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

The entrance to Sanmu Village was even more bustling than a market day today.

The dirt road was crowded with people; the elderly leaned on canes, the young stood on tiptoe, and the children clung to the adults' trouser legs to peek out.

In the distance, horses' hooves kicked up yellow dust.

Four horses came from the other end of the official road. Leading the way was a constable dressed in a dark blue-black uniform, with a knife at his waist and his back ramrod straight. The horse beneath him was shiny and its mane was so powerful that even the village's yellow dogs tucked their tails between their legs and retreated to the wall.

Village chief Yang Shuyu stood at the village entrance early in the morning.

Today he specially changed into a clean long gown, and his beard was neatly combed. When he saw people approaching, he quickly went to greet them, bowing even lower than when he usually offered incense to his ancestors.

"Officer Wang, thank you for your hard work!"

Yang Shuyu clasped his hands together, his face wrinkled up in one spot.

"Our Sanmu Village has been terrified by those snakes in the mountains these past few days. If a rooster crows twice at night, everyone has to jump out of bed. Your arrival has truly saved the lives of our entire village."

Wang Yue reined in his horse.

He was in his early thirties, with a long face and narrow eyes. He wasn't particularly fierce, but he had a tough air about him that came from working in a government office.

Wang Yue dismounted, cupped his hands in return, and said modestly, "Village Chief, you're too kind. Chief Yang instructed us that there are snakes infesting Qingmu Mountain, and we can't let them go unchecked. We've come to check the situation and will try to get rid of them if we can, to avoid harming anyone."

That's a well-said statement.

The villagers felt somewhat relieved after hearing this.

Someone muttered under their breath, "People from the city are different; they speak with such composure."

Yang Er squeezed out from the crowd.

Today he wore a silk short shirt, his belly so big that the shirt was tight, and his flesh jiggled as he walked, yet he still tried to put on the airs of a great man.

"Uncle Shuyu, let me introduce you."

Yang Er pointed at Wang Yue, raising his voice so loudly that he wanted the entire next village to hear.

"This Constable Wang Yue is my brother's right-hand man in the county! He usually helps my brother with cases, and he's really skilled. For a matter like this in our village, it's like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut."

Wang Yue waved his hand and said, "Brother Yang flatters me. I am merely following the orders of the squad leader; I am hardly a capable or valiant general."

The words were meant to be modest, but the villagers took them very differently.

"Wow, Grandpa Yang is really something these days."

"That's right, we have constables under our command now."

"Second Master Yang, your Yang family's ancestral graves are emitting auspicious smoke."

A few words of flattery drifted over, and Yang Er felt as light as a feather.

He put his hands on his stomach, his nostrils almost pointing to the sky.

"Oh, not at all. It's just that my brother is capable. You can't get anywhere in that county without some skills." "If anyone needs anything, feel free to come to me."

These words left many people feeling uneasy.

Should we look for Yang Er if something goes wrong?

How could the villagers not know Yang Er's true nature?

The villagers, who had initially wanted to get closer to see the martial artists in the city, gradually lost their enthusiasm.

The hustle and bustle at the village entrance faded quickly.

Just moments ago, the place was packed with people, but soon only a few thugs around Yang Er remained, along with some people who wanted to curry favor with the Yang family.

Yang Shuyu, feeling embarrassed, coughed twice.

"Officer Wang has come from afar, go and rest first. We can discuss the matters in the mountains tomorrow."

Yang Er quickly replied.

"Yes, yes, Brother Wang, come to my house first. I've prepared some wine and food. It's just simple food in the village, so please don't mind."

Wang Yue nodded. "Thank you for your help, Brother Yang."

Upon hearing this, Yang Er's fat face lit up a bit.

The group headed towards Yang Er's house.

The main house of Yang Er's family.

The table was laden with dishes.

The whole braised goose is served, its skin glossy yellow; the braised pork is cut into thick slices and neatly arranged; there is also braised pork hock, pickled pheasant, peanuts, and a jar of fine wine brought from town.

This table, if placed in Sanmu Village, would make many families talk about it for half a year.

Yang Er personally poured the wine, his fat hands gripping the wine pot, his attentiveness no different from that of a waiter in a restaurant.

"Brother Wang, you must be tired from your journey. Here's something to eat. It's nothing special, but conditions in the village are poor, so please make do."

Wang Yue took a sip from his cup, his gaze sweeping over the dishes, neither praising nor criticizing them.

