Chapter 19: Stirring The Pot
The next morning, as Hong Yuan stepped out of his room, he saw Yang Erhu, also dressed neatly, close the doors and windows, and walk into the courtyard martial arts practice field.
“Teacher!”
Hong Yuan stepped forward and greeted him, then his brow furrowed, his gaze flicking to Yang Erhu’s right arm, “Are you injured?”
The improvement of Root Bone is a comprehensive enhancement in all aspects such as Strength, Speed, Reaction Time, and the strength of Muscles and Bones, and it naturally includes the sense of smell.
Hong Yuan’s nose twitched, and he detected a faint smell of blood on Yang Erhu.
Yang Erhu patted his right arm with his left hand and chuckled, “I slipped when I got up and grazed my arm a bit. It’s nothing serious. Alas! I’m getting old, I can’t compare to my younger days.”
“Teacher, your Muscles and Bones are strong. There are few young people who can compare to you.”
Hong Yuan also smiled, but his mind recalled Yang Erhu’s room last night. The door made a sound twice, with a considerable interval between them: once when he went out, and once when he returned.
At the time, Hong Yuan was in the midst of Meditation practice and didn’t pay much attention. Thinking about it now, was he going to fight someone late at night… or seeking revenge?
However, seeing Yang Erhu’s steady gait and vigorous spirit as usual, it seemed to be a minor injury, and he probably didn’t suffer any disadvantage.
Since Yang Erhu was unwilling to say more, Hong Yuan did not press the matter.
This day passed without incident. Today, all eighteen Martial Arts School Apprentices and Nominal Disciples were present. The three who were absent yesterday had already heard about yesterday’s events from the other apprentices before Hong Yuan arrived at the courtyard martial arts field.
They learned that the Museum Master had taken in a personal disciple, and that this personal disciple, Senior Brother Hong Yuan, had, upon his arrival, thrashed the three most outstanding disciples of the martial arts school, Meng Yue and the others, into the ground. They listened with wide eyes, lamenting that they had missed such a good show yesterday.
The deterrence had not yet faded in a short period, and there were no new troublemakers. Hong Yuan surveyed the entire field, corrected some mistakes made by the apprentices, and after a few words of admonishment, found a corner to train by himself.
The next few days were also calm and uneventful.
Hong Yuan’s life was very regular. Besides spending some time guiding the Martial Arts School Apprentices, he spent most of his time at noon practicing standing meditation, Guiding Technique, and Bedrock Skill for Body Strengthening. In the afternoon, he practiced Seven Slashes of Bolang, Tiger Subduing Fist, and Breathing Method.
In the evening, he practiced Meditation Technique.
During this period, Meng Yue would occasionally come to ask for tips on martial arts, showing great respect.
In fact, Meng Yue was anxious.
He was really anxious.
Because Hong Yuan’s daily routine was too simple. For the past few days, he seemed to have never left the martial arts school. The man never went out, so how could he make a move?
Should Yan Laosan send his men to storm the martial arts school directly?
Unless Yan Laosan was out of his mind, he wouldn’t do that. A direct assault would not be an attempt to kill one person, but rather to annihilate the martial arts school.
What kind of price would Yan Laosan have to pay to achieve that? He would probably have to sacrifice more than half of his subordinates.
Moreover, this did not align with Meng Yue’s interests at all. He wanted to kill Hong Yuan to eliminate this stumbling block so that he could become Yang Erhu’s disciple and obtain the Tiger Roaring Breathing Method.
If the martial arts school were to be annihilated, then all their plans would be ruined.
While Meng Yue was getting blisters from anxiety, Yan Laosan’s dispatched men were also at a loss.
Yan Laosan was indeed a man of Credibility. Even though he had been ambushed that night, he still sent people the next day to inquire about news regarding ‘Hong Yuan’.
Yan Laosan’s men did not go out themselves to tail him. As the local power in the county town, they had better methods.
Idle people wandering around the county town, hoodlums… Street vendors shouting their wares, and traveling merchants were all their best informants.
These people were already accustomed to loitering around the Yang Family Martial Arts School every day, and they would not arouse any suspicion. Finally, all the gathered information would be compiled, providing the target’s daily activities.
Through this information, Yan Laosan’s subordinates could arrange for men to lie in ambush at the target’s usual routes. Once the target arrived, they would first blind him with lime, followed by fishing nets, flying stones, mud, and even excrement and urine. With more people surrounding him, and a flurry of sword strikes, even if Hong Yuan was skilled, he would still fall into their hands.
