"Uncle Feng, you…"
Ye Tian stared intently at Ye Feng's mangled left arm, his expression shifting dramatically as his mind buzzed with shock. Ye Feng had been his mentor on the path of martial arts, a figure he deeply respected.
He recalled their first encounter vividly, when Ye Feng smiled and asked, "So you're Ye Meng's child? What do you say? Do you want to learn martial arts from me?"
At that time, Ye Tian had been secretly watching Ye Feng teach children how to train, only to be caught by him.
His cheeks had flushed with embarrassment as he nodded shyly.
From that moment on, Ye Tian became Ye Feng's devoted shadow; whenever Ye Feng returned from a hunt, Ye Tian would pester him for lessons.
Their relationship was one of both teacher and friend. In Ye Family Village, the person Ye Tian admired most was not the village chief, Ye Shi, nor his father, Ye Meng, but this usually taciturn man with a cold demeanor yet a heart full of passion—a man who had lost an arm.
"Ye Tian, don't be upset. It's just an arm; my strength hasn't diminished significantly," Ye Feng said, a faint smile breaking through his pale face.
Today, he was genuinely happy to witness his proud disciple's remarkable prowess. Even if he had lost an arm, he felt that dying here would leave him without regrets.
"Ye Tian, remember this: your captain sacrificed this arm to save you! Never forget!" Ye Meng suddenly roared.
Ye Tian felt as if a thunderclap had struck his mind, and tears could no longer be contained. His nose ached, and he whispered, "Uncle Feng!"
"Ye Meng!" Ye Feng shot a glare at Ye Meng, then placed a reassuring hand on Ye Tian's shoulder, saying, "Stop crying. A grown man of seven feet doesn't shed tears at the sight of blood. Don't think that just because I've lost an arm, I can't defeat you."
"Uncle Feng!" Ye Tian wept uncontrollably, collapsing to his knees.
The villagers of Ye Family Village, with tears glistening in their eyes, turned their faces away, quietly sobbing.
Village chief Ye Shi and several elders sighed in unison.
Everyone in Ye Family Village knew that Ye Feng harbored a dream: to join the Blood Cloak Guards. With his abilities, he could have joined long ago, but out of loyalty to Ye Family Village, he remained in this impoverished corner of the world.
Many elders had lamented, whispering that Ye Family Village had held Ye Feng back; otherwise, he might have already become a martial master.
Now, with one arm severed, Ye Feng had definitively lost his chance to join the Blood Cloak Guards, for their regulations strictly forbade the admission of those with physical disabilities.
Ye Feng's dream was shattered, his lifelong efforts gone!
Ye Tian could imagine the agony weighing on Ye Feng's heart, yet this resilient man bore the pain, forcing a smile and feigning indifference to spare others from sorrow.
This thought overwhelmed Ye Tian, and his tears surged forth like a breached dam.
"Don't cry; I'm genuinely happy today!" Ye Feng insisted.
Ye Tian was taken aback.
"I once aspired to grow strong, to become a martial master! You all thought my dream was to join the Blood Cloak Guards, but you were mistaken. The reason I wished to join was to become stronger. Living in this impoverished place has shown me that only by becoming more powerful can we escape." Ye Feng explained. Ye Tian nodded, trembling, as this echoed his own thoughts.
The villagers surrounding them looked at each other in realization; so this was the reason behind their captain's relentless pursuit of strength.
"The continent of Shenzhou is vast and boundless; even the formidable Blood Jade City is merely an ordinary town within the Great Yan Kingdom. Beyond Baiyun Town lies fertile land aplenty. If we can break free from here, we'll never have to hunt desperately again. That is my true dream." After speaking, Ye Feng turned his gaze to Ye Tian.
Ye Tian looked at this strong man before him and saw the spark of excitement in his eyes.
"Ye Tian, do you know? I am truly happy today!" Ye Feng said slowly, his gaze toward Ye Tian filled with admiration and excitement. "You're only sixteen, yet you've already reached the seventh level of martial arts, and possess an exceptional martial soul. Your talent in martial skills is unmatched among your peers. This indicates that you are a genius, a prodigious talent. Through you, I see hope; hope that our Ye Family Village can rise from this impoverished land."
"Indeed! Ye Feng is right. Ye Tian, remember: even if we all perish, as long as you survive, our Ye Family Village will one day emerge from this desolation." Village chief Ye Shi added, looking at Ye Tian with eyes full of hope.
The villagers of Ye Family Village also looked on with shining eyes, gazing at Ye Tian.
At sixteen, he had reached the seventh level of martial arts—a feat unprecedented in Baiyun Town's history, and within the centuries-long existence of Ye Family Village, such an extraordinary talent had never been seen before.
In ten or twenty years, how far could Ye Tian grow?
"Whoosh!"
Ye Tian exhaled deeply and stood up, raising his gaze to the vast sky, his determination unwavering.
"Let's go home," he said softly.
"Indeed! Let's return!" the villagers of Ye Family Village nodded in unison, as if Ye Tian were their leader. This scene brought smiles of relief to both Ye Shi and Ye Feng.
