Clan

Yang Huai easily carried down more than a dozen logs, not even a trace of sweat between his brows.

He then took out a saw, plane, pencil, ruler, and a whole series of tools, beginning to cut up the logs and make furniture components.

After a smooth sequence of movements, Yang Huai still showed no sign of fatigue. On the contrary, he became increasingly focused, his movements growing ever more crisp and efficient. Yang Dayuan could only keep nodding as he watched.

"No wonder Ah Huai dared to guarantee it so confidently!"

His eldest son had surpassed the blue that birthed him. How could he not be delighted?

Had Yang Huai merely been an apprentice, he would have been worried instead.

Yang Dayuan immediately threw himself into the work, calling several of the Yang siblings over to lend a hand.

Many hands made light work.

"Yang Laohei, open the door!"

Just then, pounding sounded from outside, accompanied by someone shouting loudly at the door.

"Yang San Laizi is here to take advantage again!"

Yang Huan, who had been working, immediately rolled his eyes at the sound. Their mother grabbed him irritably from beside him.

"Don't provoke him. If he hears you, that brat will surely make trouble for us! He only wants to pick up a few scraps. Just endure it!"

A serious look also appeared on Yang Dayuan's dark face.

Yang San Laizi was the son of the village head of the Yang Family Hunting Grounds. The village head of the Yang Family Hunting Grounds was also the clan head of the Yang Clan Ancestral Hall. He often dealt with many officials at the Liugou County yamen and was in charge of local security and taxes. The Yang clansmen of the hunting grounds all had to give the village head's family some measure of respect. Yet this third son of the village head's family was utterly worthless, constantly mingling with local hooligans. Naturally, he gave many Yang clansmen headaches, and they feared bringing such disaster upon themselves.

As the knocking outside grew increasingly fierce, Yang Dayuan could only step forward and open the door.

Several burly men stood at the entrance, surrounding a gaunt man with medicated plasters stuck to both temples. He wore a short indigo jacket, and more than a dozen bamboo carrying poles lay at his feet. Seeing those poles, Yang Dayuan's face darkened.

Even shearing sheep did not mean stripping them this bare. He asked irritably, "Yang San, what are you knocking on my door for?"

Yang San, at the head of the group, chuckled. Casually shoving Yang Dayuan aside, he walked in and said, "Yang Laohei, look at how stingy you are. Would we brothers really come to take advantage of you? We heard your family took on another job recently. Since we're all of the same clan, we came to lend you a hand!"

"Of course, we'll also pick up a little sawdust for firewood while we're at it. You can't expect us brothers to work for nothing, can you?"

"Yang Laohei, don't block the way!"

The tall ruffians behind him grinned as they carried in their poles and barged inside, looking around in every direction. Yet the moment they reached the carpentry room, their steps came to an abrupt halt.

Before their eyes, a well-proportioned young man stood bare-armed, casually lifting a massive camphor log from the ground.

The huge log weighed nearly one hundred and fifty catties, yet he lifted it as easily as if it were a toy. At once, no one said a word. Every gaze turned toward Yang San Laizi, whose smile had frozen on his face.

Without even turning his head, Yang Huai said, "Yang San, since you came to help, don't just stand there!"

Yang Huai merely glanced at him, then silently added another log to his shoulder. He carried three or four hundred catties on one shoulder without even drawing a hard breath, making the faces of everyone outside change again and again.

The ruffians did not even dare breathe loudly.

Yang San's eyes rolled, and he hurriedly said, "Oh, I forgot. My father told me to go into town this afternoon to buy wine. We can't forget the old man's important business. Brothers, isn't that right?"

"That's right, Big Brother. We need to leave early. I heard there are wild wolves roaming outside the town!"

The four or five of them immediately began backing toward the exit.

But in the next instant, their expressions changed. Yang Huai suddenly exhaled and shouted, and the two huge logs on his shoulder flew from his hands and crashed down before them.

Two successive booms rang out, instantly draining all color from Yang San and the others' faces.

Yet Yang Huai came before Yang San with incomparable warmth, casually hooking one arm around his shoulders. Like an iron arm, it locked him tightly in place. Smiling cheerfully, he said, "Since you're here, why leave? It won't be too late to go after the work is done. Don't you agree, Brother Yang San, my dear cousin?"

