A journey through ancient times, a journey of exquisite divine skills

Chapter 41 First Encounter with the Martial World

It has been more than a month since Xia Xiucai came to Sujia Village, and every day the sound of children reading aloud can be heard coming from the academy.

The villagers could feel the children's passion every time they were in the fields.

Master Xia: (holding a book, pacing to the front of the podium) "Students, today we will continue to study the Three Character Classic and the Thousand Character Classic."

The students answered in unison: "Master."

Master Xia said: "At birth, people are inherently good. Their natures are similar, but their habits make them different."

This means that people are born with good nature, but differences in environment and education lead to differences in habits.

So, do you think this statement makes sense?

Shanzi: "Master, I think this makes sense. Xiaoya said that although everyone's family background and personality are different, we can all study hard and be kind people."

Master Xia: "Hmm, you're right. So, how should we maintain our kind nature?"

Another child stood out from the crowd and raised his hand, saying loudly, "Master, I think we should do more good deeds and help those who are in dire need."

Master Xia nodded and smiled: "Yes, you are quite right. Do you have any other insights?"

The hunter boy stood up straight like a bamboo shoot and raised his hand: "Master, I believe we should respect others and never bully the weak."

Master Xia nodded in satisfaction: "Yes, these are golden words. My friends, we must always remember the proverb 'At the beginning of life, people are inherently good,' and be kind, loving, and responsible people."

Master Xia continued, “Heaven and earth were dark and yellow, the universe was vast and boundless. The sun and moon waxed and waned, and the stars and constellations were arrayed in the sky.”

This sentence is like a key, unlocking the chaotic world and revealing the primordial state of the universe.

The sun and moon are like a pair of dancers performing a waltz, waxing and waning, while the stars are like dazzling jewels in the night sky, arranged in an orderly fashion.

"Then, my friends, do you know the origin of this saying?"

The students all shook their heads like rattles: "I don't know, Master."

Master Xia smiled, his smile as gentle as a spring breeze: "This saying is an ancient astronomical observation."

Thousands of years ago, people were like stargazers in the night sky.

By observing the movements of the sun, moon, and stars, we can glimpse the laws governing the universe and the fate of humankind.

At the same time, like explorers, people examine the relationship between heaven and earth to seek the essence and meaning of humanity.

The student said, "Master, I understand. This saying teaches us to follow the laws of nature as we would a boat sailing with the current, and to arrange our lives and studies in a reasonable way."

Master Xia nodded slightly: "Yes, you are absolutely right. We must be self-disciplined, cherish time as if it were gold, study diligently, and become a person who is beneficial to society."

"Alright, that's all for today. My friend, you have a couple of days off, so make sure you study hard when you get back."

"Thank you, Master."

On this day, in the valley, a group of children, holding various weapons, practiced sparring as lightly as birds in flight.

Compared to two years ago, their martial arts skills have now reached their peak. Various dazzling moves are like shooting stars streaking across the sky, with each move being a spectacular display.

"Brother Shanzi, watch out!" A young man leaped up like a cheetah, his sword flashing like lightning as he stabbed at Shanzi.

Shanzi's sword, like a nimble snake, deflected his opponent's sword. The two exchanged blows, their swords locked in a fierce battle like dragons, neither able to gain the upper hand.

Not far from the valley, a man was slowly walking towards the group of children, his steps heavy.

His clothes were stained with blood, and his face was as pale as paper, like a candle flickering in the wind, ready to be extinguished at any moment.

In a daze, his eyes seemed to catch a glimpse of a group of children practicing. He leaned against a tree for a short rest, then suddenly opened his eyes wide, his eyes filled with astonishment.

"Where exactly is this place, and why are there children with such high martial arts skills?" He wondered to himself, his heart filled with awe.

He rested for a moment, then used the last bit of his internal strength to practice his lightness skill. Like a drunkard, he stumbled and fell into the valley, where he collapsed to the ground.

The group of children were quite frightened by the sudden appearance of the man, and they all stopped what they were doing, staring in disbelief at the man who had appeared out of nowhere.

"Sister Xiaoyue, is he dead?" Little Man asked tremblingly.

Shanzi walked to the man's side, carefully extended his finger, and placed it under the man's nose: "He's still breathing, he's not dead."

"What should we do then?" another child asked anxiously.

"I'll go find Sister Xiaoya to save him." Before the child finished speaking, he used his light-footed skills like a bird and sped towards the village.

Xiaoyue made a quick decision: "Let's help him and go back to the village."

Shanzi looked worried: "Xiaoyue, could he be a bad person? He's covered in blood, will he cause us trouble?"

"Now that things have come to this, we can't worry about anything else. You tall guys, help him up and we'll hurry back to the village."

Several older children stepped forward to help, and then the group hurriedly set off on their way back to the village.

"Sister Xiaoya, Sister Xiaoya, help me! Sister Xiaoya, help me!" The cries echoed through the village, revealing how desperate the person was.

