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

They eat quietly in the military and eat very quickly.

Ye Ci suddenly felt that the taste was just right.

After eating almost two large bowls of rice, my stomach felt warm, and the fatigue from practicing martial arts lessened somewhat.

"Senior brother! I really know I was wrong."

Wang De burst into tears like a child.

This made Ye Ci very uncomfortable and unaccustomed, feeling that although his opponent was tough and resilient, he had the personality of a child.

Killing each other is forbidden in the military, but in such a situation, those who are trampled on generally don't cry; they just curse.

"I'll bring my senior brother two jin of flour tomorrow as an apology."

Wheat flour is a rare refined grain, which shows that Wang De's family is well-off.

Indeed, this kid, besides the food at the martial arts school, often ate meat sent from home, which made him very muscular. He considered himself a big shot among the apprentices in the front yard, but today he's met his match.

The sun grew stronger, and Ye Ci's scalp felt hot from the heat.

He couldn't keep stepping on Wang De, so he simply stopped, quietly walked to the shade of a tree, closed his eyes to rest, and planned to continue his stance training after a short break.

Wang De got up from the ground, touched his cheek, which was burning hot. Despite the pain, he took the initiative to clean up the bowls on the ground and took them to the kitchen with the other disciples.

When he returned, he saw Ye Ci already practicing martial arts in stance training.

Keep your back straight.

They practiced over and over again until their clothes were soaked with sweat.

There was no one around him for seven or eight steps, and everyone kept their distance.

Wang De realized that Ye Ci was actually a decent person; even after winning, he didn't humiliate him.

He was secretly pleased; the other party was engrossed in practicing martial arts, which saved him some face.

Turning his head to scan his surroundings, he saw that none of the apprentices dared to look at him.

Although he didn't know why, Wang De felt as if he had been beaten up, but his status had suddenly risen, and others were afraid of him.

******

sunset.

Ye Ci dragged his tired body back to the village.

I walked very slowly, and every part of my body ached.

Passing by the place where the donkey was last time, the donkey was gone, but in the distance, we could see the silhouettes of wild dogs moving about in the woods.

In this world, few people care about the dead.

Ye Ci felt he had lost out; he should have ridden the donkey away first.

Even if we slaughter them and eat their meat, it's fine; now is the time to practice martial arts and we need meat.

thump.

A wild rabbit darted across the edge of the field and disappeared into the grass with lightning speed.

Ye Ci felt that he should bring a bow and arrows tomorrow, and rabbit meat could also replenish his qi and blood. If he encountered wild rabbits again on his way home, he could hunt them and bring them back.

When I got home, the aroma of the pastries wafted from the kitchen.

Mrs. Li is making steamed buns. This craft carries the taste of memories. In my memory, my grandmother didn't cook dry rice. She mostly made steamed buns by mixing brown rice, coarse grains, and rice bran. They were filling and saved on oil and salt.

Hearing the commotion, Mu Mu hurriedly ran out and immediately showed joy upon seeing Ye Ci.

"Ah... Ba..."

"You're back?"

Grandma was calling from the kitchen.

"I'm back."

Ye Ci entered the house, stood by the stove, picked up a steamed bun and stuffed it into his mouth. It was a little hard to chew, but very sweet.

"Don't burn yourself."

"Um."

"Have you successfully become an apprentice?"

"I've become a disciple. The master of the martial arts school is surnamed Yang. He's a good person. He even allows me to eat lunch at the school every day, even though I should pay more... The other fellow disciples are also very nice. They practice martial arts quietly and don't talk much."

"That's good, that's good."

Grandma Li was overjoyed and became exceptionally quick with her hands and feet, muttering to herself:

"Practicing martial arts is good. It makes us stronger, so we won't be afraid of others bullying our family. We can practice for a month and then come back to harvest the rice, so it won't interfere with anything..."

Ye Ci nodded: "If I really train my strength in a month, I can find a decent job in the county, which is better than farming."

Li didn't understand the intricacies and barriers of martial arts; she only knew that practicing martial arts was harmless. Anyway, her grandson was young and had a long life ahead of him, so she couldn't be stingy with those ten taels of silver.

The steamed buns were done baking, and she scooped them all out.

"Mumu, come and eat."

"what!"

After pretending to be mute for a day, Mumu gradually got used to answering with "ah".

Several people sat around the stove eating.

Ye Ci noticed that Li Shi only left half a steamed bun, and gave the other half to Mu Mu.

