Village Celebrity

Night had completely fallen.

In Chengping Ward, the lanterns in front of the Sun Clan Martial Arts School were lit one by one.

As Yang Jing retracted his fist, his knuckles were still red, and heat steamed off his body.

After a simple wipe-down, he picked up his old cloth bag and hurried towards Datong Ward.

Since he had bought a new courtyard, Yang Jing decided to move in tonight.

Fortunately, he didn't have many belongings. One trip carried his bedding and clothes, and the next carried his sand pot and the sack containing his valuables. His steps were light and swift.

The new courtyard in Tongyi Ward was only a fifteen-minute journey from Datong Ward. Yang Jing made two trips, and the move was completed in less than an hour.

After returning the old house and tidying up, he felt even lighter at heart.

In Tongyi Ward, Yang Jing tidied up the rooms. The sack containing his valuables was still stuffed under the bed. He didn't need to tidy much else. The courtyard had always been occupied before and was well-maintained, though it had gathered some dust in the past month due to being unoccupied.

Once settled, Yang Jing began to stew meat.

The kitchen in the new courtyard wasn't large, but it was much more spacious than cooking meat in a sand pot in the corner of his previous room.

Looking at his new home, Yang Jing was extremely satisfied, feeling that everything was perfect.

After a simple tidy-up of the kitchen, Yang Jing started the fire, cut the remaining tiger meat into chunks, threw it into the sand pot, added clear water and ginger slices, covered it, and let it simmer.

Before long, a rich meaty aroma filled the air, mingling with the fresh scent of the plants in the courtyard. It felt more comfortably liberating than hunching over to cook meat in his cramped room.

When the meat was tender and soft, he ladled out a large bowl and sat on a small stool in the kitchen, devouring it.

The broth soaked into the muscle fibers of the tiger meat. A warm current slid down his throat, slowly spreading in his belly, bringing comfort to every part of his body.

Yang Jing ate heartily, not even leaving a drop of soup. Whether it was psychological or the firewood in his new home was better, he felt the tiger meat tasted more than twice as good as usual.

After cleaning the bowls and chopsticks, Yang Jing walked into the courtyard and stood there.

Moonlight spilled onto the bluestone slabs, and the shadow of the old locust tree lay quietly. The gentle sound of a stream could be heard from outside the wall.

He stretched, his joints popping with a series of light clicks. Looking at everything around him – the spacious courtyard, the side rooms, the kitchen, the main house, the flower pots, the old locust tree – he felt grounded and open.

From this day forward, this was his world.

He no longer had to cook meat or practice martial arts in a cramped room.

"After eating tiger meat, I'm full of vigor and ready to practice my fist techniques!"

Yang Jing eagerly wanted to practice his fist techniques in this spacious courtyard, which was all his own.

The courtyard wasn't large, but in Yang Jing's eyes, it was spacious enough. As long as it could accommodate his martial arts practice, it was sufficient.

The moonlight fell, perfectly illuminating the open space in the courtyard.

Yang Jing stood still, took a deep breath, and slowly calmed his somewhat excited mood. He began the steady opening stance of the Mountain Collapse Fist.

The warm current from the tiger meat flowed gently through his meridians. With the rise and fall of his fists, that warmth seemed to ignite, surging along his fists, shoulders, and waist. Every punch he threw carried a sound that broke through the air, adding a few points of ferocity compared to before.

After completing a set of fist techniques, Yang Jing's forehead was beaded with sweat, but he felt utterly refreshed, as if he had inexhaustible strength.

After a brief period of adjustment, he changed his stance, preparing to practice the Surging Wave Leg, which he had just begun to ponder.

In his mind, the cultivation method for the Surging Wave Leg slowly flowed.

With over half a year of martial arts experience, although he had no guidance, Yang Jing had some ideas on how to cultivate the Surging Wave Leg.

When he first lifted his leg, there was some stiffness, his ankle wasn't flexible enough, and the force of his kicks was scattered rather than concentrated.

But the solid foundation laid by the Mountain Collapse Fist showed its worth here. The coordination of his waist and legs, and the continuity of his power, were already ingrained in his muscle memory.

In just over an hour, Yang Jing found some key tricks.

The movements of lifting the knee, turning the hip, and swinging the leg became smoother. The sound of the wind kicked up by his toes grew louder. Although far from perfect, it already carried a hint of the "surging wave's" swiftness.

Under the moonlight, Yang Jing's figure cast a shifting shadow on the courtyard wall. His leg techniques progressed from unfamiliar to gradually proficient. Each kick was steadier and faster than the last.

Yang Jing became more and more engrossed in his practice, feeling the warm current within him merge with his leg techniques, giving him more agility than before.

He practiced until late into the night before finally stopping, feeling a sense of exhilarating release.

In the past, practicing martial arts at night was done in a small room; it was never this satisfying.

During his rest, Yang Jing had a thought.

