Current Assets

Several hours later.

Ling Wuyuan sat in his room, his expression somewhat grave as he looked at the six items before him.

1. [Tiger Bone Body Strengthening Technique].

2. [Basic Swordsmanship].

3. [Basic Fist Technique].

4. [Basic Movement Technique].

5. A Standard Longsword forged from Hundred Refined Fine Iron, roughly ninety centimeters long and weighing around eight jin.

6. A high-value banknote worth two hundred and fifty gold coins.

Originally, Ling Wuyuan had wanted to choose the relatively cheaper-to-practice [Savage Bull Strength]. That way, the money he had gotten from his classmate would have been more than enough to support his cultivation all the way to the [Bone Forging Realm], with some left over.

However, after giving it some thought, he had ultimately chosen the more expensive but more effective [Tiger Bone Body Strengthening Technique].

There was no helping it. The fact that this thing was expensive to cultivate was not its flaw—it was a flaw born of his own poverty.

Once he had cultivated to a certain level.

He could earn money himself through completing gang missions and fund his subsequent cultivation.

As for the other three manuals, [Basic Swordsmanship], [Basic Fist Technique], and [Basic Movement Technique], they were basic offensive techniques issued by the White Crow Gang training grounds. They were not low-grade martial skills; their actual status was probably only a little higher than techniques like Turtle Style Punch.

Uh...

Their status was probably somewhat similar to Military Boxing from his previous life.

Of course, their actual effects were definitely far more vicious than that.

Many of the moves within could cripple or kill people.

In the environment of his previous life, after finishing a set of Basic Fist Technique, unless the attacker had some backing, they would at the very least spend several years stepping on sewing machines—or simply eat metal peanuts.

In short, these were relatively practical basic combat techniques distilled through real, life-and-death fighting.

Besides those three, the training grounds also had things like [Basic Leg Technique], [Basic Claw Technique], [Basic Archery], [Basic Dagger Technique], [Basic Saber Technique]...

Within the White Crow Gang's training grounds, these things held the same status as basic textbooks.

Everyone only needed to choose the offensive techniques they liked according to their preferences and cultivate them.

Though none of them could be considered especially powerful.

They were certainly more than enough for a bunch of rookies—just right for laying a foundation and adapting in advance to various methods of attack...

Ling Wuyuan planned to study the other basic technique manuals after he had more or less figured out [Basic Swordsmanship], [Basic Fist Technique], and [Basic Movement Technique].

As for the fifth and sixth items, there was not much to introduce.

The former was the final reward he had received for being a good student.

Though it was not particularly valuable, it was still a gang-standard weapon genuinely forged from Hundred Refined Fine Iron. It was said to be capable of chopping through some cheap metal weapons that were not too hard.

He did not expect much more from it.

It would certainly be no problem using it against all sorts of wild beasts and fierce animals.

It would be enough for Ling Wuyuan to use for quite some time.

The only issue was that the ninety-centimeter-long blade was truly a little too long for Ling Wuyuan, who was currently only a bit over one and a half meters tall. It made him feel as though he were wielding a two-handed greatsword.

However.

When he thought of how quickly his body was developing, he felt it was not much of a problem.

That gold note, meanwhile, was what had dropped after his good classmate suffered a massive arterial bleed.

Mm...

A ruthless gold coin explosion!

Two hundred and fifty gold coins.

How should he put that amount...

Talking about money alone was somewhat too abstract. It would be more appropriate to describe it through prices.

First, in [White Mist Country], fifty copper coins equaled one silver coin, while fifty silver coins equaled one gold coin. That was the official exchange rate: fifty for one.

As for the actual purchasing power of copper coins, roughly two copper coins could buy one Baked Flatbread.

A Baked Flatbread with no meat whatsoever, but with the same amount as one or two bowls of rice.

Thus, they could derive a basic formula: two hundred and fifty gold coins equaled twelve thousand five hundred silver coins, which equaled six hundred and twenty-five thousand copper coins, which equaled three hundred and twelve thousand five hundred Baked Flatbreads.

Therefore, this sum was absolutely not small. Even in Black Stone City, it could buy a decent small detached courtyard, enough for an entire family to live in.

If Ling Wuyuan's classmate had not had elders at home all counting on him to study martial arts properly in the White Crow Gang, preparing in advance both the funds for his cultivation and money to grease connections, he could never possibly have carried such a huge sum on him.

However, as far as martial arts training was concerned, this amount of money was merely so-so.

At the very least, after Ling Wuyuan roughly calculated the cost of medicinal ingredients an ordinary person would need to cultivate [Tiger Bone Body Strengthening Technique] according to the information recorded within it, he did not dare claim this money would be enough to cultivate all the way to the [Bone Forging Realm]. He could only say that he did not need to worry for the time being.

"Better buy a dose of medicine first."

"The herbal shops below White Crow Mountain should be able to gather the introductory medicinal ingredients for [Tiger Bone Body Strengthening Technique]."

"After all, I heard before that the herbal shops around White Crow Mountain directly keep live tigers, gray wolves, venomous snakes..."

Although the herbal shops described in the rumors sounded rather like large zoos, Ling Wuyuan still decided to go have a look.

Not long afterward.

As it was nearly time for the afternoon meal.

Ling Wuyuan successfully arrived at the largest herbal shop nearby.

Before he had even entered, the female employee in long robes standing at the entrance, whose appearance could be called delicate and pretty, proactively greeted him with an exceedingly warm smile.

"Handsome little brother, are you here to buy medicinal ingredients?"

Her voice had an especially soft and coquettish quality.

Presumably, if Ling Wuyuan had been a few years older, her attitude might have been even more enthusiastic.

"Yes."

Ling Wuyuan did not waste words. He immediately handed her a slip of paper.

"Give me one standard portion of every medicinal ingredient written here."

After accepting it, the female employee first scrutinized it carefully for a few moments, then remarked with a smiling gaze.

"Oh~ The introductory medicinal ingredients for [Tiger Bone Body Strengthening Technique]~"

"The other medicinal ingredients are easy enough to handle. Even the tiger bones can be brought out right now."

"But freshly drawn Tiger Blood is harder to say..."

"Handsome little brother, please wait a moment. I need to ask our manager..."

"As far as I know, the two fierce tigers kept in the rear courtyard of our shop had their blood drawn some time ago. I'm not sure whether they can have more drawn today. After all, they are important assets of our shop. It would not be good if drawing too much blood killed them..."

Not only had she recognized the purpose of Ling Wuyuan's medicinal ingredients, she had also explained the current situation.

Ling Wuyuan was only somewhat surprised that the herbal shop really did keep live tigers. He was not particularly surprised that the female employee had recognized what the ingredients were for.

The reason was simple.

This herbal shop was one of the White Crow Gang's businesses.

Many gang members who wished to cultivate [Tiger Bone Body Strengthening Technique] had probably bought the same ingredients here, so it was hardly strange that she could recognize their purpose.

"Alright."

"Go ask."