Chaos begins when one joins a martial arts school

Chapter 32 The Loyalty Gang's Longing
Yang An smiled憨厚ly, then took out a smooth wooden plaque from his pocket and handed it to Yang Jing, "I cut down a tree a while ago, and this wood was sturdy, so I carved a plaque for you. Take a look."

Yang Jing took the wooden plaque. It was warm to the touch and had a simple character "景" (Jing) carved on it. Although the strokes were rough, it was clear that a lot of effort had been put into it.

"Thank you, Brother An."

Yang Jing put away the wooden plaque, looked at Yang An's increasingly robust physique, and asked, "Have you been training your qi and blood lately?"

Yang An nodded and said, "Practice for one hour each morning and evening. When your arms get sore, take a break and then lift the stones again."

Yang Jing nodded, then, with a sudden thought, pulled Yang An into the courtyard. "Come on, Brother An, show me how you kick your leg."

Without saying a word, Yang An steadied himself and suddenly raised his knee to kick into the air.

His movements were forceful, but his body swayed, clearly indicating that his waist and legs hadn't coordinated properly.

Yang An himself probably noticed it too. He frowned, kicked again, and the same problem persisted.

"Sink your waist, rotate your hips," Yang Jing said in a deep voice.

Yang An nodded vigorously, then paused for a moment, looked up, and asked with a somewhat troubled expression, "Brother Jing, what does 'sinking waist' mean?"

Yang Jing suddenly realized that he had forgotten that his cousin Yang An was a pure charlatan, unlike him who had entered a martial arts school and received systematic martial arts instruction.

Then, Yang Jing stood opposite Yang An and demonstrated in slow motion, "Brother An, watch carefully, the power starts from the feet and goes out along the legs. The waist has to rotate like an axis, not just rely on the legs to exert force."

Yang An stared intently at Yang Jing's movements, memorizing them silently, and tried them a few more times.

Although still a bit clumsy, it was a bit more stable than before.

He didn't speak, he just practiced over and over again, and beads of sweat quickly appeared on his forehead, but he didn't stop.

Looking at his resolute spirit, Yang Jing thought about the book "The Turbulent Legs".

My cousin Yang An is calm and steady, and he often goes to the mountains to chop firewood, so he is well-suited to practice this kind of leg technique that emphasizes agility.

However, the origin of this "Surging Waves Kick" is unknown. If it contains hidden dangers, or is a family martial art of a powerful clan, involving some force, it would be bad for Yang An to rashly teach it.

“These are basic waist and leg exercises. Brother An, you should practice them first.” Yang Jing pulled himself out of his thoughts and taught him a few more ways to adjust his breathing. “Practice for half an hour every day and get your waist and legs coordinated before we talk about anything else.”

Yang An nodded in agreement, without asking any further questions, and continued kicking. With practice, he was indeed a little more stable than before.

Yang Jing crossed his arms and watched Yang An practice his legwork, occasionally offering pointers.

The sound of my aunt and mother talking softly came from the kitchen, mixed with the crackling of firewood, creating a warm and cozy atmosphere.

Watching his cousin's silent and focused back as he practiced his skills, Yang Jing considered that it wouldn't be too late to teach Yang An the "Surging Waves Kick" after his cousin had thoroughly understood its intricacies and confirmed that there were no risks.

Actually, there is another way, which is to have Yang An join a martial arts school and formally and systematically learn martial arts.

However, martial arts training is a money-burning machine, as Yang Jing himself has experienced firsthand.

He could help Yang An pay the apprenticeship fee. The apprenticeship fee in the major martial arts schools in Yuhe County was generally between three and five taels of silver per month, which Yang Jing could afford.

However, the apprenticeship fee is just the beginning; there are various other expenses afterward, including food subsidies, medicine subsidies, and subsequent apprenticeship fees.

Yang Jing could afford the apprenticeship fee alone, but all these fees added up to a large sum. The key issue was that Yang Jing himself needed a lot of money to practice martial arts.

It seems like we have a lot of money now, but it won't last very long.

So the thought of providing Yang An with a place to practice martial arts flashed through Yang Jing's mind for a moment, but he suppressed it.

Whether for public or private reasons, practicing martial arts is the most important thing.

If he is given a little more time, he will be able to break through the Dark Force, and then it will be a completely different world.

At least after breaking through to the Dark Force level, it will be easier to obtain more silver, whether through official appointments or other channels. At that time, there may be enough money to support Yang An's martial arts training.

Moreover, Yang Jing felt that once he broke through to the Dark Force level, he could teach Yang An martial arts himself.

Even in the entire Yuhe County, a master of internal strength is quite remarkable, not to mention that his future will not be limited to internal strength alone.

While teaching Yang An, Yang Jing also practiced his own "Surging Waves Kick," and his elusive and agile movements captivated Yang An.

Time passes slowly.

