Blood Training

Chen Sanshi and Zhao Qiao returned to Yanbian Village together.

Along the way, they were practically treated like heroes.

After all, with the Black Bear dead, it would be much safer whether people went up the mountain to hunt or gather herbs.

Some villagers wanted to send their children to him as apprentices.

Others wanted to give him their daughters as concubines.

A single bear was worth dozens of taels of Silver Flakes. In times like these, who knew how many young maidens' lives that could buy?

Naturally, Chen Sanshi declined each offer.

He had barely pushed open his front door when he happened to see two matchmakers walking out of the house.

"Why have they all come knocking at my door?"

Chen Sanshi was speechless.

"Did you get hurt?"

As usual, Gu Xinlan checked him over. Only after confirming he was unharmed did she breathe a sigh of relief. "What do you think?"

"What do I think?"

Chen Sanshi froze for a moment before realizing she was talking about taking a concubine.

He quickly shook his head. "I need to focus on martial arts. How would I have the leisure for that?"

"That was what I thought, so I turned them down for you."

Gu Xinlan helped him remove his bow, arrows, and iron spear, then said softly, "Whenever Shi Ge'er wants one, tell me. I'll help you pick a pretty one."

Chen Sanshi was somewhat surprised.

It seemed Lan Jie'er did not care much about such matters.

Then again, women in ancient times held different views.

"Lan Jie'er, cook this for me. Just boil it in clear water—no salt needed."

Chen Sanshi had not forgotten the important matter. He took out the bear heart, nearly two jin in weight. Even through the lotus leaf, he could feel the powerful life force contained within.

"Put this silver away. If the house lacks anything, remember to buy it. And deal with this bear meat as well. In a couple of days, I plan to bring it to the Military Camp to eat."

With a mistress of the house at home, he barely needed to worry about anything.

Gu Xinlan lit the stove in the kitchen.

Chen Sanshi went outside to practice his spear technique.

After several sets of spear forms, hunger left him dizzy and seeing stars. There was a clear sense of "deficit" within his body, but fortunately, the food was ready before long.

Bear meat, pork, rice, wild vegetable egg soup, and the most important hearty dish—the bear heart.

Chen Sanshi picked up the bear heart and took a huge bite straight out of it.

The bloody stench spread through his mouth, then rushed straight to the crown of his head. He nearly retched, covering his mouth as he forcibly chewed it apart and swallowed.

It tasted awful, but the effect was truly excellent.

The instant the bear heart entered his stomach, Chen Sanshi felt warmth bloom in his belly, as though a small flame were burning there. As his digestive system worked, its nutrients were rapidly absorbed by his body, replenishing the deficit brought on by martial training.

How could he still be picky about the taste? He stuffed bear heart meat into his mouth with all his might.

After swallowing a third of the bear heart, Chen Sanshi felt as though his entire body were on fire. He hastily ate some other food to fill his stomach, then rushed outside to continue training.

The bear heart truly was a great tonic. He practiced until nightfall without feeling that "deficit" again. If his muscles had not needed rest, he would have trained straight through the night.

Technique: Basic Soldier Spear Technique (Not Initiated)

Progress: (67/100)

Effect: None

His efficiency had soared!

Two-thirds of the bear heart remained. Producing his first thread of qi and blood was merely a matter of the next day or two.

After Chen Sanshi put away his spear and returned indoors, the bear heart's potent nourishment was still taking effect, leaving him brimming with energy.

Under the warm yellow candlelight, Gu Xinlan bent over the table, hurrying to make clothes.

Ever since she no longer had to go out and work, her skin had become increasingly fair, and her fingers were no longer red and swollen. From afar, she looked as though she had been carved from white jade.

To save money, Gu Xinlan had not bought ready-made clothes. Instead, she bought different fabrics and made them herself.

Chen Sanshi quietly walked behind her and suddenly whispered by her ear, "Wife, put on that red one. I'll be waiting for you in the room."

"Ah..."

Gu Xinlan had not heard his footsteps at all and gave a startled shiver.

Patting her chest, she raised her eyes toward the fabric on the table.

The red one...

Her face instantly flushed scarlet.

It was a half-finished red dudou.

