Chaos begins when one joins a martial arts school

Chapter 64 The Changes in Sun Yong's Thoughts
The seventh arena.

Bloodstains remained on the ground. The middle-aged official stepped onto the stage, his gaze sweeping over the two who had already decided the outcome. He turned to face the chief examiner and the high platform where the examiners were located, and announced loudly: "The first place winner of the fifth round of the seventh arena: Yang Jingsheng of the Sun Family Martial Arts School!"

As soon as he finished speaking, cheers and excited discussions erupted from the audience once again. Although many people did not know Yang Jing before today, they do now and will continue to do so in the future.

Shen Lie leaned on the railing and struggled to stand up. The pain in his chest and the emptiness in his lower abdomen made him stagger as he walked.

He glanced at Yang Jing sideways, his throat bobbing. He wanted to glare at him fiercely, but the image of the fist that had grazed his scalp and the undisguised killing intent in Yang Jing's eyes flashed through his mind. A chill ran down his spine, and he swallowed back the harsh words that were on the tip of his tongue.

"We'll see."

He gritted his teeth and squeezed out three words, his voice hoarse as if it had been sanded by sandpaper.

But a seed of resentment had already been planted in his heart.

The humiliation of today will be repaid a hundredfold in the future!
Once he's fully recovered, I'll make that kid taste something even worse than defeat.

Yang Jing narrowed his eyes slightly, but did not respond. He simply kept the harsh words firmly in his heart, and then calmly followed behind him off the stage.

Just as I stepped down the last step, I suddenly heard a faint shout, as if it came from a distance. I could vaguely make out words like "Yang Jing" and "won".

He paused slightly, his brow furrowing.

The sound seemed to come from the direction of the drill ground gate, but it was muffled and fragmented through layers of people and the drill ground railings.

The drill ground was where the imperial court held the imperial examinations. Apart from the high-ranking officials and nobles in the county and the people from various martial arts schools, ordinary people could not enter at all. From the outside, it was difficult to see the competition clearly. How could someone recognize me and call out to me from outside?
Did I hear that right?

He muttered to himself and shook his head.

Perhaps the cheers around me were too loud and disrupted my hearing.

Just then, a familiar voice called out from outside the fence: "Junior Brother Yang!"

Yang Jing looked up and saw Liu Maolin, Sun Ningxiang and Xu Hong squeezed in the front row of the crowd, smiling at him. However, compared to them, Xu Hong's face was pale and his smile seemed forced.

Yang Jingxin understood immediately and guessed what was going on.

I guess this senior brother is feeling down right now after losing the first place battle.

He stopped dwelling on the indistinct shouts and strode toward the three of them.

This afternoon's competition has now come to an end.

The sunlight fell on him, making the dust on his blue robe clearly visible, but it also made his straight back look even more composed.

At that moment, outside the towering railing of the drill ground, several villagers dressed in coarse cloth were standing on tiptoe, desperately peering inside. One of the women was holding the hand of a little girl with pigtails.

"I knew Xiao Jing could do it!"

A dark-skinned man wiped his face, his voice booming and able to penetrate the wall, "The young men of Yangjia Village are truly impressive!"

"Is that really Yang Jing? I can't see clearly," a middle-aged man, slightly older than usual, asked, rubbing his eyes.

“Yes, I see clearly, it must be Brother Jing!” Yang Wei, the son of Yang Laosan, climbed over the railing and said to the middle-aged man.

Not far away, Yang Shouzhou sat on a wooden stake, with Yang An standing beside him, whispering to him about the situation on the field. The old man's face was beaming with joy.

As soon as the fence next to the third arena was pulled open, Lin Yue walked out, clutching the wound on his shoulder. His dark-colored outfit was stained with blood, but it couldn't hide the smugness in his eyes.

He walked a few steps to the front of the audience seats, bowed slightly to Sun Yong, and said in a hoarse voice, still trembling from his injuries, "Master, I have not failed you."

