Chapter Fourteen: Great Improvement in Martial Arts

  "Third brother, third brother!"

  Meng Lin and Xia Dade's calls pulled Lu Bing back from his stunned blankness, and he said with a sudden realization: "What's wrong?"

  "Third brother, both I and big brother agree to follow Ninth Master, you see Ninth Master came to find you first, so aren't you also going to follow us to complete this great task?" Xia Dade said.

  "It's a must, big brother and second brother have all gone, I must also follow them through life and death. Besides, the rise and fall of the country is the responsibility of every individual, this is something we should all do."

  "Well said, a country's rise and fall is the responsibility of every individual. A country's rise and fall is the responsibility of every individual, it's really well said." Ninth Master muttered to himself, Lu Bing secretly stuck out his tongue and thought: Anyway, they're all from the Ming Dynasty, just a bit earlier in time. This sentence was originally the idea of the great Confucian scholar Gu Yanwu, but Liang Qichao changed it into an eight-character phrase, making it even more famous. Heh heh, I said it today, and if others say it later, they'll all be plagiarizing."

  Xia Dade said: "That's a must, my third brother also said a famous saying, let me think about it, called us to smash this evil old society, this sentence is also well said."

  "Wow, I didn't expect you to be so talented." Yang Feiyan said with a sour tone, Lu Bing awkwardly smiled, but found that Yang Feiyan, Jiu Ye and Meng Lin's eyes were full of suspicion, apparently they couldn't understand why Lu Bing had changed so much.

  Yang Feiyan said: "In short, this matter must be kept confidential. We will prepare and set out tomorrow. Ninth Master will also separately impart some skills to Lu Bing. Of course, during this period, you can regret it, or hand me and Ninth Master over to the authorities in exchange for fame and fortune."

  "This girl is too hurtful, we have promised to come, how can we be such a despicable person." Meng Lin said somewhat displeased.

  Xia Dade also slammed the table and stood up, saying: "That's right, you'd better marry my third brother obediently. He can still teach you a lesson or two. Otherwise, with this sharp-tongued and petty face of yours, you won't even be able to find a husband in the future. My third brother doesn't despise you, so why don't you show some gratitude?"

  "Ugh..." Yang Feiyan was about to say more, but Ninth Master stopped her and bowed his fist to Meng Lin and the others: "My niece is the only daughter of my family, spoiled by her father. Her father is my seventh brother, Yang Dengyun." As soon as he spoke, Meng Lin and Xia Dade simultaneously took a deep breath, sizing up Yang Feiyan from head to toe.

  Ninth Master, when did he leave? What else did they say? Lu Bing didn't hear a word, he just pretended to be calm on the surface, but his heart was already in a mess. Besides excitement, what else could it be? He's made it big, he's become the emperor! That's like one person getting enlightened and all the chickens and dogs rising to heaven. No, no, I'm not a chicken or dog, that's just what I mean. I'm considered awesome now, from now on I can walk sideways. What? Got involved with a Jiang family young master? Who cares? The emperor is in charge of you, so what!

  Lu Bing smiled until dawn, that complacent heart. Lu Bing fell asleep at dawn and was woken up by someone after a short while. When he asked, he found out that they were about to set off. Lu Bing muttered while packing his things: "Didn't you say we're leaving tomorrow? After 24 hours it's already today, don't even know the concept of time, I'm so sleepy."

  Xia Dade was confused, and only said: "What are you muttering about? You're almost at the weak crown age, and you're still sleeping in like this. It won't do! Hurry up, Third Brother. By the way, Big Brother, you're knowledgeable, what's going on with these twenty-four points?"

  "Cough, cough," Meng Lin was slightly embarrassed because he didn't know either. After a moment of contemplation, he said: "I guess it's the same as 'time', but we usually consider the day after dawn and the fifth watch to be the second day, that's probably how it is."

