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

As soon as the morning light crept over the courtyard wall, Yi Yang had already been standing in the small courtyard for half an hour.

The circulation path of "Horizontal Martial Body Refinement" is extremely special. Instead of circulating internal energy in a large loop, it is broken down into strands and poured into the gaps between the skin and bones.

The numbers on Yi Yang's cultivation panel were changing.

[Entry-level Martial Body Training: 2140/3000]

With a sixty-fold boost, the progress of this superior hard skill is ridiculously fast.

At this rate, he'll be able to master this technique by tomorrow. At that time, his physical defense will be on another level, and even if he takes a direct hit from someone at the same level of Inner Qi Realm, they might not be able to break through his skin.

After completing the final cycle of internal energy circulation, Yi Yang slowly exhaled a breath of stale air and opened his eyes to look at the morning glow.

The morning air, carrying the coolness of dew, filled his lungs. He stretched his shoulders and neck, feeling quite satisfied with the subtle yet resilient sensation on his skin.

"Grandpa, dinner's ready."

Just then, Jiang Yuexin's voice came from the direction of the kitchen, followed by the soft clinking of bowls and chopsticks and the bubbling sound of porridge boiling in the pot.

Yi Yang withdrew his inner energy, his thoughtful expression replaced by a gentle one, and turned to walk towards the stone table, just like an ordinary old man.

Jiang Yuexin from the kitchen came out carrying a tray with two bowls of white porridge, a dish of pickled vegetables, and a few pieces of pickled radish on it.

This breakfast couldn't be simpler.

"The porridge is thick today."

Yi Yang sat down, picked up a spoon, stirred it, and then said...

"I put in more than half a handful of rice. You said it was too watery yesterday," Jiang Yuexin said softly as she sat down opposite them, blowing on the hot rice to cool it down.

The grandfather and grandson quietly ate porridge in the morning light.

Occasionally, the sounds of neighbors splashing water and sweeping could be heard outside the courtyard wall. In the alley, early risers selling tofu would pass by with their carrying poles creaking.

Yunlin County was unusually calm at this moment, as if it were a world apart from the bloodbath two days ago.

Yi Yang drank most of the bowl, put down the spoon, and was about to reach for some pickled vegetables—

Knock knock knock.

There was a knock on the courtyard gate.

The force was not strong, the rhythm was slow, and it had a somewhat hesitant feel to it.

This caused Yi Yang's spoon to stop in mid-air.

The internal energy circulates within the body, and one's senses silently expand, reaching beyond the courtyard wall.

Yi Yang sensed two people outside the door. The one in front still had a strong foundation, but his aura was weak and feeble, like an oil lamp that was about to burn out, barely able to emit a little light.

The one behind showed no signs of cultivation; he was just an ordinary person.

The one walking in front is Shi Yixun.

Behind them is Liu Fu, the steward who had met Yi Yang a few times.

Upon seeing these two, Yi Yang put the spoon back into the bowl, and the gentle smile on his face faded slightly.

Noticing Yi Yang's situation, Jiang Yuexin also looked up, her chopsticks hovering above the rim of her bowl, and asked in a low voice, "Grandpa, should I go open it?"

"You eat yours."

Yi Yang waved his hand, stood up by supporting himself on the table, and walked slowly towards the back of the courtyard gate.

The bolt was pulled open, and the two wooden doors slid inwards.

Seeing Yi Xun standing outside the door made Yi Yang pause for a moment.

After not seeing him for half a month, my younger brother had lost a lot of weight and was no longer as plump as before.

His cheekbones were prominent, his eye sockets were sunken, and there were heavy dark circles under his eyes. Despite wearing a fine gray silk robe, the clothes looked loose and empty, as if they had been borrowed from someone else.

The steward, Liu Fu, followed behind, carrying two jars of wine in his left hand and a food box in his right, keeping his eyes down and not daring to lift his head.

When Yi Xun saw that it was Yi Yang who opened the door, the corner of his mouth twitched twice, and finally he forced a smile and said:

"Big brother."

He cupped his hands in a respectful gesture, his voice clearly ingratiating: "Your younger brother has come to offer his congratulations."

Yi Yang leaned against the door frame, neither making way nor returning the greeting, but simply looked him up and down.

Feeling uncomfortable under his gaze, Yi Xun noticed that Yi Yang was still holding the bowl of porridge. He quickly moved the wine in his hand forward, then pointed to the food box in Liu Fu's hand and said in a faster voice:

"This is Fu Man Lou's signature dish, and there are two jars of aged Shaoxing wine. Brother, why are you eating this porridge so early in the morning? Come on, come on—"

"I'm used to it."

