Chaos begins when one joins a martial arts school

Chapter 65 Late-Night Teaching
Yuhe County, Xicheng District, Chengpingfang.

Dusk, like a thin veil, gently shrouded the upturned eaves of the Sun Family Martial Arts School.

As Sun Yong and his group walked along the stone path into the martial arts school gate, the lanterns in the front yard were already lit.

In the dim light, several handymen disciples who were tidying up weapons and equipment stopped what they were doing when they saw the group return and bowed their heads respectfully: "Master."

Sun Yong hummed in agreement, glanced at Yang Jing beside him, and then took the lead in walking towards the inner courtyard.

As soon as Sun Yong left, all the disciples breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed.

Some of the Ming Jin disciples prepared to leave, and before leaving, they made a point of saying goodbye to Yang Jing.

Yang Jingdu smiled and nodded in response. He noticed that his fellow disciples, who usually only nodded when they met, now looked at him with more awe and even subconsciously moved aside when walking, as if he had an invisible aura.

After the other disciples left, Liu Maolin whispered to him, "See that? That's the weight of being number one!"

Yang Jing pursed his lips, looked up at the sky, and saw a few scattered stars dotting the dark blue night sky, with lights faintly visible from the direction of the inner courtyard.

Lin Yue had left sometime earlier, but Qi Yun and Zhao Wenzheng, who were usually quite close to him, did not leave with him. At this moment, the two of them were huddled together with their senior brother Xu Hong, talking in hushed tones and demonstrating their moves. They were obviously still discussing the outcome of today's training ground test.

"Senior brother, I'm going to see Master now." Yang Jing turned around and said to Liu Maolin beside him.

Liu Maolin waved his hand: "Go ahead, your master is sure to have something good waiting for you."

Yang Jing responded and turned to walk towards the inner courtyard.

The bluestone slabs underfoot were damp with night dew and felt slightly cool to the touch.

The inner courtyard is where Master Sun Yong usually lives and meditates. Ordinary disciples are not allowed to approach it unless summoned.

However, Yang Jing is now a core disciple of the Dark Force realm, so he can freely enter and leave the inner courtyard to find his master, Sun Yong. Moreover, this afternoon, his master specifically instructed him to come to the inner courtyard tonight.

Passing through the moon gate with its carved wooden railings, several banana trees sway gently in the night breeze, and the stone lantern in the corner emits a soft glow. On the window paper of the study directly opposite, a seated figure is reflected.

Yang Jing composed himself, straightened his clothes, and strode toward the study.

On the other side, in the front yard.

Xu Hong watched Yang Jing's figure disappear into the moon gate as he walked into the inner courtyard, and couldn't help but sigh softly.

The evening breeze brushed against his clothes, carrying the coolness of early autumn, causing him to subconsciously pull his sleeves tighter.

Liu Maolin walked over and patted him on the shoulder: "What's wrong, Senior Brother?"

Xu Hong shook his head, his gaze sweeping over the stone locks that hadn't been cleaned up yet on the training ground, his voice tinged with a hint of melancholy and emotion: "It's nothing, I just feel... time really flies."

He no longer remembered what happened when Yang Jing entered the museum, since he hadn't paid much attention at the time, but it was still last year.

However, he clearly remembered the scene when Lin Yue entered the museum.

In less than a year, these two junior brothers have both made it into the school's preliminary rounds and won first place in their respective arenas.

"Talented people emerge in every generation..."

Xu Hong murmured softly, his tone filled with an indescribable sigh.

He is already twenty-nine years old this year, which is barely considered the prime of life for a martial artist. However, he clearly feels that his cultivation has become increasingly difficult in the past two years.

Last time, when he tried to break through the bottleneck to reach the Transformation Realm, he was ultimately unable to do so and was stuck there. His blood and qi surged so violently that he almost went into qi deviation.

Liu Maolin saw through his thoughts and sighed, "Senior Brother, don't take it too seriously. Lin Yue and Yang Jing are exceptionally talented. Besides, luck played a big part in this training ground exam. You were just unlucky."

"Luck?" Xu Hong smiled wryly.

Perhaps luck played a part, but seeing junior students ten years younger than me making their mark while I remained stagnant was a bitter pill to swallow.

He remembered his master saying that a martial artist's golden years are only a dozen or so years, and after the age of thirty, their energy and blood will gradually decline.

He has one year left, no, perhaps not even one year.

This year's failure will likely make passing the exam again in the future extremely difficult.

In the front courtyard, several handyman disciples were tidying up equipment, chattering about the training ground test news they had learned from the Ming Jin disciples.

His words were mostly filled with envy and admiration for his two disciples, Lin Yue and Yang Jing, who had won first place in the arena.

Hearing these words, Xu Hong felt as if something had gently bumped into his heart.

