Chapter 3

Miss, being a woman, could not possibly let Jiang Feng stay in her courtyard all day and night, even if she were to teach him martial arts.

In fact, Jiang Feng only spent half a day here every day, and the rest of the time he would return to Nanjiang to find a place to practice alone.

The place Jiang Feng visited most often was a small, unnamed valley on Mount Taiwu, only ten meters in diameter, with an extremely hidden entrance. A few years ago, Jiang Feng stumbled upon this place while chasing a wild boar. Later, it became his secret base.

Before meeting Miss, he spent more time here than in his house in Nanjiang, and it was the same now.

The place was spacious and quiet, making it a good spot for practicing martial arts.

The so-called "force follows will" means that the body's strength is completely under one's control, able to be released and reined in at will, using only the necessary force and no more.

Jiang Feng had almost mastered the former, but he still lacked precision in the latter. However, with his progress, he was sure he could reach a level satisfactory to Miss by his sixteenth birthday!

Jiang Feng glanced at the sky; it was almost time to go to the small courtyard. He left the valley, crossed a shallow river, and was about to walk up the mountain path when a black shadow suddenly jumped down from a large rock and pounced at him. Jiang Feng reflexively dodged to the side, his movement astonishingly fast!

Halfway through his dodge, Jiang Feng saw what the black shadow was. He exclaimed, stopped his movement, and reached out to catch it.

It was a rabbit, only the size of a fist, looking like a baby rabbit. It had actually fallen from above and curled up in his hand, barely alive. Jiang Feng instinctively looked up at the rock, but it was quiet, with no wild beasts chasing it.

Jiang Feng stroked its fur, and it wriggled, its long ears brushing past his wrist, then it became quiet again.

Is it injured?

Jiang Feng thought for a moment and decided to take it back to Miss for treatment.

He held the rabbit and walked out, but he hadn't gone far when he ran into a few people.

Seeing them, Jiang Feng's face darkened.

He knew all three of them. The leader was Jiang Wei, and the other two were his clansmen and lackeys. These three were from the Northern Jiang branch, not as prestigious as the main family, but far superior to the Southern Jiang branch.

Jiang Wei had been a troublemaker since childhood, but he lacked talent and was ignored in Northern Jiang. He especially liked to show off his superiority in Southern Jiang.

Jiang Feng had no parents and no background, making him their perfect target. When they were in a good mood, they would come to tease Jiang Feng; when they were in a bad mood, they would come to vent their anger on him. Jiang Feng had endured countless beatings from them since childhood.

He wasn't unaware of the need to resist, but they were older and more numerous, and had been trained in martial arts from a young age. He was no match for them.

Jiang Feng stopped, his body in a defensive stance.

Jiang Wei was two years older than Jiang Feng. He had participated in the Mingxin Seed test a year ago but failed to fuse with it. The other two had just taken the test, and their performance could be guessed from the fact that they were still Jiang Wei's lackeys.

As soon as Jiang Wei saw Jiang Feng, he laughed. "Hey, isn't that Jiang Feng? I heard you've been doing well lately? How does it feel to be the little lady's lapdog?"

He walked over proudly and saw the rabbit in Jiang Feng's hand. "Oh, what a cute little thing. Are you taking it to the lady? Come, let me see..."

He reached out to grab the rabbit, but Jiang Feng flipped his wrist, dodged to the side, and stepped back. "Get lost!"

Jiang Wei laughed coldly. "What, can't even part with a rabbit? Climbed up a bit and now you don't recognize people?"

He leaned in close and tried to pat Jiang Feng's face, but Jiang Feng suddenly grabbed his wrist, twisted it, and Jiang Wei let out a pig-like scream! Jiang Feng pressed his shoulder and pushed, and Jiang Wei stumbled back three steps, landing on his buttocks and clutching his wrist. His wrist instantly swelled, red and shiny like a bun.

Clearly, Jiang Feng had twisted his wrist!

The two lackeys were stunned. They had beaten Jiang Feng many times before and knew his level. They never expected that after a year, his movements had become so fast!

Jiang Feng carefully placed the rabbit in his chest and said expressionlessly, "Sorry, it's mine."

The two lackeys exchanged a glance and simultaneously roared, attacking Jiang Feng from both sides.

Jiang Feng's lower body remained still, but he leaned back to dodge a punch, then sidestepped and grabbed the arm of the one behind him, pulling him forward.

