Chapter 19: Always Happy to Help

Unfazed by the stunned expressions of the twenty students, Zhang Shen instantly dashed into their midst, his rapid flurry of punches and kicks quickly turning the surrounding students into battered figures.

Being the elites they were, their astonishment was short-lived. The students who managed to react didn’t hesitate to fight back. As martial artists, they were proud and talented and believed their combined strength would be enough to overwhelm Zhang Shen, despite his advanced skills.

But Zhang Shen decided to teach them a lesson in humility.

Avoiding using top-grade martial techniques, Zhang Shen relied solely on the sheer force of his cultivation level, completely overpowering them. Casually, he tossed the last student—now a bruised and battered figure—to the ground.

Having finished his lesson, he decided to call it a day.

“Excellent work today. For the following year, each of you will spar with me one-on-one every month. Reflect on today, and look forward to the days ahead.”

Leaving these thoughtful words behind, Zhang Shen departed with a satisfied smile.

After a rigorous workout, he was understandably hungry and needed to replenish his energy. Fortunately, the person in charge of meals had brought the food just in time, allowing him to enjoy a hearty meal.

Though Zhang Shen, having an Innate physical body, didn’t need to eat, the instinct to do so was deeply embedded within his soul. After all, if one didn’t enjoy the pleasures of fine food, then what was the point of having a mouth?

Following Zhang Shen’s departure, the students slowly trickled in. If one could ignore their swollen, bruised faces, they looked somewhat decent. While most students were nursing their wounds and moaning in pain, a few seemed lost in thought.

Among them were three individuals, Zhang Ta, Zhang Buqun, and Zhang Qing, who watched Zhang Shen savor his meal with complicated expressions. They were also part of this elite training course.

Zhang Shen was surprised. These individuals were younger than he initially thought and indeed showed considerable potential among the Zhang family, relatively speaking.

Just over two years ago, these individuals could have sparred with Zhang Shen. Now, they weren’t even on the same level.

The next day, Zhang Shen spent the morning imparting advanced foundational knowledge of the three families, each topic explained individually for an hour. The twenty students below seemed uncertain but kept their thoughts to themselves, quietly absorbing the knowledge Zhang Shen was sharing.

“From now on, I’ll teach you the advanced foundational knowledge of the three families every morning. In the afternoon, you’re free to practice on your own, and you can come to me if you have any questions. After dinner, unless it’s crucial, do not disturb me. Oh, and the teachings from each family must not leave this place. No leaks are allowed.”

At night, Zhang Shen practiced the Bright Moon Technique, when he required a quiet environment the most. Those who dared to disturb him at this time could expect a harsh reprimand at best unless it was something important.

Conversely, he allocated his afternoons for martial arts training and studying the martial scriptures of the Lin and Ye families. Consulting him during these hours was acceptable.

In fact, these students sought his guidance less frequently than Zhang Shen anticipated.

These students were all adults, either in their teens or twenties, having received a comprehensive education. They had developed a certain self-learning capability, and would often engage in discussions and exchanges with one another.

When Zhang Shen delivered knowledge in class, he didn’t skim over the surface or hide any details. He would elucidate every single word and phrase. Consequently, these students faced far fewer challenges in their cultivation than expected.

Zhang Shen’s diligence also set an inspiring example for these students.

From dawn till dusk, apart from teaching, eating, and resting, he spent his remaining time understanding martial arts and techniques, cultivating his internal energy, and advancing in his cultivation.

He scarcely allowed any time for leisure. His daily routine profoundly impacted this group of elites.

When was the last time they had exerted such effort? 

“With such diligence and remarkable talent, it’s no wonder that he is the most distinguished among our three families,” mused Ye Kuang, a direct descendant of the Ye family, swinging his knife a few thousand more times.

Everyone else echoed these sentiments.

One afternoon, they finally grasped the true power of Zhang Shen.

Having made some progress in his understanding, Zhang Shen drew his Cold Moon Sword and began to demonstrate the Cold Moon Blade Techniques beside the lake. The overwhelming sword aura caused the spectators to retreat tens of meters away, fearing they might be affected.

“I have a feeling that a single casual swing from the teacher could end my life,” one student remarked.

