At those words, amusement flickered across Gong Tian's face, and a smile rose in Elder Song's one remaining eye.
"The Blood Ape Gang?"
Elder Song tapped his gnarled fingers lightly against his cane.
"Ten years ago, what was the biggest gang around here called?"
Gong Tian stood with his arms crossed and answered calmly.
"Senior Uncle Song, it was the Black Wolf Sect."
Elder Song then turned to Yang Ning.
"Ah Ning, what do you make of all this?"
He gestured to Gong Tian beside him.
"This kid was the real troublemaker back then.
He was still young, and had only just succeeded in Body Tempering when he went around the Outer City and beat every Body Tempering expert among the so-called 'Seven Gangs and Four Sects' of the time. He didn't leave a single one out."
"That was what..."
Elder Song paused, a trace of reminiscence passing through his eyes.
"...caught my junior brother's attention and got him recruited into the Jingan Bureau. And what happened next?
The Black Wolf Sect felt humiliated and rallied its members to surround and kill him."
Gong Tian picked up the story, his tone so indifferent that he might have been describing some trifling matter that had nothing to do with him.
"Then the Black Wolf Sect was gone.
And from then on, the Outer City of Kuishan County had a Blood Ape Gang."
He looked at Yang Ning, his gaze carrying the calm of someone who had weathered many storms.
"Brother Ning, you need to broaden your horizons and look farther ahead.
The Outer City is a pond; nothing there can stir up a towering storm, and it can't raise a true dragon.
To you and me, gangs like the Blood Ape Gang will be no more than a noisy swarm of ants."
"Since you've trained hard and mastered the Tiger Soul Fist, you're qualified to join the Jingan Bureau. Those troubles..."
A faint smile tugged at Gong Tian's lips.
"...will no longer be a problem."
He said no more and stepped aside, gesturing for Yang Ning to follow.
"Since you intend to join us today, come with me to meet my master.
He wasn't supposed to arrive for a while, but after Senior Uncle Song sent word, he came early.
He wanted to meet you, the 'Tiger Fist heir.'"
Yang Ning's heart stirred. He knew his true opportunity lay right before him.
Without further hesitation, he nodded, then bowed solemnly to Elder Song.
"Elder Song, I'll take my leave."
Elder Song chuckled and waved a hand. "There's no need to be so nervous. My junior brother isn't some strange old man."
"Take care, Elder Song!"
Yang Ning turned and followed Gong Tian.
In less than a quarter of an hour, the two arrived once more at the Martial Arena on East Fourth Street.
Gong Tian led Yang Ning away from the fighting rings and straight through a concealed corridor to a quiet courtyard at the back of the Martial Arena.
He pushed open an inconspicuous wooden door. Inside was a Hidden Room furnished with simple, unadorned pieces.
The walls were built of blue-gray stone and offered excellent soundproofing, completely shutting out the noise from outside.
At the center of the room, an ordinary-looking old man with a ruddy complexion sat in a grand chair, absorbed in a letter in his hands.
On the table beside him lay the latest issue of the Kuishan Top Hundred Ranking.
At the sound of the door opening, the old man looked up.
"Master." Gong Tian bowed respectfully.
Yang Ning immediately understood who the man was and followed suit. "This junior is Yang Ning. Greetings, Senior."
Sun Nian's gaze first settled on Gong Tian. He nodded, then spoke in a gentle voice.
"You've spent all these years in Kui Mountain County, but you haven't neglected your cultivation.
Your Bone Forging is complete, and you're on the verge of Organ Refining.
I arrived early, so I can give you proper guidance.
I read the points about Organ Refining you mentioned in your letter.
Your ideas are a little too bold, but you're not on the wrong path. I'll explain more later."
"Yes. Thank you for your guidance, Master."
Gong Tian lowered his hands and replied.
Only then did Sun Nian turn his gaze to Yang Ning.
His eyes weren't sharp, but when they rested on Yang Ning, it felt as though an unseen hand had gently brushed over his blood and bones, leaving no secret concealed.
"Your name is Yang Ning?"
Sun Nian spoke plainly, going straight to the heart of the matter without any small talk.
"Your strength is surging beneath your skin, yet you can't quite grasp or control it. You're nearly at the end of your patience, aren't you?
