After a little over half an hour, Liu Sheng, estimating the time, returned home with two wild rabbits.
While still at the entrance, he saw Zhou Family's Sister-in-law supporting Grandma, talking in the courtyard with a one-armed monk.
The monk was tall, like an iron tower, dressed in a black monastic robe, with a string of bone prayer beads around his neck, and a sword scar on his face, giving him a fierce appearance...
He lacked any of the compassion of a monk.
Good heavens, the Tong Family reacted so quickly?
And they even sent such a ruthless person!
Liu Sheng's pupils constricted as he recognized the person; it was none other than Master Wu!
The Tong Family's reaction speed was truly fast!
Just then, Master Wu, who was talking with Grandma, suddenly turned around, his eyes filled with power and Evil Qi...
It was like facing a fierce tiger!
The Aura was overwhelming!
Liu Sheng's breathing hitched, and he slowed his steps by half a beat, stopping at the entrance, a look of confusion on his face.
It was perfectly timed.
"Good grandson, this is Master Wu from the Tong Family..."
Liu Apo spoke at the right moment, waving to Liu Sheng, and introducing him:
"Steward Cheng was killed on his way back... Master Wu is here to understand the situation from us..."
"Steward Cheng was killed?"
Liu Sheng raised his eyebrows, gloating:
"Whoever did it, I'll treat him to roasted rabbit."
"What nonsense are you talking about, child? Don't you know that death is a serious matter?"
"He helped Tong Bapi exploit the villagers for many years; he was bound to face retribution eventually..."
Liu Sheng said, sticking out his neck, then stepped forward to hand the rabbits to Zhou Family's Sister-in-law.
Afterward, he looked at Master Wu brazenly:
"What else do you want to know? You're not suspecting... that I killed him, are you?"
"You've practiced martial arts, and even entered the Dao?"
Master Wu scrutinized Liu Sheng, his gaze shifting to the rabbits in Zhou Family's Sister-in-law's hand:
"You have a good hand with throwing knives."
What keen insight!
Liu Sheng's heart tightened; he crossed his arms over his chest, neither admitting nor denying it.
Master Wu's mouth curved into a grin, his gaze wandering, suddenly falling on Liu Sheng's hands, his eyes instantly lighting up, and he abruptly reached out to grab them.
Roar!
In an instant, a powerful Tiger's Roar seemed to explode.
Liu Sheng felt his head heavy, as if a black tiger was pouncing, a Fishy smell.
By the time he recovered, he had already been approached by Master Wu, who had taken hold of his arm with one hand.
Hiss!
The gap between me and this person is actually so vast?!
Liu Sheng's heart trembled, and the pride he had felt earlier from assassinating Steward Cheng vanished without a trace.
At this moment, Master Wu had quickly pressed and kneaded several points on his palm, wrist, arm, shoulder, spine, and hip, then stepped back.
Pain!
"Long arms, wide palms, strong Essence realm, a Heaven-Born Swordsman!"
Master Wu exclaimed in wonder:
"These hands of yours are naturally suited for wielding a sword; they shouldn't be buried in the countryside."
As he spoke, a hint of nostalgia flashed in his eyes—
Back then, in Yanggu County, in the countryside, my elder brother and I relied on each other, suffering much bullying, until I met my Master...
He, the elder, saw my tall stature, and after feeling my bones, he said the same to me...
Now, it's been almost sixty years since Master passed away.
Karma arises and ceases, ceases and arises. Today, seeing this young man pleasing to the eye, I shall impart a method to him.
Driven by impulse, acting on a whim.
The recollection in his eyes flashed and was gone, his expression deep, his tone filled with emotion:
"Do you want to practice martial arts with me? I can teach you martial arts."
"Ah?"
Liu Sheng was stunned, forgetting the pain in his body.
What kind of plot twist is this?
His mind raced, and after a moment of silence, he tentatively asked:
"My family and Tong Bapi... don't get along."
"Tong Li is Tong Li, and I am I."
Master Wu's tone softened, as if trying to force a kindly smile, but his scarred face only appeared more ferocious:
"It's an employment relationship; I get paid to do a job, and I can leave anytime."
Tong Li is Tong Yuanwai, nicknamed "Bapi."
In that case, this Master Wu's relationship with the Tong Family isn't particularly close?
Liu Sheng immediately felt a stir in his heart.
He went to the Tong Family Courtyard every morning to observe martial arts, but his time was limited.
Before his Incarnation was upgraded, he could only last for a quarter of an hour, and even after upgrading to Blade-tailed Finch, the transformation time only extended to about half an hour.
Moreover, he practiced by himself, with no feedback or corrections.
