Tianyuan Continent, Yan State.
Surging waves flow in the vast river, cutting across the borders, the majestic torrents manifold in the atmosphere of the icy streams rising to the skies,with a might like a thunderbolt heading to east.
“Splash!”
In this cold winter month, the air was freezing cold, and breath could turn into ice. But a pale young man with bare arms struggling to keep a horse stance in the shallow parts of the vast river. The waves made it sway left and right, the wind is blowing cold making his skin uncomfortable like being cut by knife.
But he gritted his teeth, and kept his feet firmly attached to the ground. With great will power, he threw incessant punches with his fists, splashing water in all directions, persevering until it lasted for an hour. Despite the knowledge that this kind of cultivation method that relies on icy water to unleash his potential can cause great damage to his body, he never gave up. The only reason for this was nothing else but merely to get stronger!
Ye Ming is fifteen years old. He lives at the edge of the Ye Family Mansion in Shanshui Town. At the age of ten, his parents offended some powerful figures in Maple Leaf City and were both murdered. Since then, he has secretly vowed to become stronger and avenge his parents!
But four years have already passed, but he has yet to enter the realm of martial arts! Originally, with his talent, given that there were no accidents, he could have at least become a third weight martial arts apprentice now. However, half a year ago, he was beaten by his eldest cousin, Ye Zhenying. His meridians were cut off and he became a crippled man, unable to cultivate martial arts!
The reason behind was that he accidentally stumbled upon a precious red dragon grass, which Ye Zhenying came to know, before he could make use of it. The latter immediately led several vicious serfs to seize him by force, not only robbing his red dragon grass away, but also brutally crippled his meridians, maiming him into becoming a disabled man, who was unable to cultivate martial arts! Having suffered such a blow, Ye Ming never despaired. Without his meridians, then cultivate his body! If the Ye Family deprives him of resources, then resort to the lowest level of practice, wounding himself with iced water, to cultivate!
“Huala!”
Finally, Ye Ming could no longer persist. He straightened up from the river water, steaming with snowy vapor from head to toe, with every inch of his skin and bones shaking. The coldness and numbness of his body quickly turned into heart penetrating pain, but his expression remained wooden, and the brilliance in his eyes were as cold as the weather.
“Rumor has it that a person who perfected body cultivation has the strength that is shoulder to shoulder to martial arts grand master. But this icy water workout is too painful for me. If this goes one for a long time, I’m afraid I won’t live past the age of twenty. But don’t mind it too much, I must cultivate and be strong enough no matter what, not only to avenge my parents, but also to demand justice from Ye Zhenying. Oh God! My parents were killed, and my meridians were destroyed, but don’t ever think about beating me down!” An unwavering resolve manifested on his handsome face.
Ye Ming changed into his clothes and returned to Ye Family Mansion. The Ye Family Mansion is the largest and most luxurious landscape style residential area in Shanshui Town. Houses are on the rise, occupying an area of more than ten acres. Take five steps and there would be a house, ten steps and there’s a pavilion. Among them, the buildings were tall and magnificent without exception, the roofs and pillars were carved out of the picture of an eagle, painted in gold and silver. But in the corner of the mansion, there was actually a dilapidated courtyard wall with a low thatched cottage, which is where Ye Ming lives and passes the days. Not long after Ye Ming returned to the thatched cottage, he heard a bang and the yard door was heavily kicked open. A young man clad in an ash-gray robe with a pointy head and a long face came in together with another young man garbed in a long tunic, who sauntered in haughtily. The gray clad young man was carrying a bowl with impatience written all over his face. The bowl was dirty with broken edges and a layer of blackened grease on the surface, giving off a putrid smell. The bowl was full of a smattering leftovers; and many others have fish bones and chicken bones that others had eaten, piling up into a sharp tip.
The young man in gray clothing is a subordinate of Ye family, named Hu Saner. The young man in the long tunic was born with a pair of peach-blossom eyes, thin lips and a pointed chin. He was born with a three point feminine appearance. His hands were behind his back while exhibiting an excitement towards the show that was about to play. This young man, Ye Ming, naturally knows. He is the son of the Patriarch Ye Wansheng’s second son, Ye Zilie, half a year older than him. Since the death of his parents, this Ye Zhenxiong has bullied him with a lot of slaves. His character is atrocious.
