Elderly Martial Saint: Sixty Times the Cultivation Speed ​​at the Start

In the morning in Suining Prefecture, the streets were bustling with people.

Yi Yang came out of the Judgment Hall and strolled slowly along the main street toward Youquan Division. He had been away from the city for some time, but it was still very lively.

When we reached the entrance of Tangxiang Alley in the east of the city, a vendor pushing a wooden cart was shouting his wares.

"Candied hawthorn berries—candied hawthorn berries made with rock sugar—"

The voice was drawn out, carrying a warm, everyday energy.

Yi Yang's steps slowed down by half a beat.

Counting the days, it had been more than half a month since I last saw Jiang Yuexin. After that meeting, the little girl, relying on her talent for martial arts and the resources left by Yan Wuyuan, had already reached the sixth level of Qi and Blood.

Later, we went to Donglai County, to the Beast Ridge Mountains, and to Xuanjian Pavilion.

It's been almost a month in total.

In the past month, he killed many people and almost fell into a life-or-death crisis. His profound meaning of perfect True Qi and Yin Qi of the Profound Realm are considered top-notch in the Fucheng area.

Yi Yang stopped at the entrance of Sugar Alley and glanced at the string of bright red candied hawthorns.

I remember when Yuexin was little, she craved this stuff. In Sanmu Village, it was only available at the New Year's market.

He remembered that one year he saved up half a month's worth of copper coins to buy her a string of pearls. The girl held it in her hands, reluctant to eat it, and in the end, it melted into a sticky paste and got all over her hands.

Yi Yang shook his head and walked towards the stall vendor.

"Give me a skewer."

"Okay, you're all set!"

The vendor quickly handed it over, and Yi Yang took it, but didn't eat it. He wrapped it in oil paper and put it in his pocket.

When he returned last time, Yuexin's cultivation had already reached the sixth level of Qi and Blood. Given the speed at which her martial bone talent progressed, she might have already touched the threshold of the Inner Qi Realm.

With Yan Wuyuan's maid Liu Qing watching over him, there was no need to worry about his safety.

I just don't know if that girl has been eating properly.

As Yi Yang pondered these matters, he unknowingly arrived at Lingzhen Pavilion, located in the east of the city.

Lingzhen Pavilion is one of the most prestigious weapon shops in the city, catering to aristocratic families and sects. Its storefront is very impressive, and inside it is one of the few shops in the city that sells treasure-level weapons.

Two stone lions squatted at the entrance, and three brass lanterns hung above the door.

Yi Yang pushed open the door and went in.

The shopkeeper behind the counter looked up and glanced at him, noticing that although his attire was ordinary, his demeanor was definitely extraordinary.

He stepped forward with a forced smile and politely inquired:

"What would you like to see, sir?"

"Swords." Yi Yang glanced at the weapons on the wall, finding none of them worthy of his attention. "Treasure-grade."

Upon hearing this, the shopkeeper's eyelids twitched.

Although he could tell that the other party was extraordinary, he did not expect that it was a business deal involving a treasure. He dared not be negligent and quickly led Yi Yang into the inner hall.

"This way, sir."

On the shelves inside the room were four boxes containing four weapons, all padded with velvet and gleaming in the firelight.

Yi Yang's gaze swept over the four weapons, finally settling on the longsword in the center.

The sword was entirely silver-white, with a long blade, about three feet and two inches long.

The hilt is shaped like an open magnolia flower, its petals forged from a mixture of silver and cold iron, polished to reveal distinct patterns. The hilt is wrapped with golden silkworm silk and fitted with a white ivory hilt.

Yi Yang took the sword down from the shelf.

The weight of the item was not heavy, just over twenty pounds, which was just right for a martial artist at the Inner Qi Realm.

He ran his fingertips along the blade.

The cold iron has a fine and uniform texture, without a single sand hole. The forging process was perfect, and the blade has a very faint blue light. That is the coldness of the material itself, indicating that it is made of frost iron from the northern region.

It's a good product.

"What's the name of this sword?"

"Sir, this sword is named 'Falling Blossoms.' I acquired it last year from an old craftsman in Qingzhou," the shopkeeper said with a smile, as he approached to introduce it. "It's made of Qing Shuang iron with a base, mixed with three ounces of silver powder for added toughness. The magnolia flower on the hilt is carved from a single piece of cold iron, without any splicing."

