Ultimate True Lord

In the backyard of the martial arts school, Jiang Ming stood to one side, quietly watching his younger sister.

Jiang Tao hadn't yet recovered from her joy. After shedding her tears, a smile remained in her eyes, carrying an expectation for life. She murmured softly.

"That's great... Brother has become a formal disciple, so we don't have to go back to Mudstone Alley anymore. We can finally live a peaceful life from now on..."

She paused, her voice softening slightly, tinged with a hint of melancholy.

"If only Mom, Dad, and my eldest brother were still here. They would be so proud to see how successful my second brother is."

Not far away, Jiang Ming didn't interrupt, but just silently watched his little sister, a faint smile on his lips, a sense of peace in his heart.

Only after Jiang Tao gradually quieted down and calmed down did he slowly speak, his voice steady.

"Little sister, you won't need to sew and wash clothes for others anymore. Once I find a job in the city and earn some money, I'll send you to a private school to learn some characters and study more."

"When my elder brother was a constable, he had planned to save money to send you to school, but then an accident happened and he disappeared without a trace. Now that I am able to do it, I will take over for him."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Tao's expression showed no joy, but rather a hint of worry. She said softly, "Brother, won't going to a private school interfere with your martial arts practice? Besides, the tuition isn't cheap."

Jiang Ming looked at her, shook his head, and said calmly, "It's alright. I'm already a formal disciple, and I can use the martial arts school's connections to find a job. One or two months' salary will be enough to cover your tuition for a year."

"Brother, let's get this job settled first, and have some spare money before we talk about studying. There's no rush," Jiang Tao quickly shook her head gently, offering her understanding advice.

"Okay, I'll go ask about it this afternoon."

Jiang Ming nodded and didn't say anything more.

……

……

Hongsha Martial Arts School, Outer Courtyard.

Jiang Ming's tall figure walked in slowly. He was upright, over seven feet tall, with broad and powerful shoulders and a well-proportioned physique.

Jiang Ming had changed out of the coarse cloth shirt from the outer courtyard and put on a plain-colored training robe, which was the exclusive attire of a formal disciple.

Made of fine cotton and linen, the garment is well-tailored, has a delicate feel, and is quite well-made. The bright red handprint on the left chest of the brand-new garment is particularly noticeable.

Instantly, all eyes in the outer courtyard turned to him. The cold indifference that had lingered for nearly a month because of his failure to break through had now transformed into envy.

"Congratulations, senior brother!"

"Senior Brother Jiang, you're amazing!"

A chorus of congratulations rang out from the outer courtyard as everyone offered their congratulations.

Several familiar outer court disciples quickly stepped forward, their faces beaming with enthusiastic smiles, and repeatedly congratulated him on his successful breakthrough.

"Senior Brother Jiang, I knew you would succeed. Seeing you leave early and return late every day, practicing diligently day and night, with such perseverance, a breakthrough was only a matter of time!" said a tall and thin disciple.

"Yes," another quickly chimed in, beaming, "Senior Brother's tenacity is unmatched in the entire outer academy. His breakthrough to a formal disciple is truly well-deserved!"

Jiang Ming silently observed this lively scene, feeling no sense of pride, only a faint sigh.

The fickle nature of human relationships is so stark and swift. Before a breakthrough, others are indifferent and aloof. But once one breaks through and becomes a formal disciple, everyone around offers congratulations and warm hospitality.

With a different status, even the way others look at and treat you changes.

I was stuck in the last half month of the October deadline and barely managed to break through, showing my mediocre talent.

Not to mention, someone like Fang Heng broke through the white sand in just four or five months. He was already the center of attention, surrounded by flatterers, so it's no wonder that his youthful arrogance grew day by day, making him look down on everyone.

Jiang Ming spoke to the person calmly and humbly for a few moments.

Then, he took his handkerchief and bandages, and walked slowly into the inner courtyard under the watchful eyes of the crowd.

Jiang Ming had also visited the inner courtyard several times.

Compared to the outer courtyard, the inner courtyard has fewer people and is divided into left and right sides. The left side, closer to the outer courtyard, is where many inner courtyard disciples practice. The right side, on the other hand, is the area where formal disciples train and spar daily.

However, the formal disciples each have their own duties, and not many of them often practice their boxing here.

Jiang Mingjing walked through the courtyard on the left.

Before even getting close, Wang Yan was seen looking over from among the group practicing martial arts, and he shrank back almost imperceptibly. He subconsciously turned to the side, hiding next to his companion, deliberately burying his face like an ostrich.

He stared at Jiang Ming's brand-new formal disciple robes, especially the dark red palm print on his left chest, which he found extremely jarring.

Just a few months ago, Wang Yan had mocked Jiang Ming for his mediocre talent. Now, the other party had actually broken through his cultivation barrier and become a formal disciple, while Wang Yan's own hopes were slim, and he was still struggling in the inner courtyard.

At this moment, he wished he could hide himself completely, afraid that Jiang Ming would see him and make things awkward and embarrassing.

However, Jiang Ming didn't care at all. He didn't linger and walked straight towards the area for the formal disciples on the right.

In the open space, several formal disciples dressed in the same plain-colored robes were chatting together.

Jiang Ming recognized one of them; it was his fourth senior brother, Liu Mao. Standing next to him was a wiry, long-faced man, and opposite them was a woman with a slender figure and cold, sharp eyes.

The atmosphere among the three was slightly somber, as if they were discussing important matters.

The horse-faced man spoke, his tone tinged with anger.

"That Hengjiang Fist from Anpingpu is getting bolder and bolder. Taking advantage of the current turmoil, he's actually trying to steal students from our Fenghepu. This is definitely overstepping his bounds."

The woman beside her frowned slightly, her voice cold and tinged with worry: "At this rate, it won't be long before the two families have to set up a sparring match. Openly fighting, secretly marking off territory—it'll be difficult to handle."

"The eldest disciple of Hengjiang Fist has been practicing Soft Force for many years, and there's also a genius named Shen Zhou who has mastered Soft Force in just a few years. Their strength should not be underestimated..."

Liu Mao was about to speak when he suddenly caught sight of Jiang Ming walking over out of the corner of his eye. He nodded first, then turned to introduce him to the other two.

"This is Jiang Ming, our newly recruited formal disciple."

After saying that, Liu Mao pointed to the two people beside him and said to Jiang Ming simply, "These two are Second Senior Brother and Sixth Senior Sister."

"Second Senior Brother."

"Sixth Senior Sister."

Jiang Ming stepped forward and bowed with his hands clasped in greeting.

He had heard from his senior brother Liu that his second senior brother, Wang Zheng, had mastered the Red Sand Palm technique to the Brown Sand level, possessing both powerful and supple strength, and profound cultivation. He was currently one of the head镖师 (bodyguards/escorts) at the Weiyuan Escort Agency in the city, and frequently went out on escort missions.

Sixth Senior Sister Su Ling has been at the White Sand level for quite some time now, and is currently focusing on breaking through to the Brown Sand level. She comes from a small, wealthy family in the inner city and doesn't need to seek a living outside, so she can concentrate solely on martial arts training.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, they acknowledged each other as fellow disciples.

Jiang Ming could sense that his two senior brothers and sisters weren't very enthusiastic towards him. They clearly knew that Jiang Ming had barely broken through to the next level in the last half month, just before the deadline. Given his average talent, they naturally wouldn't be overly friendly.

After their conversation, Jiang Ming looked directly at Liu Mao and asked a question.

"Senior Brother Liu, I've just become a formal disciple and am currently short of money. I'd like to ask how I can quickly find a job through the connections at our martial arts school?"