Chapter 2: Surviving in the Crevice

The techniques are executed with impeccable precision, the rhythm of breathing is rich and melodic, and the movements rise and fall like a little tiger roaring through the mountains, with the sound of shouts echoing back and forth in the small training ground

The Duke's father may have unclear thoughts, but Chen Ying understands very well that the legitimate second brother is, in the eyes of the legitimate mother, the only choice to inherit the power of the Duke's military.

Under the blazing sun, a burly man dressed in guard attire is already waiting.

Being ordinary is the best protection for oneself

The library of the Northern Town Public Office is exceedingly vast, housing hundreds of thousands of books. The ordinary books that Chen Ying can access are numerous; were it not for the deliberate decision to set aside those esoteric and difficult texts temporarily, it would be no easy task for him to remember the contents of tens of thousands of miscellaneous books.

The stepmother did not sever his path of martial arts; she even arranged for a guard to teach him the basic body training boxing techniques, which was quite generous of her. Although he had changed guards three times in five years, each one was less skilled than the last. Currently, the guard Hong is merely a novice among the guards, the most inexperienced of the inexperienced

After completing a set of the Tiger Fist routine, he was already feeling hot all over and was drenched in sweat

It is impossible to say that when I first crossed over and was reborn, I did not have the ambition to accomplish great things. However, given the layout of the duke's household and the occasional cold gaze from my father, the duke, how could I dare to entertain any small thoughts?

Do not be misled by the fact that there are quite a few children in the public household, with as many as four boys, consisting of two legitimate and two illegitimate, along with two illegitimate daughters; it may seem like a lot, but when he was reborn, he still had two illegitimate elder brothers above him.

When the time arrived, the young maid Liu Lu woke him up, and after he had washed and tidied himself, he hurried to the small training ground not far from the second gate

After a hearty yet unrefined lunch, I leisurely stroll in the courtyard to aid digestion. A young maid, with rosy cheeks, stands under the eaves holding a roll of miscellaneous books, reading aloud in a clear and melodious voice.

The legitimate second brother, who is on the verge of adulthood, has demonstrated exceptional talent in martial arts since childhood, making him the undisputed heir of the Duke of Northern Town in the military

As a result, before he had even reached the age of two, both of his half-brothers passed away one after another due to various reasons, and shortly thereafter, his biological mother also followed them in death. The brutality and bloodshed of it all truly chilled his heart

Due to the early emergence of paper and printing technology, the transmission system from ancient times to the present has never been interrupted or severed, and the knowledge that has been preserved is undoubtedly vast and complex

Others believe this to be a frivolous act, and moreover, a collection of trivial writings that do not belong in the main hall, thus treating it as a joke and not taking it seriously. Even the wet nurse, Li Ma, and the two young maidservants share this sentiment, truly a beautiful misunderstanding

In such circumstances, no one would consider him a threat to his two legitimate elder brothers

Chen Ying would not face such dangers; the age difference with her legitimate elder brother is quite significant, and without her biological mother orchestrating things behind the scenes, she would not receive any attention from her duke father.

Otherwise, reading several or even more than ten books a day would inevitably lead to significant achievements; he would not have lived to this age.

The maid beside me has also broadened her horizons by reading a large number of books, and has generally not caused any trouble

Chen Ying smiled lightly and nodded, addressing the burly guard.

Chen Ying appeared to be nonchalant, yet the content of the miscellaneous books read by Hua Hong was entirely memorized in his mind without any error

Although the Great Qi Empire has already reached a flourishing state in terms of culture and education, the Duke of Northern Defense, as the foremost hero of the northern military, places great importance on the martial skills and abilities of his family members

It is indeed merely a routine matter

The robustly built guard Hong, with a serious expression, nodded and spoke directly

Of course, it is uncertain whether it is due to time travel or the influence of a special ability, but having an exceptional memory for both sight and sound are fundamental skills, while being unremarkable is merely a facade

As long as the influential figures in the government residence do not feel threatened, life can still be quite pleasant

Chen Ying was well aware that this was yet another tactic employed by her biological mother

The legitimate elder brother of He Zouwen, both in literature and martial arts, firmly holds the vast majority of resources of the public office in this generation

Such behavior is naturally a means of self-preservation. However, he is indeed quite interested in martial arts.

After the incident, the government was calm and undisturbed, with no waves stirring up

At this moment, he was full of energy, showing no signs of the morning's greetings or the lethargy he exhibited while reading in the morning

Third Young Master, as always, let us first engage in a round of boxing to warm up the muscles

Indeed, since he began practicing martial arts at the age of five, it has now been a full five years. He is still training in a basic body conditioning boxing technique, specifically designed for the protection of the courtyard.

Fortunately, he did not read it himself, but rather listened to it being read aloud by the maid beside him. Others thought he was merely listening to a story, and even regarded the maid's reading as a lullaby, treating it as a lighthearted joke and not taking it seriously

The ages of the two half-brothers are too close to that of the legitimate son, and their biological mother is quite favored, which makes her a threat in the eyes of the legitimate mother, leading to a simple resolution of the matter

No one has ever known that since the age of three, through deliberate efforts, Chen Ying has developed this habit of being 'unfocused on proper work', having memorized almost one-tenth of the collection of the Zhenbei Duke's residence.

Through this, Chen Ying not only absorbed a wealth of knowledge but also gained a general understanding of the outside world

As a duke's illegitimate son, the Duke of Northern Town's estate can be considered a magnificent ordinary resource, fully accessible to him, allowing him to gradually acquire a vast amount of knowledge and various skills in his mundane life

With nothing to do, I pondered carefully and, in conjunction with some vague rumors, it can be basically confirmed that it was the work of the biological mother.

Since Chen Ying began clamoring to practice martial arts at the age of five, Hong Huyuan has been his third martial arts instructor, teaching him still the foundational body conditioning techniques such as the Fierce Tiger Fist.

An hour and a half of class quickly passed, and Chen Xiong, the little chubby boy, ran off joyfully. Chen Ying, on the other hand, numbly bid farewell to the teacher. After the teacher, who kept shaking his head, left, she slowly made her way back to her small courtyard.

In such circumstances, what opportunities does Chen Ying have to stand out?

After Deng Hualong finished reading a miscellaneous book, he returned to his room to take a half-hour nap

"Huang Huyuan, let us begin!"

Among them, the orthodox Confucian classics constitute only a small portion, while the remainder consists of miscellaneous works such as medicine, agriculture, divination, astronomy, geography, mythology, travel notes, and basic martial arts and military strategies

The more one observes and understands the circumstances, the clearer one's path to survival becomes. It is the best choice to lead an ordinary life through the childhood and youth spent in the public office.

The Third Young Master has already mastered the fundamentals of the Fierce Tiger Fist quite well; next, let's continue with standing post and horse stance training

Third Young Master, it is time to go to the training ground

The robustly built guard Hong slightly nodded, his expression remaining unchanged, as he walked over to instruct Chen Ying on how to squat in a horse stance, his demeanor indifferent as if it were a routine task

Since Chen Ying traversed and was reborn, having witnessed the bloody struggles within the public mansion while still in swaddling clothes, she established this self-preservation strategy.

Chen Ying no longer wasted words, slightly moved his limbs, and with a sudden shift of his body, his fists and feet flew in a flurry, executing a set of the well-practiced Fierce Tiger Fist in one continuous motion

He cannot express himself too much; he can only absorb knowledge in this manner