txolops Chapter 15 Sect Grand Competition
Chapter 15 Sect Grand Competition
Early morning, the sixth day of the Lunar New Year.
Jiang Fu'an and his son Shi Tou each held a long wooden carving knife in their hands, wielding it meticulously.
Jiang Fu'an had already thoroughly studied the martial arts manuals recorded on the animal skin scroll.
They do have some tricks up their sleeves; when used, they can not only be activated with internal force to increase their power.
It can even be activated using magic.
According to the animal skin scroll, once mastered, it can be considered a powerful attack method even at the Qi Refining stage.
Jiang Fu'an didn't hesitate much and chose the light-body skills "Lingyun Step" and "Wind and Thunder Saber Technique" to practice.
At the other end of the courtyard, a young maidservant, about fifteen or sixteen years old, was sweeping fallen leaves off the stone bricks with a bamboo broom.
This was hired by Jiang Fu'an from the village through Xu Lao Er's introduction.
There are two in total; the other one is currently being cleaned and wiped in the main room.
For their parents, it was already a pleasant surprise that their daughter could earn some wages to supplement the family income before getting married.
Jiang Fu'an hired the man without much trouble or spending much money.
After finishing his swordsmanship practice, Jiang Fu'an stopped.
He looked up at the sky; the sun was already high in the sky, hanging there brightly, but it didn't offer much warmth.
He estimated that it must be around eight or nine in the morning.
He then stopped and turned to the stone beside him, instructing it:
So he stopped practicing and turned to the stone next to him to explain:
"Stone, Dad's going out. You should practice less too, don't overwork yourself."
"Dad, I know."
Stone responded crisply, but his wooden knife didn't stop for a moment; he continued to swing it out earnestly.
Ever since Jiang Fu'an agreed to take him and his sister to practice martial arts, the kid has been full of enthusiasm.
He's not afraid of the cold every day; he gets up to practice as soon as the rooster crows, and he hasn't slacked off even once in a day.
Seeing his son's meticulous manner, Jiang Fu'an felt quite relieved.
At five years old, one's bones and muscles are still developing, making it a good time to lay a solid foundation, especially with the "devouring body" of the stone.
If this child can keep going like this, he may very well become a martial arts master in the future.
Jiang Fu'an went back inside to change into clean clothes, straightened his cuffs, closed the courtyard gate, and headed towards the town.
A few days ago, Ma Ping, the son-in-law of the Wang family, came to our house to deliver a message, saying that a banquet would be held at "Juxianlou" in town at noon today, and he was invited to attend. Sun Xiuyuan was also invited.
Jiang Fu'an had some reservations about the invitation.
His relationship with Ma Ping was not so close that they had to hold a banquet together during the Chinese New Year.
Besides, in this world, visiting relatives and friends is also important during the Lunar New Year. Jiang Fu'an was free because neither he nor Su Wanqing had many relatives to begin with, and they had already visited all of them on the first day of the Lunar New Year.
But the Wang family is different; just look at the large number of guests who attended their last banquet, and you can tell they have extensive connections.
Such families are sure to be bustling with visitors and extremely busy during the holidays.
How could Ma Ping, as a son-in-law of the Wang family, have so much free time and leisure to entertain guests outside?
With this question in mind, Jiang Fu'an traveled all the way to the town and found "Juxianlou".
As soon as they stepped into the private room on the second floor, they saw Ma Ping and Sun Xiuyuan already sitting at the table.
Ma Ping's face was flushed, clearly he had drunk quite a bit. Seeing Jiang Fu'an enter, he deliberately put on a stern face and feigned anger, saying:
"Fu'an, you're late! No questions asked, hurry up and punish yourself with three cups!"
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I was delayed on the way."
Jiang Fu'an quickly smiled apologetically, accepted the wine glass without hesitation, and drank three cups in a row.
Fortunately, the drinks here weren't very strong, so it wasn't a problem for him.
After some pleasantries and small talk, Ma Ping, already quite tipsy, resumed his conversation with Sun Xiuyuan, his tongue slightly slurred, his words tinged with a hint of grumbling:
"That woman hasn't slept with me for over ten years, and she won't even let me take a concubine."
"Now it's even worse; they won't even let me into the main courtyard. They've only given me a small room in the side courtyard to stay in."
"Hey, my status in the Wang family is probably lower than that of a servant now..."
Jiang Fu'an's heart stirred upon hearing this:
This is the gossip of the Wang family's inner quarters!
The "woman" Ma Ping mentioned likely refers to Wang Zhiyue, the current head of the Wang family.
This woman, who was a renowned beauty decades ago, was only briefly glimpsed at the Wang family mansion last time. Although she is now older, she still retains her charm.
At that time, he secretly envied Ma Ping. It was one thing to be a kept man, but to find such a beautiful woman to live with was another.
Now it seems that the two are only superficially compatible, and their relationship is very strained.
No wonder Ma Ping had to host a dinner party outside during the Lunar New Year. He must have felt neglected at home and was feeling stifled, so he just wanted to find someone to talk to and have a drink with.
Although Jiang Fu'an was curious, he didn't ask any questions and just listened quietly, occasionally raising his glass to drink with her.
At this moment, Sun Xiuyuan, who was standing to the side, put down his chopsticks and carefully spoke:
"Brother Ma, please forgive me if I say something that may be hard to hear."
"The way the Wang family head treats you... could it be that he has someone else outside?"
Upon hearing this, Ma Ping showed little excitement. He simply calmly downed another glass of wine, shook his head, and said:
"Most likely not. This woman is very proud. She once said that if she were to find another man, she would definitely want one with higher cultivation and better aptitude than her."
"The reason she stopped sharing a room with me was because her cultivation level surpassed mine."
"This time she won't even let me into the house, because she broke through to the mid-stage of Qi Refining with the Qi Gathering Pill given to her by her daughter, and she looks down on me who is still standing still."
Ping'an Town has no spiritual veins, making cultivation difficult; cultivators at the mid-stage of Qi Refining are extremely rare.
Therefore, Ma Ping is not worried that his wife has other men.
Jiang Fu'an nodded secretly as he listened: Women, after all, are naturally drawn to strength.
A person earning 3,000 yuan a month wants to find someone earning 30,000 yuan a month.
She's only 1.5 meters tall, but she feels that anyone under 1.8 meters is not good enough for her.
In his previous life, he had witnessed far too much.
These gossips were perfect accompaniments to his drinks, and Jiang Fu'an would occasionally sip his wine and pick up a piece of food with his chopsticks.
After Ma Ping finished pouring out his grievances, Sun Xiuyuan finally brought up the matter that had been on his mind:
"Brother Ma, these past few days of the New Year have made me miss my daughter at the Miaoyin Sect even more."
"I keep thinking about whether I can find an opportunity to visit her."
"I wonder... if the Miaoyin Sect would allow us mortal relatives to enter and have a visit?"
Jiang Fu'an, who was picking up a slice of bamboo shoot, paused slightly.
If I could really go to the Wonderful Sound Sect...
Then wouldn't he be able to take that unopenable storage ring and go to He Miao for help?
Unexpectedly, Ma Ping shook his head directly:
"The Miaoyin Sect only accepts female disciples, and its rules are extremely strict, especially prohibiting men from entering the sect. It would be as difficult as climbing to heaven to visit them."
However, before Sun Xiuyuan could show any disappointment, he changed the subject:
"However... I heard that the Miaoyin Sect holds a sect competition every five years."
"During that period, the mountain gate was open to the public, and anyone could enter to watch the competition."
"If Brother Sun really wants to go, perhaps he can take advantage of that opportunity."