Chapter 16

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The cold winter wind cut through the flesh, and the mountain wind pierced the bones. At the end of the first month after the beginning of winter, a heavy snowfall had already begun in the Xiaoyao Valley.

Snowflakes clustered together, and the emerald lake had already frozen into jade, covered with a layer of white felt. Only a patch of plum blossoms by the shore had just begun to bloom, their fragrance spreading for miles, refreshing the heart and lungs.

"Look! It's Su Qier!"

"Su Qier, come over, sir will give you a piece of cat's ear, hahaha!"

"You're so poor you can't even afford clothes, come beg me, and I'll give you one as charity!"

...

At the morning martial arts practice, from a distance, a group of convicts on suspended death sentences saw a slightly hunched, ragged, and disheveled young man with a listless demeanor emerge from a thatched hut in the far corner.

This young man was none other than Su Qian, who had been in the Wudang Xiaoyao Valley for over half a month.

The Su family's assets were meager, with only a few properties. Su Wangsheng had lived in poverty for nearly half his life before entering government service in middle age. He named his two sons Su Qiming and Su Qian. For ordinary students from poor families who studied hard for over a decade, the New Year was the most beautiful day in their memory.

In addition, the Su family had some distant relatives in Haiyang Prefecture, Huaiyang Circuit, who were honest tenant farmers working hard in the countryside, resting at sunset.

Therefore, in the half month since Su Qian arrived at the Wudang Xiaoyao Valley, the clothes he had for changing had already been torn while gathering herbs in the mountains, and it was difficult to mend them. No one came to visit him, not only because of the long journey, but also because the Su family's relatives, if they left Haiyang Prefecture, would likely be torn to pieces by wild beasts and birds, leaving no trace.

However, the other convicts on suspended death sentences in the Xiaoyao Valley were different. They were at least from families of officials of the sixth rank or higher, with substantial assets and intricate networks of relationships. Even though they were exiled here, they still received various forms of care and support from the outside. Apart from having to gather herbs in the mountains every day and worrying about the guillotine, their lives were actually quite good. Su Qian even saw someone receive half a bear, and for the next half month, the Xiaoyao Valley was filled with the strong aroma of meat.

The Daoist Jingdu performed the martial arts, the seven layers of the "Turtle Snake Skill" unchanged, followed by a routine Turtle Snake Fist.

Unlike previous days, after the morning practice, three people were not allowed to continue gathering herbs in the mountains, one of whom was Su Qian.

"Phew, what a close call! Thanks to Su Qier, I don't have to suffer at the Demon Subduing Peak's Yin Cave!"

"You're lucky. With Su Qier taking your place, you don't have to worry about being at the bottom anymore."

Not far away, a young man sighed in relief, not without a sense of pride. Another young man beside him also laughed, looking at Su Qian by the shore with a mocking gaze. This young man had become a laughingstock for everyone in the Xiaoyao Valley and a topic of conversation for the day. For such a young man who had lost his spirit and sharpness and came from a humble background, they had no sympathy or pity, only ridicule and disdain.

In the Han Dynasty, martial arts were valued over literature, and nine out of ten officials were from the martial arts examination. Even their descendants were raised with martial arts from a young age. Some officials with deep roots even created family martial arts, and after the children's bones matured at the age of fourteen, they would be evaluated and taught according to their individual characteristics.

Thus, the convicts on suspended death sentences in the Xiaoyao Valley could be said to come from half-martial arts families. They respected the strong and despised the weak, without delving into the roots or origins.

The reputation of Su Qier in the Xiaoyao Valley spread, even reaching the outer court of Wudang through various channels.

During this half month, there was a day when an outer court official came to the Xiaoyao Valley, pointing to the hunched back of Su Qian, who was returning to the thatched hut, and said to Daoist Jingdu: "This boy is completely broken, no different from a dead man. Our Wudang, though harmonious with Tai Chi, would not deign to accept such a person. If one day he were to have some extraordinary encounter and successfully build his foundation, this Su Qier of the Xiaoyao Valley would become the Su Qier of Wudang. What would be the reputation and dignity of our Wudang, a great national sect?"