"A low-grade treasure."

"How much?"

"Eighteen spirit crystals."

Yi Yang didn't haggle and took out eighteen spirit crystals from his pocket and handed them over.

Seeing that Yi Yang could actually offer a price, the shopkeeper became even more respectful, because this meant that the other party was at least a True Qi Realm expert.

He bent down three inches, personally found the best sword case to put "Fallen Petals" in, and presented it to Yi Yang with both hands.

"Take care, sir. Please feel free to come back if you need anything in the future. Our shop will be reserved for you."

Yi Yang took the sword box, said nothing, and walked away.

After leaving Lingzhen Pavilion, he wandered around the shops next door for a few more minutes. He bought two silver hairpins, a pair of earrings, several embroidered handkerchiefs, and a box of peach shortbread.

I couldn't afford these things in Miki Village before, but now I don't have to be frugal. I haven't brought her any gifts in a long time.

Yi Yang stuffed the odds and ends into his ring, then carried the sword box toward Youquan Division.

The courtyard in Youquan Division remains unchanged.

As Yi Yang pushed open the courtyard gate, he heard the sounds of weapons clashing coming from the backyard. The sounds were crisp and clear, with two opposing forces colliding repeatedly within a small area.

One of them was Liu Qing's; he recognized it.

The other aura was much weaker than Liu Qing's, but it flowed smoothly and changed moves very quickly.

It is Yuexin.

Yi Yang didn't say anything, but carried the sword box and stood at the base of the wall in the backyard.

In the courtyard, Jiang Yuexin was sparring with Liu Qing, wielding a sharp-edged longsword.

She was wearing a light blue training shirt, her hair was tied into a ponytail with a cloth strip, and her forehead was covered in sweat.

The sword technique followed the moves of the Xuan Tian Dao Xin Shu (Mysterious Heaven Dao Heart Book), with agile footwork. He circled around Liu Qing, cutting in and finding the right angle to strike.

Liu Qing only used 30% of her strength to deal with the situation, but her attacks were all placed in tricky positions, specifically targeting the gaps in Yue Xin's moves to counterattack, forcing her to make judgments under pressure.

Forced back two steps, Jiang Yuexin kicked her left foot backward, lowering her body by half a foot to slip under Liu Qing's sword, and then swung her sword backhand.

Good angle.

But Liu Qing's right hand was already waiting there, and with a gentle tap of the spine of his sword, he deflected Yue Xin's sword.

"Sheath." Liu Qing sheathed his sword.

Jiang Yuexin was panting heavily, supporting herself on her knees and bending over.

"Sister Liu Qing, did you deliberately wait for me to do that last bump?"

"Hmm." Liu Qing's tone was as cold as she was. "Before you swing your sword backhand, your right shoulder drops half an inch. That's too much of a movement."

Jiang Yuexin said "oh" and was about to write down this problem when she caught a glimpse of someone standing at the base of the wall.

She paused for a moment, stunned.

Then the sword slipped from my hand.

"grandfather!"

The sound shattered the silence of the courtyard. Jiang Yuexin rushed over like a gust of wind, stopped abruptly in front of Yi Yang, clutching her sleeves with both hands. Her eyes were red but she didn't shed a tear, and she took a couple of deep sniffs.

"Why didn't you tell me you were coming back!"

She complained, but didn't move an inch, her eyes scanning Yi Yang from head to toe.

Yi Yang looked at her.

He'd grown a little over half an inch taller than when we last met, his baby fat had lessened, and his chin had become more defined. He'd worked up a sweat practicing, and stray hairs clung to his skin, his nose was red.

"You've lost weight," Yi Yang said.

Jiang Yuexin's nose stung again, and she pouted.

"No, I ate a lot. Sister Liu Qing watches me eat every day."

Liu Qing nodded beside him, which served as corroboration.

Yi Yang handed the sword box to Yue Xin.

"I bought this for you."

Jiang Yuexin looked at the sword box, then at Yi Yang, and took it to open it.

The silver-white blade of "Fallen Petals" gleamed with a bluish light in the sunlight. The magnolia-shaped hilt was so exquisite that she dared not even touch it with her fingers.

