Chaos begins when one joins a martial arts school

Chapter 38 Matchmaking
After Sun Yong finished explaining the last key point about generating internal force, he saw that Yang Jing had memorized all the key points and nodded in satisfaction.

He turned and went into the inner room. A moment later, he came out with a small, white jade bottle. The bottle was warm and smooth, and it was clear at a glance that it was not a cheap item.

“This is a Qi-Nourishing Pill. I’ve saved up a few of them. Take it and use it.” Sun Yong handed the jade bottle to Yang Jing, his tone expectant. “This pill can nourish your blood and qi, and harmonize your internal strength. It’s several times more effective than the meat of the wild beasts you usually eat. It will greatly benefit your ability to stabilize your internal strength.”

Yang Jing took the jade bottle, which felt slightly heavy in his hand. He opened the stopper, and a bitter yet mellow medicinal fragrance immediately filled the air. He took a breath and felt his internal energy stir slightly, as if it were being drawn to something.

He quickly closed the bottle and bowed, saying, "Thank you for your generous gift, Master!"

“You don’t need to thank me.” Sun Yong waved his hand, his gaze falling on him with a mix of emotion and certainty. “On the path of martial arts, innate talent is certainly the most important, but perseverance, comprehension, and opportunity are equally important. It’s already an anomaly that you were able to enter the Dark Force realm on your first try with your inferior innate talent. Keep practicing diligently and don’t slack off. You might have a chance to reach the Transformation Force realm in the future.”

Transform your energy!

These two words struck Yang Jing like a thunderclap.

A martial artist who has reached the Transformation Realm is one of the most outstanding individuals in Yuhe County and even several surrounding counties. It is a realm that many martial artists would not even dare to dream of.

He gripped the jade bottle tightly in his hand, his palm slightly warm, and bowed solemnly again: "Disciple will certainly live up to Master's expectations!"

Seeing the light in his eyes, Sun Yong smiled with satisfaction: "Cultivate diligently."

Then he called out to the courtyard, "Ningxiang, come in for a moment."

Sun Ningxiang had just finished tidying up the medicine bowls in the corridor when she heard the call and entered. Seeing Yang Jing still in the room and her father's face still showing signs of joy, she asked in confusion, "Father, what did you call me for? Junior Brother Yang hasn't left yet?"

Her gaze shifted between the two men, sensing that something was amiss in the atmosphere.

Sun Yong smiled and said, "Go to the front yard and call Xu Hong, Qi Yun, Lin Yue, and Chen Wenzheng over. Oh, and see if Liu Maolin is here; if he is, call him over as well."

"You called them all over?" Sun Ningxiang was even more puzzled. "Father, what happened?"

These are the current internal strength disciples of the martial arts school, and they are the core disciples of the school. Sun Yong usually only summons these core disciples together when something important happens.

"You'll know when you get here." Sun Yong didn't elaborate, only waving his hand, "Go quickly."

Despite her many questions, Sun Ningxiang went as instructed.

Before long, the door was pushed open, and Sun Ningxiang led a group of people in.

Xu Hong, Qi Yun, Lin Yue, and Chen Wenzheng stood side by side, with Liu Maolin following at the back, his face still flushed from the heat of his boxing practice.

As soon as they entered the room, they saw Yang Jing standing to one side, while their master, Sun Yong, sat solemnly in the hall. They all fell silent and stood in a row properly.

"Master, you were looking for us?" Xu Hong, as the eldest brother, was the first to ask.

Lin Yue's gaze fell on Yang Jing, tinged with curiosity. Why had Yang Jing stayed in the inner courtyard for so long? And why had his master summoned all of them, the core disciples?
Qi Yun and Chen Wenzheng looked at each other in bewilderment, while Liu Maolin scratched his head, looking completely lost.

The eyes of everyone in the room, filled with doubt or inquiry, were all fixed on Sun Yong, waiting for him to speak.

Only Yang Jing vaguely guessed his master's intention, and stood with his hands at his sides, his expression calm.

Sun Yong's gaze swept over everyone, finally landing on Qi Yun, and he suddenly asked, "Qi Yun, are you currently married?"

Qi Yun was taken aback, not expecting her master to ask this suddenly. Her cheeks flushed slightly, and she bowed slightly, saying, "Not yet, Master."

Although her family was a prominent local clan with strict rules regarding marriage, she was determined to pursue martial arts, so her marriage was delayed.

Sun Yong smiled upon hearing this, turned his gaze to Yang Jing, and then back to Qi Yun: "So what do you think of Yang Jing? I think you two are about the same age, and although your personalities are different, they complement each other, so you seem like a suitable couple."

As soon as he said that, the room became so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Xu Hong's mouth dropped open, and he even forgot to put his fist down.

Chen Wenzheng's eyes widened in surprise, clearly not expecting that his master had called them here for this matter.

Liu Maolin was so shocked he almost jumped up. Was his master going to arrange a marriage for Yang Jing? And with Qi Yun?

