Green Monster Epic

A peaceful mountain village, a small stream meandered along its edge, where two or three naked children frolicked by the river.

Beside the stream, on the lush grassy bank, a water buffalo buried its head in the tender green grass, leisurely munching on the succulent vegetation, occasionally raising its head to flick its pointed little ears, its thick, long tail adorably swatting at the surrounding insects on either side of its body.

Further away, downstream where the terrain flattened, lay a stretch of open farmland, divided by rows of fields, where adults diligently toiled during this busy farming season.

“Splash splash ~ ~ Splash splash ~ ~”

“Hahaha! !”

“Hehehe! !”

Children are always carefree, simple splashing and playing with companions can make them forget to go home. The rippling water reflected the sunlight overhead, and when a huge piece of driftwood carrying a dark object slowly floated from upstream, a sharp-eyed child, after a few quick glances, grabbed his companions in the water and ran towards the shore in a panic.

“Dad, there’s a water monkey! !”

“Waa, so scary…”

“What? ?”

From the distant fields, the villagers, who had been bent over weeding, straightened up and responded loudly, while laboriously trudging towards the edge of the fields.

Soon, the news of a water monkey appearing in the river spread throughout the small village, even disturbing the village chief, who was over seventy years old, prompting him to walk towards the stream outside the village.

Three or five nimble young men had already rushed to the downstream area, dragging the slowly floating driftwood, and the dark, vaguely glistening human-shaped thing lying on it, to the shore. A group of people gathered around, watching and discussing animatedly.

“Ah, this isn’t a water monkey at all, it’s just a burnt corpse!”

“So pitiful, to be thrown into the water and abandoned after death. Burnt like this, it will be difficult to find his family! !”

“Ah! ! ! His finger moved! ! !”

“It’s a zombie! ! !”

Just as everyone was discussing with great interest, a woman suddenly saw the corpse, charred black and soaked in the water for who knows how long, with blood-colored cracks appearing. Suddenly, a finger trembled and bent inward, immediately scaring her, and she screamed as she ran out of the crowd.

Most of the other women and children were also timid, and frightened by this, they also followed suit and moved far away, finally making the grassy area less crowded.

Some bolder young men and adult males found tools such as hoes and sickles, forming a human wall around the corpse, vigilantly staring at the charred corpse on the ground that still had no major movements, wanting to chop the corpse into several pieces, but also afraid of bringing disaster as a result.

Although the villagers had never seen zombies or evil spirits, they truly existed. When the older generation who had personally encountered these things talked about these stories, the fear in their eyes could not be concealed, and they constantly urged their children and nephews not to provoke these things.

It wasn't until the village elder, leaning on a cane and supported by his filial son, slowly walked over, and after some observation, finally made a judgment.

“What kind of zombification is this? It’s just a poor person who hasn’t completely died yet! !”

The villagers, who were still in shock, were reminded by the village chief that the seemingly terrifying charred corpse actually still had faint chest movements, indicating that there was still a weak breath.

The crowd was in an uproar. To be burned like this, and this stranger still had life, it was simply a divine blessing! !

But the subsequent problems also made the villagers feel棘手. If they were to treat this stranger, it would obviously cost a considerable amount of money given his injuries. But the villagers in front of them could barely maintain their own lives, so where would they get extra money to help a stranger!

But if they didn't save this person, the simple and kind villagers would feel guilty. The world values saving a life more than building a seven-story pagoda, and in this world where ghosts, gods, and demons exist, the afterlife is not a false thing, and the evil spirits seeking revenge also cause people to worry.

“Sigh, if I had known, I wouldn’t have stirred up this muddy water!”

“Who says otherwise? Otherwise, whoever fished him up should be responsible for dealing with him, right?”

“…”

Besides being simple, there were always selfish people. Knowing that the charred corpse in front of them was a problem, various words of trying to clear themselves and transfer the responsibility to others spread among the crowd. Some clever people had even quietly moved their steps, preparing to slip back to the village, pretending not to know about this matter.

“Alright! !”

The village chief slammed the sandalwood cane in his hand heavily on the soft grass several times, raised his voice, and slowly opened his mouth.

“Since we have encountered this matter, it is a test given to the people of my Wu Family Village by Heaven. We must not forget what the ancestral teachings of my Wu clan are! !”

“Carry him to the hall outside the ancestral shrine to settle him, and then let Little Liu call Mr. Zhu to treat his injuries. Those who have badger oil, chicken oil, and various wound-healing herbs in their homes, bring them all out for me…”

The village chief was also the clan leader, and his prestige in the village was extremely high. Now that he had spoken, even if others were unwilling, they did not dare to say words of opposition at this time.

With a few words, the Wu village chief had already arranged everything properly. Then, several villagers found a stretcher from the village and carefully carried the stranger, who had only a few breaths left, to the location of the family ancestral shrine.

“Thank you for your trouble, Mr. Zhu.”

In front of the ancestral shrine, a middle-aged man with a goatee was already waiting, wearing a blue cotton coat, accompanied by a young man named Little Liu.

When the Wu village chief saw this person, he politely greeted the other party.

“It’s just my duty, Village Chief, you don’t have to be so polite.”

As one of the few people in the village who could read and write, and who also knew some medical skills, he would naturally receive certain preferential treatment. This was also Zhu Qing's bargaining chip for being able to settle down and live in this remote mountain village as a person of a different surname, and to gain the respect of the villagers.

“…Although this person’s breath is weak, his pulse is steady and strong, not like a dying person. He should still be saved.”

“…It’s just that in addition to the burns on his body, there seems to be other hidden dangers in his internal organs, and there seems to be signs of poisoning.”