Sun Yong stroked his beard, his gaze lingering on the bleeding wound for a moment, then he laughed loudly, "Good, Yue'er, you defeated Ye Canglan, you really made me proud, hahaha, not bad, not bad."

Upon hearing this, Lin Yue's lips curled slightly upward, and he humbly replied, "Master, you flatter me," while his heart was already churning with excitement.
Among all the disciples in the martial arts school, who can surpass him in talent? And who dares to challenge him in combat?
In this training exercise, he is the only hope for the martial arts school and his master!

Besides him, who else can take the top spot in the ring? Who else?

He straightened his back, glancing at the congratulatory crowd around him, becoming even more certain that his fellow apprentices had probably been eliminated long ago and had no right to compete with him.

Lin Yue's heart sank slightly as he looked around twice but did not catch a glimpse of that familiar figure in the white dress.

He suppressed his racing heartbeat and casually glanced around, but in the end he couldn't help himself and asked with a hint of urgency in his voice, "Master, where is Senior Sister Ningxiang?"

“He went to Yang Jing’s place,” Sun Yong said casually, then his gaze sharpened, and he pointed to the south passageway, “Isn’t that it? They’re back.”

Lin Yue looked in the direction he pointed and saw Sun Ningxiang talking to Xu Hong, Liu Maolin, and Yang Jing in the passageway not far away. The hem of her plain white dress swayed gently in the wind, and her profile was bathed in a soft glow in the sunlight.

Lin Yue's heart tightened suddenly, as if his previous smugness had been doused with cold water.

His straightened shoulders stiffened instinctively, and his gaze fell on Sun Ningxiang's face. He saw her listening intently to Yang Jing's words, a faint smile on her lips. That smile stung Lin Yue's eyes, making them tighten.

He clenched his fist hidden in his sleeve. The pain from his wound suddenly became clear, but it was far less sharp than the inexplicable irritation in his heart.

Just then, Sun Ningxiang's voice came from outside the crowd, "Dad, we're back!"

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw Sun Ningxiang walking at the front, followed by Yang Jing, Xu Hong and Liu Maolin.

Sun Ningxiang, her face still flushed with excitement, walked up to Sun Yong and said in a clear voice, "Father, guess what? Junior Brother Yang Jing won! He defeated Shen Lie and took first place in the seventh arena!"

"Huh?" Sun Yong paused, looked up at Yang Jing, his eyes filled with astonishment.

Although he had heard that Yang Jing had advanced, he never expected him to beat Shen Lie. After all, Shen Lie was a veteran master at the peak of Dark Force, and he had mastered the essence of the Mountain-Breaking Fist. Even if Lin Yue faced him, he might not be his match.

How could they have been defeated by Yang Jing?
The surrounding disciples were in an uproar, all turning to look at Yang Jing.

"Senior Brother Yang beat Shen Lie? Really?"

"Shen Lie is a pillar of the Poshan Martial Arts School, and he's considered top-tier even in internal strength..."

"My God, our martial arts school actually produced two champions this time?"

Lin Yue's smile froze instantly, as if someone had poured a bucket of cold water on his face.

He glanced at Yang Jing instinctively, his brows furrowing tightly. How could this be? Yang Jing had actually won first place? And even defeated Shen Lie?

A strange sense of irritation welled up inside him. He had always thought that Yang Jing was just lucky, but he never expected that he would get to this point, especially in the military examination that he valued most.

Sun Yong composed himself, waved his hand to quiet everyone, and looked at Yang Jing: "Yang Jing, tell me in detail, what exactly happened? Shen Lie's Mountain-Breaking Fist is incredibly powerful, how did you defeat him?"

Sun Yong's question was also the one that puzzled everyone the most.

How did Yang Jing defeat Shen Lie?

Could it be that Shen Lie has diarrhea? Is he in very poor condition?
That shouldn't be the case. Martial artists' physical abilities far surpass those of ordinary people, let alone a master like Shen Lie who is at the peak of the Dark Force realm.

