All-class Gu Immortal

Chapter 17 Gratitude and Repayment: Zhou Wenhuai
Zhou Qing squeezed hard.

"what!"

The man, who was more than half a head taller than him, cried out in pain, his face contorted in agony.

"Damn it, who dares?" Zhang Cheng's expression was sinister, and the scar on his face twitched. But when he saw that the person who made the move was Zhou Qing, his expression changed completely.

"Who do we have here? It's Brother Aqing!"

Hearing Zhang Cheng's polite words, the man next to him who was about to attack Zhou Qing paused and did not throw a punch.

"Let go! My hand is going to break!" the man who was being held by Zhou Qing cried out.

"Let go first!" Zhou Qing said with a stern face.

"Let go! Let go!" The man released his grip.

"What? Is this old man a relative of Brother Aqing?" Zhang Cheng smiled when he saw that Zhou Qing was being somewhat confrontational.

"I remember that setting up a stall on this street didn't seem to require permission from the Wild Wolf Gang, right?"

Zhou Qing said in a deep voice.

“People from this town certainly don’t need it, but this old man is from the next village, so it’s different,” Zhang Cheng said with a smile.

Without Xu Lin backing him up, although he was still wary of Zhou Qing's background from the Baiyun Martial Arts School, he wouldn't back down in front of his underlings.

Seeing this, the old woman standing behind Zhou Qing gently tugged at his clothes, clearly not wanting him to get into a conflict with the Wild Wolf Gang.

“Grandma, don’t be afraid, there’s no such logic to it.” Zhou Qing gestured for the grandma to let him handle it.

"According to you, my family used to be from Caisang Village, but we moved to the town less than two years ago, so we shouldn't be considered locals anymore?"
"Will I have to pay you stall fees once I break through and become a martial artist?"

Upon hearing Zhou Qing's words, Zhang Cheng and the other two's expressions instantly changed.

"Ah Qing is joking. Since this old man is related to you, how could we possibly accept his money!"

Zhang Cheng said with a smile.

"Brother Aqing, you really are exceptionally talented! I didn't expect you to be so confident in breaking through the training grounds after only a few days at the martial arts school."

"You don't need to worry about that," Zhou Qing said firmly.

As long as they were in town, not only Zhang Cheng, but even Zhang Jian wouldn't dare to lay a hand on him.

As for outside the town, once inside the mountains with the assistance of the Green Silk Gu, what can a Skin Refining Realm martial artist do?

Even the senior disciples at the White Cloud Martial Arts Academy who had reached the Flesh Refining Realm were still in excruciating pain and trembling all over when faced with the Great Heavenly Dragon's Venomous Hand.

The combination of Green Silk Gu and poison is hard to say against a Flesh Refining Realm warrior, but it's more than enough to easily defeat a Skin Refining Realm warrior.

Especially after the Green Silk Gu entered its mature stage yesterday, Zhou Qing felt much stronger after waking up today. With the same amount of sleep, he was exceptionally energetic.

My muscles used to be very sore the day after I finished working, but now, after a good night's sleep, they're almost completely recovered.

"In that case, I wish Brother Aqing a speedy breakthrough. Let's go!"

Zhang Cheng's smile remained unchanged. He waved to his two henchmen beside him, turned around, and left, quite decisively.

“Good boy, this old woman is already halfway to her grave. You don’t need to get involved with these people.” The old woman was full of worry. She could tell that Zhou Qing was just bluffing.

"Grandma, please sit down." Zhou Qing helped the old woman sit down and tidied up the vegetable basket that had been kicked over.

"Damn it! That little bastard Zhou Qing, I don't know where he got the money to learn martial arts. If he really gets ahead, he'll be riding on my head from now on!"

As Zhang Cheng left the market, his face darkened, and he muttered curses under his breath.

"Brother Cheng, could it be that Third Master was tricked to death by this kid? Otherwise, where did this kid get the money? His gambling-addicted father just died, and the money from selling silkworms was taken by Third Master..."

Zhang Cheng's henchman spoke up in a low voice.

A few days ago, Zhang Dahai suddenly made a fortune and drank heavily for several days, which made them extremely envious.

At the time, they speculated that Zhang Dahai had pushed Zhou Xian into the pond and drowned him.

Therefore, it seems possible that Zhang Dahai's death is related to Zhou Qing.

"Whether it's true or not, we have to teach this kid a lesson. Or we should find a chance to take him down!" the man who had almost had his wrist broken by Zhou Qing said viciously.

"Are you out of your mind?! Third Brother just died a few days ago, and now so many eyes are watching. If you do something in town and get caught, people will think I killed Third Brother."

Zhang Cheng slapped the man on the head.

"Brother Cheng, I've heard lately that this kid is bringing back a lot of poisonous creatures every day. He's eating meat every meal now, and his life couldn't be more comfortable. If he really breaks through his cultivation barrier and becomes a martial artist, our lives probably won't be so easy," the man added.

"Keep your eyes peeled! Once this kid gets into the mountains, I'll show him what I'm capable of!"

Zhang Cheng sneered.

"No problem, Brother Cheng. I'll break his arms and legs!" The man's eyes were filled with murderous intent.

the other side.

"I can't sell vegetables today, so I have to find other work."

The old woman carefully picked up the trampled vegetable leaves and put them into her basket, then, with her back hunched, she picked up her load.

"Grandma." Zhou Qing felt a lump in her throat as she looked at the old woman's limping, frail figure.

While I was helping the old lady tidy up her stall, the two of us chatted briefly.

