Chaos begins when one joins a martial arts school

Chapter 34 introduces blind dates.
Since Sun Ningxiang had spoken, Lin Yue, though unwilling, couldn't refuse any longer. Qi Yun and Zhao Wenzheng could only nod reluctantly and say, "Then let's do as Junior Sister Ningxiang wishes."

Upon hearing this, Liu Maolin breathed a sigh of relief and a smile appeared on his face.

Lin Yue glanced at Yang Jing, who was practicing his boxing alone in the distance, and then looked at Sun Ningxiang beside him, his brows furrowing even more.

He had always liked Sun Ningxiang, but seeing her speak up for Yang Jing now, he felt a surge of anger and disgust.

How dare a mediocre fool like him ask Ningxiang to speak for him?
Liu Maolin walked excitedly toward where Yang Jing was.

In a corner of the front yard, Yang Jing was repeatedly driving the wooden stakes into place, his fists steady and his imprints deepening on the stakes.

"Junior brother, I have something to tell you." Liu Maolin walked over and patted Yang Jing on the shoulder.

Upon hearing the sound, Yang Jing withdrew his fist, turned around, and looked at Liu Maolin beside him with sweat on his forehead. He asked in confusion, "Senior brother, what's the matter?"

“We’ve been discussing forming a small team to spar with the martial arts schools like Weiyuan and Tiequan to warm up for the training ground. I’ve suggested that you participate in this sparring competition as well. Junior Sister Ningxiang has also spoken up for you, and the others don’t object.”

Liu Maolin smiled and continued, "This is a great opportunity. Practice more with others, and you might gain some insights that will help you break through the bottleneck of internal strength."

Yang Jing was taken aback, not expecting his fourth senior brother to be talking about this. He asked, "Sparring with other martial arts schools? Are we going to other martial arts schools?"

"Yes, it will probably take about half a month from start to finish, with several martial arts schools coming in turn," Liu Maolin said.

Upon hearing this, Yang Jing frowned, pondered for a moment, and shook his head, saying, "Wouldn't that mean running around every day? Interfering with my boxing practice? Thank you for your kindness, Senior Brother, but I won't join this sparring team."

He is now completely focused on breaking through to the Dark Force realm, meticulously calculating the time of day, and really doesn't want to be distracted.

Liu Maolin was taken aback by his refusal and quickly said, "Actual combat is also part of martial arts training. The more you spar, the more knowledge you gain, and you might even gain some insights that will help you break through your bottlenecks."

Little did he know that Yang Jing had a panel, which meant his cultivation path was destined to be different from ordinary people. As long as he cultivated to the limit, he could break through naturally without any bottlenecks.

If he were to actually join this sparring team, it would only delay his cultivation progress.

"Thank you for your kind offer, senior brother," Yang Jing said sincerely, "but I still want to practice my boxing skills diligently on my own."

Liu Maolin tried to persuade Yang Jing twice more, but seeing that Yang Jing was still determined, he knew he couldn't change her mind. Although he felt sorry for her, he could only give up. "Fine, it's good that you have your own ideas. Since you don't want to participate, I'll go back and tell them."

Yang Jing nodded and watched Liu Maolin leave.

He knew Liu Maolin meant well, but he had his own path to follow, destined to be different from others in his martial arts journey.

Then Yang Jing turned around and walked back to the wooden stake, the sound of his fists rang out again, and he continued to focus on practicing the Mountain-Crushing Fist.

For him, nothing is more important than breaking through to the inner strength level right now; as for those sparring sessions, they are no longer important.

the other side.

Liu Maolin returned to the group, sighed softly, and said with a hint of helplessness, "Junior Brother Yang... he refused. He only wants to practice his boxing on his own and doesn't want to participate in sparring or actual combat."

After Liu Maolin finished speaking, the others were stunned, and surprise flashed across their faces.

You know, this is a great opportunity.

