Yang Ning's Dream

In the study room.

Yang An, who had ample experience with failing the imperial exams, began to recall what subjects were tested in Great Xia’s imperial examinations.

He remembered that the exams were divided into four parts.

The first was the well-trodden path of the Four Books and Five Classics, along with other ancient texts—the very same hefty, brick-like volumes stacked on Yang An’s desk.

The second was arithmetic.

The third was poetry.

And the last was prose.

From Yang An’s impression, Great Xia’s imperial exams were not nearly as twisted as the Eight-Legged Essay style of Qingming; the tests on the Four Books and Five Classics were straightforward—normal comprehension, fill-in-the-blanks, and dictation.

Arithmetic was only up to elementary school level, about six years’ worth of study.

So the first two parts—classics and arithmetic—were never a problem for Yang An. He almost always scored full marks. The main reason he had failed three times was due to the third and fourth parts: poetry and prose.

Yang An had been reading since he was very young.

He had been studying continuously up until now.

Ten years of diligent study—though his talent couldn’t be called peerless, it was certainly formidable.

The last time he took the provincial exam, the poetry prompt was “snow.”

The moment he saw the word “snow,”

Yang An suddenly felt as if his energy channels had been unblocked, and his thoughts poured forth like a spring; his creativity overflowed uncontrollably. Without hesitation, he wrote a poem titled “Ode to Snow.”

“Wind blows, clouds roll, a vast expanse, one flake, two flakes, three, four.”

“If you ask how many flakes there are, one flake, one flake, and yet another.”

Not a single “snow” character appeared in the entire poem, yet the snowy scene was depicted vividly and thoroughly. After finishing, Yang An was confident that no one in the world could outwrite him on the subject of snow!

He proudly handed in his exam paper.

To this day, Yang An still remembers the stunned expression on the examiner’s face when reading his “Ode to Snow.”

And after failing and returning home,

even his sister, who had firmly believed he would pass, couldn’t help but have a flicker of doubt in her eyes the moment she read the poem.

The haunting memory attacked him again.

Embarrassed to the point his toes felt like they were digging out a three-bedroom apartment, Yang An’s face flushed red. He jumped up from the bed, pacing back and forth a few times before calming down.

Taking a deep breath,

he hurriedly deleted that shameful memory.

He kept telling himself that he was no longer the old Yang An!

He was now a great literary master—Yang An!

With memories from two lifetimes to aid him,

his mind held the entire world’s poetry and prose, ready at any moment to shake the literary circles of Great Xia!

After some time spent on this mental pep talk,

Yang An finally recovered from his flushed embarrassment.

He declared proudly, “Just wait. In five days, I, Yang—great literary master Yang—will redeem my honor!”

Still, to be cautious,

he sat down at the desk and, with the seriousness of preparing for the college entrance exam, began flipping through that pile of brick-like books.

……

Time always flew by when studying.

As dusk approached and dinner time neared, Li Yan returned carrying a small wooden bed, which was meant for Manman.

Yang An noticed a complicated expression on his brother-in-law’s face.

He thought to himself: Something must have really happened over at Uncle Zheng’s place.

After dinner,

while Yang Ning was busy cleaning the dishes in the kitchen with Manman, Li Yan said to Yang An, “Er Lang, I have one good piece of news and one bad piece of news. Which do you want to hear first?”

Yang An: …

“Brother-in-law, cut the games. Just tell me straight.”

"Then let's start with the good news. Zheng Shoutian does have some stock. I managed to get two bottles of aged wine from him, and through that, I heard that a few years ago, he saw a seventh-grade Red Phosphorus Horned Python on Yunling Mountain—a top-tier material for Foundation Establishment."

"And the bad news?"

"The bad news is that this Red Phosphorus Horned Python has surpassed its peak and has begun transforming into a flood dragon. I heard its horns have already started growing..."

Yang An: ...

