All Heavens Strategy Game

The torchlight danced on the long faces of Su Dalu and Ma Xiuying, illuminating their expressions—a mixture of embarrassment, awkwardness, and a final trace of resentment—in perfect detail.

The few remaining pieces of wild boar meat on the cutting board looked particularly tempting, yet also quite irritating, against the backdrop of glistening oil.

The pungent smell of meat and copper coins in the air felt like invisible needles, making the couple restless.

They were already at odds with Widow Liu, and the copper coins they donated each month were only given reluctantly under the coercion of the clan elders and village chiefs. They often used this to criticize and ridicule Widow Liu, and they frequently quarreled.

Originally, the two of them weren't planning to buy meat; they didn't have the nerve to do it.

But adults care about their reputation, while it's the children who go hungry.

The children in the house were crying incessantly. They were forced to stand in front of the chopping board by the crying of the older boys in the house and the aroma of meat coming from the neighboring houses.

"Aunt Ma, Uncle Donkey, is something the matter?" Su Ming stopped what he was doing, looked up, and his gaze was calm and unwavering.

Ma Xiuying seemed to be burned by that calm gaze. She suddenly tugged at Su Dalu's sleeve, forced an extremely unnatural smile, and said in a dry, hoarse voice, "Um... Su Sanlang... do you... do you still have any meat? We... want some too."

Su Dalu looked embarrassed. He opened his mouth, but couldn't speak for a long time. It was only after his wife pinched him that he managed to say, "Su Sanlang, I was too talkative today. I shouldn't have spoken ill of you..."

Su Ming nodded, his tone as calm as if he were asking about the weather: "There's some left, Uncle, Aunt, how much do you want?"

This calm tone surprised Ma Xiuying.

She had prepared herself for Su Ming to make things difficult for her and ridicule her, but she didn't expect him to be so calm.

She gave Su Dalv a hard tug.

Annoyed by her tugging, Su Dalu understood her meaning. He steeled himself and addressed Su Ming in a low, urgent voice, pouring out his grievances like beans spilling from a bamboo tube: "Su Sanlang, your uncle and aunt were wrong before! They were short-sighted and narrow-minded! They argued with your mother countless times over a little grain and copper coins, and gossiped about you behind your back. Don't hold it against us. We'll buy this meat at market price, whatever it is!"

His words were hesitant, but they conveyed an apology.

— He had witnessed Su Sanlang's abilities today. This time, besides the meat, there was also a fear in his heart. He was afraid of Su Sanlang and wanted to reconcile!

Ma Xiuying nodded vigorously, but the forced expression on her face crumbled, leaving only apprehension.

Heavy snow has blocked the mountain passes, making it difficult to enter the city.

Wild boar meat, in particular, is a high-quality cut of meat, and there's no shortage of supply; its price has probably increased several times over.

Even if they buy at market price, they are still getting a great deal.

The crowd quieted down and all looked at Su Ming.

With his current abilities and influence, even if he publicly embarrasses the couple or raises the price of meat, no one would dare to utter a single word of dissent.

After all, everyone in the village knew about the conflict between the two families.

Su Ming remained silent for a moment.

This brief silence made Su Dalu and Ma Xiuying's hearts leap into their throats.

"Uncle Big Donkey, Aunt Xiuying," Su Ming finally spoke, his voice steady, yet seemingly tinged with a faint hint of gentleness, "Let's not talk about the past. My mother has a quick temper and speaks impulsively, so it's common for her to clash with the neighbors."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the two astonished faces: "In the end, life is tough. Who hasn't argued over a few coins or a bite to eat? Besides, in the past few years, your monthly contribution hasn't been less than what you were supposed to give. I'll remember that kindness."

Instead of offering a condescending "forgiveness," the conflict was lightly attributed to the word "poverty," and the other party's most reluctant act of "providing financial assistance" was highlighted as a "favor."

These words were spoken lightly, giving the other party a way out.

Su Dalu and Ma Xiuying were completely stunned.

Instead of the expected ridicule, mockery, and difficulties, I received these words.

