Grinding to Become the Martial Saint of the Mortal World

Luoshui County. 

Early morning. 

Streaks of dawn pierced through the clouds, casting light on the ancient city walls. 

The once tranquil Luoshui County had already come alive, with the bustling streets filled with the cries of vendors. The entire town was a scene of noise and commotion. 

To the east of Luoshui County, in a small fenced courtyard. 

Jiangning sat cross-legged on a wooden chair, basking in the sunlight. His elbows rested on his knees, and his chin was propped up by his palm. In his hands was a book he was quietly reading. 

[Records of the Mythical Era] 

This was a miscellaneous book, filled with stories about gods and deities. 

According to the book, before the Great Xia Dynasty, the world was one where gods and humans coexisted. 

Rivers had gods, mountains had gods deities were everywhere. 

Though it seemed like an absurd collection of tales, Jiangning was reading it with utmost seriousness, completely absorbed. 

[Literacy Experience +1] 

[Literacy Experience +1] 

After a long while, Jiangning turned to the last page and slowly closed the book. 

[After reading this book, your Literacy Experience has increased by a total of 8 points.] 

In the next moment. 

A panel appeared before his eyes, one that only he could see. 

[Name]: Jiangning 

[Source Energy]: 13.5 

[Skills]: Literacy (Mastery 968/1000) (Traits: None) 

"I'm almost at the max level! I wonder what changes will come once I fully master this Literacy skill." 

Looking at his panel, Jiangning felt a surge of excitement. 

In recent days, he had devoured every book in his home, from ancient histories to classical texts. 

Through these books, he had gradually progressed from a beginner to an expert in the skill of Literacy. 

With each breakthrough, he felt his mind grow clearer, his thoughts sharper, and his senses more acute. 

As he understood it, this was the effect of his spirit growing stronger. 

In the Great Xia Dynasty, within the Confucian tradition, reading nourished the spirit! 

Through his diligent reading, he had discovered the true utility of the panel. 

This panel had the power to turn the mundane into the extraordinary. By focusing on reading, he could continuously improve his Literacy skills, and once mastered, it would remain so forever. 

Now, every book he read was vividly stored in his mind, and he could recall any detail with just a thought. 

At this point, he was only a little over thirty experience points away from fully mastering the skill. With his current efficiency, he could easily grind out those points by reading a few more books. 

With his current level of knowledge, passing the imperial exams to become a Scholar or even a Provincial Graduate would be a breeze. 

Thinking of this, Jiangning felt even more anticipation. 

Achieving scholarly honors next year could completely change his current circumstances. 

"Dudu!" 

"Dudu!!" 

Just then, a soft, sweet voice reached Jiangning's ears. 

Hearing this voice, Jiangning snapped out of his thoughts. 

Looking in the direction of the sound, he saw a little girl, delicate and doll-like, with big eyes and two pigtails sticking up, wobbling toward him. Her chubby cheeks were particularly noticeable. 

Seeing his five-year-old niece, Jiangning fully returned to the present. 

"Little Doubao, slow down!" 

A faint smile appeared on his face. 

In this household, the one closest to him was his five-year-old niece, Jiang Yuanyuan, nicknamed Doubao. 

From her delicate features, it was clear she would grow into a beauty, and her excellent genetics suggested her mother must have been exceptionally beautiful. 

"Dudu, this is Guoguo's book. I brought it for you!" 

Little Doubao spoke while tilting her head up to look at Jiangning. 

Even though Jiangning was just sitting in a chair, his height required the five-year-old to crane her neck to see him. 

Jiangning smiled warmly, taking the book she was struggling to hold. He couldn't help but feel pleased. 

For him, any book would do, as long as it was one he hadn't read before. It would help him gain more Literacy experience. 

With this new book, he was certain to max out his skill today. 

After taking the book, he set it aside without reading it immediately and gently patted Doubao's head. 

"Little Doubao, you're amazing!" 

"Dudu is so handsome!" Doubao responded without hesitation to Jiangning's praise. 

Hearing this, Jiangning couldn't help but chuckle, ruffling her tiny head. "What do you know about being handsome?" 

"Handsome is handsome! Dudu is handsome, just like my daddy!" The little one retorted confidently. 

Jiangning smiled noncommittally at her words. 

Just then, a woman's voice came from the kitchen, calm and cool, with little emotion but an inherent gentleness. 

"Time to eat!" 

Jiangning looked up and saw a woman in her thirties, poised and elegant like a lady from a well-bred family, standing at the kitchen door. When her eyes met Jiangning's, she gave him a brief, indifferent glance before looking away, as if slightly displeased. 

Seeing this, Jiangning awkwardly smiled. 

He knew all too well that his sister-in-law had reservations about him living in his elder brother's household for over a decade. 

After all, his sister-in-law and his brother had been married for more than ten years and had two children. 

Their eldest son, Jiang Yiming, was now fourteen, studying both literature and martial arts, with lofty ambitions. However, his education and martial training had cost the family a considerable amount of money. 

In this situation, Jiangning's past self had been idle and unproductive for over a decade, with all his expenses covered by his brother. 

And his brother was just a constable in Luoshui County, with a limited income. How could his sister-in-law not resent him? 

Especially recently, as grain prices had been rising, supporting a family of five had become even more difficult, and her dissatisfaction with him had grown. 

Thinking of this, Jiangning felt a wave of helplessness. 

He was well aware of his sister-in-law's feelings toward him, and he completely understood it was only natural. 

He had been leeching off his brother and sister-in-law's family. 

But at this point, he had no other options. His past self had no savings, and since he had transmigrated here two months ago, most of his time had been spent recovering from injuries. Even if he wanted to move out, he had no means to do so. 

"For now, continuing to rely on them is unavoidable. Luoshui County is far from peaceful these days!" Jiangning thought to himself. 

He already had a plan for the future. 

In recent days, based on his brother's work at the county office and his extensive reading, he had come to understand the broader changes in the world. 

The Great Xia Dynasty, where he now lived, was clearly in a state of late-dynasty turmoil. 

Even in this small Luoshui County, there were undercurrents of various forces at play. 

As someone who had studied history in his past life, he was all too familiar with such situations. 

History always repeats itself in cycles. While no two events are exactly alike, they often follow similar patterns. 

Thus, he was acutely aware that the Great Xia Dynasty, which had stood for over eight hundred years, was now at risk of collapse. With natural disasters, fleeing refugees, widespread rebellions, and the rise of bizarre cults, the signs of impending doom were clear. 

In such turbulent times, only personal strength could ensure survival. 

Otherwise, once chaos erupted and warlords rose, especially in a world where martial arts were so advanced where the weak could defeat ten men, the strong could fight an army, and the mightiest could challenge an entire nation how could an ordinary person hope to survive? 

His brother was just an ordinary county constable, no more significant than a grain of sand in the tide of history. 

"For now, I'll have to rely on my brother's support. As for repaying my brother and sister-in-law, that will have to come later!"