After the Great Dao died

Chapter 12 Silver Bone Jiang Yuan

It was mid-February, and the cold wind was still like a knife.

In the open space in front of the east hall of the west courtyard of the Marquis of Baosu's mansion, the snow had been swept clean by the servants, revealing the dark blue stone bricks.

It was not the time for martial arts practice, and more than twenty young disciples stood silently in three rows.

Most of them wore the blue training shorts uniforms issued by the Marquis's mansion, with leather belts around their waists, and stood as straight as spears.

The white breath exhaled condensed into a thin mist in the cold air.

Two people stood at the front of the crowd.

One of them is Lin Longyue, the daughter of a marquis.

She wasn't wearing her signature crimson cloak today, but only a dark blue satin long coat with a silver fox fur lining, the fur trim around the collar making her chin appear even more pointed.

She stood with her hands behind her back, her gaze calmly sweeping over the young man before her. Her expression was unchanging, only her innate nobility and majesty silently enveloped the area.

The other person was an unfamiliar face.

He was in his early forties, not particularly tall or strong, and even appeared somewhat lean and wiry.

His face was a deep ochre-black from years of exposure to the elements. He had high cheekbones, a square jaw, and a shallow scar that ran diagonally from his left eyebrow to his ear, adding to his rugged and valiant air.

What is most striking are his hands, with unusually large knuckles and thick calluses, which are casually hanging at his sides, yet seem to contain the power to shatter mountains.

This person was Jiang Yuan, the newly hired guest minister of the West Courtyard.

Standing half a step to Lin Longyue's side was He Duan, the instructor of the West Courtyard Martial Arts Hall.

The instructor was dressed only in a dark blue outfit, and his face remained dark and resolute.

A faint silvery-white aura flowed around him, a sign that a Silver Bone Realm martial artist possessed abundant blood and energy, with bones as pure as silver, displaying extraordinary spirit.

However, today, he was not the main character; he stood quietly like a pine tree, his gaze fixed more on Jiang Yuan.

This is because Jiang Yuan is a person who has reached the peak of the Silver Bone Realm, which is much stronger than He Duan, who has just entered the Silver Bone Realm.

The Silver Bone Realm is now complete; all 206 bones have been tempered to the color of silver, their vital energy and blood are generated naturally, and they remain untouched by dust!

Such a person has already reached a high point in the path of martial arts and has glimpsed the threshold of the "golden body".

In the entire Yuanjiang Prefecture, very few people can reach this level.

"Mr. Jiang," Lin Longyue spoke, her clear voice breaking the silence, "all the disciples of the West Courtyard are here. We hope you will assess their potential."

She addressed Jiang Yuan as "Sir" rather than "Instructor" or "Guest," clearly showing her respect.

Jiang Yuan nodded slightly, his face devoid of a smile, and said, "Your Highness is too kind. My [Collapse Mountain Force] emphasizes using force to overcome skill, with the force released like a mountain collapsing. It places high demands on the practitioner's physical constitution, blood and qi, and temperament."

If one's physical constitution is poor, forced training will inevitably harm oneself; if one's willpower is weak, it will be difficult to achieve great things.

Today's bone reading is to see who is destined to practice my martial art.

After saying that, he stepped forward and walked into the crowd.

The method of palpating bones is not simply about pinching the hands and feet.

Jiang Yuan walked up to the first boy and, without saying a word, swiftly placed his right hand, with fingers like hooks, on the boy's shoulders, neck, spine, arms, and hips.

His fingertips seemed to apply little force, but the boy trembled all over, his face flushed red and then turned pale, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

Jiang Yuan's movements were extremely fast; in just a few breaths, he released his grip, shook his head, and uttered two words: "Neutral."

The boy felt as if he had been granted a pardon. He staggered back a step, then lowered his head again, his face full of disappointment.

Jiang Yuan continued his footsteps, reaching down step by step.

"Inferior."

"It's acceptable."

"Stagnation in the meridians and collaterals."

"Deficiency of Qi and Blood".

……

His comments were concise, even harsh, and the young people who had their bones examined either showed disappointment or disbelief.