“Therefore, in addition to burn ointment, I also have to prescribe a decoction to dispel the poison. At that time, I am afraid that I will have to trouble the village to dig up some fresh herbs from the mountain to decoct for him.”

“I know this. Sir, you just need to instruct Little Liu, and I will arrange for someone to do it.”

The old man Wu Zhihua nodded, pointing to the clever young man beside Zhu Qing and said.

“Sir, what do you think happened to this person? Why would he have such injuries?”

The young man named Little Liu looked curious, full of curiosity about the injured person who looked neither human nor ghost on the simple straw mat temporarily set up in the hall.

“Who knows, everything can only be revealed after he wakes up.”

Zhu Qing shook his head, never making a judgment lightly. After taking the pulse of the injured person, he began to roll up his sleeves, preparing to clean up the debris and rotten flesh on the injured person’s body: “Go help me fetch a basin of hot water, and also a few towels.”

“Oh, okay.”

Little Liu retracted his curious gaze and hopped away.

Because of the arrival of this strange injured person, the peaceful life in the village did have a few more ripples. According to the requirements of Wu Zhihua, the village chief and clan leader, each household took turns sending people to take care of this patient every day. Everyone did their best, and some hunters even went into the mountains to hunt some prey to nourish the patient’s body.

When Zhang Zhongyong woke up, it had been three days since he was rescued from the stream outside the village. When he struggled to open his eyes, he happened to see a young, vigorous face full of curiosity about the world.

“You’re awake! !”

Little Liu was arranged in the village to be Zhu Qing’s helper, and also a student who learned literacy and medical skills from Zhu Qing. He had been taking care of the injured person most of the time these days.

When he saw Zhang Zhongyong’s eyes, as calm as autumn geese, slowly open, joy immediately appeared on the young man’s face, and he shouted excitedly.

After turning around a few times, wanting to do something, Little Liu finally said to Zhang Zhongyong: “You wait, I’ll go find Mr. Zhu now and let him come and take a look! !”

“Mr.… …”

After saying these words, Little Liu ran out of the hall without looking back, leaving Zhang Zhongyong alone in the room.

A hint of bitterness appeared in the corner of Zhang Zhongyong’s eyes. Being plotted against almost cost him his life, making it an impossible task for him to even walk out of the wilderness. Fortunately, not far after walking out of the valley, Zhang Zhongyong saw a small stream, and there happened to be a piece of dead wood by the stream, so he simply pushed the dead wood and floated downstream along the stream.

If he stayed in place, with Zhang Zhongyong’s almost dying injuries, any beast could take his life. On the contrary, floating down the stream might allow him to be rescued by the villages along the way.

Striving to suppress the pain, and concentrating on examining his body, the bitterness in Zhang Zhongyong’s eyes deepened.

After losing the suppression of his true essence, the poison in his body messed up his internal organs and meridians. But fortunately, when Feng Zhang and the others poisoned him, they chose a colorless and odorless poison, like maggots attached to bones, corroding and damaging the internal organs and meridians and difficult to remove, rather than a poison that directly took lives, which allowed Zhang Zhongyong to survive the corrosion of the poison by relying on the strong physique of a sword cultivator.

The true essence that originally flowed and circulated continuously between the meridians was now as thin as a gossamer. Although it was not driven by the master, it still spontaneously repaired the body’s defects and outlined and connected the broken meridians.

This was also the main reason why Zhang Zhongyong was still able to maintain a breath in such a serious situation.

“Hiss! ! ”

Just a slight movement of his back sent a piercing pain through his heart. His entire back felt as if it had grown onto the bed. Any movement from Zhang Zhongyong felt like he was tearing his own skin apart, causing him immense pain.

He laboriously raised his hand and felt that his body was tightly wrapped in linen, emanating the scent of ointment. Through the wrapped linen, Zhang Zhongyong could still feel a tingling pain, as if ants were gnawing at him, a sequela of the skin regrowing with the help of true essence after being burned.

"You're awake?"

Before Zhang Zhongyong could continue to carefully examine the injuries on his body, several hurried footsteps approached from afar, entering the main room. A gentle and courteous voice slowly drifted over.

"Where... where is this?"

Zhang Zhongyong squinted, his gaze sweeping toward the middle-aged man with a scholarly air and a handsome beard in the dim light of the oil lamp.

"This is Wujia Village, under the jurisdiction of Tanzhou Prefecture. Do you know what happened to you? Do you need us to report this to the authorities?"

"No need. I was ambushed by thieves. Now, I'm afraid they've fled to who knows where. Reporting to the authorities would be useless."

Zhang Zhongyong forced the words out one by one, barely managing to convey what he wanted to express to Zhu Qing completely.

Zhu Qing wasn't surprised to hear this. This was also the reason why the villagers didn't report to the authorities when they found Zhang Zhongyong's charred body.

The continent where Zhu Qing and the others were located did not have a powerful dynasty. Each region was divided into prefectures and counties according to the ancient times, with secular government offices established.

However, the existence of these government offices was only to maintain the stability of the people's lives and prevent major unrest. It was basically difficult to handle many matters through the government.

Because the government office itself was just a management organization placed on the surface. In reality, the ones who truly controlled the various prefectures were the reclusive immortal sects high above.

If the top combat power of an immortal sect, one person or one team, could slaughter an army that a dynasty had painstakingly built for many years, then why should this dynasty rule the world? Why should these immortal sects allow this dynasty to hinder them??

Unless this dynasty could contend against all the immortal sects in this region with the power of an entire nation, these immortal sects would never allow the existence of the dynasty to divide the local resources and talents.

But obviously, it was difficult for such a powerful dynasty to appear. How much strength would a dynasty that ruled a continent need? How many powerful cultivators would need to obey its orders? Just thinking about it made one understand the difficulty.

