Tendon Transformation Minor Accomplishment, Mastered Saber Momentum!

Seeing that Zhou Qiming was about to leave, Ren Xue stamped her foot in urgency and called out to stop him.

"Sir, how can we contact you in the future? The Ren Family would like to honor you as our Worshipper." Ren Xue got straight to the point, her voice carrying both urgency and temptation.

Worshipper?

Zhou Qiming's retreating figure paused mid-step.

He naturally knew what being a Worshipper meant—this was Ren Pingsheng betting on his future. Although the strength he displayed on the surface couldn't compare to those Old Monsters who had cultivated for nearly a century, his current potential on the Human Ranking was genuine and undeniable.

Moreover, a Worshipper mostly enjoyed benefits without bearing too many obligations, not even bound by rigid rules.

Was Ren Pingsheng practically begging to be his son?

Zhou Qiming shook his head with a wry smile, marveling at the strangeness of fate. He hadn't expected human nature to be so cheap—when he sincerely wanted to join Hero's Tower, they refused; after extorting a thousand taels of silver, they instead groveled to make him a Worshipper.

In the end, what the heart truly desired still had to be won through fists and force.

"What benefits come with being a Worshipper? Hero's Tower has offended the Bai Family, and its situation isn't looking good right now." Zhou Qiming didn't rush to reply; what he valued were resources like Silver Kiss King Snake Meat.

"Two hundred taels of silver monthly, a two-catty share of Exotic Meat, and all it costs is a future Grandmaster's favor. As for more Exotic Meat, Hero's Tower can't spare any right now."

Ren Xue knew his tone had softened; the rest was just negotiating terms and conditions.

At his current Tendon Transformation level, Zhou Qiming couldn't help the Ren Family much yet, but he was a Heavenly Prodigy on the Human Ranking. Once he broke into the Grandmaster Realm in the future, a single casual word from him could mobilize countless experts to curry favor.

"Fine, Ren Pingsheng really is a businessman at heart. Add another catty of Exotic Meat." Zhou Qiming probed her bottom line.

"This..." Ren Xue lightly bit her lip. The monthly output from the Meat Field was only so much, and Hero's Tower had to grease all sorts of connections, not to mention the fixed shares for the family's other Martial Artists and Worshippers.

Though convenient, the Meat Field wasn't like the overabundant Treasure Fish in the great rivers—it was a monopolized resource like Dragon Blood, with demand far exceeding supply.

"What, is this how you repay your savior? Didn't you say at the inn that you'd do everything in your power to meet my needs?"

Zhou Qiming's questioning voice came through, his expression cold.

Ren Xue hesitated no longer and said hurriedly, "Agreed. May I ask for your name and a way to contact you?"

"That's more like it. Barely counts as a proper attitude for someone asking a favor." Zhou Qiming nodded, took the thousand taels of silver and the bundle of Exotic Meat, then turned and left.

As for being Hero's Tower's Worshipper, he saw no problem with it. Freeloading off the Ren Family's resources gave Zhou Qiming zero guilt—free stuff kept feeling good.

"Mr. Zhou..."

As he left, Ren Xue naturally learned his name, but that was all—not even his face was shown. This Zhou Tailai was far too mysterious. Ren Xue felt a mix of disappointment and delight; at least she had completed the task her father had assigned.

A block away, over a dozen Runners with long sabers at their waists finally escorted their superior Ren Xue back home.

"Meeting someone in the dead of night? So secretive."

"Could it be a tryst with Young Master Bai? Dressed up so nicely."

"Sigh, first time seeing Constable Ren like this. If she'd dress up and sneak around for me, I'd die happy."

Watching Ren Xue return to Hero's Tower, the Runners lingered, gossiping and speculating.

Throughout the entire transaction, they could only follow at a distance, keeping watch without daring to disturb Ren Xue's business.

"Xue'er, well done. You've won a rising star for our Ren Family. I wonder who this Mr. Zhou really is—Zhou Tailai must be an alias."

Ren Pingsheng, delighted by the good news, found himself drinking a few extra cups of wine.

"I expect we'll see Mr. Zhou's name on the next few issues of the Human Ranking before long." Ren Xue nodded, a glimmer of anticipation shining in her eyes. She hoped to see Zhou Tailai surpass Bai Hao.

