The Martial Saint Started from Scavenging

"Hey, kid Ye, where have you been?" Er Gou, with a blade of grass in his mouth, glanced at him sideways. "Brother Lai has been looking for you at the firewood market all morning."

Ye Sheng stopped and lowered his eyes: "Brother Er Gou, I just went to the riverbank to pick up some things."

"Ha, don't try to fool me! Picking up something?"

Ma Zi sneered and pointed to the empty basket on his back. "Your firewood basket is empty, but your arms are bulging. What's in there?"

Ye Sheng instinctively protected the two fish in his arms.

Seeing this, Er Gou stepped forward and reached out to take it out: "Let me see it."

"Brother Er Gou!" Ye Sheng stepped aside. "This is something I worked hard to get. My younger brother is weak and I'm waiting to make him some fish soup."

"Your brother?"

Er Gou spat, "What does that sickly guy have to do with me! Lai Zi Ge said that you're not following the rules, you're bypassing the firewood market and secretly selling firewood elsewhere, that's disrespecting him."

At this moment, Fat Pockmarked Man also came over, arms crossed: "If you know what's good for you, hand over the stuff right away, then come with us to see Brother Laizi and apologize. Otherwise, we'll drag you to see the patrolman."

Upon hearing this, Ye Sheng gripped the fish in his arms tighter, his heart pounding.

He glanced around. There were only the three of them on this side of the pier, and a few migrant workers were busy in the distance on the other side of the ferry, but no one was looking this way.

Seeing that Ye Sheng didn't move, Er Gou's face darkened, and he shoved Ye Sheng's shoulder: "Are you fucking deaf?"

Ye Sheng's feet swayed slightly.

Er Gou's push was quite forceful; in the past, he would have staggered backward.

But at this moment, although I've only practiced standing meditation for a few days, my lower body has indeed become more stable.

Ye Sheng used the force of the push to dissipate his strength, his center of gravity sank, and his feet felt like they were nailed to the ground. He only swayed slightly but did not retreat.

Upon seeing this, Er Gou was stunned for a moment.

Taking advantage of the brief opening, Ye Sheng suddenly turned sideways and squeezed through the gap between the two. Then, protecting the fish in his arms, he quickly ran towards the depths of the pier.

"Damn it! Don't let that bastard get away, Pockmarked guy, after him!"

Behind him came Er Gou and Ma Zi's angry curses and footsteps.

Ye Sheng didn't look back, and ran wildly with his head down.

The wooden planks of the pier thumped under his feet. He rushed into the crowd at the ferry crossing, weaving and twisting his way through a pile of debris, including fishing nets and broken boat planks.

Hidden behind a wrecked ship, Ye Sheng held his breath, listening to the curses of Gouzi and his companion fading into the distance. His chest heaved violently, and his palms were sweaty.

The two fish were still in his arms, their scales digging painfully into him. Ye Sheng looked down and saw that the fish were still alive, their tails twitching slightly.

He slowly exhaled a breath of stale air; he had saved himself. But he knew in his heart that this was only temporary, and Er Gou and his gang would not give up so easily.

More importantly, Er Gou left with those harsh words as he departed: "Tomorrow, Brother Lai will personally come and teach you a lesson."

Ye Sheng leaned against the wrecked ship deck, closed his eyes, and fell into deep thought.

Wang Laizi, a local ruffian who had been operating at the ferry crossing for over a decade, had three or four henchmen and was also skilled in martial arts.

As for myself, I haven't even mastered the basics of stance training yet, and my progress is only "23/100", which is far from being a true martial artist.

A head-on confrontation is hopeless; we need to find a solution.

Ye Sheng opened his eyes, his gaze falling on the distant river. The current was swift, and the waves surged.

At this moment, he remembered the three pieces of paper in the iron box. Besides the one about "standing meditation," there were two other pieces that he hadn't looked at closely.

Perhaps there's something else up there?

When they returned to the shed, Ye Kai was taking a nap against the corner of the wall.

Seeing Ye Sheng enter, his eyes lit up: "Brother, you're back!"

Ye Sheng nodded, picked up the two fish and shook them: "We were lucky today. Not only did we make money from selling a basket of firewood, we also got two extra fish. We'll make soup with them tonight."

Ye Kai, however, wasn't in a hurry to be happy. Instead, he stared at his brother for a long time: "Brother, you don't look well. Did something happen?"

"fine."

Ye Sheng shook his head and turned to start a fire to cook the fish.

Ye Kai pursed his lips and didn't ask any more questions. He knew his brother didn't want him to worry. But he also knew his brother had been getting increasingly tired lately.

