Accomplished in Both Civil and Martial Arts, with Poetry and Books Passed Down Through the Family

That night, Su Cheng accompanied the girl to the old house in Tongzi Ward.

Yang Huaiyu's uncle's family was staying there temporarily, along with a roomful of dowry that had been prepared in advance.

The next day, they would act as the bride's family elders and send Yang Huaiyu off in the bridal sedan from the old house.

Su Xinghe did not go practice his fists that night.

He was helping his somewhat tipsy younger brother arrange the wedding room.

The first floor of the rear row house now served as their parents' bedroom and the kitchen, while the entire second floor had been given over to his younger brother's family.

There were three rooms upstairs, and the largest one was the wedding room for tomorrow's newlyweds.

A few days ago, their father, Su Cheng, had bought him several more pieces of furniture. The two brothers planned to make use of the remaining rooms as well.

"Haitao, didn't we agree these two cabinets and the desk would go in the bedroom when we bought them?"

"Brother, Yu'er said this room could be used as a study in the future. Two cabinets would make it easier to store books, paintings, and things like that."

"Oh... Who would've thought our family would someday produce a cultured scholar? Not only will our martial fortune flourish, we can pass down poetry and books through the generations."

"That's right, Brother. Yu'er can read, write, and paint too."

Su Xinghe immediately found that rather strange.

What he had meant was that once the family had money in the future, they could educate his younger brother's children to read and write.

But now, it seemed they already had a scholar in the family.

Last time, he had heard from his father that Old Yang's family had once been tenant farmers at Lu Family Farm. By rights, their circumstances should not have been much better than theirs. How could they have a daughter who could read and write?

Once that question rose in his heart, he could no longer suppress it.

"You've seen her read and write?"

"Yeah. Yu'er is amazing. The pictures she paints are really good."

"And don't let her small stature fool you—she's incredibly strong. Last time I went to help harvest wheat, she could lift a huge bundle with one hand."

Perhaps Su Haitao was drunk, because he had become much more talkative.

"How did you two meet?"

"At Lu Family Farm. She went looking for Uncle Yang then and asked me for directions."

"When was that?"

"On the Dragon Boat Festival last year. I remember it clearly."

"How did Uncle Yang and the others die?"

"At the start of the year, I heard they ran into bandits in the mountains."

"Then when did you two get together?"

"That... was just two months ago..."

Su Xinghe's heart stirred. Could it have been that Peaceful Heaven Sect again?

"Have you been practicing any qigong?"

Su Haitao stared at him with bleary eyes, utterly incredulous.

"Brother, you bought another martial manual?"

He had practiced the Ascending Dragon Stance from last time for nearly half a year. Other than in certain respects, he had yet to discover any effect.

In truth, he had long wanted to ask his elder brother about it. But they were both young men, and this sort of virility technique was difficult to discuss.

Now that his elder brother had brought it up himself, he naturally would not let the chance slip away.

Su Xinghe patted his shoulder.

"Once the wedding is over, I'll sign you up at a martial arts school."

Other than the Golden Ape Fist, he did not actually possess any true martial cultivation method.

But that was not something he could teach in private.

After all, there were three commandments.

Each one was harsher than the last.

Early the next morning.

The wedding procession set out and smoothly brought back the bride.

At noon, the Su Family held a grand banquet.

Among the guests were not only the bride's elders, but also old neighbors from Tongzi Ward. Poor families did not stand on so much ceremony; as long as everyone was happy, that was enough.

During the feast, the bride came around to offer drinks.

Su Xinghe activated his spiritual perception and probed her slightly.

Beneath that bright red wedding gown was a body of muscle comparable to a bodybuilding champion's. Even the little hand holding the wine pot had a slightly darker patch at the tiger's mouth.

That was damn impressive—truly accomplished in both martial and literary arts.

He decided not to expose her for now and to observe her slowly in the future.

In one corner of the banquet,

A pair of blank, dazed eyes stared without moving at Su Xinghe.

The Su Family's eldest son had actually succeeded in cultivation.

That martial arts school training uniform was not something just anyone could wear.

What should she do?

Should she go up and greet him?

