I Can See Your Combat Power
Chapter 1761 - 195: Things Remain, People Change

Chapter 1761: Chapter 195: Things Remain, People Change

Time slips away like a white steed galloping past a crevice; in the blink of an eye, countless seasons have passed.

In youth, bonds of friendship often feel eternal, yet come the age of responsibilities, paths inevitably diverge.

Since parting in Lanshan City in ’84, twelve years have flown by. The once-dominant Longxi Alliance has vanished, yet the scholar remains a scholar.

Many people interpret "destroying to rebuild" as breaking the old to bring forth the new. In truth, after destruction, improvement rarely comes. Positions once held by people are merely left vacant, or population decline reduces the pressure.

The situation in the Lingjiang Seven Cities is similar. Cities with shifting power inherit many gaps, but the righteous families could not fill all these positions with their own people. So, they sought examples to highlight their distinction from the former rulers.

Thus, when the wheels of justice rolled through the Lingjiang Seven Cities, scholars like Mi Bai were not persecuted; instead, they gained opportunities.

Some became advisors and secretaries to the new city lords, others worked as minor local officials, and some were directly absorbed into the subdivisions of elite families and wealthy clans.

Yet, Mi Bai did not choose this path. Upon seeing the decrees issued by the new rulers upon entering the city, he realized these self-proclaimed righteous individuals were even more brutal than the old regime.

Upon discovering this, the scholar refused to align with them. Instead, he traveled across the Lingjiang Seven Cities with his wife, seeking out orphans left behind by the chaos of war.

But the scholar’s power was limited; he couldn’t care for so many children. So, wherever he went, he visited kind-hearted families within a radius of ten miles to explain the situation, hoping they would adopt the children.

Yet, after the upheaval, families with the capacity to adopt were few, and even those who did were only willing to take in children under three. Older children, who were capable of recognizing people, were met with indifference.

When no adopters could be found, Mi Bai took the children with him, drastically increasing his expenses. If not for the thriving business at Lu Xuening’s clinic, bolstered by her unmatched medical skills, the scholar may have ended up returning to the poverty of eating husks and wild vegetables with the children.

Thankfully, Lu Xuening, a prodigy of the Hundred Herbs Immortal Mansion, was truly skilled in medicine. And fortunately, the children who initially followed Mi Bai had grown up.

But even with a few helpers, they couldn’t keep up with Mi Bai’s rate of rescuing children. Word spread among the villagers about Mi Bai’s dedication to adopting orphans and teaching them, sparking schemes among some locals.

Now and then, one would see abandoned babies and bundled infants at the doorstep of Bai Xue Pharmacy. Sometimes, upon opening the door at night, one might spot children, cheeks purple with cold, shivering outside. These children, old enough to speak, would offer no information about their parents’ whereabouts but instead kneel in desperation, begging the scholar to take them in.

Soft-hearted Mi Bai always accepted them, unaware that this kindness marked the beginning of a nightmare; human nature is simply that way.

Give others an opening, and they dare to tear open a world.

As the number of children grew, Mi Bai, despite his boundless compassion, was still just an ordinary man with two hands and two feet. Reluctantly, he announced plans to move with the children, hoping this would compel the parents to reconsider and reclaim their children.

But clearly, the scholar underestimated the cruelty of humanity during turbulent times. The children who had initially believed they were merely learning to read and write fled in panic when they realized they might be relocated, only to find that their supposed schooling was false, abandonment was true, and their empty homes held no trace of their parents.

Seeing the once-bright children’s eyes suddenly turn hollow, Mi Bai was both heartbroken and angry. He raged against the world’s cruelty—why does it tear families apart?—and against the parents’ ruthlessness in abandoning their children.

Years of wandering brought Mi Bai and Lu Xuening to settle in Jiejiang City, the initial battlefield between Longxi and the righteous forces, and the city most heavily damaged by the war.

This place, rife with human tragedies and filled with the cheapest houses, naturally became their chosen refuge.

Life continued as usual: Lu Xuening treated the seemingly endless stream of patients, while Mi Bai taught the children literacy in the backyard.

Of course, given the current number of orphans, Mi Bai alone couldn’t possibly teach them all. Thankfully, the first group of Xiling orphans who had joined him had now grown up.

People often say that children from poor families mature early, and these sensible orphans were no exception. Some became Bai Xue Pharmacy’s medicine boys; others became Mi Bai’s assistants. Many delved into a particular craft or apprenticed under skilled artisans.

After all, reality often forces compromises. For these orphans, the ability to eat well and dress warmly was the ultimate happiness; they dared not dream beyond that.

But the heavens often favor those who live earnestly. Though Lingjiang was still chaotic, this group of unrelated individuals had found a way to prosper together.

Of course, much of this was thanks to Mi Bai and Lu Xuening, the parental figures. But even more remarkable was the role of the standout among the older children.

Where there are people, there are conflicts. The more impoverished the place, the more ruthless and underhanded the methods of competition become.

Even though Lu Xuening was a grandmaster in unity of spirit and intent, she couldn’t contend with Jiejiang City’s current chaos.

Fortunately, Yang Fan had grown up. It’s often said, "Three years shows the child; seven years shows the man." Some people exhibit an intuitive brilliance from a young age.

When this brilliance is nurtured and encouraged, regardless of one’s birth, it can lead to achievements that astonish the world.

From an early age, Yang Fan set his heart on the martial path. He built a foundation at Tang Family Charitable Hall and later encountered an esteemed mentor in Lu Xuening after Mi Bai’s return. Coupled with his diligence and rigorous effort, he thrived.

Now, at under twenty years old, he has ascended to the Mortal Realm, with combat skills far beyond what is typical at this stage.

Unlike the other children who faithfully learned trades, Yang Fan began leading a group of kids on the streets at a young age. It’s fair to say Bai Xue Pharmacy’s stable operation is inseparable from this courageous band.

As always, youths armed with large guns patrolled outside the pharmacy, while Yang Fan practiced his punches on the nearby Shitan.

His sculpted muscles rippled like waves, his moves carrying traces of various nascent forms. Any disciple of the Hundred Herbs Immortal Mansion passing by would instantly recognize his technique: the Ten Animals Play, a foundational martial art for outer disciples to strengthen their bodies.

But what was initially designed for health improvement turned into something strikingly lethal in Yang Fan’s hands.

Tiger, crane, deer, monkey, bear, frog, swallow, turtle, cat, dog—each movement corresponded to hidden killing techniques targeting specific vital points, exuding a taste of mastery.

Yun Xiaoxiao hadn’t expected to discover such a remarkable talent in this forlorn corner. Just as she stepped out from the mist to introduce herself, Yang Fan’s punches shifted like a fierce tiger as he lunged toward her.