Chaotic Fists Slay the Enemy, Great Accomplishment Mantis Fist

Fifty taels of Snowflake Silver—an ordinary good family youth might not save that much even after a year of labor.

So:

When Chu Qing, in ragged clothes and tattered shoes, knocked on the door in the dead of night to buy secret medicine, Senior Disciple Brother's head buzzed.

"Fifty taels?"

"Fifty taels exactly."

"Yours?"

"Mine."

Senior Disciple Brother asked strangely, "Where did you get that money?"

A youth in ragged clothes and tattered shoes could not get fifty taels even if he murdered and set fires.

He could not borrow that much even through a usury loan.

Chu Qing sighed. "I borrowed this money."

Senior Disciple Brother did not believe him.

But he did not press further.

"You pay, and I give you the secret medicine."

With that, he shut the door.

A moment later, the door opened again, and Senior Disciple Brother tossed Chu Qing a Red Date-Sized Wax Pill.

"One dose of secret medicine can support a thousand rounds of entry-level Mantis Fist practice."

"After taking it, make the most of your time cultivating."

"Oh, and Mantis Secret Medicine can only be taken once every ten days."

Chu Qing clenched the secret medicine and nodded vigorously.

Senior Disciple Brother gave an embarrassed smile. "Why am I even telling you this?"

"Ten days from now, you won't have the money to buy more anyway."

Although he did not know where Chu Qing had gotten the silver,

he knew this much:

Getting another fifty taels of silver in ten days would be harder than climbing to Heaven.

Chu Qing did not sleep at the Martial Hall. Instead, he headed straight outside the city.

As he ran, he heard shouts of killing from the Dock.

Two Gangs were hacking at each other.

Shouts of slaughter and screams echoed without end.

Faintly, curses drifted over:

"Chu Qing... you bastard... no... block the blade... I'll kill you!"

Chu Qing sighed. "Liu Hai misses me?"

"Once I've completed Tendon Training, I'll go see you."

Liu Hai had threatened him into blocking blades. That matter... had to be settled.

Stone Rock County's walls had fallen into disrepair over the years, riddled with Dog Holes and breaches.

Chu Qing casually found a gap and slipped out.

By moonlight, he caught a pair of praying mantises and placed them in a clay pot, watching them fight.

As for the secret medicine, he did not take it.

One minute...

You watched a mantis battle...

Five minutes...

Ten minutes...

The first condition had only been completed six times. More than ninety remained.

"Can I watch two pairs of mantises fight at the same time?"

One minute later:

You watched two mantis battles.

Chu Qing laughed.

"If that works, can I watch even more battles at once?"

A few minutes later:

You watched ten mantis battles at the same time.

You watched... battles at the same time.

Promotion Condition One complete!

Chu Qing smiled. The next moment, he crushed the wax pill and swallowed the secret medicine.

Promotion Condition Two complete!

Mantis Fist has been promoted to Great Accomplishment!

With a thought from Chu Qing, his Profession Slot appeared:

Chu Qing

Realm—Tendon Training 0/20%

Martial Art: Great Accomplishment Mantis Fist—practice a thousand times daily, one secret medicine every three days, Perfection in a thousand days.

Promotion Condition: 1: Consume three doses of Mantis Fist Secret Medicine. 2: Kill one person with Mantis Fist.

Chu Qing burst into laughter.

At that moment, the secret medicine took effect.

He seized the time to train.

Once...

Tendon Training +10%

Great Accomplishment Mantis Fist truly was extraordinary.

Seven times...

Iron Sinew 1/0%

In an instant, Chu Qing felt the major tendon in his right arm twitch. An ordinary major tendon had become a martial artist's Iron Sinew.

Though it was the lowest-grade Iron Sinew, the strength in his right arm still surged by a great deal.

At this moment, he finally qualified for the Martial Academy's Preliminary Exam.

He continued training.

As long as the secret medicine remained effective, he could not stop even once.

Fifteen times...

Twenty times...

Snap!

The major tendon in his left arm tightened, and a tremendous force sprang forth from nowhere.

The secret medicine that could support a thousand rounds of entry-level Mantis Fist practice was completely exhausted after Chu Qing practiced Great Accomplishment Mantis Fist just over thirty times.

But the gains were gratifying.

Chu Qing

Realm—Iron Sinew 4/0%

Martial Art: Great Accomplishment Mantis Fist—practice a thousand times daily, one secret medicine every three days, Perfection in a thousand days.

Promotion Condition: 1: Consume three doses of Mantis Fist Secret Medicine. 2: Kill one person with Mantis Fist.

