Qingmang City is divided into inner and outer cities. The inner city is more prosperous than the outer city. The continuous residential area in the center of Qingmang City, where the government is located, is the main street where high-ranking officials and nobles live.
Among them, the most well-known are County Magistrate Huang Yulang, County Assistant County Magistrate Mou Mingqi, County Commandant Wang Qingyang, and City Defense Commandant Wei Jie!
Among these four, Wei Jie, the city defense captain, stands out in terms of martial prowess and domineering presence. He has mastered four of the five internal organs of a martial arts master and commands 1,500 soldiers in the city, of whom over 400 are martial artists. His military might is so formidable that even the three major families dare not compete with him for profit!
This seemingly invincible tiger, who could attract countless intimidation simply by sitting still and who paid his salary every year, was taught a lesson this year by the city's lowest beggar!
His only son, Wei Shitong, was kidnapped by a beggar boy and subjected to all sorts of humiliation, even to the point of near death. The fact that even the lowest of beggar boys could be treated like this made the officials and common people of the city laugh.
Even after the bloodshed of countless gangs in the north of the city served as a deterrent, causing Crouching Tiger to rise up and become bloodthirsty, it still could not change this shame.
But the rumors and gossip from the outside world did not continue to disturb the mind of the Crouching Tiger. On the contrary, he felt somewhat gratified about it.
After this incident, his son, Wei Shitong, seemed like a different person. His former纨绔 (spoiled brat) air gradually disappeared, and his eyes gained a touch of determination. He no longer idled away his days, but began to diligently practice martial arts with the family's martial arts master. The humiliation of being easily captured by a beggar was like a thorn in his side, constantly spurring him forward.
Just like today, Wei Jie, who had removed his armor and was wearing a black robe, was watching the training ground, which was full of sword marks and bloodstained weapons, with an old soldier practicing swordsmanship with Wei Shitong's birth mother, Zeng Shi, in the pavilion.
"Isn't it too early for someone this age to be wielding a knife and sword?"
Zeng is a woman with a youthful face and petite figure, but with an exceptionally mature physique. When she is with Wei Jie, they are like a tiger and a rabbit, a stark contrast.
Looking at the training ground where the sounds of metal clashing echoed continuously, her eyes were filled with worry and heartache. She knew why her son was working so hard.
“It’s getting late. When the children of the wealthy families in Fuzhou were just learning to walk, they started to practice martial arts diligently, eating meat and drinking blood. I wanted to teach them then, but you couldn’t bear to see them working so hard, so you refused. As they got older, you spoiled them and they developed a lazy and pleasure-seeking habit.”
Although he wasn't exactly a late-in-life father, he was still one of the luckiest martial artists. In the first half of his life, he ignored love and focused on training for military merits and martial arts. Later, he fought alongside generals on the battlefield, earned merits, and joined the Qing Mang army as a captain.
At this time, after a life of wandering, he was fortunate to meet his true love and had the idea of settling down. However, it was difficult for a martial arts master to find offspring, and even after taking several wives and working hard every day, he still had no luck.
Despite some disappointment, there was also divine favor. His favorite second wife had Wei Shitong, and their only son, Wei Jie, was naturally cherished like a treasure. However, this also led to the child becoming spoiled.
Although the matter of the beggar boy was hateful, Wei Jie still had to sincerely thank him. After all, Wei Shitong had been enlightened because of it, not only showing his talent in martial arts, but also gradually changing his weak personality. However, he still had some minor flaws at times.
"Clang!"
On the field, Wei Shitong's sword was cut down by the old soldier. As the blade landed on his neck, Wei Shitong screamed and sat down on the ground in fright.
"Shi'er! Are you alright, Shi'er!"
Upon seeing this, Zeng hurriedly ran over and asked her son, who was clearly frightened after landing, with concern.
"No...it's alright, Mother, I'm fine!"
Wei Shitong, who was about to cry, suddenly had the thought that as a man he should not be bullied by others, and changed his mind.
"You should go easy on him, Battalion Commander Ming."
“Practicing martial arts is not child’s play, sister-in-law. I’ve already been lenient. If this were back in the camp, I would have learned my lesson by drawing blood.”
The veteran was Wei Jie's former comrade-in-arms. He was assigned to the same unit as Wei Jie during the rotation and is now considered one of Wei Jie's confidants. He is in charge of one of the four city defense battalions and is also a martial arts master.
"Indeed, from now on, train according to this standard. Getting a few scrapes is better than being beaten to near death! And Shi'er, don't learn to shout and yell anymore! If you can't endure hardship, then don't try! Your old man still has over a hundred years to live, I can support you until you die!"
Wei Jie looked at his son, and although he was very satisfied with his son's recent performance, he still spoke up to encourage him, saying that he had gone through the same thing in the past.
"I won't let myself be bullied like this again! If that guy comes back, I'll beat him to death!"
When he talked about this, recalling that humiliating memory, Wei Shitong gritted his teeth, his eyes turned red, and he was filled with fighting spirit, shouting "Let's do it again!"
However, the plan did not come to fruition, because someone sent a letter instructing Wei Jie to take people to handle the matter. The venue was where Wei Shitong and Zeng Shi remained.
"Now that everyone's gone, go and rest. I've prepared your favorite pear cakes for you. They're from your favorite Baiweizhai shop, freshly baked."
Mrs. Zeng rubbed her son's head. Wei Shitong wanted to go eat, but his father's words kept popping into his mind. After hesitating for a moment, Wei Shitong decided to continue training.
"Okay, don't tire yourself out."
"Okay, Mother, but since Shi'er has worked so hard, can Mother give him some reward? I want a kiss!"
"You're not a child anymore, why do you still want kisses? But Shi'er... you've really worked hard, so Mother will give you some encouragement."
She thought it would just be a normal kiss, but the next moment, a rough action grabbed the petite Zeng Shi, and the aggressive, mouth-to-mouth demand left her mind blank for a moment.
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