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

Two days later, early in the morning.

The mist in the Yi family's courtyard had not yet completely dissipated, and dewdrops clung to the tips of the old locust tree leaves, dripping onto the muddy ground.

Yi Yang stood in the corner of the courtyard, holding the old woodcutter's knife in his hand. He had just gotten into position, ready to practice the Nine Peaks Knife one more time, when suddenly hurried footsteps came from outside the courtyard gate.

"Grandpa Yi! Grandpa Yi!"

A boy rushed into the yard, sweating profusely and with mud on his trouser legs.

He is Zhang Xiaohu, the son of Aunt Zhang.

This child is usually very mischievous, able to argue with the village dog for half a day, but today he was pale-faced and panting so hard his words were barely audible.

With a flick of his wrist, Yi Yang hid the wood-chopping knife behind him next to the woodpile, and his face transformed back into that of an old man who had just escaped death from the mountains.

"Why are you running? Are there wolves chasing you?"

Zhang Xiaohu leaned against the door frame, forcing the words out of his throat.

"Aunt Yang...Aunt Yang has been beaten!"

Upon hearing this, Yi Yang's eyelids drooped, and the slight morning chill in the courtyard suddenly became unbearable.

"Where?"

"My home! My mother is applying medicine to her, and Sister Yuexin is there too, crying uncontrollably. My mother told me to come and call you."

Yi Yang didn't ask any more questions, pretending that his injury hadn't healed yet, and dragged his injured leg out.

Zhang Xiaohu tried to help him up, but Yi Yang waved his hand.

"No need. You run back first and tell your mother not to call for help."

Zhang Xiaohu nodded and dashed away.

A large crowd had already gathered in front of Aunt Zhang's house in the west of the village.

Those who were just watching the spectacle, those who were gathering information, those who were genuinely worried, and those who were only pretending to be worried—all were mixed together, like a pot of soup with the foam still simmering, very murky.

As soon as Yi Yang arrived at the door, he heard Jiang Yuexin's suppressed sobs coming from inside.

"Aunt Yang, don't sleep, look at me..."

When Yi Yang entered the room, the smell of medicine and blood mingled together, making his chest feel tight.

Yang Hui lay on Aunt Zhang's wooden bed, her hair disheveled, her cheek swollen, her mouth cracked, half of her sleeve soaked in blood, and her arm covered in bruises.

She usually has a voice that can drown out half the village, but today she was so quiet it was unsettling.

Jiang Yuexin knelt by the bed, clutching Yang Hui's clothes with both hands, tears streaming down her face.

Aunt Zhang sat on the edge of the bed, holding a bandage in her hand, cursing incessantly.

"Who the hell could be so ruthless? Beating a woman like this, their ancestors would be turning in their graves!"

Zhou Liang stood in the corner of the room, his hunting bow beside him.

He was wiping the arrowheads with a cloth, wiping very slowly, his eyes burning with suppressed anger.

Yi Yang walked to the bedside and glanced at Yang Hui.

Yang Hui opened her eyes halfway and saw him, and even tried to shout.

"Uncle Yi... what brings you here... I'm fine..."

Before he could finish speaking, he coughed up blood.

Aunt Zhang slapped her thigh in anger and said worriedly, "Shut up! You're already like this and you're still trying to be tough. Are you made of iron or just talk?"

Jiang Yuexin cried so hard her shoulders were shaking.

"grandfather……"

Yi Yang reached out and patted her head, neither coaxing nor scolding her.

"Tell me, what happened?"

Jiang Yuexin raised her face, her eyes red as if she had been up for three nights, and said, "Two martial artists from Yunwen Town came this morning, saying they want to investigate Yang Er's death."

"They seemed normal when they entered the village, but when they arrived at Yang Er's house, they became very sad and said they would definitely avenge him."

"When Aunt Yang saw them doing this, she said, 'Yang Er bullies people when he's alive, and now that he's dead, people are mourning him.' Hearing this, the two of them started fighting."

As she said this, she bit her lip, trembling with hatred.

"One person slapped Aunt Yang to the ground, and another kicked her a few times. Aunt Yang was spitting blood, and they still said... that the lowly people of Sanmu Village have foul mouths and that no one would care even if they were beaten to death."

No one spoke inside, and the onlookers outside shrank back.

The word "martial artist" is a hurdle for the people of Miki Village.

