"Don’t worry, brother. I know what I’m doing this time," Zhao Yuman said softly, her eyes downcast.

...

Wazi Town, the Ning Family estate.

The August sun was scorching, and even the air in the study felt dry and hot.

Ning Xuezhi was hunched over his desk, checking this year’s land rent ledgers. Fine beads of sweat dotted his temples. He had just wiped them away with a handkerchief, but they reappeared almost instantly.

KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK. There was a knock at the study door.

"Come in," Ning Xuezhi said without looking up, his brush tip gliding across the ledger.

The butler, Li Zhong, pushed the door open and entered. Behind him was a young servant dressed in a coarse linen tunic—Second Young Master Ning Wenbo’s personal attendant.

The young servant had a panicked look on his face, standing awkwardly by the door and wringing his hands.

"Master," Li Zhong said with a bow, "I have an urgent matter to report."

Ning Xuezhi put down his brush and looked up at the young servant. "What is it? What’s all the panic about?"

The young servant swallowed hard, his voice trembling. "Master, it’s... it’s news from the city. That Yang Jing... Yang Jing has broken through to the Inner Strength realm! The news is all over the martial arts halls in the city. They’re saying he’s Sun’s Martial Arts Hall’s newly promoted Inner Strength master!"

"What did you say?" Ning Xuezhi shot upright in his chair.

"Yang Jing from Yang Family Village has broken through to the Inner Strength realm!" the young servant said, taking a deep breath and raising his voice. "Master, it’s absolutely true! Many people at the Weiyuan Martial Arts Hall are talking about it too!"

Ning Xuezhi’s hand, holding a teacup, froze in mid-air. His pupils contracted slightly.

Although he wasn’t a Martial Artist, he had been doing business in Wazi Town for many years and had seen a great deal. He naturally understood the heaven-and-earth difference between the Mingjin and Inner Strength realms.

A Mingjin Martial Artist could still be dealt with by sheer numbers, but an Inner Strength master could shatter metal and crack stone with a single punch or kick. Ordinary guards were no match for them at all. Even the great families in the county had to treat them with deference.

Back when Yang Jing broke through to the Mingjin realm, he had been wary, but his only thought was to avoid provoking him.

But now... Inner Strength! A person of this caliber was already a major figure with considerable power in Yuhe County. How could he dare to show even the slightest disrespect?

"Is it really true?" Ning Xuezhi asked again, finding it hard to believe. In his mind, Inner Strength masters were incredibly rare. How could a place as insignificant as Yang Family Village produce such a figure? 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

"It’s true!" the young servant declared, patting his chest. "The Young Master saw it with his own eyes in the city. When Yang Jing walks down the street now, even many of the gang members have to make way for him!"

Ning Xuezhi was silent for a moment, then slammed his teacup down on the table. A little tea splashed out, but he didn’t notice. He made an instant decision. "Li Zhong!"

"Here!" Li Zhong quickly responded.

"Prepare a lavish gift immediately!" Ning Xuezhi’s tone was grave. "Pick out the finest silks and satins, nourishing medicinal herbs, and also prepare thirty taels of silver... no, fifty taels! Send it to Yang Jing’s home in Yang Family Village at once!"

He stood up, paced a few steps in his study, and added, "Tell the Yang Family that I, Ning Xuezhi, admire Brother Yang Jing for his youthful achievements. Say this humble gift is but a small token of my respect, and if they ever need help from the Ning Family in the future, they have only to ask!"

Li Zhong was inwardly shocked. Fifty taels of silver, plus silks and medicinal herbs—for his notoriously stingy master, this was an astonishingly generous gift. But seeing the grave expression on his master’s face, he dared not ask any questions and quickly replied, "Yes, I’ll see to it at once!"

After Li Zhong and the young servant left, Ning Xuezhi was alone in the study.

He gazed at the scorching sun outside the window, a layer of cold sweat breaking out on his back.

’Thank goodness... Thank goodness I’ve always reacted quickly. I didn’t press the matter after Feng Lei’s death, and I even sent a draft ox to ease the tension between us after Yang Jing broke through to the Mingjin realm.’

’If this Inner Strength master held a grudge against the Ning Family over that old conflict, we wouldn’t just lose our footing in Wazi Town—I’m afraid the entire family would be ruined.’

At that moment, Ning Xuezhi couldn’t help but feel a sense of relief.

’That bastard Feng Lei... his death was no loss.’

"Yang Jing..." Ning Xuezhi murmured to himself, his expression complex.

...

「The next few days.」

While keeping up with his martial arts training, Yang Jing also did some research on the "Raging Wave Legs."