A surge of burning shame mixed with an inexplicable sense of relief rushed into my heart.

Ma Xiuying lowered her head, ashamed, and said, "Sanlang...you, you're a good boy, so kind-hearted...it was my fault for being so foolish before..."

As she spoke, she pulled out a few warm copper coins from her bosom, without counting them, and stuffed them, along with the few that Su Dalu had hurriedly pulled out, into the earthenware jar at Su Dashun's feet. "Meat...we'll just cut a little bit, just enough for the child to taste..."

Su Ming didn't refuse, but nodded to Su Laonian, who was cutting the meat: "Uncle Laonian, cut a good piece for Uncle Dalv's family, a fattier one."

"Alright!" Old Su replied readily, and with a swift motion, he handed over a piece of rib meat weighing over a pound, with thick layers of fat and rosy lean meat.

These days, fatty meat is the best stuff.

Holding this solid, glistening piece of good meat, and looking at Su Ming's calm face, the last bit of awkwardness in Su Dalu and Ma Xiuying's hearts vanished, replaced by a sense of relief bordering on gratitude.

Ma Xiuying even subconsciously forced a genuine smile.

The surrounding villagers witnessed this scene, and their whispers quickly turned into open praise.

"Su Sanlang is truly benevolent and righteous!"

"Absolutely! That magnanimity, that breadth of mind—it's truly admirable!"

"The two families have quite a few conflicts, and Ma Xiuying has argued with them quite often. He can tolerate even that shrewish woman, so who wouldn't be impressed?"

"This is what it takes to do great things!"

Listening to these discussions and watching the backs of Ma Xiuying and her husband as they left the crowd with the meat, Su Ming felt a sense of clarity.

He had no deep-seated hatred for the couple; their resentment stemmed from the fact that they were poor yet still had to scrape together money and food to support outsiders.

The root of the problem lies in their poverty, and they did indeed pay the money according to the rules.

Now that he has demonstrated his value and returned with great momentum, he can easily resolve this old grudge, which not only shows his magnanimity but also completely wins people's hearts.

From now on, in this Sishui Village, there will be no more obstacles against him, whether openly or secretly.

The wild boar meat was finally divided up, and the copper coins filled half a clay pot, which was quite heavy.

Su Dashun solemnly handed the earthenware pot to Su Ming, patted him hard on the shoulder, and said nothing more.

The clan elders had already returned home satisfied, and the villagers dispersed in twos and threes, each with a contented smile on their face, carrying chunks of meat of varying sizes in their arms, and talking about Su Sanlang's amazing abilities and generosity.

Carrying the earthenware pot, along with a few pieces of good meat that he had specially saved, a bag of dried fruit, and a fat squirrel, Su Ming walked through the crunching snow toward his low, dilapidated mud-brick house.

Before they even reached the door, they could hear Liu's anxious rebukes and her elder brother Su Yuanbao's explanations coming from inside.

"...Your third brother! Has he grown too big for his britches? He dared to venture into the snow-covered mountains all by himself! Is that a place he can go? If something were to happen to him, would his mother still be able to live? What would the villagers think of us? They would say that your mother didn't raise him well, and that your third brother doesn't know his place!" Liu's voice trembled with lingering fear.

"Mother, didn't Third Brother come back safely? He even hunted such a big wild boar and sold it for a lot of money..." Su Yuanbao whispered to her.

"He was just lucky! Are wild boars so easy to hunt? Have you forgotten how your father died?!" Liu's voice suddenly rose, tinged with sobs.

Su Ming pushed open the door and entered.

Inside, the oil lamp flickered dimly, illuminating Liu's pale face and red eyes. Su Yuanbao stood helplessly to the side, while her second sister, Su Yuyu, bent over tending the fire. Her fourth sister, Su Linlin, and fifth brother huddled in a corner, not daring to breathe.

"Mother, I'm back." Su Ming put down his things, his voice calm.

When Liu saw him, tears finally fell. She wanted to scold him, but she also felt sorry for him. Her lips trembled, and she couldn't utter a complete sentence.

