Chapter 1

"Beat him! Beat this little bastard who dared to steal martial arts techniques!"

"Right, and he can't even learn them properly, messing them up and causing us to get scolded by Master!"

A group of people were beating a boy, who curled on the ground, covering his head, and muttered in protest, "I didn't mess them up; my modified Thunderclap Palm is definitely better..."

"Still talking back!"

Who would believe that a fourteen-year-old child could modify the well-honed palm techniques of the Jiang family? The boy's stubbornness only made the beating worse.

A faint green shadow appeared in the distance, silently approaching along the stone-paved road. It was a green-canopied carriage, pulled by a creature that looked like a horse but wasn't, with white fur as soft as clouds, making no sound as it stepped on the ground.

The bamboo curtains of the carriage were drawn, revealing a slender figure inside.

The boys on the street were shouting and fighting, and the figure paused, gently waving her hand. The old woman sitting on the carriage immediately moved closer.

After a brief whisper, the old woman nodded repeatedly and stood up. Just as she was about to speak, the situation suddenly changed!

The boy clenched his teeth tightly, his eyes suddenly brightening. Amidst the chaos, he flipped his hand, twisted it, and formed a fist, the middle finger bone protruding. He jabbed it at another boy's ankle. The other boy let out a sudden,惨烈的 scream and fell to the ground, rolling in pain and blocking the others from continuing their attack.

The boy rolled over, struggling to stand up, his back as straight as a green pine tree. He spoke clearly and stubbornly, "For example, in this situation, using a fist... using a fist is better!"

With a "rustle," the bamboo curtain was lifted, and the old woman quickly called out, "Miss!"

The slender figure passed by her and walked to the boys—boys who were about to pounce again but now stopped, staring at her in a daze, completely forgetting what they were doing.

If not for seeing it with their own eyes, no one would have believed that a fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl could possess such beauty and grace.

She walked gracefully, like a dream that had suddenly appeared, making everyone lose their composure.

The young lady bent slightly and asked, "Using a fist is better?"

The boy's nose and face were bruised, his eye corner split, and blood covered his face. He raised his hand with effort, wiping it casually, his black eyes burning with intense light. He nodded heavily, "Yes, using a fist is better!"

The young lady suddenly smiled and extended a hand, "Come."

Unconsciously, the boys made way, watching the boy follow her. One of them suddenly came to his senses and shouted, "Don't think you can escape—"

He was about to chase after them but was held back by a companion, "What are you doing?"

The companion whispered, "That boy was taken by her!"

"Her? Who is she? Just a woman, right?"

"You fool, she is the treasure of our Northern Jiang!"

"What? You mean... her?"

...

The old woman wrung out a towel and handed it to the boy. The boy thanked her shyly, his manners a bit rough but earnest.

The young lady sat beside a table, holding a teacup and watching him. The steam slightly blurred her eyes, but it made her figure appear even more fresh and resilient, like a willow branch.

The young lady asked, "What is your name?"

The boy, hearing her, quickly put down the towel and sat up straight, "My name is Jiang Feng, and I live at the end of Peace Bridge in Southern Jiang."

The young lady was taken aback, "Jiang Feng, you are that Jiang Feng?"

Jiang Feng was a bit confused, not understanding the emphasis in her question. He scratched his head, "Um... in Southern Jiang, I am the only one with this name."

The young lady asked, "Why did they beat you?"

Jiang Feng replied calmly, "Only people from Northern Jiang can learn martial arts. I secretly learned a bit and made some modifications, which they saw. They learned the modified palm technique and were scolded by the Master."

The Jiang clan was divided into Southern Jiang and Northern Jiang, separated by a bridge. Northern Jiang had a large, deep residence with wide, flat streets, exuding the grandeur of a major family. This was the main residence of the Jiang family.

Southern Jiang was mostly inhabited by the collateral branches of the Jiang family, most of whom were relatively poor. Not only that, but people from Northern Jiang had other privileges, such as the right to practice martial arts. People from Southern Jiang could only learn secretly and would be beaten if discovered.

The young lady pondered, "The Thunderclap Palm? Why did you modify it?"

"The Thunderclap Palm is indeed good, but I felt these two areas could be improved. It can be changed to a fist here, which can unleash greater power. It's called a palm technique, but it actually uses fists, palms, and fingers. Changing it to a fist here can be more effective."

Mentioning martial arts, Jiang Feng's eyes lit up, and he began to demonstrate involuntarily.

The old woman's face darkened, and she scolded, "No rudeness in front of the young lady!"

Jiang Feng's face stiffened, and he apologized, "I lost my composure."

The young lady shook her head and waved the old woman away. She smiled at Jiang Feng, stood up, and led him out of the courtyard, saying, "Watch."

She had Jiang Feng stand to the side and then struck a palm forward. Her palm seemed gentle, but when it struck, there was a loud crack in the air, like a firecracker exploding.

