leonardwarren From Chapter 7 onwards, he is Zhang Qingyang.
From Chapter 7 onwards, he is Zhang Qingyang.
County Lieutenant Lin Shen was a middle-aged man with a resolute face.
Looking at the small but calm-eyed child in front of him, and then at the black iron plaque tightly held in his hand, Lin Shen's eyes flashed with a complex mix of pity and expectation.
"The Zhang family is full of loyal and valiant men, their virtue is evident to all. My dear nephew from Qingyang," the county magistrate's voice was encouraging, "I hope you will carry on your father's legacy and bring glory to your family. Whatever you need, whether it be money, expenses, or medical treatment, the county government will do its utmost to provide it for you."
He turned to Chen Wenyuan.
"Counselor Chen, I'll leave the matter of the Zhang family's orphan to you to handle properly."
Chen Wenyuan agreed and left the county government office with Zhang Yuan.
After passing through several somewhat desolate streets, we finally stopped in front of an old house with a plaque that read "Zhang Mansion".
The vermilion gate was mottled and faded, and the copper rings were covered in dust.
The heavy door creaked open as it was pushed open.
What comes into view is a small courtyard. Withered yellow weeds sprout from the cracks in the gravel path, and a few old trees shake off their withered leaves in the late autumn wind, adding to the desolation.
Above the main hall, the plaque inscribed with "Passing Down Loyalty and Valor" was polished to a shine, its dark luster contrasting sharply with the dilapidated courtyard in the afterglow of the setting sun.
An old servant with gray hair and a hunched back, leaning on a cane, came out shakily from the side room to greet them.
When his cloudy old eyes saw Zhang Yuan, they were instantly overwhelmed with immense grief and unbelievable excitement.
He staggered a few steps, then knelt down in front of Zhang Yuan with a thud. Tears streamed down his wrinkled face, and his voice was choked and hoarse.
"Young...Young Master! This old servant...this old servant Zhang Gu greets Young Master! Heaven have mercy! Heaven have mercy! This old servant has guarded this empty house for seven years, and finally...finally, I have waited for the return of the Master's only child!"
His withered, bony hands gripped Zhang Yuan's tattered but clean clothes tightly, as if grasping at the last glimmer of hope for the Zhang family. He looked up, his face streaked with tears, and sobbed uncontrollably.
"The great responsibility of reviving the Zhang family... the future of the Zhang family rests... rests on your shoulders, young master!"
Zhang Yuan looked down at the old servant kneeling on the ground, weeping bitterly, then looked up at the plain white funeral banner that was still hanging in the depths of the courtyard, swaying gently in the wind.
The black iron plaque pressed tightly against his chest felt as heavy as a thousand pounds, branded firmly onto his heart.
A few withered leaves on the steps were swept up by the cold wind, swirling and drifting into the dim inner room, like countless unfulfilled vows and heavy expectations, lingering in the twilight of the setting sun.
From then on, he was Zhang Qingyang.
The only bloodline of Zhang Zhenshan, the Commandant of the Imperial Guard.
Regardless, with this identity, he can live peacefully in this chaotic world.
Thinking of Wang Ziteng, who had been taken away by the remnants of the Guzhu Hall, Zhang Yuan sighed softly.
Chen Wenyuan looked at Zhang Yuan, who was thin but had a calm look in his eyes, and pondered for a moment before saying, "Qingyang, now that you have returned home, you must not neglect your studies. Starting next month, on the 5th, 15th, and 25th of each ten-day period, at the beginning of the Si hour, you must come to my residence to study the classics and articles. You must not miss a day."
"This is the foundation, and it cannot be taken lightly." Zhang Yuan nodded in agreement: "Yes, teacher, I have remembered."
Chen Wenyuan continued, "As for martial arts training, your foundation is still shallow, and your qi and blood need to be nourished. The owner of the 'Panshi Martial Arts Hall' in the east of Fengming County is someone I know well. He has a solid foundation and teaches rigorously."
"I have made all the arrangements for you. Once you are settled at home, you can take this name card with you."
He handed over a simple name card.
"Every afternoon, go to the gym to practice for two hours. The gym provides medicinal baths and meals to replenish your qi and blood. Remember, the path of martial arts is about perseverance and steady progress."
This was Chen Wenyuan's plan.
Zhang Yuan has been living a secluded life for the past few years, studying literature at the Chen family home and practicing martial arts at the martial arts academy.
Within the county town, he had little contact with the outside world and even less interaction with his old acquaintances from the Zhang family.
After a few years, the child's body grew taller and his appearance changed, making it difficult for even those who had seen Zhang Qingyang a few times before to distinguish the real from the fake.
After giving his instructions, Chen Wenyuan got up to take his leave.
Zhang Gu, leaning on his cane, respectfully escorted Counselor Chen to the door.
After Chen Wenyuan had walked away, Zhang Gu led Zhang Yuan back to the courtyard, his steps unsteady. "Young master, let this old servant show you around this house. Although it has been vacant for many years, this old servant has cleaned it every day and dared not neglect it."
The old servant chattered on and on, leading Zhang Yuan through each place.
He pointed to an old plum tree with gnarled branches in the corner of the courtyard: "This was planted by the old master himself. He liked to practice his martial arts in front of it..."
He then pointed to a corner paved with smooth bluestone slabs: "When the master was a child, he used to train his muscles and bones here, practicing in the coldest and hottest winters and summers. His sweat would soak the stone slabs... Later, when the master joined the army, he always liked to practice his boxing here whenever he returned home..."
At this point, Zhang Gu's face was filled with the glory of reminiscence.
