Heaven rewards diligence; he fought his way through chaos to become a saint.

During this period of time, with the help of the Purple Rejuvenating Grass, Ye Ci quickly recovered from his injuries.

Subsequently, he would get up before dawn every day to practice his skills, and in the afternoon he would go to the martial arts school to practice and spar, both to improve his strength and to hone his swordsmanship.

After all, he was still a disciple of the Rock Martial Arts School, and there were still many skills he had not yet learned from Master Yang.

Becoming a worshipper does not equate to increased power; he never believed he could rest easy.

Time flies, and three months have passed.

After the two martial arts competitions, one open and one covert, things calmed down in the county for a while.

Commandant Qin resolved the gangs in the county, and the ordinary people felt that life was a little better, but this was limited to the inner city.

Rumors have spread that things are becoming increasingly unsettled outside. As for why they are unsettled, it's simply because bandits are rampant and the imperial court can't keep up with the situation.

The poorest families in the county suffered the most, as their sons were frequently kidnapped and ransomed.

The five major families are relatively well-off, as they live in a remote corner of the country and are not easily offended by ordinary bandits.

Shen Wanzhou had mentioned it twice; he had originally intended to invite a Grandmaster of Transformation Realm to oversee things, but it seemed that there was some internal turmoil within the major sects of the prefecture city.

It seems that quite a few experts have been injured.

The exact reason remains unknown.

I've only heard that even a certain magistrate in the prefectural city's military camp was seriously injured.

Ye Ci felt that these things were none of his business and focused on continuing to practice martial arts.

After becoming a retainer of the Shen family, he no longer used Qi and Blood Powder every day, but instead used "Hundred-Refined Qi and Blood Pills". There was no need to ask about the price, since the effect was several times that of Qi and Blood Powder.

According to a pharmacist surnamed Chen from the Shen family, neither innate talent nor aptitude is as important as tonics.

The "Hundred-Refined Qi and Blood Pill" is a medicine that ordinary people cannot obtain; it is usually supplied to people with connections.

Even the Shen family had to pull some strings.

After a little consideration, Ye Ci felt that the other party's statement about the importance of tonics made a lot of sense.

There's no such thing as talent. Some noble children don't necessarily have to suffer much, yet they can still develop strength.

Ordinary people take Qi and Blood Powder, while wealthy people take Qi and Blood Pills, and he takes something even better.

During this time, his physique became more upright, his muscles and bones became stronger, his blood and energy became abundant, and the spirit between his brows was completely renewed, as if he had been reborn.

[Technique: Rock Stance Mastery (922/5000)]

【Technique: Six Harmony Blade (Perfect)】

Ye Ci's proficiency with the Rock Stakes was increasing at a rate of about 10 points per day, which was beyond his expectations.

The original plan was to reach the level of "Hua Jin" (a martial arts skill) in three years, but now the speed has doubled.

I realized when I broke through in Lingshan County that once you master stance training, it is extremely difficult to accumulate proficiency. This is the norm in martial arts training; the higher you go, the harder it is to train.

Now, with the help of tonics, it takes about a year to reach perfection in the training.

Ye Ci was still quite satisfied.

Even his hidden strength was considered a top skill in the county.

Having developed internal strength at his age, he would be respected wherever he went.

If one is at the Transformation Realm, they will receive even more respect in the county. For example, Commandant Qin treated Master Yang and his group as equals.

Furthermore, the Six Harmonies Saber Technique has been perfected. While there may seem to be only one level between perfection and mastery, it actually relates to whether one has a complete and harmonious grasp of the entire set of saber techniques.

Now, all six killing moves of this sword technique are mastered, and my strength has greatly improved.

It can be said that he is significantly stronger than when he first encountered the Green Snake.

He reviewed the situation and concluded that even with perfect swordsmanship, the final outcome against an opponent like the Green Snake would likely be the same.

The gap is too big.

We still need to elevate our level of understanding.

