Chapter 48

Jiang Feng didn’t think much further. He lowered his head and smiled, then changed the subject: "When did you get here? Have you already met the teacher at the martial arts school?"

Ping Luan Shan nodded and said, "I was sent here this morning, not much earlier than you. I just had a brief encounter with that guy."

He recounted the little he knew to Jiang Feng.

The Yuan Shan Martial Arts School was not large, and one could even say it was deserted. Apart from a teacher named Hua Su, there were only three students, all locals from Linxi County.

When Ping Luan Shan arrived in the morning, he had a brief encounter with Hua Su, but that was all.

Hua Su casually pointed out a place for him to stay, told him to settle in as he pleased, and then left, going somewhere unknown.

New leaves of spring had pushed the old leaves away, and after last night’s storm, a thick layer of leaves covered the ground.

Jiang Feng found the cleaning tools, and soon the sound of "swish, swish, swish" filled the air.

Ping Luan Shan dragged a chair to the door and shook his head, saying, "We’re here to cultivate and prepare for the county exam, not to be servants..."

Jiang Feng, while sweeping, replied, "In the courtyard where I used to learn, there was also such a tree... I’m used to it."

Ping Luan Shan rested his arms on the back of the chair and said curiously, "Speaking of which, I’m already at the second stage of the Chain and have opened two acupoints, but you haven’t even entered the realm yet. But I always have a feeling that if only one of us can pass the county exam, it will be you, not me."

He shook his head and said, "It’s a strange feeling... and I’m also very curious about who could have taught someone like you..."

Jiang Feng gathered the leaves and smiled, "A very, very good person..."

Suddenly, a rabbit darted out from the pile of leaves. Ping Luan Shan’s eyes lit up, "A rabbit!"

He pressed his hands on the back of the chair, flipped over, and landed next to the rabbit. He reached out to grab it, but the rabbit didn’t hesitate to open its mouth and bite his fingers fiercely.

Ping Luan Shan cried out, "Ouch!" and held his finger, "What sharp teeth!"

The rabbit bared its teeth at him, then in a flash of white light, jumped onto Jiang Feng’s shoulder. Ping Luan Shan was taken aback, his expression strange, "Is this rabbit yours?"

Jiang Feng smiled and stroked the rabbit’s fur, "It’s my friend."

Ping Luan Shan clicked his tongue, "Making friends with a rabbit... sigh, forget it, I thought I’d have a midnight snack tonight..."

The rabbit bared its teeth again, and Jiang Feng laughed, "Be careful, if you offend it, it might run to your bed at night and bite your nose off!"

Ping Luan Shan bared his teeth at the rabbit, "If you dare!"

Just as the two were laughing and playing, a voice mocked, "So, two new servants have arrived."

Hua Su had returned at some point and, seeing Jiang Feng’s actions, mocked, "I’ve never seen a student who is not eager to cultivate but is eager to work."

The joyful scene immediately turned cold. Ping Luan Shan was about to say something, but Jiang Feng put down the broom and stopped him, "This is because your place is as messy as a garbage heap, making it unsuitable for living."

The clearly provocative words made Hua Su’s eyes narrow, and he looked at Jiang Feng sharply. Jiang Feng smiled again, picked up a basket, and put all the leaves in it, "Moreover, it’s the duty of a disciple to serve their teacher by doing some labor. It’s only right."

He used a mix of soft and hard words, perfectly blocking Hua Su’s intended response.

Hua Su looked at him thoughtfully, then turned and said, "Fine, you want to work, huh? I’ll let you work to your heart’s content!"

A moment later, he led Jiang Feng and Ping Luan Shan to an open area where there were over a dozen logs of varying lengths and thicknesses.

Hua Su pointed to the logs and said casually, "There’s an axe over there. First, you need to chop all these logs into firewood."

His eyes narrowed under his bushy eyebrows, "Each piece should be one foot long, and each log should be divided into twenty pieces. Complete it within an hour."

With that, he sneered and walked away.

...

...

"Bang!" Ping Luan Shan slammed the axe into the log, dissatisfied, "What’s wrong with this guy? We’re here to take the exam, not to work for him!"

Jiang Feng picked up the axe, weighed it in his hand, and said, "The length and weight are just right, it should be very useful."

Ping Luan Shan exclaimed, "Hey, you’re not really going to do it, are you?"

"Of course," Jiang Feng said casually, "This job is quite interesting, I want to give it a try."

"Chopping wood, how is that interesting?"

Jiang Feng didn’t answer but picked up a log and placed it on the ground, comparing it. He asked, "How long is one foot?"

Ping Luan Shan looked at him in confusion, walked over, and made a measurement.

Jiang Feng shook his head, "No, this is one foot, one inch, and three points."

