Chapter 12: Chapter 11 The Bandit Problem in the Jiang Family Village Chapter 12: Chapter 11 The Bandit Problem in the Jiang Family Village At noon, Ms. Wang made an additional dish since there were two more people to feed at home.
Lin Zhan, being very rule-abiding, sat at the dining table devouring his meal, while Wang Daya was somewhat constrained and nervous.
However, Yang Yunxue is a kind-hearted girl and had been comforting Wang Daya throughout.
After finishing the meal, both of them relaxed a bit.
Right after lunch, Yang Zhengxiang came over with three teenagers around the age of fourteen or fifteen.
Yang Zhenshan didn’t expect him to be so eager, but since they were brought over, it wasn’t good for Yang Zhenshan to decline.
Among the three teenagers, one was Yang Zhengxiang’s grandson Yang Chengze, and the other two were talented youngsters within the clan, Yang Chengxu and Yang Qinwu.
Yang Zhengxiang had his own motives, but Yang Zhenshan didn’t mind this bit of self-interest.
Looking after his own grandson was natural, not something to make a fuss about.
Accompanying them were the elders of Yang Chengxu and Yang Qinwu, who didn’t come empty-handed but brought many gifts.
The gifts were not expensive, but they were considered good items in Yang Family Village, including tea leaves, cloth, and some candies.
Yang Zhenshan accepted their gifts and agreed to meet daily at 7 a.m., teaching them for two hours.
They were all younger members of the Yang family with some basic foundation, so Yang Zhenshan didn’t need to start from scratch but could just impart his experience and point out their flaws.
Time flew, and half a month passed. The weather was getting colder, but Yang Family Village was becoming more lively.
Every morning, seven or eight figures could be seen practicing martial arts in the Yang family’s courtyard, naturally including Yang Zhenshan himself.
Whether it’s herding one sheep or two, following the principle of not wasting time, Yang Zhenshan also guided Yang Mingcheng and Yang Mingzhi.
As for Yang Yunxue, Lin Zhan, and Wang Daya, Yang Zhenshan didn’t intervene, letting them practice on their own.
They were young and unable to endure intensive training; practicing spear technique was just mastering the routines and not yet time for intense practice.
And when it came to instructing Yang Mingcheng and the others, Yang Zhenshan was very adept.
First, he retained the memory of his original body, and recently he had been practicing the Yang family’s ancestral spear technique. Maybe his understanding of the Yang Family Spear Technique wasn’t as deep as the original host’s, but it wasn’t far off.
“The aim of practicing spear technique isn’t just to master it but to feel the changes in bodily strength and to comprehend the technique of harnessing power.”
“The first level of the Body Refining Realm in Martial Arts is strength conversion, which means the technique of employing bodily strength.”
“Watch closely!”
“White Snake Spits Its Tongue!”
“The arm swings, the long spear thrusts, but the source of the strength comes from the waist and back.”
“Use the waist as the pivot and the heart as the commander to unleash the most powerful force of the entire body in a split second!”
In the courtyard, Yang Zhenshan demonstrated and explained at the same time.
The onlookers listened intently to his explanations while twisting their waists and backs amusingly, but they were truly taking his words to heart.
However, at this moment, from not far away, Yang Yunxue suddenly exclaimed, “Dad!”
“What’s wrong?” Yang Zhenshan, hearing something amiss in her voice, stopped explaining and looked towards Yang Yunxue.
Yang Yunxue was pale, trembling as she looked westward and stuttered, “The… the Jiang family village.”
When Yang Zhenshan looked westward, his brows immediately knitted together.
Beneath the clear sky were layers upon layers of mountains and forests, but a massive amount of smoke was rising before the mountain shadows, with flickering flames barely visible.
The location of the flames should be the Jiang family village.
“Dad, something has happened to the Jiang family village! My younger sister, she—” Yang Mingcheng said anxiously.
Yang Zhenshan took a deep breath and said, “Go notify the Clan Leader; the rest should not act rashly, waiting for the Clan Leader’s decision. I’ll go check it out!”
With these words, he paid no attention to the rest, shouldered his backpack, and hurried towards the direction of the Jiang family village.
The backpack, sewn by Ms. Wang, had ten pockets, each able to fit a meter-long short spear.
“Dad!” Yang Mingcheng and Yang Mingzhi wanted to stop him, but Yang Zhenshan strode away quickly, disappearing from the village in just a short while.
