Grinding to the Martial Sage from the White Ape Fist-Chapter 48: The Yang Sisters’ Invitation

In a corner of the Martial Arts Arena, a fierce wind howled.

Su Yu withdrew his fist and stood still, his breath long and steady.

Xu Feng stood to the side, watching the junior brother he had personally guided into the sect. His eyes held both admiration and a touch of regret.

"Junior Su, there’s something I need to tell you."

Su Yu paused. "Senior Brother, go ahead."

Xu Feng chose his words carefully before speaking. "I mentioned to Master about taking you on as a Direct Disciple. Master agrees that your comprehension and temperament are both of the Upper Grade, and he wants to test you."

"A test?" Su Yu’s expression was calm.

"That’s right. In the Martial Examination three months from now, if you can place in the top twenty, Master will accept you as his Direct Disciple!"

’Top twenty in the Martial Examination?’

’A Direct Disciple?’

Su Yu pondered for a moment. He understood the significance of being a Direct Disciple—it would be a great help on his Martial Arts path.

Take the medicinal pills for training, for instance. He’d heard that Master provided them all for Chen Fan. That alone was a huge expense.

’If I had that many resources, I could focus entirely on cultivating the White Ape Fist. My progress would definitely be much faster.’

’But I met Master Qin when I had my breakthrough, and he didn’t mention anything about this back then. He clearly didn’t think much of me.’

’So why is he proposing a test now?’

’Placing in the top twenty of this Martial Examination... that won’t be easy!’

"Senior Brother, this Martial Examination is probably quite difficult, isn’t it?"

Xu Feng was silent for a moment before replying, "Yes, it has some difficulty. Previous years wouldn’t have been so bad, but this year, the three great families are establishing a Law Enforcement Team and will be selecting talent from the Martial Examination. Many more Martial Artists will be participating."

"But you don’t need to worry too much. The assessment requires participants to be at or below the Third Acupoint realm. As for the top twenty, if you master the White Ape Fist and the Spiritual Ape Demon-Slaying Saber, you’ll have a chance."

"The Spiritual Ape Demon-Slaying Saber?"

"Yes. Master specifically asked me to teach it to you. This saber art is one of Master’s signature techniques. Its potential is very high, but it’s also quite difficult to cultivate."

As he spoke, he took a thin, yellowed booklet from his robes. Five large, calligraphic characters were written on it: Spiritual Ape Demon-Slaying Saber!

"This is the Secret Manual for the first layer of the saber art. Take it and have a look. Return it when you’re done."

"Thank you, Senior Brother!"

"Also, this saber art emphasizes a combination of agility and dominance. An ordinary long saber won’t feel right. You’d best go to a blacksmith and have your own Treasure Saber forged."

"Thank you for the advice, Senior Brother!" Su Yu accepted the Secret Manual with a serious expression, his heart pounding with excitement.

’The Spiritual Ape Demon-Slaying Saber!’

’If I learn this, my combat strength will increase dramatically!’

"Oh, right. One more thing. I’ll be away for a few days. Could you help me lead the apprentices in the front courtyard?"

"Of course, Senior Brother."

After seeing Xu Feng off, Su Yu eagerly opened the saber manual.

"Form like a Spiritual Ape climbing through clouds and mist; intent like a vajra subduing legions of demons. Stillness like an ancient pine on a cliff’s edge; movement like startling thunder that shatters mountains and rivers. When the ape-heart is tamed, the blade’s edge is revealed; a single slash to cleanse the world of filth!"

’These general principles are certainly domineering. I wonder how effective it is in practice.’

Su Yu continued reading and discovered that the first layer of this saber art contained seven stances. Each had its own unique characteristics, and all were purely for killing!

He casually pulled a practice saber from the weapon rack and began to practice according to the Secret Manual.

The first stance: Spiritual Ape Emerges from the Cave!

His body suddenly dropped low, like a Spiritual Ape Shrinking Body, and he sped forward close to the ground. Just as he was about to make contact with the wooden dummy, he flipped his wrist, and the blade flashed out from behind him like a bolt of lightning!

This move, Spiritual Ape Emerges from the Cave, was all about surprising speed!

The second stance: Demon-slaying Mountain Splitting!

Su Yu gripped the saber with both hands and raised it high above his head. His spine coiled and then snapped like a great dragon, gathering all his strength into a single point as he brought the blade down with the force of a collapsing mountain!

This slash was about overwhelming power, fierce and domineering!

...

After completing a full run-through of the stances, the familiar ink-wash text appeared.

[Spiritual Ape Demon-Slaying Saber: Entry-level]

[Martial Arts]: Spiritual Ape Demon-Slaying Saber (First Layer) (Entry-level 1/3000)

Along with it came an understanding of the saber art—how to draw the blade, how to exert force... numerous insights flooded his mind in an instant.

’Excellent. I can only practice White Ape Fist for a few hours a day. The rest of the time is perfect for practicing this Spiritual Ape Demon-Slaying Saber. The fulfilling days are here again!’

...

「The next day, in the front courtyard’s Martial Arts Arena.」

"Senior Brother Su!"

When the apprentices saw Su Yu, they all clasped their fists in salute, their eyes filled with awe and envy.

Su Yu nodded. "Senior Brother Xu is busy, so I will be guiding you for the next few days. If there’s anything you don’t understand, feel free to ask."

The apprentices dispersed and resumed their training.

"Senior Brother Su!"

Just then, a clear, crisp voice called out.

Two young women dressed in brocade, who bore a strong resemblance to each other, approached him.