Currently, only static pile was fine, but in the future, he would need to practice walking pile, fighting techniques, and Moves...
One cannot practice alone.
He had originally planned to find a martial arts school in the city to learn after saving enough money.
But now a Master was delivered to him...
Is it because of my "Heaven-Born Swordsman" talent?
Liu Sheng's eyes flickered a few times, and after a brief silence, he said in a deep voice:
"What do you want me to do?"
Master Wu chuckled, rubbing the sword scar on his face, and said grimly:
"In the future, kill an enemy for me, dare you?"
"Just one person?"
"Just one person."
"Good!"
Liu Sheng agreed, then immediately knelt down and called out "Master."
Such straightforwardness made Master Wu pause, his expression becoming much more serious:
"You don't ask me who I want you to kill?"
Liu Sheng lowered his head, recalling a classic line he had seen in his previous life, and blurted out:
"Where there are people, there is right and wrong; where there is right and wrong, there are grievances; where there are grievances, there is Jianghu.
Master imparts martial arts to me, and I kill for you; it is merely to resolve a Jianghu grievance.
And in Jianghu grievances, only success or failure matters, not right or wrong."
Master Wu's eyes shone with admiration; he felt that every word this young man spoke resonated with him...
He found him more and more pleasing to the eye!
"Good Disciple, the ground is cold, get up quickly!"
He stepped forward and helped Liu Sheng up, reaching into his bosom, and finally pulling out a stack of silver notes:
"Your Master's surname is Wu, given name Song, from Yanggu County, Qingzhou.
I left in a hurry just now and have nothing else on me. This one hundred taels of silver notes... consider it your welcoming gift."
Ah? This...
Can one receive money when becoming a Disciple?
Liu Sheng, feeling dizzy, took the silver notes, then chatted for a while, agreeing to meet at Yin hour tomorrow in the woods behind the village for martial arts instruction...
It wasn't until he had seen Master Wu off and the wind blew on his head that he came to his senses.
He had just become a Disciple?
Didn't they say that practicing martial arts was a very serious matter?
Three bows and nine kowtows, serving tea and giving gifts... I didn't do any of them!
Is this a bit hasty?
However...
He looked down at the stack of silver notes in his hand, his mouth curving into a grin, almost reaching his ears.
How could this be called hasty?
Our Master is called unconventional and unrestrained!
Those so-called "Great Masters" who exploit their Disciples are not even worthy of carrying our Master's shoes!
With these one hundred taels of silver, plus the twenty taels obtained from Steward Cheng...
A total of one hundred and twenty taels of silver, enough to choose an excellent Incarnation!
He happily put away the silver notes and turned around to see Grandma standing by the door, holding a firewood knife, her expression solemn.
Inside the house, Zhou Family's Sister-in-law's face was pale, trembling.
"This... What's going on now? What just happened?"
Liu Sheng was utterly confused and quickly stepped forward, urging Grandma to put down the knife.
To his surprise, Grandma, who usually obeyed his every word, shook her head stubbornly:
"Good grandson, your Master, he looks very unusual, and he is now working for the Tong Family!
Our family's relationship with the Tong Family is already bad, and you just now...
If the matter of you becoming his Disciple spreads, it won't be good for either you or him."
So you're going to take the firewood knife and chop down Zhou Family's Sister-in-law, who knows about this?
You really are a grandson-protecting demon...
"It's not necessarily her life..."
A cold glint flashed in Liu Apo's cloudy old eyes, and she said in a deep voice:
"As long as she's not an outsider, it's fine."
Not an outsider means an insider...
Liu Sheng reacted, a strange expression appearing on his face.
In this feudal society, starving to death was a small matter, but losing one's purity was a big one. This was indeed a method.
It's just... too overbearing.
"The Liu family only has you as its sole heir..."
Liu Apo stubbornly tightened her grip on the firewood knife, her voice hoarse and dry, exceptionally resolute:
"It doesn't matter if this old woman lives or dies, but you cannot be harmed...
Not at all!"
Alright, alright, I don't care, but I can't force others, otherwise, what's the difference between me and those beasts?
Liu Sheng licked the corner of his mouth and said earnestly:
"Grandma, this matter must be based on mutual consent..."
"How do you know she's unwilling?"
Liu Apo retorted, then walked up to Zhou Family's Sister-in-law, raising the firewood knife in her hand:
"Yu girl, you are also a bitter person, without a man to rely on, and you still have to raise Er Ya, life is hard.
You know my grandson's capabilities, and today he became a Disciple of a Great Master; his future is bright.
Will you be his concubine, yes or no?"