Sparring with other martial arts schools and performing well can bring fame and recognition in Yuhe County. It can even lead to insights that will greatly benefit future training.

Even if they don't perform well, they can at least gain some practical experience, which may play a crucial role in the future. Perhaps this practical experience will help them pass the training field test.

In short, participating in this sparring team would have been entirely beneficial, so why did Yang Jing refuse?
After a brief moment of shock, everyone quickly came to their senses.

Qi Yun raised an eyebrow and a cold smile appeared on her lips. "At least you have some self-awareness. You know you're not good enough. Even if you go with us, you'll lose badly when you spar with the masters from other martial arts schools. Not only will you embarrass them, but we'll also lose face, and the image of the martial arts school will be affected."

Her impression of Yang Jing sometimes remained from the time when Yang Jing desperately tried to curry favor with her, and she looked down on him, thinking that a mere third-rate country bumpkin was not worthy of being her supporter.
Even if one breaks through to the Ming Jin level, a mediocre person is still a mediocre person.

Or rather, what truly made Qi Yun dissatisfied with Yang Jing was that after breaking through to the Ming Jin realm, Yang Jing stopped trying to curry favor with her.

If Yang Jing continues to serve her like before after breaking through to the Ming Jin realm, she wouldn't mind having another Ming Jin martial artist as a follower.

This stark contrast in Yang Jing's behavior before and after was what infuriated Qi Yun the most.

After Qi Yun finished speaking, Lin Yue snorted disdainfully, turned to look at Sun Ningxiang, and said with a deliberately confident tone, "See, I told you he couldn't do it. Now he doesn't even have the ambition. He's hopeless and can't seize any opportunities. There's no need to worry about him anymore."

He said this not only to Sun Ningxiang, but also to everyone else present, especially since he knew that Liu Maolin and Yang Jing were close.

Sun Ningxiang frowned slightly, a hint of disappointment passing through her heart.

She had assumed that Yang Jing, being so hardworking, would cherish such an opportunity, but she never expected him to refuse. Was he really unambitious? Perhaps, as Lin Yue said, he really lacked drive.

Liu Maolin, who was listening nearby, couldn't help but say, "I always feel it's a bit of a pity. With more real combat experience, his chances of breaking through to the Dark Force level might be greater."

"Heh—" Lin Yue scoffed disdainfully upon hearing this, "Senior Brother Liu, you are also a martial artist with internal strength, so you should know how difficult it is to break through to internal strength. You think you can break through to internal strength with just practical combat? I think that's more wishful thinking."

Liu Maolin frowned.

At this moment, Zhao Wenzheng reached out and patted Liu Maolin on the shoulder, saying softly, "Alright, everyone has their own ambitions. Since he is unwilling, we will choose someone else. The sparring team was arranged by Master, and we have already discussed it with the owners of the other two martial arts schools. We can't delay it."

“There are plenty of people willing to join,” Qi Yun said.

The group immediately stopped mentioning Yang Jing and began discussing the candidate again.

Only Liu Maolin occasionally glanced at Yang Jing's focused figure as he practiced his boxing, and a sense of regret still lingered in his heart.

As Lin Yue said, he was a dark-force martial artist who had overcome that bottleneck himself, and he knew all too well how difficult it was to break through the bright-force bottleneck.

His physical constitution is above average, but breaking through to the inner strength level is still so difficult.

With Yang Jing's talent being mediocre even among those of average build, the hope of breaking through that insurmountable bottleneck was too slim, unless he could have the same incredible luck as when he broke through to the Ming Jin realm. Liu Maolin shook his head with a wry smile, how could that be possible?

Two days later, early in the morning.

Yang Jing ate a pound of tiger meat with a side dish and prepared to go to the martial arts school to practice his boxing.

Every day, his master Sun Yong would give him some pointers. Although they were few, they were insightful and profound, which greatly benefited Yang Jing. This is what is meant by "a few words of true teachings, while thousands of books of false teachings."