That night, after Ye Kai fell asleep, Ye Sheng took out the iron box again.

The firelight flickered as he unfolded two more pieces of paper.

The first drawing depicts a human silhouette holding a short knife, posing in several slashing stances, with dense annotations next to it in tiny handwriting.

"The basics of knife skills, using a common woodcutter's knife as an example. Chopping, slashing, parrying, and thrusting are the four fundamental techniques. Power should be generated through the strength of the shoulders, hips, waist, and legs, executed in one smooth motion..."

Ye Sheng's pupils contracted slightly. This was swordsmanship! Although it was only the most basic move, it was an incredible opportunity for him.

He quickly looked at the second piece of paper. It contained simple drawings of several plants, with their medicinal properties and uses labeled next to them.

"Hedyotis diffusa, with its cold properties, clears heat and detoxifies, and mostly grows in wetlands along rivers..."

"Adiantum, neutral in nature, promotes blood circulation and removes blood stasis, commonly found in piles of rocks..."

This is about herbal identification!

Ye Sheng's heart raced, but he didn't look closely. Instead, he immediately flipped to the last line of small print.

"These three skills are what I learned when I was learning martial arts in my early years. Stance training for stability, swordsmanship for self-defense, and herbal medicine for healing. The three complement each other and can help one survive in chaotic times."

"I am a member of the Yang clan of Zhongzhou. I am dull-witted and have failed to achieve martial arts mastery. Therefore, I leave this item to someone who is destined to receive it. Please do not discard it lightly."

The signature was a blurry stamp, and the handwriting was no longer legible.

Ye Sheng gripped the paper tightly, his heart filled with horror: the person who left this message was actually a member of a noble family, and from the Yang family of Zhongzhou. No wonder there was a spiritual aura remaining on these three pieces of sandpaper.

While reading the "Records of Local Customs," he learned what certain special surnames represented in this world. For example, the Yang family recorded on the slip of paper was a noble family surname in the Central Plains, and it was also related to the royal family of the Central Plains.

Zhongzhou is not like the Eastern Region; it is the center of the Azure Netherworld, the place with the most abundant spiritual energy, and the location of Luoyuan, the capital of the Great Abyss Dynasty.

There, powerful clans and aristocratic families were deeply rooted, and monks, military generals, and civil officials gathered, making it the political, economic, and cultural center of the entire Dayuan Dynasty.

Ye Sheng frowned as he looked at the piece of paper, murmuring softly, "How did something from the Central Plains end up in the Eastern Regions?"

After pondering for a long time, he still couldn't figure it out.

"Are kings and nobles born with a special destiny? It seems that even the highest-ranking noble families in this region are not inherently superior to others in martial arts cultivation!"

Ye Shengxin sighed, "However, the person who left this message is quite a nice person! He couldn't succeed on the path of martial arts, but he left his hopes to someone who is destined to find it."

He took a deep breath, carefully put the paper away, stood up gently, and walked to the window.

At this moment, the bright moon hangs high, the stars are dazzling, and the waves roar along the Duanlong River, creating a beautiful picture of stars, moon, and river waves.

But Ye Sheng had no time to appreciate the beautiful scenery of the river and the moon; he was worried about tomorrow.

Because Wang Laizi will be coming tomorrow, how should we deal with him?

Should we compromise or fight back?

In his previous life, Ye Sheng understood a principle: a kind person is bullied, and a good horse is ridden.

If you choose to compromise, you will be constantly bullied by the other party.

However, given the enemy's strength and our weakness, a direct confrontation is by no means a wise move.

Escape? No, that won't work either. I'm just a refugee, where can I escape to? Besides, I have a sick and weak younger brother to take care of.

Thinking of this, Ye Sheng looked at the sleeping Ye Kai. After transmigrating, he inherited all of the original owner's memories.

In my memory, the two brothers had a very close relationship; they were only two years apart in age. When they were young, if the older brother made a mistake, the younger brother, Ye Kai, would always protect him; and he would always think of sharing any good food or toys with his older brother.

Sometimes, Ye Sheng would lament that he had inexplicably transmigrated to this world. Not only was his identity bad, but he was also a homeless vagrant, drifting aimlessly like a rootless duckweed in this chaotic world.

Fortunately, Ye Kai was by her side, which brought a rare touch of warmth to this cold and lonely world.

After a long silence, Ye Sheng steeled his heart and made a decision: If someone offends me, I will give them three chances; if they offend me again, I will fight them with all my might.

What a load of bull! Let him come! This time, I will not back down. Even if I die, I will bite off his carotid artery and eliminate any future trouble.