Ye Ci planned that, on the one hand, he should not stop his arduous training and should strive to reach the level of Hua Jin as soon as possible.

On the one hand, I also need to learn some more powerful fighting techniques. After all, powerful fighting techniques are useful no matter what level you are at. For example, the combat techniques and archery skills that I mastered back then are still useful today.

The only thing that surprised him was that, despite having developed internal strength, his master made no indication of it.

Logically speaking, Yang Huaichuan should at least accept him as a personal disciple, but he has never approached him.

Even though he accepted a disciple as his last disciple, it only meant that the relationship was closer and he would spare no effort in nurturing the disciple, not that he would no longer accept disciples.

"Good morning, Senior Brother Ye."

Back at the martial arts school, someone greeted Ye Ci on their own initiative. Even though it was midday, the person spoke to him without hesitation.

Upon seeing Ye Ci enter, Jiang Ding'an took the initiative to walk over.

"They're here."

"Senior brother, you look well. What's making you happy?"

Ye Ci and Jiang Ding'an now have a pretty good relationship and often practice together. Jiang Ding'an's face is rosy and he is clearly in a good mood.

In addition to giving the escort agency some gold and silver, Master Shen also entrusted the Ping An Escort Agency with some business escort missions.

Nowadays, the security escort agency is thriving and has hired many more people. They have even expanded their compound, buying two neighboring houses to connect the agency.

"Your sister-in-law and I haven't had any children all these years, I reckon there's something wrong with her... She's finally finally agreed to let me take a concubine recently."

Jiang Ding'an said happily, "Speaking of which, I have to thank you for getting to know Master Shen. My status in the family has improved a lot."

Ye Ci chuckled, "You used to have a pretty high status in your family, didn't you? You were always out drinking and having fun, never caring about your sister-in-law..."

The two walked to the side as they chatted, and Jiang Ding'an suddenly whispered:

"Those three months have been peaceful; no one has bothered Huangguoshu. Do you think the President wouldn't bother with small fry like us?"

The reason he was worried about this was because Ye Ci had mentioned on the way that the secret guards could follow the tracks of the carriage.

Because every tire track has subtle differences, a true tracking expert can find it.

Some experts can even determine a person's age, height, and so on just by looking at their footprints.

Ye Ci nodded and said, "It is indeed possible to find out the general location, but it is not easy to pinpoint our location. Paying a price just to vent one's anger is not in the commander's character."

"That's good."

Jiang Ding'an then casually asked, "By the way, didn't Master Shen marry his daughter to you?"

Upon hearing this, Ye Ci paused for a moment, then asked, "Do you know how old her daughter is?"

"That's true," Jiang Ding'an muttered. "But his granddaughter is quite pretty. That girl is very famous in the county because she is good at math and has a good business sense. My uncle always praises her highly when he talks about her."

"Oh?"

The image of the girl he had seen at the Flower Viewing Pavilion flashed through Ye Ci's mind, but the two did not meet again during the three months he spent at the Shen family's residence.

It's possible the other person is avoiding you.

The two walked side by side, chatting, until they reached the tree, where, as usual, they planned to spar with each other.

"Practice with me."

Jiang Ding'an drew his sword voluntarily.

"it is good."

Ye Ci focused his main efforts on cultivating his qi and blood; practicing swordsmanship was merely a side activity.

"Here I come."

"bring it on!"

The two fought back and forth, exchanging blows for more than ten rounds, with no clear winner yet.

"Look at the knife!"

Jiang Ding'an decided to go for something ruthless, so he gave a warning and, having also practiced the "Six Harmonies Knife Technique," unleashed a "Thunderous Sweep" to cut the opponent in half.

The blade whistled, piercing straight into the eardrums.

Ye Ci remained calm and composed. With a flick of his right hand, he unleashed "Intercepting Waves Across the River" from the Six Harmonies Blade technique, blocking the attack while simultaneously using "Returning Wind Slashes the Moon" to strike directly at the opponent's chest.

Startled, Jiang Ding'an rolled backward to escape the blade's attack.

