Chapter Sixty-One "Zhen Taikang"

After dinner, Frost and a few other maidservants like Xiao Huan went to every household to deliver the fish to the villagers. As for Elder Taiye Kang, Zhen Meng specially also delivered a freshly made piece of Yellow Mud Hai Dong Qing meat. Translation:
It's not that Zhenmeng is stingy and unwilling to give a few more pieces, but after slaughtering the Hai Dongqing, there is not much meat left. There are more than ten people in the Zhen family, and each person only gets one or two pieces.
After Zhenmeng explained the benefits and side effects of the Huangni Haodongqing to everyone, Chuxiu and Sujin were initially very resistant to the idea of sleeping on the tree. However, Zhenmeng explained that dynamic vision is an active skill and as long as it is not used, it will not trigger passive side effects. Only then did the two of them let go of their doubts. Translation:
Zhen Meng picked up a piece of Haidongqing meat amidst everyone's curious and expectant gazes, and carefully tasted it.
"Hmm, it has a crisp texture with a hint of tenderness, and the meat is chewy. The taste is fresh with a touch of fragrance, somewhat similar to beggar's chicken, considering the similar cooking method. After eating it, I can faintly feel a warm energy slowly spreading from my stomach, then winding up my spine, finally gathering in the area around my eyes. It feels like my eyes are immersed in a warm liquid, very comfortable."
After listening to Zhen Meng's tasting experience, everyone secretly swallowed saliva and couldn't wait to enjoy this dish called "Yellow Mud Hai Dongqing".
Zhen Taikang is already eighty-eight years old this year and is considered one of the few remaining senior figures in the Zhen family village.
When Zhen Taikang was young, he loved playing with knives and guns, dreaming of becoming a righteous hero. However, in the remote Zhen family village, the best fighter was merely the village's only hunter. As a child, Zhen Taikang's favorite thing to do was to follow the hunter, who was older than him, and listen to his thrilling stories of hunting adventures and rumors from the martial world.
直到有一天，甄太康在蟒河边的那块大石头上有模有样地打着一套乱七八糟的拳法时，一个路过的道人正巧在河边取水，下意识地多看了少年两眼，道人忽然咦了一声，开始认真观察这个十一二岁的少年。
The boy's martial arts skills are obviously uncoordinated and without any form, but the angle, force, and way he throws punches already possess a hint of self-taught expertise. The more the Taoist watched, the more delighted he became. Through every punch and kick, it seemed as if the boy was subtly grasping the true essence of the Tao.
The Daoist tradition places a great emphasis on causality. This young person seems to have a profound blessing. If they can be taken in and carefully trained, there is a possibility that they may eventually gain a glimpse of the great Way.
The Daoist approached the young person and asked if they were willing to join the Daoist tradition and follow their path of practice.
The young boy initially felt unusually excited, but when the excitement subsided, he unexpectedly refused the Taoist.
"Old immortal, I still have parents and siblings to take care of. If I were to go with you, they would be sad and upset."
Looking at the young man's serious expression full of regret, the Daoist was momentarily stunned but then felt relieved and no longer insisted.
Before leaving, he imparted to the young man a mnemonic for a martial arts technique, which was not an orthodox Daoist technique but rather a common entry-level martial arts technique, not considered a violation of the rules of the Daoist sect. Translation: The Daoist, impressed by the young man's earnest expression of disappointment, was taken aback at first but then came to terms with it and stopped insisting. Prior to leaving, he taught the young man a simple martial arts technique, which wasn't a genuine Daoist technique but rather a widely-known introductory skill, and it didn't violate the rules of the Daoist sect.
The young boy felt as if he had found a precious treasure and repeatedly thanked the Taoist. However, when he looked up, the Taoist had already disappeared from sight.
Filled with excitement, the young boy believed he had encountered a god descending to earth. After all, in the eyes of a village boy, someone who came and went high above was nothing short of a divine being.
From then on, the young man diligently practiced the mantra of the heart technique. In just half a year, he reached the intermediate level.
