Not a hair's breadth off

Jiang Feng didn’t dwell on it. He lowered his head with a smile and changed the subject: “When did you arrive here? Have you already met the instructor at the martial hall?”

Ping Luanshan nodded. “I was brought here this morning, not much earlier than you. I just caught a glimpse of that guy.”

He shared what little he knew with Jiang Feng.

Yuanshan Martial Hall was small—desolate, even. Other than an instructor named Hua Su, there were only three students, all locals from Linxi County.

When Ping Luanshan came in the morning, he only exchanged a glance with Hua Su, and that was it. Hua Su casually pointed out a place for him to stay and then left on his own, no one knew where.

Fresh spring leaves crowded out last season’s withered ones, and after last night’s wind and rain, a thick carpet of dead leaves lay beneath the trees.

Jiang Feng found some cleaning tools, and soon the rhythmic brushing sound filled the air.

Ping Luanshan dragged a chair to the doorway and shook his head. “We’re here to train for the county exam, not to be servants…”

Jiang Feng swept as he replied, “The courtyard where I learned before also had a tree like this… I’m used to it.”

Ping Luanshan rested his arms along the back of the chair, curiosity in his voice. “Come to think of it, I’m already at Chain One, Orifice Two, and you haven’t even entered the realm yet. But I always have a feeling… If only one of us can pass the county exam, it’ll definitely be you, not me.”

He shook his head. “It’s a strange feeling… And I’m really curious—who could have taught someone like you…”

Jiang Feng gathered the fallen leaves together and smiled gently. “Someone truly, truly wonderful…”

Suddenly, a rabbit darted out from the pile of leaves. Ping Luanshan’s eyes lit up. “A rabbit!”

He pressed on the back of the chair, flipping himself through the air to land right beside the rabbit. As he reached out to grab it, the rabbit bared its teeth without hesitation, biting down hard on his finger.

“Ow!” Ping Luanshan cried out, clutching his finger. “Sharp teeth!”

The rabbit snarled at him, white light flashing, and leapt onto Jiang Feng’s shoulder. Ping Luanshan stared in surprise, his expression odd. “Is this rabbit yours?”

Jiang Feng smiled and stroked its fur. “It’s my friend.”

Ping Luanshan clicked his tongue twice. “Making friends with a rabbit… Ah, forget it. I thought I’d have a midnight snack tonight…”

The rabbit bared its teeth again. Jiang Feng laughed. “Be careful—if you anger it, it might sneak onto your bed at night and bite off your nose!”

Ping Luanshan grimaced at his would-be snack. “I’d like to see it try!”

As boy and rabbit bantered, a mocking voice suddenly interrupted: “So the two new servants have arrived.”

At some point, Hua Su had returned. Seeing Jiang Feng’s actions, he sneered, “Students who are keener on chores than training—I’ve never seen that before.”

The cheerful scene instantly cooled. Ping Luanshan was about to retort, but Jiang Feng set the broom aside and stopped him: “Perhaps that’s because this place is as messy as a trash heap, hardly fit to live in.”

His obvious provocation made Hua Su narrow his eyes, gaze sharp. Jiang Feng smiled again, picked up a basket, and swept all the dead leaves in. “Besides, it’s a disciple’s duty to help with chores. It’s only right to assist one’s teacher.”

His blend of firmness and tact left Hua Su with nothing to say.

Hua Su regarded him thoughtfully, then turned away. “Fine. If you want to work, I’ll let you work to your heart’s content!”

Moments later, he led Jiang Feng and Ping Luanshan to an open ground where a dozen or so tree trunks of various lengths and thicknesses were piled up.

Hua Su pointed to the logs, speaking indifferently: “There are axes over there. Split them all into firewood first.”

Beneath his unruly eyebrows, his eyes narrowed to slits. “Each piece must be a foot long. Each log, twenty equal sections. Finish within one hour.”

With a cold snort, he swaggered off.

...

“Bang!” Ping Luanshan slammed the axe into a log, grumbling, “What’s with this guy? We’re here for the exam, not to do his chores!”

Jiang Feng picked up an axe, weighing it in his hand. “The length and weight are just right. Should be easy to use.”

Ping Luanshan cried out, “Hey, you’re not actually going to do it, are you?”

“Of course,” Jiang Feng replied easily. “It looks like fun. I’d like to give it a try.”

“What’s fun about splitting firewood?”

Jiang Feng didn’t answer. He simply picked up a log, placed it on the ground, and measured it. “How long is a foot?”

Ping Luanshan shot him a puzzled look and stepped forward to indicate the length.

Jiang Feng shook his head. “No, that’s a foot, an inch, and three-tenths.”

