6kv Chapter 17 Reaction
Chapter 17 Reaction
Zhao Feng was genuinely pleasantly surprised.
To be precise, it was a bit of a shock.
In just a few days, and only half a year since he arrived at Shangyin Martial Arts School, it would be considered excellent for an ordinary person to have achieved a minor success in half a year, and some might even have only just begun to learn. Yet Mo Zheng has broken through to the Great Success and Perfection levels of the Thunderclap Sword Technique in succession. Such comprehension is enough to earn him the title of "genius".
He had originally planned for three years.
It doesn't take long; there are quite a few martial artists who spend their entire lives stuck at a bottleneck, never grasping the subtle mysteries of the entry level.
External martial arts really require comprehension.
Poor Zhou Xian came to Zhao Feng's door, saying he was sent by the headmaster of Liangzhou Martial Arts Hall to test Mo Zheng's swordsmanship. Zhao Feng knew nothing about it and even thought there was a mistake. It wasn't until Mo Zheng displayed the Thunderclap Sword Technique and showed absolute control at the microscopic level that he belatedly realized that this kid had really broken through.
So meticulous...
He's been practicing for decades, and this is about the level of his external martial arts skills.
At this moment, Zhao Feng was both happy and filled with emotion.
"It's all thanks to the master's guidance. If the master hadn't taught his disciple the precious book of bedroom arts, I'm afraid I would still be clueless and at a loss," Mo Zheng said with a smile.
"It's because you have good understanding."
Zhao Feng did not take credit. If one could break through in external martial arts training simply by watching others demonstrate, then the Liangzhou Martial Arts Hall would not have used this as a threshold.
"Come to the martial arts school later to retrieve your martial arts registration certificate, which you will need to take to Liangzhou. We can talk there if you have anything else to say."
"Yes, Master."
The martial arts register is proof of a martial arts school disciple's training and is to be transferred to the Liangzhou Martial Arts Hall to prevent unscrupulous individuals from impersonating or disguising it.
When the two finished speaking, Magistrate Fang Daquan came forward and said very kindly, "Brother Mo, you are the pride of Shangyin County. Please take good care of us, the elders of our hometown, in the future."
The county magistrate, clerk, and other officials behind him didn't dare to interrupt, but just stood by with smiles on their faces.
The seventh-rank copper-seal constable was merely Mo Zheng's starting point, but it was an end point that they might never reach even after a lifetime of struggle.
"You're too kind, sir."
Mo Zheng cupped his hands in greeting, once again feeling the allure of martial arts.
Once you become a martial arts master, it's like a fish leaping over the dragon gate; naturally, you'll become a superior person in the Great Yan.
Martial arts can change one's destiny...
"Brother Mo, you may go back to be with your family. We will take care of the Black Sand Gang's minor matters and make sure you don't have to worry about anything," Fang Daquan said with a smile, completely unrecognizable from his ruthless and decisive decapitation earlier.
Mo Zheng thanked him and, without saying much more, headed home.
As soon as he left, Fang Daquan and the others immediately turned around and followed Zhou Xian, wanting to personally escort this official to the post station.
Throughout Shangyin County, squads of constables moved swiftly, searching the streets for the remaining members of the Black Sand Gang.
At this moment, the once desolate and silent streets seemed to come alive. Doors and windows that had been tightly closed were gradually opened, revealing figures of men and women, young and old, all of whom were filled with shock on their faces.
As neighbors for many years, they naturally knew the Wang family and the three Mo brothers who had married into the family very well. However, what happened today completely shocked them.
He became a minor constable through connections, and his younger brother, who was a live-in son-in-law, suddenly became the object of flattery for so many high-ranking officials in Shangyin County.
Even Han Xiao, the leader of the Black Sand Gang, a powerful figure who could control everything, was killed on the spot because of him!
This change happened too fast.
It was so fast that these neighbors could hardly believe it.
Not only were they incredulous, but even Mo Danian, who rushed back upon hearing the news, found it hard to believe.
He received a message from his neighbor and rushed back from the restaurant in a panic. But what he saw from afar was the Black Sand Gang kneeling on the ground. Later, because of his brother, Lord Zhou ordered his men to carry out a massacre.
Looking at the constables who were cleaning up the corpses and wiping away the bloodstains, Mo Danian was full of questions: Is this my brother?
Although he knew that Mo Zheng was performing well at the martial arts school, and the new headmaster Zhao Feng even waived his tuition, he never dreamed that Mo Zheng could reach this level!
What exactly happened?
He rushed home, determined to find out the truth.
Not far away, the hooligans and gang members who had come to watch the whole spectacle looked at each other in disbelief. The Black Sand Gang was the most powerful gang in the entire Shangyin County, and yet it had been wiped out so suddenly.