Ping Luan Shan was surprised, "You can tell that?!"

He thought for a moment, pulled his hand back a bit, "Like this?"

Jiang Feng said, "This is nine inches and eight points."

Ping Luan Shan scratched his head, "Still not right... I guess we need to find a ruler."

Jiang Feng said, "I think Teacher Hua’s intention is to have us practice our visual acuity and control, not to use a ruler to set a standard." He smiled slightly, "Of course, if you’re not sure at first, using a ruler is also fine."

Ping Luan Shan said in disbelief, "Wait, you mean he intentionally had us do this to practice?"

Jiang Feng nodded, "I think so."

He bent down, set up the log, and stared at it for a while. Then, he raised his hand, and the sharp axe sliced through the air, landing heavily!

The log, about the thickness of a wrist, was easily split in two with the axe, revealing a clean, white cross-section.

The axe had barely landed when it was raised again, and another silver flash landed in less than a second!

A piece of wood rolled to the side, and Ping Luan Shan picked it up, comparing it with his fingers.

"Exactly one foot?!"

Jiang Feng didn’t answer. The sounds continued, and soon the ground was covered with logs. A whole small tree was completely cut into sections.

Ping Luan Shan lined them up. He might not have been able to see the actual size, but he could tell that all the logs were of the same length, not a hair’s breadth off!

Ping Luan Shan had always felt that this kid, apart from being a lower rank and having less total Ming Force than himself, might have some qualities that were stronger than his. But he never imagined he could achieve such a level!

He asked in shock, "How did you do that?"

Jiang Feng pointed to his eyes, "I’m sensitive to data, so I can judge the exact length without a ruler."

"No, no, no," Ping Luan Shan said quickly, "It’s not just about numbers..."

He brought over another small tree, drew a line on the bark with the tip of the axe, then took a deep breath and swung the axe. A faint golden light flashed, and the log, about the size of a bowl, made a "swoosh" sound, with a perfectly smooth cross-section.

Ping Luan Shan’s move was also impressive. His control over Ming Force was strong, and the axe, carrying force, cut through the log more cleanly than Jiang Feng’s, even though the log was thicker.

But he was not satisfied, shaking his head and sighing, "Being sensitive to length is one thing, but controlling the axe is another..."

Clearly, the cross-section of the log in his hand was slightly off the line he had drawn, though by less than two points, it was still a deviation.

Jiang Feng smiled, "Before I integrated the Ming Heart Seed, I started practicing martial arts. My teacher told me that martial skills also require control over the body. Before controlling Ming Force, you need to learn to control your muscles."

He pressed his right fingers on his shoulder and traced down his arm.

Ping Luan Shan’s eyes followed his arm, as if seeing the flow of power.

Jiang Feng said, "I’ve always paid attention to practice, and now I’ve made some progress."

Ping Luan Shan thought for a moment, "Controlling your muscles?"

"Ming Force is a kind of power, and muscle strength is also a kind of power. It all comes down to control. The more precise the control, the more precise the combat, and the more you can achieve with less force!"

Ping Luan Shan excelled in movement, and strength was his biggest weakness.

Jiang Feng’s words enlightened him, and he nodded heavily, "You’re right! Control is very important!"

"Ha." A light laugh came from the side.

Hua Su had arrived behind them at some point. He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, listening to their conversation. Hearing Jiang Feng’s words, he couldn’t help but laugh.

Jiang Feng bowed respectfully, "Just some rough thoughts. If there’s anything wrong, please correct me, sir."

Hua Su waved his hand indifferently, "Of course not, you said it well. It seems this training is nothing to you."

Jiang Feng shook his head, "No, I think this training is very important!"

He stood a piece of wood upright, "One foot long is just the beginning, and dividing it into twenty equal parts is another challenge."

He looked at the pile of logs, "Completing this within an hour requires overcoming speed and endurance..." He took a deep breath, said no more, and picked up the axe, walking to the logs. His eyes flashed, and he raised the axe, which fell with a sharp sound.

Ping Luan Shan looked at Jiang Feng, then at Hua Su, said nothing, and began chopping wood seriously.

Hua Su stood by the wall, watched for a while, and then turned, "If you don’t finish in an hour, no dinner!"

Jiang Feng and Ping Luan Shan looked up, showing a slight bitter smile, and the "bang, bang, bang" sounds became even faster.

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Thank you, fatfox911 and zhesha, for your daily support~~ Thank you, TVIT, for the tip~ I’ve been suffering from cervical spondylosis for the past few days, and it’s been hard to keep writing, so I really haven’t had the energy to thank everyone. Your support means a lot to me!

Cervical spondylosis is really annoying, with headaches, eye pain, and even a bit of fever... Remember to get up and walk around from time to time, don’t sit in front of the computer like me without moving!

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