However, he only possessed the heart technique without corresponding combat skills, and lacked the guidance of a renowned master. The young man thus relied on his own exploration, and after a few years of stumbling, he surprisingly reached the seventh-level realm.
At this time, Zhen Taikang was already a young man in his twenties. As the chaos of the Mangshan bandits ravaged various counties and villages along the northern bank of the Yellow River, Zhen Taikang, who harbored a chivalrous spirit, responded to the county's conscription and resolutely joined the army.
Qi Han, a seventh-ranked warrior, stood out among the laboring soldiers who were conscripted to the small county town. In a short period of time, he was promoted to the position of Captain of the valiant army, leading a hundred soldiers.
Under his command, this hundred-man unit became the sharpest weapon in the valiant army. In multiple battles against the bandits in Mangshan, they were able to achieve victory after victory, earning numerous military achievements.
勇军越战越勇，最后与周边几个县的勇军合兵一处，反攻邙山，剑指流寇大本营。
这一役勇军斩杀流寇四千余人，甄太康更是亲手摘下了流寇头目的脑袋。
This bandit leader, who relied on his eighth-grade warrior level to dominate the Mangshan Mountains, couldn't understand until his death why a small county would produce a high-ranking warrior in the seventh-grade realm. You must know that becoming a warrior of a certain level is not easy. Without a profound family background or a lineage of martial arts, ordinary people may not even touch the threshold of a certain level even if they practice hard their whole life. Moreover, going a step further would mean transcending the realm of mortal bodies in the seventh-grade level.
After annihilating the long-standing bandits in Mangshan, the county magistrate of Heyang was overjoyed and eagerly wrote a letter to request recognition of his achievements. Those who could become county magistrates were all outstanding scholars who had excelled in the imperial examinations. Their literary talent naturally stood out, and in their lengthy memorial, they vividly described how they strategized from behind the scenes, how they led the troops from the front, and how they fearlessly faced danger. Their description was so detailed and lively that it moved anyone who heard it, causing them to involuntarily raise their thumbs and exclaim in admiration for these pillars of the nation.
!With a strong background in the officialdom, the privileged son immediately leveraged his connections after achieving meritorious service in suppressing bandits. He appropriated the credit that originally belonged to Zhen Taikang.
As a result, the privileged son who plucked the peaches earned a rapid promotion to become a rising star in the military, even ascending from the county magistrate of Heyang to become a prefecture governor. Meanwhile, Zhen Taikang, who had achieved significant contributions in this prolonged battle against the bandits, was merely rewarded with a mediocre local official position.
Young and full of energy, Zhen Taikang couldn't swallow his anger and went straight to confront the official's son who had stolen his military merits. As a result, they immediately started fighting, with Zhen Taikang, a seventh-ranked warrior, displaying his might and sweeping through half of the military camp, leaving the official's son terrified and overwhelmed.
However, two fists are ultimately no match for four hands, and even a seventh-grade martial artist is still just a mortal. In the end, he was overwhelmed by hundreds of soldiers using a tactic of outnumbering.
The young aristocrat, who was on the verge of wetting his pants, was about to execute Zhen Taikang on the spot. But he was persuaded by those around him to think it through. After careful consideration, the young aristocrat, who had always been narrow-minded, did not dare to take the risk of exposing his involvement in the matter by killing Zhen Taikang. But how could he swallow this humiliation? So he conceived a vicious plan and had someone poison Zhen Taikang's food, blinding the bright future of this ambitious young man.
From now on, this young person who has just stepped into the martial world with only half a foot, has not had the chance to experience the splendid and colorful scenes of the martial world, and sadly withdraws from it, not even leaving behind a legend.
Just some old soldiers from Heyang County, occasionally recalling that figure who was unstoppable, can only sigh silently.
Zhen Taikang did not accept the position of village magistrate. After this incident, his will was defeated. He returned to Zhen Family Village and lived as an ordinary villager.
