Chapter 8, The Family Treasure Book

He closed the wooden box and suddenly asked, "Father, if I had no talent for martial arts, would you not have passed this on to me?"

The morning sun gradually rose higher, and Zheng Haotian stood still for a moment, slowly exhaling a long breath

Zheng Haotian took out the books, and there were a total of three books inside. Although he was still young, he had already learned many characters from his father. With a glance, he recognized the titles of these three books.

Why?

However, the thoughts of children are not that complicated; since they cannot understand, they simply do not think about it.

This item has always been kept in my father's room, and he treats it like a treasure, never allowing anyone to touch it, not even himself.

After all, the situation of countless ferocious beasts rampaging on Xionglang Mountain after the last earthquake is truly a once-in-a-millennium occurrence. On ordinary days, there are rarely any ferocious beasts that descend the mountain to attack the villages

Zheng Haotian furrowed his brows in confusion and said, "Father, what are these things?"

He slowly moved back and forth along the lines drawn by his father on the wood, and soon he inserted the saw into the wood, cutting as closely as possible along the center line to the end of the wooden board

Zheng Haotian responded carelessly, as for him, such matters were still quite early

That great-grandfather

Children always hope to gain the approval of adults, especially from those they regard as important figures, as such recognition brings them immense joy

Zheng Haotian opened his eyes wide; regarding these words, he was somewhat confused yet managed to grasp one thing clearly

"No, I was born and raised here, and I am familiar with every blade of grass and tree. This is my true home." Zheng Chenglian shifted his gaze and then smiled wryly, saying, "In fact, even if I wanted to trace my roots and take a look, I would be powerless to do so."

Fortunately, his strength has greatly increased now, allowing him to grip the saw firmly with just a little effort

Because we are fundamentally unqualified to pass through the Great Array of Celestial Transformation.

On this day, Zheng Haotian practiced the basic long fist on the playground as usual

This is the place where Zheng Chenglian works on a daily basis. The dried wood is stacked in a designated room, and whenever Zheng Chenglian feels inspired, he can take it out to the yard for processing, crafting various exquisite furniture or weapons such as bows and arrows

It was your great-grandfather who told your grandfather

At this moment, Zheng Chenglian was gesturing with a saw, and upon seeing his son enter, he said without any courtesy: "Come here and saw these pieces of wood along the lines."

However, it is rather unfortunate that, unbeknownst to him, the direction he has sawed out has already deviated from the predetermined track

Although he has only studied internal martial arts for a mere seven days, his enthusiasm for research grows stronger day by day

Before this, he had never imagined that practicing martial arts could be such an exhilarating experience

Although he had never personally engaged in these activities before, having been born into this family, he is not unfamiliar with these matters, having seen pigs run even if he has never eaten pork

Zheng Chenglian nodded slowly and said, "Not bad"

Zheng Chenglian said in a deep voice: "These three books are the secret classics passed down by our Zheng family's ancestors. The content within encompasses the myriad phenomena of the universe. My skills are merely a drop in the ocean, not worth mentioning"

In the blink of an eye, seven days have already passed

After practicing the boxing techniques, my entire body became more agile, and I could no longer feel any chill

Zheng Haotian responded and quickly walked into the courtyard

Zheng Haotian responded readily, approached his father, took the saw, and began to work imitating the manner of it.

Not bad? Zheng Haotian looked at his father in confusion, almost doubting whether his ears were mistaken.

Zheng Chenglian did not answer directly, but instead asked, "Haotian, do you know why our family's carpentry skills are renowned far and wide?"

So how did grandfather know that

Zheng Haotian blinked his big eyes and said, "Father, didn't you say before that I shouldn't touch these things until I turn twelve"

"Haotian, come here." The voice of my father echoed from the courtyard

Zheng Haotian's eyes blinked repeatedly. His mother passed away early, and he was raised single-handedly by his father. In his mind, his father's image was immensely grand, and his craftsmanship was highly praised by everyone within dozens of miles. However, today he realized that this level of skill was nothing compared to the ancestral secrets of the Zheng family.

Zheng Haotian glanced up at his expressionless father, and a sense of panic surged within him. He desperately tried to realign the saw with the central line. However, to his surprise, after applying too much force, he heard a sharp "crack"; the saw in his hand had already snapped.

Father, have you been to our hometown?" Zheng Haotian asked curiously

Most of the able-bodied men in the village, along with - the - book, went up the mountain under the leadership of Yu Jiansheng. Although the remaining individuals are mostly elderly, weak, women, and children, they are generally sufficient to guard the village.