“Don’t flatter yourself. Even a leaked trace of the sword energy could kill you,” another student retorted, pointing at the ground where slashes from the leaked sword aura were visible.

Everyone swallowed hard. At that moment, they understood the formidable strength of Zhang Shen, a power that far exceeded their imagination.

Zhang Shen was completely absorbed in his own world. Continuous insights poured into his mind, making the Cold Moon Sword in his hand increasingly lethal.

As the proficiency of the technique reached perfection, the Cold Moon Sword in Zhang Shen’s hand transformed. The sword aura coalesced into nine faint moons that rose behind Zhang Shen.

With a single slash, the nine moons converged and exploded in the lake in front of him.

The rampant sword energy formed a vortex, pushing the lake water aside to form a void, revealing the lakebed to the naked eye. It took a full fifteen minutes for the sword aura to finally disperse and the lake water had filled the vacated area once again.

Ye Kuang, Zhang Ta, and Lin You stood there, their mouths agape in astonishment. They remained spellbound for a long while.

Zhang Shen had remained in place, savoring that fulfilling sensation.

“It’s a shame that the nine rounds of sword Qi bright moon only appear intermittently. If I could stabilize it, forming a visible moon of Sword Qi, it would undoubtedly propel my Cold Moon Blade technique to new heights, transforming it into a superior-grade Acquired technique,” he reflected.

The tiniest difference could lead to an insurmountable gap. Zhang Shen shook his head. This was another entry for his notebook to revisit when time allowed.

He activated his panel.

The Strongest Physical Body System

Host: Zhang Shen

Physical Level: Innate Stage 1st Layer

Progress: 45%

Cultivation Level: Acquired Stage 8th Layer

Progress: 40%

Technique Progress: Bright Moon Technique 8th Layer (33% Progress), Cold Moon Blade Technique (Complete), Cloud-Drifting Step (99.5% Progress), Innated mid-stage Cultivation Concealment Technique (37% Progress)

Completed Techniques: (Expandable)

Evaluation: “A bit of progress, not bad.”

The data on the panel showed little change, but Zhang Shen was quite pleased. After all, how much time had passed? Less than a month, which was already commendable. Additionally, Zhang Shen had spent a part of his time gaining insight and imparting knowledge, progress not reflected on the panel.

“Having mastered the Cold Moon Blade Technique, should I practice the Great Sun Blade Technique next?” Zhang Shen wondered.

He hesitated for a moment but finally decided against it.

Martial skills were different from cultivation techniques. High-level cultivation technique could be seen as a comprehensive guide to a certain extent, providing a step-by-step progression starting from the beginning of one’s cultivation journey as a mortal, and leading all the way up to the level designated by the cultivation method’s rank. However, martial skills could only be practiced upon reaching the corresponding level.

For a martial skill of the Acquired grade, a martial artist needed to reach the Acquired Stage to be eligible for cultivation.

“There’s a distinction between an Acquired physical body and a Qi Acquired energy. Practicing Qi martial skills seems somewhat inefficient. Maybe I should wait until my cultivation reaches the corresponding level, then practice the corresponding martial skill, and ultimately develop martial skills corresponding to my physical body.”

He wasn’t concerned about the possibility of wasting time.

At present, he had a plethora of cultivation techniques and martial skills from the three families, all eagerly waiting for his attention.

Therefore, the students from the Lin and Ye families noticed that Zhang Shen, who initially had a decent understanding of the advanced fundamental knowledge of the three families, began guiding them in practicing martial skills.

The Zhang family didn’t sense this change profoundly, as Zhang Shen already had a deep understanding of the family’s cultivation methods and martial skills.

However, members of the Lin and Ye families had personally experienced Zhang Shen’s journey from a basic to an advanced understanding of their families’ martial skills. His progress was so rapid that it was astounding, leaving them behind.

In no time, he had left them far behind. That day marked another one of their monthly peer review and practice sessions.

“Ling Feng! Ling Feng! For goodness’ sake, Ling Feng! Do you lack common sense? The Ling Feng Sword Technique requires fluid elegance. But your technique isn’t even decently formed yet, what’s the point in pursuing elegance? Practice. Practice to your limits. A hundred times a day. If that’s not enough, you’ll wash everyone’s stinky socks.”

