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

In the afternoon, the heat in Miki Village made people feel sleepy.

In the Yi family's courtyard, Yi Yang lay on an old rattan chair, a broken fan covering his chest, his eyelids half-closed.

In the kitchen, Jiang Yuexin was squatting by a wooden basin picking wild vegetables. While she was busy, the little girl was also peeking at the old man in the yard.

Grandpa still looks sickly these days, but she always feels that something is wrong.

My back isn't so hunched anymore, and I don't drag my feet when I walk.

And those eyes, usually cloudy, but when they occasionally lift up, they always make your heart tighten.

She didn't dare ask.

If she asked, Grandpa would most likely just give her a lie again.

The idea of ​​an old man experiencing a final burst of energy before death sounds unlucky.

Just then, the sound of wheels rolling over hard soil came from the village road in the distance.

creak, creak.

This commotion was extremely rare in Miki Village.

In the village, the most common vehicles are oxcarts and broken-down handcarts; who could afford a horse-drawn carriage?

A few households peeked out first, and then half the village peered out through the cracks in their doors.

"Oh dear, a carriage!"

"Whose relatives are so wealthy?"

"Could they be here to take Grandpa Yi to enjoy his retirement? I heard his brother is doing well in town."

"That's great! Old man Yi has endured most of his life, and now he's finally going to see the light at the end of the tunnel?"

On the village road, a half-painted carriage slowly drove towards Yi Yang's small courtyard. The curtain was hanging down, and a small wooden plaque with the Yi family's emblem was hanging next to the carriage shaft.

Yi Yang remained lying in the rattan chair, listening to the villagers' conversation without moving his broken fan.

The carriage stopped outside the courtyard gate, and the dust kicked up by the wheels slowly settled, landing on the grass in front of the gate and right under the noses of the villagers watching.

The middle-aged man driving the car jumped down first. He was wearing a blue cloth robe with fine fabric and a satin ribbon tied around his waist.

This outfit is enough for an average family in Sanmu Village to have new clothes for the New Year.

He dusted off his sleeves and raised his hand to knock on the door.

Knock knock.

"Is Master Yi home?"

Yi Yang put away the fan and slowly sat up.

Jiang Yuexin came out of the kitchen and called out softly, "Grandpa."

Yi Yang glanced at her but didn't say anything.

Needless to say, the little girl bit her lip and retreated back to the kitchen door, but her hand remained firmly on the cleaver.

Yi Yang walked to the courtyard gate and opened it.

Outside the door, the middle-aged butler bowed. "Master Yi, I am Liu Fu, the butler of the Second Master's residence. The Second Master has come all the way from Yunwen Town to visit you today; his carriage is just outside."

His words were eloquent, but the slight disdain in Liu Fu's eyes was not well hidden.

He looked at Yi Yang's short jacket, at the cracks in the courtyard wall, at the hardened mud by the threshold, and two words were written in his eyes.

Shabby.

Yi Yang leaned against the doorframe and said in a flat voice, "Yi Xun?"

When he read the name, the onlookers quieted down a bit.

"It's been so many years since I last came here, I almost forgot I even had this relative."

Liu Fu almost lost his smile. He coughed once and kept his head down.

"The second master often thinks of you, but he has many things to do at home and can't get away."

Yi Yang didn't respond to that.

The carriage curtain was lifted, and Yi Xun got out of the carriage.

He wore a silk robe, his beard was neatly combed, and his soft-soled boots stepped onto the dirt road of Sanmu Village. He looked completely out of place with the dilapidated walls and gray tiles around him.

A boy, about seventeen or eighteen years old, followed behind. He had a new knife at his waist, his clothes were well-tailored, and he held his chin up. When his eyes swept over the three small houses, he didn't even want to linger for a second longer.

It was Yi Zhanzhi who followed out of curiosity.

Yi Xun stepped into the courtyard and paused. The courtyard was better than he remembered; he had only returned once with his parents when he was a child.

A faint unease rose in his chest, but soon the words "five hundred taels" pressed down on him.

What's with the awkwardness? Money is what matters.

"Big brother."

When Yi Xun spoke, his voice was gentle.

"You've lost weight in all these years."

Yi Yang looked at him for a while and nodded.

"You have gained some weight."

