Chapter 9: Talent

By the time Shang Bin turned back, his waist was no longer bent and he was no longer panting. He walked with a confident stride, having recovered his normal state, though his expression remained somewhat strange. He glanced at Su Tang and said, “Young Master, your strength is… passable.”

“Passable?” Su Tang smiled. “I only used fifty percent of my strength just now. How about this, let me throw one more punch!”

“No need, no need.” Shang Bin waved his hands hurriedly. “Young Master, your strength is already great enough, but… strength alone is useless. Remember, Master said that among all living beings, everyone has their own Spirit Root and Spirit Vein, but some are strong while others are weak, some are thick while others are shallow. Everyone is different, which is why there are differences in aptitude. That is the true strength. To make one’s Spirit Root and Spirit Vein more power ful, one must practice various Martial Formulas…”

Shang Bin spoke while swaying his head, while Su Tang’s expression became very solemn. This was the first time he had come into contact with Martial Formulas. Whether Shang Bin’s strength was great or weak, or whether what he said was right or wrong, did not matter; what mattered was gathering information and making judgments slowly in the future.

Seeing that Su Tang was listening intently, Shang Bin became more enthusiastic as he spoke. After nearly half an hour, Su Tang suddenly asked, “Uncle Shang, what is your Martial Formula called? Which rank does it belong to?” This was because Shang Bin had just said that the vast majority of Martial Formulas were divided into nine ranks, categorized as upper, middle, and lower. Above Martial Formulas were Battle Formulas, but Shang Bin had only heard of them.

“This…” Shang Bin paused, laughing awkwardly. “I don’t know. Master didn’t say back then. As for the rank… haha… I’m not quite sure either.”

“Oh.” Su Tang understood, but this did not dampen his enthusiasm for learning Martial Formulas. Regardless of the rank, he would learn it first. He had to find some meaningful and valuable things to do.

“Sanzi, put the vegetable stump on the stone bench,” Shang Bin said.

The servant named Sanzi carried the vegetable stump to the edge of the training ground, set it up, and hid to one side, waiting with interest to watch the excitement.

“Young Master, try this flying knife.” Shang Bin took a bundle of flying knives from his bag and pulled one out to hand to Su Tang.

Su Tang took the flying knife and threw it out casually. The knife spun through the air toward the vegetable stump. Su Tang’s aim was actually quite good, but unfortunately, when it hit the target, the handle was in front and the blade was behind. As a result, the flying knife bounced far away and landed on the ground.

Shang Bin also pulled out a flying knife and flicked his wrist slightly. The knife turned into a streak of white light and, with a sharp sound, nailed itself firmly into the center of the vegetable stump.

Shang Bin looked proud. “Young Master, throwing a flying knife like you do is just playing. A real flying knife requires the use of a Martial Formula. Through the wrist and fingertips, you hit the knife out. It is hitting! Not throwing!”

After saying this, Shang Bin slowed down his movements and repeated the action of throwing the flying knife several times.

Su Tang nodded, thought for a moment, and followed Shang Bin’s movements to shoot out flying knife after flying knife.

Although Su Tang had already realized that Shang Bin’s skill was just a trivial trick—useful for fooling servants in the fort, but completely insignificant in the outside world—his interest remained strong because he liked long-range combat…

I can hit you, but don’t touch me. If I can win, I fight; if I can’t, I leave.

Shang Bin observed from the side. He suddenly discovered that Su Tang’s comprehension was excellent. He had only demonstrated the movements a few times and corrected him once; after that, he was no longer needed. Su Tang’s movements became more and more standard, and the flying knives hitting the vegetable stump became more and more stable.

The Young Master’s talent is truly amazing… Shang Bin sighed inwardly. What a pity; if the Young Master had started Cultivation from a young age, his achievements might have surpassed the Master’s!

After more than half an hour, Su Tang clapped his hands and smiled. “I’ve learned this, right? It’s very simple…”

“Young Master, you have only just entered the door.” Shang Bin was dissatisfied. “There are many variation techniques in Martial Formulas, and you don’t have to use only one knife. There are specific moves…” As he spoke, Shang Bin grabbed six or seven flying knives, held his breath for a moment, and suddenly let out a roar, shooting all the knives out.

The flashing cold light condensed into a faint pillar of light, hitting the vegetable stump. The slightly trembling handles formed a neat circle.

“This is the Seven Stars Shining Moon,” Shang Bin said. His chest heaved slightly; clearly, performing this move was not easy for him.

“Oh…” Su Tang’s expression became focused and serious again.

The old Su Tang had been ignorant and unskilled. Compared to his current hardworking practice, these were two extremes. Seeing Su Tang return to the right path, Shang Bin felt very gratified. However, as time passed, his mood shifted toward another extreme.

By noon, Su Tang ate a quick meal at the training ground and began practicing nonstop without a moment’s break. Seeing the sun set in the west, Shang Bin began to worry.

