Taking the Lotus Seed

Two days later, Lin Le was practicing his martial arts in the courtyard he rented.

Crack! Crack!

Two consecutive sounds came from Lin Le's body. He had achieved Shoulder-Hunching Second Strike.

He finished his stance and let out a long breath, his eyes shining with divine light.

After two days of research, he had figured out the difference between the Blood Essence Treasure Liquid and the Body Strengthening Elixir.

The Blood Essence Treasure Liquid was actually similar in effect to lotus root. However, while lotus root directly improved Bone Structure, the Blood Essence Treasure Liquid worked subtly and changed based on the martial arts being practiced.

This meant his physique had become more suited for White Ape Shoulder-Hunching Fist, making it easier to cultivate.

The Body Strengthening Elixir, on the other hand, directly increased physical strength, and it had its limits. When his physical strength reached around 300 jin, the Body Strengthening Elixir had no further effect.

After taking a sip of water, Lin Le touched his money pouch. He didn't have much money left.

To test the difference between the Treasure Liquid and the Elixir, Lin Le had spent fifteen taels to buy a slightly inferior Blood Ginseng and several doses of Body Strengthening Powder.

So, he only had three to four taels left.

He hoped the job Hou Guang introduced would really earn some money.

With this thought, Lin Le went out. His gaze swept over a certain corner as he headed towards the White Ape Martial Arts School.

At the White Ape Martial Arts School, Hou Guang was already waiting. Lin Le trotted over and cupped his fists, saying, "Senior Brother Hou, good day."

"Good day, Junior Brother Lin," Hou Guang nodded. "Have you had breakfast?"

"Yes, I have," Lin Le nodded. "How about you, Senior Brother Hou?"

"Of course, I've had it too," Hou Guang shook his head slightly. "No need for pleasantries, let's go."

"Alright," Lin Le nodded.

They walked together and arrived in front of a mansion. Hou Guang stepped forward and knocked on the large door. Soon, a male servant came to open it.

The male servant glanced at Hou Guang, then bowed and said, "Young Master Hou, please come in. My master is already waiting for you in the study."

"Mm," Hou Guang nodded slightly and led Lin Le inside.

Soon, Hou Guang brought Lin Le to a study. He knocked on the door, "Senior Brother Zhang, are you free?"

"Yes, come in," a male voice came from inside the room.

Hou Guang opened the door and went in, with Lin Le following. He saw a man who was seven feet tall walking towards them.

(Assuming one chi = 33.3 centimeters)

While surprised by the man's height, Lin Le also keenly noticed that the man's arms were extremely long, reaching his knees.

Ape Arms and Bee Waist!

The phrase immediately came to Lin Le's mind.

"Senior Brother Zhang, good day," Hou Guang cupped his fists.

"No need for formalities between fellow disciples," the man raised his hand slightly, then looked at Lin Le. "Is he the accountant you introduced to me?"

"Yes, his name is Lin Le, and he also studies at our martial arts school," Hou Guang nodded, then turned to Lin Le. "This is Zhang Long, Senior Brother Zhang. He has natural Ape Arms and Bee Waist, and is expected to be taken in as a personal disciple by our master."

"Greetings, Senior Brother Zhang," Lin Le cupped his fists towards Zhang Long.

"Mm," Zhang Long nodded slightly. "Junior Brother Hou always handles things reliably, so I won't conduct a lengthy assessment. You can start calculating directly."

Saying that, he pointed to the ledger on a desk in the distance.

"Yes," Lin Le nodded and walked towards the ledger, beginning to calculate.

Zhang Long and Hou Guang watched for a while, then frowned. Lin Le wasn't using an abacus at all. What accountant didn't use an abacus?

Zhang Long glanced sideways at Hou Guang. Hou Guang chuckled sheepishly and quickly offered an excuse, "Junior Brother Lin has a photographic memory and excellent mental calculation abilities. If you don't believe me, Senior Brother Zhang, you can test him later."

"Alright, I'll test him later," Zhang Long nodded slightly. Looking at Lin Le's speed, he estimated that Lin Le would finish before an incense stick burned out. Waiting a moment wouldn't hurt.

Soon, Lin Le finished calculating the ledger and stood up, cupping his fists towards Zhang Long.