He learned that the old woman had been a maid in the household of a wealthy man in Asakawa County in her early years, specializing in weaving and sewing. Later, she caught the eye of the landlord's eldest son and became his concubine, but unexpectedly, several of his concubines conspired to frame her for having an affair with a servant.

Eventually, she had her leg broken and was driven out of the county town. She begged her way to the county seat, where she married a hunter.

They were able to make a living, but one day the hunter went up the mountain to hunt and never returned.

She could only raise her son by spinning, sewing, and washing clothes for others.

She finally waited until her son grew up, but then famine and plague struck Qianchuan County, forcing her to flee with her son to Nanli County.

After she settled down in Ping'an County, under Nanli Prefecture, her son was forcibly conscripted into the Shuntian Prefecture army. Smallpox then took away her young grandson. Overwhelmed with grief, her daughter-in-law became bedridden.

Unexpectedly, just six months later, news of her son's death arrived. He had died in battle against the Wuxi Mountain barbarians, without even receiving any compensation. Upon hearing the news, her daughter-in-law wept bitterly and died.

Later, she was targeted by local bullies and had to flee the county, ending up in Caisang Village near Heishan Town.

As she got older, she wasn't as agile as before, so she naturally couldn't compete with younger women in textile and sewing work. She could only clear out the neglected corners of the fields that others didn't want, grow some vegetables, and make a living by washing clothes for others.

Recently, there has been no washing or mending work to do, and the tidied-up corners of the abandoned fields have been taken back, so she brought the last of her fresh vegetables to town to sell.

Unexpectedly, Zhang Cheng and his group approached her, demanding a stall fee. When she couldn't pay, they overturned her stall, trampling most of her baskets of vegetables.

When she said these things, her expression was very calm, as if none of it concerned her.

Zhou Qing offered her money, but she refused.

When asked to buy her vegetables, she said she never sells spoiled vegetables to anyone.

Zhou Qing didn't know how to help her.

"Good child, go on." The old woman turned around halfway and smiled at Zhou Qing on her weathered and wrinkled face.

Zhou Qing felt a tightness in her chest.

He suddenly strode forward.

"Child, don't worry about me. Just live your own life. You have a long time ahead of you," the old woman said earnestly.

"Grandma, you have no relatives. My parents are both dead. If you don't mind, I'd like to take care of you in your old age."

Zhou Qing looked earnest.

"Good child, how can you do this?" The old woman's eyes reddened, unable to believe it.

“When I could no longer hold on, you gave me a cornbread. I have no money to repay your kindness, so I will repay you with half a lifetime of care.”

As he spoke, Zhou Qing knelt down and kowtowed three times to the old woman.

"From now on, you are my family."

"Get up! Get up quickly! Good child, you are such a good child." The old woman wiped away her tears and helped Zhou Qing up with all her might.

"Come on, Grandma. Let's go home." Zhou Qing picked up the vegetable basket for Grandma.

"Go home. Go home." The old woman kept wiping away her tears, but she couldn't wipe them away completely.

Soon, the two figures disappeared at the end of the street.

"Did I hear correctly?"

"Ah Qing is going to support that old woman who washed clothes? Just because of a cornbread?"

"A single meal's kindness deserves a thousand pieces of gold in return, and half a lifetime of care is required."

The onlookers couldn't help but marvel.

In a world like this, it's unbelievable that someone like Zhou Qing exists.

Some people think he's foolish, an added burden who will surely have a hard time in the future.

However, whether people think Zhou Qing is grateful or they think he is foolish, they probably can't deny that they hope to meet someone like him.

In the afternoon, Zhou Qing went to Baiyun Martial Arts School to practice stance training.

"Hey! Brother Wenhuai is here!"

As soon as he entered the courtyard, Xu Lin came up to him, greeting him with a smile.

“Aqing.”

"Junior Brother Zhou."

Most of the apprentices and senior disciples present greeted him, and even those who didn't speak nodded in acknowledgment.

"Senior Brother Xu, what Wen Huai?" Zhou Qing asked, completely bewildered.

"Ah Qing did a great thing today! A meal's kindness deserves a thousand pieces of gold in return! You're no less righteous than Song Wenhuai of the previous dynasty." Xu Lin's smile became much warmer, and he changed his address from Junior Brother Zhou to Ah Qing.

"Senior Brother Xu, please stop making fun of me." Zhou Qing didn't expect the news to spread so quickly.

"Come on, today I, your senior brother, will personally guide you."

Xu Lin smiled broadly.

"Then thank you very much, Senior Brother Xu." Zhou Qing clasped his hands in thanks, even though he would rather learn from Wei Hongyu.

"Your stance training is not yet up to par."

At that moment, a calm and pleasant voice rang out from behind the two of them.

Wei Hongyu came out from the backyard.

"Senior Sister." Zhou Qing quickly clasped his hands in a fist salute to Wei Hongyu.

"Okay, let's start practicing." Wei Hongyu smiled slightly.

"Shoulders and hips should align, elbows and knees should align, hands and feet should align; movements should be standard, but the body should not be too stiff."

"Yes, remember this feeling, and experience it with your heart."

"Adjust your breathing and try to feel the presence of 'qi'."

Wei Hongyu seemed unusually serious today.

[Progress: Beginner (79/800)]

In just one afternoon, Zhou Qing's progress on the Baiyun Stakes doubled compared to before.

PS: The initial plot setup is almost done, let's get started! Please continue reading!

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(End of this chapter)