Faced with the outer court official's questioning, Daoist Jingdu only smiled and remained silent, ultimately causing the official to leave in a huff.

By the shore.

At this moment, the faces of the other two young men were burning with shame. On a normal day, it would be fine, but today, standing with Su Qier would not bring any good reputation, and it even made them feel ashamed. How much effort must they have lacked, and how much bad luck must they have had, to end up going to the Demon Subduing Peak with Su Qier to receive the punishment of the Yin Cave's cold wind eroding their bodies.

"If you have nothing to say, you have one incense stick's time to prepare, and then follow me to the Demon Subduing Peak." Daoist Jingdu's gaze was indifferent as he scanned over Su Qian and the other two, speaking calmly.

The two young men exchanged a glance, not looking at Su Qian, and fled as if in a hurry, as if standing next to Su Qian for even a moment longer would sap their will and bring them bad luck.

"Go." Daoist Jingdu looked deeply at Su Qian again and said.

Su Qian nodded, turned, and left. Watching the ragged back of this young man, Daoist Jingdu's lips slowly curled into a playful smile.

In the thatched hut.

As soon as he entered, the hunched back of Su Qian instantly disappeared. He straightened his spine, like a green bamboo in the mountain stream, standing tall and straight.

The listless demeanor was gone, replaced by the full muscles under the ragged clothes, each muscle red and smooth, a clear sign of the deep foundation and the perfection of muscle training.

His somewhat murky gaze suddenly changed, sharp and piercing through the chaos. Su Qian's eyes were cold, and a sneer hung on his lips. True or false, he had become Su Qier, but it was not a big deal. The warmth and coldness of human relationships were like knives and swords, giving him more insight. On the journey of life, various situations often do not go smoothly.

"Demons Subduing Peak?"

Then, Su Qian muttered. He had no objections to Daoist Jingdu's arrangement. In fact, over the past half month, he had been secretly gathering herbs, and the herbs he submitted each day were among the best in the Xiaoyao Valley, earning him an additional two meals of demon tiger meat soup each day. But none of the convicts in the Xiaoyao Valley knew about this.

Now, Daoist Jingdu's arrangement eliminated any potential problems, making everything seem more natural. If he did not go to the Demon Subduing Peak to receive punishment, it would have been abnormal, and the convicts in the Xiaoyao Valley, all from prominent families, would have quickly noticed the discrepancy. With their many servants and intricate power struggles, they would have soon discovered the truth, and the secret would not have been kept for long.

One incense stick later.

Su Qian put on his backpack. As he walked out of the thatched hut, the sharpness in his demeanor disappeared again, his back hunched, and his gaze murky, as if nothing could catch his attention or move his heart. The world was no longer relevant to him.

...

An hour later.

Walking in the Wudang Mountains, with Daoist Jingdu leading the way, the four of them followed the mountain path and did not encounter any danger. Even the occasional wild beasts that appeared were like paper in front of Daoist Jingdu, who had successfully built his foundation and cultivated inner family true qi, and were easily defeated.

The speed and power in his every move made the two young men behind him eyes shine with envy, imagining the day they could also successfully build their foundation, cultivate inner family true qi, and thus escape their criminal status, giving them a chance to turn their lives around.

But when they finally arrived at the foot of the Demon Subduing Peak, the two realized that everything was just a mirage. They were still the same as before, and now they were about to receive punishment, with their monthly herb-gathering quotas far behind others.

Most importantly, standing with Su Qier, who was widely recognized as a cripple, the two felt a heavy breath, and at this moment, their blood was stirred. They secretly vowed that after the three days of punishment, they would practice martial arts day and night, diligently study, and no longer be timid when gathering herbs in the mountains, venturing deeper into remote areas to gather more herbs. This way, even with the harvest taken by the owner of the nine thatched huts by the lake, they would not be as embarrassed as they were today. (Please vote for the book every day to help it climb the charts, and add it to your favorites. The new book ranking is being blown up, and it hurts a lot. Thank you all.)