He led Zhang Yuan through the corridor to a side room, lowering his voice: "This is the young master's room..."
He paused, a deeper pain flashing in his cloudy eyes, as if something was choking him, and he couldn't continue talking about the young master.
The old man simply sighed deeply, shook his head, and silently pushed the door open a crack, letting Zhang Yuan glimpse the dusty furnishings inside before gently closing it again.
Finally, Zhang Gu led Zhang Yuan to the study.
The study was simply furnished, with few books on the bookshelves, which were covered in dust. Only a heavy black armor hanging on the wooden frame, though old, was polished to a shine and gleamed with a cold, dark iron luster, which was particularly eye-catching.
Zhang Gu did not immediately introduce the armor, but instead walked to a desk and laboriously took out an oilcloth package from the depths of a drawer.
He carefully opened it, and inside was a stack of yellowed papers.
"Young Master," Zhang Gu said solemnly as he presented the package to Zhang Yuan, "this is the family fortune that the Zhang family has accumulated over the years, mainly the land deeds of several estates outside the city."
"This old servant has been keeping these things for you, Master, all these years. Now that you, Young Master, have returned, it is only right that you take over their management."
Looking at the land deed, Zhang Yuan calmly said, "Master Gu, these properties are under your management. I'm new here and know nothing about running a farm, collecting rent and taxes. Taking over rashly would only make things worse."
"I'll trouble you, Mr. Gu, to continue in charge. You know better than I do what needs to be done."
Looking at Zhang Yuan's youthful yet composed face, Zhang Gu's eyes flashed with a complex mix of relief and barely perceptible worry.
He silently wrapped the land deed again and put it away carefully before starting to ramble on again:
"Alas, young master, you are right. But... but this family business is also in dire straits now."
"Back in the day, when the imperial court bestowed rewards, the majority of the money was used to buy land, hoping for a long and stable life."
"The master used all that wealth, gold and silver to help the families and orphans of his fallen comrades, saying that he couldn't let his brothers shed blood and tears, leaving their families without support."
He pointed to the stack of land deeds: "Most of these deeds are in Zhangzhuang, Lizhuang, and Wangzhuang outside the city. Young master, you know about the devastating flood a few days ago..."
Zhang Gu's voice lowered, filled with sorrow.
"Those villages are all in low-lying areas. The floodwaters inundated them, and the fields are still submerged. Seven or eight out of ten of the villagers were killed or injured!"
"Most of those left are women, children, the elderly, and the infirm, displaced and destitute... Alas, this year, I'm afraid... we won't be able to collect a single grain of rent."
Zhang Yuan listened silently; the situation was almost exactly as he had guessed.
Zhang Gu paused, then continued, "After the master's loyalty was fulfilled... alas, the world is cold and indifferent. Most of the families and people who used to cling to our Zhang family and visit us frequently have scattered, afraid of getting tainted by bad luck, or feeling that the Zhang family has lost its pillar and is worthless."
"However, there are still a few comrades-in-arms in the army who have risked their lives for you, and they often exchange letters and send you money through intermediaries. I have kept a record of this friendship for you in the accounts."
"And then there's..." Zhang Gu's tone carried a hint of disdain and contempt, "that 'cousin' Wang Quanfu who lives in the south of the city. Hmph, what cousin! A distant relative who's completely unrelated, yet he's managed to cling to me."
"When the master was alive, he relied on the Zhang family's name to do some rice and cloth business in the city, which allowed him to make a lot of money through his scheming."
"After the master passed away, they even pretended to come and pay their respects, but then we never heard from them again. I heard their business has been growing bigger and bigger."
Zhang Yuan memorized all this information: the dilapidated businesses, the scattered old friends, the comrades with whom he still had feelings, and that sycophantic "cousin-in-law".
Seeing that Zhang Yuan was just listening quietly and didn't give any further instructions, Zhang Gu tactfully took his leave: "Young Master, please rest first. This old servant will go and prepare dinner for you."
After saying that, he leaned on his cane, his body hunched over, and slowly left the study.
In the empty study, only Zhang Yuan remained.
The afterglow of the setting sun slanted through the window, casting a slanting light on a corner of the study.
There, a heavy suit of black iron armor sat quietly on a wooden frame, its plates bearing faint scratches and indelible black marks, exuding a sense of battlefield desolation and heaviness.
This is the armor left behind by Zhang Zhenshan.
Zhang Yuan involuntarily approached, his fingertips gently touching the cold iron armor.
"Buzz—"
The moment my fingertip touched the nail plate, a sudden jolt went through the depths of my mind!
Countless chaotic images emerged like fragments, crashing against his consciousness like a torrent.
In the scene, a burly, middle-aged warrior with an indistinct face but an imposing presence is practicing his boxing skills shirtless in a sandstorm or a desolate military camp!
That fist technique was incredibly powerful and unparalleled, with wide, sweeping movements.
Each punch was accompanied by a dull whistling sound, as if it could shatter rocks; each step he took made the ground seem to tremble slightly.
The moves are simple and profound, without fancy techniques, but they contain an indomitable will to overcome skill with force!
"roar--!"
In a daze, Zhang Yuan seemed to hear a deep, muffled roar, like a beast's roar, which was the roar of a wild bull formed from the intent of his fist!
【Ding! 】
[Inherited image detected: Raging Bull Fist (High-grade Mortal Rank - Body Refining Fist Technique)]
[Consuming lifespan can be used to deduce or advance one's cultivation level.]
[To master the Wild Bull Fist to its "Great Perfection" level, ten years of lifespan are required.]
The cold system notification sound, like a needle chilled to ice, pierced Zhang Yuan's heart.
"ten years……"