Mr. Jiang

Shaolin Qi Gathering Pills are stored in a small-necked porcelain bottle, containing seven pills. They can aid in the circulation of Inner Qi during meditation.

With Wang Anfeng's current Internal force cultivation, it would normally take him half an hour to dissolve one Qi Gathering Pill. However, his Internal force had been scattered, and the pills now only served to stimulate and replenish it. The speed at which the pills dissolved was nearly three times faster than before. He practiced by punching and smashing trees, swallowing pills whenever his Internal force was depleted. This training lasted for several hours.

After taking the last pill, Wang Anfeng, despite his body's exhaustion, let out a clear shout and swung his right fist from his ribs. The thick, old tree rumbled and finally crashed to the ground. The Inner Qi in his palm dispersed upon impact, with only a very fine trace of Internal force entering his muscles. A sore, swollen feeling made him grin involuntarily, gasp for air, and quickly shake his wrist.

Once the soreness subsided considerably, he looked up at the sky, exerted force, and hoisted the old tree onto his shoulder. Without the boost of Internal force, he couldn't help but grunt, his body sinking and swaying, but he didn't fall. He slowly walked down, carrying the large tree.

It was past noon. The wives in every household had already prepared their meals. There were few pedestrians in the village, but a man in a blue short outfit sat in the shade, looking dejected.

He had been waiting here for a long time, but the young man who could carry trees was still nowhere to be seen.

The order was too large, and the client was very generous. The owner insisted on taking it, but where could they find so much high-quality lumber? After much thought, he spent money treating several fellow apprentices he had learned the trade with to a good meal, only to learn that there might be a solution here.

However, his senior apprentice had also said that the young man hadn't appeared for a long time, which was why they had shared this information with him. He knew the chances were slim, but he still wanted to take a gamble.

What if it worked...

"It seems like it's no use..."

The man sighed, patted his backside, and stood up. He turned and asked, "Merchant, how much?"

The young man with a white cloth draped over his shoulder smiled kindly:

"For three copper coins."

The man frowned, reluctantly digging for money as he grumbled:

"What a rip-off, charging such a price... Black-hearted scoundrel, not afraid of going to hell's oil pot..."

Clang... Clang...

Just then, the sound of chains ringing out grew louder. The man frowned:

"What's going on here? So noisy?"

The tea stall's waiter, while eyeing the man's right hand, which was taking a long time to produce three coins, said with a forced smile:

"The chains... it's been the talk of the town since morning. One of our youngsters insisted on wrapping himself in a lot of iron chains and went up the mountain to chop wood..."

"Chopping wood?!"

The man was stunned and suddenly turned his head. He saw a young man emerging, wrapped in chains and carrying a giant log on his shoulder. With every step, the sound of chains rang out like a battle march, making his heart tremble slightly. But then, he became ecstatic. He fumbled for his money, threw it to the waiter without looking, and more than ten copper coins clattered on the counter. He then lunged at Wang Anfeng like a starved wolf, shouting:

"Young man, I'll buy your wood!"

"I'll pay a high price!"

There was hardly any bargaining. The old log on Wang Anfeng's shoulder was quickly bought. The man chuckled foolishly as he ran his hand over the log. The tea vendor, Zhao, was extremely enthusiastic towards him. After politely declining his invitation for a cup of tea, Wang Anfeng hurried towards his room, his body aching and swollen, pushing him to the limit of exhaustion. As he passed the old locust tree, a surprised voice sounded in his ear.

"Little Brother Wang... what is this..."

His footsteps paused slightly. He glanced sideways and saw the man, who had a scholarly air, looking at him in surprise. He raised his hand in greeting and smiled:

"Mr. Jiang, what a coincidence today."

Jiang Shouyi chuckled, "This is my home, so there's no such thing as a coincidence."

As he spoke, his gaze fell on the chains on Wang Anfeng's body and then lingered on his face. He said, "It seems, little brother, you are practicing an external martial art."

Wang Anfeng was slightly taken aback but didn't deny it, only smiling:

"So Mr. Jiang also knows martial arts."

Jiang Shouyi shook his head, "I don't know martial arts, but I've seen a lot, so I know a little. It seems you must be tired from your training. Why don't you come into my new residence and have a cup of tea to moisten your throat?"

His voice was gentle. Before he finished speaking, he stepped aside, gestured invitingly, and looked at Wang Anfeng with warm, smiling eyes. Wang Anfeng hesitated for a moment, feeling that since they were neighbors and he had been invited so warmly, refusing would seem unreasonable. He cupped his fists and said, "If that's the case, I'll trouble you. I hope you don't mind my sweat..."