Lin Yue's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.

Qi Yun was the first to react, her pretty face instantly turning bright red. She was both angry and ashamed, and her voice trembled as she said, "Master! What... what are you saying!"

She was both shocked and furious. Her family was a prominent one in the county, and she had always had high standards, requiring her future husband to be a martial arts master whose strength surpassed hers, so that she would have more confidence in the family.

She looked up at Yang Jing, her gaze icy, and said, "My elders have taught me that there are many conditions for marriage, one of which is that the other party must be stronger than me."

The implication was that Yang Jing's current abilities were not enough to qualify him to stand beside her.

Yang Jing quickly cupped his hands in greeting: "Master, absolutely not! My personality clashes with Senior Sister Qi's; we are not a good match."

He had no liking for Qi Yun, who was always arrogant and bossy towards her junior brothers and sisters, let alone marry her.

Seeing this, Sun Yong shook his head helplessly and looked at Yang Jingshi with a hint of encouragement in his tone: "It seems that you still need to work harder. Although you have now broken through to the Dark Force level, in terms of strength, you are still slightly inferior to Qi Yun."

After Sun Yong finished speaking, everyone in the room was stunned for a moment.

"Breaking through to the Dark Force realm?!"

"Yang Jing... he's entered the Dark Force realm?!"

These words struck like a thunderbolt from a clear sky, leaving everyone's minds buzzing.

Just now, their minds were filled with the shock of the arranged marriage, and they didn't react for a moment. After a moment of stunned silence, they realized the key point of their master's words.

Xu Hong gasped, looking Yang Jing up and down, his eyes filled with undisguised astonishment: "Junior Brother Yang... have you really reached the Dark Force realm?"

You know, so many people are stuck at the peak of Ming Jin, and they spend their whole lives trying to get past that hurdle. Yet Yang Jing broke through to An Jin without making a sound.
Chen Wenzheng murmured, "How is this possible... His natural talent isn't outstanding, how could this be..."

Qi Yun's face froze in shame and anger, replaced by disbelief.

She had always thought Yang Jing was just a hothead who buried himself in his training, and that he had reached the limit of his Ming Jin skill. Now, he had quietly broken through to An Jin? Didn't that mean that, given time, he might actually catch up with her?

After all, the next level above Dark Force is Transformation Force Martial Master. She doesn't have much confidence in breaking through to Transformation Force, and she may stay at the peak of Dark Force for a long time, or even be unable to break through to Transformation Force in her entire life.

She didn't think Yang Jing could break through to the Transformation Realm by chance again; he would just eventually reach the peak of the Dark Realm.
Lin Yue's eyes suddenly sharpened as he stared intently at Yang Jing, his heart churning with turmoil.

In the martial arts school, he had always been the most watched genius disciple. Now, with the sudden emergence of Yang Jing, there was undoubtedly another potential competitor. Although he did not take this competitor too seriously, Yang Jing's breakthrough to the Dark Force level was still far beyond his expectations.

Only Liu Maolin was initially shocked, then grinned and gave Yang Jing a subtle thumbs-up. His brother had broken through to the Dark Force realm, which was a tremendous piece of good news!
With Sun Yong's words announcing Yang Jing's breakthrough to the Dark Force realm, the atmosphere in the room instantly changed. Shock, inquiry, vigilance... all kinds of gazes converged on Yang Jing, making him the most eye-catching focus at this moment.

“Yes, Yang Jing broke through to the Dark Force level yesterday. He has always been diligent in his martial arts training. Although he just broke through, his foundation is very solid,” Sun Yong nodded and said.

Qi Yun stared at Yang Jing, her nails almost digging into her palms.

After the initial shock, an uncontrollable rage ignited within me.

Her master actually compared her to Yang Jing; this was an insult to her!
Qi Yun comes from a prominent family and has above-average physical attributes. She has been pampered since childhood and is the second-best core disciple in the martial arts school after Lin Yue. Why should she get involved with a country bumpkin with inferior physical attributes?
"He's just a person with inferior aptitude; what good is a lucky breakthrough?"

She scoffed inwardly, thinking that in the path of martial arts, one's innate talent is predetermined, and Yang Jing had simply gotten lucky this time.

Thinking back to the past, Yang Jing would always lower his head and be meek when he saw her, not daring to speak loudly, and desperately trying to curry favor with her, not even having the right to be her follower.

Now that her master was even considering arranging a marriage for her, she felt increasingly aggrieved, and her gaze towards Yang Jing held a hint of disgust.

Chen Wenzheng and Xu Hong exchanged a glance, both seeing the same thought in each other's eyes.

While Yang Jing's breakthrough to the Dark Force level was indeed astonishing, they believed it was more likely due to luck. After all, for a martial artist with inferior physique, reaching the Bright Force level was already quite difficult, let alone the Dark Force level. It was probably due to some stroke of luck, and it might not last long.

