"not young anymore."
Zhang Yao's smile faded and he sighed: "I'm already over seventy."
"I look younger just because my martial arts skills are better."
"High in martial arts?"
Zhou Tong was startled for a moment before he suddenly reacted, his voice trembling slightly:
"Yes...my parents have said that Uncle Zhang is a martial arts talent that is rare to see in a century. He became a top master in his twenties and will most likely become a grandmaster in the future!"
"So...you are already a martial arts master?"
At this moment, she was 90% convinced of Zhang Yao's identity.
The other party can reveal his secrets at once, and there is absolutely no need to deceive him. After all, his family has fallen into ruin, and there is nothing left to lie to.
"Yes, I was already a master many years ago."
Zhang Yao nodded, with a hint of sadness on his face:
"When I left Changping City, I was only in my twenties."
"I didn't expect that it would be fifty years before I returned to my hometown. Back then you were just a little girl learning to speak, and now your son is so old."
The young man on the side secretly tugged on Zhou Tong's sleeve, and she suddenly reacted and quickly invited Zhang Yao in.
Taking advantage of this gap, the young man dismissed the group of teenagers and asked them to go home before following Zhang Yao and Zhou Tong to the backyard.
The backyard of the martial arts hall is also very deserted, and many of the doors, windows, tables and chairs are very old.
"Uncle Zhang, this is my son Zhao Ling."
After a few people sat down, Zhou Tong introduced Zhang Yao with some embarrassment, and young Zhao Ling also stood up and saluted quickly.
For him, everything that happened suddenly made him a little dizzy, and he has not been able to react yet.
He actually got an uncle out of thin air, and he was also a legendary martial arts master!
"Jinding Martial Arts School, why did it become like this?"
Zhang Yao exchanged pleasantries with the two of them, and then asked about the situation of Jinding Martial Arts School.
"Why……"
Zhou Tong and Zhao Ling's expressions suddenly darkened.
"Uncle Zhang, you don't know something."
Zhou Tong took a deep breath, with a trace of sadness on his face, and slowly began to speak.
Many years ago, after Zhang Yao left, as Meng Zongwei achieved the perfection of Jinding Gong, the martial arts gym continued to operate smoothly.
After many years of stability, Meng Zongwei accepted a direct disciple, married Zhou Tong, and inherited the foundation of Jinding Martial Arts School.
After the two had been married for many years, they finally gave birth to an only son, Zhao Ling. They were extremely happy and the family lived a happy life.
Unfortunately, the good times did not last long:
More than ten years ago, the turmoil caused by King Pingliang's march south led to the collapse of Jiangdu's order, and a large number of warriors fled. The chaotic situation also affected Changping City, causing the city to be filled with bloodshed.
Zhao Ling's father, although he was also a perfect martial artist of Jin Ding Gong at the time, still died in the chaos.
Since then, only orphans and widows were left in the Jinding Martial Arts School, and its reputation has plummeted. Zhou Tong made a living by cooking for others and washing clothes, pulling Zhou Ling to grow up.
"Why……"
Just listening to the tearful narration, Zhang Yao could imagine the hardships of those years.
Zhou Tong was able to support and raise Zhao Ling, thanks to the establishment of the new dynasty, which ended the troubled times. The government used criminal codes and severe punishments to vigorously rectify civil chaos.
Otherwise, in troubled times, the orphans and widowers would have been wiped out long ago. Let alone maintaining the family business of Jinding Martial Arts School, it would be difficult to survive.
During those difficult years, many people spent large sums of money to buy the land of Jinding Martial Arts School, but they were all rejected by Zhou Tong because she did not want to sell her home.
After a few more years, Zhao Ling's life became better after he grew up.
Nowadays, Zhao Ling relies on the golden sign that has lasted for nearly a century to teach some children and teenagers in the neighborhood. Although his income is not much, he can barely maintain the dignity of the martial arts school and the lives of the two of them.
"It's really hard on you."
After Zhang Yao finished listening, he sighed with a slightly complicated emotion:
"It's also my fault that I left and didn't come back for many years, otherwise you wouldn't have lived such a miserable life."
"Why did Uncle Zhang say this?"
Zhou Tong shook his head and said:
"My parents told me that you had your own reasons for leaving Changping."
"Besides, it must be very hard for you to go out alone. God has blessed us that we are safe until now."
Zhang Yao was silent for a moment, without saying anything more. Then he changed the subject and asked Zhao Ling:
"I just heard your mother say that part of "Jin Ding Gong" has been lost?"
"right."
Zhao Ling's face showed a hint of bitterness:
"My father was killed, the martial arts gym's property was robbed, and even the original secret book was taken away."
"Fortunately, my father taught me since I was a child, and my mother still remembers part of it, so I managed to reach a great level of cultivation, but there is no hope of further progress..."
Zhang Yao nodded slightly and said:
"I will stay in Changping for a month, and you will follow me during this time."
"How much you can learn depends on your own ability."
When Zhao Ling heard this, a hint of surprise suddenly welled up in his heart, and he quickly stood up and said gratefully:
"Thank you uncle!"
Being able to study with a martial arts master was something he never dared to dream of.
But Zhou Tong on the side couldn't help but ask after hearing Zhang Yao's words:
"Uncle, do you still want to leave?"
"I thought that when you came back to Changping when you were older, you planned to retire here..."
"No."
Zhang Yao smiled and shook his head and said:
"I still have my own things to do, so I can't stay in Changping forever."
"I feel relieved to know that the descendants of Senior Brother and Senior Sister are still well and that the Jinding Martial Arts School is still there."
The three of them continued chatting for a while, and Zhang Yao asked about the situation of Zhang Yannian, Xiao Yao and others.
As expected, neither Zhou Tong nor Zhao Ling knew.
According to Zhou Tong, she only met Zhang Yannian when she was a child. Then something unexpected happened and Zhang Yannian never came again.
As for Xiao Yao, she could see him during festivals when she was a child, but her family moved away from Changping one year and she lost contact with him long ago.
"Fifty years...things and people have changed."
Zhang Yao could only sigh in his heart.
He looked at Zhao Ling and said warmly: "Take me to see your grandpa and grandma's graves so that I can offer incense."
"OK."
Zhao Ling quickly agreed, and Zhou Tong on the side also asked to follow.
After a while, the three of them bought some incense and paper money and went to the cemetery outside Changping City.
Here, he saw the tomb where Meng Zongwei and Zhou Hongxiu were buried together. It was very close to Master Zhou An's, but not as grand.
After first kowtowing incense to Zhou An, he burned some paper money, then went to the grave where the two were buried together and placed incense.
"Senior Brother, Senior Sister Hongxiu, I'm back..."
