Hearing what the two of them said, the surrounding members of the Dayun Gang were all startled.
“Mingjin? How could you have run into a Mingjin expert?”
“Yang Jing? Which Yang Jing?”
“I’ve never heard that name before.”
Several gang members frowned, clearly having never heard of anyone called Yang Jing.
“That man borrowed money from our gang half a year ago. We thought he was just an ordinary kid, but who would’ve thought he could fight this well?” The short-haired man sucked in cold air from the pain, his words coming out broken and unclear.
The courtyard was in an uproar.
As they were discussing it, a man in a black short jacket, a saber hanging at his waist, walked out from the main house. His gaze darkened. “What are you making all this noise for?”
He swept a glance over the two injured men and said coldly, “The gang leader is inside. He wants you two to go in.”
The short-haired man and the tall, thin youth both stiffened at once. They exchanged a glance and saw the unease in each other’s eyes.
“Yes.”
The two nodded together and walked toward the main house.
The light inside the main room was somewhat dim.
The moment they stepped through the door, a strong reek of alcohol mixed with the smell of sweat rushed into their faces.
Xu Tai, the leader of the Dayun Gang, was sitting in a grand armchair.
The man was nearly eight chi tall, with broad shoulders and a thick back. His knotted muscles strained against his black short jacket, making it bulge. A saber scar ran across his face from brow bone to jaw, and when his gaze swept over, it carried a frightening, murderous air.
“Bang!”
Xu Tai slammed the wine bowl in his hand down onto the table and asked in a rough voice, “What happened? How did you get beaten into such a sorry state?”
The short-haired man and the tall, thin youth trembled in fright and hurriedly recounted what had happened.
Only, they embellished the story, describing how “bizarre” Yang Jing’s attacks were and how the two of them had been “no match” for him. At the end, they said in trembling voices, “Gang Leader, that kid… he’s probably broken through to Mingjin. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to take the two of us down so easily.”
Xu Tai’s brows knitted sharply, and his fingers tapped against the table.
He himself had been stuck at the peak of Mingjin for many years. Twice he had attempted to break through to Anjin, only to fall short at the final step. But he knew very well how formidable a Mingjin martial artist was.
Ordinary strong men—forget two of them, even three or five more would not be enough.
“Mingjin?”
He said in a low voice, a trace of wariness appearing in his eyes. “You dared make a move without even figuring out his background? Tired of living?”
The short-haired man and the tall, thin youth shook in fear and hurriedly explained, “Gang Leader, we investigated that kid’s background before. He was just an ordinary peasant’s son, from a very common family.”
The tall, thin youth quickly continued, “That kid used the money his family got from selling land to enter a martial arts school. But his innate aptitude is very poor. Back then, we asked around—his aptitude was terrible, and he didn’t put much effort into training either. There was no way he could’ve achieved anything.”
“It’s just that we never expected… never expected him to be so good at fighting now. We don’t know whether he’s broken through to Mingjin…”
After the tall, thin youth finished explaining, he and the short-haired man beside him both hunched their necks and dared not make another sound.
Xu Tai glanced toward the saber-carrying man standing by the door. “Heizi, go investigate that Yang Jing’s background. Find out whether he’s really entered Mingjin, where he’s staying, and who he associates with. Get it all clear for me.”
“Yes, Gang Leader.” Heizi bowed in response, the saber sheath at his waist lightly knocking against his thigh.
Xu Tai then looked back at the two men before him, his voice turning colder. “If that kid has really entered Mingjin, then we’ll take the long view and make a foolproof plan. I’ll deal with him personally.”
At this point, his voice paused, and his knuckles cracked as he clenched his fingers. “If he hasn’t entered Mingjin and still dares default on the Dayun Gang’s debt, then tear off his arms and legs and throw him into the mass grave to feed the dogs!”
The short-haired man and the tall, thin youth hurriedly nodded. Cold sweat ran down their foreheads and along their cheeks, and they no longer dared say a single extra word.
The next day, early in the morning.