"I don't work at night, so it's okay if I eat less."

Li knew very well that they had used up all the family's savings, and even if Ye Ci came back, they would still be living off their savings.

Mu Mu hesitated for a moment, then put the steamed bun into Ye Ci's plate.

Ye Ci looked at her: "Why aren't you eating?"

The little girl only ate one small steamed bun.

Mumu raised her little black face, pointed to her mouth, rubbed her belly, and then shook her head.

I'm not hungry.

The fire in the kitchen flickered, and the little girl turned her face away, but in an instant someone grabbed her chin and stuffed something into her mouth.

Ye Ci stuffed the steamed bun into her mouth.

"Aba aba..."

At this moment, Ye Ci felt that... the old, weak, sick, and disabled had all been gathered together.

"Mumu, eat more. You've been working all day."

Li's wrinkled face relaxed. She thought her "child bride" was very sensible. Suddenly, as if remembering something, she said:

"I'll go to your second uncle's house later and bring some brown rice to your second aunt. She's usually quite frugal with food and drink."

"Um."

"Your second aunt is a woman of strong character. Some men in the village wanted to marry her, but she absolutely refused..."

"Is that Li Dabiao?"

Ye Ci suddenly asked a question, remembering that his second aunt had been kicked by Li Dabiao.

"That's not it."

As she spoke, Madam Li suddenly looked up, her lips trembling slightly: "Grandson, don't meddle in adults' affairs. Don't think that just because you've learned martial arts, you can compete with Li Dabiao."

Villagers near Longpan Township are mostly afraid of Li Dabiao.

"From now on, let's live a good life and not provoke them. Let's pay them some money... consider it a loss to avoid further trouble."

"Now we're using my second uncle's savings. If we anger him, he might cause us trouble during the autumn harvest, and then we might not even be able to afford coarse rice."

Li only hoped for peace, and there was even a hint of panic in her eyes.

Ye Ci nodded: "I'll go to my second aunt's house and bring her some brown rice. We should eat whatever food and drink we have at home first, so that Li Dabiao and his gang don't take it away."

He wouldn't specifically look for Li Dabiao about the forced labor issue back then, not for any other reason than that he only knew that Dabiao's family lived in the market town of Longpan Township, but he couldn't find out their exact address.

After finishing his meal, he left home with half a broadsword and delivered some coarse rice to his second aunt's house. As Li had expected, she and Yao Yao hadn't even eaten dinner.

Ye Ci played with Yao Yao for a while, then noticed the bow and arrows hanging on the wall and said to his second aunt:

"Lend me your bow and arrows. I saw a rabbit on my way back from martial arts practice today. If we have a bow, we can have some meat."

In fact, many villagers hunt for a living, but bows and arrows are not as accurate as modern guns. Proper hunters would keep hunting dogs at home, but for Ye Ci, hunting was just one of the survival skills he had in the military.

"Take it. My second uncle isn't here, and there's no one in the family who can use it."

Auntie squatted in the kitchen. There wasn't much firewood in the house, so she lit a small stove and cooked porridge for Yao Yao.

This woman never complained about her suffering. Even when she was kicked by Li Dabiao last time, she didn't utter a sound despite the pain in her stomach.

Yao Yao squatted to the side, gazing longingly at Ye Ci: "My dad used to have a hard time hunting rabbits. When he finally caught one, he would take it to the market to exchange for money. I've hardly ever eaten rabbit meat."

"I won't exchange the money, I'll bring you some food."

Ye Ci took down the bow and arrow. The bow was made of mulberry wood with horns attached to the outside. The horns were made of ox horns and reinforced with bowstring, making it very sturdy.

The bowstring is made of ox sinew, and its tensile strength is about forty pounds.

Only three of the arrows had iron arrowheads; the rest were bamboo arrows. The entire quiver was covered in dust.

Until dusk fell.

Ye Ci then left her second uncle's house; if she didn't leave soon, she would have to spend money on oil lamps again.

******

The next day.

Ye Ci arrived at the martial arts school early, but no one was in the courtyard, so he began practicing his stance training.

The first round of morning exercise was very effective, and my proficiency improved a bit.

With heavy, forceful breathing, his clothes gradually became soaked with sweat.

[Practice Method: Beginner's Guide to Rock Stance (13/800)]

Fang Cheng, the second senior brother, was cleaning the courtyard when he saw this. He sighed a few times and then gave him some steamed buns.

"There's some breakfast left in the inner courtyard, here you go."

