White Tiger Boxing Hall, in a room to the side of the main hall.
Fang Hu and Fang Yue were waiting there.
They had used the back door, so they were naturally much slower than the Wang Family uncle and nephew, who had ridden in through the main gate.
And it was only after they entered that they realized the other uncle and nephew pair were also seeking a master.
So, the two of them could only wait.
"The master of the White Tiger Boxing Hall is my master, Elder Zheng. You must be respectful when we go in shortly."
"When you see him, remember to bow..."
Fang Hu was explaining the rules and some of the finer points to Fang Yue.
As he was speaking, he saw some people walk out of the main hall. Some of the faces were familiar; they were his former martial brothers.
But these people didn't seem to see him, nor did they glance in his direction.
They left, chatting and laughing amongst themselves.
After waiting a while longer, a disciple called Fang Hu inside.
"Fang Yue, you wait here for now."
With that, Fang Hu entered the main hall.
He was a little confused as to why only he had been called in, but this was clearly not the time to ask questions.
The priority was to take care of business. After that, he still had to hurry back.
The round trip was hundreds of miles, and the roads weren't safe. It was best to head back sooner rather than later.
"Second Senior Brother!"
Fang Hu first cupped his fist in a salute to Chen Tong. After observing all the proper courtesies, Fang Hu asked, "Second Senior Brother, where is Master?"
"Master is tired today. He's resting and not seeing anyone."
Chen Tong's tone was flat, and his gaze, as he looked at Fang Hu, was devoid of emotion. It was as if he were looking at a stranger, creating a sense of distance.
"Junior Brother Fang, have you come to take on a disciple?"
"That's right. He is my nephew. His talent is decent, and he has the heart for martial arts, so I was hoping to take him in and teach him."
Fang Hu nodded and quickly replied.
"Mm."
Chen Tong contemplated for a moment before looking at Fang Hu. "However, Junior Brother Fang, you should know that as an official disciple of the White Tiger Fist, in your current state, you can only take on one disciple."
"If you decide to take him, then you will not be able to pass down the White Tiger Fist to your own son. Oh, this is a new rule set by Master. Our generation takes disciples based on our cultivation level. With your cultivation, you can only have one official disciple."
"That's why I only had you come in alone."
As his words fell, Chen Tong picked up his teacup, gently blowing on the surface of the tea, in no hurry for Fang Hu's reply.
His son, or his nephew.
It was obvious who was closer family.
It wasn't a difficult choice, but it wasn't an easy one either.
'As for asking another Junior Brother of the White Tiger Fist to take a disciple, that's possible, but it would take up someone else's spot. And who would offer that kind of help for free?'
'He himself, of course, had no such restriction, but he would certainly never accept Fang Hu's son or nephew.'
'Fang Hu's own talent was ordinary; what kind of talent could his juniors possibly have? Even if they had some, it would have been wasted by years of poor nutrition.'
'So, how could he possibly accept a disciple who was destined for a future of limited achievement?'
"Second Senior Brother... I... I understand."
Fang Hu took a deep breath, suddenly hesitant and finding it difficult to make a decision.
Previously, disciples of the White Tiger Fist could take on three apprentices. He never expected the rules to have changed on this visit.
Restricting the number of apprentices a disciple could take was, in itself, a reasonable measure.
Without restrictions, disciples could take apprentices freely, which might lead to vicious competition, as the number of potential martial arts students was finite.
If recruitment were unrestricted, people could learn the true teachings without ever coming to the boxing hall, and the hall would be unable to sustain itself.
However, this new change had indeed put Fang Hu in a dilemma.
He took a deep breath, and his gaze soon became resolute. "Second Senior Brother, I've made up my mind. I will take my nephew as my disciple."
"Mm. Fine. Since you've decided, have him come in."
Chen Tong made no attempt to dissuade him and immediately had someone fetch Fang Yue.
~~~~~~
「An incense stick's time later,」
Fang Hu led Fang Yue out of the White Tiger Boxing Hall, leaving, of course, through the back door.
In through the back, out through the back.
They left just like that, without alerting many people.
"Mr. Fang Hu... Master, are we heading back now?"
Fang Yue asked softly as he followed Fang Hu.
He had also noticed that Fang Hu's spirits seemed low ever since they left the White Tiger Boxing Hall.
"Mm. We're going back to Master Zhang's house to pick up Ergou and Zhang Shu, then we'll all head back together," Fang Hu replied in a calm tone.
"We're taking Senior Sister Zhang too? She's coming back with us?" Fang Yue asked.
'Zhang Shu is going to Da Liushu Village with them?'
'What was going on? Da Liushu Village was a poor, remote place. In terms of environment, it was countless times worse than Xiahe County Town.'
'Her family was wealthy; for them, eating meat at every meal was nothing special here.'
'But if she went to Da Liushu Village, she'd be stuck eating flatbread and wild vegetables. Could this young miss really endure such a life of poverty?'
Although Fang Yue could see that this Senior Sister Zhang didn't have the typical spoiled habits of a rich young lady, he still didn't think she could handle that kind of hardship.
'So, why was Zhang Shu going to Da Liushu Village with them?!'
'It couldn't be that Master Zhang wanted his daughter to go experience country life, could it?'
"That's right, Zhang Shu will be coming back with us. Master Zhang has to be away on business for three months. He's worried about leaving your Senior Sister at home alone, so he's asked her to stay with us for a while," Fang Hu explained.
Fang Yue nodded, understanding.
'So that's why. No wonder the rich young miss was coming with them to Da Liushu Village.'
~~~~~~~~
「The next day, at the crack of dawn, in front of the Zhang Residence.」
"Dad, I'll never make you angry again. Can't you let Shu'Er stay?" Zhang Shu said, her eyes red as she looked at Zhang Boyang.
"Nonsense. You're just going for three months, and then you'll be back. Who said I don't want you anymore? Stop talking such foolishness."
Zhang Boyang kept a stern face, refusing to look at the crying Zhang Shu.
'When he thought about what he had to do, he knew he couldn't leave his daughter here alone.'
'If word got out, his daughter would likely be in danger.'
'So, no matter how much he couldn't bear it, he had to harden his heart.'
Still, he took out a money pouch and handed it to his daughter.
"Dad, are you mad at me? I'll never put chili peppers in your rice again..."
"Go, go, go! Just get out of here!"
It would have been fine if she hadn't brought it up, but the moment Zhang Shu mentioned it...
Zhang Boyang exploded. Zhang Shu had put so many chili peppers in that bowl of rice that his lips were still red and swollen.
They say a daughter is a father's warm little jacket, but his must be a drafty one.
Zhang Boyang 'roared' and made a move as if to 'strike' her.
But by then, Zhang Shu had already dodged to the side.
"Dad, I'll be leaving with Master Fang now. You take care of yourself."
By this point, the tears on Zhang Shu's face had long since vanished.
Aside from her slightly red eyes, there was no sign she had been crying at all.