As he said "dear cousin," he calmly added a little force. Yang San felt as though every bone in his body was about to shatter. Fortunately, Yang Huai did not continue exerting strength.

Yang San hurriedly nodded. "That's true. There should still be a little stock left in my father's wine gourd, enough to last a day. Since we're here, we definitely have to help our uncle and little brother with some work. Brothers, come help out. Sweep the sawdust out for Auntie and help carry things. Her health has always been poor, so don't wear her out!"

With a shout, he took the lead and began sweeping up the sawdust.

The other ruffians' faces twitched as they watched, but they could only step forward in silence.

The Yang family watched this scene in surprise, though their joy was even greater.

It was a rare sight indeed to see Yang San Laizi suffer a setback.

"Looks like our family will finally be able to hold our heads high in the Yang Family Hunting Grounds!"

Yang Huan muttered quietly as he watched, his little face growing even more spirited. He immediately walked over and began directing the men in their cleaning.

They did not dare resist and could only smile along with him.

They worked until evening before they were finally driven out of the Yang residence.

"Brother Yang San, we won't be keeping you for dinner. Thank your brothers for me, and do come again!"

At the gate, Yang Huai's face was full of smiles.

Yang San agreed repeatedly aloud, but inwardly cursed furiously.

Come again, my ass. They didn't even give us a sip of water. Who the hell would come again?

As though granted a pardon, the group hurried away carrying their empty bamboo poles. Only after putting some distance between themselves and the Yang residence did they begin cursing loudly.

"That Yang Dahei has some damned gall! He actually dared order us grandfathers around. Does he have the fate for that?"

The ruffians were red-faced, foul obscenities pouring endlessly from their mouths.

One of them, sharp-mouthed and monkey-cheeked, said to Yang San, "Third Brother, are we just letting this go? I heard from Second Uncle that Yang Laohei's family received a huge payment for goods this time. It should be enough for us brothers to spend ten days or half a month at Yihong Tower..."

His eyes had turned somewhat red.

Yang San Laizi rubbed his aching, weak lower back and glared at him. "Do you have Yang Huai's strength?"

"No!"

"Then why the hell are you talking nonsense? There are so many widows' homes you could kick in, yet you insist on going against him. Is there something wrong with your brain?"

Yang San Laizi spat as he cursed!

Yet despite his words, reluctance still flickered in his eyes.

Hearing this, the ruffian still refused to give up, venom flashing in his eyes. "Should we get the brothers to bring some medicine over and teach him a lesson...?"

Yang San Laizi glanced at him, then shook his head after a moment. "Forget it. He's still a Yang, a clansman brother. Why be so ruthless? If something goes wrong, we might end up in court!"

The group left amid curses, completely failing to notice the figure standing calmly by the side of a house behind them. After a moment, the figure departed.

With Yang Huai and his wife, the other three Yang siblings, and Yang Dayuan and his wife, there were seven people in all. Once they got moving, their pace was extremely fast.

By nightfall, Yang Huai had already made the rough forms of several hu chairs. All that remained was sanding, waxing, and carving decorative patterns. Yang Huai did not intend to use the varnishing techniques commonly used in the Dachang Dynasty. Instead, he would sand and wax them. That was why the furniture he made was more popular: he could bring out the natural beauty of the wood in a more fitting way.

Naturally, he also did better than Yang Dayuan in the finer details.

After a full day of work, no one stayed up late that night. Pine-resin candles were costly, and so was their eyesight.

Yang Huai, however, had somewhere else to go.

Daoist temple

The vast stars above had already vanished deep within the canopy of heaven, while the radiance of the sun shone down upon the earth.

Yang Huai opened his eyes and rose from the bed.

His three roommates also gradually opened their eyes and began the day's cultivation.

Yang Huai had some other thoughts now.

Since his body in the real world could cultivate the Heavenly Circuit Heart Method, could he cultivate it once more with this body's innate sword bones? If he could cultivate the Heavenly Circuit Heart Method here to the Greater Heavenly Circuit, or even to a realm beyond it, would that not save him a great deal of time spent feeling his way forward?

More importantly, this body possessed a special fate, and that fate came with an awakened special aptitude.

There might even be some surprises awaiting him.