Then, a series of such sounds followed, and the air in the courtyard violently shook. A strong wind blew toward Jiang Feng, making his hair and clothes flutter.

Jiang Feng's eyes widened; he had never seen such power when secretly watching others practice!

Despite the loud sounds in the courtyard, the young lady's movements remained gentle and composed, with a unique elegance. Her every move was clear, and Jiang Feng immediately recognized it as the Thunderclap Palm.

The loud cracks in the air were the characteristic reactions of the Thunderclap Palm.

Jiang Feng watched the young lady's every move closely, his brows furrowed. The Thunderclap Palm she used was very different from what he had seen before. Specifically, the basic movements and force application were the same, but she had made some changes. These changes were exactly what Jiang Feng had imagined, such as changing the palm to a fist and quick, precise movements. He couldn't help but follow her movements, quickly confirming that her version of the Thunderclap Palm was more effective in actual combat.

Soon, the young lady reached the part Jiang Feng had modified, and his eyes widened in surprise!

He suddenly realized that the young lady had made these changes on the spot after hearing his ideas, and she had done it faster and better than he had!

After completing the set of palm techniques, the young lady didn't even break a sweat. She walked to Jiang Feng and smiled, "You were right. Martial arts have no fixed rules and can be modified according to practical needs."

Jiang Feng felt a bit dejected, "I still have a long way to go..."

The young lady didn't speak, but she suddenly stepped forward and lightly pushed Jiang Feng's shoulder. Jiang Feng reacted quickly, immediately stepping back and blocking her hand with a slap.

The young lady asked, "Did you feel it? How the force flowed through your body and how you released it?"

Jiang Feng thought for a moment, then traced his muscles with his other hand down to his palm.

"Martial arts are the techniques of using force. Muscles, fists, feet, willpower, and the clarity you will gain in the future... all will become your strength. Using them in the best way is martial arts. Therefore, to design a martial art, you must first understand what force is, how it appears, and how it flows."

She spoke confidently, and Jiang Feng, initially confused, gradually understood.

His previous modifications to martial arts were purely instinctive. But only by understanding force from the inside out could he develop the best martial arts!

The young lady suddenly asked, "Can you read and write?"

Jiang Feng was taken aback, his face turning red. After a while, he reluctantly said, "I... I can recognize a few characters!"

The young lady frowned, "Who takes care of you in Southern Jiang?"

Jiang Feng pursed his lips and looked at her, "No one. I've been alone since I was little."

"Alone? Since you were little?"

For the young lady, this was completely unimaginable. How could a child live alone without anyone to take care of him?

She asked several questions, and Jiang Feng answered honestly. She learned that Jiang Feng had lived alone in a small, low house at the end of Peace Bridge in Southern Jiang since he could remember, relying on the monthly rations provided by the Jiang family.

The rations from the Jiang family were inconsistent, sometimes more, sometimes less, and Jiang Feng often went hungry. Fortunately, he was quick and agile from a young age. As he grew older, he would go to the Taiwu Mountains behind Southern Jiang to find food. Thus, he grew up.

No one taught him to read and write. He learned to write his name by secretly listening to classes outside the school in Northern Jiang.

The young lady fell silent, then reached out and gently touched Jiang Feng's hair. The warmth from her hand was something Jiang Feng had never felt before, and he felt a warmth welling up in his eyes.

He took a deep breath and smiled, "It's okay, I'll work hard! I'll work hard to learn to read and write, and to learn martial arts. One day..."

He glanced at the young lady but didn't speak.

The young lady smiled, understanding his unspoken thoughts.

Growing up like this, Jiang Feng naturally had no attachment to the Jiang family. He meant to say that when he had the ability, he would leave.

"Leaving the Jiang family, I..."

The young lady felt a pang of regret, took the towel, and personally wiped the blood from his face. Jiang Feng was flustered and struggled, "It's fine, I..."

Before he could finish, the young lady suddenly widened her eyes in surprise and touched his eye corner, "Here..."

Her hand was slender and soft, slightly cool, and Jiang Feng's face turned bright red.

The young lady ignored his feelings and looked at his eye corner in surprise, "What happened here?"

After wiping away the blood, Jiang Feng's face was clean. His eye corner had been cut open, bleeding over half his face. Now, the wound was almost completely gone, leaving only a faint mark.

Jiang Feng scratched his head, "My injuries heal faster than others..."

The young lady asked in disbelief, "Always like this?"

Jiang Feng was puzzled, "Yes, always like this."

"Does anyone else know?"

"No... I've always lived alone, so no one noticed me."

"..."

"..."

"Great."

"..."

"Great?"

Looking into Jiang Feng's confused eyes, the young lady suddenly asked, "Jiang Feng, are you willing to learn martial arts from me?"