Thinking back on how she had treated the Su Family over the past half year, Zhao Jing felt her face burn.

"Big Sister, why aren't you eating?"

Her younger sister Xiaoya's voice reached her.

"You eat. I'm not hungry!"

The moment the words left her mouth, she felt as if her tongue had suddenly become clumsy today. With a whole table of delicacies she rarely got to see before her, could she only look at them?

But the words had already been spoken...

Fortunately, her younger sister's attention was entirely on the tableful of food, and she did not care whether Zhao Jing had already eaten her fill.

Zhao Jing quietly picked up her chopsticks.

She decided that she would marry a Martial Warrior someday too.

"Big Sister, didn't you say last time that you wanted to marry a rich man?"

A soft, sweet voice sounded beside her.

It startled Zhao Jing so badly that she jolted.

"I... did I say that?"

She was not quite sure.

"Mm, you said it again just now!"

Zhao Ya's long eyelashes fluttered as she looked her older sister up and down.

"Big Sister, you should lose some weight."

Zhao Jing: @@

"Eh, why does that young man beside the Su Family's eldest son look so familiar?"

Someone at the neighboring table suddenly murmured.

"Now that you mention it, I also feel like I've seen him somewhere."

"Isn't that Little Beggar who begs for food in the ward every day?"

"Shh~ You can't say that."

"Sigh, listen to this rotten mouth of mine. I remember when her parents were alive, their family even ran a tailor shop."

"What a pity, that young couple was taken by the Lu Family..."

"Oh dear, Old Fishhead, you're drunk!"

Little Beggar had just taken a bite of chicken wing when he suddenly looked up.

"Right, Boss, I've looked into the Qi-Replenishing Pills you mentioned last time."

"Since the martial arts schools can't get in touch with the higher-ups, they can only ask the disciples. They said you have to pay a deposit first, and each time you can buy at most two pills. And whether they have any depends on the opportunity. The price is three or four times higher than at the Brokerage Guild."

"But the Brokerage Guild only sells to registered Martial Warriors, and the quantity must also be registered with the Martial Dao Bureau. If the numbers don't match, the Martial Dao Bureau won't supply the Brokerage Guild. So there's no way to make that list of prices you wanted."

Su Xinghe said nothing, only nodded.

Martial arts schools, the Brokerage Guild, the Martial Dao Bureau...

He seemed to see an invisible net cast by the Zhou Martial Sage Dynasty to control Martial Warriors.

But no matter how large a net was, there would always be holes in it. There had to be many Martial Warriors like him who did not want to register with the Martial Dao Bureau.

Then there had to be another channel through which pills could circulate freely.

It was just that Little Beggar's circle...

"I really don't want to go outside the city..."

Mm...

On such a joyous day, he did not want to think about these headache-inducing matters.

"Big Brother Su, when will you have time to come to my house?"

A refreshing fragrance drifted over as Xiaoya's voice sounded beside his ear.

At some point, the little girl had secretly run up behind him and draped herself over his shoulder.

Su Xinghe's head began to ache again.

At the beginning of the year, after news spread through the alley that he had quit his job and returned to the city to practice martial arts, this "sister-in-law" of his had kept wanting to take him as her master.

He had refused, but it had been useless.

Even if he had been willing to teach her, he had nothing presentable to offer.

At the time, he only had a virility technique. How could he pass that on to a little girl?

"Didn't we agree that you can only temper your body once you turn sixteen?"

"Otherwise, you won't grow tall."

Su Xinghe lowered his head and focused only on picking up food.

"Sigh~"

Looking at the bride dressed in red amid the crowd, Zhao Ya let out a quiet sigh. Thinking of how she was only fourteen, the little girl sighed again.

"Time passes far too slowly. Why is growing up so hard..."

"Big Brother Su, will you come toast the bride with me?"

"Isn't your second brother over there?"

"Come on~"

After the wedding, the young couple was inseparable as glue and lacquer.

Watching the two of them stick together all day long, Su Xinghe could only temporarily put aside the idea of dragging his younger brother to a martial arts school to register.

He would let this kid enjoy his newlywed honeymoon for now. Once he began martial training, there would be plenty of hardship waiting for him.