Before he could even leave, he received a message from Liu's Medical Clinic that a batch of medicinal herbs needed to be delivered to Jinshan County next door, a round trip that would take a day, with the return journey commencing in the evening. Upon receiving the message, Yang Jing immediately changed into a neat set of short clothes, tucked a short knife into his waistband for self-defense, and arrived at Liu's Medical Clinic on time.

More than ten guards had already gathered at the entrance, each one a capable and valiant individual. Among them was a dark-skinned man with a deep and composed aura, clearly a master of the Ming Jin skill.

"Brother Yang, with you here this time, our journey will be much safer," the lead guard greeted with a smile.

Yang Jing smiled and responded with a couple of words, then obediently waited for the arrangements.

He received silver and bear meat from the Liu family every month, and he did very little work, only going out on two or three missions each month. He always felt that he should do more work to feel at ease.

Once the medicinal herbs were loaded onto the trucks, the team set off.

The journey was relatively smooth, and we easily dealt with the few thieves who turned out to be refugees.

In the evening, the medicinal herbs were successfully delivered to the branch in Jinshan County, and then the herbs for the return trip were loaded and headed to Yuhe County.

By the time we returned to the county town, it was already late at night.

After the old doctor at Liu's Medical Clinic finished counting the medicinal herbs, he handed Yang Jing an oil paper package and said, "Brother Yang, there are two taels of silver and three catties of bear meat in here. Thank you for your help this time."

Yang Jing knew this was the custom, so he didn't refuse. He took the oil paper package and put it away. Just as he turned to leave, he saw Liu Maolin come in from outside. He smelled faintly of alcohol, but his steps were steady, so he was obviously only slightly drunk.

"Junior brother?" Liu Maolin was taken aback when he saw Yang Jing, then smiled. "Just got back?"

"Yes, I just delivered the medicinal herbs," Yang Jing nodded.

"You must be tired, getting back so late." Liu Maolin patted Yang Jing on the shoulder and said.

"Of course," Yang Jing smiled and shook his head, then his gaze fell on Liu Maolin's face. Seeing the relaxed look in his eyes, he asked, "Senior brother, what good news is there? You seem to be in a good mood, and you even had a few drinks."

The two stood at the entrance of Liu's Medical Clinic, the evening breeze carrying a slight chill.

Liu Maolin touched the tip of his nose, his face flushed slightly from the alcohol, and said with a hint of embarrassment, "There is something I need to do. I need to add another person to the household."

Yang Jing was taken aback and didn't react for a moment. Looking at Liu Maolin, who seemed a little embarrassed and even shy, he suddenly understood and asked in a low voice with some doubt, "Senior brother, aren't you already married?"

After he became acquainted with Liu Maolin, he visited Liu Maolin's home several times and naturally met Liu Maolin's gentle wife.

Liu Maolin's face flushed even more, and his voice lowered, "Junior brother, as you know, my wife is in poor health and we haven't had any children yet. It's because my family is pressuring me so much that I have no choice but to take a concubine, all for the sake of our Liu family's lineage."

He laughed first, a hint of helplessness in his voice.

Yang Jing suddenly realized and quickly cupped his hands in greeting, saying, "Then congratulations, Senior Brother."

Liu Maolin waved his hand and turned to Yang Jing, "Junior brother, speaking of which, you're not young anymore. You can't stay single forever. Practicing martial arts is important, but you can't neglect settling down and starting a family, can you?"

Upon hearing Liu Maolin mention him, Yang Jing couldn't help but recall the words his grandfather had spoken when he returned to his hometown a while ago. After a moment of silence, he said, "Lately, my mind has been preoccupied with practicing boxing, and I haven't thought about this aspect."

"There's a balance to martial arts training," Liu Maolin patted his shoulder. "Once I'm done with this, I'll keep an eye out for you. If I find a suitable girl, I'll introduce you to her."

Yang Jing neither immediately agreed nor refused, only vaguely saying, "We'll see."