Just as the sky had begun to brighten, Yang Jing ate more than a jin of horse meat at home, then left Datong Ward and arrived at the Sun Martial Hall in Chengping Ward.
Yang Jing took off his upper garment, baring his arms, and first went to warm up. He lifted a ninety-jin stone lock over his head. Sweat slid down the tight lines of his muscles and struck the ground, spreading into dark marks.
During this period, he had been alternating between bear meat and horse meat to replenish himself, and the effects of sufficient nourishment were becoming increasingly apparent.
Yang Jing could clearly feel that his strength had increased by another notch compared to before. He could lift heavier stone locks now, and he did so with far more ease.
After warming up, Yang Jing walked to the middle of the training ground, lowered his waist, and steadied his stance. The wind of the Mountain-Shattering Fist immediately rang out.
An indescribable force circulated through his body. Every punch carried a whoosh as it broke through the air. His movements had gone from awkward and raw to gradually rounded and harmonious. This was precisely the “force penetrating the flesh and texture” that his master Sun Yong and Senior Brother Liu Maolin had mentioned before.
“Junior Brother, morning.”
At that moment, Liu Maolin’s voice came from the direction of the courtyard gate.
He wore a moon-white short training outfit and walked in with light steps. Seeing Yang Jing in the midst of practice, a smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. “Your fist wind has grown heavier again. Looks like that bear meat wasn’t eaten for nothing.”
“Fourth Senior Brother.” Yang Jing withdrew his fists and nodded. Sweat dripped from his forehead to the ground as he looked at Liu Maolin walking over and smiled. “You’re here too.”
“Mm. I just went by the medicine shop and came over to loosen up.”
After Liu Maolin finished speaking, he walked to a spot not far from Yang Jing and began practicing the Mountain-Shattering Fist as well.
He was already an Anjin expert now. Looking across all of Yuhe County, aside from that extremely small number of Huajin powerhouses, Liu Maolin was already among the very best.
At his current stage, it would be exceedingly difficult to make further progress.
As for the so-called hope of breaking through to Huajin, that was even more remote.
Under such circumstances, Liu Maolin had begun to divide his attention. He no longer threw himself entirely into martial training as he had before, and instead slowly started taking over the family business.
So compared to before, he spent much less time in the martial hall. However, he would still basically stay there for a while every day. Compared to the busyness and intrigue of home or business affairs, he preferred the pure and lively atmosphere of the martial hall.
The two of them each practiced the Mountain-Shattering Fist, their fist winds intertwining, and there was a certain tacit rhythm between them.
Before long, the door to the inner courtyard creaked open. The hall master, Sun Yong, dressed in black, walked out with his hands clasped behind his back. His gaze swept over the many disciples practicing martial arts in the front courtyard.
“Zhou Ziming, sink your shoulders in the horse stance. Don’t shake like you’re sifting chaff!”
“Li Xingchen, your fist technique is veering off. What the Mountain-Shattering Fist demands is hardness and ferocity, not flashiness!”
Sun Yong occasionally stopped to give a few pointers. When he reached Yang Jing’s side and saw him finish a set of punches, he said indifferently, “Your Mingjin can be considered stable, but your lower body is still unsteady. Spend more time in horse stance.”
After saying that, he moved on without another word.
In his view, it was a good thing that Yang Jing was willing to work hard. But his innate aptitude was what it was. Mingjin was already his limit, and it was truly not worth investing too much effort in him.
His gaze soon fell upon Lin Yue, who was practicing in the spacious area at the center of the front courtyard.
Lin Yue was even one year younger than Yang Jing. His figure was straight and tall, and when he punched, his breathing was long and steady. The force wind raised by his fists could actually stir fallen leaves a zhang away.
Sun Yong walked over and personally corrected Lin Yue’s fist frame. Even his tone was much gentler than when he spoke to the other disciples. “Here. Draw the qi back toward the dantian. When assaulting the barrier to Anjin, even the slightest deviation may cause all your effort to fall short.”