Some of the villagers watching couldn't help but lower their heads and suppress their laughter.

Yi Xun's noodles twitched, and Liu Fu quickly lowered his head, pretending not to hear.

Yi Zhanzhi frowned, feeling that this country old man was speaking rudely.

What kind of brother reunites after many years and immediately comments on someone's weight?

Yi Yang stepped aside. "Come inside. It's hot outside; don't let our distinguished guest in town get sunburned."

These words are neither warm nor cold; they sound like a greeting, but upon closer examination, they are quite offensive.

Yi Xun pretended not to hear and led Yi Zhanzhi into the house.

The room was even simpler, with an old wooden table and low stools.

A rough porcelain jar sat on the windowsill, its mouth chipped.

Following Yi Yang's instructions, Jiang Yuexin brought over some coarse tea.

The little girl lowered her head and placed the teacup on the table very gently.

Yi Zhanzhi took the teacup and glanced at it. The rim of the bowl was chipped, and the tea leaves were broken pieces floating on the surface of the water, with a dark color.

He put the teacup back on the table without touching his lips.

Yi Xun picked up the tea and took a sip; the tea was so astringent that his throat bobbed.

But he swallowed it anyway, putting on the act of brothers catching up.

"Brother, these past years haven't been easy for you."

Yi Yang sat opposite him, a fan resting on his lap.

"Having lived to this age, whether it's easy or not, it's not that complicated."

Yi Xun smiled and began to talk about Yunwen Town.

They say the shop has expanded, and that grain prices have risen this year.

Yi Yang listened without interrupting. The old woodcutter had lived for sixty years and understood one principle best.

People don't visit temples without a reason, let alone a younger brother they haven't spoken to in decades.

Finally, Yi Xun steered the conversation towards Yi Zhanzhi. "Zhanzhi is a promising young man."

Yi Xun straightened his back a bit. "Seventeen years old, already at the second level of Qi and Blood. The master of the Lei Yun Martial Arts School in the county town personally examined him and said he was a rare talent, wanting to take him as his last disciple."

Yi Zhanzhi sat beside him, nodding slightly, his face full of arrogance.

Yi Yang looked at him; he was seventeen years old and at the second level of Qi and Blood.

After awakening his destiny, he spent six days refining his skin and ten days refining his flesh, and is now undergoing the Yi Jin (Muscle/Tendon Transformation) process.

This so-called genius, compared to the old man with cheat codes, is far slower.

But Yi Yang didn't show any emotion on his face; he simply nodded. "Good news. The Yi family has brought honor to its ancestors."

Hearing this, Yi Zhanzhi felt a little better. At least the old man from the countryside could speak like a human being.

After exchanging pleasantries, it was time to get down to business. Yi Xun put down his teacup.

His expression changed quickly; just moments before he was showing off, but now he said with embarrassment, "Brother, I'm not here today just to catch up."

Seeing that the other party had finally gotten to the point, Yi Yang looked up. "Speak."

Yi Xun sighed. "It costs five hundred taels to become an apprentice at Lei Yun Martial Arts School, but our family's shops have recently expanded, and we're short on cash. Zhanzhi's future can't be delayed, so my brother thought of..."

He paused and looked at Yi Yang. "If you can sell your yard and those few acres of land, use that to raise some money. Your younger brother can make up the rest."

The room fell silent immediately.

At the kitchen door, Jiang Yuexin's breathing became erratic.

She bit her tongue to keep from rushing out and yelling at people.

They haven't come for decades, and when they do, they immediately sell their houses and land. How can they be relatives?

This is a weasel that came by smell; the first thing it asked upon entering was where the chicken coop was.

Yi Xun quickly added, "Brother, don't misunderstand. If you and Yuexin move to town, your brother's family has room, you won't have to worry about food and clothing, and you won't have to go up the mountain to chop firewood anymore."

Yi Yang did not answer immediately.

Jiang Yuexin saw it clearly, and felt even more distressed.

Grandpa is simmering the fire.

Yi Xun waited, while Liu Fu stood beside him with his eyes downcast, and Yi Zhanzhi was somewhat impatient.

In his view, this matter didn't need to be discussed for so long.

A few acres of dilapidated land and three run-down houses were exchanged for his chance to join the Lei Yun Martial Arts School. The cost was so low that even a child could calculate it.

