The Martial Saint Started from Scavenging

The next day, at the crack of dawn, Ye Sheng neither went to chop firewood nor scavenge on the riverbank; he was waiting for Wang Laizi to come to his door.

He practiced the knife techniques on the piece of paper repeatedly in an open space next to the shed.

He held a rusty woodcutter's knife in his hand; the blade was chipped and the handle was loose, but at that moment, it seemed to be his only weapon.

Chop! Following the force of the shoulder, the blade slashed down diagonally.

Slash! Ye Sheng twisted his waist and hips, and swung the blade horizontally with force.

With a swift motion, the tip of the knife traced an arc from bottom to top.

Thrust! All his strength was concentrated at one point, and the tip of the blade thrust straight forward.

Once, twice, three times...

Sweat soaked through Ye Sheng's clothes, and his arms ached so much he could barely lift them, but he didn't stop. A new line of text appeared on the panel in front of him.

[Unlock Skill: Basic Knife Techniques]

Current progress: 0/100 (Beginner)

[Effect: Masters basic slashing techniques, slightly improves melee capabilities]

Ye Sheng's lips curled slightly. Success; another skill had been activated.

He continued to swing his knife, recalling the key points of the movements written on the piece of paper with each strike.

The exertion should be smooth, the breathing steady, and the steps coordinated...

Gradually, Ye Sheng's stiff movements began to become smoother, and the blade sliced ​​through the air, making a slight whistling sound.

【基础刀法】的进度条，也从最初的「0/100」跳到了「1/100」，然后是「2/100」，「3/100」……

Ye Sheng didn't stop until it was completely dark. He looked at the panel.

Basic knife skills: 7/100 (Beginner)

Standing meditation: 29/100 (Beginner)

These two martial arts skills are still far from sufficient, but at least they offer a fighting chance.

Ye Sheng put away his wood-chopping knife and returned to the shed to prepare some thin porridge for his younger brother.

Ye Kai had already woken up, and his complexion looked alright, though he occasionally coughed a couple of times.

"Brother, why are you up so early today? Have you already come back from chopping wood?"

Ye Kai looked at Ye Sheng, who was covered in sweat, and asked softly.

"I'm not going out today," Ye Sheng replied, and started a fire to cook porridge.

Upon hearing this, Ye Kai looked puzzled. His brother would go out to collect scraps and chop firewood every day, so why didn't he go today?

"Brother...did something happen?"

Hearing his younger brother's question, Ye Sheng paused in adding firewood, thinking to himself, "Wang Laizi will come to the door sooner or later, and my brother will find out eventually. I might as well tell him now so he can be mentally prepared."

Thinking of this, he added firewood, put the porridge in the pot, and sat down next to Ye Kai. He then told him about how Er Gou and the other man had chased him and tried to steal his fish the day before, and how Wang Laizi had forced him to sell firewood a few days ago.

Upon hearing this, Ye Kai lowered his head and said guiltily, "Brother, it's all my fault. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have had to make enemies with them over two fish."

"Silly brother, how can this be your fault? People like Wang Laizi are just scoundrels. Even if I gave them the fish yesterday, they would find other reasons to bully us in the future."

"Brother, you must remember that although this world is a dog-eat-dog world, you can give way once or twice, but not three or four times. Even a rabbit will bite when cornered, let alone a human."

"Today, I'll see what that scoundrel Wang can do to me!"

At this point, Ye Sheng's eyes became deep, cold, and filled with murderous intent.

"Brother, don't worry. If they fight later, I'll help you! Even if we die, we'll go to see Father together!"

Ye Sheng felt a warmth in his heart and said nothing more.

Being brothers is for this lifetime, not the next.

Afterwards, Ye Sheng cooked the porridge and served his younger brother a large bowl, while he also scooped out a large bowl for himself.

After the meal, as the morning light streamed into the shed, Ye Kai didn't lie down but sat down with his brother at the door. He wanted to stay with his brother and wait for the enemy to come looking for trouble.

Ye Sheng, on the other hand, placed the wood-chopping knife across his lap, his hand always gripping the handle.

The two brothers just waited there.

During this time, Ye Sheng and his younger brother drank two large bowls of porridge and shared a steamed bun. They needed to be full to have the energy to fight.

......

At midday, the sunlight fell on the river, shimmering white. Several water birds skimmed across the surface, leaving intermittent cries before being swallowed by the sound of the waves.

Wang Laizi has arrived.

He had a blade of grass in his mouth, followed by Er Gou, Ma Zi, and a burly man Ye Sheng had never seen before.

The burly man's arms were as thick as Ye Sheng's calves. He stood silently, like a wall, his shadow obscuring part of the pier railing.

The four men blocked the entrance to the pier leading out of the shed, completely cutting off the Ye brothers' escape route. A river breeze blew from behind them, carrying a chilling atmosphere.

Wang Laizi squinted at Ye Sheng, then spat out the grass stem and said sarcastically, "Kid, I heard you were pretty good at running yesterday? Why aren't you running today?"

