033 [Poverty.JPG]

"Didn't you eat breakfast? You can't even stand steady!"

An aged yet vigorous rebuke carried from within to He Zhao, who stood outside the door.

He no longer hesitated and stepped inside. Beyond the entrance lay an open Training Ground paved with stone slabs, where more than twenty young men and women in fitted black outfits stood in horse stances.

At the very back, before the main hall, stood a rocking chair. An old man with white hair and beard reclined upon it.

Though he looked frail with age, even his eyes slightly dim—

The knots of muscle all over his body proclaimed the strength of his physique.

If someone said he could punch a Demon Eater to death, He Zhao would readily believe it.

Seeing the newcomer, the old man rose from the rocking chair.

To Ruthless He Zhao, that motion resembled a crouching tiger rising from the ground, carrying an overbearing and fierce aura. Had his will not been tempered by countless deaths, that aura alone would have forced him back five or six steps.

"Here to learn boxing?"

His voice was like a great bell, making the eardrums of everyone nearby buzz.

He Zhao naturally knew the man's identity. He was the current Gym Master of Hengshan Boxing Gym!

Most people in Wancheng did not know his true name. Because of his bronze-colored skin, they respectfully called him—Old Jin.

"I have long heard of Old Jin's great name and came specifically to take you as my Master."

Upon hearing this, Old Jin took a step forward and arrived before him with a whoosh. Even though He Zhao had been staring at him the entire time, he still failed to see the man's movement clearly.

Of course, at night, with his talent's blessing, he might be able to catch a few traces of it.

"Your bones aren't particularly thick or sturdy, but for your age, your Blood Qi is truly quite good."

Old Jin evaluated him as he looked him over.

"Thirty taels of silver. That makes you a registered disciple. Once your boxing reaches a certain level, you may become an official disciple."

Someone surnamed He said nothing and took out loose silver. After gathering thirty taels, he respectfully handed it over.

Old Jin accepted it, summoned a maidservant, and had He Zhao follow her to change into a fitted martial outfit.

A short while later, the maidservant led him back.

"Watch carefully." Old Jin assumed a stance much like the horse stance He Zhao had seen in television dramas in his past life. The only difference was that his palms crossed above and below one another before his chest.

As the old man breathed, his whole body rose and fell. His heart beat powerfully, like drums pounding at the soul. There was also the sound of blood rushing downward like a stream, flowing with a constant rush.

Perhaps it was an illusion, but He Zhao felt that the bronze skin exposed by Old Jin suddenly turned a dazzling gold. Unfortunately, it was only a fleeting glimpse, gone in the blink of an eye.

"This is the foundation of every key point in our school's boxing art. It is called—Bronze Man Stance. To practice boxing well, you must stand steadily. And what does standing steadily mean? It means the Stake Method within boxing.

"My boxing is not particularly exquisite, but it is fierce and powerful beyond compare. It can endure blows and deliver them, truly the finest in actual combat. One punch carries the weight of a thousand jin and sweeps through all before it. Even if there were a steel plate in front of me, I could punch straight through it.

"The breathing technique I teach you today, paired with the Bronze Man Stance, is what allows you to increase your strength and build your body. Otherwise, if you only stand in the stance, the longer you stand, the more your Blood Qi will decline.

"Kid, learn carefully. Otherwise, not only will your money be wasted, you might even ruin your body through practice. When that time comes, you won't even find a temple gate to cry at."

After speaking, Old Jin began demonstrating his breathing. He even had He Zhao touch his lower abdomen to feel its rise and fall, the intervals, and the length of each breath.

With every exhale and inhale, there was truly a hint of heaven and man becoming one. The crowd watched without blinking. A few people who were usually careless in their boxing practice also copied him like cats drawing tigers, enjoying this rare chance to make up for missed lessons.

After teaching the breathing technique, he withdrew from the stance, returned to his rocking chair, poured himself a cup of tea, and continued.

"Practice the Bronze Man Stance and the breathing technique. When I kick you and you can remain completely unmoving, then I'll teach you real boxing."

Once he finished speaking, Old Jin took a sip of tea, reclined in his rocking chair, hummed a little tune, and closed his eyes to rest.

He Zhao obediently stood in the stance while following the breathing technique. Half an hour later, he could no longer hold on. His black martial outfit had been completely soaked through with sweat.

His head spun, and he felt as though he had starved for more than ten days.

"Thud!"

He collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath. Every muscle ached unbearably, while it felt as though steel needles surged through his meridians, stabbing him until he nearly cried out.

Old Jin nodded in satisfaction. His newly accepted disciple might have average talent, but the boy could endure hardship!

Over the years, He Zhao was the third person able to persist for half an hour.

The first two?

They were a pair of brothers who had recently been sent to Qinghe Town.

At that thought, Old Jin frowned, hoping nothing had happened.

A'da and A'er were the ones meant to see him through his final years!

"Alright, go home and eat. Either eat more meat, or take some medicine that replenishes Qi and nourishes the blood. Also, come to the boxing gym whenever you like. The same words as before—when I kick you and you can remain completely unmoving, then I'll teach you boxing."

The twenty-odd people scattered in a hubbub.

He Zhao returned to the Inn, frowning in thought.

[Bronze Man Stance: 1/100 (Roughly Understand)]

[Unknown Breathing Technique: 1/100 (Roughly Understand)]

Half an hour had only raised it by one point!

Had all this body's talent been invested in being an Unusual Scholar?

After lunch, He Zhao rested for the entire afternoon.

There was no need to return to Old Jin. The man had made it perfectly clear: he would only teach boxing once the Stake Method had reached the beginner level.

Rather than waste time at the boxing gym, he might as well rest properly and devote all his energy to the night.

As the sun set, He Zhao hung a dagger above his head.

While in combat, every aspect of his body increased by +2. That was at least twice his current physical ability. Adding the Child of the Night's +3 to every aspect gave him a full fivefold enhancement.

No conditions? Then create the conditions and force it through!

An hour and a half later, He Zhao was drenched in sweat and dropped onto the floor with a thump.

The farther he progressed in the stance, the more the consumption rose in a straight line. He was completely exhausted.

[Bronze Man Stance: 21/100 (Roughly Understand)]

[Unknown Breathing Technique: 21/100 (Roughly Understand)]

"With my current physical condition, I can do it at least two more times!"

He Zhao rested for a long while. Once his stamina had recovered to its peak, he gritted his teeth and began standing in the stance again.

Dreamless night passed, and dawn arrived in the blink of an eye.

"Puff, puff, puff."

Intense exhaustion surged over him. He Zhao trembled as he lay down on the bed and fell asleep.

[Bronze Man Stance: 61/100 (Roughly Understand)]

[Unknown Breathing Technique: 61/100 (Roughly Understand)]

In the blink of an eye, it was already afternoon when He Zhao opened his eyes.

After taking a bath, he went downstairs to eat.

Before long, under the waiter's gaze as though he were looking at a god, He Zhao returned to his room with a furrowed brow.

He had devoured thirty jin of mutton in one meal, and that was him holding back. Otherwise, he would have needed sixty jin.

"Fifteen taels of silver. Even if I only eat once a day, if I keep spending like this, the sponsorship money I got from Old Huang will last at most around two hundred days. If I want to eat my fill, I'll be penniless in just over a hundred days."

What did fifteen taels of loose silver represent?

For a family of three, excluding all other expenses, a year's food supply would cost just over twenty taels at most.

The cost of one of his meals was roughly enough to feed three ordinary people for a year!

He Zhao had never imagined that what would hinder his progress was neither talent nor Wancheng's BOSS, Hetu Dao, but poverty!

"Just getting started costs this much. Who in all of Wancheng could keep this up? The brothers A'da and A'er don't look like wealthy people!"

In truth, Ruthless He Zhao had completely gone down the wrong path.

With his daytime aptitude, he gained one point of Proficiency a day. With talent, perhaps two or three points. Even a genius would only manage four or five points.

At night, He Zhao had gained a full sixty points!

That was monstrous progress.

Under such terrifying Proficiency gains, the consumption was equally enormous.

In a sense, he counted as a different kind of pay-to-win warrior.

"Slap!"

He Zhao smacked his forehead. He had nearly forgotten that he still had a Master.

"I can't let that money go to waste!"

A moment later, he left the Inn and headed straight for Hengshan Boxing Gym.

Old Jin, who was about to enjoy dinner, suddenly shuddered and then sneezed.

"Why do I feel like some little brat is muttering about this old man?"

As his words fell, he picked up a bloody piece of raw meat from the table and bit into it expressionlessly.

"Sizzle."

A spray of blood splattered out.

Under the candlelight, Old Jin looked bloody and cruel.