Standing in front of the wooden post,
Jiang Ning grasped the chopping blade once more, placing a thick log on top of the post.
Just as he was about to cleave it, a loud voice suddenly rang in his ears.
"Little one, dinner is ready, come and eat!"
"Okay, Sister Sun!" Jiang Ning looked up and responded.
In the kitchen, with a tray in hand, Aunt Sun couldn't help but smile slightly.
"This little one certainly has a sweet mouth! With that handsome face, he'll surely have no trouble charming the girls in the future!"
On the other side,
Jiang Ning looked up and responded to Aunt Sun.
He still gripped the chopping blade tightly.
The next moment,
his arm muscles burst forth.
Whoosh—
The blade sliced through the air with a faint friction sound.
Crack—
As the chopping blade fell, the thick log instantly made a splitting sound.
Jiang Ning looked at the marks carved by the chopping blade before him, his eyes slightly narrowed.
"It's penetrated almost completely! Indeed, it's different now!"
A slow smile spread across his face, then with a forceful push of his palm, the hefty blade rested within the break of the wood.
Crack crack—
The sound of the wood fibers tearing continuously came from the log.
Finally, with the leverage of the heavy blade, the entire piece of wood split in two, presenting jagged, uneven tears at the bottom.
[Chopping Wood Blade Skill Experience Value +1]
"My full-strength blow only penetrated halfway before, but now that the Chopping Wood Blade Skill has mastered, it can penetrate nearly completely. I've certainly become stronger!"
Jiang Ning nodded in satisfaction, pleased with such great progress in such a short period of time.
Then he set aside the chopping blade and walked toward where Aunt Sun had gone.
...
Entering the main hall.
"Master!!"
"Sit," Wang Jin stopped his actions and gestured to Jiang Ning.
"Thank you, master!" Jiang Ning bowed respectfully.
After Jiang Ning was seated, a bowl of meaty broth, rich with fragrance, was placed before him by Aunt Sun.
"Thank you, Sister Sun!" Jiang Ning took the bowl and expressed his gratitude to Sister Sun.
"Little one, eat up! You've worked so hard chopping wood just now, you must be hungry!" Jiang Ning nodded and smiled shyly.
The next moment,
a large gulp of broth slid down his throat, and a look of satisfaction appeared on Jiang Ning's face: "Sister Sun's cooking is really good!"
Aunt Sun chuckled beside him.
Wang Jin then spoke, "Eat quickly, and after eating, continue practicing! Today's broth has specially added earth ginseng by Aunt Sun. Earth ginseng is a fine tonic, quite beneficial for your martial arts training."
"Earth ginseng?" Jiang Ning's eyes brightened. He was aware of this tonic, having read about medicinal herbs recently, so he knew the basics about them.
Although not as valuable as wild ginseng, a whole, mature earth ginseng was worth starting from a tael of silver.
A tael of silver had considerable purchasing power, roughly equivalent to a thousand dollars in his past life, enough to sustain a poor family of three or four for a month.
"Being able to stay long-term at the Martial Arts Hall is indeed a good thing!" Jiang Ning thought to himself joyfully.
He immediately looked up, "Thank you, Sister Sun!"
Then, he turned to Wang Jin, rose, and bowed respectfully, "Thank you, teacher, for taking me in."
Wang Jin nodded slightly, "Not giving you a salary, naturally I can't skimp on food and drink."
"Teacher jests!" Jiang Ning spoke earnestly, "In front of such a dinner prepared by teacher, what is salary worth? Teacher has shown me great kindness, a favor I will not forget in this lifetime! I will surely take care of teacher in his old age!!"
In the hall at that moment,
An elder, a youth, and a robust middle-aged woman.
The elder was Wang Jin, the Canglang Martial Arts Hall Master, the youth was Jiang Ning from Luoshui County, and the middle-aged woman was Aunt Sun, the cook of Canglang Martial Arts Hall.
At the dining table, there was a huge amount of meat served. Beside it, there was a basin of meat soup and a large bowl of rice, the rich aroma filling the entire hall.
Looking at Jiang Ning's serious expression and listening to his words, Wang Jin's heart was suddenly moved.
He remained silent for a few moments.
He spoke calmly, "Eat while it's hot! It's not as good when it cools down, and the taste also deteriorates!"
"Yes, Master!!" Jiang Ning respectfully replied.
Then, the two silently ate their dinner, yet Wang Jin's mind was filled with myriad thoughts.
Caring for the aged!
These four words deeply touched him.
For martial artists who hadn't reached the Inner Strength Realm, their progress began to slow after thirty, and they were only regressing and not advancing past forty; their Qi-Blood began to decline, internal injuries erupted, and after fifty, it was like the sun setting in the west, getting worse day by day.
Over fifty now, he could feel his body, like a candle, gradually burning out with the passage of time.
At this age, he no longer craved glory or advancements in Martial Arts, but only to pass on his knowledge and to have a peaceful old age.
Jiang Ning's words had undoubtedly struck the deepest chords of his heart.
Although he had heard similar statements before, none had felt as genuine as this time.
Silently sizing up Jiang Ning a few times, Wang Jin quietly withdrew his gaze.
Wait and see!
Elsewhere.
After sitting down, Jiang Ning no longer held back at all.
A large bowl of meat soup, a few mouthfuls, and he had guzzled it all.
Then he entered a mode of devouring his food ferociously.
He might restrain himself in front of others, but there was no need in front of Wang Jin.
He was very aware of the temperament of a martial artist and understood some of Wang Jin's style.
Eating meat heartily and drinking heavily would only earn him more approval from Wang Jin.
And although his appetite might seem troublesome in an ordinary family, where one person could eat several people's portions, to Wang Jin such an appetite was trivial.
Wang Jin, after all, owned such a large Martial Arts Hall in the valuable land of the Inner City of Luoshui County; his wealth was far beyond one's imagination.
His modest appetite was completely insignificant to someone as generous as Wang Jin.
In a short while, Jiang Ning was fully satisfied.
A warm current slowly spread into his limbs and bones, continuously replenishing the physical strength he had previously used up.
"Go chop some wood to digest, then practice your punches!" Wang Jin glanced at Jiang Ning's stomach and spoke.
"Yes, Teacher!!"
...
Returning to the small yard behind the kitchen.
The sky had darkened, and a bright crescent moon emerged overhead.
Jiang Ning walked to the pile of wood, grabbed the chopping blade, and placed a thick log on the stump.
In the next moment.
His right arm tensed, the muscles visibly tight.
Whoosh—
The sound of the blade slicing the air abruptly rose.
Followed by a "crack", the sound of the wood splitting.
This one stroke cut into the wood significantly.
Immediately, he grasped the handle of the chopping blade, his palm exerted force, and the texture of the muscles on his right arm fully revealed.
Crack crack—
A series of wood fibers tearing apart resounded, and then he completely split it into two.
[Chopping Wood Blade Skill Experience Value +1]
[Skill]: Chopping Wood Blade Skill (Master 2/200)
"After mastering the Chopping Wood Blade Skill, cutting wood doesn't require bursting Qi-Blood, making this work much easier!"
Jiang Ning smiled, his mood exceptionally good.
Because this meant that gaining experience in the Chopping Wood Blade Skill had become more straightforward; it now only required sheer physical strength.