Superb Swimming Skills
Early the next morning!
Qin Yan got up early to practice the Basic Body-Tempering Technique. He found that his stamina was surprisingly good.
He wondered if it was because of the snake gallbladder.
He even considered catching a few more snakes to try.
His morning practice left Qin Yan sweating like rain.
[Practiced the Basic Body-Tempering Technique for one hour, strength limit increased by 0.1]
[Practiced the Basic Body-Tempering Technique for one hour, speed limit increased by 0.1]
His strength and speed had now reached twice those of a normal person.
The improvement in all his abilities was obvious.
People in the village who can compare to me are probably as rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns.
Qin Yan speculated.
A physique twice as strong as a normal person's was certainly outstanding, but this world had a martial arts system.
His father had once told him that the martial artists and gang leaders in town were quite strong. Many of them could split steles and shatter stones.
A single one of them could easily fight his way through a crowd of ordinary people.
I'd better lie low and develop for a while first.
Having made up his mind, Qin Yan decided not to go out and stir up trouble for the time being, and to focus on improving his strength.
Picking up the bamboo basket containing two snakes, Qin Yan went to the old village chief's house again.
"Yan!"
When Qin Zhaoyang saw Qin Yan, a trace of surprise flashed in his eyes. Then he smiled and said, "You're here to see my dad."
"Mm!"
Qin Yan smiled and nodded in response.
The old village chief, who had come out after hearing them, was also surprised to see Qin Yan. "What are you doing coming over to my place so early in the morning, lad?"
"I took a stroll in the mountains yesterday and caught some snakes. I brought a few over for you."
Qin Yan answered with a smile, holding up the bamboo basket.
"Oh, two black rat snakes! They're pretty big, too."
Qin Zhaoyang craned his neck to look, a flash of delight crossing his face.
This was excellent meat, and it would fetch a good price if taken to town.
His expression softened considerably as he looked at Qin Yan.
He had complained earlier when the old man gave Qin Yan the family's precious Tendonwood Bow.
The boy had some conscience after all, remembering the old man's kindness.
The old village chief's expression was kind as well. I really wasn't wrong about this boy.
"Zhao Yang, put them away."
"Yes, Dad!"
The old village chief looked at Qin Yan again. After sizing him up for a while, he said in surprise, "You've grown taller, lad."
Uh!
"I'm at the age where I'm still growing. It'd be strange if I didn't!"
Qin Yan was momentarily taken aback, then smiled faintly.
His physical condition was far beyond that of a normal person, and besides, he was only thirteen or fourteen, right at the age when he was growing like crazy.
"That's true!"
The old village chief nodded and thought no more about it.
After the two chatted for a while, Qin Yan left.
He didn't plan to continue practicing today. First, he would fix up the old house.
The wind blew in from all sides now. If it rained and blew, he'd really be in for it.
The old house was a thatched cottage, with walls of packed earth and a roof of rice straw. The straw wasn't hard to get.
After all, there were plenty of straw stacks in the countryside, and his family had one before the household split.
Even though the household had split now, Qin Yan didn't believe his two brothers would dare come looking for trouble if he took some straw.
Besides, whether those two brothers could even get out of bed was another matter.
"Brother Yan!"
A familiar voice suddenly made Qin Yan's eyes light up. Free labor... no, his good brother Song Bao was here!
A few young lads came along the mountain path to Qin Yan's home.
All of them were full of youthful vigor, sincere smiles lighting up their faces as they looked at Qin Yan.
Besides Song Bao, the others were his cousin Qin An and Chen Ergou.
That was right, it really was Chen Ergou. People in the countryside liked to give their children lowly names, hoping they would live long lives.
After all, in this era, it wasn't easy to live to adulthood. The chances of dying young were considerable.
"My good brothers, I made snake meat soup last night, and there's still plenty left."
"Really?"
Qin Yan's words immediately made all three of them light up, and they involuntarily swallowed.
They usually ate coarse rice porridge with pickles. Although their families occasionally hunted in the mountains, they didn't bring back much.
Getting to eat meat was like celebrating a festival.
Qin Yan didn't explain. He simply led the three into the house, and when they saw the snake meat soup in the pot, they couldn't take their eyes off it.
Of course, Qin Yan also made one small request.
"Don't worry, Brother Yan. Leave replacing the straw to us."
Song Bao pounded his chest as he made the promise, all while eating meat. As for coming to play with Qin Yan, he promptly threw that to the back of his mind.
With the three of them helping, the work was naturally much easier. It took only half a day to replace the straw on the roof.
"Brother Yan, your house is too old. The earthen walls have already cracked. What if it collapses?"
Song Bao looked at the old house, his face full of worry.
"Don't worry. I won't be living here much longer."
Qin Yan smiled faintly. As his spirit stat continued to rise, many memories from his previous life were gradually becoming clear.
A great deal of valuable information in those memories could earn him pots and bowls overflowing with money, even in this era.
Fortunately, what he had studied and read in his previous life had been quite varied, and he had accumulated considerable knowledge.
As his strength improved, his memories grew clearer.
But now wasn't the time to bring those things out.
"Brother Yan, come on, how about we go swimming?"
The work was done, and everyone was covered in sweat. It was July, and the sun was growing ever more scorching.
Naturally, everyone wanted to enjoy a swim in the river.
Qin Yan naturally wouldn't refuse.
As its name suggested, Clear Water Village had a river beside it, a tributary of the Cypress Water River with clear water.
Not far from the village was a lake formed in a low-lying area. Although it wasn't large, there were indeed plenty of fish and shrimp in it.
The villagers often came here to fish and catch river crabs!
Only after they took off their clothes did everyone notice that Qin Yan's muscle definition had become increasingly distinct. One look at his physique showed how explosive his power was.
"Brother Yan, when did you build all those muscles?"
Song Bao looked at him with admiration.
"It's not just that he's gotten more muscular. Have you noticed? Brother Yan's taller than all of us now."
Qin An studied Qin Yan closely. They hadn't differed much in height before, but Qin Yan was now indeed nearly half a head taller than them.
His gaze moved downward. What impressive equipment!
"Come on, let's see who can swim to the other side first."
Qin Yan ignored their strange looks. He also wanted to see just how fast he could be now.
"Sure!"
Song Bao and the others couldn't help rubbing their hands together. When it came to swimming, they were no slouches.
At the signal, they instantly plunged into the water.
Qin Yan took a deep breath, and his powerful heart and lungs revealed their full capacity at that moment.
After diving in, his body moved with the agility and strength of a swimming fish.
In the blink of an eye, he left the other three far behind.
"That fast!"
Looking through the clear lake water at the swift, agile figure, Song Bao was instantly filled with shock.
Was that a speed a human could swim at?
At the same time, as Qin Yan felt the water flowing around his body, a strange sensation suddenly came to him.
It was like an omnidirectional view. He could clearly sense everything within several meters.
The flow of the water and the positions of the fish and shrimp appeared in his mind like a three-dimensional image.
Is this a manifestation of my spiritual power?
What a strange sensation.