Beast bodies are incredibly tough, far stronger than cultivators of the same realm, making them difficult to handle. Flood dragon-class ferocious beasts are among the most formidable. Without seven or eight cultivators working together, defeating one is impossible.

A Red Phosphorus Horned Python with horns.

Just headbutt it!

Li Yan clenched his teeth and said, "It's not that we can't deal with it. Although flood pythons are the fiercest among ferocious beasts, they have a fatal weakness—they have reverse scales. If we combine that with Zheng Shoutian's Qi Gathering technique and pluck those reverse scales, its strength will drop significantly."

"But... sigh!"

Recalling the incident with Zheng Fei at Old Master He’s house, Yang An guessed, "Brother-in-law, is something wrong with the Zheng family?"

Li Yan nodded.

"That old fellow always liked to sneak into the mountain's forbidden zone. Who knows what he picked up there. He’s fine, but Zheng’s wife was infected. She’s grown a cyst on her back and can’t be exposed to wind or sunlight. In just a few days, she’s wasted away."

"Zheng Shoutian is going crazy."

"He’s been desperately searching for a cure for his wife and hasn’t had time to help us."

The two families, Yang and Zheng, shared a close bond.

Yang An wanted to help Zheng Shoutian’s family but felt powerless after hearing this. The forbidden zone deep within Yunling Mountain was incredibly mysterious. According to the elders, it wasn’t just high-grade ferocious beasts lurking there, but also some inexplicable oddities.

Whatever was leaking out from there was beyond their ability to handle.

The two fell silent for a moment.

Li Yan said, "Er Lang, don’t worry. I’ve been stuck at eighth grade for years. After taking the 150-year-old Black Jade Lotus, breaking through to seventh grade is just a matter of time. That seventh-grade Red Phosphorus Horned Python isn’t necessarily something to fear!"

They worried about Li Yan getting hurt because of this.

Yang An said, "Brother-in-law, we’ll prepare over the next couple of days and head into Yunling Mountain to check things out. If that Red Phosphorus Horned Python is too strong, then we’ll just forget it."

He had the innate talent of [Demonic Lord Tai Sui].

His potential was boundless.

Although a first-grade Foundation Establishment pill could provide him with great combat power in the short term, it wasn’t something to force. He could just bide his time and develop slowly by staying close to Princess Anle.

Li Yan agreed, "Right, let's go take a look first."

"What are you two talking about?" Just as they agreed, Yang Ning returned, holding Manman’s hand, suspiciously eyeing them. "Why do I feel like you’re hiding something from me lately?"

"Nothing! How could that be!"

"What could we possibly be hiding from you?"

Yang An and Li Yan sat side by side, hands in their sleeves, each speaking in turn.

"Good, then."

Yang Ning yawned. It was already quite late, and the family of four prepared to go back to their rooms to rest.

Although the Yang family’s financial situation was ordinary,

their ancestral courtyard was surprisingly spacious.

The Yang siblings and their brother-in-law Li Yan’s family of three hadn’t even filled all the rooms—they left several empty.

Not to mention the guest rooms on either side.

Usually, these empty rooms were filled with old clothes, worn-out quilts, and other miscellaneous items.

Yang Ning was thinking about the newcomer who had arrived at the house.

He planned to tidy up a room for Manman, but Manman was obedient to Princess Anle’s words, firmly remembering the instruction to “come to the Yang family to serve Yang An as a lady attendant.”

The moment she heard Yang Ning was going to arrange a room just for her,

Manman immediately clung to Yang An’s leg and started climbing up.

The little one hung directly onto him, refusing to let go no matter what was said.

Yang An: …

Yang Ning struggled hard but couldn’t pry her off.

No matter how he coaxed her, she wouldn’t listen.

After a long tussle, unable to win over Manman, Yang Ning had no choice but to give up. Still worried, he shot Yang An a warning glance, clearly telling him that Manman was still very young and to behave properly!

Yang An was left speechless.

He felt utterly humiliated!