The next moment, a system panel appeared out of thin air before his eyes--

[Mountain Collapse Fist: Minor Accomplishment (393/500)]
[Surging Wave Leg: Novice (2/200)]

As Yang Jing officially began cultivating the Surging Wave Leg, the cultivation progress for it also appeared on the panel.

Yang Jing looked at the two martial arts on the panel, a smile appearing on his face.

"With a stable supply of fierce beast meat, my cultivation speed has increased significantly. At this rate, I should be able to break through to Hidden Strength within a month."

Yang Jing thought to himself.

If he were to say this out loud, no one would believe him.

The bottleneck between Bright Strength and Hidden Strength was immense.

For decades, Sun Clan Martial Arts School has produced many disciples who reached Bright Strength, but very few who reached Hidden Strength.

Currently, batches of registered disciples flock to the martial arts school, only to leave in disappointment. Perhaps some disciples manage to break through to Bright Strength, but Hidden Strength has stumped too many. Including Lin Yue, there are only five disciples currently at the Hidden Strength level remaining in the martial arts school.

That bottleneck has stumped countless people, trapping them for their entire lives and halting their martial arts journey.

However, Yang Jing was confident because he had no bottleneck.

The next day, as dawn broke, Yang Jing got up. Using the faint light filtering through the window paper, he carefully wrapped ten taels of gold and fifty taels of silver ingots. He wrapped them in three layers of oilcloth, then stuffed them into an inconspicuous cloth bag and tied it securely to his back.

Another ten tael silver ingot was tucked into his chest. Its cold touch brought him a sense of peace.

Yang Jing did not go to the martial arts school today; he planned to go home.

With so much wealth gathered together, he couldn't help but feel uneasy.

He spent more than half of his time practicing martial arts at the school every day. With the increasing number of refugees in the city, it was very unstable. Yang Jing had to be on guard against any ruffians who might sneak into his courtyard to steal.

He traveled west, exited the city gates, and followed the official road for about twenty to thirty li before reaching Wazi Township. He still had to continue forward.

Yang Jing was intimately familiar with the road to Yang Family Village. The earthy scent mixed with the fragrance of wheat wafted towards him. From afar, he could see the old locust tree at the village entrance, with some villagers gathered beneath it chatting.

"Youngster Jing is back!"

An elder from the same village, squatting under the tree and smoking a pipe, was the first to see Yang Jing. He tapped his pipe against the sole of his shoe, stood up, and said in a booming voice, "I heard you've become quite skilled at martial arts? Did even the Ning family send you gifts?"

The villagers from the same village gathered around, chattering amongst themselves, their faces filled with genuine warmth.

"Yang Jing, you've truly made something of yourself!"

"We used to just hear that being good at martial arts was impressive, but it's true. Even a wealthy family like the Ning family sent your family a draft ox."

"Brother Yang Jing, can you eat meat every day in the city?"

"Your mother was mentioning you a while ago, saying you like to eat locust flower cakes. I still have some locust flowers left at home. I'll bring them over later so your mother can steam them for you."

Yang Jing smiled and responded.

Since breaking through to Bright Strength, he had a position and a source of income, so he had returned home much less frequently. This time, he ran into the villagers.

Before breaking through to Bright Strength, he hadn't had such a grand reception when returning to the village, nor had so many villagers gathered to speak with him.

However, Yang Jing also knew that most villagers didn't understand what Bright Strength or Entering Strength martial artists were. But they knew the Ning family, a prominent gentry in Wazi Township.

Many had heard that the Ning family previously wanted to buy two mu of fertile land north of Yang Family Village. Many felt sorry for Yang Jing's family, as the Ning family was notoriously stingy and would definitely offer a very low price, or even force the sale.

But later, the Ning family not only stopped mentioning buying the land but also sent their steward with a draft ox. The contrast was astounding.

Later, news spread that the Ning family's attitude had changed so drastically because of the "gold-swallowing beast" grandson of Yang Shouzhuo's family.

Originally, many people in Yang Family Village did not think highly of Yang Jing practicing martial arts, even viewing it as a joke.

After all, for these farmers who had lived by farming for generations, martial arts was too distant, and the cost of practicing martial arts was too high for them to afford.

Take Yang Shouzhuo's family, for example. They originally owned dozens of mu of land, ranking among the top families in Yang Family Village. However, after supporting Yang Jing's martial arts training, their lives became miserable, deteriorating day by day. They even had to sell off land accumulated over several generations.

Some villagers couldn't bear to see it and advised Yang Shouzhuo to stop Yang Jing from practicing martial arts.

Unexpectedly, in the blink of an eye, Yang Jing had actually become skilled, and even the Ning family's attitude had done a complete 180-degree turn.

At this moment, these villagers surrounded Yang Jing, deliberately trying to get close. Some were sincere, some were envious or jealous, some were simply curious, but most were kind-hearted.