It was the newly arrived twin sisters, Yang Zhen and Yang Ai.

The younger sister, Yang Ai, was slightly taller. She had pretty features and lively eyes. She was looking at Su Yu playfully. "We just arrived a few days ago and haven’t learned the Pile Skill yet. Senior Brother Su, could you teach us?"

The older sister, Yang Zhen, seemed much calmer. Her figure was voluptuous, fuller and rounder, and she stood quietly to the side, watching Su Yu with eyes as clear as water.

"Alright."

Su Yu didn’t refuse and began to instruct the two women.

"The Six Changes of the White Ape focus on intent. The opening stance, the White Ape Seal..."

...

He reached out to correct Yang Ai’s posture. "Keep your back straight. Here... relax."

As his fingers touched the young woman’s smooth back, the younger sister, Yang Ai, stiffened slightly. A blush immediately blossomed on her cheeks, but she didn’t shy away. Instead, she boldly looked up at Su Yu’s handsome profile.

The nearby apprentices stared, their eyes wide and their hearts sour with jealousy.

These new twin beauties were not only gorgeous, but they also came from a wealthy family. Since their arrival, they had been aloof to everyone, yet they were so enthusiastic toward Senior Brother Su.

In the distance, Ye Lu saw Yang Ai’s behavior and rolled her eyes, her face showing an expression of disdain.

’Is she here to practice Martial Arts or to seduce men?’

Su Yu continued to correct the two women’s postures. Once they had the basics down, he diligently went on to guide the other apprentices, showing no favoritism.

When he got to Ye Lu, she was overjoyed. She hadn’t expected Su Yu to not skip over her.

After Senior Brother Chen’s breakthrough to the Martial Artist realm, she hadn’t sought out Senior Brother Su, and she thought he held a grudge against her.

Seeing Senior Brother Su instructing her so seriously, she kept trying to lean against him.

Su Yu placed a hand on her slender waist, stopping her from actually leaning on him, and said softly, "Focus on your training."

He didn’t pay Ye Lu much mind, treating her just like any other apprentice. He hadn’t thought much of it; guiding her was simply a matter of fairness.

From a distance, Yang Ai had already noticed the only other female apprentice there. Seeing Ye Lu’s scheming look, her delicate brows furrowed. She lowered her voice and said to her sister, "Sister, look at that woman. You can tell she’s up to no good. I’ve already found out that Senior Brother Su is young and promising, and he has no family. We can’t let someone else snatch him away. We have to act fast!"

A trace of anxiety also flashed in Yang Zhen’s watery eyes. She nodded and said softly, "We can start by offering him a Tributor position!"

「The sun set in the west.」

Su Yu wiped the sweat from his brow and said, "That’s all for today."

He had to admit, guiding apprentices was quite time-consuming. No wonder the senior brothers from the Inner Courtyard were reluctant to come over.

His own training had been delayed today. He planned to return to the Inner Courtyard tonight for some extra practice.

After all, even though he had already broken through to the Martial Artist realm, the pressure was ever-present.

He had to become stronger to have the power to deal with the potential crisis that Cao Bin might bring!

And he had to strive to place in the top twenty of the Martial Examination in three months!

"Senior Brother Su, please wait."

At that moment, Yang Zhen pulled her sister forward. She gave a graceful salute, her voice gentle. "Thank you for your careful guidance today, Senior Brother. My sister and I are new here and would like to invite you to a simple meal at Zhenxiu Building to express our gratitude. Would you do us the honor?"

’Zhenxiu Building?’

The apprentices who hadn’t left yet gasped. A single meal there would cost at least several dozen taels of silver!

Su Yu, however, frowned slightly. "There’s no need. I have to get back to my training."

Seeing Su Yu’s blunt refusal, a flicker of happiness actually crossed Yang Zhen’s eyes. She gave Yang Ai a look, and the two of them quickly stepped in front of Su Yu, blocking his path.

"Does Senior Brother find us too forward?"

Yang Zhen dropped her delicate demeanor, her tone turning serious. "To be honest, inviting you to dinner was just a pretext. We are here on behalf of our family, the Yang Family, to discuss a business proposition with you, Senior Brother."

"A business proposition?" Su Yu stopped walking.

"That’s right."

Yang Zhen looked directly into Su Yu’s eyes and said sincerely, "Our Yang Family is in the silk trade, and we are reasonably well-off. But these are chaotic times, and in business, there is inevitably some... unsavory competition."

"Therefore, we would like to invite you, Senior Brother Su, to hold a nominal Tributor position with the Yang Family."

"’A nominal position?’" Su Yu had heard the term before.

"Correct," Yang Ai added from the side, her eyes gleaming. "You just need to sign a contract. In the future, we would only ask you to step in to intimidate and resolve matters when the Yang Family runs into trouble. Our Yang Family will not only provide a Monthly Allowance, but also cultivation resources like Herbal Decoctions, treasured medicines, and precious fish!"

Su Yu looked at the twin sisters before him, lost in thought.

’This could be a good source of income. But I don’t know how deep the waters of this Yang Family run, or if I’ll get dragged into some major trouble.’

’I’ll have to ask Senior Brother Xu about this later.’

"There’s no rush," Su Yu said, neither agreeing nor refusing. "Let me consider it. I’ll give you an answer in a while."

The smile in Yang Zhen’s eyes deepened. Since Senior Brother Su hadn’t refused immediately, she knew they had a chance. "Of course," she said. "My sister and I will await your good news."