"Do you have any other relatives? Do you need someone to take a message to them to pick you up?"

Zhu Qing continued to ask. It wasn't that he was unwilling to help the other party, but the other party's origins were unknown, so it was best to send him away to avoid causing trouble to the peaceful little village.

"My hometown is Wenshan County in Yuezhou Prefecture, more than three thousand miles away from Tanzhou Prefecture. Who can help me take a message back? Even if someone happens to be going that way and helps me take a message to my family, by the time they arrive, my injuries will probably have healed."

Zhang Zhongyong fabricated a lie about his identity without hesitation. This was the rich experience he had accumulated during his years of traveling the world, with almost no flaws.

"Then what brings you to our Tanzhou from so far away?"

Zhu Qing continued to take Zhang Zhongyong's pulse while probing him, seemingly still concerned about Zhang Zhongyong's statement.

"It's just for a living. I heard that Tanzhou's embroidery and gauze are excellent, so I brought the savings from my family, thinking of following a family elder who is a merchant in the state while my family is free from farming, to earn some hard-earned money."

"After arriving in Yuewu City in Tanzhou, I went to the rural villages alone to collect embroidery and gauze. Who would have thought that I would carelessly reveal my wealth and be targeted, eventually ending up in this state."

Zhang Zhongyong replied with a wry smile, continuing to round out his lie, making it impossible for Zhu Qing to find any flaws.

"Then you should have been more careful!"

Zhu Qing seemed to be convinced by Zhang Zhongyong's statement and said regretfully, "But being able to keep your life, at least there is still a chance."

"Yes, it's my first time traveling far to do business, and I don't have enough experience!!"

Zhang Zhongyong recalled that he was also harmed by his seemingly gentle and simple companions due to his lack of experience, and he couldn't help but feel emotional.

"Then do you want to send a message to your elder?"

"I… I think I'll pass. I'm afraid… actually…"

Zhang Zhongyong pretended to reveal a bit of hatred, his face hesitant and stammering.

"Alright then!! Although our Wujia Village is not wealthy, at least sharing a meal with you is not a problem. You can stay here and recuperate."

Zhu Qing was stunned at first, then understood, released Zhang Zhongyong's wrist, and said comfortingly.

"I can't thank you enough."

Zhang Zhongyong was actually penniless now, at least on the surface. Before he fainted, he cast an illusion on his only mustard seed bag, turning it into a tumor on his waist, which is how he preserved it.

But at this moment, he didn't want to reveal his identity in front of Zhu Qing and the others. Therefore, before his body was fully recovered and he could protect himself, he would definitely not use the things in the mustard seed bag.

"Take care and recuperate. I'll come see you again tomorrow."

Zhu Qing patted the back of Zhang Zhongyong's hand, slowly got up, and left Xiao Liu to continue taking care of him in the main room.

Early the next morning, villagers came one after another, wandering around the room where Zhang Zhongyong was staying, seemingly casually looking for something, but actually secretly observing the lucky Zhang Zhongyong. The bolder villagers would also take the opportunity to exchange a few words with Zhang Zhongyong about his recovery.

Xiao Liu's mouth wasn't tight. The words Zhang Zhongyong had chatted with Zhu Qing last night had already been spread by him in the morning. Basically, everyone in the village knew about the lies Zhang Zhongyong had made up, which saved him from having to spend more effort to explain his experience.

However, his lies were not without side effects. When many women and aunts in the village came to visit Zhang Zhongyong, they inevitably showed a bit of pity and regret in their eyes. Some women with low tear ducts even looked at Zhang Zhongyong's seemingly serious external injuries and couldn't help but shed tears and grieve for him when they thought of the tragic experience he had made up.

"Oh, the poor child, how will he live in the future!!"

…

Zhang Zhongyong watched helplessly as these kind villagers revealed their true feelings in front of him, feeling both ashamed and embarrassed, but more than that, it was a kind of warmth and gratitude, especially after he had just experienced a betrayal from a companion, he needed such nourishment to fill the emptiness in his heart.

The strangers' sadness stemmed from their belief that Zhang Zhongyong, who had been burned over a large area of his body, would inevitably become a cripple even if he was lucky enough to survive. In addition, Zhang Zhongyong's hometown was more than two thousand miles away, and with his weak body and no money, it looked like a tragic life no matter how you looked at it!!

Although being pitied by the villagers was somewhat comical and ridiculous from the perspective of a cultivator, Zhang Zhongyong was not the kind of ruthless, unfeeling, or selfish cultivator. At this time, feeling the sincere and simple concern behind the villagers' pity for him, he rarely lowered his posture to savor the atmosphere of the human world.

From the time he could not remember, Zhang Zhongyong was taken back to Cui Mountain by his master -- Jindan True Person Li Tingyue, from the mortal world to be raised.

Then, for more than thirty years, he practiced his skills in the mountains day after day. All he saw were his senior brothers and sisters, as well as a dozen servants who also practiced their skills but were not qualified to be accepted as disciples by the master.

For the prosperous mortal world, the senior brothers and sisters and Zhang Zhongyong, who had never seen the world, were full of reverie, but for mortals, everyone always ignored them intentionally or unintentionally.

Perhaps, it was because the weak strength and short lifespan of mortals, compared with the cultivators who were so powerful that they could overturn mountains and seas, turn clouds and rain, and at the same time had a long lifespan of hundreds or thousands of years, were essentially no longer the same race.

Lions and sheep can't live together peacefully after all. Since this is the case, why should cultivators care about the lives of a group of ants?

Zhang Zhongyong was also influenced by the inherent prejudice of the cultivation world. Walking in the mortal world for 4-5 years, he had also seen prosperous and lively cities and crowded crowds. In addition to feeling a bit of novelty, he had never really cared about these busy mortals, nor had he thought about going deep to understand their lives and thoughts.