The aroma of chicken wafted through the courtyard.

Although the tiger and bear meat that Yang Jing ate were expensive and nutritious, they might not taste as good as the free-range chickens he raised himself.

At noon, a square table was set up in the courtyard, with a large pot of stewed chicken on it. The broth was thick and white, with scallions floating on top, and the aroma filled the courtyard.

The family sat down around the square table.

Yang Jing and Yang An, two younger members of the family, sat on either side of their grandfather.

Grandpa Yang picked up his chopsticks, placed a chicken leg in the bowl for Yang Jing, thought for a moment, then put down his chopsticks and used a spoon to scoop two spoonfuls of soup for Yang An next to him, saying, "Xiao An, you eat too."

Yang Jing's lips twitched slightly.

It was only because his cousin was honest that he even urged Yang Jing to drink more chicken soup. If it were anyone else being treated so differently by the old man, they would be furious, especially since these were free-range chickens raised by his aunt.

"Jing'er, eat quickly, it'll help you recover." Grandmother Qin looked at Yang Jing with eyes full of tenderness, picked up a piece of chicken skin, and began to suck on it slowly.

Mother and Aunt Xue did the same; they mostly used their chopsticks on the vegetable plate, and occasionally picked up a piece of chicken, which they would put into the children's bowls.

Yang Jing saw this and felt a pang of sadness in his heart.

He knew his family's habits; they always wanted to save the best things for him, and there was no point in trying to persuade him otherwise. So he didn't say much, but simply used his chopsticks to put meat on Yang An's plate a few times, saying, "Brother, you should eat more too. You need to replenish your nutrition to strengthen your body."

Yang An took the food with his head full, and mumbled, "Um, thank you, Brother Jing."

Halfway through the meal, Grandfather Yang put down his chopsticks, took a puff of his pipe, and slowly said, "Jing'er, haven't you met a girl you like in the city?"

Yang Jing was taken aback, then shook his head. "No, Grandpa, I practice martial arts at the gym every day, I don't have time to think about these things."

"It's time to think about it." Grandfather tapped his pipe, his eyes somewhat somber. "Your father and your eldest uncle went to the front lines in Caozhou to escort supplies. We haven't heard from them for over half a year. I heard there's been fighting there, and it's not peaceful. Our family should resume its lineage as soon as possible." Mother Liu Cuiling's eyes reddened upon hearing Grandfather's words, but she didn't speak. She simply added another piece of meat to Yang Jing's bowl with her chopsticks.

Auntie also said softly, "Jing'er is seventeen this year, isn't she? She's not young anymore. There are several people in the village who are getting married at this age. Jing'er, if you meet a suitable and decent girl in the city, keep an eye out for her. The family can also help with the matchmaking."

Yang Jing felt heavy-hearted. He wasn't extremely opposed to getting married, having children, and continuing the family line. Since he had come to this world, he should gradually integrate into it.

Moreover, since he has taken over the body of the original owner, he must naturally take on the responsibility of carrying on the family line.

What truly weighed on Yang Jing's mind was the matter of his father and uncle. The two of them had been escorting grain supplies to the front lines in Caozhou to earn money, and for more than half a year, he had been thinking about this matter but was unable to help.

Taking a deep breath, Yang Jing didn't want to talk about this topic any longer, otherwise everyone would probably stop eating and start wiping away tears.

He looked at Yang An, who was eating with his head down, and said with a smile, "I'm not in a hurry. But Brother An should find a sister-in-law first. You can worry about Brother An's affairs first."

Yang An, who had been keeping to himself and eating, suddenly looked up when he heard Yang Jing diverting the water eastward. His face turned red instantly, and he almost spat out the food in his mouth. He mumbled, "I...I'm not in a hurry."

Everyone was amused.

Aunt Xue patted Yang An's arm and said, "You're not in a hurry, but I am. After the autumn harvest, I'll ask someone to keep an eye out for you."

Grandfather smiled and shook his head, put his pipe on the table, and glanced at Yang Jing and Yang An. "You two need to be careful. Settle down and start your own families as soon as possible, so your grandmother and I can rest easy."

The old man's gaze remained mostly on Yang Jing.

Yang An will most likely remain a farmer in the future, while Yang Jing is the one who truly has the hope of rising to prominence in the Yang family.

Starting with Yang Jing's generation, the descendants of the Yang family were able to escape the fate of being farmers and become people of another social class.

Old Master Yang pinned all his hopes for changing the family's fate on Yang Jing, and naturally hoped that Yang Jing could get married and have children as soon as possible.
Listening to the elders' conversation, Yang Jing didn't refuse anymore and just nodded.

After lunch, Yang Jing helped clean up the dishes and chopsticks, taught his cousin martial arts for a while, and then chatted with his family. When he felt it was about time, he got up and said, "Grandpa, Grandma, Aunt, Mom, I have to go back. I can't miss my lessons at the martial arts school."

