Chaos begins when one joins a martial arts school

Chapter 48 Yang An Enters the City
Yang Jing watched as the man came out, handed the hairpin to his accomplice, and the group exchanged glances before immediately splitting into three directions. They moved swiftly, disappearing into the alley in the blink of an eye, their movements incredibly agile.

"Heh." Yang Jing's lips curled into a cold smile, barely suppressing a laugh.

This method is quite novel. By pretending to be someone's husband, robbing them in broad daylight and running away, one can avoid the trouble of using knives and guns and escape before others can react. It is indeed 'simple and effective'.

The woman is likely to suffer in silence. Not only was she publicly "taught a lesson," but she also lost her jewelry. Even if word gets out, no one may believe it was a robbery.

Yang Jing shook his head, not intending to interfere further.

The world is becoming increasingly chaotic, with gangs roaming the city and employing all sorts of tricks.

He withdrew his gaze, stopped lingering, and quickened his pace toward the martial arts school.

Chengpingfang, Sun Family Martial Arts School.

Yang Jing walked into the martial arts school and went to the front yard. He took off his short jacket, revealing his strong arms.

The morning light fell on his taut muscles; before the sweat could even seep out, his skin was already flushed with a thin layer of red from the flow of internal energy.

He walked up to the wooden stake, and as soon as he assumed the starting stance of the Mountain-Crushing Fist, his fist lashed out with a whooshing sound.

Time passed by, and more and more disciples were practicing martial arts in the front yard.

"Sink your elbow and exert force more sharply."

Sun Yong's voice came from the direction of the moon gate.

He was dressed in a dark blue training uniform, walking around the courtyard at will, giving instructions to his disciples.

However, today, Sun Yong mainly instructed Xu Hong, Zhao Wenzheng, Qi Yun, Lin Yue, and a few others.

Yang Jing calculated the days and realized that today should be another day for sparring with other martial arts schools.

As he practiced his boxing, he subtly adjusted his moves. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his master, Sun Yong, giving Xu Hong and the others detailed instructions, from the specifics of the boxing techniques to the regulation of internal energy.

Half an hour later, Liu Maolin, dressed in a tight-fitting outfit, strode in from outside the martial arts school.

When Sun Yong saw that Liu Maolin had also arrived, he immediately clapped his hands and said, "Everyone, perk up! Today we're going to spar with the disciples of the Iron Fist Martial Arts School. Less talk, more action, and hold the fort for me!"

The registered disciples of the sparring team all responded in unison, each one eager to get started.

With the military training test imminent, it will be difficult to make further improvements in a short period of time. For these disciples, actual combat sparring is the best training before the test, allowing them to identify and address their weaknesses in real combat.

As he was leaving, Sun Yong glanced indifferently at Yang Jing.

Sunlight shone from behind Yang Jing, gilding his sharply defined profile with a golden edge, and the dull thud of his fist striking the wooden stake was steady and powerful.

This kid's internal strength is already quite solid. If we go and spar with him, his practical combat experience will definitely improve a lot.

However, Sun Yong had previously asked Sun Ningxiang to inquire about Yang Jing. The boy was stupid, stubborn, and obstinate. He only knew how to bury himself in practicing his boxing and had no intention of joining the martial arts school's sparring team.

Sun Yong shook his head secretly.

Well then, since this kid is unwilling, then forget it. We have enough spots for the sparring team already, and having more would just make it harder to take care of everyone.

He actually had other plans in mind.

For seven years, no disciple of the Sun Family Martial Arts School has been able to pass the rankings in the training ground test. Although Yang Jing is at the Dark Force level, he has only recently broken through and his foundation is still shallow. In the training ground test, a place full of hidden talents, he is basically only qualified to be a runner-up.

At least this year, Yang Jing has no hope of making the list of successful candidates in the martial arts examination. If he is given a few more years to hone his skills, he might have a chance to obtain a minor official position and bring fame to the Sun family martial arts school.

If we really want to rely on Lin Yue for this year's school exam, we have to look to him.

Although Lin Yue has not yet reached the peak of Dark Force, he has a very high win rate in sparring with other Dark Force masters from other martial arts schools, thanks to his solid Mountain-Crushing Fist and his own combat talent. His practical experience is far superior to that of Yang Jing, a newcomer to Dark Force who rarely spars with others.

Sun Yong placed his bets on Lin Yue to see if this training ground test could break the seven-year stalemate.

In Sun Yong's view, even Xu Hong, the eldest disciple who had already reached the peak of Dark Force, did not have as much hope of making it onto the training ground list as Lin Yue.

"Walk."

Without further thought, Sun Yong waved his hand and turned to lead the martial arts sparring team out.

In the front yard, Yang Jing remained focused on practicing his boxing, his movements still steady and powerful.

He didn't know what his master Sun Yong was thinking at that moment, but he could feel the meaningful look in his master's eyes. However, Yang Jing did not waver and continued to focus on practicing his boxing.

His path was different from others.

