Chapter 583: Sneaking a Trick on the Tiger's Butt (Part 2) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]
The three of them stared at each other, wide-eyed.
Gongxi Chou frowned deeply.
Unfortunately, this wasn't his forte.
After pondering for a long time without reaching a definite conclusion, under Gong Xilai's expectant gaze, he clapped his hands and spread them, saying rather nonchalantly, "Anyway... well, being able to cultivate is always a good thing. From now on, you'll stay by my side and learn well. After all, you're a seedling in a vast field; if you don't achieve anything, wouldn't it be a waste of this opportunity?"
Yang Ying pursed her lips tightly.
I still had some doubts in my heart.
Although life and death are irrelevant in a duel, her father died at the hands of Gongxi Chou. Her ability to objectively accept Gongxi Chou's existence was the result of several rounds of psychological adjustment. The idea of her learning from him... Yang Ying had a nagging feeling.
But this opportunity is indeed rare.
Before she could even hesitate and give her answer, Gong Xichou, impatient with her silence, asked, "What? Am I not qualified to teach you?"
Do you really think that the fifteenth-rank minor official is as easy as cabbage?
If he were willing to recruit many disciples, how many people would offer money, rack their brains, and even kneel down to beg him to spare a precious spot?
He brought it up himself, but Yang Ying wouldn't agree?
This won't do!
No one can refuse him!
Gong Xilai secretly poked Yang Ying's soft flesh at the waist, and Yang Ying finally came to her senses and said, "No, no, I couldn't ask for it."
Gong Xichou's expression softened slightly: "That's more like it... It's getting late, you two should go back to your tents and sleep..."
Gong Xilai was unwilling to go back.
"Brother, have you forgotten me?"
“I haven’t forgotten. Can you train in the coldest days of winter or the hottest days of summer? You struggle to even carry half a bucket of water, let alone cultivate martial arts skills. Ah Ying has been practicing swords and spears since she was a child, so her foundation and physical attributes are still there. Even if she only started learning at this age, she can still make up for it. You, on the other hand.” Gong Xi Chou was as blunt as ever, which made Gong Xi’s face gradually darken.
She bit her lip in a huff: "Then I'll revise it!"
“Even literary talent requires a certain foundation. The lowest level of literary talent is one in a thousand, and even after years of arduous training, success is not guaranteed…” Gong Xiqiu said bluntly. The threshold for martial arts practitioners is relatively lower, but Gong Xilai is old and lacks a foundation.
"So..."
"You don't have that talent."
Gong Xilai's emotions plummeted. With a sob in his voice, he asked softly, "Is there...is there no way to remedy this? To allow ordinary people to cultivate, even if they don't amount to much in the future...as long as they can cultivate, that's enough. I don't dare ask for anything more."
Yes, there are.
Gong Xichou thought about it carefully.
Gong Xilai's eyes lit up: "Really?"
Gong Xichou said, "You know about the Wu Kingdom's Gu Calamity, right? That thing can make you a mid-level martial artist in a very short time, but the method of making it has been lost for a long time. Nowadays, there are some that are slightly less powerful, like Huang Lie and his heavy shield warriors."
He slapped away Gong Xilai's delusions.
"Don't be silly, do you really think that's something good? If it were really something good, it would have been widely known and used to recruit countless young and strong laborers! Whether it's the elite divine soldiers raised by the Wu Kingdom's Gu calamity or Huang Lie's heavy shield warriors, they all overdraw the user's lifespan, potential, and energy! With your physique, you'll be drained dry in a few months and become a skin and bones dried corpse!"
And the genuine Gu worm of the Gongxi tribe...
There are also strict restrictions on the number of years and physical attributes required to cultivate the Gu.
Upon hearing "a skin and bones dried corpse," Gong Xilai's face paled, his head slightly lowered, and he dejectedly accepted the reality before him. Gong Xichou sighed softly, keeping some things to himself.
Gong Xilai was destined to be an ordinary person.
But she was also destined to be extraordinary.
Because she is a male from the West.
As long as he lives, he will be her fallback and support. The Gongxi people will not abandon their own people.
Gong Xilai was not lost for long.
After some self-reflection, I came to terms with it.
Poor Yang Ying suffered greatly. Gong Xi Chou taught his disciples through brutal beatings, where once on the training ground, there was only friend or foe, no distinction between men and women. He had no idea what the meaning of "cherishing beauty" was. Yang Ying had previously thought her father was strict enough, but compared to Gong Xi Chou, she realized that her father, Yang Gong, truly cared for his daughter by teaching her step by step.
Seeing Yang Ying's face bruised and swollen every day, making it impossible to tell if she was male or female, Gong Xilai applied medicine to her while feeling lingering fear.
"Brother, you're too ruthless..."
Yang Ying slurred her words, "Yes."
"Tell him to be gentler next time, and take it step by step..."
“I mentioned it, but he said…”
"What did you say, brother?"
Yang Ying said expressionlessly, "Your brother said that once my martial courage is fully developed and I reach the second-class superior level, he can break my legs without worry."
Gong Xilai turned pale: "...Why!!!"
Yang Ying: "I asked the same question, but he said that for ordinary people, it takes a hundred days to recover from a broken bone, but martial artists don't have that worry. Their martial energy is consumed quickly, but it also recovers and grows back quickly..."