  Dongqiao Town is not too far from Nanjing, and if you hurry, you can take a shortcut through Liu'an and Hefei to reach Nanjing in two days. However, Lu Bing and his group took five whole days to arrive, which was not because they were traveling with family members, but rather due to the special training that Jiu Ye had arranged for Lu Bing. Along the way, Lu Bing had a tough time, as he had originally practiced martial arts purely out of interest in strengthening his new body and a masculine admiration for power, which was a spontaneous behavior.

  It's not hard to understand, Lu Bing is still the same Lu Bing, in appearance, mind and even knowledge and thinking are all the same as before crossing over, but after jumping into the water to save someone and waking up from a coma, he possessed a strong body with solid muscles, anyone would be extremely excited to make good use of this gift from heaven.

  But things are different now, the Ninth Master is forcing Lu Bing to make contact, and Lu Bing can't avoid it. He wants to run away but can't outrun Yang Feiyan. Nothing big, just his brothers taking turns keeping an eye on him. Even the normally gentle Ninth Master is being very strict. If he didn't think that this move might allow his younger brother Zhu Houzhen to become emperor, Lu Bing would have given up long ago. Speaking of which, the Ninth Master's training isn't meant to be difficult for Lu Bing, after all, Lu Bing has a good foundation. However, the high level of concentration is mentally torturing Lu Bing. The Ninth Master tells him how to specifically anticipate his enemy's moves, which involves a lot of human skeletal and meridian structures as well as internal organs.

  Jiu Ye was amazed that Lu Bing, at such a young age, understood so much about the structure of internal organs and the simple locations of bones and joints. However, Lu Bing secretly smiled to himself, thinking that if he were sent to the 21st century and received nine years of compulsory education, he would also learn about nature in elementary school and biology in high school, not to mention cells, cell walls, and cell membranes.

  Even so, Lu Bing was still tired and exhausted. Occasionally, when he took a break, Lu Bing even thought that Master Jiuxi was trying to train him into an X-ray machine, allowing him to see through his opponent's movements with the naked eye, which was too awesome. Apart from this, there was also the reaction force. Sometimes during meals, Master Jiuxi would suddenly make a move, and the moves were extremely ruthless, leaving no room for mercy. Lu Bing had thought several times that Master Jiuxi didn't dare to use his full strength, but in the end, he almost got his eyeballs dug out by Master Jiuxi.

  In terms of lightness, Yang Feiyan was also a good teacher. According to Jiu Ye, Lu Bing was one of the main forces in this assassination attempt and must practice diligently to ensure that nothing goes wrong. Yang Feiyan loved to ignore Lu Bing's answers, but every time their eyes met, she would blush, causing Xia Dade to burst out laughing, only to end up getting beaten by Yang Feiyan's solid legwork. Xia Dade was thick-skinned, but couldn't withstand Yang Feiyan's powerful kicks, yet he still called her "little sister", making Lu Bing's face even redder with shame.

  They finally arrived outside Nanjing City. The majestic city of Nanjing, with its tiger-like and dragon-like appearance, looked extraordinary from a distance. Ninth Master said to Lu Bing: "Lu Bing, your kung fu has its own unique style, freely flowing without any constraints, not a hint of rigidity, and constantly emerging new moves that are beyond the ordinary. Not to mention me, there aren't many people in the world who can guide you. In recent days, I've only been helping you develop your thinking, turning these moves into habitual actions, making them faster to execute, and sharing some experiences with you. Now, you can already be considered a master. Don't slack off in the future, keep practicing diligently, and you will surely become a great figure."

  Lu Bing knew that Jiu Ye's teaching this time was intentional, but as a student for a day and a teacher for life, Lu Bing still bowed his fist and said: "Thank you, Master, for your teachings."