"Hee hee!!"

A little girl who couldn't even walk steadily, climbed to Zhang Zhongyong's bedside, holding on to the wooden walls of the main room, with two little braids shaking her head. A chubby little arm was about to grab Zhang Zhongyong's mummy-wrapped body, obviously very curious about his appearance.

"Nannan, don't run around, be careful not to hurt Uncle."

Xiao Liu appeared in time, picked up the little girl who was only wearing a big red bellyband, and said in a low voice to the little girl who showed an unhappy expression, regardless of whether the girl could understand him.

"Shitou, you little bastard, your mother asked you to look after your sister, are you just playing by yourself??"

Xiao Liu, holding the little girl, walked out of the main room and soon shouted at a group of teenagers playing in the spacious courtyard outside.

"Oh!!"

A teenager with a small headband on his head reluctantly walked over, took the little girl from Xiao Liu's hand, squatted on the threshold, and looked enviously at the other little friends who were still having fun.

Zhang Zhongyong's external injuries had actually healed a lot. The new skin was hidden in the charred scab, which looked a bit scary, but at least Zhang Zhongyong's normal activities were not a problem. However, his internal organs and meridians, which had been eroded by the poison, would not improve much without a year and a half of recuperation.

It was only when Zhang Zhongyong was alone late at night that he secretly took out the portable pills stored in his mustard seed pouch to achieve this effect. Otherwise, with Zhu Qing's mediocre medical skills and the Wu Family Village's scarce medicinal herb resources, Zhang Zhongyong's burns probably couldn't have been cured.

"Mr. Zhang, why did you get out of bed? Be careful with your wounds!!"

He was called 'Mr.' because Zhang Zhongyong could read and write, which was the most respected skill in this ignorant and remote mountain village.

Xiao Liu trotted a few steps, wanting to help Zhang Zhongyong, but Zhang Zhongyong simply waved his hand, indicating that he was fine.

"I know my own body. I'm already much better. As long as I don't exercise vigorously, the scabs on my wounds won't be a problem."

If he wasn't afraid of scaring the villagers and being treated as a monster, Zhang Zhongyong could have already torn off the terrifying-looking scabs, revealing new flesh almost as delicate as a newborn baby's skin. This was the result of the combined recovery efforts of a cultivator's strong physique, true essence, and precious pills.

However, among mortals, Zhang Zhongyong's injuries were basically disfiguring. Moreover, because his skin couldn't sweat or secrete oil, it meant that he couldn't perform high-intensity physical labor, becoming a wealthy invalid in the eyes of the villagers.

This was also the reason why the women in the village looked at Zhang Zhongyong with pity and compassion.

"Oh, then be careful."

Xiao Liu quickly moved a chair from the main room and placed a soft cushion on it, so Zhang Zhongyong wouldn't feel uncomfortable.

"Thank you."

Zhang Zhongyong liked Xiao Liu very much. The other party's care for him in the past ten days could be described as meticulous, which made him feel grateful and also wanted to repay him.

It was a pity that this young man didn't have the talent or wisdom root for cultivation. Even if Zhang Zhongyong took out the several Qi Refining stage cultivation methods he had collected during his travels, it would be difficult for him to gain anything.

As for the martial arts manuals created by talented people among mortals without cultivation talent, Xiao Liu could study them, but putting aside whether it was appropriate to let such a simple young man step into the controversial martial world, just considering that Xiao Liu was already over sixteen, and his meridians and bones were fixed, there was not much potential for growth. Learning this type of manual at this time would only result in a third-rate character, just cannon fodder in the martial world.

So, after thinking about it, Zhang Zhongyong really didn't have a suitable way to repay Xiao Liu and the villagers of Wu Family Village for their care these days.

Only now did Zhang Zhongyong truly see the entire appearance of the village he was in.

The small village was located in a basin surrounded by several small hills. A dozen households were scattered among them, always separated by several irregularly divided fields, connected by paths. Further away, at the foot of the mountains, the dense trees concealed where some families lived, and the sound of dogs barking spread.

The location of the ancestral hall should be the most popular place in the village. Several wealthy families had built houses with blue bricks and white walls, blocking much of the surrounding view.

In front of the ancestral hall, a stone courtyard paved with bluestone mined from the mountains, covering a large area, was not only the best place for children to play daily, but also a drying ground for each household to dry rice and wheat after harvesting.

The stream that carried Zhang Zhongyong downstream crossed the western half of the entire basin, like a sparkling ribbon, nourishing this peaceful countryside.

Children were laughing and playing on the drying ground, and a twelve- or thirteen-year-old boy named Shitou on the steps in front of the ancestral hall was holding a little girl who kept squirming and struggling in his arms, looking enviously at his companions playing.

"Give Nannan to me to watch, you go play."

Zhang Zhongyong smiled slightly, making an enticing suggestion to the young boy.

Shitou looked at Zhang Zhongyong's body, which was wrapped tightly, and then looked at his naughty sister. In the end, he restrained his desire to play and shook his head, saying, "Never mind, my Nannan is too naughty."

"That's right, Mr. Zhang, the most important thing for you now is to heal your injuries."

Xiao Liu was also worried about the ignorant little girl. Who knew if the girl would tear open the scabs on Mr. Zhang's wounds if she grabbed them casually.

"It's okay, I'll make a few small toys for Nannan, she should like them."

Zhang Zhongyong said amiably, then turned to Xiao Liu and said, "I'll have to trouble you, Xiao Liu, to help me find a woodcutter's knife and chop down a few bamboos."

"Ah? Okay."

Xiao Liu was slightly stunned, but he didn't refuse Zhang Zhongyong's request. He turned around and walked out of the village.