The atmosphere in the arena became somewhat heavy and oppressive as his iron hands fell again and again.

Most of these disciples from the West Courtyard were the children of the elders of the West Courtyard. They were considered promising talents cultivated by the Marquis's Mansion and were never lacking in food, drink, or medicine. However, in the eyes of Jiang Yuan, a man of silver bones, most of them were only "barely satisfactory."

Lin Longyue's expression remained calm, but her eyes darkened slightly.

He Duan frowned as well. He was an instructor at the Martial Arts Academy, and his disciples' poor aptitude meant that he was the one who lost face.

In a short while, Jiang Yuan had already touched most of it.

Finally, he stopped in front of a tall, slender young man.

This young man was the one who had been ordered by He Duan to deliver three secret manuals to Chen Lingxi that day.

He met Jiang Yuan's gaze without flinching or avoiding it, his breathing steady.

A faint hint of surprise finally flashed across Jiang Yuan's eyes, and his hand movements became much more delicate.

He slowly moved his five fingers down the young man's spine, and then repeatedly pressed and felt the ulna and radius of his arms, and the tibia and fibula of his legs.

"Hmm..." Jiang Yuan pondered for a moment: "His bone structure is well-proportioned, his joints are open, and although his qi and blood are not yet vigorous, they have a long-lasting quality. He is a good material for martial arts training, especially suitable for the fierce and powerful style."

What's your name?

The young man clasped his hands in greeting and said in a clear voice, "Replying to Mr. Jiang, this junior is Zheng Qingya."

"Zheng Qingya..." Jiang Yuan nodded, "Would you be willing to learn the Crushing Mountain Force from me?"

Zheng Qingya's eyes lit up with delight, and he quickly bowed, "This disciple is willing! Thank you for your favor, sir!"

A low murmur of unease and envious sighs arose around them.

To learn martial arts from someone who has reached the peak of the Silver Bone Realm... for any of them, that would be an incredible opportunity.

But this opportunity has now been seized by Zheng Qingya.

Lin Longyue's tense lips relaxed almost imperceptibly for a moment.

He Duan's gaze toward Zheng Qingya now held a hint of approval.

Jiang Yuan patted Zheng Qingya on the shoulder, which was considered a preliminary approval.

He glanced around at the few remaining people whose bones hadn't been examined, seemingly having lost much hope, and was about to say something to Lin Longyue—

Just then, the sound of light footsteps came from around the corner of the covered walkway.

A young maid in green was leading a person towards the east hall.

The person who came was Chen Lingxi.

He changed into the newer indigo winter coat bestowed upon him by the West Courtyard. He was still thin, but his gait was more composed than it had been ten days ago.

The cold wind ruffled the stray hairs on his forehead, revealing a pair of clear and calm eyes.

He carefully held a pot of flower arrangement in his hands.

The flowerpot was a bisque-fired earthenware bowl, unglazed, revealing the rustic ochre color of the clay.

The container contained not precious flowers or trees, but only a few gnarled old plum branches, sparsely dotted with three or five unopened wintersweet buds, their color like beeswax, their petals semi-transparent, emitting a faint, cool fragrance under the grayish-white light.

Beside the plum branches, there were a few withered yellow reeds and one or two holly leaves still bearing traces of frost.

A daffodil stands upright in the center, beautiful yet unyielding.

The overall composition is sparse and quiet, with an indomitable vitality amidst the desolation, which strangely matches the courtyard after the snow in the dead of winter.

Chen Lingxi lowered her eyes and walked very lightly.

His appearance initially did not attract much attention.

He Duan glanced at it only once, recognizing it as the official slave who had presented flowers in the snow that day and received a reward from the young lady, from whom he had taken the book of the Seven Styles of Ceasefire. He then paid no further attention to it.

Most of the students from the West Courtyard were either focused on Zheng Qingya, who had just been chosen by Jiang Yuan, or feeling frustrated about their own failure to be selected.

Chen Lingxi stood under the eaves, waiting for the maid to come forward and announce her arrival.

However, just as he stopped...

Jiang Yuan, who was about to report the results to Lin Longyue, suddenly stopped!

"what?"