The afternoon sun shone brightly.

In the gathering courtyard, three figures, before they could even finish speaking, charged towards Chen Fan simultaneously. Min Chuyi brandished her sword, striking swiftly, while Ning Xi used his staff to block Chen Fan's path. Ning Ji's movements, however, were the quickest and most cunning, his fist whistling as it aimed directly at Chen Fan's left leg.

His fist struck only an afterimage. The instant he attacked, the gravel and dirt on the ground exploded outwards like a lotus flower. Chen Fan's figure had already swept to the side with a sigh and a wry smile on his face.

Ning Xi's long staff twirled and rose, but Chen Fan, despite his seemingly large frame, instantly dodged the staff's shadow, using Ning Xi's body to separate himself from Min Chuyi's long sword. Meanwhile, on the side, Ning Ji's smaller figure looked like a charging leopard, pouncing across the spray of dirt and gravel. Crouching low, the fist wind of his Little Vajra Consecutive Fists pounded Chen Fan's lower body like a storm or a tornado.

On the other side, Min Chuyi, separated by Ning Xi's body, immediately changed positions, disappearing behind Ning Xi's back. The next moment, she stepped on Ning Xi's thigh, then used his back as leverage, flipping high into the air from behind, her long sword enveloping Chen Fan's upper body.

A bluestone slab on the ground flew up, intercepting Min Chuyi in the air. At the same time, Chen Fan bent his leg and swung his arm, successively receiving Ning Ji's three punches and Ning Xi's two staff strikes. Then, with a single punch, he smashed the flying bluestone, sending shards flying in all directions.

Ning Ji charged sideways, his smaller frame rolling on the ground to avoid the rain of stones. Ning Xi used his staff to pull Min Chuyi down from the air, turning to take the brunt of the stone fragments on his back. As the eldest son of the Ning family, he had a refined and open demeanor, acting with fairness and composure. His weapon of choice was a blunt staff. Few knew that his secret, life-saving technique was the Thirteen Taibao Iron Shirt.

Ning Ji rolled on the ground, still charging back, while Min Chuyi used the force of her momentum to dash across the ground, circling around to Chen Fan's side and rear. Chen Fan's sigh finally escaped his lips.

"Sigh, this fighting style of yours... can't you learn something from me?"

Ning Xi smiled, returning to the attack: "Uncle Chen, we're family..."

Chuyi also swiftly approached from the side and rear: "...we'll be careful..."

Ning Ji also leapt back in: "...we won't use lime powder this time—"

Three figures, three directions, attacked the same point simultaneously.

Their forms intertwined, fists flew, and the onlookers watched with a growing sense of shock. In truth, there was something to the saying that 'fists fear the young and strong'. Ning Xi and Chuyi were both over eighteen, their bodies fully developed, their internal energy nearing completion. If they were truly out in the Jianghu, they would already be able to hold their own.

Among them, Chuyi was a personal disciple of Hong Ti, being groomed as both a daughter-in-law and a bodyguard. Her swordsmanship was the most formidable. Ning Xi’s martial arts were somewhat divided, but his overall tactical sense was excellent. He would often use his staff to block Chen Fan’s path or cover his two companions' attacks. Ning Ji, on the other hand, was nimble and agile, his attacks as fierce and unpredictable as a storm. His ability to evade danger was ingrained in his bones. When it came to combat intuition, he might even surpass his older brother and sister-in-law.

Especially their coordinated teamwork, if displayed on the Jianghu, would likely defeat even a so-called grandmaster—In fact, many Jianghu figures who were given the title of grandmaster would likely be unable to withstand even Chuyi's swordsmanship, let alone the combined assault of all three.

"In a few years, Chen Fan won't be able to fight like this..."

"Chen Fan wasn't as good as Little Ji when he was fourteen, right..."

"In a few years, they'll be unstoppable..."

The crowd watched with delight, chattering amongst themselves. Ning Yi stood with his hands behind his back, saying, "Kung fu is a game of millimeters. Chen Fan broke something; I think that means he lost this round."

Xi Gua laughed beside him, explaining to her husband in a low voice, "Among the three, Chuyi's swordsmanship is the trickiest, so Chen Fan always uses the oldest and second oldest to separate her. Little Ji's attacks are cunning, and he's as slippery as an eel. Chen Fan throws heavy punches from time to time because he's afraid of being entangled by the Little Vajra Consecutive Fists, which would be endless... Ha, he's putting in all his effort. You'll see, Little Ji will be the first to be taken out. It's a pity he dragged out that weapons rack; he won't have a chance to use it..."

Before she could finish her sentence, sure enough, on the fifteenth move, Ning Ji seized an opportunity, sending a Double Peak Strike straight towards Chen Fan's ears. The next moment, Chen Fan laughed "Ha!" vibrating his eardrums, and his fist roared like thunder before his eyes.

