Chapter 14: 5 Years_1

Five years later, Little Yellow Mountain.

In the cold winter, a group of people hurried through the freezing forest.

There were three people in the group, led by a tall and thin man with a sallow complexion.

He carried a woodcutter's hatchet and walked in the front, followed by a frail woman and a stout-hearted young boy.

"Dear, can this... really work?"

The woman, holding the young boy's hand, followed closely behind the man, her coarse face full of worry.

"Yes, it definitely can. As long as we find Qingfeng Stronghold, there will surely be a way..."

The man also looked a bit flustered but managed to keep a strong front in front of his wife and child, stubbornly moving forward.

However, the woman was still not at ease, "I've heard that Qingfeng Stronghold is filled with bandits. If we're caught by the officials..."

"So what if they're bandits?"

Before he could finish, the man was interrupted, his teeth clenched, "The Zhang Family has clearly driven us toward a dead end. Instead of being pushed to death by them, it's better to join Qingfeng Stronghold, at least... there's a chance to live!"

"That's right, Dad is right!"

Upon hearing this, the stout-hearted young boy next to the woman raised his head, speaking excitedly, "If that Li Qing Shan could do it back then, I, Zhou Xiaoshan, can do it too. Once we arrive at Qingfeng Stronghold, we will surely live a good life."

After speaking, the boy then looked up at the man in front, his eyes filled with curiosity, "Dad, do you really know that Li Qing Shan?"

"Of course!"

The man smiled, standing up straight, "Your dad and your Uncle Qing Shan grew up together as close as brothers, naked as the day we were born. If it hadn't been for... In any case, as long as we get to Qingfeng Stronghold, there will be good times for our family."

"Stop right there!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than a stern shout came from the woods, startling the three people into halting their steps.

Immediately, two men dressed as hunters emerged from the woods, their bows and arrows aimed at the trio, "Who are you?"

The man hastily shielded his wife and child behind him, "Big brothers, we're from Little Yellow Village. We came into the mountains to chop firewood, we're not bad folks!"

"Chopping firewood?"

Looking at the three people laden with large and small bundles, the two hunters clearly didn't believe them, "You're carrying so much stuff just to chop firewood? You're trying to fool a ghost. Spit it out, what are you really up to?"

"This..."

The man's face reddened, too anxious to speak, while the woman and boy behind him became even more panicked.

Just then...

"Hold it!"

A severe shout rang out, and the man looked toward the sound to see a line of people stepping out from the woods, led by a tall young man.

"Deputy leader!"

The two hunters turned around and revealed the identity of the young man.

However, the young man did not dwell on that, and quickly approached the man's family, "Are you from Little Yellow Village?"

"Yes, yes, yes!"

The man came to his senses and, looking at the young man in casual clothes, replied in rapid succession, "Yes, we're all from Little Yellow Village, oh, brave hero..."

As he spoke, he instinctively sized up the young man, and then, in a flash of realization, "You are... Qinghe, you're Li Qinghe?"

"You know me?"

Li Qinghe looked at the man in astonishment, "Which family are you from?"

"I'm Da Niu!"

The man also became excited, repeatedly saying, "I'm Zhou Da Niu who lives at the entrance of the village. Don't you recognize me? Back then, I and Qing Shan..."

"Zhou Da Niu?"

"Brother Da Niu?"

With that, Li Qinghe also began to remember, his eyes wide with astonishment looking at the man who'd grown old and sallow, "You're Brother Da Niu? What brought you to this state?"

Seeing that the other party recognized him, Zhou Da Niu was mixed with joy and sorrow, choking up, "It was all because of the Zhang Family pushing us... Ah yes, this is my wife, and this, my son. Quickly, quickly, say hello, this is your Uncle Qinghe."

"Brother Qinghe!"

"Uncle Qinghe!"

The woman, hugging the young boy, began to greet him deferentially.

"Sister-in-law!"

Li Qinghe nodded, then turned back to Zhou Da Niu and asked, "Brother Da Niu, what's..."

"We have nowhere else to turn."

Zhou Da Niu's expression was bitter as he explained the situation, "At the beginning of the year, my wife fell ill. Not having money for medicine, we could only borrow silver from the Zhang Family. With interest compounding, even offering our land wasn't enough, we were pushed with no choice but to flee into the mountains..."

"So that's how it is."