"Even my older brother has stopped fighting, and you still can't beat him? Bah!"

Not far away, Huang Guoshu lay on a deck chair, holding half a cucumber in his hand, pointing and saying, "Brother Ye, don't be so stingy. Cut his neck. I don't have a brother-in-law who's afraid of death. Taking a blow won't kill him. Why are you getting lost..."

He was sleeping under a tree when he was startled awake by the whistling of blades. He saw that Ye Ci and Jiang Ding'an were sparring, and watched with great interest.

In recent days, Shen Wanzhou only thanked Ye Ci and Jiang Ding'an, treating Huang Guoshu like a child, so he made no other expression of gratitude.

As a result, Huang Guoshu came directly to Shen Wanzhou's door, and Shen Wanzhou later gave him a sum of money to use as his private savings.

After having money.

He became a disciple of Master Yang, paid his tuition, but didn't practice martial arts properly and didn't like going home.

To avoid being nagged by his older sister.

He spends his days eating and sleeping in the yard, occasionally making comments about others, which has attracted a lot of people.

The surrounding fellow disciples secretly grimaced, but didn't say anything.

Even Xiao Hua didn't take Huangguoshu seriously.

At this moment, Jiang Ding'an, oblivious to the ridicule from his brother-in-law, was still immersed in the force of Ye Ci's counterattack, muttering to himself:

"Junior Brother Ye, your swordsmanship has reached perfection..."

During his escape, he had often faced tough opponents head-on with the barbarian soldiers, but three months later, he found himself no match for Ye Ci.

Aside from having a slight advantage in strength, it's not overwhelming unless one has mastered the art of transforming internal energy.

"sharp!"

Jiang Ding'an shook his head and praised, "It seems your comprehension is indeed remarkable; you actually mastered the sword technique earlier than me."

Ye Ci humbly replied, "Senior Brother is mainly busy with the affairs of the escort agency, and he also enjoys drinking in his spare time..."

Just then, Huangguoshu ran over: "That's right!"

"Brother Ye, you're now a retainer of the Shen family, your status is no less than that of the direct descendants of the five major families. We haven't seen you contacting other families before. With such good conditions, why do you still have to suffer and practice martial arts!"

He added, "I've seen Xiao Hua frequently going out with a girl from the Han family, and he often joins their clan members in listening to music."

"Don't you know how to enjoy a good life?"

"How about I teach you?"

……

at the same time.

Shouts and cries filled the arena as the disciples practiced their stance training or fighting techniques.

"Everyone come over here."

As the voice came, everyone turned their heads and saw that the fourth senior brother, Qi Wang, was rushing over from outside and calling all the inner courtyard disciples together.

"There's something I need to tell you."

"Things have been unsettled in the city lately. There was a case of a wealthy young lady being kidnapped and extorted, and now it's gotten serious – kidnappers have even come to our door to abduct someone. The Commandant has ordered the recruitment of skilled men from the county to help apprehend the criminals. They'll patrol for ten days a month, with a reward of fifteen taels of silver plus five doses of Blood Elixir. The team will be led by experts from the five major families. Would you like to accept this assignment?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the disciples erupted in excitement.

"I'll participate! Sign me up!"

"With so many benefits, I'll definitely sign up!"

An ordinary martial artist might earn only two or three taels of silver for a side job, but this patrol job only takes a few days and earns fifteen taels of silver, plus three taels of silver for a set of Qi and Blood Powder. Everyone would be eager to participate.

Soon, the courtyard became lively, with everyone surrounding Senior Brother Qi Wang, creating a noisy atmosphere.

Jiang Ding'an shouted, "I'll join too!"

He was the head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) of the county, and since the order came from the Commandant, he wanted to take this opportunity to improve his relationship with the Commandant.

Ultimately, no matter how big a security escort agency becomes, it's still just a civilian business, but a captain is an official.

Now that the captain has set up checkpoints all over the official road outside the city, it would be good for the escort agency's business to maintain a good relationship with him.

