[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-don-t-mock-the-poor-old-man-gains-a-year-of-cult":3,"chapter-don-t-mock-the-poor-old-man-gains-a-year-of-cult-don-t-mock-the-poor-old-man-gains-a-year-of-cult-chapter-4":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Don't Mock the Poor Old Man: Gains a Year of Cultivation Every Day!",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2312496,4520,"Chapter 4: Let Go of the Need to Help; Respect Others","don-t-mock-the-poor-old-man-gains-a-year-of-cult-chapter-4",4,"\u003Cp>The next day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ye rose early, still somewhat weak inside, but his body felt noticeably lighter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the past, upon waking, his joints were always stiff and achy, like rusted door hinges.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today, as he stretched his limbs, a long-forgotten fluidity subtly emerged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So this is the benefit of practicing martial arts.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ye lowered his head slightly, sensing the changes within his body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had practiced for only an hour last night, yet today he felt as if he had grown several years younger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Five Animal Fist truly is a path of nourishment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a simple breakfast, Jiang Ye opened the heavy, lacquered black gate of the martial arts school as usual.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He became once more the silent, taciturn gatekeeper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not long after, a figure hurried through the morning dew and frost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good morning, Uncle Jiang.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The voice carried the bright, energetic tone unique to youth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The newcomer had dark skin and a sturdy build—it was Shi Lei, an outer courtyard disciple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wore a faded, coarse cotton martial arts robe; his forehead hair was damp from the morning mist, clearly having rushed here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ye lifted his eyes and gave a slight nod: “Shi kid, you’re here earliest again.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Heh, the slow bird flies first.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shi Lei grinned awkwardly, bowed to Jiang Ye, then rushed past the gate straight toward the open outer courtyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This kid really is diligent in his training.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ye’s gaze followed the boy’s vibrant back until he vanished behind the screen wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The youth’s vitality had somehow stirred him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“After I drink the Blood-Boosting Soup at noon, I’ll resume my fist practice—today, I’ll strive to break through to Ming Jing!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ye’s fingers, tucked inside his sleeves, clenched slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“After a night’s accumulation and half a day’s rest, today… perhaps I can try again to break through!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The threshold of Ming Jing had been within reach last night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>About half a stick of incense later, the other disciples began arriving one by one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Faint, scattered footsteps and murmurs filled the courtyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ye, as usual, kept his eyes half-closed, scanning the young faces entering the gate with his peripheral vision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, his sparse eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Xiaohé, who had only just joined a few days ago, entered with her head down, her steps hesitant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What startled Jiang Ye was the distinct bluish-purple bruises on her pale, youthful cheeks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially the one beneath her left eye—clearly visible in the morning light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It didn’t look like a fall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The direction and placement of the marks… more like they’d been struck by a fist or hard object.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A flicker of understanding passed through Jiang Ye’s eyes, then vanished into indifference.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was just an old gatekeeper—he had no interest, nor any standing, to ask. He glanced once and looked away, as if he’d seen nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the other outer courtyard disciples entering the gate weren’t so “sensible.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had clearly noticed Lin Xiaohé’s injuries.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh my, Little Sister Xiaohé!” A round-faced boy was the first to cry out, stepping forward and staring wide-eyed: “What happened to your face? Why’s it so bruised?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Looks terrifying,” said another tall, thin disciple, stopping to scrutinize her closely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who did this?” A third disciple raised his voice, brimming with youthful righteousness and bluster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who’s so stupid as to beat up our new little sister from the martial arts school? Tell us, brother—we’ll get justice for you!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The chorus of concern and questions instantly surrounded Lin Xiaohé at the gate, trapping her as she tried to slip inside with her head down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing everyone so concerned, Lin Xiaohé, with red eyes, finally released the long-suppressed grievance:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It was the Wild Wolf Gang!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My family runs a small food stall on Zhangxingjie, just trying to make ends meet.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“These Wild Wolf Gang thugs come every few days, demanding ‘street fees’ and ‘peace money.’