"Uncle, how are you feeling? Are... are you okay?" Han Anniang asked nervously.
Chen Mo shook his head, then smiled, "Sister-in-law, I have good news for you."
Han Anniang: "?"
"Sister-in-law, I have made it to the entry grade."
Chen Mo never thought of hiding it from Han Anniang. Firstly, martial artists are naturally different from ordinary people, and since the two live together, it would be hard to conceal it from her.
Secondly, telling Han Anniang that he's a martial artist could also put her at ease, so she wouldn't have to live in constant fear.
Thirdly, it was just a little show-off.
This was a joyous occasion, and Chen Mo surely wanted to share his happiness with someone.
Han Anniang didn't quite understand at first, as martial arts were too distant from her life as a rural villager, she was amazed and asked, "Who entered the bottle?"
"..."
"Sister-in-law, I've become a martial artist," Chen Mo said excitedly, gripping Han Anniang's shoulders.
This time, Han Anniang finally understood. Although she hadn't encountered a martial artist before, she had heard of them, and was shocked, "Really?"
"Sister-in-law, why would I lie to you?"
As Chen Mo spoke, his gaze swept around the room. Aside from some tables and chairs, there wasn't much to lift, so he finally looked at Han Anniang and said, "Sister-in-law, pardon me."
With that, he grabbed the back of her shirt with one hand and lifted her into the air.
"Uncle..." Caught off guard, Han Anniang screamed in surprise.
After putting her down, Han Anniang's face was flushed, her eyes wide, covering her mouth in shock and delight, "Doesn't that mean uncle is like those lords in the county town?"
Han Anniang heard that those wealthy lords in the county town and the county magistrate were martial artists.
Now, my uncle has become a lord too...
Chen Mo nodded.
"No wonder uncle's appetite has been so big these days, I thought he was sick," Han Anniang remarked. She heard that becoming a martial artist meant first eating a lot, though she forgot the rest.
After a while, Han Anniang also got excited, her joy was uncontrollable, "If mother-in-law and Dalang were still here, they'd surely be delighted to know uncle became a martial artist."
Chen Mo didn't interrupt, letting Han Anniang express her happiness. Once she calmed down, he said, "Sister-in-law, once Wang the Pockmarked comes down the mountain, the humiliation he brought upon our family, both old and new, I'll settle it all with him."
Chen Mo was a simple man who bore grudges easily and believed in getting revenge.
"Uncle, perhaps... let it go, they have a lot of people, and you're just one person, it could be a disadvantage," Han Anniang was still worried.
"No, this grudge must be avenged, sister-in-law, please don't try to persuade me," Chen Mo said sternly.
Even before he became a martial artist, he wanted revenge, but knowing they had many people, he temporarily held back.
Now that he's a martial artist, if he continued to tolerate it, he would've become one for nothing.
As for exposing the fact that he's a martial artist?
Chen Mo never intended to hide his abilities.
When one's situation is rather dangerous, one must appropriately demonstrate one's strength to eliminate some unnecessary troubles and those with ill intentions.
This was something his father taught him, his father's lifelong summarized experience.
Seeing she couldn't persuade him, Han Anniang noticed Chen Mo's clothes were damp:
"Oh dear, uncle, hurry inside and change your clothes, they're all wet, don't catch a cold."
"Hmm."
Inside, Chen Mo took off his wet clothes and soon discovered that the muscles on his arms had become a bit more pumped up than before, feeling firmer.
He rolled up his pant legs, and his legs were the same.
Chen Mo's eyes lit up slightly.
...
Afternoon.
In the courtyard.
[Number of swings +1, Celestial Harmony Saber Technique has broken the tier, Demon-breaking Saber Technique experience +1.]
Chen Mo: "Hmm?"
[Name: Chen Mo.]
[Age: 16.]
[Cultivation Technique: Blood Nourishing Technique (Small Success 0/500)]
[Realm: Refining Skin (Ninth Grade).]
[Power: 38+21.]
[Skills: Demon-breaking Saber Technique (Basic 1/50000)]
"Celestial Harmony Saber Technique turned into Demon-breaking Saber Technique?" Chen Mo raised an eyebrow.
Is breaking the tier what it means?
This is advancement, right...
Even though Chen Mo didn't quite understand, he was ecstatic because it meant he could still enhance the additional power on his [saber].
[Number of swings +1, Demon-breaking Saber Technique experience +1,]
[...]
Chen Mo swung the saber for an hour, sweating profusely, but even now, aside from breathing heavily, he didn't feel particularly tired, not even his arms were sore from swinging the saber.
Evidently, after becoming a martial artist, his physical fitness improved significantly.
In the skills section, the Demon-breaking Saber Technique reached (Basic 3300/50000).
After catching his breath, Chen Mo continued swinging for another hour.
By then, he finally felt tired, his arms started to weaken, he wanted to eat, and the speed of his swings slowed down considerably.
Demon-breaking Saber Technique (Basic 5430/50000).
Han Anniang had already started preparing dinner, and Chen Mo went to the kitchen, grabbed a piece of meat, sat at the kitchen door, gnawing at it while regaining his strength.
The sky gradually darkened, but Chen Mo still hadn't seen Wang the Pockmarked and his men return.
After dinner, the sky had turned dark.
The villagers who went up the mountain today still hadn't returned.
Their families were already shouting their names towards Daze Mountain.
"Uncle, could something have happened to them?" Han Anniang asked.
"I don't know, let's rest early."
In this cold weather, Chen Mo had no intention of waiting in vain for Wang the Pockmarked to come back.
...
As soon as Chen Mo took off his clothes and lay down, there was a burst of noise outside.
It seemed like Wang the Pockmarked and his men had returned.
In this cold winter, everyone knew that once you lay down, you wouldn't want to get up, Chen Mo clenched his fists under the quilt and finally released them.
Taking care of it tomorrow is the same.
...
The biological clock rang as usual the next morning.
Chen Mo turned over and got up, dressed, grabbed the hatchet, removed the handle, and tucked it into the waistband on both sides of his belt without even brushing his teeth, then he went out.
Upon stepping outside, Chen Mo saw Han Anniang rushing back in panic, still wiping her eyes, and upon seeing him, she immediately stopped, quickly putting her hand down to her head, turning her head away.
Noticing her unusual expression, Chen Mo walked over to check and found her eyes slightly red, clearly showing she had been crying.
A sudden burst of anger surged within Chen Mo, "Sister-in-law, who bullied you?"
Upon hearing this, Han Anniang's movements paused slightly, then she shook her head.
Seeing this, Chen Mo said loudly, "Sister-in-law, don't be afraid, I'm here."
Han Anniang pursed her lips, timidly starting to talk.
Han Anniang had a habit of taking the clothes that needed washing to the riverside early the next morning.
When she was washing clothes this morning, she happened to encounter Wang Xi, Liu Ergou, and their gang skinning wild boar hide by the river.
So this group of hooligans started teasing Han Anniang shamelessly.
The villagers nearby ignored it.
Wang Xi even wanted to touch her.
Scared, Han Anniang left her clothes and ran back.
"Well, well..."
A glint of coldness flashed in Chen Mo's eyes, instructing, "Sister-in-law, just wait, I'll be right back."
Hearing the anger in his tone, Han Anniang quickly grabbed his arm, "Uncle, don't be impulsive, causing a life incident wouldn't be good."
"Don't worry, sister-in-law, I know my limits."