Chapter 22: Please Teach Me Martial Arts

At the mention of this topic, a brilliance that could not be ignored instantly ignited in Lin Qiyue’s eyes.

"Because I want to be a hero. I want to punish evil and promote good, I want to help everyone who needs help, I..."

Before he could finish, Lin Chuyi interrupted him: "Everyone who needs help? Does that include bad people?"

"Of course not!" Lin Qiyue turned to glare at her, then continued his torrent of words: "Brother Mo, you know, I have wanted to learn martial arts since I was a child, but my father simply wouldn't allow it. He insisted that I study the Four Books and Five Classics. I know his intention was for me to have a bright future, for me to become an official, but I don't like that. What is so good about being an official? One can't even support a family; we have to rely on Yiyi to support us, I..."

"Ah! A snake!" Lin Chuyi suddenly shrieked and leaped onto Lin Qiyue’s back.

Lin Qiyue instinctively wrapped his arms around her legs to keep her from falling. "Where? Where is the snake?"

"It just ran away," Lin Chuyi said, rubbing her dainty nose and giggling.

"Then get down."

Lin Chuyi hopped down obediently, but this time she squeezed herself between the two of them, looking as if she intended to join their conversation. Thanks to her sudden disruption, the melancholic mood that had just gripped Lin Qiyue vanished without a trace.

Lin Qiyue sat back down and looked at Mo Yu with sparkling eyes. "Brother Mo, are you willing to teach me martial arts? As long as you are willing to teach me, I will do anything you ask. Well, as long as it is within my abilities and doesn't violate my morals."

Mo Yu curled his lips into a smile, glanced at Lin Chuyi who had flopped back onto the ground, and spoke slowly: "Learning martial arts is not a matter of a single day. Just building the foundation takes several years, and the daily practice is tedious and dull. If you learn, there will be no more sleeping in. Every day you will have to tie iron weights to your legs, and your body will be under constant, high-intensity strain. You will be sore the next day, and the pain will intensify by the third. You will have to endure this kind of suffering for at least a year. Now, do you still want to learn?"

Lin Qiyue expressed his determination eagerly: "I do. Please, Brother Mo, teach me."

"Since that is the case, you may learn from me," Mo Yu nodded.

After making this decision, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of surprise. Was he actually taking on an apprentice?

"Thank you, Brother Mo!"

Receiving an affirmative answer, Lin Qiyue’s excitement knew no bounds. His dream of being a hero was finally within reach.

Lin Chuyi let out a yawn, rubbed her little belly, and couldn't help but interject, "Father won't let you."

Lin Qiyue’s excitement froze. Her words felt like a bucket of ice water poured over his head. That’s right; how could he have forgotten that? His father would never allow him to practice martial arts.

At that thought, his spirits immediately wilted. "Sigh, Brother Mo, it seems I still cannot learn from you after all."

Mo Yu smiled and shook his head. "If you truly desire to learn, you must fight for it. How will you know it is impossible if you don't even try?"

*That’s right,* he thought, *how will I know it’s impossible if I don't try?*

Lin Qiyue’s passion was reignited by Mo Yu’s words. His body was his own; even his father could not stop him.

"Hey, what are you plotting by egging Xiao Qi on to learn martial arts? Are you trying to trick him into becoming your subordinate? If that’s the case, you have to pay up. Otherwise, I won’t agree to let Xiao Qi learn from you." Lin Chuyi suddenly winked at Mo Yu.

Hearing this, a bead of sweat rolled down Mo Yu’s forehead. *Indeed,* he mused, *one really shouldn't display one's wealth too openly...*