Chaos begins when one joins a martial arts school

Chapter 51 The Military Examination (Seeking First Subscription)
"Those three-tenths of an acre north of the village," Yang Laosan said without hesitation. He had seen through the world; things might fall into chaos any day, and it was uncertain whether these fields could be saved. So he decided to take a gamble with Yang Ji now.

He traveled all over the country and didn't earn much money, but he developed a good eye for things. He knew that the hairpin that Yang Ji's wife brought with her dowry was worth a lot of money. His wife had wanted one for a long time, but he didn't have the spare money to buy it.

Yang Ji's heart stirred upon hearing this.

The land was his lifeblood.

If he hadn't valued the land so much back then, forcibly seizing a plot of land from Yang Jing's family and never returning it, which almost led to a fight between the two families, his relationship with Yang Jing's family wouldn't have deteriorated to this extent.

Upon hearing that Yang Laosan was willing to wager his family's land on a hairpin, and that Yang Jing was betting on whether that brat could pass the martial arts examination, he was immediately struck by the news.

Because of his conflict with Yang Jing's family, Yang Laosan knew Yang Jing better than anyone else. He thought that the kid was probably just a pretty face with no substance. He could only manage to show off a few martial arts moves to intimidate a coward like Yang Laosan. But as for passing the martial arts exam, that was definitely a pipe dream.

Thinking of this, Yang Ji immediately felt confident that he had won.

"I'll bet you, and all the villagers will be witnesses, so you won't go back on your word later, Yang Laosan." Yang Ji quickly agreed, afraid that Yang Laosan would change his mind, and directly pulled the surrounding villagers to be witnesses.

Some people around tried to persuade Yang Laosan not to be careless and reckless, but Yang Laosan had personally witnessed Yang Jing practicing boxing and had great confidence in Yang Jing. He waved his hand and said, "Anyone who doesn't admit defeat is a grandson, a grandson of the whole village!"

Yang Ji watched as a group of people surrounded Yang Laosan, asking him all sorts of questions. He immediately snorted coldly, turned around and walked home. "I heard that the martial arts examination is dangerous. It would be best if that brat Yang Jing got beaten to death. Let's see what that old bastard Yang Shouzhuo is still so smug about."

As Yang Ji left, many villagers secretly spat.

Yang Ji was notorious in the village for being selfish, greedy for small gains, and had a terrible relationship with his neighbors.

"On the day the martial arts examination begins, I'll also go to the county town to join in the fun and broaden my horizons," a middle-aged man said, tapping his pipe against a locust tree.

“Count me in! I’ve never seen a martial arts champion before. Yang Jing really made our village chief proud this time. We have to go and support him!” A woman holding a child chimed in.

Once this topic was brought up, the other villagers also joked and said they wanted to go and see.

Seeing this, Yang Laosan patted his chest and said, "I know the city well. I'll lead the way, and we'll go together. But we common folk probably won't be able to get into the drill ground. We'll have to wait outside and watch through the fence, so we won't be able to see clearly."

"Okay! I'll do as you say!"

The villagers responded in unison.

Several quick-witted people had already run to Yang Jing's house and stood in front of the gate, shouting, "Grandpa, we've made a plan. We'll all go to the county town to cheer for Xiao Jing on the day of the martial arts exam. Let's go together!"

From the courtyard came Grandpa Yang's hearty reply: "Good! Good! My family will steam some extra dry food to take on the road, so everyone can eat together!"

During this period, Grandpa Yang looked radiant, as if he had become ten years younger.

Back then, we sold everything we owned, including our land and cattle, to support our grandson's martial arts training. Wasn't this the day we were all waiting for?

For Yang Shouzhou, who had lived an honest life and never gambled or frequented brothels, he made that one gamble: using the wealth accumulated by his family over generations to gamble on his grandson's future, on his grandson making him proud, and on the fact that the Yang family would not remain farmers for generations.

The results are in: he won his bet!

As soon as he stepped out of his house, people ran over to greet him politely.

Not to mention Yangjia Village, even in the entire Wazi Township, everyone who mentions Yang Jing of Yangjia Village will give him a thumbs up.

The murmurs and chatter in the village, along with the sounds of chickens and dogs, created a lively and excited atmosphere throughout the village.

The news that Yang Jing was going to take the martial arts exam caused a sensation not only in his family but throughout the entire village.

Three days later.

August 30th.

The day before the official start of the school examination.

night.

Yuhe County, inner city.

Night fell over the Qi residence, and dim yellow light shone through the carved wooden windows.

Qi Yun had just returned from outside, changed out of her long dress and into comfortable casual clothes, when she saw her brother Qi Kang sitting in the armchair in the living room, playing with a jade pendant in his hand.

"Yun'er, get some rest early tonight. The exam starts tomorrow, so you can't be in bad shape," Qi Kang reminded his younger sister as she approached.

