Chapter 58 - The Simple-Minded Village of the Zhen Family.

Under the guidance of Zhen Fugen, dozens of households in Zhenjiazhuang village finally recognized the clever and resourceful Tie Dan'er. The villagers of Zhenjiazhuang are simple and honest, and whenever they mention the golden phoenix that once flew out of the village, they are always proud, even though Tie Dan'er is now in a difficult situation. The kind-hearted villagers still do not harbor any negative thoughts.
All the elderly people in the village who had grown older came that day, and Zhen Debang excitedly introduced them one by one to Chu Xiu and Zhen Meng.
"This is Uncle Furong, Meng'er, and Jiner, both of you should call him Grandpa Furong!"
Chu Xiulian quickly led Zhen Meng and Su Jin to bow, and Zhen Furong smiled and helped the three up.
"This is Mr. Zhou, my mentor! It was Mr. Zhou who went against popular opinion and convinced my father to let me go to school, which is how our family came to be!"
The three of them bowed respectfully once again. This elegant and scholarly gentleman, Mr. Zhou Zisheng, gently stroked his beard with a benevolent smile.
"And this is Aunt Xiang. Back in the day, I used to mooch meals off Aunt Xiang quite a bit!"
Smiling warmly, Aunt Xiang, with her white hair, looked at the Zhen family as if they were her own nieces and nephews. She kindly took Chengxiu's hand and said, "This little troublemaker used to be mischievous as a child, just like a playful little monkey. He would always crawl into my arms, asking for milk! But now, he has grown up and become successful. He even married such a beautiful wife and has a handsome son. Seeing all this makes me happy!" Translated content: "Aunt Xiang, with her hair turned white, looked at the Zhen family with a smiling face, just like looking at her own nieces and nephews. She kindly held Chengxiu's hand and said, "This little rascal, when he was young, he used to be naughty and mischievous, just like a playful little monkey. He would always crawl into my arms, asking for milk! But as he grew up, he found success and also married such a beautiful wife, giving birth to an equally beautiful son. It brings me joy to see all of this!"
Saying that, she took off a jade bracelet with average quality from her wrist and handed it to Ma You: "Iron Egg's mother passed away early, his father raised him alone, it wasn't easy. My son didn't have the fortune to grow up and marry, so I treated Iron Egg as my own son since he was young. Now that his wife is coming, I must give a gift to Iron Egg's late mother as a gesture. I am not from a wealthy and noble family, my dear, please don't look down upon it!"
Just as the words finished, Chu Xiu took the bracelet, unsure whether to accept or decline. She looked to Zhen Debang for help.
Zhen Debang recalled how his aunt had treated him like her own son when he was a child, and his eyes welled up slightly. He said to Chu Xiu, "Wife, please accept it. Aunt Xiang treats you just like our own mother."
Chu Xiu cautiously accepted the bracelet and carefully put it on her wrist. The pale bracelet had a touch of humble green, which made Chu Xiu's snow-like wrist even more delicate. Aunt Xiang secretly wiped her tears and smiled with joy, saying, "It looks beautiful!"
Zhen Fugen stepped forward and loudly addressed the crowd, saying, "Iron Egg has returned to the village, and this is a big event for us. I want to make it clear that we should not mention the news of Iron Egg's return to outsiders! Everyone, go back and prepare. Today, the village will hold a feast, as a way to celebrate Iron Egg and his child as if it were a wedding!"
A group of elderly people with white hair assented loudly and went home to prepare.
Zhen Debang was about to speak up, but Zhen Fugen stopped him and earnestly said, "Tiedan, our Zhen family village has experienced numerous disasters throughout history. It is only through the strong bond between neighbors, as close as family, that we have survived floods and wars. When someone in the village gets married, the whole village takes it upon themselves to organize the event as if it were their own family affair. This is the tradition of our Zhen family village, and we cannot idle around. Let's tidy up the courtyard and the empty space outside, set up a few cooking stoves, and don't forget how to set up the stoves!"
Zhen Debang scratched his head with a silly smile and said, "How can I forget! Uncle Fugen, you just watch, I guarantee that the pot I built will be flawless!"
Just then, an old voice came from the direction of the door, saying, "Is it the child from the Fusheng family who has returned?"
Everyone turned their heads towards the sound and saw an elderly man, supported by a middle-aged man, trembling as they walked over.
Zhen Fugen and Zhen Debang were both startled and quickly went forward to welcome them.
Zhen Fugen held the old man's other arm and bent slightly, whispering, "Uncle Kang, how did you come?"
Zhen Debang immediately waved his hand to signal the family to come forward, and he quickly walked in front of the old man, ready to kneel down.
However, an old man reached out and stopped him, his movements as quick as lightning, completely unlike an elderly person nearing the end of his life.
The old man with a hoarse voice said, "Little Iron Egg, is that you?"
Zhen Debang looked at the old man whose eyes had turned completely white. Somehow, a great sense of grievance suddenly surged up in his heart. His lips trembled for a moment, and finally, he couldn't help but burst into tears. Please note that the @ symbol is not typically used in English translations.