Gong Xilai: "...But, you are, after all, a young lady..."
Yang Ying said numbly, "I said the same thing, but your brother said that when he fought and killed on the battlefield, he never took off a person's clothes to check their gender. If they were alive, they were alive; if they were dead, they were dead. There was no such thing as a living male or a living female, or a dead male or a dead female..."
Gong Xilai: "..."
It is well-reasoned and there is no way to refute it.
So, Gong Xilai had one more thing to worry about—she was worried every day that her friend would be beaten to death by her brother.
It's wonderful to see how resilient my little friend is; she's been performing all sorts of acrobatic feats in the training grounds under her brother's tutelage. The thicker her skin, the more durable she becomes, and she hasn't died in over a year. Gong Xilai has become her personal physician, going from being completely at a loss at first to becoming quite skilled and adept later on. He even started studying medical books when he was bored. In particular, his massage techniques for sprains and bruises have become incredibly refined under Yang Ying's hands.
With Xun Ding, a cheap hired hand, in one hand, and Gong Xilai and Yang Ying in the other, Gong Xichou switched jobs frequently, acting as a substitute fighter for others. Outsiders thought he was joking, after all, even the lowest-ranking martial artist wouldn't stoop to being paid to be a thug.
Let alone the fifteenth-rank junior scholar?
The first boss didn't believe in superstition and refused to settle the payment.
Gong Xi Chou sneered, then turned and led his first boss's enemy to raid the first boss's hideout. He even sat down in the first boss's private treasury, counting his due reward. In an instant, Gong Xi Chou's name became infamous.
Those who admired him were already captivated by his invincible prowess in battle, their hearts fluttering with desire, wishing they could recruit him into their ranks. However, in order to show that they were part of the group, when Gongxi Chou was mentioned, they would still say a few words of disparagement, such as "a petty man who is fickle, disloyal and unrighteous."
Money talks, what a despicable person. No matter how powerful they are, such a disloyal and unrighteous person is nothing but a clown.
Gong Xichou ignored him.
Anyway, no one dares to say it to his face.
After all, the only thing a man has in his body is a stubborn mouth; his neck is still as fragile as paper in his own hand.
Unlike Gong Xichou's high profile, and unlike the fluctuating situation of the Dragon-Slaying Squad over the past year, Shen Tang's life was peaceful and smooth. Whenever this happened, she would thank Yan An. The terrain of Longwu County was both a disadvantage and an advantage.
As long as the threat of the Ten Crows can be suppressed, we can gain some precious time to accumulate strength.
Firstly, whoever conquers Longwu County will be forced to shoulder the heavy responsibility of blocking the Shiwu alien tribes, making it impossible to manage both internal and external affairs. This territory is essentially a useless asset. Secondly, the northwestern border region lacks both economic resources and population.
The disadvantages outweigh the advantages of conquering the enemy by expending military resources.
Therefore, in his first year in Longwu County, Shen Tang, relying on the fact that no one was watching him, peacefully farmed for a year, while also building bridges and roads, digging canals and wells, planting mulberry trees and raising silkworms, producing salt and engaging in smuggling, building schools and making paper...
Yes, and papermaking too.
Shen Tang's most cherished passion was painting, and her most cherished possession was her paintbrush. So, she defied all opposition and set up a paper mill in Longwu. The core team of this paper mill was inherited from Heyin County, and she also borrowed two master craftsmen from Xu Jie's Xu family paper mill. By combining the experience of both, she experimented and refined her skills time and time again, and the quality of the paper she produced kept improving.
The finished product was unveiled in stunning fashion before the autumn harvest the following year!
It is smooth but not slippery, tough yet moist.
It is pure white and dense, with a clean texture.
It feels like gently stroking a baby's skin.
It's truly irresistible.
Only paper like this is worthy of her exquisite brushstrokes.
The paper-making craftsmen, trembling with fear, were approached by several subordinates who had been summoned to admire the finished products of the paper mill, who asked in confusion, "What's wrong, lord?"
Gu Chi rolled his eyes.
"Don't bother her, she's daydreaming."
Shen Tang snapped out of her daze, only managing to hear Gu Chi mention "dream." She coughed lightly and said, "Speaking of dreams, does anyone here know how to interpret them? I had a strange dream yesterday. I turned into a tiger basking in the sun after a good meal, and a thug whose face I couldn't see touched my butt... What does this mean?"
The few who weren't on business trips looked at each other in bewilderment.
After pondering for a few moments, Chu Yao said tactfully, "If I do the math, my lord is sixteen now. Cough cough cough, at this age, it's normal to have this kind of dream..."
Don't share this with them so casually!
(╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻
"Ah, so that's how you interpret dreams?"
As soon as she finished speaking, Ning Yan's hurried footsteps came from outside the council hall, her clothes making a distinctive sound as she moved.
"My lord, Nanyu County has been attacked!"
Sigh, China is such a vast and resource-rich country, all the nice names have already been taken. It's so frustrating when a name clashes with a real place name. Every time I think of a place name, I check Baidu, and wow, there are already so many. I don't want to use names that are too awful, bizarre, or obscure. So, let's just make do.
ε=(ο｀*))) Sigh
I have to get up early for my prenatal checkup again tomorrow. While I was typing this today, my daughter's foot slid from the top left to the top right, then back again. Back and forth, back and forth.
(End of this chapter)
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