「The next day.」
Jiang Zhi rose before dawn and practiced a set of fist forms in the courtyard.
Chen Ye happened to see her and didn't hold back his praise. "Every move is sharp and every punch carries momentum. Brother Jiang, what excellent fist work!"
Wiping the sweat from her brow with a towel, Jiang Zhi cupped her hands in thanks.
She could tell that Chen Ye was a martial artist as well, and a skilled one at that.
It was still early and Shen Ningning hadn't arrived, so Jiang Zhi strolled from one end of the village to the other. She made a patrol, checking to see if any of the families needed a hand.
As dawn broke through the clouds, casting down waves of searing heat, Shen Ningning rode down the mountain on the Black Wolf King.
The little girl yawned, her big, glistening eyes hazy with sleep.
She had returned home very late last night. With the sweltering weather, she had treated herself to a bowl of iced, crushed lychees.
