If His Son Can Do It, So Can Mine!

Duan Xuan remained silent. He neither shattered his grandfather's fantasy nor mentioned that he wanted to learn martial arts too.

He knew it was pointless.

If a family wanted to help you, they would have extended a hand long ago.

If they did not want to help, they could find ten thousand reasons to refuse even without one. Continuing to argue would only add to his worries.

"Nephew Xuan, can you understand your grandfather's joy?

If you learn a trade, at most you'll be able to feed and clothe yourself.

But when those man-eating gangs come, even feeding and clothing yourself will be a struggle.

If your younger brother becomes the martial champion, then things will be different. Wolf Stronghold, Tiger Stronghold, Dog Stronghold—whatever they are.

They'll all have to curry favor with us. Then we can arrange an easy position for you at the martial hall, so you and your mother can live free of hunger and cold. Wouldn't that be better?"

"Xuan can learn martial arts too!" Just as Duan Xuan was about to leave, the voice of his youngest aunt, Duan Xin, came from outside the door.

She walked to Duan Xuan's side and planted her hands on her hips. "Father, how can you always be so biased?

Big Brother is gone, and Xuan is still just a child. Can't you even keep the bowl of water level, not spill even half a drop?"

The atmosphere in the room instantly turned frigid. Second Uncle and Second Aunt both darkened their faces, while Duan Xin stood outside with her swollen belly, letting out a cold snort.

"Xuan finally managed to catch a wild rabbit, and he even thought of you all. Yet this is how you treat him!"

"Oh my, sister-in-law, it isn't that Father is being biased... It's just that learning martial arts isn't easy, and the tuition is very expensive.

Our family's harvest can support Xu, but supporting Xuan as well would truly be difficult.

It would be better to wait until Xu returns after completing his studies..."

Duan Xu snorted and cut Second Aunt off. "Aunt, what does a woman like you know?

Do you think just anyone can practice martial arts?

Master said I was born with first-class bones, a martial genius seen only once in decades.

What is Duan Xuan? He's skinny as a monkey, and he brings this tiny bit of game to fob Grandfather off.

If I went up the mountain, I could casually catch wolves, tigers, and leopards with a flick of my hand. Hmph!"

The martial path truly was not something everyone could learn. To practice martial arts, the most important things were talent and natural aptitude.

"Enough, stop arguing. That's settled. Xuan, go back first. You came too late today, so we didn't prepare any food for you.

If you truly want our Duan Family to become a great and eminent clan, then you must support your grandfather's decision from the bottom of your heart and support your younger brother's martial training.

A little hardship now is nothing. In five or ten years, your younger brother will surely give our Duan Family an answer.

Only when our whole family twists together into one rope can the Duan Family rise above others, and only then can you and your mother live good lives."

Duan Jiantao broke free from one fantasy and stepped into another.

With a wave of his hand, Second Uncle and Second Aunt immediately rose to see their guest out.

Duan Xu smiled coldly and stepped aside, leaving a narrow path that only someone as skinny as Duan Xuan could pass through.

Duan Xuan slipped out of the house without looking back, but he let out a long breath.

He had long known these people's true faces. Today, he had merely come with the last shred of hope to give it one try.

"Big nephew, my good nephew!" Second Uncle Duan Jian called from behind him with a smile, grabbing hold of Duan Xuan.

When he turned around, he saw Duan Tao holding a half-bow and a short knife with a wooden sheath.

"Don't say your second uncle is biased. I've liked you ever since you were little.

This is a fine treasure I used back when I went up the mountain to hunt wolves. You must cherish it well. This was your grandfather's idea too.

Following in your father's old footsteps isn't bad!" With that, Duan Tao ran back into the house with a grin.

Crack!

Duan Xuan snapped the wooden bow in half and hurled the little knife away with all his strength.

"The cut begins today!"

The sky was dark and gloomy. A bitter wind howled down from high in the valley, lashing Duan Xuan's face and piercing through his patch-covered hemp clothes.