"Brothers, bring back all the wolf carcasses! With this haul, we can afford to rest for half a year!" Ye Ba shouted loudly.
Having slain over a thousand Howling Moon Wolves, their bounty was enough to sustain them for an extended period.
"Take our fallen brothers as well; we cannot leave them to rot in the wilderness!" Ye Feng commanded.
With tears in their eyes, the villagers began collecting the bodies—some carried the deceased villagers, while others bound the wolves' carcasses together, dragging them in large heaps.
The sheer number of slain Howling Moon Wolves was staggering, piling up to the height of a small mountain. Ye Tian joined in to help, having advanced to level seven as a martial artist, his strength considerable, and he dragged over a hundred wolf bodies.
The villagers were curious about his rapid rise to level seven; during the battle, no one had pondered it, but now, on their way back, some villagers began to inquire.
Even Ye Shi and Ye Feng were intrigued.
Ye Meng, his eyes wide, laughed and scolded, "You little rascal, when did you advance to level seven? You've kept it from me!"
Seeing the curious gazes around him, Ye Tian smiled faintly and replied, "I was originally a level four martial artist, but after consuming the heart of a precious beast, I suddenly advanced to level seven."
This explanation had been premeditated.
"The heart of a precious beast?" Ye Shi asked, bewildered.
Ye Feng elaborated, "Village Chief, it happened like this: as soon as we entered the mountains, we encountered a precious beast and managed to slay it. Fearing the wolf pack would pose a threat, I instructed Ye Ba to take the heart and leave with Ye Tian and Ye Meng."
"Remarkable! You encountered a precious beast? The last time Ye Family Village had such an encounter was thirty years ago!" Ye Shi exclaimed, momentarily surprised, but then questioned, "However, even after consuming the heart, Ye Tian should only have advanced to level five. How did he leap three levels?"
"I… I'm not sure!" Ye Feng shook his head and turned to Ye Tian.
"Spill it, you rascal; be honest!" Ye Meng urged.
All eyes were on Ye Tian.
With a wry smile and a shrug, he replied, "I'm uncertain as well. After consuming the heart, I felt an overwhelming surge of energy and then jumped three levels. Perhaps it's due to my yellow martial soul!"
The crowd was taken aback, but ultimately, they believed him.
Ye Shi sighed, "The heart of a precious beast contains all its essence. If it can elevate a level nine martial artist to level ten, it must possess immense energy. Previously, when we consumed it, we only advanced by one level, likely due to our lower martial souls not being able to absorb all that energy. Ye Tian, with his superior martial soul, can fully absorb this energy; hence, his three-level leap is not impossible."
With the Village Chief's explanation, the villagers of Ye Family Village were even more convinced, and Ye Tian breathed a quiet sigh of relief—he had successfully evaded suspicion.
"Village Chief, I've lost an arm and will likely take a long time to recover my strength. As the saying goes, a headless snake cannot function; the hunting team cannot afford to be without a leader for a day."
On the way back, Ye Feng suddenly addressed Ye Shi.
The villagers were taken aback.
"What do you mean?" Ye Shi was equally startled, stopping in his tracks to look at Ye Feng.
Ye Feng's expression remained calm, a faint smile breaking through his pale features. "Village Chief, although Ye Tian is merely a level seven martial artist, his demonstrated prowess is already that of a level eight martial artist. I have decided to step down and let him take my place as the leader of the hunting team."
"Unthinkable!"
While the other villagers were silent, Ye Tian was the first to protest. "Uncle Feng, how can I become the leader of the hunting team? I'm only sixteen! Even in terms of strength, it should be Uncle Ba!"
Ye Feng did not rush to respond; instead, he looked at Ye Ba and asked, "What do you think, Ye Ba?"
"Um…" Ye Ba snapped back to reality from his shock, glancing at Ye Tian before nodding. "I agree with the captain's decision. Ye Tian's progress has been astonishing; it's only a matter of time before he takes over the hunting team. Allowing him to shoulder this responsibility sooner rather than later will greatly benefit him in the future."
"Uncle Ba, you…" Ye Tian's eyes widened in disbelief. In his mind, Ye Ba had always aspired to lead the hunting team.
Seeing the surprise in his gaze, Ye Ba chuckled. "Strength determines responsibility. If I had level nine martial artist capabilities, I would certainly seek to be the leader."
"But I don't possess level nine strength!" Ye Tian countered.
"Yet you possess extraordinary talent. It's only been a few months, and you've already reached level seven. Give it some time; when you advance to level eight, with your mastery of the Thunder Palm at the peak realm, you will be able to rival a level nine martial artist. It's imperative you lead the hunting team for our safety," Ye Ba urged.
"I…" Ye Tian wished to argue further, but was interrupted by Ye Meng.
"You little brat, stop hesitating! Do you think this is merely a glory? It's your responsibility," Ye Meng insisted.
Ye Tian fell silent, looking at Ye Feng and the villagers of Ye Family Village, nodding solemnly.
"Then I declare that starting today, Ye Tian will be the captain of our Ye Family Village hunting team!"
Ye Shi proclaimed.