Yang Jing stepped forward and said calmly, "Reporting to Master, I fought Shen Lie for over a hundred moves. Seeing that his internal strength was gradually weakening, I used the Mountain-Crushing Fist to restrain him head-on. At the same time, I used a movement technique that I had obtained by chance, relying on my speed advantage to wear down his stamina, and finally managed to win by luck."

He paused, then added, "After accidentally obtaining that movement technique, I tried practicing it for some time and luckily broke through to the Ming Jin level." "Break through to the Ming Jin level?"

Sun Yong's eyes widened suddenly, staring intently at Yang Jing in front of him. At this moment, his gaze towards Yang Jing completely changed.

Sun Yong suspected that Yang Jing might have some hidden talent that was not easily noticed, or that he might simply have incredible luck.

But now, Yang Jing has even silently mastered another movement technique to the level of Ming Jin? This cannot be explained by luck alone!

Martial arts schools do not shy away from having their disciples practice other martial arts. This is a common practice. Many scions of prominent families, after joining a martial arts school, will not only focus on the school's martial arts but also practice their own family's martial arts. However, the vast majority of them are unable to master the martial arts they practice to the point of mastery.

At this moment, Sun Yong's mind was in turmoil.

He was certain that Yang Jing possessed undiscovered talent, perhaps his comprehension was far beyond that of ordinary people, or perhaps he had a physique suitable for martial arts training.

It is already difficult for an ordinary disciple to master a martial art to the level of Ming Jin, but Yang Jing was able to master two different styles of kung fu to the level of Ming Jin in a short period of time, and even broke through to the level of An Jin in his main style, Beng Shan Quan!

Sun Yong's gaze toward Yang Jing gradually became more serious and scrutinizing.

Although he valued Yang Jing's diligence in the past, he still looked down on and ignored him because of Yang Jing's physical constitution.

But now it seems I really misjudged him.

This kid is definitely a hidden gem, quietly shining brightly at crucial moments.

Sun Yong silently adjusted his perception of his disciples.

Lin Yue has excellent physical attributes and great potential. Although he is flamboyant, he can be gradually honed. He is destined to be the face of the Sun Family Martial Arts School.

Yang Jing seems to possess exceptional comprehension and a calm, reserved nature; his potential is subtly no less than Lin Yue's.

From now on, Yang Jing's importance must be raised to a position second only to Lin Yue, and above all other disciples of the Dark Force realm.

Meanwhile, the Ming Jin disciples around them were stunned and had very mixed feelings.

They recalled how many days and nights they had spent, how much money they had spent on medicine and guidance from their masters in their efforts to break through to the Ming Jin realm, before they had barely touched the threshold. When they heard Yang Jing casually say, "I tried to cultivate for a while and luckily broke through," they felt a tightness in their chests.

This is truly infuriating!

Sun Yong took a deep breath, suppressing the shock in his heart. He patted Yang Jing on the shoulder and said in a gentle tone, "Good, good lad! You didn't disgrace the martial arts school! Come to my study when you get back. I have something to say to you."

"Yes, Master." Yang Jing nodded, his gaze calmly sweeping over his surroundings. Although he felt joy in his heart, he did not feel the slightest bit smug because of the amazed, envious, and longing looks from the crowd.

The first day of the training ground examination has ended.

The winners of the eight arenas have been determined and will participate in the final competition tomorrow.

As for who stole the show, the Sun Family Martial Arts School certainly stole the spotlight today, as Sun Yong rarely had the chance to shine in front of so many martial arts masters in the county.

Of the eight champions in this year's ring, two are from the Sun Family Martial Arts School.

In previous years, Sun's Martial Arts School often failed to win a single championship in the ring, but this year they finally achieved a remarkable feat.

Various families, high-ranking officials, martial arts practitioners, and other figures from Yuhe County gradually left the scene.

The afterglow of the setting sun gilded the banners on the drill ground, and as the last group of finely dressed dignitaries left, the drill ground, which had been bustling all day, finally quieted down.

The disciples of the Sun Family Martial Arts School gathered together and escorted Sun Yong out, their steps light and their faces beaming with triumphant smiles.

