Chapter 2

The surging waters of the Nielong River flow ceaselessly day and night past the village of Xujia in Guang'an Prefecture, eventually merging into the sea to the east. Along the riverbank stands a row of dozens of purple maple trees, their leaves burning like fire.

It was the eighth month, and the wild grass in front of and behind the village had just begun to turn yellow. The slanting rays of the setting sun added a touch of desolation to the scene.

Under an old, mottled wutong tree, a group of villagers, men, women, and over a dozen children, gathered around a scholar, listening intently to his words.

The scholar, about eighteen or nineteen years old, had a straight nose and sharp eyes, but his face was pale, as if he were ill. He wore a linen robe that had been washed until it was almost white. When the wind blew, the robe clung tightly to his body, revealing a not-so-weak physique.

He tapped the two pieces of yellow pear wood in his hand, producing a series of rhythmic sounds, and then opened his mouth to speak, his voice clear and resonant.

"Let me tell you about the fox spirit whose soul dissipated with the wind, forever separated from the scholar Zhang, who had passed the imperial exams. Zhang was overwhelmed with sorrow, unable to let go of the bond they shared. He thus abandoned his aspirations and resigned from his post, building a hut beside the fox's mound to live out his days, contemplating life and death... As the saying goes, 'Once having seen the vast ocean, one cannot be impressed by mere streams; having beheld the clouds over Wushan, no other clouds can compare. Even among the flowers, I turn my head not, half for the sake of cultivation, half for you.'"

When the song ended, there was a moment of silence.

The scholar had just told a story about a fox spirit and a scholar, a human and a spirit, who fell in love but were ultimately separated by fate. The poignant conclusion, delivered through the song, moved the entire audience to tears, even the children who knew nothing of love were captivated.

The pear wood pieces clapped again, and the scholar stood up, holding a broken wooden bowl, and began to make his rounds among the audience.

Before long, the bowl was filled with copper coins, and among them, a few silver pieces could be seen.

Guang'an Prefecture was a land of abundant resources and wealth, and even the villagers, though living in the countryside, were not poor.

The scholar's stories were a rare form of entertainment in the countryside. As the audience was moved by the story, they naturally felt admiration and gratitude towards the scholar, and thus were generous in their contributions.

After collecting his earnings, the scholar bowed to the audience and announced the location for his next performance before leaving.

The scholar came from the nearby village of Xujia, and his name was Xu Yi. He was eighteen years old. Although he was not well-known earlier, in the past two years, he had gained a reputation for his captivating stories, becoming famous in the surrounding villages.

Xu Yi walked briskly, and by noon, he had reached the entrance of Xujia Village.

Under the golden sunlight, the lush Huayin Mountain stretched out like a giant dragon's spine, extending into the distance. At the lowest point of the mountain, about seventy or eighty crooked wooden houses were scattered like chess pieces, stretching for several miles.

Xu Yi's small wooden house was in the most remote corner at the foot of the mountain. Due to its age, the house was not only old but also somewhat tilted.

Though the house was dilapidated, it was still his home!

Seeing it, he felt a sense of peace.

"Wang wang!"

Xu Yi was still a hundred paces away from his house when an old yellow dog ran over, barking joyfully. When it reached him, it placed its front paws on his shoulders.

The old yellow dog had been with the Xu family for nearly twenty years and had become an integral part of the family. With his parents deceased and no siblings, the old yellow dog was, in a sense, his only family.

Every day, whenever he returned from a trip, the old yellow dog would always come to greet him.

Xu Yi patted the dog's head, which was covered in wrinkles, feeling a warmth in his heart.

Man and dog walked slowly along the mountain path, which was narrow and lined with thorns, allowing only one person to pass. Whenever Xu Yi tried to make way, the old yellow dog would use its tail to push him back onto the narrow path, while it navigated through the thorns, like a caring elder looking after a younger one!

By the time they reached home, it was past noon. After a busy morning, Xu Yi was already feeling hungry. He quickly picked out several pieces of meat, weighing about six or seven pounds each, from a broken jar in the corner. He then went to the earthen stove next to the wooden house, which had two black pots, lit the fire, and placed the meat in the front pot and rice in the back pot.

After covering the pots, Xu Yi returned to his room, took out a book called "Nanhua Ji," and sat by the stove, gently stroking the old yellow dog's soft neck while reading quietly.

The green mountains were lush, and the mountain breeze was gentle and warm. Xu Yi felt a sense of peace in his heart.

After about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, the aroma of the meat and rice began to waft out from the gaps in the pot lids, mingling with the rising smoke and drifting into the distance.

Xu Yi put down his book and was about to lift the pot lids when his eyelids twitched, and he suddenly pounced on the old yellow dog, pinning it to the ground.

Just as he did, there was a loud bang, and the stove seemed to have been hit by a cannonball, collapsing instantly, sending dirt and stones flying, and creating a cloud of dust.

Then a rough voice shouted, "A thirty-pound grinding stone thrown thirty paces away, hitting the target with one throw! Sir, you truly have divine strength! It seems you are not far from breaking through to the later stages of the Body Tempering realm."

Xu Yi got up and looked in the direction of the voice. His eyes turned cold, and he quickly grabbed the old yellow dog and threw it into the house, closing the door behind him, and stood steadily in the courtyard.

"Smells good! Hehe, they say you, Xu Yi, have been doing well lately. It seems to be true. You drink and eat meat every day, making me envious."

The speaker was a well-dressed young man, followed by two burly men. One had a full beard and looked fierce, while the other had a towering build, a hooked nose, and deep-set eyes. Just by their appearance, one could tell they were formidable warriors.

"Sir Zhou, you flatter me. I merely use my tongue to spin tales and earn a living. How can I be compared to a noble like you?"

Xu Yi said calmly.

"Compared to our sir? You don't deserve it!"

The bearded man stepped forward, stopping half a step in front of Xu Yi. He lightly slapped one side of Xu Yi's face and sneered, "Boy, you know why we're here. There's no need for our sir to waste words. Let's get this over with!"

"Sir Zhou, rest assured. The deed has already been submitted, and the authorities are reviewing it. I will be here at this time tomorrow, and you can send someone to collect it!"

Xu Yi remained composed.

Sir Zhou laughed, "You know your place! I happen to be hunting in Huayin Mountain tomorrow. Wait by the roadside, and I hope you don't disappoint me. Otherwise, you know the consequences. By the way, I heard you've been practicing martial arts recently. Why don't you show me what you've learned and give my subordinate some pointers!"

Without waiting for Xu Yi to respond, the bearded man laughed and grabbed Xu Yi by the collar, lifting him up. "Right, right, you must give my old man some good pointers!"

Before Xu Yi could react, a fist like a hammer struck his shoulder, and with a dull thud, he flew three paces away, landing with a thud. His face turned ashen, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

"Ha ha, sir, him? A mere ant, not worthy of practicing martial arts! I could crush him with one finger!"

The bearded man laughed maniacally.

Sir Zhou glanced at Xu Yi with disdain and turned to leave, his voice drifting back, "To have a descendant like you, Mingde Gong would probably rise from his grave in anger, oh, I forgot, Mingde Gong no longer has a grave, it's been turned into a pigsty!"