They immediately turned and left, intending to relay the news to the higher-ups in their gang. Their goals were twofold: first, to quickly seize the Black Sand Gang's territory; and second, to let their relatives, friends, and gang members know that another untouchable figure and family had emerged in Shangyin County.
"The Mo family is about to produce a great figure!"
At the street corner, an elderly man sat on his doorstep, holding an erhu (a two-stringed bowed instrument), his face filled with emotion. His clothes were tattered, and his frame thin; he was clearly a wandering performer, making a living by performing on the streets. He stood up, picked up his erhu, and sang as he walked:
"In Wuzhong, there are beauties like jade, and houses of gold like gold..."
The figure slowly disappeared without a trace.
……
Another alleyway entrance.
Wang Dahu's burly figure was hidden behind the wall. After witnessing everything, he was frozen in place, staring motionlessly at the ground covered in blood and corpses.
His expression was blank, and his mind was in complete turmoil.
He arrived very early, just as the Black Sand Gang members arrived. He witnessed them smashing the door and heard his cousin Wang Yumei's frightened voice.
Originally, he planned to make this family suffer a bit, and then step in to help them out by spending some money to resolve the matter.
Who would have thought that the second son of the Mo family was not as composed as his elder brother, who was like a son-in-law. He immediately drew his sword, injured someone, and made Han Xiao truly angry.
This is troublesome.
Seeing this, Wang Dahu was furious and was thinking about whether he should spend some money to ask Constable He to step in and calm things down when things took a turn for the better.
All the officials of rank in Shangyin County suddenly appeared here, including the official who was to greet them.
This was already surprising enough, but what was even more surprising was that this official was actually after the second son of the Mo family.
What happened next completely shocked him.
The Black Sand Gang has been wiped out.
It should be noted that the Black Sand Gang had hundreds of members and wielded immense power in the county. Among the other gangs, only the Canal Gang could rival them, yet they were wiped out so easily.
Not to mention, that Han Xiao, the gang leader, is an in-service martial artist with a domineering and ruthless Black Sand Palm. He usually treats Constable He as a brother and also has some friendship with Magistrate Fang. He even saw them drinking together a few times.
Who would have thought that Magistrate Fang would chop off Han's head with a single stroke, like killing a dog.
And it's all because of this second son of the Mo family.
Wang Dahu was stunned. Everything that happened today completely overturned his understanding. How could the second son of the Mo family have become a member of the Six Doors (a government agency) with a copper seal? How could all the officials in the county be currying favor with him?
Even though the other person has always been a kept man, they still want to come and live off his family...
He stood there for a long, long time, until his legs went numb, before he came to his senses and walked home with a blank expression.
……
Mo Zheng entered the courtyard and saw his sister-in-law, Wang Yumei, holding a wooden stick and blocking the entrance to the living room, looking flustered and frightened.
"Xiao Zheng"
Upon seeing Mo Zheng, Wang Yumei's face lit up with a hint of surprise, but she vanished without a trace.
She said nervously, "You, you quickly go inside and hide. If any thieves come in, I'll shield you!"
"Sister-in-law, it's alright, don't worry."
Mo Zheng laughed and stepped forward to take the wooden stick from her hand.
"Oh, is everything alright?"
Wang Yumei was somewhat bewildered. She had been peeking through the crack in the door when she saw the Black Sand Gang members about to break down the door. In a panic, she hid her child and stood in the living room with a weapon, ready to fight the intruders.
Before anyone could get in, a fierce battle raged outside. She didn't dare to peek out, but when the fighting stopped, she was still unaware of the full situation outside.
"It's alright now."
Mo Danian suddenly entered.
Seeing the familiar figure appear at the door, Wang Yumei froze for a moment, her eyes reddening, and called out, "Husband!"
She then rushed towards Mo Danian and threw herself into his arms.
"I was so scared, boohoo... I was so scared, my husband..."
Wang Yumei, who had just been pretending to be strong, could no longer suppress her emotions after seeing Mo Danian and burst into tears.
"Alright, alright, it's all in the past ...."
Mo Danian hugged his wife and comforted her softly, but his gaze toward Mo Zheng was very complicated.
Unlike Wang Yumei, he had just witnessed everything unfold outside.
He didn't recognize Zhou Xian, but he clearly saw Magistrate Fang Daquan and the string of officials behind him. Any one of them could cause an earthquake in the entire Shangyin County with a stomp of their foot, especially Magistrate Fang. His power was so great that calling him a local emperor wouldn't be an exaggeration. He hadn't seen someone like Han Xiao from the Black Sand Gang killed so easily.
However, these important figures showed great favor to their younger brothers, and even when Magistrate Fang spoke, his attitude had a hint of flattery.
My second brother has grown up...
Mo Danian suddenly had this feeling.
In the past, even when he didn't strive to become a constable to earn money and didn't need their subsidies, Mo Danian never had such feelings.