Su Ming walked over, placed the earthenware pot on the table with a dull thud, and then picked up the pieces of red and white wild boar meat and the fat squirrel, shaking them: "Mom, look, it's alright, everything's fine. There's still some left, enough for the family to eat for several days."

Liu's sobs were choked back. She looked at the real flesh and blood, then at her son's calm yet sharp face. Her anger and fear were strangely suppressed by a huge sense of pride and peace of mind.

But she wouldn't let it go: "You...you child! If there's a next time, I'll see..."

"Alright, Mother," Su Ming interrupted her, his tone gentle but firm, "Stop talking. As long as the result is good, that's enough. Let's not talk about bad things. Let's eat first."

"Eat meat! Eat meat!"

The fifth brother in the corner was the first to jump up, his eyes wide open, staring intently at the biggest piece of pork, his mouth practically watering.

Su Linlin also timidly looked up, her eyes full of longing.

Even Su Yuyu, who was tending the fire, and Su Yuanbao, who was keeping a low profile, couldn't help but secretly swallow.

Over the past few years, they've watched Su Ming eat meat while they themselves at most drink some soup and gnaw on bones with no meat, and they've been craving it for ages.

Now, these wild boar meats are hunted by our own family, not donated by the villagers, so we can eat them ourselves!

"Eat...eat! Eat, eat, eat! All you ever think about is eating!" Madam Liu wiped away her tears, ultimately heartbroken for her child. She sighed and turned to grab a knife.

"Eldest brother, go fetch water! Second brother, make the fire burn brighter! Fourth and fifth brothers, go peel garlic and wash vegetables!"

The dilapidated little house suddenly came alive with activity, filled with a long-lost vitality.

Just as Liu put the meat into the pot to blanch it and release the blood foam, the rich aroma of meat began to fill the air, when there was a knock on the door.

Su Yuanbao went to open the door, but it was Su Shitou's mother from next door, an auntie who didn't usually interact with him. She was holding a small cloth bag and handed it to him somewhat shyly.

"Sister Liu, I heard that Sanlang hunted a wild boar and is cooking meat at home? I have some dried shiitake mushrooms from last year, they taste pretty good, I brought them over to add to your dish, don't mind..."

Liu was stunned, and her hands trembled slightly as she took the bag of dried shiitake mushrooms.

Over the years, because of poverty, the early death of her husband, and many children, and because she was lame, the villagers, while not bullying them, mostly kept their distance. When had anyone ever taken the initiative to bring them anything, let alone such precious dried vegetables?

"Auntie, this...this is too much to ask..." Liu's voice was hoarse.

"There's nothing to be embarrassed about. We're neighbors. Sanlang's success is a blessing for our whole village!" Stone's mother smiled sincerely, put down her things, and left.

Holding the bag of dried shiitake mushrooms that still smelled of sunshine, Liu stood at the door, watching her neighbor's departing figure in the snowy night. After a long while, she turned and went back inside, her eyes reddening again. She murmured, "In the past... in the past, other families would never have been so kind to us..."

There's always trouble around a widow's house. If a widow's family doesn't have a pillar to lead the household, they're considered inferior.

Fortunately, Sanlang has made something of himself!

Su Ming saw this scene and understood what was going on.

Strength is always the most direct way to gain respect.

Today, this wild boar not only brought meat, but also opened many tightly closed doors.

Soak dried shiitake mushrooms until softened, then cook them together with blanched and chopped wild boar meat.

I added the only coarse salt and a few slices of ginger.

The scalding broth bubbled and boiled, filling the entire room with rich steam that carried the aroma of meat and mushrooms.

The aroma even wafted out from the cracks in the doors and windows, attracting the neighbors to stick out their noses and smell it.

During this meal, Madam Liu did not set any further rules.

A large pot of braised wild boar and mushrooms, glistening with oil and trembling, sits in the center of the table, next to a pot of golden millet rice.

The whole family sat together, and even the youngest child, Xiao Wu, was allowed to sit at the table.

There was no politeness, no deference.

Su Ming picked up a large piece of meat, thick with fat and stewed until tender, and put it into Liu's bowl: "Mother, you've worked hard, eat."