Fang Cheng whispered a reminder: "Do what you can, and don't ruin yourself."

As other disciples arrived one after another, they whispered among themselves, discussing how many days Ye Ci could last.

Suddenly, a figure peeked into the courtyard; it was Wang De.

He was carrying a bulging oil paper bag containing two jin of flour. As soon as he entered the room, he spotted Ye Ci. But then his gaze suddenly tightened, and his face contorted into a mask of pain.

Not far from Ye Ci, on the ground, lay a bow and arrows and a wood-chopping knife.

don't want……

After waiting for more than half an hour, seeing Ye Ci take a short rest, Wang De, with a forced smile on his face, quickly stepped forward, offered the white flour, and bowed repeatedly with both hands.

"Senior brother, I was foolish yesterday and offended you. This little bit of white powder is nothing but a token of my respect. Please be magnanimous and don't hold it against me."

His tone was full of sincerity, essentially admitting defeat.

With his wealth, he has no need to provoke ruthless people.

Ye Ci was immersed in cultivation and had put Wang De's matter out of his mind. He was quite surprised to see two jin of white flour.

"You're actually apologizing?"

Wang De cried, "Junior brother, I'm only fifteen years old, please don't bully me... I've already given up, but you brought a bow and a sword."

Ye Ci looked at him calmly and said in a gentle tone, "I was just on my way home planning to chop some firewood and go hunting."

He was planning to chop some firewood for his second aunt's family.

As soon as he finished speaking, the surrounding teenagers unconsciously moved a few steps away from Ye Ci.

They didn't feel it was warm, but rather chilly.

Until evening, no one dared to speak to Ye Ci. However, Wang De left later than anyone else that night, and he was still very careful even though he lived in the county.

Three days later, Wang De felt relieved and looked at Ye Ci with great respect.

The greatest virtue a person can have is forgiveness, and it's clear that this senior is a generous and tolerant person.

Therefore, he was willing to serve Ye Ci meals and bowls every day.

Seeing the bamboo arrows his senior brother used, he bought some iron arrows to give to him in order to curry favor.

More than ten days passed in the blink of an eye, and the disciples in the academy had all gotten used to this taciturn senior brother.

Compared to when he first entered the martial arts school, Ye Ci's skin was tanned slightly, but his eyes were surprisingly bright. His shoulders and back were also broader, and his waist and abdomen were firm. Standing there, he looked like a long spear.

The soreness had completely disappeared by the third day, and my breathing was no longer as bloody as before; instead, it was long and even. After an hour of standing meditation, my face was not red and I was not out of breath.

His strength has also increased significantly. He used to have about 100 jin of strength, and in just over ten days he has gained another 100 jin of strength.

Master Yang's training method is indeed quite effective. In the initial stages of training, there is a rapid increase in strength, which gradually slows down. Only after developing Ming Jin (manifested strength) can one make rapid progress.

Compared to ordinary martial artists, this hundred-odd pounds of strength is nothing, but for Ye Ci, this hundred-odd pounds of strength is extraordinary.

Looking at the apprentices in the academy, with their rudimentary fighting skills, Ye Ci felt he could handle several of them on his own.

Of course, there are also truly powerful fighting styles, but you can only learn them if you become an inner court disciple.

Ye Ci looked at the panel.

[Introduction to Rock-Solid Pile (279/800)]

His daily proficiency level increased from 10 points to around 20 points after he hunted some wild game at night to supplement his meat intake, but that was his limit.

Because the body gets tired.

That day, Fang Cheng took the opportunity during lunch to remind him, "Junior brother, there are still half a month left. How's your training going?"

"good."

Ye Ci knew that he had previously said he could develop Ming Jin in a month.

From Fang Cheng's perspective, he felt the hope was slim.

Out of consideration for their relationship, Yang Huaichuan did not inquire further, because he knew that Ye Ci could not possibly master it in a month.

Moreover, he wouldn't interfere with the apprentices in the outer academy; whether they learned anything or not depended on themselves.

He had already rewarded Ye Ci for his comprehension and diligence with a lunch.

Once the month is up, the tuition fee must be paid; that's the rule.

Ding is Dingmao is Mao.

Yang Huaichuan would not make an exception for Ye Ci. The only people who could make an exception for him were those with excellent innate talent and comprehension.

Just then, a strong medicinal fragrance wafted in on the wind.

"Xiao Hua, this week's herbal medicine has arrived. Go to the backyard and find your master."