“Tsk tsk! Isn’t this the young genius, Ye Ming, that our family used to revere? You look so pale, your limbs are trembling, don’t tell me you have been to Li jiang River again, have you been tempered with the icy water? Man, you have to keep a sense of self-awareness. Trash is trash, no matter how hard you cultivate with all your might.” Sarcasm slipped out of Ye Zhenxiong’s lips, “Anyway, waste, it’s time for dinner, let’s eat.”
Hu Saner immediately cooperated and slammed the bowls on the
ground. Then, he gave Ye Ming a contemptuous glance, waving his arm in a flourish and saying, “Eat quickly, I still have to collect the bowl.”
That tone of command was as if he is a young master of the Ye Family. Fury raged instantly through Ye Ming. Although the food always sent before was a spongy bowl of thin porridge, it was still fresh despite it being paltry. Now, things have gone sour, and those bastards deliberately sent him leftovers for food!
Seeing Ye Ming’s darkened face, Hu Saner sneered and raised his
eyebrows: “Well, what’s the matter? Aren’t you going to eat it? I’m going to feed them to the dogs if you don’t want them! Don’t tell me you still regard yourself as the genius disciple of martial arts?”
Ye Ming retorted coldly and inscrutably, “Hu Saner, was it your idea to
give me leftovers to eat?”
With Ye Zhenxiong as his backing, Hu Saner accompanied him here without fear at all. The acne on his face ripened because of his excitement. He patted his chest proudly and said, “What’s wrong with it? Would you dare to hit me? If you’re counting on that weak body of yours, you’re not scaring me at all!”
In the past four years, what gruesome torture has Ye Ming not gone through? Ye Zhenxiong’s heart was as clear as a mirror. The purpose of him bringing Hu Saner here to deliver meals today was to humiliate him. As early as when he was twelve years old, he had already been a third weight martial artist. If the Ye Family hadn’t deprived him of resources, he might have even reached the fifth weight of martial arts. At that time, Ye Zhenxiong and his ilk were but first weight martial artists, and each of them had to look up to him. If a person stands too high, the moment he falls, then the villains who once stood beneath him tend to step on him brimming with malice. Ye Zhenxiong is such a person.
He immediately sneered. He picked up the bowl and smashed it straight on Hu Saner’s head. Just listening to the “ping” crack, Hu Saner was smashed right in the face. Several fish bones even stabbed him on the face. It hurt so much that he “screamed” in pain. Ye Ming daring to hit him was beyond Hu Saner expectations. In his impression, Ye Ming had never hit anyone, and him flying into rage was almost rare. But this time Ye Ming shot suddenly, beating him by surprise. He failed to escape, and so suffered a big loss.
“Little bastard, you dare to hit me!”
Hu Saner was furious. He waved his fist, and rushed towards Ye Ming fiercely. Ye Ming has been cultivating his body through icy water for the past six months, and so his response has doubled more than the speed of an ordinary person. As soon as Hu Saner’s fist swung, his body shook, his bones and muscles from his head to toe trembled, akin to a cat about to get stepped on the tail, responding lightning fast. He dodged to the side, avoiding Hu Saner’s ill-defined strike, and then kicked straight home.
“Puff!”
Hu Saner felt an excruciating pain stemming from his crotch. As if struck by lightning, his face turned from white to red, and then from red to white. His hands immediately covered the tragic thing and cried bitterly. Cold sweat trickled down his forehead, looking like a man hovering between life and death.
“Huh! Dog slave! The next time you send leftovers, this master will smash your balls!”
Ye Ming warned viciously. Although he finds it abominable to argue with these lowly creatures, once they hit his bottom line, he will fight back regardless of the consequences. Take today ‘s scheme for example, if he does not pay back with his own means, he is afraid that he will always be served with other people’s leftovers. He would never bow down to such humiliation.
Ye Zhenxiong was also taken aback. Ye Ming’s sudden outburst scared him into hopping back. His anger got the best of him so he pointed at Ye Ming and cursed: “Little bastard, you dare to hit someone in front of me, do you want to die?”
Ye Ming ‘s hair was still dripping wet. At this time, his body temperature was discharging white steams, forming a spiral of murderous air on top of his head. He shot a cold glace at Ye Zhenxiong and said,
“Ye Zhenxiong, if you beg to differ, why don’t we just fight on it!”Although he can no longer practice his qi, it’s still manageable for him to teach Ye Zhenxiong a lesson on a one-on-one fight.
