Saber Technique Perfection, Chef's Apprentice Gets a Raise!

Great Xia Dynasty, Luoshan County, Jinshui Town.

In the backyard of Haolai Restaurant, Zhou Qiming, dressed in plain cloth, focused intently, swinging the woodcutting saber in his hand.

His eyes followed his blade as he chopped down!

The firewood on the chopping block split into two, the cut as smooth as a mirror, his movements fluid and natural.

[Name: Zhou Qiming (15 years old)]
[Root Bone: 3/3 points]
[Woodcutting Saber Technique (Great Accomplishment 99%)]

"It's been half a year since I arrived in this world. The Woodcutting Saber Technique is almost perfected, and I can gain another point of Root Bone limit!"

Glancing at his status panel, Zhou Qiming continued to chop wood with renewed vigor!

He was originally from Earth. Because the novel he was following was updated too slowly, he had just mailed a blade to the author when he was transported by a truck at the entrance of a post station to this world of rampant bandits and demons.

As a Fanqie Literary Sage with twenty thousand hours of reading time, Zhou Qiming adapted quickly.

The bad news was that he had no parents or background. The good news was that he also had no younger siblings or other encumbrances.

He usually did odd jobs at the restaurant, earning a meager but stable living. He also learned the saber technique while chopping wood.

Over the past six months, his saber technique had continuously broken through to the Great Accomplishment realm, and his Root Bone limit had increased to three points, causing astonishing changes in his body. From a frail, skinny youth, he had transformed into a strong and robust teenager with great strength.

Crack!

Another piece of firewood was cut down. It was as if he had broken through some bottleneck. His bones popped and cracked, his muscles and sinews sang in harmony, his face flushed red, and sweat evaporated like from a steam bath!

"I broke through!"

[Woodcutting Saber Technique (Perfection+)]
[Root Bone: 4/4 points]

"My Root Bone increased by one point. Huh, there's a plus sign this time!"

Zhou Qiming felt the transformation of strength throughout his body, both surprised and delighted!

His palms instantly became calloused, his arm muscles surged with hundreds of pounds of force, and memories of chopping wood for several years flooded his mind.

Besides the improvement in his skills and realm, the most gratifying thing was the transformation of his Root Bone.

Ordinary people's Root Bone was predetermined by birth, like their innate aptitude, locking in their future potential.

But Zhou Qiming was different. As long as he continuously absorbed martial arts and improved the progress on his status panel, he could actively break through his Root Bone limit!

Step by step, the more Root Bone points he accumulated, the higher his body's compatibility with techniques and precious medicines would be, making his cultivation efficiency far superior to others!

Zhou Qiming clenched his fists. In this world full of hidden dangers, he finally had a way to protect himself!

"I'll add more points when I get home tonight!"

There were too many people and eyes at the restaurant. If the commotion from adding points to his saber technique after breaking through was too great, it might attract unnecessary danger!

It was now lunchtime. The other laborers stopped working, their bodies covered in sweat.

"Did you hear? Huzi left the restaurant the day before yesterday. His family couldn't make ends meet, so they sold him to a lord in the county who likes boys to be his page."

"Alas, this world. How many people can this restaurant support? Perhaps we laborers will be kicked out by the shop one day."

"I really don't know where that kid Qiming gets his strength. He chops so much wood every day and doesn't get tired."

The crowd chatted while wiping sweat, glancing at the boy chopping wood. They were anxious and worried about their own fates.

They had too little presence in the restaurant and would eventually lose their jobs, just like Huzi, who was sold by his family.

The Wu Brothers, washing dishes nearby, shook their heads and sneered, showing undisguised hostility towards Zhou Qiming:

"Hmph, he puts on a show of chopping wood diligently every day, all to please Boss Xu. Unfortunately, his flirtatious glances are wasted on the blind."

The crowd didn't know about the martial arts panel. They thought Zhou Qiming was working hard chopping wood to gain favor.

