinary sense.

Exiting the ramshackle house that served as the headquarters of the Ximen Transport Agency, Chen Jie spent about ten minutes scouting the area before ducking into an abandoned, desolate building. It was dark and damp, the kind of place no one would venture into even in broad daylight. He made a mental note to find a more secluded spot the next time he returned to this strange world.

Confirming that no one was around, Chen Jie focused his mind on the "Blood Dragon Jade." A moment later, a desolate voice echoed in his head:

[Consuming 100 Martial Arts Merit Points!]
[Blood Dragon Jade activated. Opening the Martial Sage Gate!]

*Hum!*

The same scene unfolded. A red light emanated from Chen Jie’s body, and the swirling portal of light appeared before him once more. Familiar with the process now, he wasn't overly surprised. He stepped into the portal, felt a brief moment of mental disorientation, and returned to the room he had left.

"Finally back! I hope the hospital didn't call me today." Chen Jie couldn't wait to pick up his phone from the table to check the call logs. He had spent nearly fifteen hours in the other world and had no idea what was happening at the hospital. Thankfully, there were no missed calls. He let out a sigh of relief.

Last time, when he activated the Blood Dragon Jade, he hadn't brought anything with him. He had left his phone on the table after his live stream with "Zixuan Appraisal" was cut off. Returning to it now, he felt a wave of emotion.

Wait? Something was wrong. Chen Jie looked at the date and time on his phone and was completely stunned. What was going on? The date on the phone hadn't changed at all, and only an hour and a half had passed.

He clearly remembered spending nearly fifteen hours in the other world. "No way? Is the flow of time different on both sides?" he wondered. "A ten-fold difference? Fifteen hours there, and only an hour and a half here? If that's the case, this is a mess. If I spend a week there, does that mean over two months will have passed here? Or perhaps the time flow is offset? Ten hours here equals one hour there?"

He shook his head, pushing the confusing thoughts aside. "Forget it, I'll figure it out when I go back."

He checked his remaining [Martial Arts Merit Points]. Only 45 remained—not enough to activate the "Blood Dragon Jade." Chen Jie tidied up the area and headed to the hill behind the village. A full moon hung in the sky, draping the surroundings in a layer of silver. To earn [Martial Arts Merit Points], he had to practice martial arts. Perhaps because Aunt Thirteen had performed bone-setting and tendon-stretching techniques on him, he felt brimming with energy. How could he possibly sleep?

*Swish!*

He took a half-step, firmly planting his feet in a horse stance, toes gripping the ground, maintaining his posture. At the same time, he regulated his breathing, his center of gravity as steady as Mount Tai. After holding the horse stance for an hour, he felt his toes, legs, waist, and knees become taut and powerful. He was amazed that he had managed to hold the stance for an hour without feeling tired. It was incredible!

*Bang!*

He kicked his leg forward diagonally with a crisp, clean motion. While he was nowhere near the level of Liu Qi’s leg techniques, he was quite satisfied with his current state. Three hours later, Chen Jie returned home. His [Martial Arts Merit Points] had increased by 3. One hour of training equaled 1 point. It was a bit low, but effort always yielded rewards. Although training was exhausting, as long as there were gains, it was all worth it.