Jiang Yun's Trial

"Wait for me! Why are you walking so fast?" Tights trotted to catch up.

Seeing Tights closing the distance, Jiang Yun sighed helplessly and slowed his pace, finally saying, "What exactly do you want? I only did that as a passing favor; you don't need to follow me."

"You said you're a martial artist. Can you tell me some stories about martial artists? I want to write them into my novel—I'm a famous novelist, you know!"

Tights' eyes seemed to sparkle, which gave Jiang Yun a headache. How could this woman be so troublesome? Although she was undeniably a great beauty with long legs and a slender waist—the kind of national goddess level he'd seen in his past life—he was currently single-mindedly focused on martial arts and had no interest in romance.

In the few years since arriving in the Dragon Ball World, he had long discovered that this world was exceptionally full of beauties. Perhaps it was because the Vital Energy in this world was more abundant, leading to better physical constitutions than people in his previous world; with just a little exercise, one could attain a robust physique.

"I'm talking to you, are you listening?" Tights stood with her hands on her hips, frowning, seemingly dissatisfied with Jiang Yun's indifference.

"What do you actually want? My time is very tight, you know." Jiang Yun's schedule was indeed packed, as he planned to give further instructions for the Martial Alliance's training once he returned today.

"I already told you, I want to know stories about martial artists because it can enrich my writing. Of course, it's also to thank you for saving my life."

Although she said that, Tights wasn't thinking the same thing. She could have handled those thugs without his help; Bulma had given her several self-defense gadgets, after all.

Seeing that the woman was determined to pester him, Jiang Yun stopped arguing and decided to treat it as a way to relax.

Jiang Yun joked to Tights, "I can tell you, but you have to treat me to a meal!"

Tights' eyes lit up upon hearing this.

"No problem, piece of cake! But you have to tell me everything after we eat." Tights agreed immediately.

Eating with him shouldn't be a big deal. Considering he's quite handsome, I'll just agree. It's not a loss anyway. Tights had her own little schemes. If it were anyone else, she definitely wouldn't have agreed; plenty of people wanted to dine with her. If Jiang Yun hadn't saved her, she wouldn't have bothered, and she was currently filled with curiosity about him.

Jiang Yun hadn't expected her to agree, so he could only follow her toward the restaurant. When he arrived at the entrance with Tights, he couldn't help but find it amusing.

Wasn't this his own business? Indeed, the place Tights had come to was the Huayun Restaurant, which belonged to Jiang Yun. What a coincidence.

"Welcome, I hope you both have a pleasant meal."

The waiter at the door spoke very respectfully. This service style was something he had brought from his past life; he had put a lot of effort into the service to make customers feel comfortable, which was one of the reasons why Huayun Restaurant was so popular.

Of course, the deliciousness of the food was also indispensable. Though called a restaurant, its scale was not small; it had been built into a high-end club spanning ten floors. Dining took place on the first floor, while the other floors were used for entertainment. As for the top floor, it was reserved for receiving wealthy individuals of status and government officials.

Upon entering, the gorgeous decor—a mix of retro and modern elements modeled after ancient Chinese architecture—was something Jiang Yun had designed himself. It was a reflection of his love for his homeland. Surveying the surroundings, he felt a sense of satisfaction.

"Hello, give us a private room," Tights said skillfully. She must have been here many times.

"Certainly, this way please." Led by the waiter, Jiang Yun and Tights arrived at a private room. After the waiter left, Tights said impatiently, "This is the hottest restaurant in West City over the last three years. Their food is renowned throughout West City, and people from other cities even come here to eat!" Seeing Tights praise his own business so highly, Jiang Yun felt a wave of amusement. If this girl knew it was his property, he wondered how surprised she would be.

"Hey, what are you laughing at? Is what I said funny?" Tights watched Jiang Yun smirking and couldn't help but think he was mocking her; a vein mark appeared on her forehead.

"No, no, I just thought of something funny." Seeing that Jiang Yun didn't seem to be lying, Tights' anger subsided.

Amidst the bustle, after finishing the meal, Jiang Yun told Tights the stories the village elders had shared with him. Tights seemed very satisfied with his stories and gave Jiang Yun a business card before they parted ways.

Looking at the address on the card: Capsule Corp.

Hmm, Capsule Corp. Seeing this, Jiang Yun frowned. Tights, Tights. Right, isn't she Bulma's sister? That's it, it's her. Because she had so little screen time in the original work and spent most of her time writing novels in space, Jiang Yun hadn't recalled it immediately.

"Interesting!" Jiang Yun looked at the card in his hand, memorized the information, tossed it into a trash can, and turned to leave. He seemed to whisper to himself.

"We will meet again!"

Martial Alliance Base...

"I believe you have all felt that your martial arts have entered a stagnant phase. Some of you haven't made progress in months, so I have decided to organize a trial." Yes, a trial. Jiang Yun knew that martial arts didn't rely solely on honing the body. After three years of training, these people had reached a certain stage of physical conditioning; now, it was time to begin training the heart.

Jiang Yun believed that martial arts should align with nature to eventually reach the state of unity between heaven and man. This was why the ascetics of the past stayed away from the secular world and went deep into the great forests to temper their state of mind. True martial arts should grow through the tempering of life and death. In the original story, Goku grew through constant battle; whenever he encountered an enemy, his combat power soared, whereas in times of peace, his growth slowed significantly due to a lack of external pressure.

As a martial artist, one must have a warrior's heart. As the saying goes, fighting with heaven is endless joy, fighting with earth is endless joy, and fighting with people is endless joy. A true martial artist should be brave enough to wrestle with tigers and fight with eagles. While he didn't expect them to reach the state of being as tranquil as the sky and as swift as lightning like Goku—a state Jiang Yun himself hadn't reached yet—it would greatly enhance their mental cultivation and prevent them from becoming slaves to their own power.

"I require you to live in the primeval forest for three months. No teaming up; you must survive alone. Fight tigers and leopards, battle eagles, and combat vicious beasts. When you emerge, you will find that you have made tremendous progress—not in your bodies, but in your hearts. I hope you forge a true martial heart." Jiang Yun hammered his chest with his fist.

For such a trial, ordinary people might find it cruel, but Bu Chen, standing next to Jiang Yun, thought it was only natural. He had undergone such training himself, though he wouldn't speak of the hardships; one only knows the taste after experiencing it. You had to guard against not just the wolves, leopards, and fierce beasts of the forest, but also the mosquitoes, ants, and snakes.

Hearing about this training, the group was dismissive, thinking it couldn't be that difficult. Bu Chen watched them and chuckled inwardly.

Brothers, you're walking down a narrow path. You'll experience that 'joy' soon enough.

Jiang Yun naturally noticed their attitude and warned them, "Don't think this is simple. If you die, don't blame me. A warrior must remain vigilant at all times."

Hearing Jiang Yun's words, everyone put away their contempt.

"Now, move out!"

"Yes!"

They scattered in all directions...