"Grandpa Kang! It's me! I am Xiaotiedan!"
Throughout his career as an official, Zhen Debang was often criticized by outsiders as crude and vulgar. However, only those close to him knew that this former powerful prime minister of the dynasty was actually a sensitive and thoughtful person.
In the case of the burst dam, he was framed and burdened with the guilt of tens of thousands of lives. After being dismissed from his official position, in order to support his family, he willingly kneels down to people, seeking a job of draining sewage. The family is impoverished and lives in a bridge hole, eating leftovers. Despite such a great injustice, he has never self-pitied or complained. But now, looking at the old man in front of him, who is old and feeble, Zhen Debang's long-held grievances finally cannot be suppressed any longer, and they burst forth all at once.
He cried sorrowfully and wholeheartedly, and the people behind him, including Chu Xiu, had never seen Zhen Debang so helpless before, feeling touched, and their eyes turned red along with his.
The old man lifted his withered hand and gently stroked Zhen Debang's head, like a kind grandfather comforting his own grandson. He softly said, "Little Tiedan'er, you have suffered for so many years, just cry it out, and it will be alright."
甄德邦哭得更大声了。
Everyone present couldn't help but feel sorrowful.
After a long while, Zhen Debang finished venting his grievances, wiped away his tears and snot, before asking in a hoarse voice, "Grandpa Kang, have you been well all these years?"
The old man grinned and proudly said, "Aside from my poor eyesight, everything else is fine. I can eat, sleep, feed pigs and shepherd, and even play with a few young lads!"
甄德邦使劲吸了吸鼻子，回身招呼储秀三人上前，介绍到：“这位是康爷爷，康爷爷，这是俺媳妇，叫储秀，这是俺娃，叫甄蒙，还有俺儿媳妇，叫苏瑾，蒙儿、瑾儿，叫太爷爷！”
The old man, despite being unable to see, could accurately locate the position of each person, nodding and smiling along with Zhen Debang's introduction.
Zhen Meng and Su Jin greeted politely, "Hello Grandpa!"
The old man smiled widely, nodding continuously. "Good! Good! Xiaotiedan, you are a worthy successor! Excellent!"
Zhen Meng spoke up, "Grandpa, let's not talk at the doorway. Come inside quickly!"
Zhen Debang finally realized, "Yes, yes, yes, Grandpa Kang, please come in!"
A group of people entered the room and sat down, chatting until they talked about Zhen Debang's situation.
After listening, the old man slapped the table heavily, making a loud noise. Zhen Meng squinted his eyes. This old gentleman seemed to have some cultivation skills.
After getting along with Zheng Jiuen for a long time, Zhen Meng also learned some common knowledge about martial artists. The martial artist system is divided into nine ranks, and the ranks from nine to seven are collectively called the lower three ranks. In other words, they are still within the category of ordinary people, but starting from the sixth rank, they are vastly different from ordinary people. Translated:
From the sixth to the fourth rank, it is known as the middle three ranks.
At the sixth rank, the body's skin becomes like copper and iron, making it difficult for ordinary swords and knives to inflict harm.
At the fifth rank, the body's bones become as strong as fine steel, capable of splitting mountains and rocks with a single strike.
At the fourth level of the Dragon Gate realm, one begins to gradually comprehend the mysteries of the heavens and earth, searching for the truth they seek within these mysteries. Once found and confirmed, one must steadfastly follow this path, like rowing against the current, constantly accumulating knowledge and eventually surpassing the Dragon Gate, transforming like a carp into a dragon.
From the third rank onwards, it is collectively referred to as the Grandmaster realm. Among them, the third rank is the Heaven's Wrath realm, the second rank is the Manifested Saint realm, and the first rank is the Martial Saint realm. The levels are distinct, and the higher the rank, the greater the discrepancy in strength between each rank. If we say that a ninth rank warrior killing a seventh rank warrior is not a rare occurrence, in the lower three ranks, skill and experience are much more important than internal power cultivation. However, when it comes to the middle three ranks, it is not so easy for a sixth rank warrior to kill a fifth rank warrior. Although there are cases of lower ranked warriors defeating higher ranked warriors, fundamentally, it also relies on the advantages of timing, location, and personal abilities. When it comes to the Grandmaster realm, even a third rank Grandmaster wielding a divine weapon is absolutely impossible to defeat a second rank Grandmaster barehanded. At this realm, factors such as skill, experience, and external forces can be ignored, and only the majestic aura refined from the principles of heaven and earth is the decisive factor in determining victory or defeat.
Regarding the miracles of different realms in the Grandmaster Realm, Zheng Jiuen did not reveal much, only saying that one would understand after crossing the Fourth Rank Dragon Gate.
