Chapter 23: The Youngest Martial Arts Grandmaster

He had never before witnessed nearly a thousand people saluting in such perfect unison. The scene before him was solemn and dignified, each face etched with profound grief.

At that moment, Feng Yisheng was deeply moved by this company of over a thousand soldiers. For a brief instant, he even felt a pang of regret—regret that he hadn’t emerged from the cave sooner to save the soldier named Ye Fan.

Although, to him, Ye Fan had been nothing more than a stranger, an unknown passerby, to these thousand soldiers, the fallen comrade was a brother, a family member.

Yet regret was futile. The most pressing matter was to return to Changnan City. He still couldn’t reach his parents or his school and had no idea what might have happened.

Military life left little room for ceremony; after mourning the martyr, the soldiers quickly dispersed. Jiang Ming led Feng Yisheng into his own tent—each of the ten captains had a tent to himself. Jiang Ming urged Feng Yisheng to rest, explaining that he needed to report the details of the mission to his superiors, after which he would escort Feng back to Changnan City.

Once Jiang Ming had left, Feng Yisheng, recalling his journey from Mount Tai to the tent, realized just how disciplined these soldiers were. They were unlike any ordinary army—their equipment, uniforms, and even some of their branches were different.

This only reinforced his sense that this was no ordinary unit, and that the sealing of Mount Tai was anything but a simple affair.

But Jiang Ming had said he would arrange for Feng to fly back to Changnan today, so Feng put aside his curiosity and decided to rest. Once he returned to Changnan, none of this would concern him any longer.

Meanwhile, Jiang Ming left his tent in high spirits, heading straight for the command center to find the battalion commander.

Inside the command tent, the battalion commander was instructing several other captains on troop movements. He had already heard Jiang Ming’s voice outside but kept silent, thinking to himself, “That boy! Still so excitable—always making a ruckus before he arrives.”

“What’s the good news?” the battalion commander finally asked in a leisurely tone once Jiang Ming entered.

“Commander, remember the civilian I brought out just now? There were too many people at the gate, so I didn’t mention it, but that kid killed the monster with a single punch!” Jiang Ming’s excitement was barely contained, though the commander looked indifferent.

“Really?” The commander’s face showed surprise as he stood up without thinking.

“Of course it’s true! Forget monsters—if it were just an ordinary bull, there aren’t ten men in our entire special operations battalion who could kill it with one punch.” Jiang Ming was delighted to see the commander’s reaction, finally having someone who could draw his attention.

The commander’s initial shock faded, replaced by a casual air as he asked, “So what are you trying to say?”

“Commander, that beast’s hide was thicker than a tank’s—our 25mm shotguns couldn’t pierce it—yet this kid killed it with one blow. He’s a rare talent, a prodigy if you ask me. And I already asked him—he’s just a high school student from Xijiang Province. At first, I thought he was a cultivator, but no, just an ordinary student.

Commander, if we recruit him into our special forces and give him proper training, he could easily dominate the 49th Bureau’s selection. And we could make him one of our own; every year, when the special forces from all military districts compete, our Central War Zone always comes in last. With this kid, we could easily win first place. Don’t you want to settle that score, Commander?”

Jiang Ming, feeling he hadn’t made his point clear enough, continued to ramble, “Commander, if he’s not a cultivator, his strength is at least on par with a martial arts grandmaster. But what puzzles me is how young he is—could he have started training in the womb?”

After speaking, Jiang Ming himself was left bewildered.

“I know what you’re thinking,” the commander replied, “but you said it yourself—he looks far too young, still in high school. For someone so young to have such power, have you considered who he really is?”

“Besides, we sealed the mountain nine days ago, yet he’s in the mountains now, happened to run into you, and even saved you. Is it really such a coincidence? Even if it is, haven’t you wondered why a student’s strength would surpass you veterans with years of combat experience? Did he really start training in the womb?”

“Then what do you mean, Commander?” Jiang Ming asked, puzzled.

“I mean we should observe him for now. But we can’t let such a talent go to waste. As for being a grandmaster, it’s not as easy as you think. In the capital, the youngest grandmaster among the four great families, Ximen Di, only advanced to that level at thirty-six. The Ximen family is an elite martial clan, able to provide immense resources, and Ximen Di himself is exceptionally gifted; otherwise, he couldn’t have become a grandmaster at such an age.”

“Ximen Di?” Hearing the name, Jiang Ming couldn’t help but gasp.

Ximen Di was the youngest grandmaster in the nation, becoming one at thirty-six, his martial aura unrivaled in the country. Because of his achievement, the Ximen family considered him a candidate for family head, and he was an idol to martial artists across the land.

So when the commander heard that Feng Yisheng was only seventeen or eighteen, he was briefly astonished, but soon convinced himself that Jiang Ming had misjudged, that Feng Yisheng had merely studied some boxing or martial arts. Grandmasters were not so easily found; the commander himself had trained for over thirty years and was only at the first innate stage. Progress had been slow, but he was still among the notable figures in the martial arts world. If a high schooler could become a grandmaster at seventeen or eighteen, then what had his thirty years of training amounted to?

“Here’s what we’ll do: leave the student alone for now. Check the upcoming flights and have someone escort him back to Xijiang Province. Then, have someone dig into his background in our system before making any further decisions,” the commander instructed.

“Wise as ever, Commander!” Jiang Ming replied, grinning from ear to ear.