Ignoring Yi Xun's respect, Yi Yang turned and walked into the courtyard after finishing his sentence, leaving the two people standing there dumbfounded at the door.

Yi Xun stood frozen at the doorway, still holding the wine jar in his hand.

Hot porridge with pickled vegetables.

His elder brother is now both the owner of Qianyang Tower and the head of Nancheng, a person personally summoned by Director Qi, yet his breakfast is still hot porridge and pickled vegetables.

Yi Xun handed the wine jar to Liu Fu and then went into the courtyard.

He took a couple of steps and then stopped, adding, "Yes, yes, hot porridge is good for the stomach, and pickled vegetables are good for the appetite. This is better than the greasy food in restaurants."

The words he said were disgusting to himself.

Yi Yang had already sat back down at the stone table, picked up his bowl of porridge and continued drinking. When he saw the two people walk in, he raised his chin and gestured towards the empty stone bench opposite him.

After receiving a signal from Yi Yang, Yi Xun walked over in small steps and sat down in front of the stool.

Upon seeing that the guest who entered was Yi Xun, Jiang Yuexin looked up and gripped her chopsticks tightly.

Her eyes revealed her undisguised attitude, but the upbringing Yi Yang had instilled in her prevented her from directly expressing her dissatisfaction.

Seeing this, Yi Yang coughed.

Jiang Yuexin withdrew her gaze, put down her chopsticks, stood up, and said softly, "I'm going back to my room." She turned and went into her room, closing the door a little harder than usual.

Now there are only three people left in the courtyard.

Yi Xun looked helplessly at the closed door, then at Yi Yang who was slowly drinking porridge in front of him, his lips moving several times.

"Brother, I've heard about what happened the other day."

He rubbed his hands together, the fabric on his knees creased from his grip, and said with difficulty:

"I heard you killed the Grand Deacon of the Nine Evil Sects and were even personally summoned by Director Qi... Brother, you are truly... remarkable, truly remarkable."

Yi Yang put the last mouthful of porridge into his mouth, wiped his mouth with a handkerchief, and said slowly:

"Um."

Just one word.

Seeing Yi Yang's attitude, Yi Xun's smile froze, but he shamelessly continued, "My younger brother was ignorant and blind before. Thinking about it now, it's really... sigh."

Yi Yang still didn't respond. He pushed the empty bowl aside, poured himself a cup of tea, and slowly blew on it to warm it up.

This silence is more agonizing than being insulted.

Yi Xun finally couldn't hold back any longer. He stood up abruptly, took a step back, and bent down in front of Yi Yang.

"Big brother!"

Izuru's voice trembled as he said, "My brother has come here to ask you for a favor!"

Yi Yang held his teacup without moving, continuing to listen quietly.

Yi Xun straightened up, then bent down again, and then straightened up again.

He bowed twice, as if trying to bolster his courage, and finally stood still, gritting his teeth as he forced out the words:

"Zhan Zhi... Zhan Zhi's bones and muscles are broken. The doctor in the county said that only a rare-grade elixir of healing can save him."

"Brother, you're currently in the Sky Patrol Division... you might come into contact with these things... I beg you, Zhanzhi, for help."

Finally, Yi Yang's gaze left the teacup and landed on Yi Xun's gaunt face, but he didn't say anything.

Yi Xun's lips trembled. He knew he had no right to speak, but he did anyway, continuing:

"All the grudges in this life are due to my younger brother's mistakes back then."

"Back then, my parents gave me everything, and I didn't stop them... I didn't visit you for decades afterward; that was heartless of me... I led people to rob your house half a year ago; that was greed... I made Liu Fu read out those five taels of silver in public at the apprenticeship banquet; that was saving face and being shameless..."

With each story he recounted, his knees had to drop an inch lower.

In the end, he knelt on the ground and said in a trembling voice, "Big brother, I did all these scumbag things. You can hit me or scold me, I'll accept it."

"But Zhanzhi is only seventeen years old..."

"He's still a child..."

The courtyard fell silent; no one spoke, except for the faint sound of Izuru weeping.

Seeing his younger brother in this state, Yi Yang sat at the stone table with a teacup beside him, neither nodding nor shaking his head.

Looking at Yi Xun's half-dead state, he felt a surge of emotions.

It wasn't exactly a pleasant experience.

Forty-four years ago, sixteen-year-old Yi Yang stood at the door of the main room, listening to his parents allocate all the resources to his younger brother, without anyone asking him a single question.

At that time, he was just a child.

Is it ironic? Yes, it is.

But that's about it.

Yi Yang picked up his teacup, took a sip, and was about to say something—

Knock knock.

The gate rang again.