Having grown up in a family from the hills, Li Qinghe understood Zhou Da Niu's plight and immediately began to reassure him, "Don't worry. Qingfeng Stronghold is now under my big brother's control. I can't promise anything else, but there will definitely be food for you. Come with me."

"That's wonderful, thank you so much. Come on, Xiaoshan, kowtow to your Uncle Qinghe..."

Finding relief in a desperate situation, Zhou Da Niu didn't know how to respond and could only pull his wife and child along, thanking Li Qinghe incoherently.

"..."

Looking at the confused and relieved Zhou Da Niu, Li Qinghe felt a complex emotion in his heart. If his big brother hadn't led them to find a way out back then, would he have ended up as desolate as the man before him?

...

Meanwhile, in Qingfeng Stronghold, at the training ground.

"One!"

"Hah!"

"Two!"

"Hah!"

"Three!"

"..."

Upon the training ground, shouts continued without pause as nearly a hundred bare-chested, well-built men were practicing martial arts.

A tall youth with a powerful build like that of a tiger or leopard stood among them, eying the ranks detachment, correcting the practitioners' movements with a short stick.

Just then...

"Brother!"

Wearing red, with a neat and efficient outfit, Li Hongyu approached the ground, addressing Xu Yang who was directing the training of the group, "Someone from Hundred Broken Mountains has come."

"Hmm!"

Xu Yang responded without looking back, "Take them to the hall. I'll be there shortly."

"Understood."

Li Hongyu nodded and turned to leave.

"What are you looking at, keep training!"

Xu Yang also turned back around, as if nothing had happened, and continued to chide the others.

...

Five years, neither long nor short.

In these five years, Xu Yang primarily did two things: first, practice martial arts, and second, teach others to practice martial arts.

Five years ago, he had started practicing martial arts with the secret manuals plundered from the Li and the Zhang families, ranging from internal strength mantras to external strength training, fist and foot techniques, and light body skills. He embarked on all the martial arts he could practice.

Thus, two years later, he had developed inner strength, and his archery skills had greatly improved. He decided to leave his inconvenient bamboo hut, shouldering his blade and bow, and, just as he had wiped out the Li and Zhang families, he annihilated the bandits of Qingfeng Stronghold, which loomed within the mountains, and claimed it as his base.

Over the next three years, using Qingfeng Stronghold as a foundation, he constantly recruited refugees from the mountains, taught them martial arts and archery, expanded the stronghold, and strengthened himself. Now, he could be considered dominant in his realm.

Why expand the stronghold when he could devote that time and energy to diligently cultivating in peace?

Not good enough!

After many years of exploration and investigation, Xu Yang was quite certain that this was a low-martial world, devoid of excessively high-level forces. There were no invincible warriors who could become an army unto themselves, and no immortals with eternal life and everlasting youth. The path of the martial arts here ends with the cultivation of true qi.

In such a world, the power of an individual pales in comparison to that of a group, and Xu Yang had to build a powerful group to serve him. Only then could some of his ideas and plans become reality.

So, he began to manage the stronghold and develop his power!

And the achievements of these years of management...

Xu Yang (Li Qing Shan)

Cultivation: Inner Strength Realm

Lifespan: 26/159

Skills:

Eating (Daily Devour One Ox, Strengthen Body and Health, Gluttonous Recovery, Absorb Qi to Fast, Extend Life)

Sleeping (Soothe Spirit and Nourish Soul, Stabilize Foundation and Cultivate Essence, Heal Blood and Rejuvenate, Vigorous as Dragons and Tigers, Extend Life)

Breathing (Strengthen Body and Health, Stabilize Foundation and Cultivate Essence, Qi Blood like Tides, Fierce as Thunder and Fire, Circulation of Breath like an Infant)

Butchering (Butcher's Technique, Evil Qi like a Tiger, Fresh Tastes Delicious)

Hunting (Alone in the Forest, Discern by Sound, Pursue for Thousands of Miles)

Craftsmanship (Powerful Bow, Strong Arrows, Durable Hide Armor, Bamboo Craftsmanship)

Archery (Hit a Willow Branch at 100 Yards, Four Stars in a Row, Shooting Rush like a Tiger, Arrow Flies like Lightning)

Walking (Swift as Flying, Over Mountains and Across Ridges, Strengthen Body and Health)

Hiding (Silence and Invisibility, Leave No Trace)

Theft (Shadowy Night Movement, Silent, Lockpicking)

Reading (Never Forget After Reading, Think from One to the Next, Innovate from the Old)