Ye Sheng stood ten paces away, his eyes cold and stern, without responding. He held a woodcutter's knife in his right hand, his left hand hanging naturally at his sides, his feet apart, his center of gravity slightly lowered.

This is the stance for "standing meditation".

Ye Kai stood half a step to his brother's side, his hand tightly gripping the wooden stick used to block the door.

His face was pale, his breathing slightly rapid, but his back was ramrod straight. A few strands of hair on his forehead were blown by the wind, revealing a pair of eyes that looked remarkably like Ye Sheng's.

Seeing that Ye Sheng remained silent, Wang Laizi glanced at the woodcutter's knife in his hand and sneered, "Oh, you dare to use a knife now? Well done, you've got guts."

He then looked at Ye Kai and said mockingly, "Ha, a sickly guy like you, trying to fight? I think this world is going to get out of control."

The three people behind him immediately burst into laughter.

Suddenly, Wang Laizi's face turned cold, and he waved his hand: "Cripple these two brats for me, and let them know who's in charge at Shuilong Ferry."

Er Gou and Ma Zi exchanged a glance, then grinned maliciously as they approached Ye Sheng and Ye Kai. The other burly man stood behind them with his arms crossed, not moving.

He is Wang Laizi's trump card, and he will only be used when Er Gou and his gang can't handle him.

Since it was midday and there was no one else around, I suppose everyone had gone home for lunch.

A river breeze swept by, ruffling the two brothers' thin clothes. Ye Sheng gripped the hilt of his knife tightly, his heart pounding like a drum, but his hand remained steady.

He did not retreat, nor could he retreat any further.

Ye Kai watched as Er Gou and his companion approached. Although he was somewhat afraid, he still maintained a fearless attitude.

At this moment, Er Gou and Ma Zi pounced on them with sinister smiles, their footsteps thumping loudly on the wooden planks.

Ye Sheng also moved. He took a half step back with his right foot, and with a turn of his body, he delivered a diagonal slash straight at Er Gou's face, who was charging at the front.

Er Gou was so frightened that he shrank back, and the blade grazed his scalp, shaving off a lock of hair.

"Damn it!" Er Gou cursed angrily, scratching his head.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Ma Zi pounced from the side, trying to hug Ye Sheng's waist.

Ye Sheng neither dodged nor flinched, but instead slammed his left elbow back, striking Ma Zi squarely in the chest.

Ma Zi grunted, staggered backward, and broke off a piece of the rotten railing. Wood chips fell into the river.

But Er Gou had recovered and punched Ye Sheng in the ribs.

Ye Sheng turned to the side, used the hilt of his knife to deflect the fist, and then raised his leg to deliver a low kick to Er Gou's knee.

The stability of his lower body brought about by the stance training made his kick incredibly powerful.

The two dogs howled in pain and knelt on one knee.

Ma Zi lunged again. This time, Ye Sheng didn't hold back, sweeping the back of his knife across Ma Zi's shoulder and neck. Ma Zi's vision went black, and he collapsed to the ground.

From the start of their fight to their defeat, it only took a few breaths.

Even Ye Kai, who wanted to help, was dumbfounded: When did my brother become so skilled?

Actually, this was largely thanks to Ye Sheng's hard work over the past two days, as well as the strength he had developed while chopping wood every day.

At this moment, Er Gou dared not go forward again, but retreated to Wang Laizi's side.

Wang Laizi's face darkened. He hadn't expected that this skinny vagrant would actually dare to make a move and even injure two of his men.

He stared at Ye Sheng's hand holding the knife, then looked at his lower body: "You've practiced martial arts before?"

Ye Sheng did not answer, but slightly raised the tip of his knife, pointing it at Wang Laizi.

"Third brother, you go." Wang Laizi gestured with his chin toward the burly man.

The burly man strode forward, cracking his neck as he walked; his steps were heavy, causing the wooden planks of the pier to creak.

Ye Sheng's hand holding the knife trembled slightly. Not from fear, but from exhaustion.

He had been extremely exhausted from the fight. And this burly man in front of him, just in terms of sheer presence, was far superior to Er Gou and Ma Zi.

At that moment, Ye Sheng took a deep breath, adjusted his breathing, and the key points of [standing meditation] echoed in his mind.

Qi sinks to the dantian, spine moves like a dragon...

Before long, the burly man stopped two steps in front of Ye Sheng, said nothing, and punched Ye Sheng straight in the chest.

Ye Sheng raised his knife to parry.

"Bang!"

The fist slammed into the blade, the force so great that Ye Sheng's hand went numb, and he almost lost his grip on the knife.

The burly man didn't give Ye Sheng a chance to catch his breath, and threw another punch. Ye Sheng dodged to the side, and his blade slashed upwards, aiming for the burly man's waist.

The burly man snorted coldly, raised his arm to block, and the blade struck his forearm, leaving only a shallow white mark.

This guy actually practiced martial arts!