As soon as he stepped out of the training ground gate, several young disciples eagerly surrounded Yang Jing, offering their congratulations all at once:

"Senior Brother Yang, congratulations! You've won first place in the seventh arena! This is a great event for our martial arts school!"

"From this day forward, the entire county shall know my senior brother's name!"

"I knew my senior brother was hiding his true abilities, he really is amazing!"

Surrounded by people, Yang Jing smiled gently and cupped his hands in greeting: "I was fortunate to win, thanks to Master's daily teachings and the help of my fellow disciples."

His tone was humble, without a trace of pride, which only increased the respect of the disciples around him.

At this moment, Liu Maolin pushed through the crowd and squeezed in. Although his right arm was still bandaged, his face was beaming with joy.

He and Yang Jing lagged a few steps behind, following their fellow disciples as they walked and talked.

Liu Maolin patted Yang Jing's arm and joked, "Now that you've won first place in the seventh arena, your status in the eyes of your master and fellow disciples is completely different from before."

He looked at Yang Jing, his eyes filled with emotion, and his tone became more serious: "To be honest, I really didn't expect it. You actually practiced a movement technique and reached the Ming Jin level without anyone noticing... I've been with you for so long and I didn't even notice. You've kept it hidden for too long."

Liu Maolin chuckled and said, "I used to think that Lin Yue had superior aptitude and was the most talented in our martial arts school. But now it seems that your comprehension is no less than his. Lin Yue's boxing skills rely on his natural good foundation, but you have been able to master both martial arts in a short period of time. This is not something that can be achieved by hard work alone."

As he said this, a genuine look of envy flashed in his eyes, and he clicked his tongue: "When we get back, Master will definitely give you special training. Maybe all those treasured boxing manuals and rare medicinal herbs will be given to you first. If it were me, I'd probably be secretly happy for days."

Yang Jing listened to his words and gently shook his head: "Senior brother, I did not deliberately hide it, but I had no choice but to accept it."

He didn't elaborate, but his tone carried a hint of helplessness.

Upon seeing this, Liu Maolin immediately waved his hand: "I understand, I understand. Everyone has their own secrets, right?"

He patted Yang Jing on the shoulder, his eyes softening. "Everyone has their own difficulties. If you don't want to talk about it, I won't press you. In short, you've made our martial arts school proud this time, and that's enough."

The setting sun cast long shadows of the two, which blended into the bustling crowd and slowly disappeared at the end of the town's streets, following the footsteps of the martial arts school members.

The hustle and bustle of the training ground had subsided, but Yang Jing's story was only just beginning to circulate among the martial arts circles of Yuhe County.

PS:

It's 11:50 PM now, and I've finally finished writing three chapters totaling 12,000 words for tomorrow.

Some readers may have noticed that I was still replying to chapter comments at three or four in the morning. That's when I started writing, and apart from eating, I hardly rested at all.

I actually type very slowly. Sometimes I type 700-800 words per hour, and sometimes I type about 1,500 words per hour.

Although the content I post is 12,000 words, I will make some cuts in the middle, so it will actually be around 14,000 words.

I was truly exhausted, both physically and mentally. My eyes were so sore I could barely keep them open. Sometimes I really wanted to write 4,000 words a day, just like that, but then I realized I couldn't. I had finally managed to persevere, so I couldn't give up. More importantly, I couldn't let down the readers who had supported me all along!
During the writing process, I deleted most of the content about the villagers, almost glossing over it.

The content related to Zhao Yuman, Sun Yong, and Sun Ningxiang has also been reduced.

As I said before, if there are any problems with my writing, readers leave me comments, and I will correct them. I believe that this process is also a process of improving an author's writing ability.

Oh, and one more thing. I saw some readers commenting that I haven't been updating enough. I know these readers are just joking with me, right? If I were to update more, I'd have to use some kind of magic to absorb that eagle that updates 30,000 words a day, sob sob sob.

Finally, handsome guys and beautiful girls, please vote for me with your monthly tickets!
(End of this chapter)