From a young age, Ning Ji had sparred with Chen Fan many times, but this time, he felt the greatest sense of danger and oppression. The howling fist wind came crashing down like an overwhelming wave, arriving in front of him in an instant. The intuition he had developed on the battlefield screamed in alarm, but his body was unable to dodge.

With a resounding *thump*, like the hollow sound of a suddenly expanding bag, Ning Ji's body was thrown several zhang away, rolling continuously on the ground. Chen Fan's body also retreated clumsily, dodging Ning Xi and Chuyi's attacks, and backed up a long way. Ning Xi and Chuyi stopped their attacks and looked back. Ning Yi's expression also shifted, but the others didn't react much. Xi Gua said, "It's alright; Chen Fan's true ability is showing."

Ning Ji lay sprawled on the ground for a long time before finally clutching his chest and sitting up. His hair was disheveled, and his eyes were blank, as if he had just walked the line between life and death, but he didn't seem to be seriously injured. Over there, Chen Fan waved his hand: "Ah... I lost, I lost. That was close to killing me, I almost couldn't hold back."

"See, I said he wouldn't last thirty moves."

Fang Shuchang said with a smile, and everyone ridiculed Chen Fan. Chen Fan cursed, "You try blocking thirty moves!" Then he went over to check on Ning Ji's condition, brushing the dust off him: "Alright, are you okay... This is different from the battlefield."

Amidst the laughter and chatter, Ning Ji and Chuyi went over to thank Chen Fan. Xi Gua, despite teasing him, also told Ning Ji to thank Chen Fan.

"...Some people learn martial arts, often practicing their fists above cliffs or in rushing torrents, sensing the subtleties of force between life and death, called 'stealing the secrets of heaven'. The punch that your Uncle Chen delivered was just right; it probably nearly killed him too. In a few years, he won't be able to teach you like this anymore."

That punch from Chen Fan was the culmination of his life's learning, extremely dangerous but not actually harming anyone. However, the pressure and the sense of life-and-death awareness it created for Ning Ji were real. Of course, there was also the seizing of the right moment. If he hadn't seized the opportunity in that instant to throw that punch, he wouldn't have had to dodge so clumsily in front of Ning Xi and Chuyi. Ning Ji gave his thanks, still sitting on the ground, his face pale: "Hehe... I almost thought I was going to die just now..."

Ning Xi's smiling face interjected: "Uncle Chen, give me a punch too."

Chen Fan squatted on the ground, squinting his eyes: "Your Thirteen Taibao Iron Shirt is meant for taking hits. One punch won't do; I'd have to keep hitting you until you think you're going to die. Otherwise, let's start now..."

"Oh, then never mind," Ning Xi said with a smile, "Let's go eat something instead."

Everyone joked for a while, and Ning Ji sat on the ground, still recalling the feeling from just now. After a moment, Xi Gua, Du Sha, Fang Shuchang, and others exchanged a few moves with Chen Fan and Ji Qianer—They were all familiar with each other's martial arts修为 (xiu wei - cultivation level), but after two years, this was a way to quickly understand each other's progress.

Over the years, everyone had been training in the army, training others and training themselves. Any selfish reservations that they might have had in the past had been completely eliminated in the context of war. Everyone was training elite squads in battle formations and fighting skills, greatly streamlining and refining their own martial arts. Over the years, their individual cultivation had improved greatly. The current Chen Fan, Xi Gua, and others might no longer be inferior to the Fang Qifo and Liu Dabiao of the past, and might even have surpassed them.

When they discussed martial arts, Ning Xi and the others mingled among them, listening. Having grown up in this environment since childhood, they didn't find it too strange.

As time passed, the sun began to set. Ning Ji took advantage of his newfound insight to practice a few sets of fist and leg techniques on the side. Only then did everyone noisily go to dinner. During the meal, they casually chatted about the environment in Chengdu. Ning Ji had never heard of some of the names they occasionally mentioned.

"Are those people who came to Chengdu this time really that powerful? If those old scholars were really capable, why weren't they capable against the Jurchens... And the ones who came to participate in the arena are all misfits; none of them are any good."

Remembering the dragging of those two贱狗 (jian gou - lit. cheap dogs, referring to despicable people) and a gang of bad eggs these days, Ning Ji secretly asked his brother during the conversation. Chen Fan looked over: "Little Ji, the dogs that bite don't bark. Those you see most easily might be because they bark too loudly."

Xi Gua's eyes were smiling as she said, "This kid has something on his mind lately. He's probably got his eye on a few bad eggs, and he's hiding it from us, wanting to eat them all himself."

"Really?" Chen Fan looked at Ning Ji, becoming interested.