He wasn’t some copper refiner; how could he possibly have any improper thoughts about an eleven or twelve-year-old little girl?!

Under his sister’s warning gaze,

Yang An picked up Manman along with her little bed and returned to his own room.

Though the room wasn’t large,

there was still enough space for two single beds.

Just like a student dormitory, Manman’s little bed was set up at the far end of the room, her quilt neatly spread out.

Yang An casually tossed her onto the bed.

Besides eating,

Manman seemed to have no other desires.

She could sleep on the princess’s silk and brocade quilt,

or just as well on Yang An’s ordinary cotton blanket.

Sitting by the bedside, Manman, wearing pink embroidered shoes, dangled her feet, tapping her toes together.

She had just finished eating.

In her hands, she still held three or four pounds of dried meat, gnawing on it.

The dried meat was very tough.

Each bite made a loud “crunch, crunch” sound as she chewed for a long time.

She was eating too slowly.

Growing a bit impatient,

Manman tried to stuff an entire piece of dried meat into her mouth, hoping to swallow it whole. But it got stuck in her throat, turning her little face bright red as she stretched out a tiny hand to Yang An for help!

Before, whenever she nearly choked, she would call for the princess.

But since the princess wasn’t here, she could only seek Yang An’s help.

Yang An: …

He patted her back a few times, reluctantly helping to dislodge the meat.

Manman was still shaken and dared not swallow it directly, so she continued to painfully chew on those dried meat strips.

She was actually quite adorable.

Yang An thought it wouldn’t be so bad to keep her as a little sister.

He reached out to gently stroke her little head, but just as his hand touched Manman’s hair—

*Bang!*

He was punched hard in the stomach.

Manman’s tiny fist packed a surprising amount of power, causing Yang An to clutch his belly and curl up on the bed, feeling like he was about to throw up his guts.

After a long while,

Yang An sat up and scowled, “Why did you hit me?”

Manman puffed out her left cheek, still chewing the dried meat, and said, “The princess said that if you suddenly touch Manman, it means you want to do bad things, so Manman has to hit you.”

I’m not some copper refiner!

Once again, he felt insulted.

Yang An was so angry he wanted to go confront that wretched Qin Guo’er, but the thought that he couldn’t even beat Manman made him lose heart instantly.

He comforted himself, “No matter what, it’s confirmed now—Manman is strong. Having her around definitely makes the household safer.”

…

Meanwhile, over at Li Yan and Yang Ning’s place,

“What? Second Young Master wants to learn martial arts?!!”

Yang Ning’s voice suddenly shot up eight octaves.

Li Yan, who had boldly promised to keep Yang An’s secret, had barely returned to the room before he completely betrayed him.

“No, absolutely not!”

“Before they died, your parents warned me over and over—under no circumstances can Erlang learn martial arts! This is non-negotiable!” Yang Ning shouted furiously.

Li Yan, who always claimed he wasn’t afraid of his wife, quickly brought a cup of water and placed it by Yang Ning’s side. “A Ning, calm down first.”

After Yang Ning drank the tea, Li Yan cautiously said, “Erlang has always been headstrong since he was little. Now that he’s made up his mind, there’s no pulling him back. It’s better to go with the flow…”

“Go with the flow? What do you mean by that?”

Yang Ning slammed the teacup onto the table with a sharp “smack,” grabbed the rolling pin, and shouted angrily, “If you can’t pull him back, then I won’t! I’m going to break his legs right now!” With that, she was about to rush out to find Yang An.

Li Yan was terrified and quickly grabbed her shoulders from behind.

He pulled her back to sit on the bed.

Yang Ning’s eyes were red as she questioned, “Why are you stopping me? You practice martial arts too, don’t you know how dangerous it is?”

“Our family only has Erlang left—he’s the only son!”

“If he goes to train and something happens, our family line will end! How could I face our parents in the afterlife?!”

Yang Ning rattled off her worries like a machine gun.