Once upon a time, he was also someone these disciples looked up to.

When he first entered the martial arts school, it was found that his physical constitution was above average. At that time, his master looked at him with high expectations.

But now, that expectation seems to have gradually shifted.

Lin Yue's brilliance was already too dazzling, and now with the addition of Yang Jing, they are like two rising stars, making this "old star" appear somewhat dim.

He suddenly recalled the first time his master summoned him to the inner courtyard; back then, he was filled with lofty ambitions.

"Junior Brother Liu, how about we go for a drink?" Xu Hong asked.

Perhaps it was because of yet another failure in the training ground test.

Or perhaps because he thought his martial arts path would end here, his qi and blood began to decline, and he had little hope of passing the training ground test.

He was filled with many emotions today, and those bittersweet feelings lingered in his heart, refusing to leave. Suddenly, he felt a surge of desire to drink.

"Senior Brother, I'll definitely do it next time. My arm is still injured," Liu Maolin quickly waved his hand and said.

Xu Hong couldn't help but sigh again.

The inner courtyard was exceptionally quiet at night, with only the rustling of the wind through the banana leaves.

Yang Jing stood outside the study door, the blue brick floor slightly cool from the night dew. He composed himself, cupped his hands, and said loudly, "Disciple Yang Jing greets Master."

"Come in." Sun Yong's calm voice came from inside the study, carrying a hint of gentleness that was barely perceptible. Yang Jing pushed open the door and entered, the wooden door creaking slightly.

An oil lamp was lit in the study, its dim yellow light enveloping the bookshelves on all four walls, and the air was filled with the faint scent of ink and old paper.

Sun Yong sat in a grand chair by the window, holding a boxing manual in his hands. When he saw him come in, he closed the manual and placed it on the table.

"Sit down," Sun Yong said, pointing to the wooden stool opposite him.

Yang Jing sat down as instructed, his back ramrod straight, waiting for his master to ask him questions.

Sun Yong's gaze fell on him, and he carefully examined him for a moment. Seeing that although he looked tired, his eyes were still clear, he said, "Tell me about your battle with Shen Lie today. Don't miss any details of the fight."

Yang Jing then began by recounting the confrontation between the two on stage, detailing the ferocity of the Breaking Mountain Fist, the countermeasures of the Collapsing Mountain Fist, and how to use the speed of the Surging Wave Kick to deplete the opponent's internal energy, until Shen Lie finally conceded defeat.

He spoke clearly and logically, even describing in detail the changes in Shen Lie's Breaking Mountain Fist technique and when he noticed the opponent's internal energy was insufficient.

Sun Yong listened quietly, tapping his fingers lightly on the table, sometimes nodding, sometimes frowning.

After Yang Jing finished speaking, he slowly said, "Shen Lie's Breaking Mountain Fist has solidified into an iron-like internal force. You were able to avoid his sharp edge and use skillful force to wear him down, which shows that you have a good grasp of timing and did not act recklessly. That's very good."

He paused, then changed the subject: "You mentioned earlier that you used a movement-based martial art? What style was it? What's it called?"

“Master, this martial art is called ‘Surging Waves Leg’,” Yang Jing replied without hesitation.

On the one hand, they trusted their master, since the martial arts school did not prohibit its disciples from practicing other martial arts.

On the other hand, Yang Jing also wanted to confirm with his master whether this martial art could truly be practiced safely.

“Surging Waves Kick?” Sun Yong frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, and shook his head. “I have lived in Yuhe County for more than 30 years and have heard of at least 80 or 100 martial arts techniques, but I have never heard of this one. It should have nothing to do with the major families or martial arts schools in Yuhe County.”

He paused, looked at Yang Jing, and asked, "Are there any taboos in the secret manual of this martial art? Or are other forces involved?"

Yang Jing's heart stirred slightly, knowing that his master was worried that he would get involved in unnecessary trouble. He quickly said, "This disciple obtained this leg technique manual by chance. It does not mention the faction to which it belongs. I have not noticed anything wrong with it since I started practicing it, nor are there any special taboos."

Sun Yong was relieved and nodded: "If that's the case, then you should practice diligently. If you have any questions about practicing this 'Surging Waves Leg' in the future, don't hold back, just come and ask me. Although I am good at powerful fist techniques, I still understand some of the principles of body movement and footwork."

Yang Jing felt a warmth in his heart, stood up, cupped his hands, and said sincerely, "Thank you, Master. I will remember this."

Sun Yong waved his hand, gesturing for him to sit down, his gaze still fixed on him with a hint of expectation: "Tomorrow is the final ranking battle. The higher your ranking, the greater your chances of passing the training ground test. If you have the opportunity, strive to rank high and don't slack off."

"Yes, disciple understands," Yang Jing nodded solemnly.