Soon, Xiao Liu chopped down a fresh water bamboo about the size of a bowl and a zhang or two long from outside the village, dragging it back on the soft ground, taking only the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

Zhang Zhongyong took the woodcutter's knife from Xiao Liu, moved his sore limbs, and then with two swift strokes, he cut off a section of bamboo about a chi long.

The cross-section of the bamboo segment was smooth and even. Xiao Liu looked a little dazed. As the person who personally chopped down this water bamboo, he knew very well that this tough bamboo was not so easy to split. Even he had to chop several times at an angle to cut the bamboo and bring it back to the village.

Watching Zhang Zhongyong skillfully break open the bamboo segment and shave the bumps at the bamboo joints into flat bamboo pieces, Xiao Liu asked with an admiring look, "Mr. Zhang, are you a Jianghu hero?"

"My little bit of skill is nothing compared to a Jianghu hero!"

Zhang Zhongyong revealed this skill in advance in order to have a good explanation for his burn recovery later. Although cultivators rarely appear in the mortal world, there are many Jianghu heroes in Xiao Liu's mouth, so it will naturally not cause an uproar among the villagers.

"Then, Mr. Zhang, can you teach me?"

Young people always have dreams. Now that he saw the legendary hero appearing in front of him, Xiao Liu was naturally overjoyed and directly asked.

"I want to learn Kung Fu too!!"

Shitou, who had been excited just now, also shouted loudly, forgetting about his sister in his arms.

"…"

The children playing in the distance heard Shitou's shouts and saw Zhang Zhongyong's actions of making small objects. Although they might not have heard clearly what Shitou was shouting, children are always very curious and rushed over from a distance, wanting to see the excitement.

"What do you think Jianghu is? Look at my current situation. If you step into Jianghu in the future, you will know the cruelty and horror of it."

Zhang Zhongyong didn't begrudge teaching these children methods to strengthen their bodies. He simply felt that letting these young people venture into the so-called Jianghu with dreams was not necessarily a good thing.

"But, I still want to go out and see the wonderful world outside. I don't want to be like my father for the rest of my life, hiding in this countryside to cultivate three acres of thin land, and waiting until I'm old enough to marry a wife and have children."

Xiao Liu had learned to read and write under Zhu Qing and had read several articles and heard Zhu Qing talk about the situation outside. His thoughts were naturally different from ordinary young people. At this time, even if he heard the euphemistic refusal in Zhang Zhongyong's words, he still said his thoughts seriously.

On the other hand, Shitou, who was still excited just now, heard Zhang Zhongyong's words and looked at his current image wrapped like a zombie. He suddenly retreated in his heart and cowered, holding his sister in his arms even tighter.

"… I can only consider this matter after you have obtained your parents' consent."

Feeling Xiao Liu's firm determination, and thinking about the care he had received these days, Zhang Zhongyong rarely softened his heart, and then put forward his conditions.

"They have always supported me!"

Xiao Liu was overjoyed when he heard this and said confidently.

By the time the other teenagers rushed over, Zhang Zhongyong already had a bamboo dragonfly in his hand. He gently rubbed it in the palm of his hand, and the bamboo dragonfly spun rapidly. As Zhang Zhongyong released the bamboo stick, the bamboo dragonfly slowly flew into the sky.

…

"Old Man Wu, may you be in good health."

The drying ground outside Zhang Zhongyong's ancestral hall has now become a playground for children. Attracted by the many novel toys made by Zhang Zhongyong's skillful hands, the children are now surrounding the wide and flat drying ground, scattering silver bell-like laughter at will.

"Mr. Zhang, is your health better?"

Wu Zhihua leaned on his crutches, looking at the lively children in front of him with vigor, and asked with concern when he withdrew his gaze.

"It's already much better. It's estimated that I'll be able to recover completely in a few days."

Zhang Zhongyong smiled slightly and said gratefully, "These days, thanks to the old man and the villagers for their shelter and care, I was able to get my life back. I really don't know how to repay you."

"It's also because you were lucky. We just did what we could, so we dare not say anything about repayment!!"

Wu Zhihua waved his hand and said modestly.

"However, I heard Xiao Liu's parents say before that you intend to teach him Jianghu Kung Fu. I wonder if this is the case?"

"Actually, from the bottom of my heart, I don't want this child to learn martial arts. The Jianghu life is full of deceit and bloodshed, and it may not be as carefree as the current life! However, if Xiao Liu's parents really agree to let him learn martial arts, then I will not be stingy with these few martial arts and will definitely teach him everything I know."

Zhang Zhongyong nodded slightly, not denying the fact.

"Alas!!"

Wu Zhihua must also know that life outside is difficult, but he also had his own considerations, and asked Allen with a troubled expression.

"If Mr. Zhang, you really intend to accept a disciple, I also have a request, and I hope you can consider it."

"Please speak, old man."

Zhang Zhongyong treated him sincerely.

"I wonder if Mr. Zhang can let the children in our village listen in when teaching Xiao Liu."

As he finished speaking, Wu Zhihua looked somewhat ashamed, but he also had his own helplessness.

After all, this was a world where gods, demons, and beasts coexisted. It was incredibly difficult for ordinary villagers to live and work in peace. Although the government and immortals would eliminate demons and monsters, there were also many bandits and highwaymen who frequently raided remote mountain villages like theirs.

The Wu family village also had methods for strengthening the body, but the techniques were very rudimentary. Even if the strong and brave men in the clan practiced for years, they were still inferior to ordinary third-rate Jianghu travelers. Fortunately, the Wu family village was not too far from Yuewu City in Tanzhou Prefecture. The city needed the surrounding villages to provide grain, materials, and other goods, so the government usually took good care of the surrounding area, which allowed the Wu family village to barely gain a foothold here.