After listening, Li Yan patiently reasoned, “But isn’t life itself full of dangers even without martial arts? If it weren’t for Erlang, our family would have been destroyed long ago. A Ning, the real danger isn’t martial arts—it’s the world we live in!”

Yang Ning was stunned.

The memory of Yang An’s desperate fight with Wang Gou’er late at night left a deep psychological scar on her.

Whenever she thought about it, she couldn’t help but tremble with fear, her heart aching as if someone was squeezing it tightly.

Taking advantage of her silence, Li Yan hurriedly explained everything about the Imperial Academy’s Martial Arts Institute, trying to comfort her: “Erlang is a gifted martial artist. People like him are destined to rise quickly in the martial path. Once he passes the Imperial Academy’s entrance exam and becomes a student there, he’ll receive official rank and protection from the government. He won’t be in any real danger.”

“But…”

Seeing Yang Ning still hesitating, Li Yan gently wrapped an arm around her shoulder and solemnly vowed, “If it really comes to it, I swear on my life, I will never let Erlang come to harm. Will that put your mind at ease?”

Tears welled up in Yang Ning’s eyes.

She pounded Li Yan’s chest, saying, “You’re a jinx! Don’t say such things! None of us—no one in this family—is allowed to die!”

Knowing she had finally agreed, Li Yan breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, “Alright, no one dies.”

These past days had been a rollercoaster of life and death. Yang Ning was utterly exhausted in both body and mind.

After crying for a while, she finally nestled into Li Yan’s embrace and fell asleep.

Li Yan extinguished the lights.

Holding Yang Ning, he too fell into a deep sleep.

As the night grew darker, Yang Ning, who had long ceased dreaming, suddenly found herself in a dream.

In it, a house was engulfed in flames.

She was sitting in the burning inferno, holding a bloodied little Yang An in her arms.

Around them were people.

Many people.

Their eyes were like those of wolves, fixated on them with savage, twisted grins.

Yang Ning was terrified and clutched Yang An tightly.

When the crowd surged forward, she shut her eyes in fear.

When her eyes opened again, Yang Ning saw a man rushing forward being stopped by a black-haired man, while she and her younger brother were held in a warm embrace.

The woman in white holding Yang Ning and her brother was very beautiful.

Her eyes were strikingly lovely.

But for some reason, the moment Yang Ning saw them, she couldn’t help but feel a sting in her nose and tears welled up.

The man protecting them had his arm severed in an instant, hot blood spilling onto the scorched earth. He shouted urgently, “There’s no time! Quickly send the children away!”

The scene shifted.

Yang Ning was holding Yang An, sitting on a teleportation array.

The black-haired man and the woman in white stood outside the formation.

Enemies pressed in relentlessly, drawing closer by the moment. The woman in white activated the array and said, “An Ning, from now on you must take good care of your brother. When he grows up, let him study hard, become a talented scholar, pass the imperial exams, and marry a virtuous wife.”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”

“I can’t grow up with you, can’t see you start your own family, can’t hold you again…”

Why were they apologizing?

Who were they?

Yang Ning didn’t understand, but tears streamed down her face as she felt an unbearable sadness and pain.

As the light of the formation enveloped her and Yang An, ready to send them away—

The black-haired man pressed a glimmer of golden light into their foreheads. His fading voice echoed in Yang Ning’s ears.

“If anyone bullies you in the future…”

“If Erlang ultimately chooses the path of martial arts, An Ning, you must give this to him…”

Tears soaked the bedding as Yang Ning slept.

The golden light in her forehead shimmered brighter and brighter, as if nurturing something inside, struggling to break free, pushing against the skin of her brow.

Boom!

The sound of a thunderous door breaking shattered the quiet courtyard.

The golden light vanished.

Yang Ning awoke with a start, sitting upright on the bed. She heard someone shouting outside.

“Wu Hou Guard on duty! Bystanders, stand back!”

“Where is the criminal Yang An?”

“Hand yourself over immediately!”