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yesterday, they came again to collect. I argued with them, and they beat me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They didn’t care at all that I’m a disciple of Qing Shi Martial Academy...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing “Wild Wolf Gang,” the faces of the previously indignant outer disciples changed instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The round-faced boy’s open mouth froze shut; the tall, thin one quietly pulled back his forward step.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The one who had shouted loudest earlier avoided eye contact, swallowed hard, and said nothing more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Anxi County, the Wild Wolf Gang had a fearsome reputation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They held sway over the western quarter, controlling several chaotic streets, their ranks filled with ruthless, bloodthirsty outlaws.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These outer disciples came from poor families; some even relied on livelihoods within the Wild Wolf Gang’s territory, well aware of how dangerous and brutal the gang could be.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Passion flared quickly—and faded just as fast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Practical concerns evaporated the boys’ courage, leaving only awkward silence and shrinking glances.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ye, half-closed eyes, let a cold smirk flicker across his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old and shrewd as he was, he understood the whole situation from just a few words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this world, especially in a place like Anxi County, running a small street business meant paying “protection money” to local bosses—it was an unspoken rule, the cost of survival.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This “protection fee” could never be waived by arguing—it required either real power behind you, or a powerful enough patron to deter them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Xiaohé simply thought that wearing the Qing Shi Martial Academy’s robe made her different, gave her leverage to negotiate—or even avoid the payment entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so, the Wild Wolf Gang taught her a lesson.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, the gang wasn’t entirely fearless of the martial academy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They dared not lightly provoke those who had entered the inner courtyard as full disciples.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But for outer courtyard trainees—uneven in talent and uncertain in future—the academy’s stance was always: Do not use the Qing Shi Martial Academy’s name to cause trouble outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, outer courtyard disciples were numerous, and their character and ability varied wildly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If every one of them could casually claim to be a “disciple of Liu Qingshi” and act as they pleased, disaster would inevitably follow—and bring ruin upon the academy itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the sudden silence around her, Lin Xiaohé’s expression grew even more wounded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She knew she could count on none of these so-called outer courtyard brothers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She wiped away a tear with her hand and walked into the courtyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since last night’s practice of the Five Animal Fist, her mind had grown calm; though her qi and blood remained weak, her senses had somehow been subtly purified by that “extraordinary insight,” becoming unusually sharp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ye, still half-closed-eyed and leaning by the gate, heard faint, fragmented conversations drifting from afar—clearly, distinctly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Big Brother Shi… only you can help me now…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was Lin Xiaohé’s voice, on the verge of tears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a brief silence came Shi Lei’s low, yet resolute reply:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Little Sister Lin… don’t worry. Tonight I’ll walk you home. If they dare come again, I… I won’t let them hurt you!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Big Brother Shi… I’ll repay you, I promise…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was Lin Xiaohé’s trembling, tearful voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This Shi kid’s going to get tricked.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ye shook his head slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could tell Shi Lei trained diligently—his fist technique was nearly within grasp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he interfered now on Lin Xiaohé’s behalf and got injured…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he missed this golden window for cultivation and failed to break through within two months…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then his entire life would be ruined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The margin for error among the lower classes was far smaller than imagined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, from Jiang Ye’s perspective, Lin Xiaohé didn’t seem the type to repay kindness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet these thoughts passed through Jiang Ye’s mind like a breeze over a deep pool—leaving no trace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had no intention of speaking up to dissuade Shi Lei.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Let go of the urge to help; respect others’ destinies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was why he had survived to seventy in this world.\u003C\u002Fp>",1307,"2026-06-20T12:57:27.461Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","10ca2e17c23193ac9349dc67ba7b7a280de417f068a5bb05f5f6b1ddd84e4378","don-t-mock-the-poor-old-man-gains-a-year-of-cult-chapter-5","don-t-mock-the-poor-old-man-gains-a-year-of-cult-chapter-3",268,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fdon-t-mock-the-poor-old-man-gains-a-year-of-cult-cover.jpg"]