For other martial artists, sparring might help them gain enlightenment, break through bottlenecks, and improve their strength, but Yang Jing doesn't need to go through such complicated procedures. He only needs to cultivate step by step and practice a martial art to its limit, and he can break through directly without any bottlenecks.

Even his master, Sun Yong, was unaware of this, and Yang Jing would certainly not tell such an important secret to anyone other than himself.

As for real combat experience, he has no shortage of it now; he already has more than a few lives on his hands.

Moreover, he still holds a position at Liu's Medical Clinic. Although Liu's Medical Clinic tries to assign him fewer tasks and takes good care of him, he still has to go out on missions two or three times a month.

In this day and age, he often encounters bandits outside. He can't drive away these villains with words alone. He needs his fists to drive away the bandits and protect the medicinal herbs.

Therefore, when it comes to practical combat experience, there are few in the entire martial arts school who can compare to him.

So rather than wasting time traveling back and forth and sparring with other martial arts school disciples, he would rather spend his time improving himself.

How to seamlessly connect the ferocity of the Mountain-Crushing Fist with the agility of the Surging Waves Kick, and whether there are more flexible ways to utilize internal force—these are the things he should be pondering most right now.

As for the training ground test, Senior Brother Liu Maolin said that he should just familiarize himself with it this year, hone his skills for a few more years, and then improve his strength so that he could pass the training ground test. However, he did not want to wait to "hone his skills for a few more years".

Since we have the opportunity this year, we should try to seize it. How many years in a lifetime can we afford to waste?

As the fists flew, Yang Jing's eyes grew sharper.

If others don't believe in it, then prove them wrong yourself.

As Sun Yong led his sparring team away from the martial arts school, the intense atmosphere of martial arts practice in the front yard quietly changed, or more accurately, it split into two factions.

The Ming Jin disciples who were qualified to participate in the school field test dared not slack off, and they put in even more effort with each punch and kick. Although the An Jin masters were the ones who made it onto the school field test list every year, they all had their own thoughts. They wanted to perform well in the school field test and make a name for themselves. Even if they could not make it onto the list, they would still try to get into the sight of those big shots.

On the other side, four or five ordinary disciples who had not yet reached the threshold of Ming Jin gathered in a corner to rest and chat, their voices not too low.

One of them said, "I think Senior Brother Lin Yue will definitely pass this exam and be on the list. Master really put a lot of effort into teaching him."

A disciple nearby nodded and said, "I heard that Senior Brother Lin Yue sparred with experts from Weiyuan Martial Arts School a few days ago and defeated one of their hidden strength masters within twenty moves. His strength is probably comparable to that of Senior Brother." "That's right," another disciple with average physical attributes chimed in, his gaze inadvertently sweeping over Yang Jing, who was still focused on practicing his fist techniques in the arena. His tone carried a hint of regret, "Although Senior Brother Yang Jing is also a hidden strength master, his physical attributes are ultimately inferior. He's a little bit lacking. Look at him, he practices his fist techniques by himself every day. Last time, Senior Sister Ningxiang asked him to join the sparring team, but he didn't go. He probably knows in his heart that he can only be a background figure in this year's school exam."

“You can’t say that,” a disciple frowned. “Senior Brother Yang has a very solid foundation. The headmaster even said that Senior Brother Yang has the potential to reach the Transformation Realm. It’s just that he’s too quiet. Compared to Senior Brother Lin Yue, he lacks a bit of drive and inspiration.”

These disciples were unaware that even when they lowered their voices, the experts in internal energy could still vaguely hear their conversation.

The chatter drifted intermittently into Yang Jing's ears, but he seemed not to hear it, continuing to punch the wooden stake with even force and perfect rhythm.

Wood chips fell softly, accumulating in a thin layer at his feet.

To him, the judgments of others are like the wind in his ear, gone as soon as it passes.

Neither Lin Yue's success nor other people's gossip could shake his rhythm.

He knew his path.

Hidden strength was not his ultimate goal.

Even mastering the basics won't be his final goal.

The drill ground test is a touchstone, but not the end.

All he needs to do now is to make every punch he throws right now perfect and to train every bit of his internal energy to be smoother.

He progressed all the way to the peak of Dark Force, then broke through to Transformation Force, and finally reached an even higher level.

When the sun reached its zenith, Yang Jing stopped punching.

Master has not yet led the sparring team back.

Yang Jing wiped his sweat with a cloth, put on his shirt and short jacket, picked up his old cloth bag, and walked towards the gate of the martial arts school.

"Judging by the time, Brother An and the others should be arriving soon." Yang Jing glanced at the sky and thought to himself, "I'll go to the West Market to buy some meat and vegetables first. It's good that Brother An is here. From now on, I can leave all these trivial matters to him. Let him come out and interact with the outside world more, which will save me a lot of time."

After leaving the Sun Family Martial Arts School, Yang Jing headed towards the West Market.

You can hear the hustle and bustle of the West Market even from two streets away.