"A friend's visit brings only joy. Please come in."

Jiang Shouyi chuckled and led Wang Anfeng inside. Although the courtyard was small, it had a certain elegance, resembling a quiet study. The small child sat by the desk, reading softly. When Jiang Shouyi called him, he looked up and saw Wang Anfeng. His eyes brightened slightly, and he subtly pushed the book further away, calling out crisply:

"Brother Wang!"

Wang Anfeng smiled and greeted him, "Hello, Tianhong." Jiang Shouyi pretended not to notice his son's small action and went into the inner room. A moment later, before Jiang Shouyi emerged, the beautiful woman brought out a tea set and said gently to him:

"Anfeng, please have a seat."

Although her features were merely delicate, she possessed an extraordinary temperament, calm and timeless, impossible to ignore. Wang Anfeng bowed and said, "Thank you." He sat carefully to the side. The woman rose to prepare the tea. Every movement, though simple, was in harmony with nature, like the wind passing through sparse bamboo, like deep, still water, bringing peace to the observer.

The surging Blood Essence within Wang Anfeng's body unconsciously calmed down. A cup of clear tea was placed before him. Drinking the tea, the dryness in his throat vanished.

Jiang Shouyi had sat before him at some point and said with a smile:

"The mountain tea here has some flavor, but Anfeng, you drink it often, so you're probably used to it."

Wang Anfeng only then realized that the taste was just the mountain tea he usually drank, with no special characteristics. Moreover, the woman's tea-making skills were not as refined as the tea stall's tea master, yet the peculiar difference was incredibly real. A hint of confusion appeared on his face. Jiang Shouyi took a sip, lowered his eyes, and said:

"Don't overthink it. My wife doesn't understand martial arts either."

Wang Anfeng was slightly stunned. Jiang Shouyi looked up at him and smiled, "I am merely a scholar, one who knows that when writing reaches its peak, there is nothing else extraordinary about it; it is simply as it should be. When tea brewing reaches its peak, there is nothing else peculiar about it; it is simply natural."

His voice paused slightly, and he said softly:

"I imagine martial arts should be the same."

Wang Anfeng's expression trembled slightly, as if he had gained some insight, yet it vanished as quickly as it appeared, like a white colt's passing shadow. At this moment, Jiang Shouyi had already changed the subject to other matters, as if he had merely mentioned it casually, with no other intention. About half an hour later, Wang Anfeng got up to take his leave. Jiang Shouyi and Jiang Tianhong saw him to the door. Wang Anfeng first cupped his fists in a salute to Jiang Shouyi, then gently patted the child's hair and said with a smile:

"Tianhong, I'll be going now..."

Jiang Shouyi smiled and said, "Anfeng, you can just call him Little Brother Jiang."

As Wang Anfeng paused slightly, the child also waved his hand with a smile, and returned a smile before turning to leave.

Jiang Shouyi stood still for a moment, then slowly turned back. The beautiful woman was unfolding a letter, and beside her, a bird with yellow feathers like jade was affectionately nuzzling her palm. The woman looked up at her husband, with a hint of helplessness in her eyes, and said:

"They're urging us again... saying the academy is short-handed and wants us to return to teach."

Jiang Shouyi sat down and asked:

"Whose seal is on it this time?"

"Great Qin's King Xuanwu, the Dragon Steed Commander, the Dean of the Academy... and the current Crown Prince. The Crown Prince has offered the official position of Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince, with a stipend for a thousand households."

Each of those four names was enough to shake Great Qin three times over. Yet, Jiang Shouyi's expression remained unchanged. He took a sip of clear tea and said calmly:

"Teachers are those who pass on the Way and impart knowledge. The academy is filled with only ignorant disciples, outwardly adorned with gold and jade, but lacking the heart to diligently seek the Way. My master had three wishes. My talent is ordinary, so I will only fulfill one: to gather all the talented individuals under heaven and teach them. Since I cannot apply my learning and educate talented individuals at the academy, it is better to travel the world and seek out those unpolished gems among the common people, so they are not buried and forgotten. If one or two can stand out, that would be enough for the rest of my life."

The woman sighed and said, "But how can we refuse this? The Dean said everything can be discussed properly."

Jiang Shouyi put down his teacup and said, "I will write the reply."

He fetched paper and brush and wrote only one line. The woman looked up and said softly:

"My master is like a father. If there is a command from my master, I will naturally obey."

After reading it, she looked up with a slightly strange expression at the gentle and serene Jiang Shouyi and said:

"Husband, your teacher, the Master, didn't he pass away before the New Year...?"

Jiang Shouyi glanced at her and said faintly:

"That's why there's nothing to discuss."