Bandits

Chengping Ward, Sun Clan Martial Arts School.

In the Front Courtyard, the occasional laughter and chatter of days past had vanished. Only the whoosh of fists and feet cutting through the air and the thuds of blows striking wooden posts remained.

Every disciple breathed deeply and steadily, tension etched across their faces and a fierce edge in their eyes.

Less than half a month remained until the annual Parade Ground Trial.

Although many bright strength disciples knew they could not earn a place on the Parade Ground Trial Ranking, passing the trial had never been their goal. Only the finest hidden strength experts had any hope of competing for those places.

But once the Parade Ground Trial began, it would draw the eyes of all Yuhe County. The Imperial Court, the great lineages, and the major businesses would all be watching. Anyone who performed well and showed even a little promise might catch some faction's attention.

Such precedents occurred almost every year. Some were snapped up as sons-in-law from beneath the ranking board, some were selected for cultivation, and others received more generous honorary appointment offers from various powers. A standout performance could bring all manner of benefits.

As for experts who actually made the Parade Ground Trial Ranking, they would become leading figures throughout the county, immediately welcomed as honored guests by the great lineages of the County Seat. Benefits and resources would pour in, greatly improving their chances of breaking through to transforming strength.

Even the ordinary disciples had caught the fervor of the school's hidden strength and bright strength disciples and were throwing themselves into training. Most dared not dream of hidden strength, but they still wanted to make a push for bright strength. Once they broke through, they would qualify to enter the Parade Ground Trial.

Besides, there was a living example right there in the school.

Who did not know that Yang Jing had only low-grade root bone, and was decidedly mediocre even among those of that grade? Yet had he not become a hidden strength expert all the same?

To many disciples with low-grade root bone, Yang Jing was a dazzling beacon, guiding their way forward.

People had always claimed that root bone determined everything. With poor root bone, one could not travel far along the Martial Path. Such talk inevitably bred despair and could even rob people of their drive.

But Yang Jing stood before them as a living example. As long as they were willing to work hard and train diligently, there was hope for everything!

The school was alive with the blazing fervor of training.

The bright strength disciples worked especially hard, putting everything on the line with every move. Sweat soaked their clothes, plastering them against their backs and outlining taut muscles. Even so, few were willing to stop for a breather.

Several hidden strength disciples occupied the spacious center of the Front Courtyard, exchanging moves or refining their strength techniques against sandbags, determination set between their brows.

Lately, Qi Yun, Lin Yue, Xu Hong, Zhao Wenzheng, and the others had been forming a Sparring Team every few days to exchange pointers with experts from other schools.

Sun Ningxiang had also asked Yang Jing whether he wanted to join the Sparring Team. After all, he was now a Core Disciple of the Sun Clan Martial Arts School, having reached the hidden-strength level.

She did not think Yang Jing could make the Parade Ground Trial Ranking, but he was still young and might have a chance in the future. If he prepared more now and performed well in the trial, some faction might take an interest and allocate resources to cultivate him.

Although Yang Jing already had support from the Liu Family Medical Hall, Sun Ningxiang considered it barely a second-rate power within Yuhe County, with no particularly formidable strength. The Zhao Family behind Zhao Wenzheng and the Qi Family behind Qi Yun both possessed greater wealth and influence.

Despite his poor root bone, Yang Jing had broken through to bright strength and then hidden strength, succeeding on his first breakthrough attempt each time. He likely had talent in some other area and might yet reach transforming strength. If one of the county's great lineages cultivated him, his chances would improve further.

Nevertheless, Yang Jing politely declined.

He did not lack actual combat experience. What he lacked was time.

Given enough time, he was confident he could reach the highest point within his sights.

With the Parade Ground Trial drawing ever closer, Yang Jing had to seize every moment to improve. Both Mountain Collapse Fist and Surging Wave Leg were enormously helpful to him.

Seeing that Yang Jing still refused to join the Sparring Team, several other hidden strength disciples actually breathed sighs of relief, inwardly mocking his foolishness.

Yang Jing took a short break and drank some water, then returned to the wooden post where he usually trained. He had just assumed the Mountain Collapse Fist stance when his master, Sun Yong, emerged from the Inner Courtyard.

At this hour, his master would normally still have been resting in the Inner Courtyard. Now, under the pressure of the Parade Ground Trial, he came out early and stood beside the Moon Gate, sweeping a sharp gaze across the grounds.

"Li Jiang, the force of your Mountain Collapse Fist is too scattered. How many times have I told you? Sink your shoulders, drop your elbows!"