You're just one step away from Tendon Changing."
Yang Ning's heart jolted!
Ever since the battle at Chunhua Restaurant, his blood and qi had surged, and he had indeed brushed against the threshold of Tendon Changing, with the first signs of strength taking shape.
But he had never told anyone about it, and no one else knew.
Yet this old man before him had seen through it with a single glance!
Yang Ning drew a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in his heart, and nodded candidly.
"Senior, I have sensed it, but I haven't yet found the right opportunity."
Sun Nian nodded slightly, pleased by Yang Ning's honesty.
But rather than speak of recruiting him, his gaze fell on Yang Ning's wrist.
There was the black bracelet—the gift from the little girl he had saved.
Sun Nian spoke casually, as if making conversation.
"Is it a family heirloom?"
Yang Ning was taken aback, but answered truthfully.
"Senior, I received it as thanks a few days ago on East Fourth Street. I came across a homeless little girl who was about to be bullied, and stepped in to help her."
A flicker of approval passed through Sun Nian's eyes.
"You saved someone in danger without seeking repayment, and received a gift in return.
A kind thought brought you a fine treasure.
This is a blood-and-qi weapon, though it's an official item. Its restriction needs to be lifted. I'll teach you how later.
You can take it as a reward for still holding on to your kindness and principles."
He paused, his tone turning solemn.
"Yang Ning, this world has fallen into ruin, and people's hearts are full of treachery.
'When poor, cultivate one's own virtue; when prosperous, aid the world'—many now dismiss that old teaching as a laughable relic.
To still reach out to the weak when you're struggling yourself is a rare virtue in these troubled times."
"I don't deserve such praise. When something needs doing, I can't stand by and shirk my duty."
"You haven't joined gangs that exploit the common people and pile evil upon evil, nor have you thrown yourself entirely into the seemingly glamorous but inwardly complicated great clans. Instead, you've always relied on your own two fists. That tells me..."
Sun Nian's gaze blazed as it met Yang Ning's eyes.
"...you don't only seek a safe and wealthy life. You're thinking. You're making choices."
"Tell me..."
The old man's voice carried a strange, penetrating force, striking straight into Yang Ning's heart.
"What have you been considering?
Or, to put it another way, why do you practice martial arts and seek strength?"
Yang Ning fell silent...
He began to remember everything he had seen and experienced since crossing into this world: his brother and sister-in-law's kindness, Fei Yan's humiliation, the Blood Ape Gang's intimidation, and the struggles of the common folk...
Scene after scene passed through his mind.
At last, he raised his head. His gaze was clear and steadfast as he spoke slowly.
"Senior, what I seek is actually quite simple."
"In this chaotic world, where people are as worthless as grass, I want my family to stop worrying about where tomorrow's food will come from, and to stop trembling in fear at the whim of the strong.
I want myself and those I care about to live with more dignity, to live as people who matter."
"And I know there's only one path to achieving that..."
Yang Ning's voice suddenly rose, carrying an unshakable resolve.
"Become stronger! Stronger still!
Strong enough to shatter the injustice imposed upon me, strong enough to protect everything I want to protect, strong enough that...
my fists are the law!"
His words faded, leaving a faint echo in the Hidden Room.
A radiant smile spread unconsciously across Gong Tian's face.
Sun Nian watched Yang Ning quietly for several breaths, then a genuine smile slowly bloomed across his own face.
It softened the invisible weight of his authority, revealing a touch of an elder's kindness and admiration.
Sun Nian sighed softly.
"To have such a powerful will, one that strikes straight to the heart, and the perseverance to rise after every setback—and, rarer still, to retain kindness and principles..."
He leaned forward slightly, his eyes fixed on Yang Ning, and asked each word with unmistakable clarity.
"I am Sun Nian, Banner Officer of the Jingan General Bureau in Nanning Prefecture, Guixi Province, Great Yue Dynasty!
Yang Ning, are you willing to take me as your master?"
"From this moment on, you will join my school and become a member of the Jingan Bureau."
Yang Ning didn't hesitate for a moment. He stepped back, lifted the hem of his robe, and performed a formal apprenticeship bow to Sun Nian.
"Your disciple, Yang Ning, pays his respects to Master!"
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