Chapter 3 Successful Escape

  "This punishment? It's much lighter than I thought!" Yang Yu Xi sat on the chair in her bedroom, her legs still unable to reach the floor, fidgeting restlessly back and forth, playing with a teacup in her right hand, looking disdainful.

  Yang Lin sat opposite him and said with a bitter tone: "Third Master, why are you so stubborn? The Eldest Master and the Second Master aren't stubborn at all!"

  Yang Yu Xi stared at the white porcelain tea cup in his hand, and the cup reflected his appearance. He said: "Big brother, second brother... they are all outside practicing, it's been a long time since they came back. Grandpa, father is strict with them, one learns martial arts, one learns literature, and they have both seen mother before, but I haven't. How can I possibly become like them..."

  Yang Lin looked at the child in front of him and suddenly fell silent. He knew that Yang Yu Xi was telling the truth. The young master Yang Yu Wu, the second young master Yang Yu Wen, although Yang Yu Wu was only fifteen years old, and Yang Yu Wen was only fourteen years old, were both handsome and talented, and had high innate abilities. They were among the best of the younger generation in the Great Zhou Dynasty. Because Yang Sanwang felt that the local area of Yushi City was too small to restrict their development, he sent them out for training very early on, and now they rarely returned.

  These two sons are Yang Sanpang's pride, although he is also very strict with them.

  As for Yang Yu Xi, Yang San also loved him deeply in his heart, but since both literature and martial arts had someone to inherit them, he didn't worry about the family business having no one to take over, so he rarely paid attention to him. However, he didn't know that this would make his third son become the most stubborn and wildest.

  Actually, at first Yang Sanwang just wanted to have another daughter, but fate played a trick on him and he had another son instead, leaving him speechless. Other families yearned for a son but couldn't have one, while his family suddenly had three. Plus, soon after that, he became the city lord and was even busier, having no time to take care of him at all.

  Yang Lin suddenly felt that the third young master in front of her was quite pitiful. Although he was usually cheerful and playful, always up to some kind of mischief, his heart was actually very lonely. Even though the Yang family was the largest and most lively household in Yushan City.

  "Right!" Little Yang Yuxi suddenly remembered something and straightened up, asking, "In a few more months, aren't Big Brother and Second Brother going to take the imperial examination?"

  Upon hearing this, Yang Lin's eyes lit up and he became visibly more excited: "Yes, I suppose they'll be back in a few days. Hmm... it's been half a year since they last returned, it's really tough for them, starting their training at the age of 14 or 15."

  "Yes, yes! Big brother and second brother are super awesome!!" Yang Yu Xi clenched his small fist, with eyes full of admiration. It seemed like he had forgotten everything that happened earlier. Kids are just like this, they don't overthink things. In Yang Yu Xi's young heart, the person he most wanted to get recognition from was his father, but the people he admired the most were his two brothers. And the two brothers were indeed very fond of him. It could be said that when his brothers were at home, those were the happiest days for him.

  "Ah, the two young masters are indeed very talented! Yang Lin's lips curled up into a smile, and then he showed a playful expression to Yang Yu Xi, "However, when the two young masters return, they will be testing your learning results..."

  "Ah......" Yang Yu Xi suddenly became like a wilted eggplant, "Not again......" Then he thought of Yang Wu's martial arts test and Yang Wen's literary talent test, and couldn't help but shudder.

  At this time, a knocking sound came from the door, and dinner was served.

  Yang Lin gestured for them to enter, watching as the servant brought dinner to the table, then turned to Yang Yu Xi and said: "Third Master, eat first, after you finish eating I'll have to take you to the Black House."

  However, the next moment he lost his smile. Yang Yu Xi didn't hear him at all, and was completely attracted to things, chewing with an open mouth, full of oil, and the unhealed marks on his arm no longer hurt.

  "Third Master, I'll send someone to keep you company every day, so you won't be lonely." Yang Lin said, looking at Yang Yu Xi in front of the black house.

  Yang Yu Xi waved her hand indifferently: "I know, it's not the first time."

  Yang Lin: "......"

  He had no choice but to turn around and say sternly to the guards, "You two must take good care of Third Young Master, although he is under house arrest, after all, he is still Third Young Master, do you understand?"

  A guard rubbed his nose and then rubbed Yang Yuxi's little head, laughing: "We know, it's not the first time."

  Yang Lin: "......"

  The black house was originally a woodshed, but its location was poor and it was prone to dampness. The firewood would get wet and be difficult to ignite, producing more smoke, so it was abandoned. But at some point, it took on another function - that of imprisoning people. And as for Yang Yuxi, he had become a frequent visitor here.

  At this moment, Yang Yuxi sat on the high stool in the woodshed, with his hands supporting his chin, looking at the moon through the very high window, and his two small legs swaying back and forth.

  "How round..." he muttered to himself.

  Today is August 15th, the day of the year when the moon is fullest. Every year on this day, families gather together, but Yang Yuxi couldn't muster up any joy. He could even see several wisps of smoke rising slowly into the night sky from the window, some ethereal, some sorrowful. From afar, a lonely wolf's long howl pierced through the air, adding to the desolation of this scene.

  "Mother..." Yang Yu Xi lowered his head, his black hair falling down to cover his forehead and eyelids, a shadow cast under the moonlight.

  Suddenly, several glittering tears fell from his face and landed on the damp floor of the woodshed, standing out starkly in the darkness.

