Lin Yue

Yang Jing reached Fenglou Village as the setting sun stained the western sky a dim crimson.

Fenglou Village was remote even by the standards of Wazi Township. It lay beside a great lake, with riverbanks of ankle-deep wild grass on either side. Only a single dirt road wound into the village, connecting it to the other villages of Wazi Township and serving as its sole way in and out.

Yang Jing slipped into the woods beside the road. The last light filtering through the branches grew dimmer, and the cold crept in with the dusk.

Night deepened. A bitter wind swept through the treetops, carrying the damp chill of the lake and piercing straight to the bone.

In times like these, many households went without supper. With the weather so cold, most people went to bed as soon as darkness fell.

The lights in Fenglou Village went out early, too. Not even a dog barked. Only the dirt road remained, gleaming pale beneath the moonlight.

Yang Jing pulled his clothes tighter around himself, his gaze fixed on the far end of the road. He waited patiently, from deepening dusk until stars filled the sky.

It was not until late that night that a figure came stumbling from the distance. By the moonlight, Yang Jing confirmed who it was-Feng Lei.

Broad and powerfully built, Feng Lei wore a thick padded coat and walked toward the village with his neck hunched down. His footsteps sounded especially clear in the silence.

Yang Jing waited until Feng Lei had passed and put some distance between them before moving.

He softened his footsteps and followed far behind, using the shadows of the trees for cover. He watched Feng Lei turn into the third mud-brick house by the village entrance. Only after the wooden door creaked shut did he slowly retreat deeper into the woods and disappear into the cold night.

After leaving Fenglou Village, Yang Jing did not return to the city.

At this hour, the city gates had long since closed.

Instead, Yang Jing stopped for the night at a post station outside the city.

In earlier days, these post stations had not allowed anyone outside government service to lodge there. But with the world in turmoil and the Imperial Court's oversight growing lax, they had become places where travelers could rest, allowing the station masters and other officials to skim a little profit.

Yang Jing paid twenty large copper coins for a room.

Lying on the bed with both hands beneath his head, Yang Jing gazed at the canopy above him and sank into thought.

Tonight wasn't a good opportunity. Feng Lei had been drinking, but he didn't seem drunk.

Still, a man like Feng Lei is addicted to drink. He drinks almost every day. Mother said he often gets blind drunk and beats his wife, so badly that she took the children back to her parents' home.

Yang Jing pondered this.

He had never expected to find a good opportunity on his first visit. Besides, he was not ready himself.

Still, this scouting trip had not been useless. At least he now knew where Feng Lei lived.

His thoughts drifted, and before long he fell asleep.

Early the next morning.

Yang Jing first returned to his lodgings in Datong Ward and ate the pound of horse meat left over from yesterday. Then he immediately headed to the Sun Clan Martial Arts School in Chengping Ward.

"Junior Brother Yang, is everything all right at home?" Liu Maolin approached and asked as soon as Yang Jing arrived.

Liu Maolin's impression of Yang Jing had taken several twists and turns.

At first, his opinion of Yang Jing had been indifferent, even somewhat poor. Back then, Yang Jing spent his days hanging around with Lu Yang, Zhang Kehan, and the others, unable to tell what mattered from what did not. In the end, he would only dig a pit for himself.

Although Liu Maolin never showed it on his face, he could not be bothered with people like that.

But later, Yang Jing had changed.

He had begun practicing martial arts like a madman.

That frenzied drive had surprised even Liu Maolin and stirred his curiosity.

It was precisely that curiosity that had led Liu Maolin to approach Yang Jing and occasionally offer him guidance in his training.

But as they spent more time together, he discovered Yang Jing's earnestness, focus, and steadiness, and his opinion of him grew increasingly favorable.

"Everything's fine, Fourth Senior Brother." Yang Jing shook his head.

After exchanging a few words, Yang Jing began to Temper Qi and Blood.

He had eaten a pound of horse meat before coming. As he continued tempering, the meat rapidly broke down inside him, supplying the energy he needed for his martial training.

After tempering, Yang Jing began practicing the Mountain Collapse Fist.

Through the System Panel, he could see his progress every day. Being able to see his improvement at any moment made him increasingly absorbed and focused in his training.

While Yang Jing was concentrating on his punches, a sudden commotion arose nearby.

Yang Jing stopped and looked toward the noise in puzzlement.

More than a dozen disciples had gathered there. School Master Sun Yong stood in their midst, with an unfamiliar boy of fifteen or sixteen beside him.

"Is that... a newcomer?" Puzzled, Yang Jing walked over as well.

The boy was quite handsome, with a shy smile on his face and his head slightly lowered as he looked at the ground. Clearly, he was not used to being surrounded by so many people.

"Fourth Senior Brother, what's going on?" Yang Jing came up beside Liu Maolin and asked quietly.

Liu Maolin glanced back at Yang Jing and said in a low voice, "A genius has joined our Martial Arts Hall."

"A genius?" Yang Jing froze for a moment, then understood. He looked at the handsome boy in the middle of the crowd. "Him?"

Liu Maolin nodded. His gaze was full of envy as he looked at the handsome boy, and he exclaimed, "This junior brother is called Lin Yue. He's something else. Master just examined his bones, and he actually has high-grade root bone."

"High-grade root bone?" Yang Jing was startled.

As far as he knew, most people in the Sun Clan Martial Arts School had low-grade root bone, just like him. Only a handful had mid-grade root bone, and not a single one had high-grade root bone.

Root bone was divided into high, mid, and low grades. In his predecessor's memories, he had once overheard Senior Sister Qi mention that there were finer distinctions as well, with better and worse root bones even within the same grade.

Good heavens.

Yang Jing marveled inwardly.

High-grade root bone was rather far beyond his reach.

He trained like a madman every day and rested far less than the other disciples. Even so, any disciple with mid-grade root bone could leave him in the dust when it came to training progress.

As for high-grade root bone, what did that even mean?

"From now on, I'll personally teach Lin Yue to Temper Qi and Blood and practice his fist techniques." Sun Yong tried hard to keep his face as stern as usual, but he could not suppress his smile. He turned toward the other disciples in the courtyard and waved them away, barking, "Stop crowding around. Disperse."

Yang Jing silently clicked his tongue.

I always thought old man Sun was rigid and stern. Turns out he just has double standards.

Everyone dispersed, finding places to train. Some went to the resting area by the wall to chat, their gazes toward Lin Yue filled with envy they could hardly conceal.

Yang Jing shook his head, casting the stray thoughts out of his mind.

He returned to the spot where he had been training and continued practicing the Mountain Collapse Fist.

At noon, everyone began leaving one after another.

Yang Jing wiped the sweat from his body, put on his clothes, and was about to leave as well.

"Junior Brother Lin, Master asked you to come to the inner courtyard for lunch."

Just then, a gentle voice rang out.

Yang Jing looked up and saw Senior Sister Qi Yun leading Lin Yue into the inner courtyard with a warm smile.