Zhen Meng secretly glanced at Zheng Jiuen who was sitting beside Yang Jinghong, and sent a query with his eyes. Zheng Jiuen condensed his qi into a thread and transmitted his voice, saying, "As a Seventh Rank martial artist, he is only one step away from entering the Bronze Skin Realm, but he is too old, and his qi has already started to leak."
Zhen Meng nodded slightly, thinking that in this remote and desolate village, there could be a martial artist at the pinnacle of the seventh rank. It seemed that this old man must have had his own experiences when he was young.
The old man said in a deep voice, "Little Tiedan, in these years, I have heard about your actions as an official in the capital. You haven't brought shame to our Zhen family village! The court may not tolerate you, but our Zhen family village can. You and your family can settle down here. Although our Zhen family village is not a place where powerful families gather, everyone here knows what's right and wrong. Your whereabouts will never be leaked!"
At this moment, the villagers in the village began to swarm into the courtyard. Dozens of people carried tables, chairs, and stools, and brought freshly slaughtered chickens, ducks, pigs, and sheep, as well as various vegetables. Under the command of the smiling Zhen Fugen, everything was arranged in an orderly manner.
Seeing this, Zhen M
Sitting next to Yang Jinghong, Zheng Jiuen, who was secretly playing with her delicate little hand, suddenly twitched his ears. He reluctantly let go of the soft and boneless hand, pretending to go to the bathroom, and quietly made his way through the crowd, walking to a corner unnoticed. In a flash, he swiftly vanished from the spot.
In a small grove five miles away from the Zhen family village, a young man dressed in ordinary clothes held a peculiar black wooden whistle in his hand, anxiously staring in the direction of the Zhen family village.
Suddenly, a hand quietly tapped his shoulder.
The young man's pupils contracted, and he stomped his right foot, emitting a deep thunderous sound. His shoulder quickly leaned back, moving like a drawn bow, and sounding like an explosion.
But this powerful and forceful move seemed to have no effect at all, like a mud cow sinking into the sea. There was neither the expected explosion nor the weightlessness of hitting the air. The young man's heart skipped a beat and he quickly turned around, his feet moving in a unique stance that was different from ordinary martial arts, cautiously watching the approaching figure.
Coming over is Zheng Jiuen, who looked at the young man with a smile and praised, "With powerful moves that can shake the heavens and the earth, are you practicing the Moon Mountain Eight Extremities Fist?"
The young man looked shocked, as the stranger's words were exactly right. He was indeed practicing the Moon Mountain Eight Extremities Fist, a style created by the abbot Cang Gong of the Moon Mountain Temple in the neighboring Bo'ai County. It was not known by the public, but he had been fortunate enough to be adopted by the temple and favored by Abbot Cang Gong who taught him the Eight Extremities Fist. It seemed odd that anyone other than a few senior brothers in the Moon Mountain Temple would recognize it.
The young person looked at Zheng Jiuen warily and asked in a deep voice, "Who are you?"
Zheng Jiuen pointed to the black wooden whistle in the young person's hand and smiled as he replied, "You blew the whistle to summon me, and now you ask who I am?"
The young man was stunned for a moment, suddenly realizing, "Are you Mr. Zheng? Please forgive me, I didn't know your identity and accidentally offended you!"
Zheng Jiuen waved his hand and smiled, "It's alright, and furthermore, I am not someone important. I have no official position or job, I don't deserve to be called 'Mr.' Is Liu Qiming the one who sent you here?"
The young man bowed and said, "Reporting to the senior, I am indeed sent by Senior Zheng to secretly protect the Zhen family."
Zheng Jiuen nodded, "Judging from your previous close-quarter combat stance, you're at the fifth rank, aren't you?"
The young man sighed and said, "I am ashamed to admit that after practicing martial arts for over ten years, I am still unable to reach the fourth rank. Please forgive my incompetence, sir."
Zheng Jiuen sighed and said, "But at just twenty years of age, you have already achieved the fifth rank. The younger generation is truly admirable!"
He suddenly asked, "Do you want to become a fourth-ranking official?"
The young man's pupils contracted, and he looked up suddenly, his eyes filled with eagerness. He clasped his fists and bowed deeply, saying, "Please enlighten me, sir!"
Zheng Jiuen waved his hand and said, "You just focus on protecting the Zhen family. Once the mission is accomplished, I will personally guide you to the fourth rank as a reward. How about that?"
After finishing speaking, in order to increase credibility, Zheng Jiuen waved his hand to set up a field, and the young people instantly felt that their whole body's internal strength was like stagnant mud, unable to flow at all.
He exclaimed in shock, "Third rank! No, not third rank, it's second rank!"
Zheng Jiuen waved his hand again and put away the Field Divine Power. This casual and relaxed posture sparked infinite enthusiasm in the eyes of the young people.
"Rest assured, my Lord. As Baili Qingshan, I guarantee with my life that I will protect the entire Zhen family! As long as I'm here, the Zhen family will be safe!"
Wu Chi Bai Li Qing Shan, at this moment still unaware that this pledge would lead him onto a life full of unimaginable grandeur and ups and downs.