Aunt Zhang wiped her eyes, cursing as she did, but her voice was low.

"Those two beasts even said they'd come back tomorrow and wanted the village chief to call out everyone who had a grudge against Yang Er and question them one by one."

Upon hearing this, all the villagers around looked on in fear. Yang Er, that beast, had offended almost everyone in the village. If that martial artist came again tomorrow, they would all be in trouble.

After Zhou Liang finished wiping the arrowheads, he crumpled the cloth into a ball.

Where did they go now?

"I went to the village chief's house."

Aunt Zhang said, "That old codger of a village chief was so scared that his legs went weak. He brought tea and snacks to him, and practically called him his ancestor."

Zhou Liang's face twitched, but he didn't answer.

Suddenly, Aunt Yang turned to Zhou Liang and asked, "Uncle Zhou, didn't you know some people in the city when you were young? Could you help everyone out?"

"Besides Yang Da, you're the most capable person in the village."

The surrounding villagers echoed their sentiments, expressing their concern that the two martial artists might return tomorrow. They were worried because the two had attacked Yang Hui so severely for speaking.

A moment of embarrassment flashed across Zhou Liang's face. He had indeed spent time in the city when he was young and knew a few martial arts school workers and porters.

But those were all old, stale friendships.

If they really encountered a martial artist, who would be willing to stand up for a village woman?

But Jiang Yuexin was crying so hard that Yang Hui was still lying in bed with half her face swollen.

Zhou Liang's throat moved; there were some old stories he had never told anyone.

When Yang Hui was young and unmarried, she stood by the river washing clothes and scolded away three men who were peeping at her.

At that time, Zhou Liang was carrying a hunting bow and walked by, deliberately taking an extra half mile just to hear her curse a few more times.

She's truly fierce.

It's really beautiful.

Later, Yang Hui married and her husband died, and Zhou Liang didn't dare to speak up.

Some people, once missed, are missed forever.

But seeing her beaten like this, his chest ached with a tightness in it.

"OK."

Zhou Liang slung his hunting bow over his shoulder, his voice hoarse.

"I'll go to town to look for old acquaintances. I can't guarantee it will work, but I'll make the trip."

Jiang Yuexin nodded, her voice choked with emotion.

"Thank you, Uncle Zhou."

Zhou Liang didn't dare look at Yang Hui on the bed and turned to leave.

Yi Yang watched from the side without stopping him. After leaving Aunt Zhang's house, Yi Yang did not return to the courtyard.

He leaned on his machete and went around to the village chief Yang Shuyu's house.

Two villagers were standing at the village chief's door. When they saw Yi Yang coming, one of them whispered, "Old Master Yi, what brings you here? Those two martial artists from town just left not long ago. They were very arrogant."

Yi Yang coughed twice. "I have a few questions for the village chief."

Inside the room, Yang Shuyu sat in a chair with a grim expression, and the tea on the table was spilled.

Seeing Yi Yang enter, he knew the other's purpose and sighed. "Uncle Yi, why did you come here? Don't come any closer at this time."

Yi Yang sat down on a small stool by the door, bending over. "I just want to ask, who are those two martial artists?"

Yang Shuyu rubbed his hands and advised, "I don't know either. They didn't have any official documents and they're not Yang Da's men."

"They said they were from the Shengcang Martial Arts School in Yunwen Town, and that Yang Er was a famously good person. Now that Yang Er is dead, they can't just ignore it." "Uncle Yi, I know you and Yang Hui are close, but you've just survived coming down from the mountain, so don't get involved in this."

Hearing the village chief's advice, Yi Yang didn't answer but instead asked, "Shengcang Martial Arts School?"

"right."

Yang Shuyu swallowed hard. "Both of them were very young, one surnamed Peng and the other surnamed Lu, and both had knives hanging from their waists. As soon as they came in, they said that Yang Er was a friend of their martial arts school, and that whoever killed Yang Er would be going against Shengcang Martial Arts School."

"He also said he would be back tomorrow. If anyone knows anything about the killer of Yang Er, be sure to tell them, otherwise they'll be in trouble."

At this point, Yang Shuyu's face fell. "Brother Yi, what kind of situation is this? Yang Er harmed people while he was alive, and even in death he dragged trouble into the village. But when martial artists come knocking, even I, the village chief, can't handle it."

Yi Yang nodded and stood up. "I understand."

Meanwhile, Zhou Liang had already gone to Yunwen Town.

