The moon emerged again from the dark clouds, its bright radiance spilling onto the earth and also onto Jun Bufan.
Jun Bufan stood quietly before the Jun family's main gate, appearing somewhat desolate in the hazy moonlight.
Xiao Yunlong paused for a moment before stepping forward and asking indifferently, "Waiting for me here, do you wish to avenge your Jun family?"
Jun Bufan shook his head, a bitter smile on his face. "Revenge? How could I seek revenge? Not only am I far from being Mr. Xiao's match, but this matter began with Jun Zifang and the others being in the wrong. It's not for anyone else to blame."
Xiao Yunlong asked with some surprise, "Do you harbor no resentment?"
"Resentment? Of course, I resent it!"
Jun Bufan clenched his fists and said in a deep voice, "I only regret not stopping them with all my might back then. I resent not disciplining my cousins properly over the years, allowing them to act so recklessly. To be honest, Mr. Xiao, before this, Jun Feifan had already taken two lives. The Jun family used their power to suppress it. And Jun Zifang..."
At this point, Jun Bufan suddenly stopped speaking, shook his head, and sighed, "It's no use talking about it now. It's too late. If anyone is to blame, it's the Jun family's arrogance over the years. Even if they hadn't encountered Mr. Xiao today, something would have happened sooner or later!"
Xiao Yunlong did not expect the other party to be so perceptive. He could tell that this top student from Sucheng University was not deliberately lying, but speaking his true feelings.
"What are your plans for the future?" Xiao Yunlong asked after some thought.
"Plans? I haven't really thought about it. I'm passionate about martial arts and only wish to become a master one day," Jun Bufan replied, a little taken aback.
"You can follow me from now on. I can offer guidance when I have time. Of course, if you have any lingering resentment regarding tonight's events with the Jun family, consider my offer withdrawn. You can come find me tomorrow!"
Having said this, Xiao Yunlong turned and walked towards the car he had arrived in, then drove away.
Jun Bufan remained standing there, staring blankly at Xiao Yunlong's departing car, feeling lost. To be frank, he was somewhat conflicted and hesitant.
"Forget it. I've already advised Jun Zifang and the others. It's not my fault. Master Bai is gone. I'll follow Mr. Xiao to learn martial arts from now on."
After a long while, Jun Bufan finally made up his mind.
Of course, Jun Bufan did not know that his decision tonight would completely change his life and the entire Jun family.
On many future nights, as Jun Bufan looked up at the moon, as bright as ever, he would sigh about how correct his decision had been.
But that is a story for another time.
The night passed without incident. The next morning, after breakfast, Liu Ruyan did not go to filming. Instead, she requested a three-day leave from the crew. After all, such a major event had occurred last night, and many crew members were still in a state of shock and needed time to process it.
From today onwards, Liu Ruyan would officially begin learning martial arts from Xiao Yunlong.
However, just as they were about to start, Jun Bufan arrived, signifying that he too would officially be following Xiao Yunlong from this day forward.
"I knew you would come. You'll realize in the future how correct your decision today was!" Xiao Yunlong smiled.
Of course, a significant reason for Xiao Yunlong's decision to take Jun Bufan under his wing was his recognition of the young man's considerable talent in martial arts. Among the younger generation in Sucheng, he was considered quite good, a genius, and thus worthy of following him.
Jun Bufan cupped his hands and said, "Mr. Xiao, regarding following you, the Third Elder and several senior family members have agreed. From now on, I am your man. I hope Mr. Xiao will provide much guidance!"
Xiao Yunlong nodded. "You can rest in the courtyard for a while. I need to check on Ruyan's physical condition first. I'll come to find you afterward!"
With that, he walked into the study with Liu Ruyan.
After all, it was her first time learning martial arts. Before she began, Xiao Yunlong needed to examine Liu Ruyan's bone structure and assess her martial arts aptitude.
"Brother Xiao, what do I need to do next?" Liu Ruyan asked.
"Nothing. You just need to sit cross-legged, calm yourself as much as possible, and don't do anything else for now," Xiao Yunlong said.
"Okay!" Liu Ruyan sat down cross-legged and slowly closed her eyes.
Xiao Yunlong sat cross-legged in front of her. After adjusting his state, he placed his hands on her lower abdomen. Suddenly, his brow furrowed, and the internal energy within him flowed like a gentle stream through his palms into Liu Ruyan's body.
As his wife, Xiao Yunlong naturally wouldn't be casual about this. He first needed to understand her bone structure.
Of course, the internal energy he transferred could not only be used to assess her condition but, more importantly, Xiao Yunlong intended to leave this internal energy within Liu Ruyan's body to help transform and strengthen her. If possible, at a certain stage, he could also help her open up her extraordinary meridians.
This way, Liu Ruyan could quickly bypass the external strength stage and directly enter the realm of an internal strength minor master. With the assistance of internal energy, her strength would naturally be much greater than that of an external strength martial artist.