Ye Zhenxiong swallowed his saliva. He was well aware that Ye Ming had become a young master of fights to death following his parents death. He could no longer count how many times he had brought a lot of hired thugs to teach him a lesson, wherein each time ended up out of his control, and he somehow landed in the middle of the fight. It hurts whenever he merely thinks about it. Besides, this little lunatic even runs to the Li jiang river and dares to practice icy water cultivation, which is regarded as the most taboo in martial arts cultivation, his might might erupt explosively. Once he starts, he’ll be akin to a second weight martial arts apprentice, and he’s afraid that he won’t let him off lightly. He rolled his eyes and taunted,
“Don’t be crazy, Hu Saner is Brother Zhenying’s servant. Now that you hit him, Brother Zhenying will never let you go, you are dead!”
With that, Ye Zhenxiong scurried away. Hu Saner sniveled bitterly for a while before taking off with trembling legs. Before leaving, he gave Ye Ming a venomous glare, but didn’t dare to say anything more. He was afraid that Ye Ming would send him another kick, that would be truly life-threatening.
Ye Zhenyingl Him again! The guy who snatched his red dragon grass and destroyed his meridians! Ye Ming clenched his fist with brute force, his knuckles ‘crackling’ in time with the gnashing of his teeth:
“Ye Zhenying! Everything you brought me, I’ll pay it back ten times!”
After fending off Hu Saner and driving Ye Zhenxiong away, Ye Ming felt really ravenous. He pulled out the rice bowl hidden at the bottom of his bed and found it empty. There’s no other way, he has to go out to eat. After his parents died, they left behind some meager possessions, barely enough to feed him.
There is a small door at the northeast corner of the Ye Family mansion for the entry and exit of peddlers and carriers and even stowaways. Ye Ming usually goes out through it. Out of the small door, there is a street across graced with rows of tall willow trees. Yan Country is located in the north, the cold wind in the lunar month was so bitter that the willow trees only have bare branches and layers of frost covered the ground. Nobody wants to go out with this kind of weather and would rather stay at home to keep warm.
The street was sparsely populated and very quiet. He turned left and was about to go to the rice shop when he spotted an old beggar sitting under a big willow tree. He was dressed in a grubby grey cloth, with patches on it, his hair was disheveled and his skin was smudged with dirt, forming o layer of grime on his face, he ranks pretty badly. He has never seen this old beggar when he went in and out of the mansion before, so he must be new. However, he had no money to spare and give as alms, so he strode forward.
“Young man, do you want to become stronger?”
The old beggar suddenly spoke, his voice was faint, but Ye Ming heard the score clearly.
He stopped and turned to look at the old man, then asked dubiously,
“Are you talking to me?” Sizing the old beggar up, his eyes are murky, giving off an empty feeling.
“Young man, I sense hatred and persistence from you. If you want, I can make you strong and give you the ability to avenge your kin and eliminate your hatred,” said the old beggar.
Ye Ming’s first reaction was that the old man was a swindler. His meridians were cut, how could he become stronger? So he snickered coldly. He felt too lazy to bother asking again, so he moved on.
“Your meridians have been destroyed, right?” The old beggar opened his mouth the third time.
Ye Ming was startled. This old beggar has just arrived here, so how did he know? Can he see it with just o glance?
“Tonight, when the moon has risen to its highest point, come and see me. This old man will send you good fortune.” The old beggar said mysteriously.
Ye Ming was dumbfounded: “Send me good fortune?”
“Do you want to practice powerful martial arts? Would you like to repair your meridians and retaliate against your enemies?”
The old aged man asked lightly,
“This old man can grant your wish!”
Ye Ming’s heart was pounding: “We are not relatives, why are you helping me?”
“If you want to change your destiny, come and see me tonight.”
The old beggar was reluctant to explain more, he closed his eyes after speaking, and ignored him. Ye Ming left with doubts. After buying rice and returning to his thatched cottage, Ye Ming remained restless. The old beggar’s words keep echoing in his mind, disturbing him to falling asleep. He couldn’t help thinking: What if the old beggar could really help me?
Deep into the night.
The moon tonight is particularly round. The moonlight is very bright, too bright to strange degree. Ye Ming was lying in bed, struggling to sleep, thinking over and over again. He finally put on his clothes and went to the street.
The old man was still sitting there, but his eyes were no longer cloudy. They were as bright as moonlight and fiery as a pair of will-o’-the-wisp.
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