  "Still the same old saying, shoulder to shoulder as brothers. Although I'm older, we're still better off as friends. I've never taken on an apprentice in my life, and you're no exception. Even if you have a brilliant future ahead of you and will surely surpass me, Wang Ming-shao. Think about it, if I were to take you on as an apprentice, I could gain eternal fame and make a name for myself alongside you, but I'd lose a friend. It's not worth it, after all, having more friends is always better. Besides, being a master is too tiring, so from now on, please don't call me Master anymore."

  "No problem, cough cough, these are not a big deal. Anyway, after Master Jiū, you can just speak up if you have something to say." Lù Biǎo said, thinking for a moment, then suddenly leaned in and whispered: "Master Jiū, do you think I'm also considered a top expert now? If the world were ranked, where would I place?"

  "I didn't know that, the world has always had talented people emerging one after another. Moreover, a true master would not be running around in the jianghu. However, if you exclude these factors, you should have been able to reach this position." Jiu Ye said, stretching out five fingers.

  Lu Bingxi said: "So powerful, top five in the world?"

  "Are you out of your mind? Being among the top 50 in the world is already a great achievement, and at such a young age! You're still dreaming about being fifth? You've got to be kidding me!" Ninth Master couldn't help but laugh and cry at the same time.

  "That's okay, you scared me half to death. I thought it wasn't in the top five, but rather in the top five hundred. If it really is in the top five hundred, then what's the point of even trying? You'd get killed by anyone you meet."

  "It's indeed possible, I said earlier that a great hidden person is hidden in the city, and when traveling through Jianghu, one must be humble and cautious, for you never know when you'll encounter a true master. However, I'm not too worried about this, as you're a cautious and polite person." Ninth Master praised, then continued to say: "However, Lu Bing, let me tell you something, see if it's useful to you? When you're in trouble, think of the good possibilities. When you're in a high position and feeling proud, consider the bad possibilities. Don't be like one moment guessing five, the next moment guessing five hundred, even as a joke, it reveals your mindset. Hehe, I won't lecture anymore, listen if it's useful, ignore it if not."

  Lu Bing fell into a brief contemplation, this is the philosophy of life, from Jiu Ye's experience as an old man who has experienced many ups and downs in his life. After Lu Bing understood it, he bowed slightly to Jiu Ye with a fist.

  ————————————————————

  The city of Nanjing is now heavily guarded, and the reason lies in Zhu Houzhao's sudden whim to stay in the south and not return. The rebellious Ning Wang had already been captured earlier, but Zhu Houzhao insisted on releasing Ning Wang, sending him back to Poyang Lake, just to experience the thrill of suppressing a rebellion again. Since he came to the south, it is highly likely that he will visit the old capital Nanjing. Moreover, according to information from eunuchs in the court, Zhu Houzhao not only wants to capture and release Ning Wang, but also plans to explore Wulin and become the leader of the Wulin Alliance.

  As a result, not only were the government offices and military on high alert, but also the Imperial Guards and the Eastern Depot's patrols were not relaxed. The emperor's safety was of utmost importance to the country, so naturally they did not dare to take it lightly. Therefore, the six remaining departments in Nanjing city became even more heavily guarded. Regardless of whether Zhu Houzhao came or not, they had to make thorough preparations first. So, the Ninth Master decided to sneak into the city through a secret passage in the second half of the night, avoiding the sentries and the hawks and dogs patrolling the streets.

  Lu Bing rested early, to recharge his spirit and head to Nanjing overnight. Although there were fewer people from the imperial court at night, the vigilance of the night watch was much higher than during the day. Moreover, it was extremely quiet at night, and any slight noise would be heard by others. That's why he chose the second half of the night, as people tend to feel drowsy then, and their sensitivity is also reduced.

  Lu Bing slept very soundly, and suddenly felt someone shaking him. He didn't feel a tightness in his chest, and he hadn't heard the footsteps of the person approaching. This must be an expert, at least in terms of lightness kung fu. Lu Bing hastily opened his eyes to look, and exclaimed in surprise: "How...?!" Before he could finish speaking, someone covered his mouth.

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