Zhao Ya took a few deep breaths and then leapt onto the bamboo pole once more.
This repetitive training often continued into the late night.
Zhao Ya never uttered a word of complaint, persisting silently all along.
Finally.
By the tenth day, even though Xia Feiying moved the bamboo poles to a far-off location, it still couldn’t impede Zhao Ya’s speed.
His entire body seemed as light as a feather, landing effortlessly on the bamboo pole before taking off again, with the bamboo beneath him steady and unmoving from start to finish.
Xia Feiying, watching this scene, couldn’t help but be amazed by Zhao Ya’s talent.
In just ten days, he had completely merged two lightweight skills and mastered the body technique he had been taught.
Though he had a foundation, this progress was still astonishing.
At this moment, Zhao Ya landed lightly on the ground, and a prompt suddenly appeared before him.
[Detected higher level body technique. Do you wish to integrate?]
This was the first time Zhao Ya had seen such a prompt, and after a brief hesitation, he chose to integrate.
[Integration complete. Acquired Lightweight Body Technique: Light as a Feather]
Checking the attribute panel again, indeed, the Grasshopper and Swallow’s Three Dips martial arts were gone.
Replaced by, Light as a Feather (Peak Performance 1%)
Zhao Ya felt surprised once more.
He didn’t expect that upon mastering Light as a Feather, he had already broken through to the realm of Peak Performance.
On reflection, it wasn’t surprising, as Grasshopper and Swallow’s Three Dips had already been practiced to a refined skill level, and with Xia Feiying’s guidance, another breakthrough wasn’t unexpected.
However, at this realm, proficiency was no longer displayed numerically but instead as a percentage.
But this was good, as it made things clearer at a glance.
At this moment, Xia Feiying also came over and said, "Not bad, I didn’t expect you to master the body technique I taught in such a short time. I have nothing more to teach you."
"Thank you for your patient guidance, I will remember it," Zhao Ya carved this into his heart.
Xia Feiying smiled and waved his hand, "There’s no need for that. I said you saved my life, so I taught you body technique. Now we’re even."
"Now, Miss Zui’Er has truly begun to understand the lightweight skill, what she lacks is merely time for practice. My injury has healed well, so it’s time for me to leave."
Upon hearing this, Xia Hongyu, not far off, trembled slightly and lowered her head, her eyes reddening.
Even though Zhao Ya knew that parting was inevitable, hearing Xia Feiying say it still brought a feeling of sadness and reluctance.
After these days of interaction, Zhao Ya found this old man to be straightforward and generous, with abundant experiences in the Jianghu, often explaining things in a way that made everything clear.
However, Zhao Ya quickly suppressed these emotions, cupping his hands and saying, "But may I ask where you intend to go after leaving Wuxiang City, sir?"
"To the Capital City."
"The Capital City?"
"That’s right, I have a younger sister in the Capital City whom I plan to visit. After all, Hongyu is growing up, and it’s not convenient for an old man like me to keep bringing her along."
Zhao Ya fell silent.
If it were the Commandery, perhaps it wouldn’t be long before they met again.
But the Capital City is thousands of miles away; once gone, they might never meet again.
"In that case, I wish you a smooth journey, sir."
"Mmm, Ya, there’s one more thing I want to say to you."
"Please speak, sir."
"The Hong Family is ambitious. Even though you are a commander of the Song Family, you must remember that as long as the green hills last, there’s no need to worry about firewood. If something truly cannot be achieved, leaving is no disgrace," Xia Feiying advised earnestly.
Zhao Ya listened with a solemn expression, sincerely expressing his gratitude, "Thank you for the warning, I’ll keep it in mind."
"Haha, that’s good. I know you are a decisive child. What I fear is you getting overly stubborn. Hongyu, get the wine I bought during the day; tonight I want to have a drink with Ya."
"Yes!" Xia Hongyu responded sullenly and turned to enter the house.
Zui’Er helped prepare a few dishes, and Zhao Ya and Xia Feiying started drinking in the courtyard.
Although it was still winter, the wind already carried a hint of warmth.