Knife Sharpening (Unimaginably Sharp, Cut through Iron like Mud)

Martial Practice (Crazy with Blade, Obsessed with Archery, Rise with Rooster's Crow, Diligence Makes Up For Dullness, Strengthen Body and Health, Extend Life, Integrate and Master Skills)

Teaching (Instruct with Patience, Teach and Learn Together, Lead by Example)

Martial Arts: Three Yang Stakes, Mandarin Duck Blades, Bagua Palm, Xingyi Fist, Five Animal Play, Grass Flight, Iron Shirt, Golden Bell Shield, Divine Arm Skill, Dragon Claw Hand, Pursuit Wind Swordsmanship, Sun Piercing Fist Technique, Iron Staff Spear Technique...

...

After five years of arduous training, Xu Yang reconfirmed one thing, that is, the difficulty of training skills and earning traits in this world is really much lower than in the real world.

In these five years, he primarily did two things, that is, practicing martial arts and teaching disciples, hence he developed skills in martial arts and teaching. Among these, his progress in martial arts was the most noticeable; out of the seven traits, five were four-character traits.

The teaching was slightly inferior, but it also had three four-character traits that could assist in development and complement each other: Earnest Instruction, Mutual Learning, and Leading by Example.

The efficiency of skill training far exceeded that of the real world.

Beyond the two main skills of martial arts practice and teaching, his other skills also improved significantly, having all advanced to the four-character trait level, with various effects greatly enhanced. The original independent skill of chopping had even integrated into "Martial Arts Practice," evolving into the more powerful trait "Sword Mania."

Furthermore, the management and development of the stronghold...

"Greetings to Chief Li!"

In the Hall of Righteous Gathering, Xu Yang sat high on the main seat, looking down at a middle-aged man dressed as a scholar.

Facing his substantive gaze, filled with hidden evil Qi, the middle-aged scholar felt some pressure, but still managed to say, "Chief Li is known to adore martial arts and has long been eagerly collecting profound martial art manuals from all over the world. These three secret tomes are superior martial arts from famous sects; they are a special gift from Heavenly King Liang to Chief Li!"

Having said that, he commanded his subordinates to present a wooden box.

"Six Yang Skill?"

"Heart Crushing Palm?"

"Song Mountain Sword Skill?"

"That's thoughtful."

Looking at the three secret tomes in the box, Xu Yang smiled and looked at the visitor, "Heavenly King Liang sends such a generous gift; what does he want in return, eh?"

The question came off as rather impolite.

The middle-aged scholar's eyebrows furrowed, then relaxed as he said, "Chief Li is a young hero; our Heavenly King wishes to form an alliance between our two households, hence these secret tomes as a gift. Moreover, we've heard that Chief Li has a young unmarried sister, while our Heavenly King's third son is also a bachelor. If our two families enter into a marriage alliance..."

"Impossible!"

Before he could finish, he was interrupted, with Li Hongyu beside Xu Yang glaring with round almond eyes, angrily saying, "I will not marry!"

"..."

Facing the angry Li Hongyu, the middle-aged scholar had no words, only turning his gaze to Xu Yang, "I wonder what Chief Li's thoughts are?"

Xu Yang smiled, noncommittal, "Is that all?"

"This..."

Sensing some unease in the middle-aged scholar, but unable to do anything about it, he could only continue firmly, "Chief Li, our Heavenly King is one of the leaders of seventy provinces, spanning north and south, seated upon Hundred Broken Mountains' Heavenly King Peak. Heroes and brave men from all the greenwoods obey his commands..."

Xu Yang remained composed, cutting in to ask, "So what?"

"..."

After a moment of silence, the middle-aged scholar continued, "If our two families enter into a marriage alliance, in the future, Qingfeng Stronghold and Heavenly King Peak would be one family. The salt, soap, and glass trades of Chief Li could then flow unimpeded through the thirteen northern and southern provinces, and surely lead to vast wealth. Our two households..."

"I understand."

Before he could finish, he was again interrupted. Xu Yang, seated high on the main seat, spoke indifferently, "Go back and tell Liang Sanjiang to prepare his coffin; in three days, I will go to Heavenly King Peak to claim his head!"

"This...!"

The middle-aged scholar looked utterly astonished, not expecting Xu Yang to be so direct. As he opened his mouth to speak again, he was interrupted by Xu Yang's dismissive gesture.

"Be gone!"