In fact, in martial arts, the process of tempering the external strength stage is often the most time-consuming and difficult. Some martial artists might spend most of their lives stuck in the external strength tempering stage, unable to generate internal energy or achieve mastery.
Of course, only for Liu Ruyan would Xiao Yunlong go to such lengths, as transferring internal energy was quite draining.
As the stream-like internal energy entered Liu Ruyan's body, under Xiao Yunlong's guidance, it immediately circulated along her extraordinary meridians.
Liu Ruyan soon reacted. She felt a dryness in her mouth and a faint stinging sensation within her body, making her restless.
"Maintain your focus and try to calm yourself. Persevere!" Xiao Yunlong quickly reminded her.
Liu Ruyan gritted her teeth and tried to stay calm. Although she didn't know why Xiao Yunlong was doing this, she trusted her man, so all she could do now was to endure.
This was essentially a test of her martial arts talent. Xiao Yunlong guided the stream-like internal energy along Liu Ruyan's extraordinary meridians. If it could complete a full circulation smoothly, her talent would be considered top-tier.
If it could only complete a smaller circulation, her talent would be considered upper-middle, barely qualifying as a genius. If it could only complete half, it would indicate a middle-tier aptitude. And if it couldn't even complete a quarter, her talent would be very ordinary.
At this moment, the internal energy had only circulated through a quarter of Liu Ruyan's extraordinary meridians.
In fact, since she hadn't cultivated yet, even the slightest amount of internal energy, as fine as a strand of hair, circulating through her meridians felt extremely uncomfortable. The stinging sensation would only intensify, and her mind would become increasingly agitated. Therefore, very few people could successfully complete a full circulation.
However, there was another type, legendary figures who surpassed geniuses. They could not only complete a full circulation smoothly but also directly remember the circulation path. After the facilitator finished guiding the energy, they could then mobilize the residual energy within their bodies and circulate it themselves.
This way, they could directly skip the external strength stage and enter the realm of an internal strength minor master. Although the internal energy would still be scarce, they would be a true minor master. Of course, such prodigies were exceedingly rare, almost one in ten thousand!
Having been in the Northern Territory for so long, Xiao Yunlong had encountered numerous martial artists, but he had never met anyone with such talent.
Even when he was in distress and met that ancient martial arts master, Xiao Yunlong had spent three days before he could complete a full circulation when being taught martial arts.
In other words, from the formal commencement of his martial arts training, it took him three days to reach the level of an internal strength minor master. Yet, even so, it was enough to shock that ancient martial arts master.
At this moment, Xiao Yunlong was undoubtedly curious and somewhat expectant to see what Liu Ruyan's talent was.
"No matter what, hold onto your resolve and don't waver. Also, if possible, remember the circulation path, which is the path of the stinging sensation!" Xiao Yunlong instructed.
At this moment, Liu Ruyan was already sweating profusely and could no longer speak. Her delicate body was even trembling slightly, but she still nodded faintly.
Time flowed by like water. Under Xiao Yunlong's guidance, the internal energy, as fine as a stream or a strand of hair, continued to advance.
Two minutes later, she had completed half a circulation. Liu Ruyan was still gritting her teeth and enduring. Xiao Yunlong felt a quiet sense of relief, indicating that her talent was at least middle-tier.
The circulation continued, and soon a small circulation was completed. Despite being restless and in unbearable pain, Liu Ruyan was still gritting her teeth and enduring.
Xiao Yunlong couldn't help but feel a little admiration. Completing a small circulation meant she was at least a martial arts genius.
"Good, your talent is good. Hold on a little longer and don't give up. It will be over soon," Xiao Yunlong encouraged her.
At this moment, Liu Ruyan felt like a small boat adrift in a vast ocean, where a storm was brewing and threatening to capsize her. Xiao Yunlong's words were like a ray of sunlight breaking through the clouds, giving her hope.
Finally, two minutes passed, and a full large circulation was completed.
Liu Ruyan suddenly felt as if the vast ocean and the stormy weather had disappeared. She felt as if she had suddenly arrived in a place filled with birdsong and fragrant flowers, where there was sunshine and warmth, as well as countless colorful flowers and singing birds. The warm spring sun gave her an indescribable sense of comfort.
Xiao Yunlong did not stop. After completing a large circulation, he needed to guide this internal energy into Liu Ruyan's Dantian to finalize the process.
After all, with Liu Ruyan's current martial arts cultivation, she could not yet guide the internal energy into her Dantian herself. If she could do so now, she would not just be a prodigy but a monstrous talent.
However, just as Xiao Yunlong was guiding the energy into Liu Ruyan's Dantian, an unexpected change occurred!
Suddenly, a dazzling silver light erupted from Liu Ruyan's Dantian, accompanied by a powerful repulsive force that immediately pushed out the energy Xiao Yunlong had just introduced.
"What's going on?"
At this moment, Xiao Yunlong's expression changed drastically. He dared not be careless and quickly controlled the internal energy to move away before finally withdrawing it back into his own body.
Meanwhile, Liu Ruyan had already fainted.