After making inquiries in various places, he learned that no major family in Yuhe County had "Raging Wave Legs" as their ancestral martial art, nor did any martial arts hall teach it.

This discovery put Yang Jing’s mind at ease.

’It seems "Raging Wave Legs" was most likely a fortuitous discovery of Xu Tai’s own.’

With no other hidden dangers, Yang Jing could now confidently teach this martial art to his cousin, Yang An.

During this time, Yang Jing had been too busy to return to his hometown. He had entrusted a letter to Yang the Third, a peddler from his village, hoping to persuade his grandfather to move the entire family to the city.

For him now, even the slightest bit of what he could spare would be enough to support his entire family. He wasn’t worried about them lacking a livelihood if they came to the city. Besides, his grandfather, grandmother, mother, and aunt were all hardworking and capable; it wouldn’t be difficult for them to find work in the city.

However, his grandfather sent a message back with Yang the Third, saying he didn’t want to move to the city and preferred to stay in Yang Family Village. His grandmother, mother, and aunt all felt the same way.

On one hand, they couldn’t bear to leave their house and fields. After all, they had been farmers for generations. Suddenly moving to the city, to a strange new environment, made them feel anxious and uneasy.

On the other hand, his father and uncle had been away from home for over half a year. The family was very worried and wanted to be there to wait for their return.

’Of course, there were other reasons too. For instance, Grandfather probably felt that it was already difficult enough for me to establish myself in the city, and bringing the whole family along would only hold me back.’

Although his grandfather was an illiterate farmer, Yang Jing knew he was rough on the outside but sharp on the inside, with a very sensitive and perceptive mind.

’Since Grandfather and the others want to stay in our hometown, I’ll let them remain there a while longer.’

Whether he would have to forcibly bring them into Yuhe County’s city walls would depend on how the situation developed.

If the chaos became more apparent, then regardless of whether they were willing, Yang Jing would have to bring them into the city.

Compared to the chaotic world outside, the city was relatively safer.

Tongyi Square was close to the Inner City, and the security was better there.

And that way, with his family nearby, Yang Jing would be able to look after them.

But since his grandfather and the others were unwilling to come to the city for now, Yang Jing sent another letter home, asking his cousin Yang An to pack his things and come to the city with Yang the Third to find him.

Yang An also loved martial arts, but his circumstances had never allowed for it.

Now that Yang Jing had broken through to the Inner Strength realm, he was considered a master who could hold his own in all of Yuhe County. He was far beyond his previous Mingjin level and could finally bring Yang An to his side and guide him in his training.

...

The sky was just beginning to lighten, before the rooster in the next yard had even crowed, when Yang Jing got out of bed.

He took out a small piece of the treasured old ginseng, then retrieved a few other medicinal ingredients from his medicine box that he had brought back from the Liu Family Medical Hall: angelica root, astragalus, dried human placenta, wolfberries, and others.

He then went to the kitchen, placed a clay pot on a small earthen stove, and added fresh water. He first sliced the old ginseng and put it in the pot to simmer over a low flame. Once the water began to darken, he added the other medicinal herbs one by one.

The medicinal aroma soon filled the air, carrying a mellow warmth that was much gentler than the gamy scent of beast meat.

Half an hour later, the medicinal soup had been boiled down to less than half a bowl. It was dark brown and as thick as honey.

Yang Jing picked up the bowl and drank it all in one gulp.

The concoction was slightly bitter at first, but as it went down his throat, it transformed into a warm current that slid into his stomach and quickly spread to his limbs and bones.

Unlike the violent energy from beast meat, the nourishment from this medicinal tonic was more enduring. It was like a spring rain soaking a field, slowly seeping into his muscles, bones, and meridians, even causing his Inner Strength to become somewhat gentler.

Yang Jing could clearly feel his qi and blood flowing more smoothly than before. The hidden injuries left over from his previous training seemed to have been soothed by this warm current.

"The effects of a medicinal tonic are so much better than a dietary one," Yang Jing remarked, smacking his lips as he set the bowl aside.

He knew, however, that the reason it was stronger than a dietary supplement was mainly due to the quality of the ingredients. The main component was a piece of nearly Centennial Ginseng, which was incredibly valuable. Even though it was just a small slice, its worth was higher than that of ordinary beast meat.

Yang Jing thought back to the Spirit Fish he had eaten a few days ago. The nourishing effects after consuming it had been astonishing. He had practiced the Mountain-Shattering Fist for an entire day without a hint of fatigue, and his training progress that day was equivalent to three normal days.

’If I could eat a Spirit Fish for every meal, the effects would be even better than taking slices of this Centennial Ginseng.’