The First Sage of Military Strategists

Chapter 5 Jade Pendant
into the night.

Han Qing was lying in his room, covered by a mattress and a hard wooden board.

He hadn't fallen asleep yet when he heard the two elderly people next door talking.

"Sigh, if this continues, our Xinglin Hall won't last much longer!"

Han Cheng sighed.

“There’s no other way, so let’s hand over the secret recipe,” Zhang Cuilian said.

"No, this is the law of our ancestors. If I give it to someone else, that would be unfilial!" Han Cheng's attitude was firm.

“Wanchuntang is backed by the Luo family. They are wealthy and powerful. The head constable of the yamen is also a member of the Luo family. How can we possibly fight against them?” Zhang Cuilian advised.

"I still can't give it to them. I'll think of another way. If all else fails, I'll just have to be an unfilial son or grandson." Han Cheng sighed.

Han Qing heard it all clearly and silently clenched his fist.

Wanchuntang is a newly opened business of the Luo family. A few months ago, an epidemic broke out in the city. Other pharmacies were helpless, but Wanchuntang launched its unique secret medicine, Wanchuntang, which had a miraculous effect. As a result, Wanchuntang became famous. In addition, they used domineering means to acquire the unique prescriptions of various pharmacies, so they grew rapidly and squeezed out other small pharmacies.

Han Qing was powerless to do anything about it; he could only try his best to become a butcher in the yamen so that the two old people could have a secure life in the future.

The next day.

Before dawn, Han Qing bid farewell to the two elders and returned to the yamen, where he resumed his busy life as a servant.

Two days later, he accompanied three other boys from the same courtyard to the Minglu Hall courtyard. Besides the three of them, there were no fewer than fifty other boys there, all of whom were servants from other courtyards.

After waiting patiently for a quarter of an hour, Yang Wu arrived with two attendants. He glanced at them, and the boys automatically formed a neat line.

"Today I'm here to teach martial arts, but before that, we need to examine your bones! If your physique isn't up to par, you're out! Pang Chong, you go first!"

"Alright, everyone stand still!"

A burly man with a pockmarked face emerged from behind Yang Wu and began to feel the bones of the first boy.

He reached out and started pinching the boy's shoulders, from top to bottom, until the boy grimaced in pain.

"No way! You have inferior physique, move to the left!"

"Not bad, average aptitude, barely trainable!"

"No, move to the left!"

...

Han Qing didn't understand the intricacies of this bone-reading method, but he could tell with his own eyes that the boys standing on the left were indeed not in good physical condition.

Soon, Pang Chong came to him and reached out to touch him from his shoulder. Han Qing did not feel any pain, but rather a tingling and pleasant sensation.

Pang Chong pinched Yang Wu from head to toe, a hint of surprise in his eyes. He then touched him again from top to bottom, as if to confirm something. He turned around and whispered a few words in Yang Wu's ear.

Yang Wu personally came to him, touched him from head to toe, and said loudly, "Superior aptitude! Good lad, in all my years in the yamen, I have never met anyone whose aptitude can compare to yours. It all depends on your comprehension. As long as you are not extremely stupid, you have a bright future on the path of martial arts!"

Han Qing remained silent, as he was used to silence, pondering why he possessed superior innate talent.

The family's secret medicine played a role, but the most important thing should be the Great Completion Green Wood Longevity Technique. This technique has the effect of changing one's physical constitution. The old Taoist has practiced it for decades, which means that he himself has also practiced it for decades, so his physical constitution is naturally not bad.

Many of the surrounding teenagers looked on with envy, while quite a few were filled with jealousy and hostility.

Half an hour later, the last boy's bone was examined. A total of 54 people were examined, and 13 of them were standing on the left, which meant they had low-grade bone structure.

"You thirteen can go back now!" Yang Wu waved his hand, too lazy to explain.

All thirteen people were extremely dejected. Among them was one who was from the same courtyard as Han Qing, named Liu Buxiu.

When he heard that he had been eliminated, his face turned deathly pale. His parents had given a large sum of money to the county magistrate in order to secure a spot for martial arts training, but he never expected to be eliminated in the first round.

He was unwilling, but there was nothing he could do; this was fate.

The thirteen people were then taken away from the compound, leaving the 41 teenagers to breathe a sigh of relief.

"There are forty-one of you vying for five spots. The rules are simple: I will teach you the Nine Yang True Skill, which is the method for entering the ranks. Three months later, I will conduct an assessment, and only the five who progress the fastest will become minor officials in the government! Zhao Teng, you come and explain the Nine Yang True Skill to them!" Yang Wu said loudly.

"Yes!" Another attendant behind him stepped forward and cleared his throat.

"The Nine Yang True Skill is the standard entry method for the constables of Baiyun County. Looking at the entire Dayu, it can be considered a top-grade martial art. Many martial arts schools and gangs outside cannot compare with it."

"This opportunity is hard-won, so listen carefully. I will only explain it once. How much you can understand and remember depends entirely on your own ability!" Zhao Teng said, and immediately began to explain.

He explained it in great detail. This martial art has thirty-six movements that can open thirty-six acupoints.

The general principles state that the human body is like a treasure trove, and acupoints are like stars, containing mysterious power. Once activated, these mysterious powers merge and can generate strength, allowing the body to transform and be reborn. This is the entry point!