Having no other choice, Yang Mingcheng hurried to find Yang Zhengxiang.
There’s no need for him to search; Yang Zhengxiang has already brought several people to the west end of Yang Family Village.
Jiang family’s village is only six or seven miles away from Yang Family Village, and at the moment, thick smoke billows above the Jiang family’s village, visible from a great distance.
Yang Zhenshan moves swiftly; in just fifteen minutes, he reaches the vicinity of the Jiang family’s village. However, he doesn’t rush into the village but quickly climbs up the rear mountain to observe the situation in the Jiang family’s village.
The dense smoke obscures the view of the Jiang family’s village, making everything hazy and indistinct, yet he still sees numerous figures and hears lots of shouting and screams.
“Bandits, as expected!”
Yang Zhenshan watches the shadows in the Jiang family’s village and, touching the cotton clothes on his body, his expression darkens immensely.
Yang Yunyan is his eldest daughter. Although he has only met her twice, he is still wearing the cotton clothes she sewed for him.
He could disregard others, but he couldn’t fail to save his daughter.
With that thought, Yang Zhenshan pulls a short spear from his back and starts moving closer to where Jiang Cheng’s house is located.
Meanwhile, utter chaos reigns. Dozens of fierce and brutal men rampage through the village, leaving many villagers’ dead bodies scattered in homes or on the streets.
Of course, there are many villagers resisting. Although the Jiang family’s village doesn’t have a martial arts legacy like Yang Family Village, there are many hunters there.
Most of the hunters are good with a bow and arrow. Had the bandits not taken the village by surprise, leaving no time to prepare, they would not have entered the village so easily.
As soon as Yang Zhenshan enters the Jiang family’s village, he sees a tall and burly figure standing in the barren land behind the village, laughing bloodily and shouting ferociously, “Brothers, kill for me, hahahaha~~”
This person wields a large saber, with a scar running down his face. When he laughs, the scar contorts like a snake, making him look extremely brutal.
Scar Liu!
Seeing this scarred brute, Yang Zhenshan immediately recalls the Bounty Order he had seen in the county town.
No one knows his real name; he is only known by his nickname, Scar Liu.
According to the Bounty Order, Scar Liu is an extremely vicious bandit, infamous for repeatedly raiding villages. He has also been pursued by the government several times but has always managed to escape.
Among the several wanted notices posted in the county town, his has the highest bounty — a full 300 taels of silver.
Yang Zhenshan, of course, isn’t tempted by the reward silver, so when he spots Scar Liu, he doesn’t approach him but instead slips past and stealthily enters the village.
Jiang Cheng’s house is located on the west side of the Jiang family’s village, while most of the bandits are gathered on the east side.
By the time Yang Zhenshan reaches the vicinity of Jiang Cheng’s home, the area is unusually quiet.
Bang, bang, bang~~
While vigilantly observing his surroundings, Yang Zhenshan knocks on Jiang Cheng’s door.
“Who is it?”
A voice quickly comes from inside the door.
“It’s me! Yang Zhenshan!”
With a creak, the wooden door opens, and Jiang Cheng looks at Yang Zhenshan with a mixture of shock and joy.
“My esteemed in-law!”
Yang Zhenshan steps inside and asks, “Are you all okay?”
“We’re fine, we’re fine. The bandits haven’t come here yet!” Jiang Cheng hastily responds.
Right now, the Jiang family isn’t the only one present. There are about a dozen strong villagers standing in the courtyard, clearly, neighbors who have all run over.
“Where’s Yunyan?” Yang Zhenshan doesn’t see his eldest daughter and asks again.
“She’s in the house!” Jiang Cheng promptly leads him into the main house.
Inside, there are many women and children, and Yang Yunyan is sitting on the kang bed, looking somewhat pale.
“Dad!” Upon seeing Yang Zhenshan, Yang Yunyan, overwhelmed by fear, throws herself into his arms without any reservation.
“It’s okay, it’s okay, Dad is here!” Yang Zhenshan pats her back, comforting her.
Without time for more words, someone in the courtyard whispers urgently, “The bandits are coming!”
“Stay here, I’ll be right back!” Yang Zhenshan can’t stay to comfort Yang Yunyan any longer and rushes out of the main house.
At that moment, the young men in the courtyard are taking their positions on the walls and the rooftops, readying themselves for battle.
Yet, they are after all only villagers, not true soldiers. When faced with vicious outlaws, fear inevitably creeps into their hearts.
