Chapter Five: Grandmaster of Martial Arts

After dinner, the master didn’t invite Song Yue directly into the study as usual. Instead, after resting in the living room for half an hour, he brought Song Yue to the small martial training ground in the backyard.

It wasn’t a particularly large place, but towering trees stood all around, their canopies interwoven, nearly shielding the entire training ground and providing a sense of seclusion.

Song Yue was familiar with this place—this was the mistress’s territory. She would sometimes bring him here while teaching him martial arts. The master himself rarely came to this side.

Just as Song Yue was feeling puzzled, the master looked at him with a gentle gaze and asked, “You’re eighteen now, aren’t you?”

Song Yue nodded, feeling even more confused. Why ask this out of the blue?

“It’s been ten years now,” the master said with a touch of sentiment. “When your parents first entrusted you to me, I hesitated a little. Not that I minded mischief—children are naturally mischievous—but you were so small then, and…”

Song Yue didn’t catch the rest of the sentence. He was stunned, his mind buzzing in confusion.

Wait—hadn’t he met the master on his own? Since when did his parents entrust him? They never told him anything about this!

He remembered meeting the master by squatting in the corner—well, fine, it was when he threw stones at the master’s window and pretended to be poor and pitiful.

The master looked at Song Yue and chuckled. “Otherwise, why do you think I suddenly invited you in to listen to my lectures? If I’d simply encountered a troublesome child, I would have sent him away.”

Song Yue: …

That stung a bit.

So, he’d been fooling himself all along?

“But to be fair, it’s still fate between us,” the master said with a smile. “When your parents brought you here, they immediately came to me and asked me to look after you.”

Song Yue was dumbfounded. His unreliable parents knew the master? And they’d done something so thoughtful, so warm-hearted? Why had they never mentioned it? Too much!

“They said you were a troublemaker, loved to fight, and were extremely proud. Wherever you went, you’d stir up chaos and soon get expelled.”

That was prejudice! They completely misunderstood him! Their understanding was far too one-sided! But, honestly, those words did sound like something his own father would say…

“So…” Song Yue felt a bit uncomfortable, but didn’t hide it and looked at the master.

“So, at first, I was hesitant. I worried that if I couldn’t teach you well, I’d end up holding you back, so I didn’t approach you right away. But then you, by sheer coincidence, came right under my nose, pretending to be poor and miserable. That’s fate for you!” the master said with a laugh.

“So, doesn’t that mean we met on our own, and it has nothing to do with my parents?” Song Yue asked, unwilling to let it go. He cared greatly about this.

Though he’d never said it aloud, it was something he had always been secretly proud of.

After all, this was the master! Those influential people would line up just for a meeting with him. But Song Yue could show up at his house any time for a meal—he even had a key!

And there was another, rather embarrassing matter—he’d bragged about this endlessly to his parents and siblings:

I, Song Yue, destined to become a Martial Sage, have become a close friend of the renowned master! I’ve acquired a vast trove of knowledge! Can any of you top that?

“He’s half my teacher—his knowledge is decent, just barely enough for me to learn from!”

“The mistress is amazing! She’s really kind to me and has taught me many martial arts. Jealous, brother?”

“The master isn’t really that strict—he’s actually quite gentle. Sister, aren’t you envious?”

“The master talks to me so casually…”

Thinking back on all the times he’d boasted to his family, Song Yue was overwhelmed with embarrassment.

How mortifying!

“It’s not completely unrelated,” the master said, looking at Song Yue, “but you did earn it yourself. They only asked me to look after you, not to pass on my knowledge and skills. They knew that if you didn’t have the potential, no amount of pleading would matter.”

Song Yue felt a bit better, and immediately grinned at the master. “I’m pretty outstanding, aren’t I?”

The master smiled warmly. “Of course, you’re very outstanding!”

Song Yue beamed. “Master, you’re perfect in every way—except you’re a bit too straightforward!”

The master: …

This boy. Give him an inch, and he’ll take a mile.

But thinking back, even as a little boy, he was full of crafty ideas. His parents were too busy to spend time with him, so apart from knowing he had a remarkable talent for martial arts, they mainly saw his mischievous side. In truth, this boy was a real genius!

Not just in martial arts, but in every way.

Even in cultivation.

There’s more than one path to cultivation—the world is full of possibilities. The neighboring cultivation academy was too rigid in their thinking—blind to a rough gem right before their eyes.

If that academy had accepted Song Yue back then, perhaps his connection with the boy would have been limited to quietly watching over him from afar.

“I didn’t call you here today just to talk about all this,” the master went on. “I was just feeling sentimental. You’ve grown up, learned to stand up for those around you. And today, you showed restraint—you knew your limits, and you’re steadier than before.”

Song Yue was surprised. The incident at noon had already reached the master’s ears?

The master smiled calmly. “Things happen so close by—it’s hard not to know.”

“Oh—did they say I was impressive?” Song Yue asked hopefully.

The master ignored him and instead regarded him seriously. “Go and throw some punches—give it everything you have, don’t hold back at all.”

“Huh?” Song Yue was taken aback. So many strange things today.