But now he's really grown up. Given the situation just now, Mo Danian, who was there on his own, knew that all he could do was beg for mercy.
Martial arts, changing destiny...
In the past, this was just something Mo Danian would say to Mo Zheng, but now, his ideal has become reality, and this second brother has grown to a remarkable level.
"Big brother," Mo Zheng called out with a smile.
"Xiao Zheng"
Mo Danian also laughed. He suddenly felt relieved, as if a mountain had been lifted off his shoulders.
He was a son-in-law who married into his wife's family.
A son-in-law who lives with his wife's family is not well-liked.
Even though Yumei and he were very much in love and their family had no worries about food and clothing, the neighbors, relatives, friends, and even the waiters and helpers in the restaurant would always point fingers and gossip, whether to their faces or behind their backs.
What man would want to live such a pathetic life?
However, Mo Danian was not alone. His parents entrusted their two younger brothers to him on their deathbed, so how could he only think of himself?
When they were fleeing, they were starving and freezing, eating tree roots and grass. The three brothers almost starved to death. Their marriage into the family was truly out of necessity.
Fortunately, Xiao Zheng has grown up, and he no longer has to shoulder this burden alone.
"Yu Mei, let's go inside and talk. Today, Xiao Zheng really gave my family a big surprise." Mo Danian looked at his younger brother, picked up his wife, and walked towards the living room.
Wang Yumei suddenly looked up and said, "Qiu'er, and little Qiu'er, I hid him in the cabinet in the back room. Go and get him out quickly!"
"I'll go."
Mo Zheng volunteered and strode towards the side room, quickly finding his nephew.
When he carried the child into the living room, Mo Danian had already told Wang Yumei everything that had happened outside. The older sister-in-law looked at Mo Zheng as if he were a monster, muttering, "Goodness, Xiao Zheng, have you been possessed by some monster? Otherwise, how could you suddenly become so powerful that all the high-ranking officials in Shangyin County are currying favor with you?"
"Tell us, Xiao Zheng, you've been keeping this from us for so long," Mo Danian asked curiously.
How so?
Mo Zheng knew that his elder brother and sister-in-law were not knowledgeable in martial arts, and they couldn't understand things like cultivation levels. He pondered for a moment and then asked, "Brother, sister-in-law, do you know about the Martial Arts Hall of Jinqing Prefecture?"
"I know, didn't your martial arts school admit two people half a year ago? I heard that those who come out of there will become officials later in life," Wang Yumei replied.
"Thanks to my brother and sister-in-law for taking care of me all these years, I have some talent for martial arts and was admitted to a better place than the Jinqing Prefecture Martial Arts Academy, called the Liangzhou Martial Arts Academy. Today they came to test me, and I passed smoothly." Mo Zheng tried his best to make them understand the situation of the Liangzhou Martial Arts Academy.
"Liangzhou Martial Arts Academy?"
Wang Yumei looked bewildered, but Mo Danian's expression changed.
"I don't know much about the specifics, but those who come from there should achieve more than those who come from the Jinqing Prefecture Martial Arts Hall."
"Xiao Zheng, you've really made something of yourself."
Wang Yumei sighed.
This was the first time she had heard of the name. However, the disciples of the Jinqing Prefecture Martial Arts Hall were already quite remarkable. Liangzhou City, the capital of nineteen prefectures, had a martial arts hall within it. Being able to enter it meant a promising future.
"I remember that Qing'er's fiancé was from the Jinqing Prefecture Martial Arts Academy. Now that you've been admitted to the Liangzhou Martial Arts Academy, I wonder if Qing'er will regret it?" Wang Yumei suddenly laughed.
Why bring up things that are in the past?
Mo Danian said, "Xiao Zheng, this is a great thing, we should celebrate it big. I'll go get some wine and food, let's have a good drink together."
"Brother, I still need to go to the martial arts school later, so I'm afraid it's not possible now. Let's do it tonight," Mo Zheng replied.
"Alright, then tonight. We can tidy up the gate first. Those Black Sand Gang thieves..."
Mo Danian cursed, but couldn't hide the smile on his face.
After lunch, Mo Zheng rested briefly before heading straight to the martial arts school.
When he stepped out the door, he saw that the ground had been swept clean, without a trace of blood. If it weren't for the faint smell of blood, it would have been as if nothing had happened that morning.
But it happened anyway, and many things have changed.
Just like now, the neighbors who were chatting in twos and threes nearby fell silent the moment Mo Zheng walked out.
As Mo Zheng continued his journey, people along the way made way for him, their expressions showing a degree of caution. Even some wealthy families who usually looked down on his family immediately offered him a humble and ingratiating smile when Mo Zheng's gaze fell upon them.
Mo Zheng walked further and further away, leaving these people and smiling faces far behind.
Ten years of hard study go unnoticed, but one success brings fame throughout the land.
……