Then I picked up a big piece for myself, and then picked up pieces for my older brother, older sister, younger brother, and younger sister.

Next came the whirlwind that swept away all the clouds.

The sounds of chewing, satisfied sighs, and the clinking of bowls and chopsticks blended together to create a simple yet moving melody.

Su Yuanbao ate until he was covered in sweat and couldn't even speak.

Su Yuyu carefully savored each bite, her face filled with a dreamlike satisfaction.

Su Linlin and Xiao Wu ate with their mouths full of oil.

While hissing and gasping for breath from the heat, Xiao Wu kept stuffing meat into his mouth, mumbling, "Meat...meat smells so good! If...if I could eat meat like this every day, I'd be...the luckiest person in the world!"

As Liu watched her children wolf down their food, and saw the thick chunk of meat her son had placed in her bowl—a taste she hadn't had in years—tears welled up in her eyes again. But this time, they were tears of joy.

"How can we eat meat every day? Even the landlord doesn't get that kind of treatment." Liu patted Xiao Wu on the head.

Unexpectedly, simply eating meat every day became the family's greatest luxury...

Su Ming swallowed the fragrant, tender piece of meat in his mouth, looked at his mother who was crying, and then at his younger brother's innocent and content face, and said calmly and firmly, "Don't worry, that day won't be far away."

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried a strange power that silenced the noise at the table for a moment.

His family looked up at him; the firelight illuminated his young yet resolute profile, and the light in his eyes shone brighter than the oil lamp on the table.

……

As night deepened, the dilapidated mud-brick house finally fell silent.

After a hearty meal, the family members fell into a deep sleep, filled with unprecedented satisfaction, their dreams even carrying the aroma of meat.

Only Su Ming quietly came to the courtyard.

He didn't sleep.

After five years of honing the foundation, Xingyi Gong has begun to take shape, internal energy is generated, and muscles and bones are gradually strengthened.

Tonight, having feasted on the essence of flesh and blood, is the perfect time to unleash your full potential and begin formally honing your external martial arts skills.

With a solid foundation, a tall building can be erected.

He came to the center of the small, cold courtyard, swept away a patch of snow, and stripped to the waist, wearing only a single pair of trousers.

The icy air instantly enveloped him, raising goosebumps on his skin, but the warm internal energy within him spontaneously began to circulate, resisting the chill.

"To practice martial arts, one must first practice stance training..."

As a successor of the Xingyi School, Su Ming practices a stance called "Xingyi Root Stance".

This is not an ordinary standing meditation.

Su Ming's feet were neither pointed nor pointed, but slightly turned inward, like the roots of an old tree, deeply "rooted" into the ground.

Knees should not extend beyond the toes, back should be straight, chest should be slightly concave and back straight, head should be suspended upright, and eyes should be looking straight ahead into the void, seemingly looking but not really looking.

With arms wrapped around the chest, as if holding a baby, or supporting a ball, relaxed yet not slack, heavy yet not stiff.

The posture looks simple, but it requires the muscles, joints and bones of the whole body to be in a very delicate balance and connection, so that moving one part affects the whole body.

This stance is the source of all the moves and power in Xingyi Quan. It is based on the "Three-Body Stance" and seeks the power of "Six Harmonies".

When hearts and minds are in harmony,

When intention and energy are in harmony,

When Qi and strength combine,

Shoulders and hips aligned.

Elbow and knee together,

Hands and feet together,

Standing in this stance for a long time can stabilize the lower body, harmonize qi and blood, and refine the spirit. Furthermore, it allows one to experience movement in stillness and generate countless variations from stillness.

My grandfather once said in a past life, "All methods originate from stance training; without proper stance training, everything is in vain."

Su Ming had already internalized this matter in his previous life, and now that he was doing it again, he was adept at it.

In the cold night, the boy stood motionless, like a javelin driven into the earth.

His breathing gradually became deep, long, fine, and even, with white vapor flowing like a dragon, slowly inhaling and exhaling from his mouth and nose.

