Steady Progress

With Song Ankang's approval, the ten girls happily left the processing workshop with the earnings they had made during this period.

The Tenant Farmers outside had yet to disperse. They were excitedly discussing the processing workshop, guessing how much it could earn this year and whether it could help the manor weather its difficulties.

Just then, the Tenant Farmers saw the ten girls running out cheerfully. Their eyes immediately lit up, and they hurried over to surround them.

"Xiangxiang, why did you come out of the processing workshop? Aren't you processing Medicinal Herbs today? Have you finished all the work?"

"Xiao Lian, do you know how much the processing workshop earned this time?"

"I heard the manor lord is giving you a tenth of the profits. Is that true? You ruined so many Medicinal Herbs while practicing these past few days—will the manor lord still give you a tenth of the profits?"

"Even if the manor lord wants to give you a tenth of the profits, you can't take it. You learned so much from him and ruined so many of his Medicinal Herbs. How can you still have the nerve to keep taking his things?"

It had to be said that Chaoyun Manor truly had simple and honest customs, and its people were quite united and friendly. Even in the face of a severe drought, they still thought of Song Ankang, and most of them were like this.

Song Ankang had never seen such an atmosphere before. If this had been on Earth, and he dared pay employees this little, he could just wait for them to call him their grandson.

Most apprentices not only had to be provided with food and lodging, but also given quite generous wages. Otherwise, no one could be recruited at all, even if they could learn a decent trade from it.

Faced with everyone's chattering questions, the ten girls beamed and hurriedly raised the copper coins in their hands.

"The manor lord gave us a day off and told us to rest. We'll process Medicinal Herbs again tomorrow."

"After deducting all the costs, the manor lord actually didn't make much money this time, yet he still gave us a tenth. The manor lord is so good to us."

"We didn't want to accept it at first, but the manor lord insisted on giving us a tenth of the profits. Look, these are the copper coins I earned—more than two hundred of them."

"Even the ones who received the least got nearly a hundred copper coins. We also learned how to process Medicinal Herbs, and the manor lord provided our lunches during this period. I've never seen such a generous manor lord."

Hearing the ten girls' words, the surrounding Tenant Farmers were all stunned.

"The manor lord is far too generous. In just a few days, you ruined so many Medicinal Herbs, yet he still gave you over two hundred copper coins as payment. He even covered your lunches. Those benefits are incredible."

"I want to become an apprentice at the processing workshop too. I wonder if the manor lord is still recruiting. If I can become an apprentice there, my family will definitely get through this year's hardships."

"What? There was even meat in your lunches? The manor lord is treating you far too extravagantly. I haven't tasted meat in months."

"If I'd known the manor lord was this generous, I should have signed up back then too. With my looks and cleverness, I definitely could have become an apprentice at the processing workshop."

Seeing real money and hearing about the treatment inside the processing workshop, all of Chaoyun Manor was shaken. In just one day, every Tenant Farmer knew about the excellent benefits offered by the workshop.

Most importantly, that evening, Song Ankang announced that he would recruit another thirty clever and deft-handed apprentices from among the Tenant Farmers to enter the processing workshop. They would receive the same treatment in the future.

As soon as the news spread, nearly every Tenant Farmer came to register. That very night, enough apprentices were selected, most of them being those who had been left over from the previous selection.

The next day, Song Ankang had the thirty apprentices study under the first batch of ten female apprentices. The first batch spent half their time teaching them and the other half processing Medicinal Herbs.

Song Ankang also answered difficult questions from time to time, and everything gradually got on the right track.

However, Chaoyun Manor had only limited quantities of these basic Medicinal Herbs. So Song Ankang selected several quick-witted Tenant Farmers and had them purchase these basic Medicinal Herbs from the surrounding areas, preventing a future shortage.

Song Ankang understood the principle of preparing for a rainy day.

On the third day, the second batch of deeply processed Medicinal Herbs was delivered to Huachun Hall. This batch was of even better quality, leaving Huachun Hall increasingly satisfied, and Song Ankang earned a fine profit from it as well.

As it happened, double happiness came knocking. That night, Song Ankang's strength reached the limit of the Organ Refining Realm, and he prepared to break through the bottleneck shackles of the Marrow Refining Realm.

After throwing six consecutive Viscera Injury Fists, Song Ankang collapsed onto the floor of the Training Room in agony. He began cultivating the Viscera Tempering Fist to neutralize the pain while preparing to receive the backlash of the side effects and charge at the Marrow Refining Realm.

"You have cast the Seven Injuries Demonic Scripture. You have been affected by the side effects of the Seven Injuries Demonic Scripture. Your six bowels have suffered severe damage... The Heavenly Book of Fate Defiance is taking effect, absorbing external energy and about to convert the side effects. Please wait!"

After these days of cultivation and improvement, Song Ankang's spirit and will had also strengthened immensely. He could now endure the pain and injuries brought by six Viscera Injury Fists.

Though his six bowels were bleeding and pain was spreading through him, Song Ankang still gritted his teeth and held on. He circulated the Viscera Tempering Fist from the Seven Injuries Demonic Scripture with all his strength, savoring that blissful sensation of his spirit and will being numbed. He absorbed its side effects, making his spirit and will increasingly tougher and clearer.

"The Heavenly Book of Fate Defiance has accumulated sufficient energy and is beginning to take effect... Your injuries have been healed. Your qi and blood are improving. Your six bowels are strengthening!"

No one knew how much time had passed before the side effects brought by the six Viscera Injury Fists, having been converted by the Heavenly Book of Fate Defiance, began to feed back into him. They swiftly healed his damaged six bowels, after which even more surging Seven Injuries Qi and Blood came roaring forth and flooded every part of Song Ankang's body.

Song Ankang immediately mobilized this Seven Injuries Qi and Blood, charging at the bottleneck shackles leading to the Marrow Refining Realm.

The methods and techniques in the Seven Injuries Demonic Scripture for breaking into the Marrow Refining Realm surfaced in his mind. Song Ankang followed them, transforming the Seven Injuries Qi and Blood into threadlike strands that slowly penetrated deep into his bone marrow.

Facing the bottleneck and shackles blocking his path, Song Ankang mobilized the Seven Injuries Qi and Blood brought by the side-effect feedback while also swallowing a Ninth-grade Mid-tier Pill, using it alongside the feedback to strike at the bottleneck shackles.

Cultivation in the Body Refining Great Realm progressed from shallow to deep, layer upon layer, with countless threads of connection between each stage. Without the tempering of the earlier stages, advancing through the later ones would be difficult.

This was the result countless cultivators had summarized over thousands upon thousands of years. Song Ankang did not dare be careless in the slightest.

As the Seven Injuries Qi and Blood struck again and again, the bottleneck shackles leading to his bone marrow were slowly shattered. Skin, flesh, tendons, bones, five viscera, six bowels... all worked together, allowing the Seven Injuries Qi and Blood to strike with greater force without damaging the bone marrow.

Of course, most importantly, it would not damage his skin, flesh, tendons, bones, five viscera, six bowels... If these parts had not been tempered beforehand, they would certainly have been grievously damaged by such surging impacts of qi and blood at this very moment.