Thanks to his profound internal strength, as well as the fact that he lacked the status to obtain highly toxic substances, his eyes gradually became able to see some blurry scenes. However, his internal strength cultivation was always stuck at the seventh level, with no hope of reaching the mid-third level in his lifetime.
A middle-aged man with a face and appearance that resembles Zhen Taikang about 67% holds two large bowls and walks into the living room.
"Grandpa, Taigen from the Iron Egg family sent some fish meat that he made himself. He said it's a gift for you, and he specifically asked you to eat this bowl of chicken while it's still hot."
Zhen Taikang made a sound of approval, placing down the two iron gallstones he had been fiddling with in his hands. He leaned closer to take a sniff, and a rich aroma hit his nose, making his appetite instantly aroused.
A middle-aged man quickly handed over a pair of chopsticks to Zhen Taikang, who accepted them and picked up a piece of Hai Dongqing meat from the bowl, which was much larger than an ordinary chicken leg. He carefully chewed on it.
The elderly person has entered old age, and their appetite is far less than when they were young. They rarely eat hard-to-digest meats on regular days. Today, they made an exception and indulged in meat, which brought great joy to the middle-aged man.
Zhen Taikang eats very slowly. In his nearly hundred years of life, he has never felt such satisfaction in eating. He slightly squints his pale eyes and a barely noticeable smile of contentment appears at the corners of his mouth. He conscientiously finishes the entire piece of Haidong Qing meat, feeling somewhat unsatisfied.
Zhen Taikang greedily wiped his mouth and was about to taste another mouthwatering grilled fish when a sudden surge of heat rose from his stomach, swiftly coiled around his spine, and shot straight towards his forehead.
Zhen Taikang was greatly shocked. He quickly mobilized his internal strength, attempting to intercept the mysterious surge of heat. However, his immense internal strength came into contact with this surge and, like meeting an old friend, it simply greeted him before diverting its path.
Zhen Taikang was full of doubts, but also a little relieved. It seemed that this warm current had no hostile intent. So, he immersed his mind and carefully perceived this warm current that had already rushed into his brain.
He only felt that wherever the warm current passed, it was warm and cozy. The warm current slowly gathered towards his eye sockets, gradually forming a ball that enveloped Zhen Taikang's two eyeballs.
Zhen Taikang, who was poisoned over seventy years ago and has lost the sensation in his optic nerves since then, can now distinctly feel that warmth. In his heart, he has a certain speculation. I understand that Zhen Taikang, despite being blind for many years due to poisoning, is able to perceive a warm feeling at this moment, prompting him to have a specific conjecture.
Before he could finish guessing, the tear glands in the eyes were stimulated by a warm stream, and tears gushed out like a river bursting through a dam, surprising the middle-aged man next to me.
How terrible this must taste to make my grandfather, who has always been emotionally stable, cry like this!
In his heart, he immediately labeled the members of the Zhen family as terrible cooks who can make food so bad it brings tears to his eyes.
After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Zhen Taikang slowly opened his eyes, and the sudden brightness stabbed his eyes, causing him to burst into tears again on the spot.
Gradually adjusting, Zhen Taikang slowly opened his eyes again, and a middle-aged man with a strange expression was looking at him.
他环视四周，这是一间布置简单却干净整洁的屋子，门上贴着略有些褪色的红色福字，墙上挂着一副寓意年年有余的中堂，最后将目光落在身边的中年男子脸上。
Chong'er? How could you be so ugly?
The middle-aged man: ...
Immediately, he realized: "Grandfather, can you see now with your eyes?"
Zhen Taikang was deeply shocked in his heart, but he didn't show any emotions on his face. He smiled lightly and said, "Chong'er, come here, let grandfather take a good look, is your father also this ugly?"
The middle-aged man looked speechless. The entire Zhen family village knows that he bears a striking resemblance to his grandfather by seven or eight points. This statement is either a case of hurting the enemy a thousand times and harming oneself eight hundred times, or his own grandfather never looked into a mirror when he was young.