He rushed into Yun Dan's house in a flurry of activity, immediately spotted Grandpa Lin, and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Grandpa Lin, where's Sister Xiao Ya?"

At this moment, Yun Dan walked out gracefully. As soon as the young man saw Yun Dan, he grabbed her hand without saying a word and ran outside, shouting as he ran, "Sister Xiao Ya, there is an older brother who is about to die, let's hurry and save him."

Yun Dan was completely baffled by his words. What did he mean by "big brother," "saving people," and "dying"? What did all this have to do with anything?

Halfway there, the two saw four slightly older children supporting a person covered in blood, who looked like a candle flickering in the wind.

With everyone working together, they helped him to Yun Dan's house and carefully placed him on the bed. Yun Dan stretched out her delicate hand to take his pulse, her beautiful brows furrowing.

"My inner strength is almost exhausted. There really is a martial world here." She marveled to herself.

Then, she gently pulled open his shirt, revealing several shocking knife wounds on his upper body. Yun Dan quickly used her internal energy to gently press his acupoints and stop the bleeding.

Then he turned around and went back to his room, took out a Condensation Pill, and fed it to him.

"Alright, the bleeding has stopped for now, and he will wake up tomorrow," Yun Dan said to everyone.

At this moment, Yang Hualing walked in, looked at the man on the bed, and found that he was a complete stranger. Then she saw the wounds on his body.

"Little girl, this is a sword wound. How badly is he injured?"

"It's nothing serious. I just took the medicine and my life is no longer in danger," Yun Dan replied.

"Let's wait until he wakes up tomorrow before making a decision. Hopefully, it won't bring trouble to the village," Yang Hualing said.

"Such a remote place, yet people from the martial arts world have ventured here. We must investigate this thoroughly," Yang Hualing thought to herself.

The group went out, planning to find out more tomorrow.

The next day, as the first rays of dawn pierced through the window and gently swept across the room, the man slowly opened his heavy eyelids.

His vision gradually cleared, and he saw Yun Dan and a group of children sitting or standing around his bed, their eyes filled with concern and curiosity.

The man struggled to sit up, his voice slightly hoarse as he asked, "Did you...save me?"

Upon hearing this, Yun Dan smiled gently.

He asked with concern, "You're finally awake! How are you feeling? Is anything bothering you?"

The man gently shook his head and replied gratefully, "Thank you for saving my life, young lady. I feel much better now."

Yun Dan nodded slightly, her eyes filled with a mixture of doubt and concern: "How did you get so badly injured? And why did you come all the way to our village alone?"

Upon hearing Yun Dan's question, the man frowned slightly, seemingly struggling with how to begin recounting his ordeal.

He remained silent for a while, as if organizing his thoughts, before slowly speaking.

"I...I was being hunted down, and I had no choice but to fight back against them."

Although I managed to lightly wound one enemy, I was also seriously injured and could only escape here using my light-footed skills.

Yang Hualing, who was listening nearby, couldn't help but interject, asking, "Being hunted? Who exactly are you? Why are you being hunted?"

The man hesitated for a moment, seemingly weighing the pros and cons, before finally deciding to confess.

"I am a disciple of the Peach Feather Sect. While on a mission, I unfortunately encountered several evil thieves."

They were not only ruthless but also highly skilled in martial arts. I was careless for a moment, which led to my current predicament.

Upon hearing this, Yun Dan nodded in understanding: "I see. So what do you plan to do now?"

The man gave a wry smile and replied, "I must leave here as soon as possible to avoid causing you unnecessary trouble."

Yun Dan shook her head and said firmly, "Yes, although your injury is no longer serious, you still need to rest for a while."

Don't worry, it's safe here. Those people won't find their way here.

Upon hearing this, the man felt a surge of warmth in his heart and said gratefully, "Thank you for saving my life, young lady. May I ask how you are addressed?"

At this moment, Xiaoyue walked up to him and said with a smile, "My name is Su Yue, you can just call me Xiaoyue."

You don't need to be so polite; the people here are very kind.

Just stay here and recover. You can leave once you're fully healed.

Little Man, the little snotty-nosed boy, squeezed to the front and said in his childish voice, "That's right, big brother, they are bad people and they should be punished."

Big brother, my name is Xiaoman. I hope you get well soon.

The children, including Shanzi, Shizi, and Xiaohua, also spoke up, expressing their care and welcome for the man in their tender voices.

Looking at these innocent and kind children, the man felt an unprecedented warmth and emotion welling up in his heart.

The man looked at Yun Dan gratefully: "Thank you all."

Yun Dan smiled and said, "It's what I should do. By the way, what's your name?"

"My name is Ding Fengyi," Ding Fengyi replied.

Yun Dan: "Ding Fengyi, a good name. You can stay here and recover from your injuries. Let me know if you need anything."

Ding Fengyi nodded: "Okay, thank you, Miss Lin."

Yun Dan: "You're welcome. You should get some rest."

After saying that, Yun Dan got up and left the room. Ding Fengyi watched her retreating figure, his heart filled with gratitude and admiration.