The Way of Restraint

Chapter 144: Returning to the Fields

“Zhang Hongqing, Odell.” Coach Gu Yang murmured these two names, “Zhang Hongqing is Zhang Manman’s father, right? If I’m not mistaken, around this time last year, you should have been learning from Odell. Only he, the ‘God Maker,’ could elevate you to such a level in such a short time. Both of these individuals are above my realm. In fact, in terms of mental state, you and I are about the same; it’s just that my technical experience is richer than yours.”

“Coach Gu Yang, you haven’t broken through to the Living Dead realm yet?” Su Jie asked.

“Not so easily. This realm is akin to the road to heaven. Once you break through, both your physical and mental qualities will undergo a qualitative leap, equivalent to understanding the Dao.” Gu Yang waved his hand dismissively, “You’re still young, and your Martial Arts are already at a high level, with physical qualities surpassing mine. It’s just that the killing techniques I possess make it hard for you to defend against them.”

“So how does the coach compare to Uncle Mang?” Su Jie pondered the realms of Uncle Mang, Master Ma, Coach Gu Yang, and Master Luo. They all seemed similar, yet their strengths varied. 

Having the same realm didn’t mean their strengths were close.

“Uncle Mang is into research, while I’m into killing. Each has its specialization; it’s hard to compare the two.” Gu Yang explained, “I contribute nothing to human society, while Uncle Mang has made significant contributions.”

Hearing the phrase “each has its specialization,” Su Jie wanted to laugh, but for Gu Yang, killing had once been his profession.

“Starting today, we will train comprehensively,” Gu Yang declared. “I will impart what I’ve understood to you while also enhancing your technical skills. I can’t teach you about physical and psychological qualities; I can only guide you on various techniques. From tomorrow, you will accompany me to the countryside to do farm work.”

“Farm work?” Su Jie was puzzled.

“Yes, the technique of wielding a hoe is something you can only truly grasp in the fields. You’ve already mastered it to perfection. It’s time to return to simplicity and gain its true essence through labor, which is also an excellent training for your character,” Gu Yang said.

“I understand.” Although Su Jie had helped Gu Yang resolve the issue of ‘punishing’ Kong Dian, he still felt deep gratitude towards Gu Yang. If it weren’t for the many days of sparring with Kong Dian, his skills wouldn’t have reached this level.

The next day, Su Jie and Gu Yang arrived in the countryside.

Some houses in the countryside were very dilapidated and uninhabited. However, there were also beautiful small villas, where every household had moved in, living in close proximity.

Su Jie knew this was part of the country’s new rural construction.

However, much of the farmland had been abandoned, lacking labor to cultivate it. The young people living in the countryside had all gone to the cities, leaving only the elderly and children who couldn’t handle the heavy farm work.

“Today, we will help the elderly in the village with their work, clearing the abandoned land, removing weeds, watering, and planting. I will teach you the specific methods of farming,” Gu Yang said, carrying a hoe and some farming tools, greeting the elderly in the village.

The elderly in the village were very grateful to see him come, knowing he was there to help them.

Some elderly people even offered tea and eggs.

“Old Master Hu, I’ve brought a young man today; he’s quite capable of working,” Gu Yang said to a respected elder in the village.

This elder, named Old Master Hu, had white hair and beard, but his teeth were still intact. Gu Yang claimed he was a hundred years old, but Su Jie found it hard to believe; he looked more like he was in his eighties.

“Youth? You can’t work right now.” Old Hu scrutinized Su Jie. “Don’t be fooled by how well they eat and how strong they look; deep down, they’re weak. They can’t carry loads or dig. Back in my day, I could carry over a hundred pounds for miles without breaking a sweat, and I even went up the mountain to burn incense at the temple… Young man, be careful, don’t strain your back.”

“Gu Yang, don’t let anything happen to this young man; the kids in the city are precious,” another old man warned while puffing on his pipe.

Several old men gathered around, chattering away, but it was clear they meant well. They were simply advising Su Jie not to overexert himself. In their eyes, the children from the city were all well-nourished and tall, but they couldn’t handle hard work.

Su Jie just smiled, finding their concern quite endearing.

“We need to turn over this piece of land, clear the weeds, and unblock that drainage ditch. Many of the irrigation channels in the village have fallen into disrepair. Later, we’ll draw water from the well and help everyone water their vegetable patches,” Gu Yang said.

Without a word, Su Jie picked up a hoe and got to work. The hoe flew through the air, and with each strike, large chunks of earth were turned over. Even the hardest soil felt as soft as tofu under his hoe. There were plenty of weeds on the ground, and he bent down effortlessly to pull them up, tossing them aside in a pile.

“We can bury these weeds in the soil, and after adding some dry branches and leaves to ignite, the ash can fertilize the fields,” Gu Yang explained.

The old men were left dumbfounded. They had spent their entire lives as farmers, and they could tell at a glance whether someone was good at work. Su Jie was nothing short of a master at farming—his speed was astonishing, the soil was turned evenly, and the weeds were cleared thoroughly. He was far more capable than the old farmers they had known in the countryside.