One dose of secret medicine had produced four Iron Sinews.

That was entirely thanks to Great Accomplishment Mantis Fist.

"This is only Great Accomplishment Mantis Fist. If it were Perfection Level Mantis Fist, could I develop five Iron Sinews, or even more?"

The more Chu Qing thought about it, the more excited he became.

"The conditions for Perfection are: three doses of secret medicine and killing one person."

"Secret medicine costs money. It's time to let Fatty Jin see what sunk cost means."

"As for killing one person... isn't there a ready-made one right here?"

The sky had not yet brightened.

Chu Qing returned to the County Town, covered his face with his ragged clothes, and headed straight for Liu Hai's home.

Minor Leader Liu Hai often made the previous owner of this body block blades for him. At the slightest displeasure, he would punch and kick him.

Yesterday, he had even threatened him into blocking blades.

Block your motherfucking blade.

Today, I'll blade you first.

With a sharp blade in his heart, murderous intent arose on its own.

Having developed four Iron Sinews in one night, Chu Qing's killing intent grew even stronger.

Five minutes...

Ten minutes...

Twenty minutes...

Chu Qing stood outside Liu Hai's door.

There was lamplight inside, and faint curses could be heard:

"Chu Qing, that bastard, actually didn't go to the Dock to block blades for me. Is he fucking crazy?"

"He wants to take the Martial Academy exam?"

"With his sorry state, he can't even afford food. Don't even dream of developing a single Iron Sinew."

"He should spend his whole life blocking blades for me."

Inside, Liu Hai drank and cursed at the same time.

During the fighting at the Dock, without Chu Qing there to block blades, he had been constrained at every turn. His results had been poor, and the Chief Subordinate had berated him.

Thus, he hated Chu Qing.

That night, he had dragged over a Younger Brother to drink with him and ease his boredom.

The Younger Brother consoled him:

"Brother Liu, we'll deal with him first thing tomorrow morning."

"Break his arms, take his Assault Class slot, and make him repay the usury loan."

Liu Hai laughed loudly. "You're a clever one."

"Come, have a drink."

Cups clinked and wine flowed.

After a while, the Younger Brother said, "Brother Liu, I'm going to relieve myself."

"Get lost!"

Creak.

The door opened.

The Younger Brother stood blankly in the doorway, utterly motionless.

Because Chu Qing stood outside, blocking his path.

In the middle of the night, a masked man stood at the door?

The Younger Brother's hair stood on end.

Liu Hai cursed loudly, "Idiot, shut the door!"

The Younger Brother swallowed and moved to close it.

The next moment:

A massive fist smashed heavily into his throat.

Crack!

His throat shattered. His body collapsed, twitching without end.

"Who is it?"

Liu Hai panicked and reached for his blade.

Outside the door, Chu Qing took three steps as one and instantly rushed in front of him.

"Me!"

Liu Hai's eyes widened. You're masked—who the hell are you?

But the voice sounded somewhat familiar.

The next moment, Chu Qing threw another punch.

Mantis Fist.

Iron Sinews stretched taut, and the wind from his fist was like a blade.

This punch struck Liu Hai in the face, and its force actually tore through flesh, exposing stark white bone.

Liu Hai screamed miserably and still tried to resist.

But in the next instant:

His left and right fists fell like pile drivers, one after another, smashing into Liu Hai's face.

Flesh and blood splattered.

White bones cracked apart.

The corpse fell to the ground.

You killed an enemy using Mantis Fist.

You killed another enemy.

Second Promotion Condition completed.

Congratulations!

Chu Qing shut the door.

He washed his hands, took a bath, and rinsed the bloodstains from his hemp clothes along the way.

Then he searched the place for valuables.

Under the bed, he found a small booklet covered in patterns and writing.

He dug up a box from the corner of the wall. Inside were fifty taels of loose silver.

Not bad.

He cleared away his footprints, backed out, and shut the door.

Chu Qing climbed over the wall from the training grounds, quietly moved to a conspicuous spot, practiced Mantis Fist several times in front of the others, then turned and left.

Shi Tiezhu watched his departing back and repeatedly shook his head.

"No ambition!"

"He'll be a street thug for the rest of his life."

After saying that, he turned to the other youths.

"Brothers, let's keep training. When the time comes, we'll stick together and head to the Martial Academy."

"Alright!"

The youths brimmed with confidence and trained with all their might, hoping to quickly gain entry into Mantis Fist, temper their muscles and bones, and forge an Iron Sinew.