The two chatted for a few more minutes, mostly about trivial matters concerning the martial arts school and their families.

Seeing that it was getting late, Yang Jing took his leave.

As he walked back to Tongyifang, a breeze blew by and he remembered what Liu Maolin had said. He dismissed it as a casual remark made while drunk and didn't take it too seriously.

For him right now, breaking through to the Dark Force realm is the most important thing; everything else is too early.

The next day, early in the morning.

Yang Jing arrived at the martial arts school, put down his cloth bag and water bag in the front yard, and began to practice horse stance, lift stone weights, and drive wooden stakes.

After a period of training to warm up the blood and qi, he officially began practicing the Mountain-Crushing Fist.

Time passed by, and more and more disciples gathered in the courtyard.

Yang Jing paid no attention to anyone else, focusing solely on practicing his fist techniques. The shadows of his Bengshan Fist stretched out in the morning light, each punch carrying a profound and powerful force.

Sun Yong strolled out from the inner courtyard, his plain-colored long robe swaying slightly in the morning breeze.

His gaze swept over the disciples practicing boxing in the front yard. Seeing that the stances of a few ordinary disciples were loose, he casually offered a few words of advice such as "sink your shoulders" and "drop your elbows." When he encountered a few formal disciples with Ming Jin (a type of martial arts skill), he would pause for a moment to correct their deviations in exertion.

When Sun Yong reached Yang Jing's side, he stopped.

Watching him finish a set of "Stone-Splitting Stance," his fists were powerful, but there was an unnecessary sluggishness when he finished. So I said, "When you finish your fist, your breath should be smooth and your intention should be deep. Don't let the force get stuck in your shoulder socket."

As he spoke, he raised his hand to demonstrate, his wrist turning slightly, and a smooth force naturally receded. "In the later stages of Ming Jin, one must understand how to 'contain' it, rather than simply releasing it outwards."

Upon hearing this, Yang Jing felt a chill run down his spine. He adjusted his technique accordingly, and his next strike was indeed much smoother. He quickly bowed and said, "Thank you for your guidance, Master."

Sun Yong nodded slightly, said nothing more, and turned to walk towards the figures in the center of the courtyard, namely Xu Hong, Qi Yun, and Lin Yue.

Currently, only five disciples with internal strength remain in the martial arts school: Xu Hong, Qi Yun, Zhao Wenzheng, Liu Maolin, and Lin Yue. Among them, the eldest brother Xu Hong, the second sister Qi Yun, and Lin Yue spend most of their time in the martial arts school. The third brother Zhao Wenzheng and the fourth brother Liu Maolin have begun to take over the family business and still come to the martial arts school almost every day, but for much less time than before.

Sun Yong came to Xu Hong's side and instructed him on the rhythm of his breathing. He then went to Qi Yun and corrected the angle of her punches.

Finally, he stopped beside Lin Yue.

Lin Yue was practicing the Mountain-Crushing Fist at the Dark Force level. Sun Yong watched for a while, then personally demonstrated the moves and transitions to Lin Yue, and whispered the methods of internal energy flow. Occasionally, he would let Lin Yue make a move, and he would meet the opponent's fist with his own, carefully pointing out the key points.

Sun Yong's patience and meticulousness in teaching Lin Yue far surpassed that he showed to his other disciples.

Many disciples looked in Lin Yue's direction, their eyes filled with undisguised envy. If only they could receive such dedicated instruction from the sect leader. But that was just wishful thinking. Ultimately, it all came down to innate talent. Lin Yue possessed superior innate talent, so naturally, the sect leader valued him highly.

Yang Jing glanced at Sun Yong dissecting Lin Yue's moves, then looked away, lowered his waist again, and his Crushing Mountain Fist now carried a more focused and undistracted air.

"Peak of Ming Jin, almost there."

PS: Thank you to the reader [靑山流水] for another 100 Qidian coins!
(End of this chapter)