"Previous balance was three thousand seven hundred and twelve taels and five hundred and seventy-two wen. New income is five thousand one hundred and seventy-two taels and six hundred and seventy-three wen. Expenses are four thousand one hundred and forty-two taels and five hundred and forty-two wen. The remaining balance is four thousand seven hundred and forty-two taels and seven hundred and three wen."

Zhang Long calculated it himself and nodded slightly. He believed there was a fifty percent chance the accounts were correct. If Lin Le miscalculated one entry, another entry would definitely be mismatched.

He still needed to verify the remaining fifty percent.

Hou Guang relaxed upon hearing Lin Le's report. With all four entries matching, the probability of error was slim. However, as Zhang Long walked over, Hou Guang's heart tensed again.

Zhang Long walked over, picked up the ledger, and said, "Is it true what Junior Brother Hou said about your photographic memory?"

"It's true," Lin Le nodded.

"Then I'll test you," Zhang Long flipped open the ledger. "What is the expenditure on page nine?"

"Thirty taels," Lin Le replied. "Senior Brother Zhang, there are numbers at the bottom of the page; that's the total for that page."

"Mm," Zhang Long glanced at the numbers at the bottom of the page. He had been wondering what they were, but hadn't expected them to be the page totals. "What is the third character from the top in the third column on page fifteen?"

"Three," Lin Le answered instantly.

Zhang Long closed the ledger and tossed it back onto the desk. "Junior Brother Lin Le, right? Here's your payment."

As he spoke, Zhang Long threw a silver treasure to Lin Le.

Lin Le caught it and saw it was a five-tael silver treasure. He looked at Zhang Long in confusion. "Senior Brother Zhang, isn't this too much?"

According to Hou Guang, he was supposed to get one tael per accounting session, plus a tenth of that.

"I only had five taels on me," Zhang Long waved his hand. "The rest is a bonus for you."

"Thank you, Senior Brother Zhang," Lin Le cupped his hands.

After leaving, Lin Le took out a piece of broken silver and gave it to Hou Guang. "Senior Brother Hou, this is your share."

"Just give me ten large coins," Hou Guang pushed it back. "I don't take a cut of the bonus."

"Alright," Lin Le exchanged ten large coins for Hou Guang. "Anything else today?"

"Nothing else," Hou Guang shook his head slightly. "There aren't that many private accounts to take on, and you're still new. Getting one every two or three days is pretty good."

"Oh," Lin Le frowned slightly. One job every two or three days meant he could only earn about ten taels a month. While that was good compared to ordinary people, it wasn't enough to cultivate quickly.

He'd just have to endure, he told himself. Once he became a Martial Master, he'd have a stable income.

Lin Le could only comfort himself this way. Suddenly, he raised his eyebrows slightly, a hint of surprise in his eyes.

Finally, it's here.

Returning to the White Ape Martial Arts School, Lin Le spent five taels to buy five White Ape Pills and then left in a hurry.

Back in his own courtyard, Lin Le slowly swallowed the White Ape Pills one by one, as if waiting for something.

After a while, Lin Le used his Inner Vision Divine Ability to look at his Inner Scenery. He saw two golden lotus seeds and a small spot of golden light within the pinkish-white lotus.

The sachet he had someone make three days ago had finally provided feedback, giving him fifteen points of merit. Combined with the previous six points, it was just enough for two lotus seeds.

Without hesitation, Lin Le used one of the lotus seeds. The skill he intended to comprehend was the White Ape Spear.

With potential enemies lurking, it was best to prioritize strengthening his combat effectiveness.

In an instant, it felt like he had spent a year practicing the spear efficiently. Coupled with his already decent comprehension, he directly advanced the White Ape Spear to Great Accomplishment.

The five stages of skill: Novice, Minor Accomplishment, Great Accomplishment, Perfection, and Grand Perfection.

Grabbing a wooden pole nearby, Lin Le began to swing it, faster and faster, the pole blurring into a circular screen.

Whoosh!

A gust of wind sounded, and a fly was directly struck by a blow, falling to the ground as a pulp.

Holding the pole, Lin Le took a few deep breaths to calm his body.

He used his Inner Vision Divine Ability to look at his Inner Scenery again. Seeing the remaining lotus seed, Lin Le had no intention of keeping it. He used it directly, this time for the White Ape Shoulder-Hunching Fist.