Let Go of the Urge to Help Others, Respect Their Fate

The next day.

Jiang Ye rose early. Though he was still somewhat weak inside, his body felt much lighter.

In the past, when he got up in the morning, his joints were always stiff and sore, like rusted door hinges.

But today, as he stretched his limbs, he could faintly feel a long-lost smoothness.

"Is this the benefit of practicing martial arts?"

Jiang Ye lowered his head slightly and sensed the changes within his body.

He had practiced for only an hour last night, yet today he felt as though he had grown several years younger.

This Five Animal Fist truly had a way of nurturing health.

After a simple breakfast, Jiang Ye did as usual and opened the Martial Academy's heavy black-lacquered gates.

He became that taciturn old gatekeeper again.

Before long, a figure hurried over through the morning dew and frost.

"Morning, Old Man Jiang."

The voice carried the clarity and vigor unique to youth.

The newcomer was dark-skinned and burly. It was none other than Shi Lei, an Outer Courtyard disciple.

He wore a coarse martial uniform washed nearly white, his bangs already dampened by the morning mist. He had clearly hurried here all the way.

Jiang Ye raised his eyes and nodded slightly. "Kid Shi, you're the earliest again."

"Hehe, the stupid bird flies first."

Shi Lei gave an honest smile, cupped his fists toward Jiang Ye, then impatiently passed through the gates and headed straight for the spacious Outer Courtyard.

"This kid really is diligent in his training."

Jiang Ye's gaze followed the youth's energetic back until he disappeared behind the screen wall.

The vigor of youth had actually encouraged him somewhat.

"Once I drink the Blood Strengthening Soup at noon, I'll continue practicing my fist. I'll strive to break through to Bright Strength today!"

Jiang Ye's fingers, hidden in his sleeves, curled slightly.

"After accumulating through the night and recuperating for half a day, today... I may be able to attempt the breakthrough again!"

The threshold of Bright Strength had already been within reach last night.

About half an incense stick later, the other disciples arrived one after another.

Slightly disorderly footsteps and low murmurs began to drift through the courtyard.

As usual, Jiang Ye kept his eyes half-closed, only sweeping his peripheral vision over the young faces entering through the gates.

Suddenly, his sparse brows twitched almost imperceptibly.

Lin Xiaohe, who had joined only a few days ago, lowered her head and shuffled in with hesitant steps.

What surprised Jiang Ye was that several conspicuous purple-blue bruises marked the girl's fair, tender cheeks.

The patch beneath her left eye was especially clear in the morning light.

It did not look like a fall.

The direction and placement of those marks... looked more like they had been caused by a fist or a hard object grazing her.

A flash of understanding passed through Jiang Ye's eyes before they returned to indifference.

He was just an old gatekeeper. He had neither the interest nor the standing to ask more. After one glance, he looked away, as though he had seen nothing.

However, the other Outer Courtyard disciples about to enter were not so "tactful."

They had clearly noticed the oddity on Lin Xiaohe's face as well.

"Oh my, Junior Sister Xiaohe!" A round-faced youth was the first to cry out. He hurried over, eyes wide. "Your face... what happened? Why is such a huge patch bruised?"

"It looks pretty frightening." Another, tall and thin, stopped as well and tilted his head to inspect her closely.

"Who did it?" A third disciple raised his voice, filled with the righteous indignation and bluster of youth.

"Who's so blind as to hit our Martial Academy's newly arrived junior sister so hard? Tell your senior brothers, and we'll seek justice for you!"

The chattering concern and questioning instantly surrounded Lin Xiaohe at the gate, just as she had been trying to slip inside quickly with her head down.

Seeing how much everyone cared about her, Lin Xiaohe reddened her eyes and poured out all the grievances she had bottled up for so long.

"It was the Wild Wolf Gang!"

"My family runs a small food stall on Changxing Street, just enough to make a living."

"The Wild Wolf Gang comes by every few days, saying they're collecting some kind of 'street fee' and 'protection fee.'"

"Those hooligans came for money again yesterday. I argued with them a little, and they started hitting me."

"They didn't take my identity as a Bluestone Martial Academy disciple seriously at all..."