  "Right!" Yang Yu Xi suddenly lifted her head, not even wiping away the tears on her face. "Big Brother said that the outside world is very big and there are many formidable people. Only if one is strong enough can they make it happen. I'm so weak now, even if I knew where Mother was, I wouldn't be able to go find her. I should cultivate first and become stronger!"

  An eight-year-old child will naturally think and act on impulse.

  Yang Yu Xi first checked the stool to make sure it was stable before sitting down cross-legged, with his palms facing upwards on his knees, and slowly closed his eyes.

  His ears, at this time, rang with the words of his elder brother Yang Yuwu: "The cultivation path is now divided into nine major realms. The nine major realms are, from bottom to top, Ling Qi, He Zhen, Wei Mang, Ji Chen, Tian Ren, Chuan Qi, Wu Shuang, Yu Shen and Tai Shang. Each realm is further divided into several unequal small levels."

  Yang Yu Xi is currently at the lowest level - Ling Qi Lower Rank.

  Ling Qi, as the name suggests, is the stage of awakening one's spiritual energy. This stage involves connecting human beings with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, and ultimately incorporating it into oneself for personal use.

  Ling Qi lower level is the initial completion of communication with the spiritual power of heaven and earth, and the beginning of incorporating it into one's own body.

  At this time, it was possible to clearly see that the milky white heavenly and earthly spiritual energy passed through the window and seeped into the woodshed, drifting into Yang Yuxi's body. Under the full moon's light, the heavenly and earthly spiritual energy became even more purified, very pure indeed.

  Yang Yu Xi only felt that his entire body had become relaxed, exceptionally comfortable, the spiritual energy entering his body was evolving and improving his meridians, strengthening his physical body.

  "It's so comfortable..." Little Yang Yuxi looked very satisfied, her small mouth slightly upturned, and under the moonlight, her little face was actually quite handsome.

  In Yang Sanpang's study, a short distance from the woodshed, Yang Sanpang stood in front of the window, gazing at the woodshed.

  When he saw those milky white air currents, he rarely showed a relieved smile: "This stubborn child has finally done something serious. Looking at this, it's about to break through to the middle of Ling Kai, and its talent is not bad either."

  Just as he was speaking, those air currents suddenly thickened a lot. Originally each one was only as thick as a chopstick, now they were already as thick as table legs.

  "Oh? Broken through." Yang San forgot to look into his eyes and spoke lightly.

  "The third young master has worked hard too." Behind him, steward Yang Lin stood respectfully.

  Yang Sanwang looked at the slowly disappearing air flow on the thatched cottage, turned around, and his eyes seemed to have a hint of apology, saying: "The care I gave him was indeed too little."

  Yang Lin said: "I remember when the eldest young master was younger, you were so particular about it, personally supervising his martial arts training every day. The eldest young master's solid foundation was cultivated in this way. Although the second young master studied literature, you also checked his homework every day and invited good teachers to instruct him."

  Yang San nodded slowly, a hint of nostalgia in his eyes, and said in a low voice: "At that time, Yan Er was still by my side."

  Yang Lin looked up at Yang Sanwang, Ah, at that time, the beautiful madam was still by his side, he was so proud and carefree, thinking life couldn't get any better. If it wasn't for what happened, how would he have become so decadent, and how would he have ended up in this remote evening city as a small town master?

  Yang Yu Xi felt wronged in his heart, thinking that his father didn't care about him. This was a fact, but he thought the reason was incorrect. He thought his father had become too busy after becoming the city master, so he didn't have time to take care of him.

  But in fact it is not this reason.

  The real reason, Yang Lin knew, was that the beautiful, gentle and considerate madam was no longer by Yang San's side. The fatigue in Yang San's heart far exceeded his physical exhaustion. Sometimes, Yang San would stand at the window, gazing out at the distant mountains, lost in thought for a whole day, with no one able to disturb him.

  Yang San forgot even if he had free time, his mind was still preoccupied, how could he have the leisure to think about that bear child.

  "Master, it's all in the past..." In the end, Yang Lin could only say this one sentence, as for anything else, he couldn't think of it.

  "Yes, it's all in the past. Now I'm just a small lord of this evening city, and I'll be fine as long as I take care of things within the city. That bear child seems to need some discipline!" Yang San said with a tired expression, rubbing his temples.

  "Third Master will be delighted if he knew you care about him." Yang Lin smiled.

  Yang San slightly smiled and moved the documents from the corner of the table over, picked up a pen and said to Yang Lin: "It's getting late, you go rest, I still have some things to take care of."

  "Alright, alright. You should get some rest too, sir." Yang Lin slightly bowed and backed away to leave.

  In the study of the castle owner, the oil lamp flickered with a warm glow.

  In the barn, Yang Yuxi, who had successfully broken through, jumped down from the chair and carefully approached the door, peeking out through the gap.

  Outside the door, two guards were snoring loudly, their snores echoing everywhere.

  "Hehe......" Yang Yu Xi slyly smiled and then quickly covered her mouth, afraid of startling the guards outside the door.

  He returned to the stool, bent down and felt something on the ground. The wet floor was a bit sticky, feeling very uncomfortable, after a few touches he felt sick, wiped his hand on his clothes casually, and continued to feel.

  "Ah, found it!"

  He smiled triumphantly, like a little devil who had succeeded in his plot. He took one last look at the door to make sure the guard hadn't woken up before quietly removing the slab of floor.

  It was just a piece of ground moved away, revealing a hole, which wasn't big, but enough for him to pass through.

  "Hehe, the tunnel I dug last time finally came in handy! Let's go!" Little Yang Yu Xi jumped into the air and disappeared into the hole.

  "La la la, go find Little Yan!"