Fang Cheng shouted at a boy in the courtyard.

All eyes fell on the thin, dark-skinned boy. The boy smiled shyly, then jogged towards the backyard.

He entered the martial arts school ten days later than Ye Ci. He came from a poor family, but he was highly regarded by Master Yang.

Fang Cheng knew that this young man had exceptional talent and was considered by his master to have a limitless future; he was just practicing martial arts in the front yard for the time being.

He patted Ye Ci on the shoulder, giving her an encouraging, simple smile:

"Junior Brother Ye, there's no rush. Even if we can't master it... we can practice it again when we go back. We can still practice standing meditation during the off-season."

After saying that, he left.

"Senior Brother Ye, that kid is really lucky to get a free medicinal bath."

Wang De took the initiative to come over, his eyes full of envy as he spoke.

His family owned a grain and oil shop. Because he was of average talent, his father couldn't bear to let him study for fifty taels a month, so he usually commuted to school.

He has always been the second oldest in the front yard.

As the sociology teacher for every young martial arts student, he was scolded by his master for picking a fight with Xiao Hua.

Seeing Xiao Hua being favored by Master Yang filled him with resentment, mostly from jealousy.

Ye Ci was unmoved by his childish provocations and closed her eyes to rest after finishing her meal.

Wang De brought the bowl back and added fuel to the fire, saying, "That kid has impure thoughts. Every time Master comes, he pretends to be diligent, but in reality, he often slacks off just like me. He can't compare to you, Senior Brother Ye."

Ye Ci opened his eyes and said with a hint of helplessness:

"Your father sent you here to learn martial arts, but you're just slacking off?"

Since accepting Wang De's bribes, Ye Ci had a pretty good impression of him. Apart from his lack of ambition, he had almost no flaws.

"Hey! That's just my dad's wishful thinking. He's counting on me to pass the martial arts exam! You know the martial arts exam, right? There's a small exam every three years and a big exam every five years. If I pass the martial arts exam, I'll get official rank, and the whole family will rise in status."

Ye Ci knew that once he passed the martial arts examination, he would be considered half an official, and if he joined the army, he would start as a squad leader.

Ye Ci didn't take the martial arts exam to heart, as it wouldn't be held for another two years.

His current goal is simply to reach the Mingjin level. Once he reaches the Mingjin level, it won't be difficult to find a job that pays well in the county. He can even bring his grandmother, Li Shi, and the others to the county town.

Thinking of this, he regained his motivation and decided to get up and practice martial arts.

Seeing this, Wang De, who was standing to the side, started to nag like a little shadow: "Senior Brother Ye, with your kind of hard work, Master must have misjudged you. You should get a free medicinal bath."

Ye Ci knew that with the aid of medicinal baths, he could spend more time practicing standing meditation each day, and his proficiency would naturally increase even more.

However, the medicinal bath was quite expensive, and only disciples who paid fifty taels of silver were eligible to enjoy it.

Alternatively, one could become an inner court disciple.

As an inner court disciple, you will receive a free medicinal bath once a week.

Therefore, even if Fang Cheng, this kind senior brother, sympathizes with him, he has no right to make an exception and allow Ye Ci to enjoy a free medicinal bath, since the medicinal bath costs about one tael of silver.

The Ye family has no income now and needs to keep a few taels of silver for emergencies, so they don't have money to buy themselves medicinal baths.

In this world, ordinary people only earn a dozen or so taels of silver a year. After deducting expenses and food, they can only save one or two taels a year at most.

In Yang Shi’s eyes, Ye Ci is someone who only deserves sympathy, not investment.

Or perhaps, Master Yang thought he was just a self-righteous poor man who wanted to change his fate through hardship.

Suffering cannot change one's fate.

As dusk fell, Ye Ci left the martial arts school.

After passing through the bustling streets and alleys of the county town, I set off on the dirt road back to the village, looking around for some wild food along the way.

The clamor belongs to the rich; he can only find peace.

Coincidentally, he spotted a wild rabbit.

"Whoosh!"

An arrow was shot, and the hare fell to the ground.

Ye Ci stepped forward, picked it up, and weighed it in his hand; it was about three pounds.

Although the rice at home hasn't been harvested yet, things are definitely getting better these days.

Firstly, he occasionally collected wild game; secondly, the two jin of white flour that Wang De gave him last time was exchanged by Li Shi for five or six jin of brown rice, and the family's food had obviously improved.

He was in a good mood and quickened his pace.