The idea was beautiful, but the opponent didn’t play by the rules!
The strategist among Yan Laosan’s subordinates was a Scholar who had failed the Imperial Examination multiple times. He had joined Yan Laosan’s ranks before the Imperial Court abolished the examination. Over the years, he had earned the nickname ‘Poisonous Heart Scholar’.
This Poisonous Heart Scholar was nearly sixty years old, with a goatee and a seemingly kind, smiling demeanor. He found Meng Yue and got straight to the point: “The kid named Hong doesn’t leave the martial arts school, so we can’t make a move. You need to find a way to lure him out.”
“Alright!” Meng Yue had no other good ideas, so he gritted his teeth and nodded, “I’ll handle this. But the kid named Hong is quite skilled. You’ll need to have enough men arranged.”
“Third Master has commanded respect in this county town for so many years. Many overconfident Jianghu Masters have come to provoke us, and their fates… Heh! A mere brat is nothing? You just need to lure him out; leave the rest to us.”
The old Scholar fanned himself with a feather fan, a smile on his face and a relaxed tone.
Meng Yue returned to the Yang Family Martial Arts School. Before he even entered, he heard a commotion from the martial arts field.
He hurried inside and saw a crowd of apprentices gathered on the left side of the martial arts field, clustered together, each stretching their necks to peer inside.
In the center, on the sandy ground, a giant wooden bucket was placed. Even with his tall and strong build, he would still seem spacious curled up inside.
The bucket was filled with water, causing ripples to spread.
Meng Yue’s gaze shifted, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes. He glanced at the other side of the field where Hong Yuan was picking up a Stone Ball with one hand.
Meng Yue also often used the Stone Balls in the martial arts school for training, so he knew their weight. The Stone Ball in Hong Yuan’s palm weighed over fifty jin.
But this was nothing. Meng Yue could also lift it with one hand. However, Hong Yuan simply extended his arm, his palm open, and the Stone Ball was supported by his palm. Without swaying or shaking, as if the Stone Ball in his hand was merely an egg, he walked slowly with a relaxed expression to the side of the water bucket.
Meng Yue’s face darkened, and he pulled over an apprentice beside him, “What is Senior Brother Hong doing?”
The apprentice smiled, “Senior Brother Hong said he created a new Body Strengthening technique and is about to teach it to us.”
“Oh? Senior Brother Hong is truly amazing!” Meng Yue expressed his admiration at the right time, his eyes fixed on the center of the field.
He then saw Hong Yuan, holding the Stone Ball with one hand, unhurriedly toss it into the water bucket. With a “plop,” it fell in. Just as a large splash was about to erupt, Hong Yuan suddenly spread his hands, like two sharp blades piercing into the water.
Splash!
Hong Yuan moved his arms, slowly stirring the water in the bucket. The water in the bucket also moved with the momentum, forming a whirlpool.
Everyone looked at each other, somewhat bewildered. Hong Yuan’s stirring motion gradually accelerated, and the whirlpool became increasingly rapid, suddenly resembling the strong currents in a vast ocean, bringing immense power.
Immediately, the Stone Ball, which had sunk into the water bucket weighing over fifty jin, was also driven by this rapid swirling force and quickly fell into Hong Yuan’s palm, spinning.
At this moment, the Stone Ball, as it rotated with Hong Yuan’s movements, seemed to have become a ball, spinning faster and faster with the water flow. Suddenly, Hong Yuan’s arms twitched, and he lifted it upwards.
With a “puff,” accompanied by a trailing splash of water, the Stone Ball was tossed up about ten feet high.
As the whole crowd gasped, the Stone Ball lost its momentum and began to fall. Hong Yuan stirred the water, absorbing some of the impact, and with a lift of his hands, tossed it up again.
As the Stone Ball hung in the air, he suddenly exerted force with his arms. The water in the wooden bucket violently vibrated, countless water droplets splashed on the surface, and with a loud crack, the wooden bucket burst open, and the water inside poured out in all directions.
The next moment!
The Stone Ball fell straight down, smashing onto the sandy ground with a loud thud. Amidst the violent tremors, it pounded like the hearts of the many apprentices present.
“Senior Brother Hong!”
“Too strong!”
After a moment of silence, the apprentices suddenly erupted in cheers. Only Meng Yue had a slightly stiff smile on his face, clenching his fist tightly, “This Hong Yuan must not be allowed to live!”
Evening has fallen, the moon is like the beginning… Finally, 60,000 characters! Requesting a monthly ticket!