Lin Yue listened with full concentration, nodding from time to time, his expression respectful and focused.
Although he was a genius and quite proud, that was only toward ordinary disciples. Before his master Sun Yong, he had always behaved with great respect.
Seeing Hall Master Sun Yong continuously instructing Lin Yue, many disciples in the martial hall were very envious.
Everyone knew that Lin Yue was the genius disciple Sun Yong valued most. Not only had he been granted special permission to live in the inner courtyard, it was said that Sun Yong often bestowed many precious medicines upon him, greatly improving the speed of his martial progress.
There had also been other disciples in the martial hall who, after breaking through to Mingjin, applied to live in the martial hall. But basically all of them had been rejected by Sun Yong on the grounds that “too many people disturb the quiet.”
Thus later on, even if some disciples broke through to Mingjin, most no longer applied to live in the martial hall, unless they had an important reason that could move Sun Yong. As for ordinary registered disciples, they did not even have the qualifications to make such a request.
As for Lin Yue, he had been personally asked by Hall Master Sun Yong to stay after breaking through to Mingjin and allowed to live in the inner courtyard. Some disciples even privately speculated that the hall master might want to bring Lin Yue and Sun Ningxiang together.
Whenever the topic came up, the martial hall disciples would all feel gloomy. In the hearts of these rough men, the hall master’s daughter, Sun Ningxiang, could be called the very embodiment of truth, goodness, and beauty.
“I heard Senior Brother Lin is about to prepare to assault the barrier and break through to Anjin.”
“Isn’t that right? How long has it been since he entered Mingjin? And now he’s already going to assault the Anjin barrier. As expected of a genius with superior aptitude!”
“I heard from Senior Sister Qi Yun that Senior Brother Lin’s innate aptitude is excellent. He might very well break through to Anjin in a single attempt. Goodness, that’s an Anjin expert!”
“Don’t even think about Anjin. That’s something we couldn’t catch up to even if we whipped our horses bloody. If we can enter the force stage in this lifetime, that’ll already be very good.”
Listening to the envious and jealous discussions of the other disciples around him, Yang Jing turned a deaf ear, as if he had not heard a thing.
As for how the other disciples in the martial hall performed, whether good or bad, he did not care.
He focused on his own martial progress. With the panel, as long as he cultivated diligently, he would definitely reach the highest point within his sight.
Anjin was not the end of his martial path. His goal was Huajin, and even higher realms of martial arts.
While others were thrown into disorder because of Lin Yue’s genius display, Yang Jing silently and intently practiced the Mountain-Shattering Fist.
Time passed second by second.
Yang Jing was in the middle of practicing the “Stone-Splitting” move of the Mountain-Shattering Fist. Just as his fist edge touched the wooden stake, he heard Liu Maolin say from behind him, “Junior Brother, the ‘splitting’ in this move does not lie in fierce strength, but in skillful force.”
He turned around and saw that Liu Maolin had already stopped punching and was looking at him with a smile.
“Fourth Senior Brother.” Yang Jing greeted him with a smile.
Liu Maolin smiled lightly and nodded. “Come, exchange a few moves? Let me see how well you’ve digested the fist principles you newly comprehended.”
Yang Jing’s eyes lit up. Knowing his senior brother was about to give him guidance again, he hurriedly cupped his hands. “Please instruct me, Senior Brother.”
The two stood in the open space and simultaneously assumed the opening stance of the Mountain-Shattering Fist.
Yang Jing struck first. Driven by Mingjin, his fist wind carried a hard and ferocious momentum straight toward Liu Maolin’s face.
Liu Maolin remained unhurried. His wrist turned lightly, and with what seemed like a casual block, he happened to disperse more than half the force on the punch.
At the same time, his elbow lifted slightly, and the “Thrusting Elbow” form of the Mountain-Shattering Fist had already reached Yang Jing’s chest, only stopping an inch from his lapel.
“Watch carefully.”
