Chapter 226: Chapter 111: A Heart of Adoration
「The next day.」
The sky had just begun to lighten when Yang Jing awoke.
After a good night’s sleep, all of yesterday’s fatigue had vanished. The Inner Strength within him flowed even more smoothly.
He got up and pushed open the door to see that a patch of the courtyard had been cleared. Yang An was holding a broom, gathering the snow into piles, with fine beads of sweat forming on his forehead.
White smoke curled from the kitchen chimney, a clear sign that breakfast was being prepared.
"You’re awake?"
Yang An looked up and smiled, wiping the sweat from his brow with his sleeve. "There’s porridge warming in the pot. It’ll be ready to eat in a bit."
Yang Jing nodded and walked to the courtyard gate, taking a deep breath.
The air after the snowfall was bone-chillingly cold but exceptionally fresh. Inhaling it seemed to clear the mind and invigorate the spirit.
From the alley outside the courtyard walls came the crunching sound of snow being trodden upon. The footsteps of the occasional passerby sounded exceptionally clear in the quiet morning.
Breakfast was stewed Exotic Beast Meat for him, while Yang An had regular meat and brown rice.
After breakfast, Yang Jing put on his outer coat and left.
The snow on the streets had been packed down into a hard sheet of ice, making it slippery for the unwary.
Long icicles hung from the eaves of the houses on both sides, crystal clear and refracting a faint glimmer in the morning light.
Along the way, he occasionally saw government carriages pass by. The carts were covered with straw mats, under which the stiff shapes of bodies could be faintly seen.
They were refugees who had frozen to death the previous night, now being transported to the Chaotic Burial Mound outside the city.
The constables driving the carts had numb expressions, cracking their whips to urge the horses on. The hooves kicked up shards of ice as they trampled through the snow.
Yang Jing watched the carriages recede into the distance, his brow furrowed slightly, but in the end, he simply quickened his pace.
When he arrived at the Sun’s Martial Arts Hall, the snow in the front courtyard had already been cleared away by the servant disciples, revealing the bluestone-paved ground.
A few servant disciples were wiping down the training equipment. When they saw Yang Jing approach, they all stopped what they were doing and bowed respectfully. "Good morning, Senior Brother Yang!"
One of the more quick-witted servant disciples hurried forward and bowed. "Senior Brother Yang, Master gave instructions for you to see him in the inner courtyard as soon as you arrived."
Yang Jing nodded slightly. "Alright, I understand."
’He knows,’ Yang Jing realized. ’At this hour, Master Sun Yong would usually still be meditating or resting in the inner courtyard. To be summoned this early must mean he already knows about what happened to the Flying Horse Thieves yesterday.’
He passed through the front courtyard and into the inner courtyard, where the scene was completely different.
The snow in the inner courtyard was almost untouched. Only a three-foot-wide path had been cleared to the various rooms. The rest was a vast expanse of white, weighing down the plum branches until they drooped slightly, creating a scene of quiet elegance.
Yang Jing knew that his master disliked having the snow deliberately cleared away. He always said there was a certain charm to the fallen snow; watching it slowly melt when the warm sun rose on a clear day was a better way to quietly comprehend the Martial Dao.
Steam rose from the kitchen in the corner of the courtyard. Sun Ningxiang was standing before a clay pot, stirring its contents with a long ladle. A fragrant aroma drifted out from the crack in the door.
She heard footsteps and turned around. Seeing it was Yang Jing, she gave him a faint smile and pointed toward the study.
Yang Jing understood, clasped his hands in a brief salute to her as a greeting, and then walked softly to the study door.
The study door was ajar, and the faint sound of rustling pages could be heard from within.
Yang Jing stopped, raised his hand, and knocked gently on the door. He announced in a clear voice, "Master, your disciple Yang Jing requests an audience."
The sounds from inside paused, then Sun Yong’s slightly hoarse voice came through. "Come in."
Yang Jing pushed the door open, entered, and gently closed it behind him.
The study was comfortably warm. The silver thread charcoal in the brazier was burning brightly, casting a soft glow on the classic texts lining the bookshelves on all four walls.
Sun Yong was sitting behind a pearwood desk, holding a scroll. When he saw Yang Jing enter, he placed the scroll on the desk.
"Master." Yang Jing stepped forward and bowed to Sun Yong, his movements meticulous.
"Sit." Sun Yong pointed to the wooden stool opposite him. His gaze fell upon Yang Jing, assessing him with an indescribably complex expression. "What were you doing yesterday?"
’Just as I thought,’ Yang Jing said to himself. ’Master definitely knows.’
He took a shallow breath, sat down on the stool with his back straight, and began to slowly recount the events of the previous day. "Master, after learning that Senior Brother Liu had been abducted by the Flying Horse Thieves, this disciple followed their trail to the thieves’ lair on Yunshan. I took advantage of the chaos to rescue Senior Brother Liu. On my way out, I happened to run into Gang Leader Li of the Cao Bang and his men, and we joined forces to eliminate the Flying Horse Thieves."
He spoke casually, as if it were a trivial matter, omitting the perilous details of how he had stormed the fortress alone and making no mention of the Indestructible True Skill.
Sun Yong listened quietly, his fingers tapping gently on the desktop.
Even though Yang Jing’s account was brief, he could imagine the danger of the situation.
The Flying Horse Thieves had long been entrenched on Yunshan, and their fortress was filled with experts. Even government suppression campaigns had suffered heavy losses. For Yang Jing to fight his way in and out, and even rescue someone, was no simple feat.
"Li Qianxiong... was it you who killed him?" Sun Yong asked suddenly, his gaze turning sharp. "Do you have any idea how strong he was? He was a top-tier existence among those at the Peak of Dark Energy. An ordinary expert at the Peak of Dark Energy wouldn’t last five moves against him."
Yang Jing met his master’s gaze and nodded frankly. "Yes, this disciple killed him."
He paused for a moment before explaining, "This disciple recently attempted a breakthrough and was fortunate enough to advance the Raging Wave Kicks to the Dark Energy level. Now, my Mountain-Shattering Fist is also about to reach the threshold of the Peak of Dark Energy. The two martial arts complement each other, and my strength has indeed improved, which is how I was able to slay Li Qianxiong."
"Your Raging Wave Kicks broke through to the Dark Energy level as well?" Sun Yong sat up straight, a flash of shock in his eyes that quickly turned to understanding.
