Pure

Recently, Great Liang Village has been quite lively. First, a scholarly family moved in, and then that orphan, Wang Anfeng, actually returned riding a tall horse.

The number of people peeking at the horse was almost as large as during a market day, and there were naturally children who wanted to touch it or pull its tail. However, ever since Zhao Dama's little darling grandson pulled its tail and was almost kicked to death by a hoof, everyone became much more well-behaved. They could only stare enviously at the magnificent horse, muttering about how much silver it could fetch, enough to marry a wife. Then they would look at the spiderweb-like cracks kicked into the wall by its hooves and keep their less pleasant thoughts to themselves.

According to the elders who had seen a bit of the world, this horse was even more beautiful than the horses of the young masters in the county town. Its temper was also said to be fierce, and its eyes looked at people like a tiger's, sending chills down one's spine. Yet, this wild horse was as docile as a house cat when facing Wang Anfeng, which was truly astonishing.

Crrrk--

The wooden door of the Wang family's house made a slight sound. The villagers who had been peeking at the horse outside scattered like birds and beasts, leaving the area completely empty. In the next second, Wang Anfeng pushed the door open, a pot of old wine in one hand. He gently stroked the Green Dappled Horse's head with the other and said with a smile:

"Horse, you stay here for now. I'm going to deliver something to Uncle Li..."

The magnificent horse let out a neigh as if it were sentient, shaking its head and nuzzling against him. This made Wang Anfeng chuckle again. He patted its head, turned, and left the house.

As he walked, all he saw were familiar faces and familiar scenery. Even the air seemed much more refreshing. He suddenly stopped while walking and turned back. On the familiar old street, he saw three unfamiliar figures, a family of three by their appearance.

A couple and a small child. Although their clothes looked very simple, there were subtle details that showed care. The man paused his steps and turned to look at Wang Anfeng. He was stunned for a moment, then chuckled and nodded slightly. His hair was held in place by a bamboo hairpin, and his face was a little pale, but it couldn't hide his scholarly aura. He said in a gentle voice:

"Young man, are you a resident of this village?"

"I am Jiang Shouyi. My family just moved in, and I haven't met you yet."

While he was speaking, the woman also turned around. Dressed in a simple skirt and a hairpin, she couldn't hide her gentle beauty. She curtsied slightly towards Wang Anfeng. Wang Anfeng quickly cupped his fists in return and said with a smile:

"Sir, you are too kind. My name is Wang Anfeng. I was in the county town before and just returned."

Jiang Shouyi smiled and nodded, saying:

"The county town... It's good for young people to go out and see the world."

His gaze fell on the pot of old wine in Wang Anfeng's hand. He then said gently:

"Judging by your appearance, young Wang, you must be going to visit an elder. It's not convenient to talk much now. If you have free time, you can come under the old locust tree to the east. Although there's no wine, there is clear tea and zither music."

He then raised his hand and gently stroked the little boy's head, a hint of fondness appearing on his face.

"Tianhong, greet Brother Wang."

The little boy didn't quite understand, but since his father said so, he called out crisply:

"Brother Wang."

Wang Anfeng was stunned. In his life up to this point, this was the first time anyone had called him "Brother." At this moment, the couple smiled and nodded at him before turning to leave. The little boy seemed curious and looked back, waving at him again before following his parents.

Wang Anfeng watched their figures disappear down the street before continuing towards Uncle Li's house. As he walked, he felt a strange sensation. It wasn't until he saw the white-haired old man drinking alone in the courtyard that he suppressed his thoughts. He strode into the courtyard, casting aside the previous resentment he had towards the old man. He raised the pot of old wine in his hand and called out with a smile:

"Uncle Li, I've come to see you!"

"I brought you a pot of good wine too..."

The old man's body trembled slightly. He looked up and saw Wang Anfeng, unconsciously feeling a sense of relief. But then he cursed himself for being like this. Suppressing the joy in his heart, he pretended to be nonchalant and said casually:

"You're back quite quickly... Did anything happen?"

Hearing this, Wang Anfeng's smile slowly faded. He walked to the old man's side and sat down next to him. Faces flashed through his mind. After a long silence, he said softly:

"Yeah, a lot happened."

The old man picked up the pot of old wine Wang Anfeng had brought him. As he twisted open the cork, he saw Wang Anfeng's expression out of the corner of his eye. He was slightly startled, then remembered the earth-shattering tiger roars from a few days ago. Great Liang Village was remote, and news didn't circulate well, so he didn't know what had actually happened. Seeing Wang Anfeng's expression now, his heart skipped a beat. He licked his lips, put down the wine pot that was already near his mouth, and said:

"You brat... Did you run into that business?"

Wang Anfeng was taken aback and turned to look at him. "What business?"

"Naturally..."

Uncle Li answered instinctively, but his voice stopped abruptly when he saw Wang Anfeng's eyes. After a moment of stunned silence, the old man threw the wine pot in his hand away and opened his right hand, grabbing Wang Anfeng's wrist. Wang Anfeng only saw a blur of lightning before his hand was already in Uncle Li's grasp. The old man's expression first turned to surprise, then to shock. After confirming several times, he finally exclaimed:

"How is this possible... This, your internal force, is so pure?!"

He then raised both hands, grabbed Wang Anfeng's collar, and shouted:

"Speak! You brat, whose dog poop did you step on?!"

Purity, in particular, was rare. In the world of martial arts, whether it was the major sects, the direct disciples of the Three Religions, or even unorthodox schools and rogue cultivators, any cultivation technique that directly aimed for the Upper Three Ranks would inevitably be a gradual process. From introductory skills to first-rate techniques, they formed a complete system, and the power and purity of internal force would increase accordingly.

And Wang Anfeng's internal force at this moment, whether in power or thickness, was not worth mentioning. It was clearly only at the upper level of introductory cultivation techniques, yet in terms of purity alone, it had already approached that of mid-level martial arts experts, clearly at the level of a first-rate cultivation technique.

This was the treasure of noble families, the direct inheritance of sects!

Wang Anfeng was stunned. He then recalled Liu Wuqiu's words from that time, "One achieves purity." He slowly told the old man about Liu Wuqiu's affairs. After listening, Li Qidao's lips parted slightly, and his expression became quite complex. He released Wang Anfeng's collar and sat back in his rocking chair. After a moment of silence, he sighed:

"He actually... I only met him once. I saw him as greedy and lustful, but I didn't expect him to have the bearing of a hero."

"Alas... The world has lost another hero, and the world of the immortal-forgetting has become even lonelier."

He tilted his head and took a gulp of the rough wine. A rare trace of desolation appeared on the old man's face.

Half of his peers had become ghosts, how many of his old friends were left? Young disciples grew old in the jianghu, and the temples of beauties were already full of white hair. This jianghu was still the same jianghu, but it was no longer my jianghu...

Only the old wine, as it went down his throat, was still pungent.

The old man's gaze fell on Wang Anfeng, whose breathing was much steadier, and a sense of comfort arose within him.

Receiving the true transmission during the breakthrough of an Upper Three Ranks Grandmaster, comprehending internal energy oneself, was equivalent to a first-rate expert constantly refining his meridians and body day and night.

The old man took another swig of wine, his eyes narrowing.

Jianghu...

Heh heh, I'm really looking forward to the day this kid enters the jianghu.