"Where's Junior Brother Ye?" Qi Wang called out.

Ye Ci shook her head: "I'm not participating."

He didn't want to get involved with that Commandant Qin. He had barely managed to escape the commander's search last time, and he certainly wouldn't walk into a trap.

"That's true, Junior Brother Ye doesn't lack a few taels of silver."

Qi Wang chuckled and rubbed his hands together: "Actually, I'm usually a little short on money."

Just then, Master Yang led Xiao Hua out from the backyard. He was wearing a plain-colored long robe today, stroking his beard. His gaze lingered on Ye Ci for a moment before he began to inquire about Qi Wang.

"What's all this noise about?"

"That's how it is..."

Qi Wang then recounted everything in detail.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Hua said, "Senior Brother Qi, I want to participate too."

Master Yang knew, of course, that Xiao Hua wasn't after the money. As the top martial arts champion in the county, he had received investments from many wealthy families, and Xiao Hua was certainly not short of money.

Xiao Hua cupped his hands in greeting to Master Yang and said loudly, "I was born in the countryside and have known since childhood that martial arts training is not for showing off in front of others, but for helping those in need. Now that we have mastered these skills, we have a responsibility to step forward and protect the people."

Upon hearing this, Master Yang nodded slightly.

"puff……"

Huang Guoshu spat out a large mouthful of cucumber, and amidst countless astonished gazes, clutched his chest, as if he couldn't hold his breath any longer, and said:

"I can usually hold it in... but if it makes me spit it out, it's definitely because I can't hold it in anymore."

"Because Xiao Hua said he didn't want to show off his martial arts skills in front of others, hahaha... The thing I heard him talk about most in the courtyard was that he won first place in the county's martial arts competition."

Xiao Hua's face turned bright red, his fists clenched tightly, and the veins bulged out.

Ye Ci found this scene quite ridiculous. Nowadays, the only person in the courtyard who dared to mess with Xiao Hua was Huang Guoshu.

"Huang Sheng, you should practice your cultivation regularly, instead of lying here all day."

Unexpectedly, Teacher Yang was quite lenient with Huangguoshu, speaking in a gentle tone and only offering a few words of advice.

Huang Sheng is now the new name for Huangguoshu.

Seeing that Master Yang was not angry, Huang Guoshu curled his lips and said, "In the past, I was afraid of wasting the medicinal power of the tonic, so I naturally had to cultivate. Now that I don't lack that little bit of money, if I still cultivate... then wouldn't I be earning money for nothing?"

His money was all extorted from Shen Wanzhou, and it was earned through hard work.

Teacher Yang shook his head helplessly, then changed the subject and said to Ye Ci:

"Come with me."

Ye Ci met his gaze, then nodded: "Yes, Master."

He felt that Master Yang had something to say to him.

Beside him, Qi Wang smiled, a barely perceptible smile curving his lips as he watched Ye Ci's retreating figure.

Yang Shigang just left.

Xiao Hua rolled up his sleeves and walked toward Huang Guoshu. Just as Jiang Ding'an was about to stop him, Huang Guoshu pulled out two taels of silver from under his buttocks.

"Senior Brother Qi, he's going to hit me."

With a whoosh, Qi Wang appeared like a ghost in front of Huangguoshu, a smile on his face:

"Junior Brother Xiao, that's not right of you. How can you argue with a child?"

Huang Guoshu pulled out another tael of silver: "Senior brother, I'll add more money."

Qi Wang immediately changed his expression and said in a deep and serious voice, "Junior Brother Xiao, although you are the last disciple, you should also pay attention to the relationship between fellow disciples. If you do not listen to my advice, your senior brother will also show you my twenty years of skill."

He was a young man who looked to be around thirty years old, but his ghostly speed just now surprised even Jiang Ding'an.

Senior Brother Qi, isn't he a master of internal strength?

He felt that his speed just now was comparable to that of the mysterious Black Moon Girl.