The internal energy within the body, along with breathing and the posture, slowly circulates through specific meridians, nourishing the muscles, bones, and skin.

He could clearly feel that the essence of his blood and qi after a full meal was being rapidly transported and absorbed during this static standing meditation, transforming into a more solid foundation and potential power.

After standing for about half an hour, I was slightly sweaty, my blood was rushing, and my spirit became more and more focused.

Su Ming slowly withdrew from his stance, stretched his somewhat stiff and cold limbs, and a glint of light flashed in his eyes.

Next up is the fist technique.

He chose the Five Elements Fist, which is the simplest and most beginner-friendly.

Xingyiquan takes the "Five Elements Fist" as its mother fist, with the techniques of splitting, drilling, collapsing, cannoning, and horizontal striking corresponding to metal, water, wood, fire, and earth. It contains the principle of the generation and restraint of the five elements and is the foundation of all advanced boxing techniques.

Chop, drill, collapse, cannon, horizontal.

In the small courtyard, Su Ming practiced these five punches over and over again.

At first, it was a little awkward, after all, this body was practicing such exquisite moves for the first time in a systematic way.

The mind can do it, but the body can't.

Fortunately, after practicing for a while, he went from being stiff and unable to complete a set of punches at the beginning to being able to perform a set of punches relatively smoothly.

Just as he was immersed in the rhythm of the boxing technique, the door to the room next door creaked open.

Liu, wearing a tattered coat and holding a wild boar hide that had been partially scraped clean of grease and laid out on a wooden board, came out.

She wanted to process the pigskin under the cover of night so she could take it to the city to exchange for money the next day, but she saw her son practicing boxing shirtless in the cold night.

His composed figure and the sharp yet smooth force of his punches stunned her, making her forget the work she was doing.

Only after Su Ming finished his punch and slowly withdrew from his stance, exhaling a long breath of white air that condensed into a straight arrow in the cold air, did Liu Shi come back to her senses, feeling both heartache and pride:

"You silly child, what are you practicing in the middle of the night? Aren't you afraid of getting cold! Put your clothes on!"

Su Ming wiped the fine sweat from his forehead, took the tattered cotton-padded coat handed to him by Liu Shi, put it on, looked at the huge wild boar hide, and said, "Mother, after this hide is processed, I will take it to the city to sell tomorrow."

"You're going?" Madam Liu was taken aback. "Do you know the way to town? Do you know the fur shops?"

"Uncle Shunfa and the others go there often. I can just ask them. They also take the opportunity to go to the city and broaden their horizons. I've never even left the village in my entire life..." Su Ming said.

"I plan to use the money I sold the hides to...buy a bow."

"Buy a bow?" Liu was surprised again.

"Hmm." Su Ming nodded, gazing towards the dark mountain forest. "Hunting ultimately requires a good bow."

"A slingshot is fine for small objects, but it's not enough for larger objects or objects at a greater distance."

"This time it was luck, and the wild boar was protecting its cubs and didn't run away. Next time, things might not be so good."

He thought further ahead.

With a bow, he can not only hunt larger and more dangerous prey and obtain more resources, but it is also the key tool for him to maximize his advantages in "ranged" and "precision" combat at this stage.

Combined with his keen eyesight, the stability brought by his inner energy, and extraordinary arm strength, a good bow in his hands will be far more powerful than that of an ordinary hunter.

He's young, has no background or connections, so he's just trying to make do as a hunter for now. Today, he's finally getting a taste of the "hunter's" success.

Looking at her son's eyes, which shone brightly in the night, Liu knew that he already had his own ideas and plans.

Ever since this child "got it" at the age of eight, he has become someone she can no longer easily understand or control.

She sighed, and finally nodded: "You...it's good that you know what you're doing. Be careful in everything you do."

"I know, Mother," Su Ming replied, his gaze returning to the silhouette of the mountains under the deep night sky.

Sell ​​the wild boar hide and buy a bow of your own.

This will be the first real "weapon" he acquires in this world through his own strength, and it will also be another step for him to move towards a wider world.

The night is still long, but the flame in the boy's heart is already burning brightly.