Three of his men sat at the lower end of the table.

The bearded man was the most restless, his eyes constantly drifting towards the braised pork knuckle, but he didn't touch his chopsticks first.

The thin-faced young man lowered his head and placed his hand on his knee.

The third burly man was even more silent, sitting there as if the door panel had come to life.

Yang Er closed the door tightly and then propped a board up the window to block it.

The room was filled with the smell of steam and meat, greasy and cloying, making one feel stuffy in the chest.

He lowered his voice, his face full of urgency. "Brother Wang, did my brother tell you anything else?"

Wang Yue put down his wine cup, picked up a slice of braised meat, chewed it a few times, and then spoke.

"Yang, the squad leader, has confessed."

Yang Er's eyes lit up, and he leaned forward, his belly touching the edge of the table, causing the wine cups on the table to sway.

"What did you say?"

Wang Yue wiped the oil stains from his lips with a cloth, speaking casually, as if he were talking about the weather.

"Get rid of the snake is the important thing. But the squad leader also brought up the matter of that old man."

Wang Yue tapped the table twice with his chopsticks.

"The foreman said we'll bring that old man up the mountain tomorrow. Once we're there, we'll find a chance to get some answers from him. If we can't get anything out of him..."

The second half of the sentence was left unfinished.

But everyone inside understood, and even Wang Yue's three subordinates, who weren't quite aware of the situation, remained silent.

Yang Er slapped his thigh, causing his fat to jiggle.

"Good! Good! Brother Wang is very straightforward in his dealings."

He picked up the wine pot and refilled Wang Yue's cup, not bothering to wipe up the spilled wine.

"In the deep mountains, whether she falls into a ditch or gets bitten by a snake, who knows? In the end, that little girl will be all alone and helpless, at the mercy of others. We don't need to worry about that blockhead anymore."

When Yang Er spoke of Jiang Yuexin, he licked his teeth with his tongue, and the filth in his eyes was impossible to hide.

The bearded man paused, his chopsticks still.

Young people with slim faces should press their eyelids down.

The veins on the back of the silent, burly man's hand bulged, then slowly relaxed.

Wang Yue's hand, which was picking up food, never stopped.

He had witnessed far too much filth in the county government.

Some of it is rotten; it's stinking water from a ditch.

Some people are so bad that they sit in front of others dressed in silk and expect others to praise their fragrance.

Yang Er was the latter, and coincidentally, this fat worm was surnamed Yang and was Yang Da's younger brother.

Yang Er rubbed his hands together and said, "I'll leave this to Brother Wang. He truly lives up to my brother's high regard! You'll definitely get your share of the rewards once it's done."

Wang Yue nodded. "Do as the foreman instructs."

After a few rounds of drinks, Yang Er boasted about his connections in the county, and in the end, he almost made Yang Da sound like the county magistrate's own son.

Wang Yue listened, occasionally responding with a word.

As the sky began to set in the west, Yang Er arranged for the four people to stay in an empty house in the east of the village.

The original owner and his family moved away many years ago. The house is old, but at least it is clean. The bedding has been laid out in advance, and the water tank has been filled.

"We'll depart around noon tomorrow."

Wang Yue said, "The morning fog is heavy and the mountain path is slippery. Once the fog dissipates, the snake tracks will be easier to spot."

Yang Er nodded hurriedly.

"Brother Wang has thought this through very well."

The four left Yang Er's house and walked along the village path.

The sun hung low in the sky, and the cicadas' chirping made one's brain ache.

The bearded man, who had been holding back his anger the whole way, finally couldn't help but curse in a low voice.

"That fat pig is disgusting. He acts like a landlord in the village just because he's Yang Bantou's name. I feel sick of eating his food."

The thin-faced young man sneered.

"Did you see that? When he talks about that girl from Old Man Yi's family, his eyes are practically glued to her. She's worse than a pig or a dog, and she just happens to have the surname Yang."

The third burly man spat on the ground.

Wang Yue stopped and looked back at the three of them. "Watch your mouth."

The three stopped talking.

Wang Yue said, "It's none of our business what kind of person Yang Er is. Just do what Yang the foreman asked you to do, and go back to the county to collect your reward. Don't get involved in anything else."

The bearded man lowered his head.

"Yes."

Wang Yue turned around and continued walking. Although dealing with an old man was despicable, as long as he could make him crawl, everything else was not a problem.