Bai Hao, relying on his connections to the Prefecture City, had been bullying and squeezing Hero's Tower. Now the Ren Family had Zhou Tailai, a younger Worshipper with even greater potential—Bai Hao's reliance on his Human Ranking name was no longer worth mentioning.

"Stay away from that beast Bai Hao from now on. Don't meet him again. Instead, get closer to Mr. Zhou. After all, Zhou Tailai is still young, and Martial Artists are at their peak of Blood Qi. Once you two become familiar, things will naturally fall into place."

Ren Pingsheng offered his guidance, hoping his daughter would forge a deeper bond of interests with the other party.

The next day, Zhou Qiming went to work at the Weapon Forging Workshop as usual. He immersed himself in forging, and today he was close to breaking through to Grandmastery in Weapon Forging Skill, which would net him a bit of Root Bone Cap.

Last night, after eating two catties of Silver Kiss King Snake Meat, his depleted Root Bone Value had shockingly recovered by over two points. Zhou Qiming was pleasantly surprised and felt even more justified in accepting the Ren Family's Worshipper offer.

"With my current physique, I can recover two or three Root Bone points in a single night. This King Snake Meat is no worse than the Treasure Fish Yuan Tieyi gave me."

Zhou Qiming swung his hammer with increasing force, trying to pound out the abundant Blood Qi accumulated in his body.

Root Bone and the body were like stacking boxes. At the Tendon Transformation Early Stage, consuming and recovering one Root Bone point was worlds apart in quality and quantity from the Bone Forging level.

If he were to break through the limits of Iron Cloth Skill or Woodcutting Saber Technique from scratch now, he might not need to consume as many Root Bone points as before. His body and foundation had undergone a stunning transformation, stepping onto a new level.

[Name: Zhou Qiming (16 years old)] [Level: Tendon Transformation Minor Accomplishment] [Root Bone: 5.4/20] [Woodcutting Saber Technique Second Breakthrough+] [Iron Cloth Skill Third Breakthrough!] [Evergreen Skill Minor Accomplishment 1%!] [Weapon Forging Grandmastery 1%!]

By the time work ended in the evening, Zhou Qiming looked at his martial arts panel and broke into a joyful expression.

After a full day and night of effort, his Evergreen Skill and Weapon Forging Skill had finally broken through.

It brought a total increase of two points to his Root Bone Cap, and surprisingly, the Woodcutting Saber Technique could now undergo a third breakthrough.

As his body reached the Tendon Transformation level, the consumption for the saber technique's third breakthrough truly decreased. Back when he was at Bone Forging, it might have cost over a dozen points of Root Bone, but now it only required five.

After all, this saber technique was only comprehended and recorded while chopping firewood. Unlike the Iron Cloth Skill or the Evergreen Skill, which had higher conceptual foundations, it was only natural that its breakthrough consumption was lower.

"Woodcutting Saber Technique, add points!"

Zhou Qiming concentrated his mind, pouring it into the martial art on the panel, as if piercing through an eggshell.

The county town was fraught with hidden dangers. One misstep could drag him into the conflicts of major powers. Only by converting all resources into combat power in time could he avoid being caught in the crossfire.

Soon, a torrent of saber-training memories surged forth. Zhou Qiming's aura shifted entirely, as if he briefly merged with heaven and earth, becoming one with his surroundings.

If any other Martial Master passed by the courtyard of the forging room, without using their eyes, they would fail to notice Zhou Qiming's presence.

[Level: Tendon Transformation Minor Accomplishment]

[Root Bone: 0.4/20]

[Woodcutting Saber Technique Third Breakthrough: Brute Force, Body Piercing, Blade Momentum!]

"Blade Momentum—this is a method that only a Grandmaster can fully master!"

Zhou Qiming was overjoyed, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes. Beyond Blade Momentum lay Artistic Conception. When two Martial Artists at the same Body Tempering level clashed, the one who grasped Momentum could suppress the other with sheer presence, even resonating with heaven and earth, dominating the fight from a position of overwhelming advantage!

If you find this book enjoyable, to avoid losing track of it next time, please remember to add it to your bookshelf.