Compared to Zhou Qiming, they seemed lazy and incompetent, which bred jealousy and hostility. Why compete so fiercely for a few hundred coins?

Zhou Qiming paid no attention to these rumors. True powerhouses didn't need to explain themselves excessively to others.

Someone else returned with water, smiling as he put down the carrying pole and buckets. He advised Zhou Qiming:

"Alright, Qiming, you should rest too. You've been chopping wood all morning and don't seem tired. Eat first, then work."

"Chen Ping, you eat first. I'll finish this last bundle." Zhou Qiming raised his face, wiped the sweat, and smiled at him. He had a compulsive personality; he had to complete his set goal before resting.

"Okay, I'll save you a bowl of chicken soup to replenish your Blood Essence. The kitchen will be out if you're late." Chen Ping waved his hand helplessly, filled the water jug, and turned to go inside.

The others also rushed to the kitchen, scrambling for food. The dishes with meat were supplied in limited quantities daily. If they were late, they would miss out. They were all at an age where they were growing rapidly and had large appetites.

"I need to find a way to earn money and go to the town's martial arts school to learn true body-tempering martial arts."

Zhou Qiming gathered the chopped firewood on the ground, tidied up, and prepared to go eat.

The Woodcutting Saber Technique was, after all, a commoner's technique. Only by practicing true martial arts and breaking through limitations could he deal with danger.

However, the apprenticeship fee at the martial arts school was almost a hundred taels of silver. With the meager income of a laborer, it was unknown how long it would take to save up.

"Little Zhou, you're the only one here right now. Take these lunchboxes to the Iron Clothes Martial Arts School."

A voice came from behind.

Boss Xu Hailai walked out with a smile, his gaze sweeping over the firewood piled in the courtyard without a ripple.

Looking at the others, they were all slacking off somewhere, each more eager to eat than the last!

He had taken Zhou Qiming in for two years. The latter had worked diligently, never asking for a raise, and even seemed to enjoy it!

The restaurant owner saw all his silent hardship and effort.

It might have been considered pretense for ten days or half a month, but to persist for half a year, this perseverance was remarkable.

"Okay, Uncle Xu!" Zhou Qiming agreed with a smile.

In this era of refugees fleeing famine, he cherished the job opportunity at the restaurant.

Zhou Qiming easily shouldered the wooden box full of vegetable containers, carried a large bucket of rice in one hand, and slung his woodcutting saber at his waist as he walked out.

With a Root Bone value of four, his strength had already greatly increased. Even a stone lock weighing several hundred jin felt as light as walking on flat ground.

Xu Hailai nodded, a satisfied smile on his face. He called out to Zhou Qiming kindly:

"Oh right, Little Zhou, you've been here for almost two years now. Chef Liu has been complaining every day that he's too busy. You should go apprentice under him, and your wages will increase to nine qian of silver. A man should seize the opportunity to learn a trade while he's young; you can't just rely on chopping wood to get married and live, can you?"

Xu Hailai's expression was benevolent. He had seen all sorts of people, and there weren't many as hardworking and enduring as Zhou Qiming. If he continued to observe silently, he feared it would chill the young man's heart.

"Thank you, Uncle Xu!" Zhou Qiming said gratefully.

His wages had suddenly increased threefold or fourfold. In a year, he could save ten taels of silver, and maybe he could even save enough to pay for an apprenticeship!

Moreover, Master Liu was the most senior chef in the restaurant. Boss Xu personally assigned Head Chef Liu to mentor him, clearly intending to groom him as a confidant.

"Burning fires and cooking are also skills. If I'm successfully recruited, I'll gain new Root Bone points!"

Just now, after perfecting his saber technique, he had been worried about how to continue improving his Root Bone.

Zhou Qiming was in high spirits and strode out of the restaurant towards the Iron Clothes Martial Arts School!

If you can't find the book by its title, you can try searching for the author. Perhaps the name has just been changed!