The master wanted to watch him box?

If it had been the mistress who asked, he’d have nothing to say; she was truly formidable—ferocious, even! That wasn’t just talk. Years ago, a half-human, half-demon infiltrated Hangzhou, killing people and harvesting their fear to cultivate demon arts.

Thirteen people were murdered in a week! The city was gripped by fear, and many powerful martial masters set out to hunt the demon. Many died or were gravely wounded. Then the mistress stepped in, and with a few swift moves, eliminated the demon. The incident dominated the news for over a month!

But the news never revealed her image or name—just said a powerful martial cultivator had vanquished the demon. He only learned the truth because the master mentioned it offhand. Turns out, that mighty figure was right here beside him.

So, one had to be diligent in life. At the mistress’s level, she was a true martial cultivator, while he was just a martial artist.

“What’s wrong? Think I don’t understand?” The master’s gaze was calm.

But Song Yue knew the master was a little annoyed at being underestimated.

Fine, he was half his teacher, after all! As a polite and well-mannered young man, he should respect his teacher!

With a light leap, Song Yue sprang into the center of the ground and began his routine.

No elaborate stances or posturing—he wasn’t used to that. When he was younger, he’d watch martial arts tournaments, but he’d lost interest over the years. Dancing competitions were more entertaining.

After a few simple punches, the blood within him began to surge. Though he looked lean, he emanated the predatory aura of a wolf or tiger.

The air reverberated with low, thunderous rumbles.

Having drunk a little wine, Song Yue was more exuberant than usual. In a blink, he slipped into a state of perfect focus.

He quickly forgot he was performing for the master, pouring himself wholly into the moment.

Moving with the agility of a gibbon, his punches roared like a tiger. The ground beneath his feet trembled faintly!

A young martial master, radiant as the rising sun!

The master’s fierce wife—an elegant, youthful-looking woman—had at some point joined them, standing by the master’s side, her eyes filled with admiration and a touch of pride.

Softly, she said to the master, “This child is truly a martial prodigy. Perhaps he’ll really shatter that barrier and enter the Way by strength alone.”

The master’s gaze was deep as he watched Song Yue’s figure, which had already become a blur. “It’s a pity that top-tier ingredients are so expensive and rare. Even with money, they’re hard to come by. Otherwise, we’d have a better chance of drawing out his Thunderforce.”

The woman frowned slightly. “Isn’t it too soon?”

The master shook his head gently. “No—it’s not early. He’s already eighteen; his body and bones are nearly fully developed. After all these years of tempering, he should be able to withstand the pain.”

A trace of reluctance flickered in her eyes. Though she often appeared fierce, she was warm-hearted beneath the surface, and she cared for Song Yue as if he were her own son.

She knew he’d have to take that step sooner or later, but still, she couldn’t help but feel tender-hearted. Even her daughter would joke, “Song Yue is your real son, and I must have been picked up off the street!”

In truth, the master hadn’t told Song Yue everything. When Song Yue was brought here, his parents did want him to attend the cultivation academy, but their first choice was for him to become the master’s disciple.

There may be heartless parents in the world, but Song Mingfeng and Qin Qingzhu were not among them.

They left their son in Hangzhou for ten years—how could they not worry, not love, not miss him?

But the master and his wife had accepted him as their last disciple—that was their greatest comfort.

Song Yue might not have a spiritual root for cultivation and couldn’t absorb the world’s energy, but his martial root was one in a hundred million!

Few people knew that the master, famous as a great scholar, was far more accomplished in martial arts than his wife, whose name alone shook all of China.

To learn from the master was to receive far more than just knowledge.

At this point, Song Yue finished his routine. Having gone all-out, sweat poured from his normally dry skin, and a faint flush colored his handsome, fair face.

He looked at the master and mistress, grinning with pride. “Well? Master, Mistress, were you amazed?”

The master ignored his vanity, while the mistress smiled with approval. “Xiao Yueyue is the best!”

Song Yue: …

He corrected her seriously, “Mistress, it’s just Xiao Yue, please don’t call me Xiao Yueyue.”

“All right, Xiao Yueyue.” She agreed readily, but didn’t change.

Then the master called Song Yue over and said, “You have a force inside you—a Thunderforce. If you can guide and awaken it, your cultivation will progress by leaps and bounds.”

Song Yue: “What force?”

The master: “Thunderforce.”

Song Yue: ???

He couldn’t cultivate; he had no spiritual energy or power. As far as he knew, the only ‘force’ inside him besides… gas… was nothing at all.

Ten years was enough to know someone well. The master could tell exactly what Song Yue was thinking from his expression.

He couldn’t be bothered to argue and continued, “Awakening the Thunderforce isn’t easy. Over the years, I’ve tried many methods, consulted countless ancient texts, but haven’t found a perfect solution.”

Song Yue: “Wait, shouldn’t the mistress be telling me all this? Do you understand martial arts?”

The master’s face was expressionless.

The mistress couldn’t help but laugh. “The master is a true grandmaster of the martial arts!”

“What?” Song Yue was utterly dumbfounded.

———

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