Sun Yong's voice echoed across the grounds. He strode over to a bright strength disciple and pressed a hand against his shoulder. "Concentrate your internal energy in the center of your fist. Don't just swing your arm."

After instructing the bright strength disciple named Li Jiang, Sun Yong turned to another.

With the Parade Ground Trial imminent, Sun Yong devoted most of his energy to instructing the school's hidden strength and bright strength disciples, particularly the latter. They were numerous, and with proper guidance, they might improve considerably and perform well in the trial.

Most hidden strength disciples, on the other hand, had already reached a certain level and developed their own combat habits. Achieving a substantial improvement through instruction alone in such a short time was difficult. Actual combat was the better approach now, which was why the Sparring Team had come into being.

Sun Yong barely rested all morning. Gone was his usual languid manner as he moved from the eastern side of the Front Courtyard to the western side. Whenever a bright strength disciple's move showed a flaw, he immediately stepped forward to correct it, displaying several times his former patience and considerably greater sternness.

As Yang Jing practiced his fists, he could feel the surrounding disciples' gazes drifting toward him from time to time.

That was inevitable. As his strength grew, he could not remain unknown forever. It was true in the Sun Clan Martial Arts School, and perhaps it would be true in the future as well.

Involuntarily, Yang Jing recalled something Boss Cao had said in his previous life-

How do you know that today's nobody won't one day shake the world with his name?

If he truly does shake the world one day, will you bitterly regret what you did today, when it is already too late?

His thoughts had wandered a little far. Yang Jing drew a deep breath and suppressed the turmoil in his mind.

Even he felt the pressure of the Parade Ground Trial, and his composure had begun to waver.

But it was precisely at such times that he needed to quiet his mind: thunder gathered in his chest, his face calm as a still lake, his expression unchanged even if Mount Tai collapsed before him.

Yang Jing was not the only one feeling the pressure. The entire school lay beneath this urgent, oppressive atmosphere.

The bright strength disciples longed to seize this opportunity to leave a lasting impression on Yuhe County's powerful dignitaries, while the hidden strength disciples hoped to earn places on the Parade Ground Trial Ranking.

Everyone knew that making the ranking would not only grant them something approaching official status, but also greatly enhance the school's reputation. How could their master treat them poorly afterward? Besides, the olive branches extended by Yuhe County's various powers would be enough to bury a person.

At that moment, Sun Yong's gaze settled on Yang Jing and paused briefly.

Seeing his steady Fist Wind and increasingly fluid use of hidden strength, Sun Yong nodded in satisfaction. He walked over and instructed him, "Your Mountain Collapse Fist already has sound form, but you must practice adapting more, especially coordinating it with your movement techniques. In the Parade Ground Trial, adapting in actual combat matters most."

Yang Jing promptly nodded in acknowledgment.

Sun Yong grunted his approval. Overall, he was quite satisfied with Yang Jing as a disciple. His root bone might be poor, but succeeding on his first breakthrough attempt at each successive stage showed talent in comprehension or some other area. He might yet have a chance of reaching transforming strength.

Without Lin Yue, he would have focused his efforts on cultivating Yang Jing.

But with a genius of high-grade root bone like Lin Yue in the school, the other disciples were inevitably destined to receive far less attention and support.

Although he had accumulated substantial savings over his many years running the school, cultivating a transforming strength expert required an ocean of resources. He could not divide them between two people.

Sun Yong strolled away from Yang Jing and continued making his rounds through the courtyard.

The atmosphere in the Front Courtyard was taut as a fully drawn bowstring.

Everyone knew that their performance in the Parade Ground Trial might well determine their future.

Standing beside the Moon Gate, Sun Yong watched his disciples sweating like rain and sighed with emotion. Every year brought the same scene at this time. He simply did not know whether anyone from the Sun Clan Martial Arts School would make the ranking this year.

Having a disciple earn a place in the Parade Ground Trial brought the school numerous benefits as well.

Both Sun Yong himself and the Sun Clan Martial Arts School would enjoy a tremendous rise in reputation. Recruiting disciples, attracting geniuses, and expanding their connections would all become much smoother sailing.

When the sun climbed overhead, Yang Jing finished his fist practice. Beads of sweat rolled along his jaw and struck the ground, leaving tiny wet marks.

He tidied up briefly, picked up his old cloth bag, and headed for his courtyard in Tongyi Ward.

As he walked, Yang Jing checked the System Panel's data-

[Mountain Collapse Fist: major achievement (39/1000)]

[Surging Wave Leg: minor achievement (53/500)]

Over the past few days, he had maintained his usual grueling training regimen.

