Chapter 39: The Scheming Geng Silang [New Book Seeking Support and Rewards]

Kenshiro did not go inside the dojo to rest; instead, he found another spot to secretly observe Tang Shen and Kuina training in the practice yard.

Kenshiro: Bah! This isn’t spying—it’s observing, observing! I’m simply keeping an eye on my daughter’s progress in her training. Is there anything wrong with that?

At that moment, he saw his prized student, Roronoa Zoro, bounding over with a cheerful grin. That splash of green on his head stood out so starkly on the nearly empty training ground that it was impossible to ignore.

“Good morning, big brother!” Zoro greeted enthusiastically.

Thud!

Kenshiro felt as if an arrow as thick as his thigh had pierced his right kidney from behind, and not just grazed it, but shot straight through.

Hiss!

Another arrow struck him in the left kidney, as Zoro respectfully bowed as well.

Kenshiro was bursting to shout out his frustration! He had to say it!

This was clearly his own student, the disciple he had the highest hopes for. Why was it that he never took the initiative to greet him, and instead was so eager to greet someone else? Why was Zoro warmer to others than to his own master, even though Kenshiro had been nothing but gentle, approachable, and proactive?

Could it be that he really was intimidating? Was he truly so scheming? Impossible! He was the epitome of refinement.

Was it simply because the other guy was more handsome? But back in his youth, he’d been far more dashing than that kid—he wasn’t bad-looking even now!

“Morning, Zoro,” Tang Shen replied, still holding his horse stance, turning his head with a smile.

“Big brother, what are you doing?” Zoro asked, puzzled, as he watched Tang Shen and Kuina squatting in their stances.

“Holding a horse stance. It’s essentially the same as your morning exercises—just another form of training,” Tang Shen replied openly.

“This counts as training too? Not moving at all is training?” Zoro was utterly confused. In his mind, training was all about moving wildly, regardless of the posture—how could staying perfectly still also be considered training?

“Of course. Exercise can be both static and dynamic. I’ll teach you more when there’s time,” Tang Shen said with a smile.

“Alright, it’s a deal then. Big brother, I’ll get back to training now. The scheming head of the dojo said we have to double our training in the allotted time today, or there’ll be no food. I’m not afraid of training, but I am afraid of missing a meal—without food, I’ll have no energy to train! See you!” Zoro declared, not really understanding, but he did know that Tang Shen said he would teach him, so he was content. For now, the most important thing was to finish his morning routine and get breakfast.

With that, he dashed off to join the others.

Tang Shen was taken aback for a moment, then couldn’t help but burst out laughing. “Hahaha—Kuina, did you hear that? Even Green Moss Head says your father is scheming! Didn’t I tell you? I’m never wrong about people!”

Kuina: “...”

She wasn’t deaf, of course she heard. But was it really appropriate for him to laugh so loudly and say such things? To mock her father in front of his own disciple—even if she privately agreed, it still felt improper.

What if her father heard?

That would be a disaster!

And as it happened, Kenshiro did hear.

Even the most cultivated temperament would be on the verge of exploding.

How infuriating! His own disciple treated others with respect, but not him—fine, he could teach him that with time. But to talk about him behind his back, to his face, was intolerable.

Respect for one’s teacher is sacred! His principles demanded correction!

In his mind, Kenshiro silently put several stars next to Zoro’s name on his mental list. This disciple needed to be trained within an inch of his life—no, he meant, given special attention.

It was all for the sake of this talented student. With such potential, he deserved focused training.

Yes, that was it—he was only doing this to nurture Zoro’s talent. It certainly wasn’t out of personal annoyance, or because Zoro didn’t greet him, or because he spoke ill of his master behind his back.

Everything was for Zoro’s own good, so his talent wouldn’t go to waste.

Indeed, he was a good head of the dojo—a responsible and noble master.

That settled it!

Apart from that, he had a powerful urge to draw his great sword. His blade was itching for action again; he wanted nothing more than to charge over and cut Tang Shen off the wooden post where he was squatting.

Well, as long as Tang Shen was useful for his daughter’s training, Kenshiro would let it slide for now. Unconsciously, he had already acknowledged Tang Shen as Kuina’s master, and admitted that Tang Shen was more helpful to his daughter than he was—almost more like a true father.

Though it left a bitter taste in his heart, he silently accepted the fact.

In the end, he held back—for his daughter’s sake, and certainly not because Tang Shen was charming.

That day, he finally managed to correct Kuina’s posture.

For the first time that morning, he tried breakfast at the One Heart Dojo. It was actually quite good: rice porridge, coarse bread cakes, a platter of pickles, and a big bowl of meat—he ate heartily. The cooking wasn’t anything special, but the ingredients were excellent.

Tang Shen had analyzed it: the world of pirates was rich in minerals, with countless islands. Just look at those enormous trees—everything was bursting with nutrients, so the meat from animals and fish was exceptionally nourishing, enough to support the formidable physiques of the strong in this world.

At the same time, he found himself longing for the cuisine of his previous life. Now, all he had were these nutrient-packed meals every day, to the point where his mouth was growing numb with blandness.

Afterward, Tang Shen took Kuina into the forest to hunt beasts. He’d originally hoped to keep boosting his agility by eating meat from level-two wild turkeys, planning to clear out the entire forest if need be. Unfortunately, after reaching three points, eating more had no further effect.

Tang Shen was disappointed. He’d thought he’d discovered a gold mine, ready to sweep the forest clean of turkeys.

It seemed he had to let these birds off the hook—at least this time, he’d done a good deed.

Still, he managed to reach level three that day. Since turkey meat no longer increased agility, he set his sights on level-three wild beasts.

A pleased grin spread across his face.

To gain a level a day was impressive progress—fast, even.

Other players were still stumbling along, some having found their path—working as errand boys at the Marine outpost in the novice village, exhausted for meager rations, with barely enough energy to train.

Meanwhile, another group of players had perished—starvation, of course. Some tried to steal food, others foraged for fruit in the forest, only to be taken out by wild beasts.

All in all, it was a miserable sight. The players’ situation had not improved; their starting stats were just too low, their strength too meager, and survival was exceedingly difficult.

This time, after receiving his attribute points, Tang Shen considered carefully. He divided the four points equally among his constitution, strength, speed, and spirit—one point each. He felt that focusing on just one stat would create an imbalance.

Looking at it from a sustainable development perspective, it was best for the body to develop evenly, to avoid future complications.