"I know, brother, I'll go to sleep in a bit." Qi Yun sat down on a chair to the side.

Qi Kang chuckled softly, took a sip of tea, then looked up at his younger sister Qi Yun and asked, "I heard that your Sun Family Martial Arts School recently produced a master of internal strength? If such a newly emerging martial artist has potential, our family might as well give him a hand; he might come in handy in the future."

Qi Yun picked up the hot tea brought by the maid, gently blew away the foam, and shook her head upon hearing this, "No need."

She took a sip, put down her teacup, and said with a hint of disdain, "I know that person. His natural talent is only of the lowest grade. He was able to break through to the Dark Force realm, which is mostly due to good luck. Moreover, he is dull-witted and not particularly bright. What future can he have? Sponsoring him would probably be a waste of time and money."

Upon hearing his sister's words, Qi Kang paused, his fingers twirling the jade pendant. He looked up at Qi Yun, his brows furrowing slightly, and said, "For someone with inferior aptitude to reach the threshold of Ming Jin might be attributed to luck, but An Jin is a hurdle in the circulation of internal energy. Without exceptional talent, it's very difficult to cross it. Is his luck truly so heaven-defying?"

As he spoke, he put down the jade pendant and tapped his fingertips lightly on the table. "You are from the same sect, so you should be familiar with him. Think carefully again, is there anything particularly outstanding about him? For example, his comprehension or other aspects?"

Qi Yun tightened her grip on the teacup, causing it to clink softly against the table.

"He's just a country bumpkin, what could he possibly be good at?"

She added with a hint of impatience, “I’ve had some contact with him. He’s as stubborn as a rock. Our martial arts school, Weiyuan Martial Arts School, and Iron Fist Martial Arts School formed a sparring team to gain more practical experience before the training ground test, so we can better prepare for it. But we invited him twice, and he refused to join our sparring team. He just kept practicing his boxing by himself.”

Qi Yun paused, a barely perceptible hint of embarrassment and annoyance flashing in her eyes.

She remembered that her master had said she and Yang Jing were a good match and suggested that they get together. For Qi Yun, who always thought highly of herself, this was an utter humiliation.

She had never told her family about this, and just thinking about it made her feel suffocated.

“In short, that guy has no potential and is not worth sponsoring,” Qi Yun shook her head. “Brother, don’t consider him.”

Seeing that his sister clearly disliked this person, Qi Kang nodded slightly and stopped asking questions. He then turned to the jade pendant in his hand again and said, "Alright, I'll listen to you."

Qi Yun took a deep breath, picked up her teacup, took a sip, and softened her tone. "If you ask me, if we're really going to sponsor someone, we should sponsor a genius like Lin Yue. He has superior aptitude, his cultivation speed is astonishing, and he's already close to the peak of Dark Force at such a young age. His comprehension is also exceptional; even his master praised his talent. He's the kind of promising talent worth investing in." Then, she changed the subject, adding with a hint of regret, "It's a pity. I heard that his performance has been too dazzling, and he's already caught the eye of the Xiao family, one of the six major families. I heard that the Xiao family is now fully supporting him, providing him with a constant stream of high-quality resources."

Qi Yun clicked her tongue and said with some emotion, "I also heard that there's a young lady in the Xiao family who might marry Lin Yue. Wow, who knows what might happen in the future."

Qi Yun stopped speaking; she didn't spell it out, but the meaning was crystal clear.

“I’ve heard about it too. Lin Yue from your martial arts school is indeed remarkable. No wonder the Xiao family values ​​him so much, even wanting to marry their daughter to him,” Qi Kang said.

"Tsk tsk tsk, if Lin Yue really chooses the Xiao family and becomes their son-in-law, my master will probably be disappointed." Qi Yun said with a slight smile.

"Hmm?" Qi Kang was somewhat surprised. "What do you mean?"

“Lin Yue is talented, and my master values ​​him highly. His teaching is far more rigorous than that of the other disciples of the Dark Force realm. He also gives him many pills and rare herbs. Otherwise, even if Lin Yue has superior physique, he wouldn’t have reached the peak of Dark Force so quickly.”

Qi Yun said calmly, "The reason why Master values ​​him so much is not only because of his talent, but as far as I know, Master also intends to match his daughter Sun Ningxiang with Lin Yue. If Lin Yue really marries Sun Ningxiang, I'm afraid the Sun Family Martial Arts School will be handed over to him in the future."

Thinking of this, Qi Yun felt a nameless fire rise in her heart.

Although she didn't like Lin Yue either, she just felt it was unfair.

Master went too far.

He wanted to match his own daughter with a genius like Lin Yue.

The man she arranged for her to marry was Yang Jing, a country bumpkin.

The more Qi Yun thought about it, the angrier she became.

However, thinking about how Lin Yue and that Miss Xiao seemed to be getting closer lately, and how her master might eventually get furious, Qi Yun felt a little more at ease.