She opened her mouth as if to say something, her lips moved twice, and finally a sentence popped out.

"This must be expensive!"

really.

Yi Yang knew she would say that. He reached out and pressed Yue Xin's head down. "Your grandfather is now the deputy chief inspector; he can afford it."

When Jiang Yuexin heard Yi Yang say that, she grinned, revealing two small tiger teeth. Her smile was so clean that it didn't seem like someone living in this chaotic world.

The two sat down at the stone table in the courtyard. Liu Qing tactfully withdrew from the courtyard, giving the grandfather and grandson space to talk.

Yi Yang took the candied hawthorn out of his ring and handed it to Yue Xin. It was wrapped in oil paper and wasn't too melted yet.

Jiang Yuexin took the bamboo skewer and paused for a moment, her grip tightening around it.

She lowered her head and took a bite.

"Sweet."

The voice was muffled, as if afraid of being overheard.

Without looking at her expression, Yi Yang asked with concern, "Yue Xin, how far have you progressed in your cultivation?"

Jiang Yuexin sniffed, raised her head, her face still flushed, but her tone had already switched to boastful mode.

"First level of internal energy!"

She held up a finger and waved it in front of Yi Yang, "And I'm not far from the second level. Sister Liu Qing said I'll be able to touch the threshold in another half month."

Yi Yang raised an eyebrow.

Two months ago, Yuexin was only at the sixth level of Qi and Blood, but now her strength has reached the first level of Inner Qi, and she is almost at the threshold of the second level.

Martial Bone's talent is indeed terrifying.

"Want to spar with Grandpa?" Yi Yang asked, looking at her.

Jiang Yuexin's eyes lit up; these were the words she had been waiting for.

"May I?"

She finished biting into the remaining candied hawthorns, then jumped up to pick up the sharp blade she used for practicing martial arts from the ground.

The two distanced themselves in the middle of the yard.

Yi Yang stood empty-handed, without pulling out Xuan Yuan or even channeling his true energy. He suppressed his cultivation to the first level of inner energy and waited for Yue Xin to make the first move.

Jiang Yuexin took a deep breath and stepped forward.

The first sword strike aimed at Yi Yang's right rib. The speed was not slow, and the angle was rather tricky, but the pattern of the technique was still evident.

Yi Yang stepped aside to let him pass.

Yue Xin didn't stop. She shifted her feet and circled around to his side, the sword blade drawing an arc as it sliced ​​across his waist.

This is not something you learn from textbooks.

Her figure didn't stop at the fixed point of the move, but adjusted the angle of her sword strike according to the direction of Yi Yang's dodge, as if she was running along his movement path.

Yi Yang raised his eyebrows again.

The third sword strike, delivered from below, included a feint. Yuexin's sword tip pointed to the left, but her feet moved to the right, her final attack slicing in from the right.

Yi Yang stretched out two fingers and pinched the sword.

It's not that her techniques are bad, it's that her actual strength is far inferior.

But Yi Yang was indeed somewhat surprised.

After three moves, this girl's combat awareness was far better than he had expected. She changed moves decisively, without dragging things out, and if she missed, she would change angles. She didn't have the academic tendency to rigidly follow through on every move.

"Grandpa! Use a knife!" Jiang Yuexin stomped her foot in dissatisfaction.

Yi Yang smiled and casually picked up a chopstick from the stone table to use as a knife.

For the next dozen or so moves, Yi Yang gently guided Yue Xin with chopsticks, focusing on defense rather than offense, allowing her to fully utilize her abilities.

Jiang Yuexin became more and more excited as she fought, combining the moves from the Xuan Tian Dao Xin Shu with the variations she had figured out herself, making them fluid and flexible.

With her final strike, she feinted, fooling Yi Yang's chopsticks, the tip of her sword grazing his sleeve.

Although they didn't run into anyone, it was still an excellent performance.

"Put it away." Yi Yang put away his chopsticks.

Jiang Yuexin was panting, her forehead covered in sweat again. She stood there for a couple of breaths, supporting herself with her sword, when suddenly her face fell.

"It's so far away."

Her voice trailed off.