The next morning.

Yang Er had someone beat a gong to summon all the villagers to the village entrance. The villagers arrived slowly, their faces showing reluctance.

The snake incident is a village matter, but going up the mountain to your death is another matter entirely.

Yang Er stood beside a large stone at the village entrance, hands on his hips.

"What are you all dawdling for? Constable Wang needs someone to lead the way into the mountains to get rid of snakes, right? You all say you're afraid of snakes all the time, but now that the city police are here, you're all shrinking back?"

No one answered. The hunters in the village had already agreed to send people up the mountain, so why were they causing trouble this morning?

"After the hunters are gone, we need to send more people."

Wang Yue stood to the side, his hand on the hilt of his knife, ignoring the villagers' hushed complaints. His gaze swept across the crowd before finally settling on Yi Yang, and he said in an unquestionable tone:

"You're the one, old man. Come up the mountain with us."

The village entrance became much quieter.

Jiang Yuexin panicked first and stepped in front of Yi Yang.

"Why should my grandfather go? He's almost sixty!"

Yang Hui squeezed out as well, pointing at Yang Er and cursing, "Yang Er, have you no shame? There are so many strong men in the village, why do you insist on sending Uncle Yi up the mountain? Have you got your head stuck in a door?"

Yang Er's face hardened.

"Why are you yelling at me, one of Officer Wang's men?"

The hunters' leader, Zhou Liang, frowned. "Officer Wang, Old Master Yi is getting on in years, and the mountain paths are difficult to traverse. I know the mountains well; I'll take his place."

Wang Yue's tone was low, but the meaning was self-evident.

"The old woodcutter frequents the mountains year-round and knows the way well. He knows better than many hunters where the big snake is hiding and where there are old trails."

The reason given is quite plausible.

But the people present weren't stupid. Yang Er's gloating expression was practically telling everyone that something was fishy. However, as long as they didn't step in themselves, most of them remained silent. After all, getting rid of the snake still required testing Wang Yue.

Seeing that no one was speaking, Jiang Yuexin's eyes reddened, and she grabbed Yi Yang's sleeve.

"Grandpa, I'm not going."

Yi Yang patted the back of her hand and said softly, "It's okay, trust Grandpa."

Yi Yang glanced at Wang Yue, then at Yang Er.

It was definitely coming for me.

Yang Da didn't return in person, but sent Wang Yue instead.

The snake is a lie within the truth, while the purple wood is a truth within the murderous intent.

Yi Yang's old face still bore the bitter look of a country bumpkin, and he said helplessly:

"Okay, I'll go."

Jiang Yuexin looked up, her voice trembling with tears, and said, "Grandpa!"

Yi Yang said, "Officer Wang is right. I've been chopping firewood for decades, and I know the roads of Qingmu Mountain very well."

Yang Hui stomped her feet in anger.

"Uncle Yi, are you confused!"

Yi Yang smiled. "The old man's always been confused, one more time won't make a difference."

The team going up the mountain was decided.

Wang Yue, three subordinates, one hunter Yang Dongxi, and Yi Yang.

Six people.

Wang Yue walked at the front, his hand on the hilt of his knife, his steps steady.

Three subordinates stood on either side, occasionally exchanging glances.

Hunter Yang Dongxi walked towards the back with his hunting bow on his back.

Yi Yang walked last. He carried a firewood basket on his back, held an old wood-chopping knife, and walked unhurriedly on the muddy road in his straw sandals.

From a distance, he looked like an old farmer following a group of swordsmen—superfluous, weak, and a nuisance.

But even with his brows lowered, his eyes took in the positions of the five people in front of him, their strides, the location of their swords, and their breathing rhythms.

Village entrance.

As Yang Er watched the group depart, the smugness on his fat face slowly turned into a gloomy frown.

Zhang Xiaoshan leaned closer and lowered his voice.

"Second Master, can it really work?"

Yang Er snorted, his triangular eyes fixed on the mountain road.

"An old man nearing his grave, can he really cause trouble? Wang Yue is a true martial artist at the first level of Qi and Blood. Dealing with that old rascal is a piece of cake."

He rubbed his hands together; his palms were sweaty.

"With Zimu in hand tonight, that girl Yuexin won't be able to escape either."

Zhang Xiaoshan smiled apologetically, his mind already calculating how many sips of soup he could get.