Chapter 5

This was a clear and bright moonlit night, with the sky washed clean and two moons hanging high. The silver-white moonlight cascaded like water, casting a clear glow over the entire wild continent, making it resemble a dreamlike underwater world.

Under this moonlit sky, Zhang Ye stood with his eyes tightly closed, his hands stretched out in front of him, his fingers clenched into fists, and his waist slightly lowered. His feet moved in a peculiar rhythm, trembling slightly.

Zhang Ye's stance was simple, yet it gave a solid impression, as if he were a rock under the moonlight, immovable no matter how the wind blew or the rain fell.

The moon reached its zenith.

Zhang Ye slowly exhaled, put down his stance, and moved his limbs to loosen up. He muttered, "This 'Iron Bridge Blocking the River' stance is easy to learn but hard to master. I have been practicing it since I was five, and it has been eight years now. If it weren't for the fusion of my memories, which made my mind much more agile and my calculation abilities far superior to before, I doubt I could have achieved the initial level of this 'Iron Bridge Blocking the River' stance."

After obtaining the two martial arts manuals, Zhang Ye did not immediately start practicing. He knew that the foundation of martial arts was crucial. To advance further in martial arts, one must first have a solid foundation. Therefore, Zhang Ye took the opportunity to review the contents of the "Martial Arts启蒙" (Martial Arts启蒙) once again.

After the memory fusion, Zhang Ye's mind became much more agile. In just a few short days, he managed to bring the defensive move "Iron Bridge Blocking the River" to the initial level of mastery. Zhang Ye believed that with another half a year of practice, he could bring this move to the advanced level, achieving the state of "as heavy as a mountain, as solid as iron, and unmoving even in the face of sudden storms."

The more fundamental something is, the harder it is to grasp its essence. Although the Zhang family was large, very few people could bring the "Iron Bridge Blocking the River" to the initial level of mastery. As for the advanced level, the number of people who could achieve it was even fewer, and in the entire Sanhe Town, they could be counted on one hand.

After bringing the "Iron Bridge Blocking the River" to the initial level of mastery, Zhang Ye spent another half a month practicing basic knife techniques. The "Martial Arts启蒙" provided detailed instructions on how to hold, draw, thrust, change, and retract the knife, as well as how to recover one's breath. With some knowledge of mechanics from his previous life, combined with his strong intuition, Zhang Ye brought the basic knife techniques to the initial level of mastery in just a few short days.

Zhang Ye started practicing at the age of five, but due to his limited talent, he struggled for seven years without bringing the knife techniques to the initial level of mastery. After the memory fusion, his intuition greatly improved, and in just a few short days, he brought both the basic knife techniques and the "Iron Bridge Blocking the River" to the initial level of mastery, which was nothing short of a miracle.

Zhang Ye's courtyard was too small, and with the basic knife techniques reaching the initial level of mastery, he needed to find a new place to practice. He remembered a waterfall he had discovered during a previous trip to the mountains to gather herbs. The waterfall was about eighty miles from Sanhe Town, rarely visited by people, and was an ideal place to practice knife techniques.

"Practicing in the small courtyard is not a long-term solution. Now that I have the knife manual, I should go outside and use nature to understand the way of the knife. This is the right path."

With this decision made, Zhang Ye packed his things, gave some instructions to Qinglian, and set off from the manor with a thick-backed knife on his back.

The young people of the Zhang family could go out to train for a period of time after turning thirteen. There was no need for any formal procedures; they just needed to inform the steward, which Qinglian could help with, so Zhang Ye didn't need to handle it personally.

******

Zhang Ye left the Zhang manor and headed towards the waterfall. After walking for a few miles, a figure suddenly appeared, blocking his path.

The person blocking Zhang Ye was a twelve- or thirteen-year-old boy, dressed in blue, with a proud look on his face. It was Zhang Dashu, who was always at odds with Zhang Ye.

Zhang Ye stopped and frowned, saying, "Zhang Dashu, what are you doing?"

Zhang Dashu's face showed a sinister smile as he slowly said, "Zhang Ye, let's not beat around the bush. Since you asked directly, I'll explain my intentions. Listen, I'm here to invite you to join us. If you join us and help my young master become the head of the family, you will receive many benefits."

After his memories awakened, Zhang Ye had no interest in the family's internal conflicts and did not want to tie himself to any faction. Without hesitation, he said, "No interest."

Seeing Zhang Ye immediately reject his offer, a sinister look flashed in Zhang Dashu's triangular eyes, and he said coldly, "You don't have to reject me so quickly. I know your Body Tempering Pill was taken by your older brother, and you no longer have any. Without a Body Tempering Pill, it will take at least ten years for a martial artist to advance to the third level of martial arts. If you join us, my young master will immediately give you a Body Tempering Pill. If you perform well, there will be even more benefits. What do you think?"

As Zhang Dashu spoke, his triangular eyes fixed on Zhang Ye. A Body Tempering Pill costs hundreds of gold pieces and is often unavailable even if you have the money. Zhang Ye was in dire need of a Body Tempering Pill, and Zhang Dashu felt that Zhang Ye would definitely accept his invitation.

Unfortunately, Zhang Dashu clearly did not understand Zhang Ye well enough. Zhang Ye had already rejected Zhang Shu's invitation, so why would he accept Zhang Dashu's? Without hesitation, he replied, "No interest."

Zhang Ye's consecutive "no interest" responses made Zhang Dashu's face turn sour. A cold glint flashed in his triangular eyes, and he sneered, "Zhang Ye, I am sincerely inviting you. Don't refuse the good for the bad."

Zhang Ye's fists clenched slightly. He wanted to punch Zhang Dashu's ugly face, but he had just advanced to the second level of martial arts and had not learned any combat techniques. In a fight, he might be at a disadvantage. Considering this, Zhang Ye suppressed his impulse and said coolly, "I am only interested in martial arts. I don't care about family matters."

From a nearby tree shade, someone chuckled and said, "Dashu, Dashu. Zhang Ye is not joining us because he thinks our strength is not enough. Dashu, you should show Zhang Ye your strength to make him feel our power and sincerity."

As he spoke, a twelve- or thirteen-year-old boy, with a rosy mouth and white teeth, walked out from the tree shade. He was quite handsome and had an outstanding demeanor, which made him stand out even more when standing next to the ugly Zhang Dashu.

This boy was Zhang Fang, who was as famous as Zhang Shu. He, like Zhang Shu, had reached the peak of the second level of martial arts and was on the verge of advancing to the third level.

Seeing Zhang Fang appear, Zhang Ye's face remained unchanged, but he felt a slight unease. Zhang Dashu was at the mid-level of the second level of martial arts, and dealing with him alone was already a headache for Zhang Ye. Now, with the addition of the more powerful Zhang Fang, it would be difficult to escape unscathed today.

Page break for AD start

Page break for AD end