True Solution of the Sword Dao
Chapter 417 - 384 Shadow Part 1 (Asking for Monthly Tickets, please vote as you see fit, honestly I’m a bit embarrassed....)

Chapter 417: Chapter 384 Shadow Part 1 (Asking for Monthly Tickets, please vote as you see fit, honestly I’m a bit embarrassed....)

"New orders?" Qi Yinglong’s heart stirred slightly. He glanced at some people nearby. These students apparently also seemed to have thought of something. There was an uncontrollable curiosity in their eyes.

After all the students had returned to the Sword Room and the door was closed,

Instructor Chen Yifei held his cellphone, finally beginning to read out names from the list he had received.

"The following students whose names are called may stay. Number 3 Meng Keke. Number 6 Yu Xiaolin, Number 11 Zhao Fei. Number 12 Sun Daolin...." One name after another was called out by the instructor.

A low voice echoed faintly in the Sword Room.

Everyone listened quietly as he read off the list.

Qi Yinglong stood in the back row, trying to stabilize his emotions and maintain a steady state.

However, he knew that this was an excellent opportunity to gain the appreciation of the higher-ups. His number was 31. Listening to the numbers being called one by one, and seeing the unhappy expressions of fellow students who were not called, his heart grew increasingly anxious.

The instructor skipped over some students in between numbers, clearly indicating their lack of qualification. His voice was very calm.

And those whose names had not been called displayed unpleasant expressions.

After all, everyone knew this was a great opportunity, whether for delving deeper into swordsmanship or for other aspirations.

Soon, the instructor had called nearly up to number thirty.

"Number 25 Fang Hai. Number 29 Chen Lu, Number 31 Qi Yinglong...."

Qi Yinglong felt a sudden relief. Although he knew that he was the top student in the class, whether he would be selected or not wasn’t guaranteed until his number was called. This uncertainty was particularly nerve-wracking.

"Hear that? We’ve all been selected," Fang Hai whispered to Qi Yinglong, "Who knows what we’ll be chosen for this time?"

"Who knows?" Qi Yinglong said indifferently, but a slight smile curved his lips, and a barely containable joy shone in his eyes. He suspected that this selection might just be for the advancement of core members.

After Chen Yifei finished reading the list, he briefly scanned the room. "All right, those whose names weren’t called may leave now. Of course, don’t be discouraged, as this selection was almost entirely based on your performance scores. Consequently, if your scores improve, you naturally might be selected," he explained.

Instantly, the room buzzed with conversation. Some students dismissively stood up and headed towards the door; these individuals were completely indifferent, driven purely by a love for swordsmanship, with no interest in the Swordsmanship Club’s background.

On the other hand, students with other motivations stood with distressed expressions due to not being selected. Although disappointed, they understood that this list was compiled from the top twenty students, whose scores and comprehensive evaluations were clearly posted behind the door of the Sword Room. Nobody had extra objections. Acceptance of being outmatched was evident in their compliance.

An unspoken understanding settled as they sat quietly in the Sword Room, watching Instructor Chen Yifei.

With a click, the Sword Room door was closed.

Chen Yifei turned around, cleared his throat, and returned to the front of the Sword Room.

"The words I’m about to say are crucial for your future development. I hope you will pay attention. It does not matter where you come from or what your family background is. From now on, in here, you are all equal. Your backgrounds are of no significance to us. Do not act arrogant within the Club; know that there will always be someone stronger than you. One last thing," Chen Yifei paused, seemingly moved, and sighed.

"Congratulations, you have become the core members of the Swordsmanship Club."

Whew....

Almost inaudibly, sighs of relief whispered among the students, clearly relieved by his words.

These were ordinary-background students who had joined with the intention of climbing up. They had no family power and had to climb up through their own efforts. What had been said was crucial to whether their long-time efforts bore fruit.

"From now on, every core member will receive a base salary of one thousand per month, and there will be a competitive ranking held monthly. The top twenty ranked individuals will receive salary increments based on their position. Specific rules will be explained by a specialist shortly," Chen Yifei said with a smile. He had taught this class for nearly a year and had developed a subtle bond with the students.

Woosh....

The entire Sword Room suddenly erupted.

A look of surprise appeared on everyone’s face. No one had ever heard of a martial arts gym or a fitness club paying money instead of charging it. This was a first for everyone involved.

"Instructor, you’re not joking, are you? Paying money?" a female student asked loudly.

"Yeah, Instructor, we pay almost three hundred a month for training fees, and now you’re giving us a thousand back? You’re not joking, are you? What kind of profit-making institution pays its customers?" a male student asked, puzzled.

Other students with doubts also began to question.

Qi Yinglong and Fang Hai, however, didn’t join the questioning.

"I knew it... It’s really as I suspected..." Qi Yinglong’s face showed a hint of joy.

"What do you mean ’it’s really as I suspected’?" Fang Hai asked, puzzled on the side.

Qi Yinglong took a few deep breaths. He glanced at Fang Hai; there was no need to hide his speculation now. He slowly said,

"I’ve always suspected the nature of the Swordsmanship Club. Now, I can basically confirm it."

Fang Hai slightly furrowed his brow. "Confirm what? Isn’t it just a fitness club with a martial arts nature? Just a bit unusual."