"N-No, I'm working as a doctor at the martial arts tournament, so of course I see people like that all the time..." Ning Ji said, widening his eyes.

The group looked at him with knowing smiles and thoughtful expressions. After a while, they didn't press him further.

Fang Shuchang said, "Although the Wu Dynasty is rotten, there are still a few old guys who can really do things and dare to do things. Dai Mengwei is one of them. Of course, many mediocre fighters came to the Chengdu conference, but the secret reports did say that a few good fighters had mixed in, and they haven't even shown their faces yet. One of them, Xu Yuanzong, who used to be in Hankou, is said to have come at Dai Mengwei's invitation, but he hasn't shown up yet. There's also Chen Wei, Wang Xiangfo from Fujian... Little Ji, if you encounter these people, don't approach them."

Ning Ji became interested: "Are these people powerful?"

"We can only say that they all have their own abilities. And there may be others that we haven't heard about. Your Uncle Chen came early to better prevent these things from happening. I heard that some people even thought about inviting Lin Echan, and the letter was definitely delivered, but whether he came or not, no one knows."

Ning Ji frowned: "Where were these people when they were resisting the Jin?"

Fang Shuchang said, "Some participated in the resistance against the Jin, and some were just trying to protect themselves from beginning to end, hiding in the mountains. But speaking of it, these martial arts practitioners all have a weakness. Guess what it is?"

Ning Ji frowned for a long time, unable to think of an answer. Ning Yi smiled and said, "Ning Xi, you tell me."

Ning Xi hesitated for a moment: "Is it the praise of the literati?"

Fang Shuchang smiled and patted his shoulder. Ning Yi nodded and said, "The habit of valuing literature over martial arts has continued for more than two hundred years. The Green Forest people have their own set of rules, but their self-positioning is not high. Zhou Tong was said to be the best in the world among the Green Forest people, but when he wanted to become an official, Old Qin didn't even bother to see him. Later, although he resigned from the position of Imperial Boxing Instructor, the Grand Commandant's Office could still dispatch him at will. No matter how powerful a侠 (xia - knight errant) is, he doesn't think he is stronger than a learned scholar, but this is precisely the industry that cares most about face and false reputation..."

"In the past, the Green Forest people came to assassinate people, often after hearing two or three rumors, just to gain fame. They were all rabble, and they all used some old methods from the Green Forest world. But this time, Dai Mengwei, Wu Qimei, and others are really afraid. While appealing to the world, they also made some requests to some famous Green Forest people with courtesy. For example, this Xu Yuanzong person, who used to boast that he was a wandering cloud and wild鹤 (he - crane), but was suddenly asked by Dai Mengwei to come to his door, moving him with emotion and reasoning, and it is said that he couldn't stand it immediately. Now I don't know where he is hiding in Chengdu."

As Ning Yi said this, everyone laughed. Ning Ji nodded thoughtfully. He knew that he couldn't participate in the actions of these uncles yet, so he didn't say much.

After dinner that day, everyone sat in the courtyard for a while. Ning Ji talked more with his older brother and sister-in-law. Chuyi had just arrived from Zhang Village today. There were two main things to do here. First, tomorrow is Qixi (Double Seventh Festival), and she came early to celebrate the festival with Ning Xi.

Second, it was Ning Ji's fourteenth birthday, the exact date being July 13th, only a few days away. She brought gifts from his mother, several aunts, younger siblings, and some friends.

"I can't give it to you today, I'll tell you when the time comes," Chuyi said with a smile.

When Ning Ji's birthday was mentioned, everyone naturally knew about it. When everyone was sitting on the chairs in the courtyard, Ning Yi recalled the events when he was born:

"Speaking of which, the second oldest was born on July 13th of that year. His name hadn't been decided yet, but on July 20th, we received the news that Wuzhumai had sent troops south. Then we went north, and after fighting in Bianliang, after various things piled up, after killing the emperor, we had time to choose a name for him, Ji. Killing the monarch and rebelling, being taboo by the world, of course, also means hoping that these silly things will never happen again."

He reminisced about the past. Ning Ji carefully calculated and discussed with his older brother and sister-in-law: "July 13th, July 20th... Hmm, so the Jurchens attacked right after I had my seventh-day memorial service."

In the courtyard, the warm yellow lamplight flickered. Everyone, including Ning Yi, fell silent, the sudden quiet like a cold wave striking.

Then, several hands slapped Ning Ji on the head: "What are you saying..."

"Can't you speak properly..."

"You're the one having your seventh-day memorial service, seventh-day memorial service..."

……

"...Twenty... minus thirteen, it's my seventh-day memorial service."

Ning Ji replied hesitantly, with a puzzled expression, not understanding why he was being hit.

—I didn't calculate wrong, did I?