His pull was extremely skillful, and the man lost his balance, stumbling a few steps and blocking the kick from the other side!

Jiang Feng grabbed the man's shoulder, pulled, and pushed. The man screamed in pain as his shoulder dislocated. Jiang Feng followed up with a kick, sending him sprawling on the ground.

In the blink of an eye, the three enemies were down to one. The remaining man was terrified, looking at Jiang Wei and his fallen comrade, hesitating to advance.

Jiang Feng stared at him. "What are you afraid of? Didn't you practice the Thunder Palm? You should be quite good after a year, right? Come, let me see your level."

The man, as if just remembering his martial arts, roared and swung his palm at Jiang Feng!

Just as he was a step away from Jiang Feng, Jiang Feng suddenly kicked a stone, sending it flying and hitting the man's nose! The man saw stars, and blood gushed from his nose. Jiang Feng followed up, curling his fingers into a fist and striking the same spot with a loud thud.

Jiang Feng's punch was far more powerful than the stone. The man, hit twice, immediately fainted, his eyes rolling back.

Jiang Feng sneered. "Is this what you call the Thunder Palm?"

A year ago, these people had beaten him like a dog, and he could only target their ankles when he got the chance. Now, he had taken down three people in an instant, without a scratch, and his breathing hadn't even changed.

He walked to Jiang Wei, stepped on his chest, and said calmly, "Sorry, this rabbit is mine, and I don't want to give it to you. Got it?"

Jiang Wei's wrist was broken, and he was sweating cold sweat. He looked up at Jiang Feng, about to curse, but he was startled by his eyes! There was a dangerous glint in Jiang Feng's eyes, and he suddenly felt that if he said the wrong thing, Jiang Feng would crush his ribs without hesitation, even if it meant killing him! Jiang Wei broke out in a cold sweat and nodded frantically. "Yes, yes!"

Jiang Feng patted his face and said softly, "In the future, try to run far away when you see me. Otherwise, I might settle old scores with you."

He stood up, patted the rabbit in his chest, and walked up the mountain path. After a while, his rapid breathing gradually calmed, and his eyes returned to their usual calm.

At the moment he took down the three men, the humiliation and anger he had endured in the past suddenly surged in his heart. He had an impulse to kill all three of them!

At that moment, the rabbit wriggled in his chest, and he quickly calmed down.

If he were still alone, he wouldn't care about anything.

But now, there was Miss in the Jiang family. If he caused trouble, it would be difficult for Miss in the Jiang family...

Jiang Feng took a deep breath and muttered, "It's fine. Once I get the Mingxin Seed, those people won't look down on me anymore!"

...

...

Miss was a quiet person, and when Jiang Feng was not around, the small courtyard was almost silent.

One day, a group of people entered the courtyard, breaking the silence.

A plump and well-dressed lady walked in with a proud stride and immediately saw Miss sitting alone under a tree, reading a book.

She immediately shouted, "Where are the people serving the lady? Are they all slacking off?"

Miss frowned and greeted her. "Second Lady."

This was the wife of Jiang Tengqing, the matriarch of the Jiang family. She stepped forward and kindly held Miss's hand. "Miss, I've told you before to choose some young maids who are quick and diligent. But you always pick old women who are lazy and disrespectful to you!"

Miss smiled slightly but did not respond. "Second Lady, why are you here?"

The Second Lady was not used to such direct conversation. Her face stiffened, but she quickly smiled again. "As your aunt, I naturally came to see you."

"Please speak your mind, Aunt."

The Second Lady's eyes flickered, and she finally said, "Miss, you're almost sixteen."

"Thank you for remembering my birthday."

The Second Lady suspected she was being sarcastic but wasn't sure. She cleared her throat and said, "At sixteen, a girl becomes an adult and should start preparing for marriage..."

"I don't plan to get married for now."

Miss interrupted her and said calmly, "At sixteen, it's time for the Mingxin Seed trial. Participating in the trial and practicing martial arts is my top priority."

The Second Lady said, "What you said is important, but it doesn't conflict with marriage. You can do both! Why don't you listen to the marriage proposal I have for you..."

"Second Lady." Miss interrupted her again, and the mockery in her voice was clear. "I suggest the patriarch wait a bit. The stronger I am, the more useful I will be. Why rush? Perhaps the patriarch will find a better match in the future?"

The Second Lady left in embarrassment, and Miss remained calm, sitting under the tree until the surroundings were quiet again. Then she sighed and looked up at the clear sky.