Crisis

"Oh, it's Jingming! I can see your lower stance is steady and powerful, and your eyes are bright and spirited. What, have you broken through to Skin Refining Mastery?"

Seeing Gu Han striding over, the yellow-robed monk Yuanqing's eyes lit up as he asked with a smile.

"That's right! Your keen eyes are sharp, Uncle-Master. Jingming only just broke through a couple of days ago."

Gu Han replied with a smile upon hearing this.

A martial artist's body controls essence with precision, and their qi and blood are deeply concealed. Ordinarily, even a higher-realm martial artist would find it hard to discern another's exact realm—otherwise, Gu Han couldn't have hidden his own these past two years.

This time, having just broken through, his qi and blood hadn't fully settled yet, leaking out slightly. Coupled with the progress he'd deliberately shown, which was already close to Skin Refining Mastery, Yuanqing dared to make this bold guess. To his delight, it turned out true, and he couldn't help but praise:

"Excellent! Truly worthy of being the rare martial arts prodigy our Arhat Hall hasn't seen in decades—truly formidable! With such martial progress, even in the Dharma Institute or Prajna Hall, I doubt many can match you!"

Yuanqing sighed with joy, then picked up a porcelain bottle from the table and handed it to Gu Han.

"Jingming, this is your monthly allotment of pills. Take it for now. Also, since you've broken through to Skin Refining Mastery and brought honor to our Arhat Hall, once I report it to the Head Seat, there will be an extra reward in a couple of days. Go back and wait for good news!"

"Oh, an extra reward?"

Gu Han's heart leaped with joy at this, surprise plain on his face.

After all, he'd never heard before of anyone in the hall getting a reward for breaking through to mere Skin Refining Mastery. It was only Skin Refining Mastery—not just in the entire Treasure Pearl Temple, but even within their Arhat Hall, no fewer than a hundred people had reached this level. If everyone got a reward for it, how many resources would that waste?

So just breaking through to Skin Refining Mastery and expecting a reward from the hall was impossible, even for a wealthy temple like Treasure Pearl Temple.

Could this be the treatment of a genius?

Thinking this, Gu Han felt pleased, silently noting that deliberately showing off his "talent" these past two years had indeed brought many benefits. Not only had it earned him more respect and regard from the uncles and junior brothers in the hall, but his monthly allotment of Hundred Herb Pills was also one more than ordinary disciples.

Ordinary disciples got three pills a month, their combined effects equaling a month of bitter cultivation for a normal person, while he got four—a third more than others, equivalent to an extra ten days of cultivation each month. Now, with his breakthrough to Skin Refining Mastery, there was an additional reward on top.

This feeling—he had to say—was just too satisfying!

Gu Han chuckled inwardly, then opened the porcelain bottle for a look, only to be surprised again, because the pills inside were two more than usual.

Inside the bottle now lay six pills, each the size of a soybean, dark and black, resting quietly.

"Eh, why are there six? Uncle-Master Yuanqing, did you make a mistake?"

Seeing the six pills in the bottle, Gu Han immediately spoke up, with no thought of pocketing them.

It wasn't that after two years as a monk, he'd truly converted to Buddhism and become a devout follower.

Rather, in a sect like Treasure Pearl Temple, personal conduct was far more important than anything else.

The Medicine Master Institute produced a fixed number of pills each month. If he dared to pocket one today and was found out later, he'd be doomed beyond redemption. No matter how great his martial talent, the temple's high echelons would abandon him without hesitation. That would be like picking up a sesame seed and losing a watermelon—utterly not worth it!

"Hehe! Rest assured, Nephew Jingming, the pill count is correct."

Yuanqing smiled, very satisfied with Gu Han's behavior, and explained:

"A few days ago, the Abbot issued a decree, ordering the Medicine Master Institute to increase pill production starting this month, to aid the temple's disciples in their cultivation and improve their martial arts.

So this month, the Hundred Herb Pills allocated to our Arhat Hall are far more than in previous months, and naturally, the share each disciple receives has also increased."

"Oh, I see. But may I ask, Uncle-Master, why did the Abbot suddenly issue such a decree?"

After hearing Yuanqing's explanation, Gu Han asked, puzzled.

As far as he knew, the various medicinal ingredients for refining Hundred Herb Pills were quite precious. To avoid depleting the temple's reserves, the Medicine Master Institute had a fixed monthly output.

The custom of ordinary Arhat Hall disciples receiving three Hundred Herb Pills each month had been in place for over a hundred years. For this to suddenly change so drastically—could something major be happening?

Sure enough, the next moment, Yuanqing's words confirmed his guess.

"Alas! Your guess is right, Nephew. But this matter is common knowledge, so there's no harm in telling you."

Yuanqing sighed, then continued:

"A year ago, King Yan passed away. The Crown Prince was still young, so Empress Dowager Zhou took control of the court. But ever since she came to power, she's indulged in pleasure, plundering the people's wealth and harming the citizens of Yan, causing suffering throughout the land.

Until a few months ago, Zhang Guangyun, the Yunhai Prefecture Military Governor of Great Yan, rose in rebellion, styling himself King Yunhai. In the months since, war fires have spread across Yan, and various feudal lords have also revolted. Now, Yan is on the verge of collapse, and chaos across the realm is inevitable!

Though our Treasure Pearl Temple is filled with those who have left the secular world, we sit under King Tang Li Hanhai's domain, and I fear we won't find peace either. That's why the Abbot ordered the Medicine Master Institute to increase pill production, to strengthen the temple's power for self-defense in the future."

"So that's how it is. Jingming thanks you, Uncle-Master, for the clarification. In that case, this nephew will take his leave."

Gu Han pressed his palms together in a Buddhist salute, offered an apology to Monk Yuanqing, and then left the main hall of Arhat Hall.

"Pat, pat..." Steady footsteps echoed as Gu Han walked along the bluestone-paved path in Treasure Pearl Temple, his mood somewhat heavy.

He had come to this world because he lacked time in reality, seeking a stable place to improve his martial arts and resolve the crisis in the real world.

He'd thought that in a martial arts sanctuary like Treasure Pearl Temple, he could cultivate in peace. But now, only two years had passed, and his tranquil life was about to be shattered.

"Alas! I'll deal with whatever comes. It seems I need to train even more diligently from now on. I just hope King Tang won't turn his attention to Treasure Pearl Temple too soon, giving me more time to cultivate."

Gu Han sighed inwardly, reflecting on these past two years, and couldn't help feeling a bit ashamed.

Though he'd trained diligently enough given the crisis in the real world, a peaceful life could indeed corrode the heart. He'd been too comfortable these two years. Even with a sense of urgency, he'd grown somewhat lax in the last few months.

Otherwise, following his previous pace, he could have broken through to Skin Refining Mastery last month. From now on, he must take this as a lesson and never repeat the mistake.

If you can't find the book title, try searching by the author's name—maybe it's just been renamed!