Han Qing listened attentively. Zhao Teng spoke for a full three hours, and Han Qing listened attentively for three hours without daring to be distracted for even a moment.

After listening, a new martial art appeared on the panel: Nine Yang Manual, with the progress indicating "not yet mastered".

He pondered it carefully, but still felt there were many parts he didn't understand. Every movement contained too many details, and if he didn't grasp them properly, the training effect would be greatly reduced. "Alright, it's getting late. That's enough for today. Starting tomorrow, work in the morning and practice in the afternoon, every day, until the assessment in three months. Anyone who is late will be fired! Do you understand?" Zhao Teng shouted.

"Understood!" the crowd responded.

"Let's disperse!" Zhao Teng waved his hand.

For the next few days, Han Qing sharpened his knife every morning and practiced martial arts in the Minglu Hall courtyard every afternoon.

Before practice, Zhao Teng would demonstrate once, and then leave the boys to figure it out and practice on their own!
After a few days, Han Qing realized that he had decent comprehension, but he felt that it was still not enough to stand out from the group of teenagers.

One day, he suddenly heard that another prisoner was about to be executed, and that he had some connection with the notorious womanizer. This gave him a sudden idea.

Every day when the boys practiced martial arts, Yang Wu would come over to inspect them. On this day, Yang Wu came again, and Han Qing went directly to him, expressing his idea of ​​executing the prisoner.

Yang Wu looked surprised. Who would want to kill someone unless forced to? One stab and you'd be covered in blood, and the timid would have nightmares. The worst part was that the government wouldn't give any extra money.

He suddenly remembered the faint excitement in Han Qing's eyes when he executed prisoners, and immediately felt that Han Qing was not a normal person.

"Alright, come with me. There are prisoners to be executed soon!" Yang Wu led him to the archway again, where a prisoner had already been brought.

Beside him stood a burly man in his forties, who was about to behead the prisoner.

Yang Wu stopped him: "Ma Er, give him the knife!"

"Him? He's barely grown any hair yet, would he dare to kill someone? He'll probably wet himself in fear later, won't he?" Ma Er laughed. He had been a butcher in the yamen for over ten years, and seeing that Han Qing was a teenager, he immediately felt contempt for him.

"Don't worry, this young man is ruthless, much braver than you," Yang Wu said.

"Hey, foreman, I'll have to take a good look. Kid, take this!" As the coachman handed over the knife, his eyes met Han Qing's. He suddenly felt a murderous aura rushing towards him, which made him fearful. He took a step back, and his contempt vanished, leaving only a little fear.

Stimulated by the strong smell of blood, Han Qing became excited again, and a murderous intent surged in his heart. He only wanted to cut the prisoner in front of him down with one stroke.

"The criminal Wei Xiong fled to Baiyun County half a month ago, where he raped two young girls and injured a constable. His crimes are heinous and he should be executed according to the law! Take action!" Yang Wu said in a deep voice.

The criminal suddenly burst into laughter, shouting eight words.

"The homeland of Yin and Yang, a place of annihilation and return! The homeland of Yin and Yang, a place of annihilation and return! Even if I die, the Great Master of Fate will punish you! Hahaha!"

A flash of light, blood splattered five steps away, the sound abruptly stopped, and a head rolled to the ground.

The murderous intent in Han Qing's heart suddenly vanished, replaced by an unprecedented sense of pleasure that naturally made him look intoxicated.

Yang Wu watched in silence, while Ma Er watched with trepidation. However, when the murderous intent completely subsided and Han Qing regained his senses, he felt nauseous again, though it was much better than the last time.

"You're born to love what you do, and you're just the kind of guy who's made for this. Go back now!" Yang Wu patted him on the shoulder.

Han Qing handed the knife to Ma Er and said softly, "Lord Yang, if there are criminals to be executed in the future, please feel free to let me handle it."

"You've got a knack for chopping, kid?" Ma Er glared.

"If you're willing to do this, I certainly won't stop you. However, you're not a yamen executioner, so I can only assign you some unimportant prisoners. Alright, go back and continue your martial arts training."

Han Qing nodded, turned and left. Once he was out of the square, he saw that no one was around. With a thought, the Seven Killings Stele appeared, and another ball of light appeared on it, with the face of the criminal from before flashing inside.

"absorb!"

The ball of light shattered, and he heard a series of intermittent sounds, while images appeared before his eyes.

"After a year of battling the waves, we still can't afford the fishing tax! This damned world..."

...

"If you wish to become my disciple and join the Yin-Yang Sect, you must offer a young girl as a sacrifice!"

...

"Father, no, please, let me go!"

...

"The High Priest has decreed that whoever finds this jade pendant will be granted the supreme method of refining the spirit and will open the gate to the Yin-Yang path!"

...

"Found it! The jade pendant is at Hengtai Pawnshop in Baiyun County!"

The sound stopped abruptly, and the image vanished completely, leaving Han Qing deeply shaken.

Among these fragmented scenes, he saw the Yin-Yang Scholar, who indeed had a long face, a black mole at the corner of his eye, and a feminine temperament, neither male nor female.

Finally, he saw a white jade pendant, shaped like a koi fish, with exquisite patterns and shimmering with golden light inside.

In an instant, an extremely strong sense of familiarity arose in his heart.

"This jade pendant is mine!"

(End of this chapter)