Ping Luanshan stared in disbelief. “You can tell that just by looking?!”

He adjusted his hand back a bit. “How about this?”

Jiang Feng said, “That’s nine inches, eight-tenths.”

Ping Luanshan scratched his head. “Still not right… Looks like we’ll need a ruler.”

Jiang Feng said, “I think Master Hua wants us to practice our eyesight and control, not just use a ruler for precision.” He smiled. “Of course, at first, it’s fine to use a ruler if we’re unsure.”

Ping Luanshan could hardly believe it. “Wait—are you saying he set this up deliberately as training?”

Jiang Feng nodded. “That’s what I think.”

He bent down, set up the log, and studied it for a moment. Then he raised the axe, silver light flashing as it fell!

The log, about wrist-thick, was just right for the axe and Jiang Feng’s strength. With a crack, the log split cleanly, showing a fresh white cross-section.

As soon as the axe landed, it rose again—a second later, another flash of silver!

A piece of wood rolled aside. Ping Luanshan picked it up and measured with his fingers.

“Exactly one foot?!”

Jiang Feng did not answer, but the chopping sounds rose one after another, and soon the ground was scattered with logs. He had turned an entire sapling into neat segments.

Ping Luanshan lined them up. He might not know the actual measurements, but side by side, it was obvious—all were the same length, not a fraction off!

Ping Luanshan had already suspected that, apart from realm and total brightforce, some of Jiang Feng’s qualities might surpass his own. Still, he hadn’t expected it to this degree!

He asked in shock, “How did you do that?”

Jiang Feng pointed to his eyes. “I’m sensitive to measurements. I don’t need a ruler to judge the exact length.”

“No, no,” Ping Luanshan protested, “It’s not just about numbers…”

He fetched another sapling, scored the bark with the axe tip, took a deep breath, raised the axe, and brought it down. A flash of gold—despite the thicker trunk, the cut was even cleaner than Jiang Feng’s.

His own skill was nothing ordinary. His control over brightforce was excellent, and the sharp axe cleaved the thick trunk easily.

Yet he frowned, dissatisfied. “Sensitivity to length is one thing. Controlling the axe is another…”

Clearly, the cut on his log had missed the line he’d marked, off by nearly two-tenths—still, an error was an error.

Jiang Feng smiled. “Before I fused my heartseed, I started martial training. My teacher told me that martial arts require control over the body. Before controlling brightforce, one must first master their own muscles.”

He pressed his right fingers to his shoulder, tracing down his upper arm.

Ping Luanshan followed his gesture, as if seeing the flow of power beneath the skin.

Jiang Feng said, “I’ve always practiced this, and now I’m seeing some results.”

Ping Luanshan mused, “Control over one’s muscles?”

“Brightforce is one kind of power; muscle strength is another. Ultimately, it’s all about control. The more precise, the more accurate in combat. You can achieve greater effect with less effort!”

Ping Luanshan excelled in movement skills; strength was his greatest weakness.

Jiang Feng’s words were a revelation. He nodded vigorously. “You’re right! Control is crucial!”

A soft laugh sounded from nearby.

At some point, Hua Su had appeared behind them, arms folded, leaning on the wall as he listened. He couldn’t help but chuckle at Jiang Feng’s last words.

Jiang Feng bowed respectfully. “Just a humble thought, sir. Please correct me if I’m wrong.”

Hua Su waved him off indifferently. “Not at all, you’re quite right. Looks like this bit of training is nothing for you.”

Jiang Feng shook his head. “No, I think this training is important!”

He held up a log. “Cutting a foot is just the start. Dividing each log into twenty equal parts is another challenge.”

He glanced at the pile of logs beside him. “To finish them all in an hour, while maintaining speed and stamina…”

He drew a deep breath, fell silent, and strode to the logs, eyes flashing as he raised the axe and brought it down.

Ping Luanshan looked at Jiang Feng, then at Hua Su, said nothing, and started splitting wood in earnest.

Hua Su stood by the wall, watching for a while from a distance before turning away. “If you can’t finish in an hour, no dinner for you!”

Jiang Feng and Ping Luanshan looked up at the same time, exchanging wry smiles. The sound of axes rang out faster than ever.

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Many thanks to fatfox911 and Zhesha for your daily support~~ Thanks to TVIT for the tip~ The last couple of days my cervical spondylosis flared up, and even keeping up with writing was a struggle, so I haven’t had the strength to thank everyone individually. Your support is always remembered in my heart!

Cervical spondylosis is truly troublesome—headaches, eye pain, even some fever… Friends, remember to get up and move around, don’t sit still at your computer all day like I do!