Chapter 256 - 254: Blood Contract Binds Loyalty, Yang Clan Imparts Divine Art

In the backyard of the Yang Residence, everyone came forward to drip their blood into the gourd.

This included his aunt, Tao Ying. Everyone was a Martial Artist, so not a single person frowned.

Naturally, there was no situation where blood hovered at the mouth of the gourd, refusing to fall in due to a lack of consent.

The punishment for breaking the Blood Contract was severe, but correspondingly, Yang Shen hadn’t made the terms overly strict or detailed.

The three rules were all the most basic of requirements. Anyone who couldn’t even meet them was practically a mortal enemy, so they would have no grounds for complaint if they were punished.

While they were lining up to drip their blood, the gate to the inner courtyard was slowly pushed open. Everyone whipped their heads around in unison to look. Zhao Mengmeng, wearing a backpack, stood frozen in place, utterly bewildered.

’What...is going on here?’

’Did I come to the wrong place? Is this a cult ritual?’

She also had a small room in the front courtyard. At first, she only stayed over occasionally, as her school was very close to the Yang Residence.

At first, she had been quite looking forward to college dorm life. However, sometime after the semester began, her relationship with her roommates grew a little awkward...

The first few days were fine, but after the girls showered together once, their relationship grew increasingly distant. The other three would always be discussing things like "impossible" and "anti-gravity"...

They even created a separate group chat called "Room 301 Normal People (Group A)." Meanwhile, everyone left the group chat Zhao Mengmeng was in, and its name was changed to "Room 301 Anti-Gravity (Group D)."

The ostracism was blatant...

So, Zhao Mengmeng went from visiting the Yang Residence occasionally to shamelessly staying there all the time...

Although she felt a bit embarrassed, it was still better than the weird atmosphere in her dorm. By diligently helping Tao Ying with chores and cooking, she could at least alleviate some of the shame she felt for living there rent-free.

When Yang Shen saw Zhao Mengmeng, he was about to tell her to wait on the side, but after a moment’s thought, he changed his mind. "We’re passing on a Cultivation Technique... Do you want to learn?"

Zhao Mengmeng’s talent was nowhere near that of the Yang’s Eight Disciples—at least, not when it came to Martial Arts.

But she was considered one of their own now, and the Heart-Inquiry Stone Mirror had responded favorably to her.

She was already molded by the Yang Clan.

She was always well-behaved, helped his aunt a great deal, and was proficient in both cooking and cleaning.

As long as she signed the Blood Contract, there was no reason not to pass the Sun Wheel Body Refining Technique on to her.

Or, to put it another way... anyone who could freely enter and exit the Yang Residence, a place with so many secrets, should probably sign the contract anyway.

Zhao Mengmeng was a little stunned, but Tao Ying, who was very fond of her little helper, knew this was a good opportunity and waved her over. "Meng Meng, come on, join us."

Xu Bamboo chimed in to help, "You won’t lose out. Shenzi created an incredible Cultivation Technique."

Zhao Mengmeng pursed her lips. She wasn’t a girl with strong opinions of her own, so when people beckoned, she simply went along with it.

She was just a little nervous. ’I owe the Yang Family more and more...’

’How can I ever repay all this?’

After everyone had offered their blood, Yang Shen shook the Blood Contract Gourd. There was still no liquid inside; all the blood had been absorbed by it.

However, the blood-colored patterns on its surface grew clearer, a sign that the Blood Contract had been successfully formed.

And with that, the most important ritual of the day was over.

With the Blood Contract Gourd, the Yang Family would no longer face obstacles or hidden dangers when passing on their Cultivation Techniques.

Yang Shen also used the occasion of this Blood Contract transmission to establish several tiers within the Yang Family, setting rules that went beyond the contract itself.

Henceforth, the Eight Disciples would be known as "True Disciples," while all others would be designated as "Named Disciples."

In terms of status and authority, "True Disciples" were equivalent to the "Clan’s Direct Lineage," which was the position occupied by the four little ones.

The difference was that the child of a "True Disciple" would not necessarily be a "True Disciple," whereas a descendant of the "Clan’s Direct Lineage" would, in all likelihood, remain part of the direct lineage.

The distant relatives recruited for Changshen Biotechnology were classified as "Ordinary Staff," with privileges similar to those of "Named Disciples."

Until they were fully recognized and integrated into the Yang Family, they were not yet qualified to rise to the top in a single bound.

As for the rest, like Elder Tao Ying, Consecrated Xu Bamboo, and Shadow Guard Long Jiu... their positions were essentially placeholders, not worth scrutinizing too closely.

Thus, a "bloodline track" and a "discipleship track" were established in parallel, forming the hierarchical structure of the Yang Family.

The Yang Family had not been established for long, so this framework was sufficient for the time being. Rules are only useful when they fit the actual circumstances; making things overly complicated ahead of time was pointless.

Once they had more people, they could add a few intermediate tiers, perhaps classifying members as "Direct," "True," "Named," "Anonymous," and "Roadside."

Furthermore, the stipends and specifications for Supplements for each membership tier were also clearly defined for the first time.

Once this plan was established, Yuan Rui immediately showed his knack for extrapolation. "Master, since we’re distinguishing between internal and external members, perhaps we could use some sort of insignia to make the roles clearer? The Clan’s Direct Lineage isn’t large, but the number of Named Disciples will gradually grow."