Only Liu Maolin couldn't hide the smile on his face.

He patted Yang Jing's arm, the force carrying genuine joy: "Good lad, you've got real talent!"

He initially assigned Yang Jing to a position at the clinic not because of his potential or future prospects, but because he valued his steady and reliable nature. He never expected it to turn out to be such a pleasant surprise.

He knew better than anyone the weight of a martial artist with internal strength, and this gave the Liu family's medical clinic even more confidence.

He was thinking to himself that he would go back and tell his father that Yang Jing's monthly allowance should be increased again, and the meat supply should also be increased.

Given his friendship with Yang Jing, and considering that the clinic never mistreated him, Yang Jing would never easily switch to another clinic.

Even if other forces try to poach their people, the Liu family has the upper hand.

Yang Jing could feel the gazes of Qi Yun and the others, but he didn't take them to heart.

He stood with his eyes lowered, his fingertips subtly sensing the hidden energy flowing within his body—this was the most tangible thing.

Sun Yong coughed lightly, turned his gaze to Lin Yue, and said in a calm but undeniably authoritative tone: "Lin Yue, you seem a bit distracted lately."

Lin Yue's heart tightened, and he subconsciously straightened his back.

“The banquets of various clans and the social engagements in the market have taken up too much of your time,” Sun Yong said slowly. “Your physical constitution is the best in the school, a top-grade constitution, a talent that many people would kill for. You should spend more time practicing martial arts.”

He glanced at Yang Jing beside him and said, "Learn from Yang Jing, focus on practicing your skills, and don't let these distractions ruin your future."

Lin Yue's face flushed red and then turned pale, feeling incredibly frustrated. He came from an ordinary background, and if it weren't for his superior physical attributes, he would probably only be able to make a meager living, struggling at the bottom of the county town.

Later, he displayed his superior talent and became an overnight sensation at the Sun Family Martial Arts School. He was also noticed by various parties in the city and took the opportunity to associate with the powerful families in the city in order to expand his network. Unexpectedly, his master pointed him out in public and compared him to Yang Jing, a person with inferior talent who broke through by luck!
But he dared not refute, and could only bow his head and reply, "Yes, disciple will remember Master's teachings."

Seeing this, Sun Yong said no more and swept his gaze over everyone: "You are all the core of the martial arts school. From now on, you should support each other, unite as one, and not let trivial matters damage your harmony. The path of internal strength needs further refinement. Go back and cultivate diligently."

"Yes, Master," everyone replied in unison.

The group left the house one after another, with Qi Yun walking at the front, her steps hurried, clearly still angry about what had just happened.

Lin Yue followed closely behind, his expression still not very good.

Xu Hong and Chen Wenzheng walked behind, whispering to each other, glancing at Yang Jing's back every now and then.

Only Liu Maolin sidled up to Yang Jing and chuckled in a low voice, "You're quite something, kid. Now even Master is taking you as a role model. I'll treat everyone to a feast later; we have to celebrate!"

Yang Jing smiled but didn't say anything more.

The inner court.

The door closed, shutting out the outside noise, leaving only Sun Yong and his daughter in the room.

Sun Ningxiang poured a cup of hot tea and handed it to her father, sighing softly, "I never expected that Junior Brother Yang would actually break through to the Dark Force realm. He practices so diligently every day, so it's no wonder his efforts haven't been in vain."

Sun Yong took the teacup, his fingertips tracing the warm rim of the cup, and smiled, "Yes, it's always a good thing for the martial arts school to have another disciple with internal strength."

He recalled what had just happened and shook his head again. "Speaking of which, if Qi Yun and Yang Jing could have gotten together, the two disciples of internal strength would have been a double blessing for the martial arts school. It's a pity."

“Father, marriage cannot be forced.” Sun Ningxiang said with a light smile, “Junior Brother Yang has achieved what he has today entirely through his own hard work. I used to see him come to the martial arts school before dawn every day and practice until dark before going home. I thought it would be such a pity if he didn’t succeed after all that hard work. But now it seems that he has not let his hard work go to waste.”

As Sun Yong listened to his daughter's words, his gaze fell on her face, and suddenly a thought struck him.

Ningxiang is gentle and knowledgeable in pharmacology, while Yang Jing is calm and resolute. It seems that it wouldn't be a bad thing if the two of them could get together.
But he suppressed the thought as soon as it popped into his head.

He looked out the window, and Lin Yue's figure had just disappeared at the end of the corridor. He couldn't help but ponder to himself.

Lin Yue's physical constitution is top-notch, and his talent far surpasses Yang Jing's. His future achievements are limitless, and his chances of breaking through to the Transformation Realm are extremely high. Moreover, he can see that Lin Yue is interested in Ning Xiang. If things go well, when he gets older, he can let Lin Yue take over the martial arts school, and Ning Xiang will also have a good future. This is the best option.

Although Yang Jing is good, his innate talent is ultimately lacking, and his upper limit is limited.

(End of this chapter)