Zhao Ya and Xia Feiying didn’t talk much, simply drank in silence.
When the wine was finished, Zhao Ya got up to leave, mentioning he would come to see them off the next day.
Xia Feiying merely waved his hand at this.
"No need, coming to see us off would only add sorrow. Hongyu and I will be leaving early tomorrow."
"Go, I believe with your talent and intelligence, it won’t be long before we meet again."
Zhao Ya said nothing, cupping his fist once more, then left with a lingeringly reluctant Zui’Er.
After they left, Xia Hongyu silently tidied up the table.
At this moment, Xia Feiying sighed deeply.
"Hongyu, I know you’re feeling down, but you must understand that you’re the only one left of the Xia Family. I must consider your well-being. If we stay, I’m not afraid of dying, but how will you face the coming storm with no skills to protect yourself?"
Upon hearing this, Xia Hongyu shuddered, then quietly replied, "I understand."
She then turned and left.
Watching his granddaughter’s lonely silhouette, Xia Feiying sighed softly.
How could he not understand his granddaughter’s thoughts?
But now, Wuxiang City had become a place of contention. For the safety of the Xia Family’s last heir, Xia Feiying dared not take any chances.
Indeed.
When Zhao Ya arrived at their small courtyard early the next morning, it was already deserted.
Looking at the bamboo poles in the yard, Zhao Ya sighed with a sense of loss and then turned to leave.
Over the following days, Zhao Ya trained the guards during the day and practiced martial arts and technique at night, staying as busy as a spinning top.
Time flew by, and in an instant more than a month had passed.
As bits of green appeared on the treetops, a team quietly arrived in Wuxiang City during the night.
When they reached the Hong Family Manor, Hong Shouchang, who had received advance notice, led several of his sons to wait at the back gate for their arrival.
The nearby streets had been cleared to prevent any information from leaking.
Upon seeing the team dressed in black clothing, Hong Shouchang quickened his steps, bowing his arms before his chest.
"Greetings, Second Village Chief! Greetings, Third Miss, and everyone from Cyan Bamboo Ridge."
The leader, wearing a black cloak, let out a sharp laugh upon hearing this.
"Patriarch Hong himself came to greet us, what an honor."
"Second Village Chief, you jest. With your esteemed presence, how could I not come to welcome you?"
"Hmph, now that’s more like it."
With these words, the person pulled back the hood, revealing an exceptionally ugly face beneath.
It looked like a child who hadn’t grown up, appearing aged prematurely, with a palm-sized face full of wrinkles and eyes filled with a sinister light, making just one glance give an unsettling feeling.
This was indeed the Second Village Chief of Cyan Bamboo Ridge, Zhan Feng.
Although his words were quite impolite, Hong Shouchang showed no anger.
Because he knew that Zhan Feng had that kind of personality, his words often sharp and acrid.
And despite his appearance and unassuming look, his strength was formidable, being the only Fourth Realm martial artist in Cyan Bamboo Ridge other than the Great Village Chief.
The fact that he personally led the team this time showed how seriously Cyan Bamboo Ridge took this matter.
Hong Shouchang led Zhan Feng and his group inside the manor.
The accommodations were prepared in advance, and a sumptuous banquet had already been laid out.
At that moment, Zhan Feng’s sneaky eyes darted around, then he asked slyly, "Wasn’t the Yang Family also involved, why haven’t I seen them?"
"Yang Sansi said he’s drilling his men intensively and will arrive later tonight."
"Hmph, he’s truly useless, only getting busy at the last minute." Zhan Feng spat disdainfully.
As they spoke, Yang Sansi arrived with his men.
"Greetings, Second Village Chief," Yang Sansi greeted with a smile.
"Hmph, are your men ready?"
"They’re all prepared."
"Good, then when shall we act?" Zhan Feng asked directly without further ado.
Yang Sansi and Hong Shouchang exchanged a glance, then Hong Shouchang asked, "What’s the Second Village Chief’s opinion?"
"Early action is better than delay; delay breeds changes. I say we act tomorrow night and make rivers of blood flow," Zhan Feng replied coldly.