"Wrong," Qi Yinglong continued, watching the students gathered around Instructor Chen Yifei. "The Swordsmanship Club has a very strong background. Whether in the underworld or the law-abiding world, no one refuses to give face. Based on my observations for a while, many forces facing the expansion of the Swordsmanship Club, even if there are conflicts of interest, do not engage in hindrances but swiftly back down and concede. Without exception...."

Fang Hai’s expression also became slightly more serious.

"So you’re saying the Swordsmanship Club’s backing is very strong?"

"Yes," Qi Yinglong nodded. "That’s it. Originally, I thought the Swordsmanship Club was just an organization set up for fun by someone in the background. But, after a certain opportunity, I discovered that what I learned here could actually be applied in fights... That made me consider a possibility."

"Could be used in actual combat?" Fang Hai’s complexion also changed slightly, "What possibility? Is it these weird training methods?"

With a solemn expression, Qi Yinglong said, "Exactly! The Swordsmanship Club must be a talent selection organization for some underworld group. Perhaps their aim is to make a profit if possible, and it doesn’t matter if they can’t. Because all that is secondary. And now, my guess might very well be true."

Fang Hai was also silent. It seemed he had yet to accept this fact.

After a long while, he spoke again.

"So what do we do now...."

"Yes, we core students are now preliminarily within their required scope," Qi Yinglong’s eyes gleamed with a touch of fanaticism. "As long as we perform well, we can climb up... truly stand out on our own strength!!" He seemed to recall something, a hint of pain flashing across his face, but it quickly returned to calm.

Fang Hai was somewhat influenced by his anticipation.

"To stand out based on our own efforts... I like that!" He licked his lips. "Looks like I need to practice my swordsmanship even harder..."

It was then that Chen Yifei called for all the students to follow him.

"Pay attention, this opportunity might change your lives," he said with a profound meaning as he opened the door. "Now let’s go to the chief training ground of the headquarters together."

A group of nearly twenty people followed behind Chen Yifei in a formidable array, walking out of the Sword Room.

Qi Yinglong and Fang Hai were at the very end when he noticed that both in front and behind them in the corridor, each group of students was led by an instructor, clearly headed for the same destination.

As Qi Yinglong’s gaze swept over, he suddenly spotted in the group ahead the former boss of his neighborhood, the big sister Ning Xiaoyao. The fierce and domineering aura that used to characterize her was completely gone; she now looked demure with long hair draped over her shoulders, dressed in plain white, clearly resembling a very pure and beautiful young woman.

A spasm flickered at the corner of Qi Yinglong’s eyes, recalling a past incident when this woman had knocked him to the ground with a bottle. Comparing Ning Xiaoyao’s current innocent appearance to the ferocious image she had before, Qi Yinglong suddenly felt a bit pained....

Then there were several others who looked like her gang members and subordinates. It turned out that this whole group had come in....

Ning Xiaoyao seemed to notice Qi Yinglong and turned around, smiling at him like a lady.

Qi Yinglong turned his gaze away and no longer looked at her.

The group ascended to the seventh floor of the headquarters building in teams.

There indeed was a huge indoor sports arena.

As Fang Hai and Qi Yinglong entered, there were already many people inside. Qi Yinglong briefly estimated there were probably more than a hundred people.

All were young male and female students. Each instructor was neatly positioned in front of their respective groups, resembling a school teacher leading students in calisthenics.

The entire indoor sports arena was somewhat noisy, with most of the students whispering to each other, excitement flickering on their faces. Clearly, they were stimulated by the salary distribution by the club.

Some financially astute students had already calculated the approximate profit and loss.

"If what the instructor said is true, then the Swordsmanship Club is actually operating at a loss... and it’s at least tens of thousands per day in operational costs...." Coming to this conclusion, everyone was somewhat surprised. Generally, such organizations are profit-oriented; nobody had heard of one that would incur such heavy losses."

Thus, many people started thinking along the same lines as Qi Yinglong.

As the last group of students entered, the doors at the front and back of the indoor venue were slowly closed by people.

All the windows were covered with curtains.

The entire venue suddenly fell into darkness. The sunlight outside could only penetrate through the black curtains, giving off a faint glow.

Snap!

After a faint sound, the largest group of lights above the venue suddenly turned on. The entire place was lit up brightly. The yellow light nearly made the inside as bright as daylight.

"Everyone, please quiet down."

At this moment, Qi Yinglong saw a young man in white standing on a high platform above. This man had an ordinary face, but dressed in a plain white swordsman’s outfit with a white Longsword hanging at his waist, he stood alone there, exuding a strong ancient aura as if he were an ancient Swordsman.

All the students gradually quieted down under the instructions of their instructors.

All eyes were focused on this man in white.

"Firstly, congratulations to everyone for making it to the core student level," the man in white said with a smile. "This represents that your fates might take a significant turn."

Everyone quieted down.

"Perhaps many of you do not know who I am. But no matter. Let me introduce myself. My name is Lin Yuanshan. I am currently one of the Chief Instructors of the Swordsmanship Club."

The quiet persisted below.

Lin Yuanshan smiled as he stood on the platform, surveying the entire crowd.

"As core students, you now have the qualification to access another side of the world. Originally, this demonstration was supposed to be conducted by my senior sister, but unfortunately, she’s not available now, so I’ll have to do it."

He slowly drew the white Longsword at his waist. A faint white light slowly emanated from the blade of the Longsword. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it at Qi Dian (qidian.com) by sending recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)