He still devoted most of his energy to practicing Mountain Collapse Fist, setting aside part of each day for Surging Wave Leg.

Both martial arts were now improving steadily.

Although Yang Jing had yet to fight a peak hidden strength expert, he reckoned that when his Surging Wave Leg had broken through to bright strength, he had probably gained the ability to contend with an ordinary peak hidden strength expert.

When Surging Wave Leg reached the bright strength level, Yang Jing had clearly felt changes in his internal energy. Combined with the technique's advantages in movement and speed, it had made a considerable difference to his overall strength.

After returning home and resting for an hour, the bear meat warming on the stove was cooked through.

Yang Jing immediately ate it with coarse rice, sweeping two pounds of meat into his stomach like a gale sweeping away scattered clouds. The familiar warmth rose in his belly, neatly warding off his afternoon drowsiness.

After lunch and a little rest to restore his spirits, Yang Jing immediately set off for the Liu Family Medical Hall.

He had received word from the Liu Family Medical Hall yesterday that a medicinal herb escort assignment required him to make a trip this afternoon.

This was his first assignment since breaking through to hidden strength, and it had come much later than he had expected.

As far as Yang Jing knew, displaced people now filled the countryside beyond the city, bandits ran rampant, and many shops and escort agencies had suffered disruptions to their business.

The Liu Family Medical Hall had waited until today to arrange an assignment for him, rather later than Yang Jing had anticipated.

Just as he reached the entrance of the Liu Family Medical Hall, Yang Jing encountered Liu Maolin returning with a squad of guards.

Every guard looked exhausted, their clothes still coated with dust. They had plainly just completed a long journey.

Seeing Yang Jing, Liu Maolin hurried over to greet him. "Junior brother, you're here."

"Senior brother, did you just get back?" Yang Jing asked.

Liu Maolin nodded.

The two walked into the Liu Family Medical Hall as they talked.

"I delivered a shipment to Nanxiang this morning." Liu Maolin wiped his face, his voice carrying a note of exhaustion. "It's truly chaotic outside the city these days. Bandit trouble on the roads has increased by thirty percent since last month. That gang of Flying Horse Bandits at Ten-Mile Slope is especially bad. They ride fast horses and strike mercilessly. A few days ago, even Zhang's Cloth Shop's caravan was robbed. Apparently, two bright strength guards were wounded too."

He led Yang Jing inside, past the medicine cabinets in the front hall, to the storeroom in the rear courtyard.

"There aren't many medicinal herbs in this shipment to Jinsha County, but they're all important ones. My father is worried and thinks a hidden strength expert should escort them personally. I have another escort assignment this afternoon and really can't get away, so I'll have to trouble you to make the trip, junior brother. My father will only feel assured with you overseeing it yourself."

As he spoke, Liu Maolin looked a little embarrassed. "I didn't want to interrupt your fist practice. I know you've been busy with the Parade Ground Trial lately. But we really don't have enough people to cover everything."

"Senior brother, there's no need to be so formal."

Yang Jing waved a hand, his gaze sweeping over the neatly stacked medicine chests in the storeroom. "With all the support I've received from the Liu Family, doing this much is only right. Besides, I'd actually like to run into a few bandits on the trip. I could get some combat practice in, haha."

Liu Maolin breathed a sigh of relief at those words. Patting Yang Jing's shoulder, he smiled. "With you handling it personally, I can rest easy. Still, it would be best not to encounter any bandits."

As they spoke, Liu Maolin's father, Old Master Liu, emerged from an inner room with a map in his hand.

After they exchanged greetings, Old Master Liu pointed to a route on the map and told Yang Jing, "Yang Jing, keep this in mind: when escorting the herbs, avoid the main road through Ten-Mile Slope and take the winding little path along the side. We've used it several times. It's the route we take when transporting herbs to Jinhe County and the Prefectural City. It's a detour, but the Flying Horse Bandits won't lie in wait there."

Liu Maolin nodded as well. "The Flying Horse Bandits are probably the strongest bandit gang outside Yuhe County's city walls now. As long as you avoid them, the other bandits and mountain brigands shouldn't pose a problem with your abilities and the rest of the convoy helping you."

Liu Maolin still remembered how Xu Tai had died.

He had barely told Yang Jing that Xu Tai was injured before Xu Tai mysteriously burned to death in a fire that very night.

Although there was no direct evidence proving Yang Jing had killed Xu Tai, Liu Maolin was already certain of it.

His junior brother might ordinarily seem quiet and reserved, but his methods were by no means lacking.

P.S.:

Starting today, I'll work hard to build up a backlog and aim to release twenty thousand words when the novel goes premium on the first!