Liu Maolin’s voice was steady. “Your Mingjin is too hard, like stubborn stone that has not yet been sharpened. It can smash and crack things, but it cannot wound what lies within. Anjin is different.”
Before his words had even finished, his arm suddenly trembled slightly. Yang Jing felt a sticky force coil along his arm, as if he had been wrapped in vines, making it difficult even to withdraw his fist.
“Anjin is like flowing water. It can follow the opponent’s force, then drill in through the gaps.”
As Liu Maolin spoke, he changed moves.
The edge of his fist brushed past Yang Jing’s arm, and the force wind it brought up made Yang Jing’s skin go numb.
“Take this move, ‘Shattering Mountain,’ for example. Mingjin opens mountains and splits stone; Anjin shatters the foundation beneath the stone,” Liu Maolin said slowly.
Yang Jing focused his mind and experienced it carefully, adjusting his fist path according to Liu Maolin’s guidance.
Liu Maolin’s Anjin could be released and withdrawn at will. At times, it was like a spring breeze brushing past, allowing him to clearly sense the trajectory of the fist path. At other times, it was like raging waves crashing against the shore, forcing him to mobilize all his Mingjin to respond.
Every exchange of moves was like a demonstration of the deeper subtleties of the Mountain-Shattering Fist.
So the same move, when driven by Mingjin and Anjin, could actually be as different as heaven and earth.
“That’s right, just like that. Sink the waist and hips a little more. Let the force rise from the roots of the legs and push upward along the spine…”
Seeing Yang Jing gradually grasp the trick, Liu Maolin’s tone gained a few traces of approval.
The two moved back and forth, their fist winds weaving together.
Liu Maolin always held something back, yet he allowed Yang Jing to understand the principles of “force penetrating the flesh and texture” and “combining hardness and softness” more and more thoroughly.
When the final move came to a close, Yang Jing was somewhat out of breath, but his eyes were astonishingly bright. It was as though a layer of window paper had been pierced through, and his grasp of the Mountain-Shattering Fist had improved by no small amount.
“Many thanks, Senior Brother!”
Yang Jing sincerely cupped his hands.
Only now did he understand that the “shattering” of the Mountain-Shattering Fist was not only about shattering external things, but also about shattering the limitations of one’s own understanding of fist principles.
Liu Maolin smiled and patted Yang Jing on the shoulder. “Junior Brother, your foundation is solid. What you lack is only guidance. Practice well. Given time, you may not be unable to touch the threshold of Anjin.”
After speaking, the two walked to the stone stools at the edge of the courtyard and sat down. Each took out a waterskin and gulped down water.
Yang Jing drank two mouthfuls, put the waterskin away, wiped his mouth, and looked toward Liu Maolin. “Fourth Senior Brother, have you heard of the Dayun Gang?”
Liu Maolin was stunned for a moment, then muttered, “Dayun Gang? I seem to have some impression of them. They’re a gang on the West City side, right?”
Yang Jing quickly nodded.
Yuhe County’s county seat was divided into the inner city and the outer city.
The outer city was further divided by direction into South City, West City, North City, and East City.
Whether it was Chengping Ward, where the Sun Martial Hall was located, or Datong Ward, where Yang Jing lived, both belonged to West City. The Dayun Gang was also active around West City. Otherwise, Yang Jing would not have come into contact with them so easily.
Liu Maolin thought for a moment, then continued, “My family’s medical clinic has dealings with quite a few forces in the city. I’ve occasionally heard the accountant mention them. This Dayun Gang isn’t considered any major gang in the city, just an ordinary one.”
At this point, he paused, as if recalling something, then added, “I vaguely remember that their gang leader should be a Mingjin martial artist. What was his name… I think his surname is Xu? I’m not clear on his exact strength or record. In any case, I’ve never heard that he can touch the threshold of Anjin. Right, why are you suddenly asking about this?”
Liu Maolin raised his head, frowned, and looked at Yang Jing.
There were gangs everywhere in Yuhe County. If it was not necessary, it was best not to have dealings with these underworld forces.