Yet he felt no cold. His heart had gone cold long ago; after being blasted by the wind, it merely seemed to harden a little.

"Mother, time to eat." Duan Xuan brought his mother a bowl of porridge, still nothing more than a thin layer of rice bran.

If it had not carried a bit of color, it would have been no different from water.

After bringing the bowl to his mother, Duan Xuan held a chipped little bowl, flat as a saucer, and slowly began to eat.

He did not know whether the rice bran had been stored too long or whether he was simply in a bad mood today. In any case, it was utterly tasteless in his mouth.

His eyes shone brightly as he stared into the air, as though watching prey rushing straight at him.

What had happened today only strengthened his resolve. He had to learn martial arts. Only the martial path could lift him above others; only the martial path could change his fate!

After barely filling his stomach, Duan Xuan stuffed a small handful of Guanyin clay into his mouth.

He could not eat too much of the stuff, or it would swell in his stomach and bloat him until it burst him alive.

But he still had to go hunting up the mountain with Zhao Rui and Liu Chunmei that afternoon, so he could not go without eating.

After chewing a few times, perhaps because he had grown used to it, he did not find it particularly bitter or hard to swallow.

He stretched his neck, widened his eyes, and the small amount of Guanyin clay slid down his throat.

"Xuan... Since your grandfather and the others are so heartless, we won't associate with them anymore.

This morning, Lame Third, the hide buyer, came to our house and took away three of my hides. He gave me thirty coins outright.

Mother can weave five hides a day now.

Whatever trade you want to learn, Mother will support you.

Mother isn't useless. Mother can earn money!"

Duan Xuan gently wiped the dust from his mother's face and said with great determination, "Mother, I want to learn martial arts!"

"Learn... learn what?"

"Martial arts. I want to practice martial arts!

What good is a trade, no matter how skilled you are, in this world?

What good is having money?

When you run into gangs, when you meet vicious bandits blocking the road, one slash of a blade and everything is gone.

Wolf Stronghold bullies people beyond all bounds. Even if we had all the money in the world,

if we cannot intimidate them, they can still take everything from us.

Uncle Li and Aunt Li's family are a bloody example. They merely went to that public mountain

and hunted a spotted deer. What happened? Wolf Stronghold said it was their territory. Not only did they take the sika deer hide,

they even seized Uncle Li's two children and sold them.

Uncle Li and Aunt Li's corpses are still hanging from the wall at the eastern end of the village.

Mother, they can't even close their eyes!"

Zhou Fang bit her lip. She did not ask how much silver martial arts training would cost, nor did she complain about where they would get the money.

She merely said through tears, "Practicing martial arts is hard. Practicing martial arts is exhausting. Practicing martial arts is dangerous!"

Duan Xuan wiped away the tears at the corners of his mother's eyes and gave a faint smile. "I'm not afraid of hardship or exhaustion. In this man-eating world, I have no other choice!"

Zhou Fang nodded. She no longer tried to persuade him, nor did she let herself pity him any longer. "Mother supports you. If my son wants to learn martial arts, then we'll learn martial arts.

Why can Second Brother's child learn, but you can't?

Your father once said that everyone has two hands, two legs, two eyes, one nose, and one mouth.

No one is any worse than anyone else. When the time comes, let that blind old man see clearly.

My son is no worse than anyone. My son can do it!"

"Mother, I'm heading out. Don't worry when night falls; I'll definitely come back safely.

But you—don't let the lamp oil ruin your eyes.

And don't work yourself too hard over money. Your son can solve it!"

The north wind howled, blowing through the poor house that leaked from all sides. Snow fell from the sky, quickly coating everything in silver white.

Duan Xuan made several simple traps and sharpened the wooden arrows he used for hunting.

Then he prepared to find his two childhood friends and set out together.

The moment he opened the wooden door, Duan Xuan froze.

Standing outside was an egg-faced young girl, her hair covered in snow, trembling from head to toe.

"Xuan..."