However, Wu Zhihua understood a principle, which was to take precautions. Although the village was currently safe, who could guarantee that the village would remain as peaceful as it was now?

The village's population was already small, barely over a hundred people. Any turmoil in the prefecture would be a catastrophe for the village.

Now that there was an opportunity for the clan's children to learn martial arts, if they could seize the opportunity and learn even a little bit, they would at least have some ability to protect themselves in future turmoil!!

"…It seems I was too self-righteous!!"

Zhang Zhongyong did not expect that what he thought was a considerate approach was actually seen by Wu Zhihua and the villagers as selfish and secretive: "Old man, don't worry. Since I've already agreed to teach Xiaoliu martial arts, I won't mind having a few more apprentices. Anyway, it's the same whether I teach one or a group."

"I will definitely pass on all my best skills to these children."

"Then we will have to trouble Mr. Zhang!!"

Wu Zhihua was overjoyed and thanked him repeatedly.

"For me, the relative importance of teaching martial arts and the kindness of saving a life is already clear. Old man, you don't need to thank me so much."

Worldly martial arts were nothing to be treasured by cultivators. As a sword cultivator, Zhang Zhongyong had been learning various mortal sword techniques since he was a child. At least in terms of mortal sword sect secrets, he had memorized no less than a dozen top-notch martial arts.

"You brats, come here quickly!!"

Wu Zhihua was afraid that Zhang Zhongyong would go back on his word. He thumped his cane on the stone slab and loudly called the children who were playing with various toys to gather around: "Kneel down and pay your respects to Mr. Zhang!!"

"From now on, Mr. Zhang will be your master who teaches you martial arts. Everyone must remember to study hard!!"

Thump, thump, thump!!

The clan elder put on a stern expression and spoke of the things that the young boys yearned for the most. No one would be unwilling. They immediately prostrated themselves in front of Zhang Zhongyong and began to perform the apprentice ceremony in a decent manner. Even Shitou, who had been scared away by Zhang Zhongyong a few days ago, was also present.

"Pay your respects to the master first. I will have someone prepare the apprentice fee later. Mr. Zhang, please bear with it for now."

The radiant smile on Wu Zhihua's face betrayed his inner thoughts as he feigned apology to Zhang Zhongyong.

"It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter. Forget about the apprentice fee. I've eaten a lot of meals from everyone these days."

Zhang Zhongyong had a feeling that he had been tricked, but at this time, he could only put on a fake smile and continue talking to Wu Zhihua.

"It should be. Mr. Zhang will probably be recuperating in our village for a long time. We can use these apprentice fees as Mr. Zhang's food expenses during his recovery."

"Also, Mr. Zhang's residence. I happen to have an idle house that is not far from our threshing ground. I will have someone clean it up and add some furniture. It will definitely be more comfortable than the place where you are currently recuperating."

Now that Zhang Zhongyong had agreed to become the martial arts teacher for the children in the clan, it meant that he would not be leaving in a short time. If he continued to live in such a shabby hall, then he, Wu Zhihua, would be too ignorant of how to treat people.

Zhang Zhongyong was embarrassed and was about to refuse, but Wu Zhihua had already begun to call the group of young boys to help Zhang Zhongyong prepare his new residence, leaving Zhang Zhongyong standing there.

"Master, it's time to take your medicine."

Xiaoliu had even changed his address now, obviously to confirm Zhang Zhongyong's identity, leaving Zhang Zhongyong, who had taken the bowl, to only smile wryly.

The unique wisdom of the rural villagers allowed them to always play some tricks that they thought were clever. Fortunately, they met Zhang Zhong, who was gentle, kind, and knew how to be grateful and repay favors, which allowed them to get what they wanted.

If they had met other cultivators, who could be said to be forced into a deal, those with better personalities would probably just flick their sleeves and leave, while those with evil and cruel personalities might even turn hostile and slaughter the village. They would have no psychological burden to repay kindness with hatred.

… … … …

"I didn't expect that the true energy of you Jianghu people would have such miraculous effects on healing injuries!!"

Zhu Qing carefully peeled off the dried and terrifying scabs on the surface of Zhang Zhongyong's skin. When he saw that the new skin had left no traces, and was smooth and tender, he couldn't help but exclaim in surprise. At the same time, there was a bit of disbelief and doubt in the depths of his eyes.

"If I didn't know my own medical skills, I might have thought I had become a miracle doctor!!"

"It's all thanks to your herbs, Mr. Zhu, and Xiaoliu's thoughtful care that I was able to recover so quickly!"

Everyone loves to hear flattery. Although Zhang Zhongyong was able to recover so well and so quickly, it was more due to his own physique, cultivation techniques, and the assistance of elixirs. However, Zhu Qing's clumsy medical skills were not without help. Zhang Zhongyong also kept this kindness in his heart.

"Seeing Zhang Shifu in such a state now makes me very curious about your martial arts techniques."

The more Zhu Qing cleaned the scabs on Zhang Zhongyong's body, the more he felt amazed. He also had some thoughts of becoming an apprentice in his heart, but he immediately suppressed them. He was already in his fifties, how could he be embarrassed to join a group of children to study under Zhang Zhongyong!!

"If Mr. Zhu is interested, we can discuss it together. I heard that doctors generally have their inherited Five Animal Frolics and breathing techniques, which, combined with acupuncture techniques, are also very magical methods."

"I'm ashamed. My medical skills are just learned from searching for medical books myself. I can only barely be considered a barefoot doctor. How would I understand these things?"

"Mr. Zhu, there's no need to be modest. Martial arts and internal strength are closely related to medical skills. It is said that the predecessors who created martial arts were also doctors who were proficient in medicine. Otherwise, the identification of meridians and acupoints in these secrets would not be the first lesson in learning martial arts and internal strength."