The moment they heard it was the Wild Wolf Gang, the expressions of those Outer Courtyard disciples who had been filled with righteous indignation changed almost at once.

The round-faced youth forgot to close his open mouth, while the tall, thin one silently withdrew the half-step he had taken forward.

The one who had shouted the loudest earlier darted his eyes away. His Adam's apple bobbed, but he made no further sound.

In Anxi County, the Wild Wolf Gang had quite the fearsome reputation.

They occupied the western part of the city and controlled several streets where dragons and fish mingled. Their men were all desperadoes who dared to fight, dared to struggle, and feared the sight of blood.

Most of these Outer Courtyard disciples came from poor families. Some even had families making a living on streets controlled by the Wild Wolf Gang. They knew all too well how troublesome and ruthless these people were.

Hot blood came quickly, and retreated just as quickly.

The weight of reality swiftly evaporated the youths' courage, leaving only awkward silence and retreat in their eyes.

A cold smile flashed across Jiang Ye's half-closed eyes.

Having grown shrewd with age, he saw through the matter after hearing only a few words.

In this world, especially in a place like Anxi County, anyone wanting to run a small business on the streets had to pay "customary fees" to the local snakes. It was practically an unspoken rule among the common folk, a cost of survival.

This "protection fee" had never been something one could talk away with words. It depended on the hard strength behind one's back, or a patron powerful enough to inspire fear.

Lin Xiaohe had merely believed that, after putting on the skin of the Bluestone Martial Academy, her status had changed and she had gained the confidence to bargain—perhaps even to avoid this "expense."

Then the Wild Wolf Gang taught her a lesson.

In truth, the gang was not entirely unafraid of the Martial Academy.

Those they did not dare provoke lightly were the formal disciples who had entered the Inner Courtyard.

As for these Outer Courtyard apprentices, whose talents varied wildly and whose futures remained uncertain, the Martial Academy's usual stance was—do not cause trouble outside in the name of the Bluestone Martial Academy.

After all, there were many Outer Courtyard disciples, and their character and ability differed greatly.

If everyone could casually act outside under the name of "Liu Qingshi's disciple," sooner or later they would cause an irreparable disaster, perhaps even bring calamity upon the Martial Academy for no reason.

Seeing the sudden silence around her, the grievance on Lin Xiaohe's face deepened.

She knew she could not count on these so-called Outer Courtyard senior brothers.

She raised a hand to wipe the tears from the corners of her eyes and walked into the courtyard.

Ever since practicing the Five Animal Fist last night, his mind had become calm. Though his blood and qi were weak, his five senses seemed to have been invisibly cleansed by that "extraordinary comprehension," becoming unusually sharp.

Jiang Ye still leaned against the gate with his eyes half-closed, yet the faint conversation from deep within the courtyard drifted intermittently and clearly into his ears.

"Senior Brother Shi... now you're the only one who can help me..."

It was Lin Xiaohe's voice, on the verge of tears.

After a brief silence came Shi Lei's somewhat muffled yet exceptionally firm reply.

"Junior Sister Lin... don't worry. I'll walk you home tonight. If they dare come again, I... I won't let them bully you!"

"Senior Brother Shi... I'll definitely repay you..."

It was Lin Xiaohe's tearful, excited voice.

"This Kid Shi is about to get himself trapped."

Jiang Ye shook his head slightly.

He could tell that Shi Lei trained so diligently that his fist technique was nearly at the introductory stage.

If he went to stand up for Lin Xiaohe at such a critical juncture and ended up injured...

If he missed the golden period for training and failed to break through within two months...

Then his life would truly be over.

The margin for error among those at the bottom was far lower than people imagined.

Moreover, in Jiang Ye's view, Lin Xiaohe did not seem like the sort who knew gratitude and repaid kindness.

Yet these thoughts merely passed through Jiang Ye's mind like a breeze over a deep pool, leaving no trace behind.

He had no intention whatsoever of speaking up to dissuade Shi Lei.

Let go of the urge to help others, and respect their fate.

That was why he had managed to scrape by in this world until the age of seventy.