Zheng Chenglian finally advised: "Remember, this is the family heirloom of the Zheng family. In the future, apart from your sons and grandsons, no one else should know about it, not even your future daughter-in-law."

Zheng Haotian smiled and proudly said: "That is because your craftsmanship is exquisite, able to create things that others cannot."

The punches strike like the wind, and the body moves like a dragon. After completing this set of martial arts, he seems to gain a deeper level of understanding each time. If Yu Jiansheng and others were to know his current feelings, they would undoubtedly find it hard to believe

Zheng Chenglian slowly nodded after glancing at his father

However, Zheng Haotian's time spent practicing martial arts is still too short, and the power of his punches cannot be compared to that of Yu Weihua. Nevertheless, compared to the first day of practice, he appears much more skilled, and his posture is increasingly approaching the standard.

The voice of Zheng Chenglian was unexpectedly somewhat ethereal: "The world we inhabit is merely one among the myriad realms, and our Zheng family's ancestors were originally a prominent clan from another world. However, as the family declined, some sought to covet the family heirloom. Thus, our ancestors brought the treasured tome and traversed the great array of celestial transformations to arrive in this world, where they subsequently settled down.

Stop! A faint black line was vaguely visible on Zheng Chenglian's face. He waved his hand forcefully and said, "In any case, these words have been passed down from our ancestors for generations. Moreover, the ancestors had a legacy: if any member of the family achieves success in martial arts, they can obtain the inheritance of the classic texts. " He said earnestly, "You are the only one among our Zheng family in several generations who possesses the talent for martial arts, so I will now hand over the items to you. As for how much you can learn, it depends on your own fortune."

You don't know either

What is the Doushuai Star Shifting Formation

Zheng Chenglian said lightly: "Your strength was too weak before; even if I wanted to teach you, you would not be able to grasp it and might even hurt yourself. But now your strength has increased significantly, and it is time for you to learn the techniques."

Without taking the time to study this issue, Zheng Haotian opened the wooden box, and inside was unexpectedly a thick stack of books

"You did quite well for your first job," Zheng Chenglian sighed and said, "When your grandfather taught me step by step, I was actually a year older than you, and I broke the saw after only cutting a quarter of the board." He nodded twice in satisfaction and continued, "You have a talent for carpentry, and knowing that you can carry on my skills gives me peace of mind"

Because this is what your grandfather told me

The first book is "A Collection of Extraordinary Tales from Around the World," the second book is "The Art of Mechanisms and Traps," and the third book is "The Art of Refining Talismans"

Zheng Haotian waved the saw that had been interrupted in his hand, feeling a sense of relief in his heart

Gently shaking his head, Zheng Chenglian let out a soft sigh, extended his hand and said: "Haotian, the skills I employ are merely minor paths, while the true great path lies here"

Humans may indeed fear wolves, tigers, and leopards, but these wild beasts fear humans even more

When he practiced martial arts, he still retained a certain demeanor, but once he relaxed, he transformed into a lively ten-year-old child

However, the difficulty of carpentry and the *illustrated* book exceeded the boy's imagination. This saw seemed to obey his father's hand, but in his own hand, it was somewhat difficult to control

Zheng Haotian finally smiled with satisfaction, his eyes nearly squinting into a narrow slit.

Zheng Haotian's eyes narrowed slightly; he was not unfamiliar with this wooden box

Zheng Haotian nodded. Although he did not obtain the answer he wanted to know, he no longer dared to confront his father.

Zheng Haotian awkwardly raised his head and said, "Father, the saw is broken"

Zheng Chenglian hesitated for a moment, then finally took out a black wooden box from behind him and handed it to his hands, saying: "Haotian, go ahead and open it."

Following the direction pointed out by Zheng Chenglian, his gaze fell into the wooden box. Zheng Haotian exclaimed in surprise, "Father, is this where you learned your craft?"

The ancestors of the Zheng family were not originally mountain dwellers. Perhaps they were similar to those respectable city dwellers who came from afar to purchase special furniture for their homes

The weight of this wooden box is surprisingly heavy, almost comparable to that of some metal boxes. However, both in appearance and in tactile sensation, this object should be carved from some type of wood

I do not know

Zheng Chenglian smiled silently and said, "These things will eventually belong to you. However, if you lack the talent for martial arts, then even after I die, these things will still be yours."

He dashed home with his legs spread apart

Yes

Since you do not know, how can you be certain that it cannot be passed

Zheng Haotian was no exception; a beaming smile instantly appeared on his face

Upon receiving the wooden box, Zheng Haotian let out a strange exclamation of surprise