"There's actually another layer like this," Qi Kang said with some surprise.

Qi Yun hummed in agreement, then sighed softly, her tone tinged with envy, "The rewards that a talent like Lin Yue can bring to the Xiao family in the future cannot be measured in gold or silver. It's truly enviable."

Upon hearing this, Qi Kang sneered and tapped his fingertips lightly on the table. "You need to have a longer-term vision."

Qi Yun was taken aback, then frowned slightly and asked, "Brother, what do you mean by that? Lin Yue is a genius with top-notch talent. The Xiao family must have made a huge profit by winning him over. Besides—"

"Keep your distance from him, don't get too close." Qi Kang interrupted her, his tone becoming more serious. "Do you think the six major families get along harmoniously? The waters of Yuhe County run deep. Do you really think being the son-in-law of the Xiao family is so easy?"

Qi Yun frowned even more after hearing this.

Qi Kang stood up, walked to the window, looked at the deep night outside, and said in a deep voice: "The Xiao family has been established for a hundred years and has made countless enemies. Among the six major families, the Ye and Li families have a strained relationship with the Xiao family. With Lin Yue's talent and aptitude, he was already expected to reach the Transformation Realm. With the strong support of the Xiao family, his chances of breaking through to the Transformation Realm are even greater."

Qi Yun didn't interrupt and continued listening.

"The Ye and Li families, along with many others, do not want the Xiao family to produce another master of the Transformation Realm, and they certainly do not want to see Lin Yue, a potential master of the Transformation Realm, become a member of the Xiao family," Qi Kang said slowly and coldly.

"This—could they dare to lay a hand on Lin Yue?" Qi Yun looked surprised and somewhat incredulous; this was something she hadn't expected.

"Heh," Qi Kang sneered, "Is there anything the six major families in Yuhe County wouldn't dare to do? Lin Yue is on track to reach the Transformation Realm; anyone with eyes can see that. Once he marries the Xiao family's daughter, he will no longer be a 'sponsored genius,' but a true member of the Xiao family. Now that news has spread that Lin Yue is going to marry the Xiao family's daughter, tell me, how many eyes are watching him right now?"

Qi Yun swallowed subconsciously, her face showing undisguised surprise. "It can't be that bad, can it? Besides, this is all your own speculation, brother."

"If I hadn't heard some rumors, do you think I would say this? The tallest tree in the forest catches the most wind." Qi Kang turned around, his sharp eyes looking at Qi Yun. "Those who are too conspicuous may not make it to the end if they don't have enough foundation to protect them. Remember what I said: if this Lin Yue is still so close to the Xiao family, stay away from them. Don't drag yourself and our Qi family into the clash between the six major families."

Qi Yun sat blankly in the chair, the words "The tallest tree in the forest will be felled by the wind" echoing in her ears. She was speechless for a moment, and only felt a chill down her spine.

The next day, September 1st.

Today is also the first day of the school's preliminary exam.

Before dawn, a faint light appeared in the courtyard of Tongyifang.

Yang An got up quietly and went to the kitchen, afraid of waking Yang Jing, who had been practicing martial arts until late at night.

He skillfully set up two earthenware pots, cut nearly two pounds of tiger meat into chunks, grabbed a handful of ingredients and threw them into the pots, simmering them over a low flame. The aroma of herbs mixed with the fragrance of meat quietly permeated the courtyard.

Meanwhile, take out sliced ​​ginseng from a porcelain box, add astragalus, goji berries and other seasonings and herbs, and stew them in another casserole.

When Yang Jing woke up, warm food, tiger meat, and a bowl of thick medicinal soup were already laid out on the table.

After the two finished eating, Yang Jing got up to pack his things, putting the water pouch and other items into his cloth bag.

Yang An's lips moved as he watched Yang Jing tie the cloth bag, before finally managing to utter, "Good luck, Jing-di!"

Yang Jing looked at his honest and simple cousin with a hint of warmth in his eyes, and nodded with a smile, saying, "Don't worry, I know."

After saying that, he picked up his cloth bag and strode out of the courtyard gate.

Yang An watched Yang Jing's departing figure, his lips moved, but he ultimately didn't say what he was going to say.

Grandfather, mother, second aunt, and many other villagers probably followed Yang Laosan to the county town before dawn.

However, considering that it might put pressure on Yang Jing, Yang An had not told him about this.

After a short while, Yang Jing arrived at Chengpingfang and pushed open the door of the Sun Family Martial Arts School.

In the front yard, several servants were setting out stone locks and other tools. When they saw Yang Jing enter, they were not surprised and greeted him.

"Senior Brother Yang is here."

Good morning, Senior Brother Yang.

Yang Jing walked into the courtyard through the morning dew, nodded slightly in response to the greetings from the servant disciples.

(End of this chapter)