"I tried so hard, but even when I fought with Grandpa, I still couldn't reach anything."

Yi Yang looked at her without saying a word.

"I've heard about what happened recently." Jiang Yuexin lowered her head, twisting the sword tassel between her fingers. "The fighting at Xuanjian Pavilion was so fierce, and you went to kill the abbot of Jinyang Temple. I heard that person is very powerful."

Her voice grew softer and softer.

"I can't even help, I can only wait here."

Yi Yang walked over and placed his hand on her head to comfort her, saying, "Your grandfather is more powerful than you think, you'll be fine."

Jiang Yuexin looked up at him with bright, sparkling eyes.

"Besides, I have the Chief Inspector above me. With that official's abilities, the entire Suining Prefecture can't be turned upside down."

Jiang Yuexin's lips twitched, and she looked at him with a mixture of belief and doubt.

"real?"

"real."

Her expression relaxed, her mouth twitched slightly, then she quickly closed it again, pretending not to be smiling.

Taking the opportunity, Yi Yang asked, "Was it Liu Qing who taught you the actual combat?"

"Yes! Sister Liu Qing practices with me every day. She says that moves are static, but people are dynamic. In a life-or-death battle, you can't follow the manual."

It really was Liu Qing.

Yi Yang nodded inwardly. Liu Qing had followed Yan Wuyuan for many years, and the people of Youquan Division were adept at flexibility and surprise attacks. Using this method to lead Yue Xin was more suitable than his own head-on approach.

Dinner was prepared by Yuexin.

A simple four-dish meal with soup: a plate of braised pork ribs, a plate of stir-fried vegetables, a bowl of steamed eggs, a plate of pickled cucumbers, and a pot of chicken soup.

The food was much better than what I had in Miki Village.

Yi Yang picked up a piece of pork rib, put it in his mouth, and chewed it a couple of times.

"His skills have improved."

Jiang Yuexin's lips curled up, but she didn't mince words.

"It was Sister Liu Qing who taught me, not you."

The two sat facing each other eating, the lamplight casting their shadows on the wall, one large and one small, swaying back and forth.

As Yi Yang ate, things were swirling in his mind.

Yue Xin's progress is too fast. With her martial arts talent and the Xuan Tian Dao Xin Book taught by Yan Wuyuan, she encountered almost no setbacks in the Qi and Blood Chapter and the Inner Qi Chapter. There are probably only a handful of people with this kind of talent in the entire Sui Ning Prefecture.

But problems followed.

The martial arts techniques he possessed—Nine Peaks Saber Technique, Four Symbols Six Harmonies Saber, and Profound Intent Calamity-Destroying Finger—all followed a grand and sweeping style. They were either purely forceful or insidious and ruthless, which wouldn't be suitable for Yue Xin to practice.

Her physical condition and personality traits are more suited to a flexible and versatile playing style. The style that Liu Qing used when training her in actual matches was quite suitable.

Moreover, Yuexin's foundation is now extremely solid, so she can't be fooled by ordinary martial arts. What she needs is something of a high enough level that can accompany her to go further.

However, even the armory of the Sui Ning Prefecture's Heavenly Patrol Division might not have a suitable technique of this level.

Yi Yang picked up a piece of green vegetable with his chopsticks, chewed it, and thought to himself:

Over in Qingzhou City...

Yan Wuyuan went to Qingzhou. She has connections there, and given how much she values ​​Yuexin, it's not impossible for her to help find suitable cultivation methods.

When she gets back, I can mention it.

"grandfather?"

Jiang Yuexin's voice pulled him back from his thoughts.

"Um?"

"You're thinking about something again." Yuexin pouted and pushed the chicken soup in front of him. "Don't think about anything else while you're eating. Drink the soup."

Yi Yang picked up the bowl and took a sip.

The chicken soup was simmered until thick and the saltiness was just right.

He looked at the little face across from him, intently watching him drink his soup, and suddenly felt—

He walked from Sanmu Village to Suining Prefecture City, from a sixty-year-old woodcutter to the commander of the Zhenfu Guard.

The number of people killed was piled up like mountains, and the number of corpses trampled on was countless.

But as soon as I return to this room, sit at this table, and see this girl sitting across from me...

With family by my side, it's all worth it.