Watching as large patches of hard ground were cultivated and the soil became loose, Old Hu shook his head. “This young man has incredible strength, stronger than an ox. I reckon ten strong laborers wouldn’t match him alone; he isn’t some reincarnation of Zhu Bajie, is he?”

“Indeed, the reason Zhu Bajie was welcomed into Gao Laozhuang in ‘Journey to the West’ was because he could work. One man with a rake could turn over thousands of acres,” one old man seemed to be narrating a story.

“What are you talking about?” Su Jie felt both amused and exasperated. These old men compared him to Zhu Bajie just because he worked well. However, he understood that in the countryside, especially in the past, a strong laborer represented a family’s livelihood. A household without labor power faced dire straits.

After two or three hours, they had turned over large areas of land and cleared the weeds. Then, he and Gu Yang worked on the drainage ditches, clearing away some weeds and shrubs.

“This is how you break branches with a hoe,” Gu Yang snapped a branch and demonstrated how to work quickly without injuring oneself, showcasing the technique of using the hoe.

The two of them went to the well to draw water. The well had an old-fashioned pulley system, which they operated with a rope and handle. Gu Yang turned the “pulley,” creaking as he pulled up a bucket of water.

“This is the intention behind the hoe’s technique of using the pulley; you also need to know how to operate it,” Gu Yang explained to Su Jie.

Su Jie nodded, grasping the concept, and began drawing bucket after bucket of water to water the vegetable patches. The village had running water, but it was meant for drinking; using it to water the fields was too extravagant. Typically, the water for irrigation came from wells or ponds.

Thus, Su Jie and Gu Yang took on all the farming tasks in the village—digging, turning soil, pulling weeds, clearing ditches, drawing water, and watering the fields. Their speed left the village elders in awe. 

At this moment, some of the elders no longer underestimated Su Jie; instead, they regarded him as a “hero.” In the eyes of the village elders, knowing martial arts meant little; being able to work hard was what truly mattered. Working quickly and efficiently was crucial for a family’s livelihood.

Life in the countryside was bustling with activity; there were chores to manage in front of and behind the house, fields to tend to, and the timing for planting and harvesting had to be meticulously observed. It was not a simple task at all. After a few days of hard work, Su Jie deeply understood that rural life was far busier than life in the city. Many city dwellers, with their romanticized notions of “pastoral living,” would soon realize just how tough and exhausting it truly was once they arrived in the countryside. 

However, he integrated the martial arts skills he had learned with the hoe and shovel into his farming tasks, completely forgetting about fighting and any thoughts of combat. Surprisingly, he found a precious sense of peace and fulfillment deep within himself. It was at this moment that he grasped the true essence of the “hoe and shovel.” Over the course of the month, he had effectively become a farmer, taking on all sorts of dirty and laborious jobs, even clearing out septic tanks without a second thought. At times, he would sit in the fields with a large bowl of noodles, looking every bit the part of a seasoned farmer.

A month passed quickly, and there was hardly any work left to do in the village. One day, Gu Yang asked, “Have you gained any insights?” 

“Not really,” Su Jie replied, brushing off the dirt from his clothes. “I just find that I’m getting better at farming. I’ve completely forgotten about fighting, and even how to brawl.” 

“That’s good. Forgetting will lead to deeper understanding,” Gu Yang chuckled. “If fighting requires too much thought, your speed will slow down significantly. Come on, for the next month, I will teach you various techniques for hidden weapons and how to defend against lethal skills. Lethal techniques are hard to guard against; even the strongest cannot escape their fate when faced with them.”

Su Jie and Gu Yang returned to the Minglun Martial Arts Academy. It was now August. Gu Yang, once a top assassin, not only taught Su Jie the true techniques of hidden weapons but also how to make blow darts. A simple pen tube combined with a sewing needle became a deadly weapon. In addition, various everyday items like scissors, belts, chopsticks, paper, clothes, stones, combs, glass shards, and even mobile phones could be used to kill without anyone noticing.

Of course, Su Jie viewed these techniques primarily as a means of understanding how to defend himself against potential attackers. His main focus remained on improving his physical abilities and mental resilience. Gu Yang’s ultimate technique was not just any killing method but the heart-piercing needle. Using a toothpick to kill was Gu Yang’s true specialty. Su Jie quickly learned this skill. 

Now, he could confidently shout on the streets, “I can take on ten, even twenty at once!” As long as he had a toothpick in hand—preferably a nail or a sewing needle—he could strike swiftly and efficiently, taking down opponents one after another. 

During this time, he also participated in a small-scale Arena Competition at the academy. It goes without saying that he was unstoppable; no one could defeat him, and he easily earned over two hundred thousand. His personal account now boasted around two million. The first million came from a bet with Zhou Chun, and the rest was accumulated through teaching. The additional million was sent by Zhang Manman, a reward for dealing with the “Hungry Wolf.” 

“Being a bounty hunter is surprisingly lucrative. If we split the three of us, does that mean the bounty for the Hungry Wolf was three million? That’s quite expensive!” Su Jie realized that being a bounty hunter truly had a promising future.