He first sought out Old Ma, with whom he had once worked as a laborer outside the martial arts school.

Old Ma now works as a doorman at a grain shop. After hearing the story, he shook his head so hard it was like a rattle drum had come to life.

"Liangzi, it's not that I'm not willing to help. But he's a martial artist! My old life wouldn't even be enough to fill his teeth."

Zhou Liang then went to find Xu San, the porter.

Upon hearing the words "Shengcang Martial Arts School," Xu San stopped drinking his tea.

"Get out of here, don't bring bad luck to my doorstep. Those people from Shengcang Martial Arts School are unreasonable. If you mess with them, my shop will be smashed tomorrow."

The third one, the fourth one.

All were rejections.

Some people were quite polite and offered him a bowl of water.

Someone slammed the door shut, and the door panel almost pinched his nose.

As the sun rose directly overhead, Zhou Liang stood at the town entrance, carrying a hunting bow, his throat dry and bitter.

He wasn't afraid of wild boars or wolves in the mountains.

Humans are sometimes much harder to deal with than wild beasts.

in the afternoon.

Yi Yang changed into old clothes, smeared ash on his face, and went to the restaurant on the west street of Yunwen Town.

Zhao Gang was still in the private room on the second floor. There was no big fish or meat on the table, only tea and two plates of snacks.

Upon seeing Yi Yang enter, Zhao Gang gestured for Ren Hao to step back. "Uncle Yi, what a rare guest."

Yi Yang sat down, picked up the tea, and smelled it.

"My granddaughter wants to learn martial arts, so I've come to inquire about martial arts schools in town."

Zhao Gang glanced at him, a cryptic smile on his face, and said, "Martial arts? Your granddaughter?"

"Um."

"Then we'd better pick a clean place, lest we send them into a wolf's den."

Yi Yang put down his teacup and casually asked, "How is Shengcang Martial Arts School?"

Zhao Gang tapped his fingers on the table. "How did we end up asking about this place?"

"I heard it mentioned by someone in the village."

Zhao Gang didn't press further; those in the martial arts world know best what it means to stop short of making a move.

"Shengcang Martial Arts School, a small restaurant in the south of the town."

"Of the dozen or so apprentices, only three have truly mastered the Qi and Blood."

"The old master's surname is Lu. He was at the first level of Qi and Blood perfection. He was quite famous when he was young, but he got old and went to Yunlin County to retire a couple of years ago. Now the martial arts school is taken care of by two disciples."

"Peng Qing and Lu Cheng are both of the first level of Qi and Blood."

Yi Yang took a sip of tea; it was a bit bitter.

"What are these two like?"

Zhao Gang scoffed, saying with utter disdain, "You can say a few words if you ask about martial arts. But if you ask about temperament, that's not very respectable."

"Peng Qing loved to put on airs, and he looked down on the poor. Lu Cheng was even worse, indulging in wine, women, and gambling, and he was ruthless in his dealings with people."

"These two run an empty martial arts school, collecting tuition fees and taking on odd jobs. Yang Er did give them money before to keep things going."

After Zhao Gang finished speaking, he leaned back. "Old Master Yi, you didn't come here to ask about martial arts schools for your granddaughter, did you?"

Yi Yang didn't answer, but only asked, "Does Shengcang Martial Arts School have someone backing it up?"

"The old curator had a few old acquaintances in the county, but he couldn't be considered a powerful backer."

Zhao Gang looked at him, his tone lower than before.

"But it's best to avoid places like martial arts schools if you can avoid them. If you beat up the younger ones, the older ones will come back. If you beat up the older ones, old friends will ask questions. That's the troublesome thing about the martial arts world—one thread pulls out a whole string of grasshoppers."

Yi Yang nodded.

Thank you.

Zhao Gang pushed the teapot toward him.

"No need for thanks. Just like I said before, come work for me."

"I have the resources you need. I also have the information you need."

Yi Yang smiled, his old face crinkling with wrinkles. "Is Manager Zhao selling tea or doing someone a favor?"

Zhao Gang chuckled. "I'll sell them all. As long as you buy them."

After learning the information, Yi Yang stood up. "The tea is good. But social obligations are too expensive; this old man can't afford them."

Zhao Gang wasn't annoyed. "The door's open, the tea's hot. We can negotiate the price anytime you want to buy."

Yi Yang left the restaurant.