Zhang Zhongyong could feel that the most stable and powerful qi and blood pulse among the hundred villagers in Wu family village was not those young children, nor those hunters who were said to be able to hunt black bears and wild boars, but precisely Zhu Qing, the polite, composed village enlightenment teacher and doctor in front of him.

Obviously, the other party had their own secrets, so Zhang Zhongyong would not expose them and would pretend that he did not know the other party's privacy.

"Your external injuries have almost healed. From today onwards, I no longer need to come and help you with your medical treatment."

After carefully cleaning Zhang Zhongyong's wound and taking his pulse again, Zhu Qing looked at Zhang Zhongyong meaningfully and said.

"Thank you for your help these days, Mr. Zhu."

"I don't need your thanks. As a doctor, it is my duty to do these things, but I hope you will keep the kindness of the village chief and his clansmen in your heart. Don't disappoint the kind people!!"

"That's natural, otherwise I wouldn't have agreed to teach these kids martial arts!!"

Zhang Zhongyong heard the defensiveness and reminder in his words. He faced Zhu Qing's scrutinizing gaze and replied sternly.

"That's good!!"

Zhu Qing had secretly observed Zhang Zhongyong in private. Through the other party's actions and relationship with Xiaoliu and the others, he had roughly made a judgment on Zhang Zhongyong's character, so now he was only reminding him.

After handing over the herbs that he had prepared for Zhang Zhongyong, and instructing Xiaoliu on how to decoct them, Zhu Qing bid farewell and left, leaving more than a dozen young children aged 6-7 to 12-3 inside and outside Zhang Zhongyong's house.

Most of the children were now stretching their muscles and bones outside the house, starting to learn martial arts for the first time. Although the children in the countryside were not spoiled and their muscles and bones were very strong, they had not received formal training after all, and their flexibility was still far behind.

Now that he had decided to teach these children martial arts, Zhang Zhongyong did not intend to be perfunctory. Instead, he really prepared to select a few sets of sword techniques that he had learned in his early years that were suitable for them to learn, and carefully teach them to them.

Anyway, it would take at least half a year for his internal injuries to recover. In this half year, he could basically help these young people lay a good foundation. As for what kind of achievements they could achieve in the end, it would depend on their talent and hard work, but dealing with three or five bandits alone would be no problem at all.

"Ah!!! I want to go back and find my mother!!"

A little girl of about 7 years old stretched her legs straight into a split on the ground. A girl who was older than her pressed down hard on the little girl's shoulders. The pain caused by the split made the little girl couldn't help but wail.

There were many companions around her who were also groaning in pain, but none of them were crying as loudly as the little girl. Most of the teenagers were young lads, and very few families would let their daughters learn martial arts. The boys were mostly concerned about face, and it was absolutely impossible for them to cry in front of their partners.

With stubborn little faces, flushed with redness, after everyone had stretched their muscles and bones, they took out the long swords that Zhang Zhongyong had asked people to cut down from the mountains and carve out of camellia tree trunks from the weapon rack, and began to perform basic sword techniques in a decent manner.

Thrust, chop, point, flick, sweep... The eighteen basic sword techniques are monotonous, but they are a course that every sword practitioner must go through. Even Zhang Zhongyong, a sword cultivator, diligently honed his sword skills in his early years and has not slacked off even now.

The young lads before him solemnly and earnestly raised their heavy tea wood swords, repeatedly hacking at the air. If they weren't careful, a bamboo branch would cleverly strike the incorrect parts of their movements, followed by Zhang Zhongyong's stern voice.

"Arms!! Straighten them for me!!"

"Stand up straight!!!"

"The horse stance must be stable!!!"

Although Zhang Zhongyong didn't have experience in teaching, he had a wealth of experience from being taught by his master, senior brothers, and senior sisters since he was young. By imitating them, he taught these youngsters in a quite decent manner.

Currently, there are eighteen children under his tutelage. The oldest is Xiao Liu, who initially wanted to become Zhang Zhongyong's disciple. He is now the senior brother of these children and just turned fifteen last month.

At this age, a boy is considered an adult in the countryside. Similarly, in the eyes of martial arts practitioners, they have already passed the best period.

Fortunately, Zhang Zhongyong is not an ordinary martial arts instructor. He remembers Xiao Liu's kindness in taking care of him. Now that he has agreed to teach them skills, he naturally has ways to compensate for the problems of the boy being too old and his bones and muscles already being set.

"What's wrong? You can't take it after practicing for less than half an hour? Look at your movements, what have they become?"

Zhang Zhongyong is stricter with this eldest disciple than with the other apprentices. Who told this kid to cause him so much trouble? At the same time, he can use this strict method to test the other party's determination.

No matter what you do, determination and will are the most important keys to success. Just like most of the cultivators above the Nascent Soul stage in the cultivation world, they were just ordinary talents when they first sought the Dao. Those so-called geniuses among their peers ultimately did not go as far as them.

Xiao Liu's full name is Wu Jinghao. He is an orphan and has been raised by his clansmen all these years.

Most of the villagers are simple and kind, taking care of and pitying the orphaned Wu Jinghao. However, there are also some mean-spirited women who say and do things to make things difficult and insult him. Therefore, he has felt more of the warmth and coldness of human relationships since he was a child. Later, the patriarch Wu Zhihua sent him to Zhu Qing to learn medicine and literacy, which gave him more knowledge and courage than his peers in the village.

Sweat soaked his vest, and patches appeared on his dark coarse linen clothes. His skin became itchy and uncomfortable due to the sweat, but Xiao Liu still insisted on thrusting again and again.