Grandmother Qin held his hand, reluctant to let go, "Don't you want to stay another night? I was thinking of steaming some osmanthus cake for you later."

"No, Grandma," Yang Jing said with a smile, patting the back of her hand. "I'll come back to see you when I'm less busy."

His mother stuffed some dried herbs into his bag, saying, "These are for treating sprains and bruises. Be careful when you practice martial arts, and don't always try to fight head-on."

Yang Jing didn't lack these herbs, but he accepted them nonetheless.

Yang An stood aside and whispered, "Brother Jing, I will definitely practice the leg techniques you taught me well."

"Yes, practice diligently." Yang Jing patted his shoulder.

He didn't mention buying a courtyard in the city to his family. He only thought that he would talk to his family in detail after he broke through the Dark Force Realm and gained a firm foothold in Tongyifang and even the city.

At that time, perhaps we can invite my grandparents and mother to stay in the city for a while.

My cousin Yang An can also go with us; he will personally teach us martial arts.

These thoughts only lingered in his mind; to put them into practice, he would have to wait until he broke through to the Dark Force realm.

However, Yang Jing was confident that this day would not be long. The bottlenecks that had trapped other martial artists for so long did not exist for him!
After bidding farewell to his family, Yang Jing quickly left Yangjia Village, exchanging a few words with the villagers, young and old, along the way.

At this moment, Yang Jing couldn't help but recall the thought he had when he first transmigrated—he mustn't detonate the thunder!
At that time, countless eyes in the village were watching, ready to see him and his family make a fool of themselves.

It's not that these villagers are bad, but they don't approve of Yang Jing practicing martial arts. These villagers, who have farmed for generations, always feel that farmers must be farmers generation after generation, and anyone who tries to break this rule will suffer a great misfortune and stumble.

At that time, countless people were waiting to see Yang Jing return from the city in a sorry state.

And now, he has finally succeeded, transforming from an ordinary person into a martial artist who has entered the realm of internal strength, thus avoiding the occurrence of the exploding lightning.

Thinking of this, Yang Jing felt a little happier and strode out of Yangjia Village, heading east.

As soon as they stepped onto the official road, they saw dust billowing in the distance, and a group of ragged refugees slowly moving along the roadside. They were all pale and muscular, some carrying dying children on their backs, humming out-of-tune laments.

"They fled from Caozhou."

Some passing peddlers whispered among themselves, "I heard there's been a fight over there, the government is conscripting men, and the fields are all lying fallow."

Yang Jing's heart sank.

My father and uncle were the ones escorting grain to Caozhou. They had been missing for more than half a year. In this chaotic world, with war breaking out everywhere and refugees flocking in droves, how could their safety not be a cause for concern?
He stopped and looked at the endless stream of refugees. He clenched his fists and quickened his pace.

The more chaotic the world becomes, the tougher our fists must be!

Only by becoming stronger, and becoming stronger as quickly as possible, can we protect the people we want to protect in these turbulent times!
More than an hour later, the city wall of Yuhe County came into view.

Yang Jing looked up at the towering city gate, took a deep breath, and quickened his pace to blend into the flow of people entering the city.

The refugees behind them continued to surge in, like a black tide.

Yang Jing entered the city and, without stopping, headed straight for Tongyi Ward along Zhuque Street.

Chengping Ward and Tongyi Ward are both located deep within the outer city, close to the inner city wall. Compared to other wards and markets, they are better protected by the imperial court and are safer.

To get from the city gate to Tongyi Ward, one has to pass through several wards, including Guang'an Ward.

As soon as Yang Jinggang stepped into Guang'anfang, he saw a group of strong men gathered at the street corner, each with a knife at their waist, moving about in the alley with unfriendly expressions.

Yang Jing paused slightly, listening to the two peddlers carrying loads on their shoulders whispering among themselves:
"Are these the Righteousness Gang members? They've been coming here every few days lately, turning the old Dayun Gang site upside down. I wonder what they're looking for."

"Who knows? These gangs are all very chaotic. Stay away and don't get involved."

“I have a cousin who is in the Sihai Gang. He told me that the Dayun Gang has been lingering around Yong'anfang for many years and must have a lot of money to be made. Since the Yiqi Gang won, they naturally want to make a profit.”

Yang Jing's heart skipped a beat, and he subconsciously slowed his pace.

Gold, silver, ginseng, and the "Surging Waves Leg" manual. The valuables he took from Xu Tai and Scarface Li were the most valuable possessions of the Dayun Gang.
The Righteousness Gang went to great lengths to defeat the Great Fortune Gang, so there's no reason they wouldn't be eyeing these things.

He subtly moved away from the crowd, glancing at the members of the Righteous Gang out of the corner of his eye. The leader was a one-eyed man who was holding the door of a dilapidated house, cursing and swearing, looking quite angry.

(End of this chapter)