Chen Sanshi stayed home for two days.

On the third day, estimating that the time was about right, he packed his things and headed for the garrison.

Clad in cloth-faced armor and a red conical hat, bow on his back and spear in hand, he cut an impressive figure.

The villagers kept turning to look at him.

"Stone's about to become an official!"

"Yeah, I've got a relative serving in the garrison too. I heard Stone's doing pretty well."

"Tch! I say he won't be swaggering around for many more days."

"Scabby Head, that filthy mouth of yours can't spit out ivory!"

"Believe it or not."

Scabby Head raised his voice as loudly as he could, afraid Shi Ge'er might not hear him.

"Uncle Scabby."

Chen Sanshi walked over. "Do you have something else you want to tell me?"

"You brat, you're sharp!"

Scabby Head leaned closer. "Guess what I've seen lately?

"For the past couple of days, I've often seen Qin Xiong's younger brother treating some fat high-ranking official from the Military Camp to drinks. What do you think he's planning?"

A fat high-ranking official?

Wang Zhi?

Chen Sanshi guessed.

Qin Feng had been frequently treating Commander Wang lately?

He was not particularly worried.

Wang Zhi had long known that he had a grudge against Tianyuan Martial Arts Academy. If Wang Zhi truly intended to harm him, why would he go to the trouble of teaching him the Vast Exhalation Breathing Technique?

Besides, accepting an invitation to drink did not mean agreeing to do someone a favor.

Chen Sanshi had experienced that firsthand.

Nine times out of ten, Qin Feng would be wasting his silver for nothing...

Of course, Chen Sanshi still needed to guard against the other man jumping over the wall like a cornered dog.

Over the past two days, he had made a point of asking around.

He learned that half a month ago, Qin Feng had suddenly been promoted from an outer disciple to a true disciple. However, since he had only recently received the true teachings, he had merely broken through to proficient Blood Training.

Chen Sanshi was only one step away from entering Blood Training.

When that time came, he might not be unable to fight him.

His experience hunting the Black Bear had taught him that having a bit more brute strength was nothing remarkable!

With that thought, he was filled with motivation.

At the entrance to the Military Camp, he ran into Wang Zhi, who was returning on horseback.

He could smell the alcohol on the man from far away.

"Catch!"

Wang Zhi tossed him a wine jar. "There's Deer Blood Wine inside. This one jar costs three taels of silver—it's good stuff. I bought it especially for you!

"Who says I, Wang Zhi, value money like my life and am stingy? Don't listen to Old Liu and the others talking nonsense. Follow me, and you won't lack for benefits!

"You should also make something of yourself. Try to produce your first thread of qi and blood within ten days."

"Thank you, Commander Wang."

Chen Sanshi clasped his fists. "I have reached a bottleneck while practicing my spear technique. Could I ask you to offer some guidance at my side, my lord, so I do not go astray?"

"A bottleneck? How could there be a bottleneck during the initiation stage? Wait..."

Wang Zhi sobered up halfway. "You... you're about to begin Blood Training?!"

At the Training Ground.

Chen Sanshi ate the last piece of bear heart, then poured several mouthfuls of Deer Blood Wine into his stomach. His entire body burned with heat, his strength nearly overflowing.

Seizing the opportunity, he raised the Plum Blossom Spear and practiced the Basic Soldier Spear Technique.

Stance training, spear technique, breathing technique!

With the triple reinforcement, Chen Sanshi's body entered a full-load state. Coupled with the replenishment of wine and meat, the long spear in his hands moved faster and faster, without the slightest sense of fatigue or depletion.

His heart pounded madly, as though something were about to burst forth from within it.

Is this qi and blood?

Chen Sanshi understood that this was the crucial moment for producing qi and blood. He dared not stop, continually increasing the force behind every move, frantically consuming his strength and squeezing his heart to its limit.

Until his arms went numb and veins bulged across his entire body, he let out a furious roar and, with his final breath, drove his spear into the massive boulder beside the Training Ground.

At last.

A distinct thread of hot blood flowed forth from his heart.

Technique: Basic Soldier Spear Technique (Initiated)

Progress: (0/500)

Effect: Fierce spear force, astonishing endurance