Yang Shen had always had faith in Yuan Rui.

His talent for management and abstract thinking were just as incredible.

"Tell me what you’re thinking."

"The most obvious way to show these differences is with attire. A full uniform would be inconvenient and impractical for daily life, but we could wear them for formal occasions, like our next gathering in front of the ancestral hall."

"For everyday purposes, we could design a motif. That way, it can be used on emblems, armbands, or as embroidery. In the future, when the Yang’s Disciples are walking around campus, it will also do more to proclaim our Master’s glory."

Yang Shen frowned slightly. ’I feel like there’s a trap here...’

But it didn’t seem to be a major issue. "Fine, but keep it simple. Don’t make it too complicated."

He had a few acquaintances from Europe who, to some extent, wore family emblems. He couldn’t make sense of them, but they certainly provided a sense of ceremony.

After that, Yang Shen began to personally instruct everyone in the Sun Wheel Body Refining Technique.

He was quite experienced at teaching disciples by now, so having a few more people didn’t feel like a hassle.

It was worth noting that his aunt, Tao Ying, also joined in.

His aunt had no Spiritual Root, meaning she was fated to never practice Cultivation. However, she had once been a Martial Arts College student who reached the initial stage of Marrow Refining. It was just that after getting married, she became busy with life, and like most adults, her realm had slowly declined bit by bit.

In the past, the Yang Family hadn’t even had the resources to support Yang Shen as a high school student, let alone his aunt. But things were different now.

He had to get his aunt’s Martial Arts practice back on track.

Even if she couldn’t practice Cultivation, the path of Martial Arts still offered breathtaking heights to behold. Besides, strengthening one’s body and prolonging one’s life were always good things.

....

The Yang Family spent the entire day engrossed in the transmission of the technique.

They practiced together, performed Body Forging together, and finally, ate together.

The feeling of being a large, harmonious family instantly emerged.

After the meal, everyone continued to practice in front of the ancestral hall. With the Sixth Set as their foundation, their progress was remarkably fast.

In Yanhua, anyone who had received a Martial Arts Education had at least several years, if not more, of experience practicing the Sixth Set. Many people even repeatedly practiced this one set after graduation just to maintain their realm.

Yang Shen walked over to Zhao Mengmeng. Seeing the girl practicing so earnestly, he couldn’t help but shake his head to himself.

He hadn’t seen her properly in a while, so he made some small talk. "You’re at Jianghuai Martial Arts University, right?"

Zhao Mengmeng nodded, her stance wobbling. "Yes, it’s not far from here."

She spoke with a hint of shame. "Am I coming over too often? Am I causing you trouble?"

Yang Shen shook his head. "I already promised you all a room here. Besides, I heard from my aunt that you work very hard helping with the cooking and cleaning."

In terms of talent, Zhao Mengmeng had clearly spent all her stat points elsewhere. Her Martial Arts skills were the same as they were in high school.

Of course, this wasn’t to say she was terrible. If the path of Martial Arts was a long river, a genius like Xu Bamboo would be standing on its surface, while the Eight Disciples, like Yuan Rui and Cao Wei, would be submerged up to their waists.

In that case, Zhao Mengmeng would be submerged up to her neck.

But further down... there were plenty of others who had already drowned.

After all, Zhao Mengmeng had gotten into a first-tier university, even if it was a low-ranked one. There were still so many people with no affinity for Martial Arts who would live their whole lives as ordinary people.

You couldn’t always use Jiangti as the benchmark.

Yang Shen continued making his rounds, finally stopping in front of another classic case: Lin Yuebai.

As the one designated by the system as "untalented," she was a true oddity among the Yang Family’s martial artists.

Her forehand was weak, her backhand clumsy, her footwork sloppy, and her reflexes sluggish.

Her punches looked more like a dance... a single blow from her would probably make a gangster’s heart flutter all night.

"If you keep this up, I’m going to release a few Sun Worms to supervise your work."

Lin Yuebai panicked. "Please don’t, Patriarch! I’m afraid of bugs!"

’This girl is destined to have no future on the path of Martial Arts. The same goes for Cultivation...’

’Just let her practice for fun.’

’At least it will keep her fit. Otherwise, at her initial stage of Skin Refining, she wouldn’t have the health or stamina for important responsibilities. There will be plenty of busy times ahead.’

Yang Shen didn’t demand that everyone in the Yang Family be a frontline fighter. Different roles had different requirements. But at the very least, everyone had to put in the effort on their path of cultivation.

After some thought, Yang Shen turned and went back into the ancestral hall. He glanced at the large urn that was the Heart-Inquiry Stone Mirror.

He hadn’t been back in a month, and the urn was already completely full—it must have held one or two hundred liters—and the water within was crystal clear.

As the Yang Family developed, the Heart-Inquiry Water was being produced at an ever-increasing rate.

He had someone bring over cups, filled 16 of them to the brim, and distributed them to everyone.

At the current rate, providing one cup per person per week wouldn’t be a problem; there would even be a surplus.

Now that the Blood Contract was signed, the various marvels and benefits could be more widely distributed.

With the help of the Heart-Inquiry Water, he was sure that as long as they were diligent over the next few days, everyone would be able to master the basics and get on the fast track to improvement.