After chatting with the villagers, Yang Jing quickened his pace and arrived at his own doorstep.

He stepped forward, pushed open the courtyard gate, and walked in.

In the courtyard, his mother was bending over to feed the chickens, his grandmother was sitting on a stone stool picking vegetables, and his grandfather was repairing farm tools.

Hearing the sound, all three turned their heads. Seeing Yang Jing standing at the entrance, the wrinkles on their faces instantly smoothed out.

"Jing'er is back?"

Liu Cuiling wiped her hands on her apron and pulled Yang Jing to examine him up and down. "You've grown taller, and thinner too. Are you not eating well? We have money at home. I'll get it for you later. You must eat your fill when you get back; you won't have the strength to practice martial arts if you don't."

Old Master Yang put down his hammer, coughed twice, and walked up to Yang Jing with a smile. Looking at his beloved grandson, he grew more pleased the more he looked. He nodded and said, "That's right. Take the money with you when you leave. Practice martial arts well, and don't be afraid of spending money."

Hearing his grandfather and mother speak, Yang Jing's heart warmed. He smiled and said, "Grandpa, Mom, I haven't gone hungry outside. I have a position at the Liu Family Medical Hall in the city now, and I eat Fierce Beast Meat worth five to six hundred copper coins per jin every day. I look thin, but I'm all muscle."

In fact, Yang Jing's physique wasn't thin; on the contrary, he was exceptionally robust. It was just that he had been consuming enough food recently and practicing martial arts frantically every day, causing him to shoot up in height, making him appear thinner than before.

After a few words, Yang Jing turned and closed the courtyard gate. Then, he took out the ten taels of silver from his chest and placed them in his mother's hand. "Mom, this is ten taels of silver. Take it and see if there's anything we need to add to the household. If not, buy two jin of meat every few days at the market."

Liu Cuiling was startled when she saw the ten tael silver ingot her son handed over. She had never seen such a large sum of money before. She quickly pushed the ingot back. "It's not easy for you out there; keep it for yourself. We have your grandpa and grandma here; we don't lack anything."

"Mom, I earn money easily now. This ten taels is a small amount," Yang Jing insisted, placing the ingot back into his mother's palm. "Take it and buy grandpa and grandma some new clothes, and get some good rice. Stop eating that coarse rice."

Yang Jing did not mention that he had already bought a courtyard in the city. If he told his family, he feared it would shock them.

Old Master Yang carefully examined Yang Jing again. The young man now stood tall and straight, wearing well-fitting clothes, exuding a steady demeanor from the inside out. The youthful immaturity in his eyes had faded, replaced by a touch of handsomeness and composure. Every movement he made conveyed an unusual steadiness.

Looking at his outstanding grandson, and then thinking of the Ning family's proactive visit and gift-giving, the wrinkles at the corners of his mouth slowly spread, turning into a smile of relief.

He slowly nodded and said, "Since it's the child's intention, second son's wife, you should take it."

The old master paused slightly after speaking. "This child has grown up."

After the old master spoke, his mother hesitated before finally accepting the silver ingot. Her eyes turned red, and she turned towards the kitchen, saying she was going to boil water for Yang Jing, but she wiped away tears behind the stove door.

While his mother went to the kitchen and his grandfather and grandmother were talking in the courtyard, Yang Jing walked into the main house.

He leaped up slightly, his toes tapping the edge of the heated brick bed, and like a swift swallow, he soared into the air, landing steadily on the roof beam.

His movements were as light as a falling leaf, making not the slightest sound.

He stuffed the cloth bundle, wrapped around gold and silver ingots, into the gap at the top of the beam, covered it with a tile, then bent over and leaped down, landing silently on the ground. He patted the dust off his hands, a sigh of relief escaping him.

After finishing this, Yang Jing had just emerged from the main house when he saw the courtyard gate pushed open, and two figures walked in.

His aunt, Madam Xue, entered with a bamboo basket, her steps light and unhurried, followed by his cousin Yang An.

"Jing'er is quite the celebrity in our village now. He caused a stir throughout the village just by returning," Madam Xue said, her voice gentle and soft, a smile in her eyes. She placed the bamboo basket lightly on the stone table in the corner of the yard. "This chicken has grown big, just waiting for you to come back and eat it. I just killed it; I'll stew it for you later."

The two families lived very close to each other. Madam Xue heard someone say Yang Jing had returned and immediately killed a chicken to bring over.

Yang Jing looked down. The large rooster in the bamboo basket was tied with hemp rope, its plumpness heavy in the hand, clearly a choice cut saved especially for him.

"Brother Jing."

After his aunt left, Yang An looked at Yang Jing and nodded in greeting.

He had a quiet disposition, his lips pressed together, his face expressionless, only his eyes showing warmth at seeing Yang Jing.

"Brother An," Yang Jing replied with a smile and a nod.