In his ears, his master's stern reprimands, as if he had changed his personality, never stopped, but they could not shake his determination to learn martial arts.

On the first day of enlightening the children, Zhang Zhongyong showed all the children who were sent to him his skill of splitting a thick log with a wooden sword and carving it into a lifelike Buddha statue. At the same time, Zhang Zhongyong squeezed out some of his meager true essence and showed off a light skill that flew up and down, which attracted cheers and admiration from a group of children.

The children watched with relish and joy, and even the villagers of Wu Village, who were still somewhat skeptical of Zhang Zhongyong, were greatly shocked and felt fortunate that their village had found a treasure this time.

Which adult doesn't want their children to be successful? However, the villagers in the countryside have difficulty making a living, so how can they afford to send their children to school or learn martial arts!!

Literacy enlightenment is okay. Although Mr. Zhu's knowledge is average, he can at least teach the children to write their names and know some principles of dealing with people. The most important thing is that the tuition fee he requires is not much, and everyone can barely afford it.

However, when it comes to learning martial arts, the closest and most famous sect to Wu Village is the Bagua Sect in Yue Wu City, which not only has very high requirements for its apprentices, but also requires extremely high fees, which ordinary families cannot afford.

As the saying goes, 'Cultivate literature when poor, martial arts when rich.' If you want to achieve something in martial arts, you must temper your muscles and bones from a young age. In addition to daily training, the most important thing is to soak your body in various medicinal soups to achieve the effect of strengthening your body and repairing it.

The sect teaches apprentices skills and gives them various medicinal soups to temper their bodies, which is naturally not free. In the end, the families of the disciples who come to study have to spend money to support it!!

Now that such a martial arts master has suddenly appeared in the village, perhaps the children's final achievements may be limited due to the poor conditions, but at least the tuition fee required by this teacher is not much, which is more realistic than the Bagua Sect apprentices that everyone can only hope for.

"Okay, everyone except Xiao Liu and Xiao Wu, stop and rest for a quarter of an hour."

Seeing the painful expressions on the children's faces, Zhang Zhongyong knew that they were almost at their limit. Children of this age have not yet fully developed their bodies and are not suitable for hard training, otherwise it may damage their foundation.

However, Xiao Wu and Xiao Liu, these two teenagers, are already over fourteen years old, and their muscles and bones have reached 80% of the strength of adulthood, so their training must be heavier than that of the other children.

"Ah!!"

"Ah ya ~ ~ ~"

More than a dozen children received their master's permission and sat down on the ground, making comfortable exclamations.

"Anyway, we are resting, so we can't delay the time for learning. Come on, everyone do the splits and stretch your hands straight to touch your toes!!"

Upon seeing this, Alan showed an 'angelic' smile on his face and continued to enthusiastically train the apprentices in front of him.

The teenagers wailed and reluctantly followed the master's instructions, painfully starting the action of stretching their muscles.

Throughout the day, except for the students who went to Zhu Qing's school to study and learn literacy in the morning, and the children who needed to help their families graze cattle, sheep, and livestock, and cook and wash clothes in the afternoon, the rest of the time these children stayed in the drying yard to receive Zhang Zhongyong's teaching.

Even the time before going to bed at night, everyone was not spared. They were continuously summoned by Zhang Zhongyong to soak in hot water filled with the aroma of herbs, receiving the nourishment and repair of the medicinal bath for their bodies.

Although the conditions are simple, fortunately, Wu Village is backed by a mountain range of forests. The people in the village usually go to the mountains to collect some herbs for their own use or sell them in Yue Wu City.

Zhang Zhongyong accepted Wu Zhihua's request to be a martial arts teacher for the children, but he also made several requests, one of which was for the people of Wu Village to provide him with some herbs for the children's bodies.

Of course, there will definitely not be too many precious herbs in this remote place, but things like bruises grass, angelica, and fleeceflower root can't be said to be rare. As long as the villagers pay more attention when entering and leaving the mountains, they can always find some.

Zhang Zhongyong also took advantage of the situation and, after consulting Zhu Qing, a vagabond, and learning about the surrounding medicinal herbs, he also issued two lists to Wu Zhihua, which recorded the types and quantities of herbs he needed to teach these children.

Faced with Zhang Zhongyong's request, the villagers naturally had some complaints. After all, these herbs could still subsidize their households. Now that they were given to Zhang Zhongyong, everyone would have less income, which would affect the family's expenses and life to some extent.

However, Wu Zhihua knew what was good for him. After asking about the reason for Zhang Zhongyong's request for herbs, he showed the majesty of the patriarch by poking his crutches in the ancestral hall, leaving the villagers with no choice but to obey.

Since Zhang Zhongyong had promised Wu Zhihua to teach the children in the village martial arts, he had never thought of perfunctorily teaching these children something casually. After all, this was Zhang Zhongyong's first time accepting disciples. Although they were not cultivation apprentices, when the teenagers called out 'Master' innocently, Zhang Zhongyong had an obligation to think about their future.

Not to mention that Wu Village had a life-saving grace for Zhang Zhongyong. Isn't it right to take care of them wholeheartedly, even if it delays the time to heal his injuries?

"Aww!!"

Boys are always much more naughty. In the hot medicinal bath, feeling the numbness, itching, and scratching sensations transmitted from the inside of their muscles, one by one, they howled loudly. Two or three of the younger ones even had tears in their eyes, but they were afraid of being laughed at by their senior brothers, so they endured it.

The girls bathed separately in the makeshift thatched hut. Although they could also feel various discomforts, the girls were naturally more tolerant and much quieter than the boys.

Most of these children are already too late to learn martial arts. If they cannot lay a solid foundation at the beginning, their future development in martial arts will be extremely limited.

Previously opened head, but no books released.