What is this old man still hesitating about?

After a long pause, Yi Yang spoke.

"The courtyard and the fields were given to me when the family divided their property."

Yi Xun nodded in affirmation, "Yes."

"When our parents were still alive, they gave you both shops, the house in town, and all the family connections."

Yi Yang's voice is not loud.

"I was allocated three dilapidated houses and a few acres of meager land."

Yi Xun's troubled expression cracked. "Brother, those are old almanacs..."

"I didn't consult the almanac."

Yi Yang interrupted him. "I'm just saying, this is all I have left. If you take it, where will Yuexin and I live?"

Yi Xun quickly interjected, "Didn't I already say we'd move to town? My brother's backyard..."

"The empty house next to the stable?" Yi Yang asked with certainty.

Upon hearing this, Inspector I was speechless.

Song Yi had mentioned this arrangement at home.

He didn't say.

But Yi Yang was right; someone had tipped them off.

They know him too well; for sixty years, the position the Yi family has placed in him has never changed.

When he's useful, he calls you "Big Brother"; when he's not, even being near the stable is considered an honor.

Yi Xun felt a little embarrassed, but forced himself to say, "Brother, I will never mistreat you. After we move here, all your food, clothing, and daily necessities will be covered by the family account. Yuexin is all grown up now, and when we get to town, I will provide her dowry."

Jiang Yuexin stood at the kitchen door, tears welling up in her eyes.

dowry?

These people can even arrange for her to live next to the stables, let alone talk about a dowry?

Yi Zhanzhi finally spoke.

"Grandpa, to put it bluntly..."

He sat up straighter, his youthful arrogance barely concealed.

"How much can you earn in a year by chopping firewood in the village? Those few acres of barren land, even with good weather, will only yield about ten bushels of grain."

"But if this money is spent on me, and I enter the Thundercloud Martial Arts School and reach the Yi Jin realm, the entire Yi family's reputation will be completely different."

"At that time, who will dare to bully you? Who will dare to bully Yuexin?"

The more he talked, the more convinced he became. "Isn't this better than tending a few acres of barren land?"

After saying that, Yi Zhanzhi glanced at Jiang Yuexin at the kitchen door.

There was no malice in those eyes, and it was precisely because there was no malice that it was so chilling.

He truly felt that he was doing a favor, and that his great-grandfather was taking advantage of him by handing over the land and houses.

Yi Yang looked at him. "Zhan Zhi, right?"

"Yes."

"How old were you when you started practicing martial arts?"

Eight years old.

Yi Zhanzhi raised his chin another half inch.

"How much money did the family spend?"

Yi Zhanzhi did not answer.

The patrolman quickly interjected.

"Brother, these things aren't important..."

"unimportant?"

Yi Yang turned to Yi Xun.

Those old eyes were cloudy, yet they held a hardness honed by years. "Back when your parents emptied their savings to let you practice martial arts, they also said it wasn't important."

"I asked for a few taels of silver to start a small business, and my father slammed his pipe on the table and scolded me for being ignorant. My mother wiped away her tears and told me to give in to him."

"Now your grandson wants to practice martial arts, but you don't have enough money, so you're asking me to give you some."

Yi Yang smiled briefly, but the smile was filled with desolation and coldness.

I am sixty years old this year.

"He gave way his whole life."

That's enough.

The heat in the room suddenly became sticky.

Yi Xun's face was pale and blue, and the walnuts in his hands were cracking as he squeezed them.

He never expected that Yi Yang would bring up old grievances in front of his grandson.

In his heart, those things were long gone.

He became skilled in martial arts, opened shops and built a house, and his children and grandchildren were successful.

Successful people often attribute past injustices to fate.

Because the outcome was on his side.

But today, Yi Yang stripped away that facade mercilessly.

"Big brother!"

Yi Xun stood up, raising his voice. "My younger brother came to discuss this with you in a nice way, and you insisted on bringing up those old, rotten things?"

He pointed at the dilapidated house, his anger shattering the dignity he had cultivated over the years.

"What's the point of you staying here all alone in this dilapidated courtyard?"

"Yuexin is with you, but she never gets enough to eat or wear. She's fifteen years old and still wears old skirts and patched clothes."

"How can you face your sister's dying wish?"