“Young Master, it’s time to take a rest.”

“I’m not tired.”

After waiting for a long time, Shang Bin urged him again, “Young Master, this is not good for your health. Cultivation should be done according to one’s own strength…”

Shang Bin had no choice and gave Ke’er a look. Ke’er understood Shang Bin’s meaning, turned and ran out of the training ground, and shouted from the courtyard gate upon her return, “Young Master, Sister Zhu’er is calling you back for dinner.”

“Tell her to bring the food box over,” Su Tang said without looking back.

Shang Bin and Ke’er looked at each other, not knowing what to do. If Su Xiang were still here and gave an order, they would naturally dare to use forceful means. But now, Su Tang was the master of the fort, and they dared not offend their superior.

Time passed bit by bit. Su Tang was like a robot, constantly repeating the same boring movements. From early morning until now, he had probably done it nearly ten thousand times. In fact, he was so focused not because he wanted to completely master the flying knife techniques, but because he sensed some indescribable power awakening within his body.

With every knife thrown, he could clearly judge the wind speed and the effect of air resistance on the flying knife. He saw the displacement of the vegetable stump caused by the impact—something an ordinary person could never notice—and could even calculate how many more knives were needed to make the stump fall off the stone bench.

“Young Master, it is already late. Your body won’t be able to take it if this continues…” Shang Bin couldn’t help himself again. Ke’er and Zhu’er, who were behind him, nodded frequently. Zhu’er had already received reports from the servants and, unable to worry, had come over during dinner and waited there.

“I’m really not tired. When I’m tired, I’ll naturally go back to sleep,” Su Tang replied.

After an unknown amount of time, Shang Bin tried to persuade Su Tang again, but this time he used a pleading tone: “Young Master, this won’t do… it really won’t do…”

“Nagging!” Su Tang became impatient.

The servants summoned to the field were exhausted. They took turns acting as Su Tang’s assistants. When the vegetable stump fell to the ground, they set it back up. When the stump was nearly shredded by flying knives, they replaced it with another. These things were nothing; the most tiring part was pulling out the knives. It was fine at first, but Su Tang’s force grew stronger and stronger. The servants had to use every ounce of their strength to pull the knives out of the stump, resulting in large blood blisters on their hands. Facing the stump filled with knives, the servants really wanted to cry.

Some truly could not hold on any longer. Ignoring the risk of being scolded by Shang Bin, they simply lay down on the ground of the training ground and fell asleep. Fortunately, Shang Bin currently had no mind to care about them.

Su Tang felt no fatigue at all and remained immersed in his hardworking practice. As for Shang Bin, who had tried to persuade him to rest, he had completely given up and just stared blankly from the side.

It wasn’t until the sky brightened that Su Tang let out a long sigh and threw the flying knife in his hand to the ground. Seeing this action, the few remaining servants who were still gritting their teeth in endurance slumped to the ground. They knew the suffering had ended.

Just then, a slightly yellowed leaf detached from a branch above and fluttered down. Su Tang paused, suddenly bent over to pick up a flying knife, and then, with a very natural motion, threw the knife out.

For a full day and night, he had been repeating the throwing technique Shang Bin taught him. But this time, he returned to his original spontaneous and casual manner, as if twenty-plus hours of hard practice had been in vain.

A white light flashed, and the fluttering leaf was instantly shattered by the force contained in the flying knife. With a sharp sound, the knife landed in the middle of the vegetable stump, its handle vibrating violently.

Shang Bin’s eyelid twitched violently. He could also do this, but the question was: how long had he practiced? And how long had Su Tang practiced?!

“Let’s go, let’s go.” Su Tang smiled and pinched Ke’er’s nose. “Sleeping here, aren’t you afraid of getting sick?” Leaving the state of cultivation, Su Tang became that warm-hearted and kind young master again.

Zhu’er and Ke’er could no longer hold on but were unwilling to leave. They had to have someone bring two lounge chairs to rest for a while, and as a result, they both fell fast asleep.

The two opened their eyes simultaneously. This was the duty of a maid, and also their nature; no matter how exhausted they were, they would not sleep so deeply as to ignore Su Tang’s voice.

“Ah, it’s morning!” Zhu’er hurriedly stood up. She had many things to attend to. After walking a few steps, she remembered yesterday’s events, stopped abruptly, and turned to look at Su Tang: “Young Master…”

“Leave me alone.” Su Tang waved his hand lazily. “I’m both tired and sleepy. I need to go back and catch up on some sleep.”

Hearing Su Tang admit he was tired, Shang Bin and the others finally breathed a sigh of relief. If Su Tang wanted to continue practicing, they would have gone insane.

Su Tang’s figure disappeared through the courtyard gate. Shang Bin looked at Zhu’er, and Zhu’er was also looking at Shang Bin. Su Tang had become so diligent and hardworking that they should have been very happy, but they truly could not bring themselves to be happy.