Yang Jing found the hunter's stall he frequented with ease. The tiger meat hanging on the stall had a fresh red color and was a wild game that had just been hunted.

"Young Master Yang, how much do you want?" The hunter, who was already familiar with Yang Jing, greeted him with a smile.

"Old Qin, you hang up a tiger here every few days. Have you killed all the tigers in Yuhe County?" Yang Jing joked with a smile.

Hunter Qin grinned and waved his hand, saying, "I don't have the skill to hunt tigers on my own. We live off the land and the water. Our village is at the foot of Tiger Mountain, and the whole village are hunters who make a living by hunting tigers. I'm just selling tiger meat on behalf of our village. I'll have to split the profits when I get back."

Yang Jing smiled.

Both Jeju and Joju are located in plains with few mountains and hills. Yuhe County is famous for its Yuhe River. There are many rivers and lakes in the county, but only one mountain, which is Tiger Mountain, as mentioned by the Qin hunters.

"Old Qin, give me five jin," Yang Jing said. "By the way, my cousin might often come here to buy meat for me in the future, so please take good care of him then."

“You’re a big customer of our stall, so we’ll definitely take care of you. Just ask him to mention your name, and I won’t charge him extra, haha.” Hunter Qin said with a smile as he cut tiger meat for Yang Jing.

Yang Jing took the tiger meat, said a few words, and then left with the lotus leaf package.

After leaving the hunter's stall, Yang Jing turned into the restaurant next door and bought four side dishes: two meat dishes, two vegetable dishes, braised pork knuckle, stir-fried pork kidney, and two kinds of seasonal green vegetables. He wrapped them in oil paper and carried them in his hand.

Back in the courtyard of Tongyifang, Yang Jing went straight into the kitchen.

Now, rice is steamed in a large pot, and then a clay pot is set up. Tiger meat is cut into chunks and blanched, with ginger slices added to remove the fishy smell. A few pieces of medicinal herbs from Liu's clinic are also added. After bringing it to a boil over high heat, it is simmered over low heat.

The aroma of meat mixed with the slightly bitter scent of herbs gradually spread, filling the courtyard with a warm and cozy fragrance.

Just half an hour after it started simmering, a voice came from outside the courtyard gate, "Xiao Jing, are you home?"

Yang Jing went out to greet them and saw Lao Yang San, a peddler from the same village, driving an oxcart with two people standing behind him: his cousin Yang An and Lao Yang San's son Yang Wei.

"Yang Wei has met Brother Jing."

Yang Wei, who was rather thin, saw Yang Jing and quickly bowed somewhat reservedly.

Yang Wei's age is actually similar to Yang Jing's, but he is half a year younger than Yang Jing.

However, Yang Jing was skilled in martial arts and had no shortage of meat every day. He ate all kinds of ingredients that replenished his qi and blood and internal strength, making him a head taller than Yang Wei, as if he were four or five years older.

Moreover, now the entire Yangjia Village and even the entire Wazi Township know that Yang Jing has already achieved mastery of martial arts. Some time ago, Ning Xuezhi, a prominent landlord in the entire Wazi Township, sent people to deliver many good things to the Yang family.

The scene was vividly remembered by Yang Laosan and his son Yang Wei, who were present at the time.

Although Yang Jing hadn't returned to Yangjia Village for some time, the village was now filled with legends about him.

At this moment, Yang Wei was naturally very nervous when he saw Yang Jing, the famous Yang Jing-ge who was renowned throughout the entire Wazi Township.

Yang Jing smiled and nodded, "Third Uncle, Brother An, Xiao Wei, you've finally arrived. Come on, let's go inside. I went to the restaurant and bought some groceries, and I also stewed some nourishing tiger meat. Let's eat together."

Yang Jing greeted the three of them with a smile, and at the same time took the cloth package from Yang An's hand.

"No, no, I still need to buy some goods and then hurry back. You guys eat, I'll just take Xiao Jing to you, that's all I'll do." Old Yang waved his hand hurriedly.

"Third Uncle, what are you saying?" Yang Jing forced him into the yard. "I've troubled you a lot, and this time you even brought Brother An here. You think one meal will bankrupt me?"

Yang Jing pulled the person into the courtyard, then slammed the gate shut and bolted it from the inside.

Seeing this, Yang Laosan knew that Yang Jing genuinely wanted him to stay for dinner, and he was deeply moved.

They are from the same village after all, and their ancestors shared the same blood. Even though they have become successful now, they do not look down on their fellow villagers.

Yang Jing didn't know what Yang Laosan was thinking. He directly led the man into the main room, and then took Yang An to the kitchen to bring out the food.

As soon as the lid was lifted from the casserole, the rich aroma of tiger meat wafted into my nose.

Yang Laosan and his son had never seen anything like this before, and their eyes widened in disbelief.

In those days, ordinary families were lucky to be able to afford pork, and tiger meat, a meat from a ferocious beast, was rarely even heard of.

(End of this chapter)