Chapter 3: Family Discipline

Ning Mingfeng had three sons in total, and Ning Xiu’s father was his youngest. When Ning Xiu was three years old, his father left the Ning family and vanished without a trace. His mother, on the other hand, had died in childbirth. Thus, of the third branch, only Ning Xiu remained, which was precisely why Ning Mingfeng took special care of him.

Yet for this very reason, Ning Xiu became the target of jealousy and resentment from the descendants of the first and second branches. The only reason he had been able to possess this body was because its previous inhabitant had been poisoned by others. As he gazed at these all-too-familiar faces, Ning Xiu could not help but be swept away by a torrent of thoughts.

“…Xiu’er, Xiu’er?!”

“Grandfather.” Pulled back to reality by Ning Mingfeng’s voice, Ning Xiu rose to his feet and bowed in response.

“What are your thoughts on this matter?” The old man took a sip of tea and then spoke.

Ning Xiu glanced at his two uncles before replying, “Our Ning family’s foundation lies in medicinal herbs. The bandits in the mountains near Shouchun have now completely cut off the transport routes for our herbs. If we hire a large number of armed escorts, the costs will soar. I believe my uncles are right; the most urgent task now is to contact the authorities and ask them to dispatch troops to eliminate the bandits.”

Ning Mingfeng nodded slightly, though his brows furrowed involuntarily. After a moment’s silence, he said, “I will speak to Magistrate Sun about this personally. After you return, warn everyone in your households: unless necessary, do not leave the city these days. Those bandits are vicious beyond compare.”

“Yes, we take our leave, Father (Grandfather)!”

As he watched his sons and grandsons depart the council hall, Ning Mingfeng remained seated. He gazed quietly at his teacup, watching the tea leaves unfurl, lost in silence.

Just as the council hall doors were closing, Ning Xiu looked back inside and saw the old man’s figure, cast lonely and lifeless in the dim candlelight.

“Was that an illusion?” Ning Xiu frowned imperceptibly. It seemed his grandfather knew more than he let on—something Ning Xiu in his past life had never noticed.

After politely bidding farewell to his two uncles, Ning Xiu returned to his own room.

Life was too short to waste—especially for Ning Xiu, who had already crossed the boundary between life and death once. Thanks to the system, he had immediately acquired the internal cultivation method from the "Blood Blade Manual," but he had only just entered its threshold; mastery was still far ahead.

So as soon as he returned to his room, he began meditative cultivation at once.

Meditation required a tranquil mind. This wasn’t usually difficult for Ning Xiu, but after all that had happened, especially the day’s upheavals, his thoughts were chaotic and he struggled to find stillness. The contents of the "Blood Blade Manual" were already deeply etched in his mind. Taking a deep breath, he assumed the peculiar stance described in the manual—standing on his head with his skull pressed to the floor—and gradually gathered his spirits.

Before long, Ning Xiu felt a faint trace of true qi stirring within him, coursing through specific meridians before slowly converging in his lower dantian.

......

At dawn, Ning Xiu slowly opened his eyes.

The room was still shrouded in darkness, yet his gaze was clear and bright. He opened his mouth slightly and exhaled a breath of turbid air.

He drew in a long breath, able to distinctly sense a fine, delicate current of true qi circulating within him.

A night of arduous cultivation had not been wasted.

“Martial God.”

He summoned the system, and as he expected, the annotations on the "Blood Blade Manual" had changed.

"Blood Blade Manual: Internal skill, entry level, proficiency 6%."

"Blood Blade Saber Technique: Not acquired. Requirement: Basic saber technique proficiency 100%."

"Proficiency at 6%... Since daily cultivation can raise proficiency, I’d better hurry and practice my basic saber skills. If I remember right, Zhang Heng is a saber fighter."

……

For the next three days, Ning Xiu remained in his own chambers, never stepping outside. All his needs were attended to by Xiao Cui.

Meanwhile, word had spread throughout the residence that he had, not long ago, flung a hundred taels of silver at a “beggar” in town, further cementing his reputation as a wastrel. The first and second branches seized on this to complain to the old master.

Although the old master made no public comment, the household could sense well enough that, at least in this matter, he was once again disappointed in his most cherished grandson.

Ning Xiu paid no heed to any of this, focusing solely on his cultivation. In just three days, he had managed to increase his proficiency in the "Blood Blade Manual" by another percentage point.

"By my reckoning, Zhang Heng should be here soon…" Ning Xiu slowly opened his eyes and murmured to himself.

Just then, he heard a commotion outside his room, and he immediately recognized one of the voices—it was his personal maid, Xiao Cui.

He raised his eyebrows, got up, and pushed open the door. In the courtyard, a burly man was harassing Xiao Cui while a crowd of servants and maids looked on. Clearly, an argument had broken out, and Xiao Cui, outnumbered and alone, could not match so many voices. Some even went so far as to lay hands on her; before long, the young girl’s face was flushed with anger.

“Who gave you the nerve to make trouble in my courtyard?” Ning Xiu’s voice rang out cold and stern.

“Well, what a loud voice. Who did I think it was—so it’s our Young Master Xiu.” The burly man turned to Ning Xiu, sneering mockingly.

Despite the man’s insolence, Ning Xiu did not lose his temper. He merely fixed the man with a steely gaze. After a moment, he spoke coldly: “You’re my cousin Ning Qing’s servant, aren’t you? What’s your name?”

“Your servant is Zhao Si, in the service of Young Master Qing…” Zhao Si replied with a grin.

He hadn’t finished speaking when a crisp slap rang out. Before anyone could react, Zhao Si’s robust frame was sent flying, landing hard on the ground.

“Did I say I wanted your name?” Ning Xiu glanced at the man sprawled on the ground and spoke icily.

In that moment, silence fell over the courtyard, broken only by Zhao Si’s wails.

Ning Xiu had struck with internal force. Though the "Blood Blade Manual" was only at the introductory stage, Zhao Si was just an ordinary man—he couldn’t bear such a blow. Half his face instantly swelled, and he spat out a mouthful of blood, several broken teeth mixed within.

“It seems my dear cousin never taught you our Ning family’s rules. Do you know the penalty for defying your superiors? It looks like I’ll have to teach you myself.” With that, Ning Xiu picked up a wooden staff from the courtyard, smiling faintly.

Seeing Ning Xiu approach, staff in hand, Zhao Si was truly terrified. When had this usually frail young master become so fearsome?

His face was full of panic and dread. Glancing around, he finally spotted his savior and cried out, “Young Master Qing, help me!”

“Cousin, Zhao Si meant no harm—it was just a thoughtless offense. Please let him off this once.”

At that moment, a voice came from outside the courtyard.

Ning Xiu looked up at the familiar figure and a sinister smile curled at his lips. “Very well. I can let him go, but family law cannot.”

Even as he spoke, he brought the staff down hard on Zhao Si’s right leg.