Lin You, the subject of this berating, was showered in harsh words, her face full of misery.

“Qianjun Stick, Qianjun Stick. Just by hearing its name alone, we know it’s a staff technique requiring extraordinary strength. And what on earth are you trying to do with that frail body of yours?”

Zhang Shen pointed at Lin Fei, whose face was swollen from the beating he’d taken, and unleashed a torrent of words.

“Eat! Eat as if your life depends on it! Eat two buckets of meat more each meal! If you can’t eat it, I’ll have the Black Armor Army stuff it into you.”

Hearing those words, Lin Fei shivered in fright, before Zhang Shen changed his target.

“With your extreme shyness, why on earth are you practicing the Sound Wave Technique? You’re too timid to even speak loudly, yet you dream of mastering the Sound Wave Technique?” I want you to yell! Every day, yell at the lake! As loud as you can! If you fail, I’ll have Ye Ji give you a hand by popping your cherry.”

Upon hearing this, Ye Bo glanced at Ye Ji, who was eagerly watching from the crowd and felt a chill down her spine.

“Wild Blade! The ‘Wild’ part doesn’t mean acting like a rabid dog biting people. If you keep acting like a mad dog, I’ll make you eat shit.”

Ye Kuang’s heart trembled in fear.

Zhang Shen felt utterly worn out. Were these people truly elite? If they managed to go astray while practicing martial arts, what good were they?

‘Sigh, being a teacher was truly not for the faint-hearted.’

Zhang Shen clapped his hands, wanting nothing more than to lie down on the second floor for a while.

On the ground, a group of so-called elites, who had just been harshly criticized and scolded, were on the verge of tears, trying to soothe their bruised spirits.

Zhang Shen narrowed his eyes, “I’m going upstairs to take a break. If I come back down and still find you guys lounging on the ground…”

At his words, the group on the ground collectively shivered, then instantly sprang up and plunged into intense training. In a matter of moments, the vicinity of the lake was a scene of bustling activity.

No one noticed Zhang Shen’s mouth gradually curling into a smile.

‘Such spirited individuals, they definitely deserved a reward of dirty laundry to wash tonight.’

Zhang Shen was slightly sentimental. These elites, despite their hardships growing up, had certainly never undertaken tasks such as washing clothes or foul-smelling socks.

“Life is fleeting. Without experiencing some adversity, how will they stand against future storms? I shall fill this void.”

And so, Zhang ‘Always Happy to Help’ Shen lived up to his name.

Upon returning to the second floor, Zhang Shen certainly wasn’t planning to rest as he had claimed. He brewed a cup of Pure Lotus Leaf tea, which immediately swept away his weariness.

He wasn’t in a rush to train, instead, he began perusing the intelligence reports sent over by the family’s intelligence department.

“Ten days ago, the wandering cultivator Nie Batian, hoping to mend old injuries and advance to the Innate Stage, proposed to serve the Wang family for twenty years in exchange for a Twenty Life-Preserving Lotus Petals Flower. He was refused. Angered, he threatened the Wang family, but was pummelled by a Wang family expert and subsequently fled.

“Half a month ago, Du Zijun, a direct descendant of the Du family, strayed in his training, becoming restless, and risked entering a state of demonic deviation. He sought the Wang family to purchase a Pure Lotus Leaf. After several rounds of negotiation, both families parted on bad terms.

“A month ago, Wang Xiaoye, a remote branch member of the Wang family, discovered a treasure in the wilderness. He wanted to exchange it with his family for a Pure Lotus Leaf to save his father Wang Ming, who was suffering from demonic deviation. His family refused and confiscated his treasure. Angered, he fled with his father, defecting from the family, their whereabouts currently unknown.”

Such reports made Zhang Shen nod repeatedly. These were all the results of his efforts.

“The Wang family indeed faces difficulties. How can they give out what they don’t possess? While it’s still acceptable if they don’t provide for their own people, plotting against a family member’s treasure and failing to do it cleanly is simply disgraceful.”

After such criticism, Zhang Shen, in high spirits, embarked on the practice of the Bright Moon Technique.