The glow of the oil lamp danced between the two men, casting their silhouettes on the wall, conveying a sense of peace and solemnity.

Sun Yong took a sip of tea. Through the rising steam, he looked at Yang Jing and said with an unquestionable seriousness, "I trust your calm and steady nature. However, I still need to give you a few pointers. From now on, you should focus on the Mountain-Crushing Fist. This skill is powerful and solid, and it can lay a firm foundation for you. Other martial arts are at most icing on the cake. Don't put the cart before the horse."

He put down his teacup, his knuckles lightly tapping the table: "In the end, what matters most to a martial artist is the depth of their main cultivation technique, which is your own realm. Right now, your blood and energy are vigorous, and you are exceptionally talented. You have the potential to break through to the Transformation Realm. Now is the perfect time to hone your Crushing Mountain Fist. After you turn thirty or thirty-five, your blood and energy will inevitably decline. At that time, you can then focus your energy on other martial arts and improve your strength in other ways. It won't be too late."

Yang Jing bowed and replied, "This disciple has remembered it and will certainly not let other skills interfere with the practice of the Mountain-Crushing Fist."

Sun Yong smiled slightly and nodded in satisfaction.

As they were talking, the curtain was gently lifted, and Sun Ningxiang walked in carrying a tray with a celadon teapot on it, steam rising from the spout.

She wore a moon-white short jacket with a simple pearl flower in her hair. When she saw Yang Jing, she nodded slightly, greeted him with a light smile, and then gently refilled Sun Yong's tea.

"Father, this is freshly brewed Biluochun tea, please have a taste." Sun Ningxiang's voice was gentle, then she turned to Yang Jing and asked, "Junior Brother Yang, would you like a cup too?"

Before Yang Jing could speak, Sun Yong smiled and said, "Brew him a pot too. He's had a long and tiring day with all the battles. He needs some hot tea to nourish himself."

Yang Jing quickly waved his hand: "Thank you for your kindness, Master and Senior Sister, but I am not thirsty."

His master's change in attitude made him feel somewhat uneasy.

Although his master valued him in the past, he had never been so attentive. The words "drink more hot tea" sounded like an elder's affection for a junior, leaving him momentarily at a loss for how to respond.

Sun Yong observed this and nodded inwardly.

Yang Jing is a bit too reserved as an apprentice; he needs to be gradually adjusted.

He took a sip of tea and looked at Sun Ningxiang: "Your junior brother is a master of boxing, but he's too reserved. Ningxiang, you should take good care of him in the future. He's young, and he might not be flexible in some ways."

Sun Ningxiang replied, "I know, Father. I think my junior brother is very good, and he has a calm and steady temperament."

As she spoke, she turned and went to the small stove next to her to boil water. The flames licked the bottom of the kettle, making a soft "crackling" sound.

Yang Jing stood aside, watching Sun Yong slowly flip through the boxing manual on the table, and listening to the soft rustling sounds of Sun Ningxiang fiddling with the tea set. Suddenly, he felt that the atmosphere in the study was unusually different.

It lacked the usual seriousness and oppression, and instead felt like an ordinary afternoon in a family home, exuding an indescribable warmth.

Sun Yong turned to a page, looked up at Yang Jing, and beckoned him, saying, "Jing'er, come here and take a look. Did you not fully grasp the power generation technique of this 'Mountain Crashing and Rock Splitting' move last time?"

Yang Jing quickly moved closer and saw Sun Yong pointing at the diagram, his finger heavily emphasizing the four characters "Waist and Stance in Harmony": "I remember your previous problem, you always thought about using the strength of your arms, but forgot that the root of the Crushing Mountain Fist lies in the legs and the power lies in the waist. Come on, try it again now, sink the power of your waist down..."

The two then stood up and began teaching right there in the room.

Sun Yong guided Yang Jing's posture, his palms pressed against Yang Jing's lower back, gently leading him to feel the subtle power of his waist and abdomen.

Yang Jing felt a gentle yet steady force coming from his lower back, and his previously sluggish movements became much smoother. He was both surprised and delighted, and his gaze towards Sun Yong was filled with even more genuine admiration.

Sun Ningxiang brought over freshly brewed tea. Seeing the two practicing intently, she placed the teacup on the table next to Yang Jing and said softly, "Take a break before you continue practicing. The tea won't taste good if it gets cold."

Yang Jing then came to his senses, his forehead already beaded with sweat, but he felt completely refreshed.

He looked at the steaming cup of tea on the table, then at Sun Yong's profile as he earnestly explained, and suddenly realized that his master was not only teaching him boxing, but also gradually closing the distance between them.

The earlier restraint and unease had largely dissipated.

Yang Jing couldn't help but straighten his back, feeling a slight warmth in his heart.

(End of this chapter)